Prolific businessman and transparency advocate Howard Mitchell for PSOJ Hall of Fame

Prolific businessman, commercial lawyer and transparency advocate Howard Mitchell is to be inducted into the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica's (PSOJ) Hall of Fame in October. 

The group made the announcement on Friday, stating that Mitchell will be the 29th inductee.

"This award pays tribute to successful entrepreneurship, leadership, and character, and Howard is a deserving addition to this list of distinguished inductees," it said. The ceremony is scheduled for October 25. 

Mitchell retired from law in 2010 after spending 35 years working with several local firms and then through his own practice. He specialised in mining law and taxation and brokered several mining licences on behalf of the Government of Jamaica. 

The PSOJ said one of Mitchell's first major successes in private enterprise was the resuscitation of the Sports Development Agency to become the Jamaica Lottery Company Limited and its ensuing sale to Supreme Ventures Limited in 2001. It said Mitchell co-founded the Sports Development Foundation (now subsumed by state- owned CHASE (Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education Fund)) as the charitable arm of the lottery company. 

Mitchell has been involved in numerous successful ventures. He is known for his involvement in Jamaica's largest packaging manufacturing plant, Corrpak Jamaica Ltd, before selling the company in 2016.

He was the principal shareholder and Executive Chairman of AJAS Limited, the largest aviation services company in the English-speaking Caribbean. After acquiring the company, he led a record turnaround, taking it from consecutive years of operational losses to consistently returning (EBITDA) of US$1 million.

He sold the majority interest to Menzies Aviation, the largest aviation services company in the world; he remains a board director. 

Mitchell served on the boards of several private companies, including Jamaica Packaging Industries Limited, SCL (Jamaica) Ltd, Caribbean Flavours and Fragrances, Chicken Supreme Ltd (Trading as Island Grill), Menzies AJAS Limited, Derrimon Trading Limited, House of Issa Limited (Couples/Swept Away) and TM Traders Ltd., and New World Farm and Products Limited.

Mitchell has led or served as board director on government boards and among them are the National Housing Trust, Coffee Industry Board, Cocoa Industry Board, Jamaica Bauxite Institute, Bauxite and Alumina Trading Company Ltd, Financial Services Commission, the Gaming Commission and the Bank of Jamaica.

He served as PSOJ president from 2017-2019 and was the founding Chairman of the Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal, a local anti-corruption lobby. 

The Government awarded Mitchell the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) for outstanding service to business and the public sector. in 2017.

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