92% Ours?

The people of St. Maarten, through their government, own 92.05 percent of Winair, while the Netherlands holds just 7.95 percent. Yet, with another overseas professional appointed to the airline's executive leadership, one could be forgiven for wondering whether those percentages have somehow been reversed. On paper, we are unquestionably the majority shareholder. But how often does that ownership translate into opportunities for our own professionals to lead?

The appointment of André Lorier as Winair's new Chief Financial Officer, joining CEO Hans van de Velde, raises a question that extends far beyond the airline: Why do we continue to see non-local professionals appointed to senior positions in companies that belong overwhelmingly to the people of St. Maarten?

This is not an argument against Lorier, his qualifications or the contribution of foreign professionals. Competence must always come first, particularly in aviation, where sound financial management is essential. But competence is not exclusive to the Netherlands, and surely St. Maarten has reached a stage in its development where local leadership should be more than an occasional consideration.

The news of Lorier's appointment only became public today, and it would be unreasonable to expect government to immediately provide answers about a recruitment process that may have taken months. The majority shareholder may need time to obtain the relevant information from Winair's management and supervisory board. That is understandable, but what should follow is an explanation to the people who ultimately own the company.

Was the position publicly advertised? How many candidates applied? Were qualified St. Maarten professionals considered, including those living abroad? What qualifications and experience determined the final selection?

Nobody is requesting confidential personnel information or suggesting that appointments should be politically dictated. We are asking for reasonable transparency about how leadership positions in publicly owned companies are filled.

And if no qualified local professional applied, that too deserves an explanation. More importantly, it should prompt another question: What are our government-owned companies doing to identify, recruit, mentor and prepare St. Maarten professionals for executive positions?

We speak constantly about capacity building, succession planning, reversing the brain drain and encouraging our educated people to return home. Yet it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that we cannot attract our own when the public rarely hears what efforts were made to find them.

Perhaps Winair conducted an extensive international recruitment exercise and Lorier emerged as the strongest candidate. That may well be the case, and the public should be prepared to accept a properly explained professional decision. But without information, questions persist, and public confidence suffers.

Majority ownership does not mean political interference in hiring decisions. It does, however, carry a responsibility to ensure that the companies we own are accountable and that developing local leadership is part of their long-term strategy.

The government does not owe us an explanation tonight. It does owe us one.

Because owning 92 percent of Winair should mean more than appearing on its shareholder register. It should mean having a clear understanding of how our airline is governed, how its leaders are selected and what place our own people have in its future.

Surely, after paying for the ownership, the people of St. Maarten should not have to beg for the accountability that comes with it.

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