#HOTCS: Georges Lemieux, Bridgetown

“It was a contract of about $43 million to construct the second quay for cruise ships in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Evidently, negotiations were very complicated. There was the question of financing, as well as the participation of local companies, banks and organizations, which often have different jurisdictions. There was also the participation of the principal company, but also the subcontractors and, in this case, the Canadian Commercial Corporation. The contract took a long time to negotiate, so I saw the end of it, but there were others who were there before me.

“At the last second, when we were ready to sign the contract, there were parties who objected to it because they weren’t satisfied with what the contract foresaw in regards to the participation of each party. At that moment, I was already at Saint Kitts, so I had to put on my detective hat. For the next three days, I went around trying to find out what had happened. Who stopped the project? How could it be restarted?

“Through my research and by working with all the parties concerned, I found out the cause of the failed negotiations. We then agreed to a strategy to meet the requirements of the party that had walked away from the project, and we were finally able to proceed with the signing of the contract the next week.

“It was one of those times when you really felt like a full member of the team; you are a key player in finalizing a major contract, you are making a real and immediate contribution and you bring a real value-added. So I was very happy to be a part of this project.”