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UWI Hon. Graduate Dr. the Hon. R. Danny Williams OJ hailed for his legacy

Source: The Gleaner - September 17, 2023

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20230917/pioneer-visionary-patriot

Hailed for his selfless contribution to the growth and development of Jamaica, Dr. R. Danny Williams OJ, CD, has been saluted by leaders across Jamaica. He was  an insurance pioneer, philanthropist and a nation builder extraordinaire.  He was deeply loved, respected and admired by colleagues, employees, and industry peers alike, for his integrity and compassion. He  dedicated his life to service in various capacities – both in the public and private sectors – giving of his personal time and resources to help underserved and underprivileged Jamaicans. Williams was the founder of Jamaica’s first domestically owned life insurance company, Life of Jamaica, now Sagicor Life Jamaica. His prowess for raising funds for worthy causes was legendary and several important institutions have benefited from those efforts. 

In 1972, Williams was awarded the national honour of Commander of the Order of Distinction (CD) and, in 1993, was conferred with the Order of Jamaica (OJ) for voluntary service to his community.

He was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws (Hon), by the The UWI in 2013. He received the Caribbean Luminary Award from the American Foundation from The UWI in 2010, and the Gleaner Honour Award for Voluntary Service that same year. Williams was inducted into the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica Hall of Fame in 1997.

In its heyday, the former Life of Jamaica (LOJ) was a giant in the life insurance industry, not only in the country of its birth, but also throughout the Caribbean. Williams created LOJ at a time when the key players in the local sector were all foreign-based. His vision took form when he raised capital for his venture by selling two and a half million private and public shares, making LOJ the first life insurance company to be listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

His formal education did not extend beyond high school at Jamaica College and he was a self-made man whose career, built on hard work, discipline, dedication and goal-setting, served as a motivation to several others. He was “approachable” and “accessible” and demonstrated that a leader and manager need not be aloof or autocratic in order to earn respect from his staff. He inspired his team to high productivity and, by 1986, LOJ had achieved the distinction of becoming the first company in Jamaica’s history to sell over $1 billion worth of life insurance in a single year. The following year, this figure was more than doubled. In 2012, Sagicor renamed its corporate headquarters the R. Danny Williams Building, in recognition of Williams’ service to the company and its predecessor. In 2017, in recognition of his service to Sagicor Group Jamaica, he was named director emeritus.

He was called to political office and served as a senator, as well as junior minister and minister of industry and commerce between 1977 and 1980.  Williams served in various capacities on the boards and committees of a number of private and public sector entities and educational institutions. These included his own management consultancy, Ravers Limited, Virginia Dare (Jamaica) Limited, the National Development Foundation of Jamaica (NDFJ), the Jamaican Movement for the Advancement of Adult Literacy (JAMAL), the Jamaica Anti-Doping Committee, the Jamaica Association for the Deaf, and the Jamaica College Foundation. A philanthropist with a deep concern for the marginalised, Williams was the founder of the Lister Mair/Gilby School for the Deaf, and spearheaded the development of the institution’s training centre to provide opportunities for the hearing impaired. He also made a stellar contribution to his alma mater, Jamaica College, as he steered the committee that undertook the rehabilitation of its campus. He will be remembered as a giant in the fields of business, education, institution building, and deserving charitable causes.