New Audit, Corporate Governance, and Finance Committee Chairman appointed 

Durrant Pate/Contributor

The Jamaica Broilers Group (JBG) has announced changes to its Board Committees, amid moves to strengthen its corporate governance structures following its massive financial and accounting scandal centred around its United States operations two years ago.

The scandal involved hidden costs, inflated biological assets (live chickens), unrecorded liabilities, and fictional journal entries in the US division. The Jamaican agricultural conglomerate has appointed new chairpersons for its Audit, Corporate Governance and Finance committees.

Of note is the fact that the new committee chairpersons are all currently existing directors of the company. The appointments took effect Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

New Board chairperson

They see Chartered Accountant Ian Haynes being appointed Chairman of the Audit Committee, replacing former Scotia Group boss Bruce Bowen, who continues to serve as a member of the Audit Committee.

The members of the Audit Committee are as follows: –

1.   Mr. Ian Haynes (Chairman);

2.   Mr. Omar Azan;

3.   Mr. Edward Barber; and

4.   Mr. Bruce Bowen.

JBG is emphasising that the change in the chairmanship of the Audit Committee is not due to any disagreement in respect of accounting principles or practices, financial statement disclosure or any other material issue impacting the Audit Committee or the previous chairman’s ability to properly carry out the functions delegated by the Board to the Audit Committee.

JBG has also advised of the appointment of Bruce Bowen to chair the Board’s Corporate Governance Committee; Edward Barber to chair the Board’s Finance Committee and Mrs Wendelyne Murphy, Director, to chair the Board’s Compensation Committee.

The fraud led to a restatement of accounts for JBG and a massive net loss of J$7.2 billion for the fiscal year ended May 2025 (and a J$6.8 billion net loss for the year ended May 2026).

While JBG’s core Jamaican operations remained profitable (earning billions locally), the massive write-downs, trading losses, and the sale of its South Carolina processing business heavily dragged down group finances.