Founder of the Guardsman Group, Kenny Benjamin will be the 32nd inductee into the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica’s (PSOJ)  Hall of Fame in October at a banquet ceremony to be held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

For years, we have seen extraordinary senior executives from conglomerates receive this honour.

Kenny Benjamin founded the security operations company Guardsman nearly 50 years ago. It was a struggle, as it often is in the early days.

When one thinks of what the Guardsman Group is today, it’s difficult to comprehend a young Kenny Benjamin with just four dogs in 1977 embarking on building a security company. He started his operation from his home in Golden Spring. I would like to know what the names of those four dogs were. 

For the next five decades, he built Guardsman into Jamaica’s foremost security company and one of the country’s leading brands. It is now a major employer in Jamaica with close to 9,000 employees across the Caribbean. 

We need security to protect our belongings and our loved ones. It is an essential service and one we do take for granted. Kenny Benjamin made a successful, thriving business out of what was decades ago not considered an industry. Today he has spawned imitators, looking to replicate what he created. In the public consciousness, Guardsman remains the leader in its field, the benchmark others are held to. 

What makes Kenny Benjamin a unique inductee into the PSOJ’s Hall of Fame is that he placed his own imprimatur on the company he built. All that he is, his character, his professionalism, his insight, his intuition is embossed upon it.  When the name “Guardsman” comes up, Kenny Benjamin is inextricably linked to the company which he built from the ground up.

His story should be an inspiration to the current generation of entrepreneurs. It is a story of true grit, perseverance,  self-belief, redefining an industry, making your word your calling card, ensuring that you exceed the customer’s expectations. 

People are loyal to Kenny Benjamin not because of what he is but rather who he is.

With business leaders in Jamaica, the talk is focused on their financial prowess, the companies they took to an altogether new level. 

Kenny Benjamin is passionate about the environment, the welfare of animals, and ensuring urban cities are not allowed to be concrete jungles. He has stepped up and made significant contributions in this area; take what he has done with Hope Zoo. There is no doubt that Kenny Benjamin has an artistic sensibility, and that is clearly seen in the offices of his headquarters on Hope Road in Kingston. That eye, that soul, the will to elevate the quality of life in all one does, makes him truly remarkable.

He is a quietly spoken man, but his intonation, elocution and scarcity of words command attention. He is never verbose or braggadocious; he listens, he absorbs. He quietly goes about his business in a uniquely “Kenny” manner.

From those early days in the 70s, Guardsman now has a number of subsidiaries that are also household names in their own right.  One thinks of Guardsman Armoured,  Guardsman Metaverse, Guardsman Cyber Intelligence, Beryllium, iProtect, to name a few.

Members of his family have come on board and brought their skill sets to usher Guardsman into the technological/AI age without losing the essence of what Guardsman is all about. Shiela Benjamin-McNeil and Nicholas Benjamin have come on board as Deputy Executive Chairs, allowing Kenny the perspectives and contributions from different generations, and he welcomes it. He once quipped, “ This will leave me more time to spend on the beach while they do all the hard work.”

It is said that effective delegation is a vital part of leadership, and Kenny trusts his executive corps and his teams. 

Kenny Benjamin has also entered the hospitality business, making a mark with Hope Zoo (the best in the Caribbean), Konoko Falls & Gardens, Puerto Seco Beach Club, and Fort Clarence Beach. These facilities are open to the public to enjoy. It should be said, and it is not – Kenny Benjamin has made a notable contribution to making Jamaica more cosmopolitan, taking care with the beautification of the country. 

Today we hear talk about beach access and people becoming upset about being unable to enjoy the many splendours of Jamaica. 

This is antithetical to Kenny’s thinking in the sense that if you make the facilities attractive and welcoming, people will come. Yes, investments have to be made, but create experiences that all Jamaicans can enjoy and they will remain for generations.

Many of today’s business titans in the world are in the technology space. I am not being unkind when I say they are often geeky, nerdy and socially awkward. Many are not people you can kick back with, have a drink and chill.

Kenny Benjamin is the consummate host. He is relaxed and engaging with a drink in his hand and an attentive ear. He enjoys life, and lives it to the full. You never have to ask yourself, “What is this guy all about?” He has a good sense of humour and is a man of the world while being a font of knowledge.

The PSOJ did well selecting him as its latest inductee into its Hall of Fame, not simply because he is a successful businessman but because he is a man in full, a man for all seasons.