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December 2015
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Citation: A. Norman Sabga, Degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD)Chancellor, “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” That quote is attributed to the American political activist, Ralph Nader but it might just as well be the mantra of Mr. A. Norman Sabga. It would not represent a casual platitude but rather a philosophy forged over a long and very successful career in business. The ANSA McAL Group, of which he is both Chairman and CEO, was founded in 1881 and is today one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Caribbean. It is believed to touch the lives of everyone in the region at least once each and every day. A. Norman Sabga’s early schooling in Trinidad consisted of St Andrew’s Private School in Maraval, and the boarding school at the Monastery at Mt. St Benedict. He went on to attend Red Rice College in the south of England and Fordham University in New York. He returned to Trinidad in 1970 and entered the family business during those tumultuous times. He was obliged to establish himself at Standard Distributors Limited in sales and marketing back when there were only a few distributors but many wholesalers. He moved up to Manager then Managing Director until 1979 when the ANSA group acquired the McEnearney Alstons Group. He served as Director of Marketing and then CEO of Alstons Marketing. His rise would continue to Deputy Chairman of the Group, to ultimately serve as Chair and CEO – positions he has held for fifteen years. The Group is headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago but is also established in Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis and the USA. The suite of niches occupied include brewing, paint manufacturing, insurance, finance and merchant banking, real estate development, shipping and distribution of automobiles, industrial equipment, food and pharmaceuticals. These interests include public companies. This magnifies the burden of responsibility for prudent but bold management, for aiming high and far into the future while sharply addressing the present. The enormity of the task is not lost on him and yet he approaches daily challenges with an assurance forged over years of weathering many a storm with the support of capable crews assembled to meet every eventuality. From his business philosophy it is possible to distill vital essences:
Mr. Sabga places a premium value on an educated society and so has built a strong relationship with The UWI. The ANSA McAL Psychological Research Centre formally opened in 1989 and lends research support and teaching services to over 1,200 undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as to academic staff in the discipline. Mr. Sabga has personally served on the Council of the St. Augustine Campus for the past two years. More recently, an MOU has been signed with the UWI to establish The Guardian Media School of Journalism and the Anthony Sabga School of Entrepreneurship and these are currently in the final planning stages of physical development. During his tenure at the helm, the ANSA McAL group has maintained its premier position in the region and gone from strength to strength. It employs close to 6,000 people and has almost as many shareholders. The contribution to the region is immense in terms of services provided and wealth generated. Chancellor, for responsible and sterling leadership, for outstanding contributions to societal, regional and educational advancement, and the UWI, I present A. Norman Sabga, and ask that by the authority vested in you by the Council and Senate of The University of the West Indies, you confer on him the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. St Augustine Campus 
I am honored to join you today in your Graduation ceremony from the University of the West Indies. I am grateful to stand before you, not only because of the great honour that the university has bestowed on me and the other graduands, but more so, to be part of the conclusion of this chapter of your lives, and the commencement of what is to follow. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the St Augustine Campus of the University, as it commemorates the 55th anniversary of its inception this year. This is an extremely significant milestone in the history of the campus, which over the half-century, has become the region’s leading institution of higher education, and an important part of the Caribbean’s post-independence legacy. Truth be told, I never graduated from University. The demands of life required me to leave Fordham University in New York and return home to join the family business. Therefore my words to you today, are ones not covered in your standard syllabus. Robin Sharma said, “TO BE A LEADER IS NOT TO HAVE A HUGE POSITION. TO BE A LEADER IS TO SEE YOUR JOB AS A CHANCE TO INSPIRE THE WORLD, NO MATTER WHAT THAT JOB MAY BE.” I chose that quote as I am hopeful that my words act as a source of inspiration. I acknowledge that I am offering words of advice in front of a faculty, whose ideas and research positively impact our lives. And I do so, in a gathering complemented by the wisdom of so many parents, grandparents and great grandparents, who have been a source of incredible inspiration for our graduates. So bearing all this in mind, I will share some personal discoveries with you, that have served me well thus far. LIFE IS A JOURNEY. I have always told my children that life is about the choices that you make. At each junction, you are posed with a question, left or right, up or down, A or B. There is always a choice to be made and this leads me to my first point. BE HUMBLE AND LET YOUR MORALS, VALUES AND INTEGRITY GUIDE YOU. The decisions that you make at every turn, will not only define WHERE you will be tomorrow, but more significantly, WHO you will be. The only true thing that is yours in this lifetime, is your name. Use it wisely. Defend it passionately. Do not attach it to anything that would compromise your values. Make your word count. Set the highest standards for yourself and take pride in all that you do. NOTHING IS ACHIEVED WITHOUT HARD WORK. This single statement resonates with me and continues to be one of my core beliefs. You see, there is tremendous dignity and wisdom in these words. As current trends and history have taught us, those who try to achieve success without sacrifice, ultimately deceive themselves and others. Nothing worth having comes easy, and if it is easy to get, then nobody wants it. BE DISCIPLINED. DO NOT TAKE SHORTCUTS. Doors will not instantly open to the highest position in any institution just because you have earned a degree. My point is that natural ability alone will only get you so far. You have to invest the time and effort for your gifts to unfold and your skills to get sharper. There are no shortcuts to success. The journey would naturally be longer but more worthwhile. How you navigate through it, will provide you with the knowledge and skills to oversee future tasks. PREPARE FOR UNCERTAINTY. Life has a habit of throwing us curve balls. So even if you can’t plan for those exact moments, you can certainly prepare. A great batsman doesn’t know when a bouncer is going to be bowled at him, but knows it will at some point, and he can prepare for what he will do when that time comes. We rarely control the timing of opportunities, but we can control our preparations.
I have had the good fortune to be surrounded by some brilliant, intuitive thinkers and doers, and together as a team, we have made the ANSA McAL Group the most successful conglomerate in the region. Allow those around you to flourish and share in the success. As a leader your main role is to act as their North Star. COMMIT TO EXCELLENCE. There is always room to improve and as such, I have always challenged myself to do better. What needed to be done today, was never left for tomorrow. Through committal, those around you will feed off that passion, thereby ensuring that Excellence becomes a habit. BE BRAND AMBASSADORS. Represent yourself in a meaningful way, not only in your workplace but in your communities and homes. Be brand ambassadors of The University of the West Indies and of your respective countries. Remember the people you have met along the way who have helped shaped you. We live in a country that provides us with opportunities which we must not take for granted. Therefore we must strive to make it better for future generations and give back to society. STAY CONNECTED. We live in a world of globalization with changing attitudes, new trends and a rapid pace of new technologies. Education does not stop after you graduate. It doesn’t stop after you finish your degree. In fact, you are going to advance in life by what you are going to learn AFTER you leave here today. WORK HARD AND PLAY HARD. Life is for the living and balance is critical in life. What is the point of being successful, if you do not take the time to enjoy it? Time is a precious commodity so use it wisely and participate meaningfully. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FAILURE – FAIL BIG AND DREAM BIGGER. Walt Disney said “ALL OUR DREAMS COME TRUE, IF WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO PURSUE THEM”. Everything starts with a dream and like all dreams they are littered with challenges and tastes of failure. I don’t know of anyone who has achieved something significant without also experiencing their share of hardship. I too, have walked down that road. So, do not let obstacles stop you from dreaming or hamper your journey to success. Don’t believe that something in your past prevents you from doing great work in the future. Dream big, and use these dreams to fuel and motivate you in your quest for success. FAITH, FAMILY AND LOVE. Ensure that these words are kept alive, as they will keep you grounded and focused in your life at all times. One of the most important decisions you will make in your lifetime, is whom you chose to spend the rest of your life with. I am where I am today because of the love and support that I have received from my wife Alma. Finally, Life is short. Don’t waste it on doing something that brings you unhappiness. I have always been guided by the words of my Father, Dr. Anthony N. Sabga. “Find a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I did! Thank you graduating class of 2015 and God bless you on your future journey.
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YOU CANNOT DO IT ALONE.