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The Mahfoods: continuing a rich family tradition
BUSINESS LEADER NOMINEE # 1
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
For a family that has survived 72 years in business, and to date, two seamless generational transitions, the Mahfoods, owners and operators of the Wisynco Group of Companies remain remarkably vigilant against taking anything for granted.
Their collective sense of caution is summed up in a basic principle expressed by one family member - a point of view that, by his own acknowledgment, appears to fly in the face of conventional wisdom.
The Wisynco executive team and broad family (from left) Sam Mahfood, chairman; Andrew Mahfood, executive director in charge of group finance; Devon Reynolds, executive director in charge of manufacturing and human resources; Francois Chalifour, executive director in charge of IT and drinks manufacture; Gerald 'Jerry' Mahfood, executive director in charge of operations; William Mahfood, chief executive officer; Saleem Mahfood, general manager of warehousing. (Photos: Bryan Cummings)
"The secret to any family business surviving," declares William, Wisynco's chief executive officer and for the past several years, the public face of the Mahfoods, "is that the family's interest must come first....ahead of the business."
There is, of course, an unspoken caveat to this counter-intuitive philosophy. The fact is, so close-knit and heavily invested are the family members in Wisynco, that their personal interests and that of the company's are virtually indistinguishable.
"The company is our life," William continues. "We know nothing else. Everything that we have is tied up in this business."
The Mahfoods: continuing a rich family tradition
BUSINESS LEADER NOMINEE # 1
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
For a family that has survived 72 years in business, and to date, two seamless generational transitions, the Mahfoods, owners and operators of the Wisynco Group of Companies remain remarkably vigilant against taking anything for granted.
Their collective sense of caution is summed up in a basic principle expressed by one family member - a point of view that, by his own acknowledgment, appears to fly in the face of conventional wisdom.
The Wisynco executive team and broad family (from left) Sam Mahfood, chairman; Andrew Mahfood, executive director in charge of group finance; Devon Reynolds, executive director in charge of manufacturing and human resources; Francois Chalifour, executive director in charge of IT and drinks manufacture; Gerald 'Jerry' Mahfood, executive director in charge of operations; William Mahfood, chief executive officer; Saleem Mahfood, general manager of warehousing. (Photos: Bryan Cummings)
"The secret to any family business surviving," declares William, Wisynco's chief executive officer and for the past several years, the public face of the Mahfoods, "is that the family's interest must come first....ahead of the business."
There is, of course, an unspoken caveat to this counter-intuitive philosophy. The fact is, so close-knit and heavily invested are the family members in Wisynco, that their personal interests and that of the company's are virtually indistinguishable.
"The company is our life," William continues. "We know nothing else. Everything that we have is tied up in this business."
The Mahfoods: continuing a rich family tradition