Keith Franca
~ Advertisement for successor by September ~
PHILIPSBURG--Due to his being past the age of retirement, Keith Franca’s appointment as Managing Director of Princess Juliana International Airport Holding Company (PJIAH) is for a period of one year. Advertisement for a successor is expected to start in September, six months after Franca’s March 9, 2022, appointment. Members of Parliament (MPs) raised the issue of Franca’s age during an urgent meeting of Parliament on Friday.
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Roger Lawrence told MPs that the Supervisory Board of PJIA’s holding company advertised a job vacancy for a part-time job as PJIA Director in September 2021. A total of four persons applied. Franca applied for the position on October 5, 2021.
Three of the four candidates were interviewed by the full Supervisory Board. Franca was interviewed on October 19, 2021, via Teams. The persons were presented to the shareholder on October 25 and 28, 2021. The top candidate indicated in a letter on November 1, 2021, that he is withdrawing his application. No reason given for the withdrawal, Lawrence told MPs. “Next on the list was Mr. Franca. With mention that Mr. Franca is past retirement age (article 7 par 5) the COM [Council of Ministers – Ed.] sent a letter to CGC [Corporate Governance Council] on December 6, [2021,] and in view of age proposed one year with advertising for a successor to start six months after Franca starts,” Lawrence explained. “CGC positively advised on December 30. Screening by VDSM started mid-January 2022 and completed on February 1. After negotiations, the service agreement was concluded on March 5,” explained the minister. Franca was appointed effective March 9, 2022.
Lawrence provided the information to MPs in response to a question from United People’s (UP) party MP Grisha Heyliger-Marten who asked the minister to provide details on when the holding director hiring process began, whether there were any third party involved to assist with the hiring process, how many candidates applied for the position, and how exactly the hiring process went and who were the top picks. Heyliger-Marten also asked whether the current managing director is of age and surpassed the age limit for the position and whether any articles had to be used to deviate from standard age. Lawrence said permission to deviate from the articles was given by the Council of Ministers. He said Franca’s age led to him being appointed for one-year only.
