Phillip Nassief is one of Dominica’s outstanding leaders. He has made exceptional contributions to the island’s economic and social development and earned tremendous respect at home and abroad. Phillip was born in Roseau in 1933, one of nine children of Elias Nassief, an immigrant Lebanese businessman, and his wife Marie Raphael. Young Phillip was educated at the Convent Montessori School, the Dominica Grammar School, and Mount St. Benedict in Trinidad. He had an outgoing personality, a quick smile, and made friends easily. As a boy, he worked in his father’s store and helped in the family’s small rum and soap operations. In1952, he left Dominica to study chemical engineering at McGill University in Montreal.
Graduating in 1956, Phillip worked in Canada for five years. On returning home, he took over his father’s small rum and soap operations. Like his father, Phillip was a visionary. He saw the large potential for these products in the Caribbean. Phillip improved the rum production process and expanded product offerings to include the Soca Rums, Red Cap and Bois Bande, some of the best in the island. Then good fortune came Phillip’s way. In 1964, Phillip was able to buy a little-used coconut oil plant from Nevis. To complement this oil plant, Phillip purchased a modern soap plant from Italy. Phillip could now produce personal use soaps in addition to laundry soaps and coconut oil. The family then incorporated the coconut processing enterprise as Dominica Coconut Products Ltd (DCP).
While retaining majority family ownership, Phillip offered DCP shares to the public. Copra suppliers and workers acquired shares, and thus had a vested interest in DCP’s success. DCP’s products included the regionally popular Bess, Bomberand Refresh brands. Quality was world class and DCP won contracts to produce soaps and detergents for Colgate Palmolive and other international brands. Soon, Phillip got a reputation as one of the Caribbean’s most successful businessmen, and DCP, “pound for pound … as good as any other company in the world.” [1].
The success of DCP was primarily due to Phillip’s managerial style. He took a special interest in the well-being of his employees, whom he paid top wages; he forged personal relationships with local suppliers and foreign executives, and he opened markets within the region and internationally. As a result, DCP and Belfast rum expanded substantially and provided much-needed jobs for the neighboring village of Mahaut. But Phillip was also a humanitarian. He saw to the village’s broader welfare needs. He donated land and developed village playing fields, and he established a senior citizen’s home for the village elderly, among other charities.
However, in 1995, due to unfavorable markets, DCP was sold to Colgate-Palmolive. To most Dominicans, it was quite a disappointment to see one of the island’s flagship companies move into foreign hands. But shareholders and employees benefited financially. Unfortunately, in November 2015, Colgate-Palmolive closed the DCP plant, and many critically needed jobs were lost. In 2018 though, through the initiative of Phillip’s son Ivor, the family-acquired DCP and have brought it back into production.
Meanwhile, recognizing the extreme vulnerability of small-scale local production, Phillip decided to diversify his businesses, moving into hotels and tourism. In 1989, he bought the struggling Fort Young Hotel. Over the years, Fort Young was expanded and transformed into the island’s pre-eminent, international hotel. Today, it forms the anchor of GEMS, the family’s hotel enterprises, managed by Phillip’s son Gregor.
Phillip’s contribution to the Dominican community goes well beyond rum and soap, and hotels and jobs. Phillip helped establish the National Development Foundation (NDFD) in 1981 to provide loans and technical assistance to small business. And in 1995, under Phillip’s initiative, the Elias Nassief Foundation was established, a charitable trust-fund for low-income families.
Among Dominica’s business class, Phillip Nassief is one of the few who has shown an effective understanding of and a deep commitment to development strategy and ethics: of learning and work, investment and regionalism, and of charity. In 1977, Phillip was awarded Dominica’s highest honor, the Dominica Award of Honor. In 2002, Caricom honored him as one of the Caribbean’s Leading Voices of the 20thCentury [2]. In 2004, Phillip was honored by the American Foundation of the University of the West Indies, as “among the luminaries of the past 100 years who have left their indelible mark on the Caribbean region and the world”[3].
Phillip was married to the Haitian-born artist, Gilda Thebaud. Their children Ivor, Gregor and Maroussia are successfully taking the family business into the 21st Century.
For his visionary leadership, his charity, and his exceptional contribution to Dominica’s economic and social development, DAAS [Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences] honors Phillip Nassief.
References
[1] Irving Andre, Elias Nassief: Triumph over Tragedy,Sheridan Books, Pond Casse Press, 2012, p. 142.
[2] “Phillip Nassief,” in Voices of the Century, Caricom Perspective No. 71, July 2002, p. 147.
[3] Lolita Long, “UWI Honours Regional Stalwarts,” Jamaica Gleaner, Kingston Jamaica, February 1, 2004.
Well deserved tribute to Mr Nassief!
This proves one doesn’t have to be a Colonel or Dr. Dr. to be recognized as an outstanding leader.
I am forever grateful to Mr. Nassief for what he has done for me and family, my mom, aunt, and uncle haved all worked at DCP. During the years I attended high school, Mr. Nassief made sure I had school supplies and my school fees were paid for.
Am very proud of all your accomplishments and what u did in the communities, I will forever appreciate u and remember all that u did for my family.
“Among Dominica’s business class, Phillip Nassief is one of the few who has shown an effective understanding of and a deep commitment to development strategy and ethics: of learning and work, investment and regionalism, and of charity.”
My people please read this, see and feel difference of honour, decency respect and just get on with the jobs as there are opportunities within Dominica and jobs locally for our people. Read again and get the tone and passion of Mr. Nassief. That is where Skerrit is unable and will not be able to see the bigger picture of what Dominica is in need of with the great commitment of Mr Nassief and Hon.Linton who has a wide range of exposure in the development of resources. Skerrit is a failure, spontaneous, the easiest he can do is to insult our people, issue two pence money to our struggling people.
Skerrit I have seen is not in the art of socio-economic development. He knows not what it`s all about. He thinks it`s to by loyalty of poor people with…
It is so sad such a great and compassionate man, and his sons are nothing like him.
Sir I salute you
So true. This Apple didn’t fall close to the tree. Mr. Phillip is a darling man. I was walking one day from Massacre to Mahaut and was flagging rides. Then this car stopped to pick me up but I didn’t know who it was. Once inside I said thanks and looked at the driver
It was Mr. Phillip Nassief. He recognized me and asked, “How comes you are walking”? Don’t want to go into the rest of the story. The ending was nice since he sold vehicles at Springfield Trading. The Son is an Orange, Mr. Phillip is an Apple.
Do you know his sons? Read the article again. I put for you to see “Their children Ivor, Gregor, and Maroussia are successfully taking the family business into the 21st Century.” so you see the one who sells vehicles is not his son. There were also the other Nassief brothers – Michel (deceased), J E N – Joseph who owned Nassief supermarket (in fact he is the father of the one who sells vehicles). So you see you must know first what you say. Check persons who know or do your research well.
I have been to the store and it is very convenient and I like it. He should have the Prime minister of Dominica not the one that’s there. Mr.Skirret should have follow in Mr.Nassieff’s footsteps to make Dominica more of prosperous country, Mr. Nassieff is the one who truly loves Dominica, he help where it is needed and establish whatever is necessary for the country. I sauld my thankfulness for your tremendous loyalty to Dominica and hoping your children will continue to strive much more for the people of Dominica. God bless you for all your hard work you have given to Dominica.
Mr.Skirret should have follow in Mr.Nassieff’s footsteps to make Dominica more of prosperous country, Mr. Nassieff is the one who truly loves Dominica, he help where it is needed, and failed Skerrit gives it out where he knows he is failure, give this and that die hard loyalty and just think of me, and shout we love our PM . What fake. What a Bobol. Skerrit must go, we need more prominent, decent academic and highly professional Prime Minister/Leader in our Dominica.
Nassief sees the bigger picture, Skerrit sees nothing but to hunt our people who are dependent on Skerrit to survive and has failed to create jobs for them, so he uses and abused states money as his personal bank and give out here there and everywhere.. What a failed incompetent Odd Minister.
Skerrit, it is time to pack up and go. We love your phrase. “We go to hell, Go to Hell, you are not our damn business. You are this failure.
Yes, I’m in full agreement. Mr. Phillip whom I know personally has been a model and a true Dominican. He and the late Joey Astaphan had been very good to me when I was a young man.
However, nothing has been written concerning the vast amount of land (property) which this family was able to acquire. They owned more than half of Mahaut village. Lennox Honeychurch (I think) wrote about the family’s history in Dominica, but I don’t remember reading anything concerning their land acquisition in Mahaut or Grandbay.
It would be nice to know who the previous land owners were. Thus, making their history in Dominica complete. I wish Mr. Phillip Nassief all the very best. He should be sad to see what Dominica has now become.
Shame that his sons are not of the same ilk. They have sided with a dictator that has the police opening fire at its citizens. But they have endless funding from our CBI money in exchange for staying in line.
Very well done. Congratulations Mr. Nassief!
A true Dominican patriot. I wish we had a few more of these people to move the country forward. When I say these people, I mean people who have the skill, determination and resources to move the country forward – ethnicity notwithstanding.
Ohhhhh what a great man,, congrats Mr Phillip nassief,,and best wishes
A well deserved tribute and honour to Phillip Nassief
I always admired these people intelligence and skills to run business here I however wish they would have future workshops etc to help the smaller business and even upcoming businesses to become as them!successful and competitive ! Pass on the knowledge kinda …
That family are now sucking off the island by using the one-man corrupt rogue regime!!!
This is a very satisfying massage. thanks to you, DNO, for posting it. And may God continue to bless the Nassief family.