Mrs Michelle Chong
CEO of Honey Bun Limited, and Founder and Board Chairperson of The Honey Bun Foundation
Mrs Michelle Chong, CEO of Honey Bun Limited, and Founder and Board Chairperson of The Honey Bun Foundation
With over four decades in the baking industry, Business Woman of the Year and Best CEO, Mrs Michelle Chong, CEO of Honey Bun Limited, the much-loved Jamaican wholesale bakery listed on the Jamaica Junior Stock Exchange, shares her story. Mrs Chong is also the proud Founder and Board Chairperson of The Honey Bun Foundation, which is focused on building powerful business models for enterprises and creatives to grow, thrive, and transform Jamaica’s economy.
What inspires and motivates you as a businesswoman and brand leader?
I love to see progress in how things get done and to watch people developing and growing. I love perfection, so if I can attain continuous improvement then I’m constantly being motivated.
Honey Bun is the first bakery to be listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. How did you achieve this and how has it allowed you to grow?
Honey Bun’s auditor encouraged us to join the stock exchange because we were already doing all the things that a publicly traded company was required to do. We started out by keeping sound accounting records, then we practiced international standards for food safety and the discipline of these things allowed us to learn and grow. Being public meant we needed a board of directors and a mentor, and this process has allowed us to grow significantly by practicing and maintaining even greater standards for our company.
You started Honey Bun with 12 employees back in 1982. In building the brand what are you most proud of?
I am most proud of The Honey Bun Foundation because it contributes to the growth of Jamaica by developing strong business models for SMEs and those in the creative industries to grow and thrive. When these small companies grow, the effect is far-reaching in providing employment and changing people’s lives.
You started the Honey Bun Foundation to support small and medium sized businesses, and the creative industries, in transforming Jamaica’s economy. What are some of the key ways you are driving change?
By the foundation acting independently, we have been able to develop rather quickly by implementing models that support companies without any bureaucracy whatsoever. Others recognise the value of these models and have come on board to support us in many ways. Our directors are dedicated to the cause, and our many advisors for our advisory committee model are strong within their areas of expertise and willing to support the cause. We call them our Nation Builders, as that is what they are doing in helping these SMEs grow.
We have two other models - our GAPP App which is a business diagnostic tool which shows companies what the gaps are in their business and where to go to fill those gaps; and the first model we created, our National Training Calendar, which shows SMEs the training available, to upskill their employees in a 12-month calendar.
What is the best thing about your job? After so much success what are you looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to doing more for the foundation. I believe that a company’s and a nation’s greatest assets are its people. One of the best things about my job is that I am able to impact the lives of our people, our extraordinary employees who make Honey Bun what it is today. I want to do more for them, and I want to find ways to continue to develop them.
How do you hope the creative industries will drive change in Jamaica?
Wow, this is a great question!!! I know that the creative industries are Jamaica’s most competitive advantage. Then there is our strong African background of music, and the diversity of our people. These things have in themselves created a rich foundation for the creative arts, and I am no expert but would bet my life on it.
We cannot compete in manufacturing like China, or in IT like Silicon Valley, but we CAN compete in our music, our dance, our art, and our creative craft! I believe that if we could formalize this industry and develop them as strong businesses, then we could change our nation’s future!
Interview by: Tega Okiti and Sherry Collins
