Danville Walker takes helm at Petrojam as General Manager from July 1

Petrojam, Jamaica’s state-owned oil refinery, has named Danville Walker as its new General Manager, with the appointment taking effect on July 1.

The company disclosed the move in a statement issued on Monday, pointing to Walker’s long record in both the public and private spheres. Petrojam characterised him as a widely regarded leader who has driven operational performance, institutional change and revenue gains across the energy sector and wider public administration.

The refinery said Walker gives priority to health, safety and environmental oversight and treats digital modernisation as central to its forward-looking energy strategy.

According to Petrojam, the selection followed a thorough succession-planning exercise, and the handover of leadership is slated to wrap up over the course of July.

Walker’s most recent post was Senior Vice President at West Indies Petroleum, a role he occupied from 2021 until his departure.

His professional path stretches across several decades and two sectors. He started out as a senior accountant with Coopers and Lybrand and later taught accounting as an associate professor at the City University of New York.

After coming back to Jamaica, he served as Director of Elections and helped position the Electoral Office of Jamaica as a regional standard for integrity and openness.

In 2004, he headed the Office of National Reconstruction, directing recovery work in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. He then led the Jamaica Customs Department, where he pushed through a series of operational upgrades.

Walker went on to become Group Managing Director of the ATL Group of Companies, with responsibility for its automotive, retail and media arms.

He later re-entered government service to run the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme. Petrojam noted that the initiative has since delivered hundreds of housing solutions for some of the country’s most vulnerable residents.

Walker holds a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the City University of New York. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).