Anthony Smith: Humble leader, trusted listener

Chief Executive Officer of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, Anthony Smith, was yesterday eulogised as a strong family man, a compassionate leader, and an individual built on integrity during a thanksgiving service for his life held inside the Karl Hendrickson Auditorium at Jamaica College.

Smith, 61, died on December 14 last year after a brief illness.

Scores of mourners, drawn from across the public and private sectors, including from various media houses, joined his family in paying their respects to a man remembered as a genuine friend who agonized over but was willing to make tough human resources decisions

With the service tapping into his role as the leader of a large media conglomerate, Smith’s younger brother, Collin, sat for an interview during which he provided details about his elder sibling’s life.

“Many times people reflect on the date of birth, but there is dash on the programme between the day of birth and the day of [his] death, so imagine his entire life reflected by a dash. Tony was a family man. I remember growing up with Tony in Hatfield, Manchester – and to my family this is not new. Tony was humble, he was not in the forefront, but he would be my reinforcement. I could talk to him about anything. He had a love for science, but he also loved sports; and because we were closest in age, we would walk from school for lunch, and whenever we had to go back he would say, ‘Collin, hurry up. I have to go back for cricket’.”

He also shared that it was he who introduced his brother to Karen, who would later become Smith’s wife.

Unmistakably sincere

In the meantime, in a recorded message, Executive Chairman of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group Joseph M. Matalon, who was also in attendance for the service, reiterated Smith’s dedication to his job, recalling how expertly he had been leading the group through a difficult transition.

“When people speak about leadership, they often speak about titles achievements, years of service, but when I think of Tony Smith, I think of something far more enduring – character. Tony has always been someone whose influence extended well beyond the roles that he formally occupied. He had a way of shaping rooms, conversations and outcomes, often quietly. You don’t have to agree with Tony to respect him. His views were grounded, his reasoning was clear, and his intentions were always unmistakably sincere,” Matalon said.

“One of Tony’s defining qualities was his ability to listen, truly listen. In environments where people often compete to be heard, Tony created space for others. He understood that leadership is not about dominating the conversation ... . That quality alone earned him trust across generations, across different viewpoints, across institutions. Tony also possessed an unwavering sense of responsibility. He believed deeply that if you were entrusted with a role, whether in business, public service or community life, you had a duty to act with integrity and foresight. Short-term convenience never tempted him away from long-term principles. Decisions were weighed carefully not just for their immediate impact, but for what they would mean years down the road.”

Matalon was joined in supporting the family and friends by members of the senior management team and scores of staff members of the RJRGLEANER Communications Group, as well as the Massy Group and Cable & Wireless (now Flow), where Smith also worked during his career.

Smith was also very involved in the deaf community and was an expert in sign language.

An engineer by training, he began his career at Jamintel, which preceded Telecommunications of Jamaica (TOJ), and former Earth Station Manager Derrick Nelson recalled the influence he had in the company fulfilling its mandate.

“In 1984, as part of the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST, now University of Technology) work experience, he came to Jamintel. His attitude to training was of an extremely high standard and, accordingly, the following year, having graduated from CAST, he was an easy target for employment to Jamintel/TOJ. From then it was clear that he was a focused technician and he was selected to pursue the advanced telecommunications course in the United Kingdom; and when he came back, his positive and structured attitude saw him being enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Engineering programme. Tony was a quiet, caring individual who worked very well with the team. His focus was goals-oriented in nature, which saw him rise to engineer in the international planning department, where he played an integral role in the advances of the company.”

Words of comfort were delivered by Daniel Thompson, who is also a broadcaster with the RJRGLEANER Communications Group.

Smith joined RJRGLEANER in 2022, rising to CEO in January 2024 before his untimely death.

He is survived by widow Karen, and their son, Daniel.

karen.madden@gleanerjm.com