With over 20 years of experience in operations, customer service, transport logistics, and security protocols, Owen Smith assumed the role of General Manager of the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) in July 2022. He previously served as Deputy Managing Director (DMD) at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), managing depot operations, road operations, accident administration, information technology, franchise protection, marketing and the security department. Major successes during his tenure include reduction in the JUTC’s operational expenditure, digitization of road operations and implementation of capacity building initiatives for the supervisory body of the company.
Prior to his appointment as DMD, as a General Manager at the JUTC, he had oversight for the operations at the Rockfort Depot (RFD) and successfully implemented a number of management initiatives aimed at improving motivation and communication within the depot. He was also responsible for the JUTC’s initial response to COVID-19 in March 2020, where protocols were implemented on all RFD buses, minimizing the spread of the disease among the driver cohort and the commuting public. In great part, these protocols were responsible for the very low infection rate among JUTC frontline team members. As Operations Manager and Head of Service at Appliance Traders Limited, he had direct oversight and management of ATL’s transportation logistics, general operations, property management and customer engagement protocols.
A trained Urban and Regional Planner, he also participated in a professional development course in the Design of Urban Transport Systems for Small Island Development States from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He also holds numerous professional certifications in urban planning, physical planning and geographic information systems. He is a former member of the Jamaica Defence Force National Reserves and mentors at-risk youth in his spare time.
