Chapter 2. The new CEO.

Mr. Taiye Jackson sits in the front seat of the conference hall at the Benson Group, where they are meeting with the various boards of members who work under him in his other companies, all of which are registered in his name.

 

He whispered softly into his personal assistant's ear, "Introduce the new head to them now."

 

They are sitting in the meeting hall, waiting to meet with the newly appointed CEO, whose name has been announced, but none of the employees have seen him yet.

Mr. Taiye Jackson is the former CEO, and his late father, Mr. Benjamin Jackson, founded the Benson Group of Companies, also known as the Benjamin and Sons Group of Companies.

 

They sit and wait to see how Mr. Taiye's only son, Liam Jackson, will handle the new company ownership.

 

Liam is rumored to be cold and unfilial, and the workers know that once he resumes his position as the new CEO, they will be dealt with, as some have heard of him as arrogant, mean, and unappreciative, but he is very hardworking and runs some of the private businesses he runs in the states before his father finally announced his retirement plan to him, asking him to return to his country to run his multimillion-dollar businesses.

 

Liam initially refused because he did not want to return to his home country of Nigeria, where he does not seem to find anything interesting, except for his mother, who is a god-fearing Christian mother who dresses holy and never misses church to pray for her husband and him, as he is her only child.

 

Liam was supposed to understand that his mother had a lot of marital problems at the start of her marriage with his father, because his grandfather, Mr. Benjamin Jackson, had refused to let his son, Mr. Taiye, marry his mother, Mrs. Juliet.

 

But, because his father adores his mother, even though women flocked to him, attempting to seduce him and calling his mother barren, he insisted on marrying only his mother, Mrs. Juliet, and having no other extramarital affairs.

 

Mr. Taiye remained loyal to his wife, Mrs. Juliet Jackson, despite his family's refusal and the fact that she was unable to bear him another child, even after ten years of Liam's birth.

 

Liam's mother had many miscarriages, and he knew it was because she was so worried about his father leaving her and marrying another woman that she lost all of the babies she had carried in her womb, except for him, who is only 30 years old, while his mother is 60 and his father is 68.

 

Liam still loves his parents, but his father had duped him into believing he was sick, even arranging for a fake doctor to call him and inform him of his father's illness, pleading with him to return home from the United States.

Liam was so irritated that he returned to his homeland and found his father healthy, moving around, and even attending business class meetings.

 

Laim is furious because his father duped him into returning and then refused to allow him to return to the United States.

 

The Benson group of companies' headquarters houses oil manufacturing products, gas implants, steel production, and other basic amenities, as their company is well-known all over the world.

 

Liam is in one of the second-floor private rooms, adjusting his neck tie while wearing long white sleeves and black plain trousers, with his black suit on the table.

 

His father had talked to him about introducing him to the various boards of members and partners who run their businesses.

 

Liam exhales deeply and finally picks up his suit to wear. Just then, his assistant, Brown Anderson, whom his father assigned to him on his first day at the company, knocks on the private room door, and he says, "Come inside."

 

"Boss, it is time for the introduction to begin," Brown says to Liam, and he nods and puts on his black suit properly.

 

Just as Liam walks out, his father's assistant greets the other prominent men and women in the large meeting hall, saying, "Welcome, Master Liam Jackson, New CEO of Benson Group of Companies Limited."

The hall immediately applauds Liam as he steps into the front and climbs onto the podium, his father sitting in the front seat, while his assistant, Mr. Silas Greystone, hands him the microphone to deliver a few speeches to their staff.

 

"Thank you all for accepting our invitation and witnessing my appointment as the new CEO of Bennson Group. Well, I would like us to maintain our integrity and work tirelessly to propel our company to a much brighter recognition of transparency and guaranteed products. Thank you all for joining me on this new journey. "Thank you,"

Liam returns the microphone to Mr. Silas and steps down from the podium, and the round of applause grows as he walks to take his seat, while a few top heads immediately stand up to shake hands with him as he approaches to sit in the seat designated for him.

 

Liam shakes hands with them before sitting, and they return to their seats, while his father, Mr. Taiye Jackson, smiles faintly at him and stands up to deliver his own speech before Silas' final closing speech.

 

"Thank you all for accepting my invitation and witnessing this new beginning with our new CEO, none other than my son Liam Jackson. I appreciate all of our previous employees who have worked extremely hard to elevate our company's reputation and create a sense of transparency that we are one of the best production companies in Nigeria. "I would like you all, both old and new employees and retirees, to respect and work amicably with our new CEO and follow whatever decision he makes for our company to grow globally, as you can all see he is global and has recently returned from the United States to join us. Thank you all once more, Silas. I give it to you to wrap up today's meeting."

Mr. Taiye returned the microphone to Silas to read out some updated information about the new products and prices. After that, Silas concluded the meeting with his closing remarks, while the invitees and employees stood up and exited the meeting hall following their meeting with their new CEO.

 

Liam is still in the meeting hall with his father. After the number of guests and members has decreased, he stands up and walks up to his father, who is speaking with his friend, Mr. John Patrick, one of their managing accountants.

 

"Father, I want to have a word with you," Liam tells his father, so he can finish his conversation with his friend, Mr. John Patrick, who works as one of their managing accountants and is extremely trustworthy with their company funds.

"Okay, Liam. I will be with you soon," Mr. Taiye says to Liam, as Mr. John finally turns to face Liam.

"Congratulations on your new position, Master Liam." Mr. John smiled at Liam.

"Thank you, sir. It was an honor to meet you and work here with you all," Liam responds.

"You can always count on us, Liam; your father is my boss and a very good friend, and I am delighted to see you taking over his position. I am confident you will lead us to greater success than your father and grandfather did."

 

"Thank you, sir," Liam says, as he enjoys receiving praise from his friends, colleagues, and even elders, which motivates him to work extremely hard.

 

"You are welcome, Liam."

"Mr. Taiye will be leaving now." Mr. John turns to face Mr. Taiye and says, "My daughter will be very upset with me for not showing up at her school graduation today, even though she has called me to come with her mother to the university."

 

"You know I could not miss your son being introduced to us as the new CEO, so I asked her mother and elder brother to attend her graduation on my behalf, and she will be very annoyed with me."

 

"I am sorry about that, Mr. John. "I hope she understands," Mr. Taiye apologizes.

 

"Yes, boss. She will." Mr. John nodded, a faint smile on his face, eager to leave.

 

"How about I make up for it by introducing her to my son and possibly extending our family friendship to marriage?"

"I am sure she will be happy about that," Mr. Taiye suggests, but Liam frowns immediately from where he stands. He stands beside his father, waiting for him to finish his conversation with his friend, Mr. John.

 

"Thank you, Boss, but that is only if she accepts." Mr. John quickly rejects the offer, knowing how stubborn his daughter is and not wanting her to cause problems for him and his boss.

 

"Why will she not accept? Liam is handsome, and every girl wants him. "What did she study at university again?" Mr. Taiye inquires, and Liam frowns deeply as his gaze shifts from his father to Mr. John.

 

Women do not interest him, and Liam dislikes his father's attempts to court him with a woman he has never met and doubts he will like, simply because he is friends with her father.