WHEN one is 72 years, the time is right to retire.
Lionel Yee has called it a day as chairman of Vodafone Fiji.
"It has been good in the past 18 years," he said from the US.
"We started the company from scratch and it is now much better than what I thought."
Amalgamated Telecom Holdings chairman, Ajith Kodagoda yesterday announced Mr Yee's retirement and said that the former had led Vodafone Fiji to become an innovative and admired brand in Fiji.
Mr Yee said working with a partner had been a challenge. But working with Vodafone BLV was a real partnership in that there was no dominant party.
However, he admitted, that in partnerships there were dysfunctional moments.
"We had our trials and tribulations but we had a wonderful child in Vodafone Fiji," Mr Yee said. Vodafone Fiji was 49 per cent owned by Vodafone BLV and 51 per cent ATH owned.
Recalling the tough early years, Mr Yee said there were moments when they were almost running out of capital.
But with the changing technology, they were perhaps fortunate that mobile telephony was well accepted in Fiji.
And even with competition in the market, Mr Yee said Vodafone Fiji had good staff members who worked hard to produce results.
"And we have done well again, ATH will soon release its results which would show that," Mr Yee sadi.
He added that his philosophy had always been to work with people and to be co-operative.
"It has been a good journey," he said. However, Mr Yee will still be the chairman of Vodafone ATH Foundation.