Manifesto Summary
Guernsey is my adopted home since 1995. My background is within the financial services sector with experience in investment banking (both commercial and regulatory).
My wish is to represent the residents of the Bailiwick in all aspects of daily life, to bring leadership and understanding to current affairs through listening to ideas/concerns, and influencing decision-making (directly and accountably), to enable the Island and its people to continue to thrive.
Within government, I intend to focus on three particular areas: health/social care, education and treasury functions, thus effecting positive changes for all age groups and funding policies to ensure they happen.
Manifesto
What I can bring to the role as your States of Guernsey Deputy
I am a dual national (UK/USA) and came to Guernsey in 1995 to join the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) as Deputy Director of Investment Business (a new post) during which time I established the Channel Islands Stock Exchange LBG (CISX, now TISE) among working on other infrastructure projects. My point of view at the time (as it is still my view), one cannot be an international finance centre and compete with other such centers without proper infrastructure such as a stock exchange, a central bank and a treasury function – alongside a robust regulatory regime.
As CEO and Founding Director of the CISX (now TISE), from 1998 to 2013, I brought together varied financial services expertise to successfully position the CISX at the heart of the financial services industry in the Channel Islands, increasing the appeal of the Islands for financial services business and helping to consolidate their position as leading international finance centres. The CISX attracted wide international recognition, was a well-regulated and a highly regarded international business, which was also commercially sound and profitable, with excellent prospects for continued innovation and future growth. The CISX systems and procedures were robust, well-developed and independently tested. Its regulatory performance was the subject of reviews by the International Monetary Fund (reports of which are available online).
The CISX success is indicative of my strengths, which may be best summarised as strategic planning and business development, recurring themes throughout my career. While at the GFSC, my role as Deputy Director of Investment Business was a new position within the Commission and I was instrumental in developing a number of initiatives including the Class Q Professional Investor Fund, Protected Cell Company legislation (applicable to the investment business sector) and the formation of the CISX. There was a considerable amount of cross-sector representation in my work and I was involved in developing a regulatory framework for a number of projects within the Insurance, Fiduciary and Banking sectors as well as general governance matters, training and promotion.
As a Director of Les Bourgs Hospice, I was involved with its £5million redevelopment project, which was privately funded through individual and corporate sponsorship. The Patron at the time was HRH The Prince of Wales (currently our Patron is His Excellency The Lieutenant Governor), opened the new Hospice at Andrew Mitchell House in St Andrews; the building itself attracted numerous accolades for its design. It was a hugely rewarding and an essential development project for the local community.
Les Bourgs Hospice provides an essential service to the Bailiwick and I am privileged and very proud to be a part of the organisation to ensure it continues to bring quality end of life care for those within the community.
I have had a long held interest in philanthropy and projects which can bring about sustainable change for the betterment of society. In this regard, I have been involved in a number of other Guernsey based non-profit organizations to increase funding and influence strategic development. Throughout my business career, I have always had a keen interest towards developing the arts in Guernsey – whether in music circles (singing with the Choral Society, Chamber Choir and Town Church Choir), the arts (as Commissioner of Guernsey Arts Commission) – as well as in education (helping to shape the Guernsey Training Agency in its formative years) – and the establishment of Guernsey’s promotional agency (now Guernsey Finance).
With my broad based knowledge and experience, I believe I am well positioned to add value as your Deputy within the States of Deliberation, particularly in relation to strategic thinking and leadership in the areas of health/social care, education and treasury functions. With regard to the latter, managing financial risks whilst spending taxpayer’s money (and ensuring value for money) requires delicate balancing, but also greater scrutiny, as its policies influences policies across all government committees (which touches upon every aspect of everyday life).
Being a highly principled individual, I strongly believe in the integrity of one’s actions and to be fully accountable for decisions taken. It is what any resident of Guernsey should expect and what they deserve.
To highlight my position in more general terms, I would:
- actively seek more community engagement in formulating policies;
- look to find ways for States Committees to collaborate more (rather than work in silos);
- present alternative solutions to the assisted dying debate;
- devise and implement a more cohesive plan for the integration of social care within the community;
- protect the development of our children’s future by ensuring education policies are fit for purpose;
- try to bring about the return to parish elections (rather than Island-wide); and, above all,
- listen to what the residents of Guernsey are telling its Government.
The future is ours to shape – but together. I will endeavour to represent you well.