Contact November/December 2018 by Rock and Small

NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2018

PROBLEM SOLVING The Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman, Doug Melville, explains how his job is about much more than just money issues

ROYAL RECOGNITION

DEVELOPING BUSINESS

REWARDING SERVICE

The Queen sends a special message to Jersey Chamber of Commerce as it celebrates its 250th anniversary

Guernsey Chamber of Commerce’s new office is open for business and hoping to encourage entrepreneurs

This year’s Sure Customer Service Awards recognised excellent service across the islands

Contact is wholly owned by the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce

Local legal services in Guernsey and Jersey Business and commercial law Competition law Dispute resolution Employment law Offshore relocations Planning and environment law Property and construction law Regulatory law Trusts Advisory Group Wills, probate and estate planning

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The range of services available in all major currencies includes: • Private Banking • Call Accounts and Fixed Term Deposits • Foreign Exchange The minimum amount required to open and maintain an account with us is £100,000 or currency equivalent. You can find out more by calling Sinead Granville on +44 1481 705128 or by e-mailing marketing@rothschild.com.

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WELCO ME

WELCOME TO THE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER ISSUE OF CONTACT BARRIE BAXTER

President Guernsey Chamber of Commerce

As Guernsey Chamber celebrates our 210th anniversary this month, we are happily installed in our new HQ in the Markets building and relishing helping people with a whole host of initiatives around island business life today. Our new spacious office, with its open door policy, coupled with its use for art and creative sector initiatives, is a pivotal part of our development and commitment to helping emerging businesses and those who are already members. While we have some 600 corporate members, we will be launching a drive to engage many more of the estimated 2,000 businesses here. We already have several new start-ups in our Business Development Centre and are finalising a series of events and initiatives which will be free for our members. These will include a launch party to celebrate Chamber’s long-term commitment to being based in the heart of Town and focus on supporting and reinvigorating some sectors. Potential members will be welcome and details will go up on our website soon. In addition to listening to our members and creating initiatives to help, we have also been working collaboratively with other business groups, such as IoD and the Guernsey International Business Association, to put forward data-based evidence for change in some areas. We know air and sea links are a major concern for business - as well as for families and individuals here. Our recent joint survey produced clear results calling for change and these have been conveyed to those at the reins of the Statesled review. Just as businesses are having to evolve rapidly to deal with the effects of emerging technology and globalisation, so too is Chamber. With a strong executive and broad range of expertise in our Chamber Council, we have the strength and diversity to move ahead in an agile and responsive way. We will also be forming steering groups with specific mandates for important parts of island business life. If you are interested in becoming involved, please email me through office@guernseychamber.com

Eliot Lincoln

President Jersey Chamber of Commerce

We are entering the final straight of 2018, closing an eventful year for Jersey Chamber of Commerce. At this time of year, as we approach Christmas, it’s traditionally a busy time for our retailers. Our high streets and shops will be bustling, but it will mask the challenges that our retail sector is having right now. Globally, traditional high street retail is facing challenges on a number of fronts, most notably from the online retailers with massive scope and scale. But fighting this tide head on would simply be a lesson from King Canute. Online retail is here to stay and retailers who do not acknowledge this are destined to go where this particular tide takes them, some of them straight to the sea floor. Jersey has a choice. It is in our gift to assess the situation and work out what kind of a retail experience we want for our residents and our visitors. But things must change if we want to have a high street that differentiates from those of many towns up and down the UK. To our retailers, we must look at excellent customer service and pricing. Running a bricks and mortar retail establishment will always be relatively more expensive than one that runs in massive warehouses in remote places. But simply selling the same product at UK (VAT inclusive) prices opens us up to public criticism. To our consumers, we must think twice and support local retailers where possible. To our government, we must see a retail strategy that looks to support our retailers, to ensure that our landlords are not allowing shops to stand empty through punitive rental prices, to deploy tactics to ensure that retailers and the public have the retail space that supports good commercial practice.

EDITOR Tamara Timothy

editor@collaboratecommunications.com

SALES Julie Todd

julie@collaboratecommunications.com

Adam Martel

adam@collaboratecommunications.com Jersey - 01534 858514 Guernsey - 01481 715222

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Anthony Barbapiccola

design@collaboratecommunications.com

Contact is produced six times a year by Collaborate Communications Ltd. To receive Contact magazine call Julie Todd on 01534 858514 or email sales@collaboratecommunications.com Contact is published by Collaborate Communications Ltd. Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. Any reproduction without permission is prohibited. Contact contains editorial content from external contributors which does not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers and the factual accuracy of which cannot be guaranteed by the publishers. Contact does not accept or respond to unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. The publishers do not accept responsibility for errors in advertisements or third party offers.

Guernsey Chamber of Commerce Suite 1 16 Glategny Esplanade St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 1WN Tel: 01481 727 483 www.guernseychamber.com Jersey Chamber of Commerce Chamber House 25 Pier Road St Helier Jersey JE2 4XW Tel: 01534 724 536 www.jerseychamber.com

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CO N TE N T S

NEWS & EVENTS 08 Guernsey Chamber news Find out about Guernsey Chamber’s new business development centre, as it aims to support entrepreneurship within the island. 12 Jersey Chamber news Read Jersey Chamber’s message from the Queen as it celebrates its 250th anniversary with the launch of its new website and logo. 36 Customer Service Awards See the winners at this year’s Sure Customer Service Awards, who were recognised for their excellent service at ceremonies in Jersey and Guernsey.

Guernsey Chamber news 08

Business in the community 64

64 Business in the community We showcase the charitable effort put in by local companies to support good causes across the islands.

PEOPLE 04 Doug Melville The principal ombudsman at the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman tells us how his job is about much more than sorting money problems. 66 Skipton Community Fund We find out about the people across the Channel Islands who have been helped in the first year of the Skipton Community Fund.

Doug Melville 04

68 Michel van Leeuwen Hawksford’s CEO says success is about creating your own luck, as he shares his path to the top.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Andy Ellis Chris George Tom White

Skipton Community Fund 66

Customer Service Awards 36

I NTERV IEW

MONEY PROBLEMS

Doug Melville is the principal ombudsman and chief executive of the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman, which was set up in 2015. The Canadian native told Tamara Timothy how he ended up in the Channel Islands solving financial services disputes. Doug Melville is happy to admit that at first glance, his job might not seem the most interesting, but he’s also adamant that the reality is a fascinating mix of personal problems and financial troubles. ‘It’s a much more interesting job than you might first imagine. The role itself combines being a social worker, an investigator and a researcher – you almost have to hunt the evidence down and then sift through it to get to the truth of the matter.’ As principal ombudsman, Doug provides the last port of call (aside from legal action) for those unhappy with the service provided by their financial services provider in the Channel Islands. If customers meet certain criteria, including the timeframe in which the alleged fault occurred, they can refer their case to the ombudsman for an independent investigation.

legal to find fairness and reasonability in the circumstances. But that difference has been part of my own personal journey and it’s what I enjoy. The role may involve a mix of financial services and law, but the sum of it is much more interesting than both areas on their own.

Many of those could not be considered by the new service, which had a mandate to only accept cases dating from 1 January 2010 in Jersey and 2 July 2013 in Guernsey – the points at which political commitments to having an ombudsman were made in both islands.

‘Personalities are very much involved and that’s why it’s fascinating, but also exhausting. You are dealing with people and their problems all day long, which requires both emotional energy and intellectual focus. Luckily, living in Jersey, I can go home and go for a walk down a green lane or go to the beach, it’s such a lovely place to live and work.’

‘I think the flood of complaints showed how much the service was needed, and also reflects the challenges people have with the dynamic nature of modern financial services. It’s complicated stuff, and individuals are at the receiving end of a mass-produced service model. Most complaints aren’t actually caused by the systems, but by people. So many issues simply come down to miscommunication and misunderstandings around the sale of products and services, and unsuitable investment advice.

Doug qualified as a lawyer in his native Canada and held senior roles in the banking, investment and insurance industries before first moving into an ombudsman role in Toronto.

The office of the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman (CIFO) only opened three years ago, in November 2015, after the governments of both Jersey and Guernsey agreed there was a need for the service and decided to set up a joint office, based in Jersey. Doug now spends his time between the islands, as CIFO also covers financial services provided in or from Alderney and Sark.

‘Having a legal background helps in some ways, but not in others. Lawyers often take a very analytical and procedural legal approach, whereas this is a very different process that goes beyond the

The States of Jersey and Guernsey were right in that there certainly was a demand for the services of an ombudsman. From the start, CIFO was swamped with complaints from unhappy customers.

‘You sometimes really do have to dig for a while to find the root of the problem, but it will usually end up that it just came down to a conversation between a consumer and a financial services provider. It’s basic human error. So we’ll ask lots of questions and go through a huge amount of material to work out that basically one party just wasn’t listening to the other. But no matter the situation, an independent pair of eyes almost always helps resolve it.’

I N T E RVIE W

I NTERV IEW Last year, CIFO received 678 complaints, of which 96% were from consumers (alongside 27 complaints from microenterprises and three from trustees). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the nature of the complaints shows clearly the differences in the financial sectors of the islands. Banking, for example, accounted for 71% of all Jersey complaints last year, but comprised a mere 6% of Guernsey’s complaints. At the same time, trust issues accounted for 60% of all Guernsey complaints and just 4% of Jersey’s. For Doug, those issues provide a neverending cycle of work to try to ascertain where the fault lies in each individual case, and how best to rectify it. ‘It is very stressful and rather exhausting, as you are always in problem-solving mode. But despite that, it’s a very interesting job. We’re basically a small start-up business operating across the islands.’

Here, the work is very much international. Three quarters of the work comes from people living outside the Channel Islands. When Doug moved to the Channel Islands in 2015, it wasn’t the first time he’d been involved in setting up an ombudsman’s office. He was previously involved in the creation of the first banking ombudsman service in Canada, back in 2006. He believes that experience stood him in good stead when it came to starting the new service in the Channel Islands. ‘I was an ideal fit as they were looking for somebody who had done the job previously, but had also worked as part of a smaller scheme, such as we had in Canada. Because CIFO was to be an entrepreneurial start-up, it was a real benefit that I’d been involved in setting up the Canadian service rather than simply having worked at a large ombudsman’s office. ‘What we are building here is unique. We are the first ombudsman of this type to

work across more than one jurisdiction. But if we can prove that it works then there are lots of other jurisdictions that could benefit from our experience. There are many places which may appear too small to warrant their own service, but could potentially adopt a multi-jurisdictional ombudsman.’ While Doug’s previous experience was no doubt of great benefit when he moved to Jersey, he readily admits that there are real differences between the financial services sectors in his home country and the Channel Islands. ‘In Canada, the role was very domestic, I was dealing with Canadians having issues with their Canadian financial services providers. Here, the work is very much international. Three quarters of the work comes from people living outside the Channel Islands. So previously, I was working within a large country with a domestic focus. Now I work in a very small place but with a global remit. It’s fascinating, and part of the reason why I wanted the role. ‘The complexity of the complaints is also higher here. There is lots of the same stuff you see everywhere regarding areas such as transactional banking and the suitability of investment advice. But there is also the international positioning of the islands, which leads to complicated cases which can be multi currency, multi asset class and tax or corporate structure driven. It’s fascinating, but much more complex than I was expecting when I moved here.’

Three years in to CIFO providing the service, Doug believes that they are making a difference to the industry. ‘I am definitely seeing change. There is a maturity in the systems that are being applied internally to complaint handling. It’s becoming more of a collegial approach to finding solutions rather than an immediate adversarial response. I think businesses are realising that it’s better to do something quickly and efficiently and have the correct systems to prevent future complaints. After all, it’s always better to put preventative measures in place than deal with the after effects of problems. ‘Complaints can actually be a huge business opportunity for companies. If you want to improve customer satisfaction, screw up and then fix it. If you provide a flawless service, customers start to take that for granted. But when there is a problem and you solve it satisfactorily for them, loyalty scores actually increase. The best source of business intelligence is an unhappy customer as it shows you where you’re not meeting a need.’ Doug says he’d be happy to be put out of work by financial services businesses providing such a good complaints service that there is no need for CIFO, although there’s no sign of that happening any time soon. But he’s certain that CIFO’s work is creating a system that is better for consumers and better for the reputation and credibility of the islands and their financial sectors. ■

GUERNSEY CHAMBER NEWS

PAST ACHIEVEMENTS AND FUTURE PLANS Guernsey Chamber will be 210 years old on 16 December 2018 and is facing an exciting period of change through our new Business Development Centre in the Town Markets building.

which all depended on those important shipping and landing facilities. In the five years from 1776, the island made a profit of £981,300, which at today’s rates would equate to many millions of pounds.

The organisation has always been at the heart of business in Guernsey and beyond: in fact, it was formed just after the French Revolution to work with the English Government to stop illegal activities.

Between the wars, the organisation was closely involved in the airport location and development. Meetings even continued during the Occupation and war years.

In those days, however, being compliant was nothing as physically passive as ensuring paperwork was in order but involved a mammoth physical effort in stopping huge numbers of English smugglers from filling up their ships with duty free alcohol in St Peter Port! Patience has often had to be at the heart of our organisation. It took 30 years for the Town Harbour development to come to fruition, which is relevant today given the decade lost so far in implementing changes to the eastern seaboard. Chamber is a strong supporter of the need for investment in that infrastructure project and the enhancements it will offer to islanders’ lives as well as to the commercial success of the island as a whole. While our organisation’s formal creation might be two centuries old, Guernsey has always excelled at commerce from its earliest use as an important port on the Roman shipping routes. When Edward I ordered the building of a pier in 1275, it marked the start of centuries of activity

It was smuggling which led to Chamber’s formal creation - or, rather, Parliament’s determination to stop it. Meeting at the Town marketplace on 16 December 1808, Daniel de Lisle Brock and supporters resolved to create the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce. Its mandate was to ‘watch over and preserve the commercial advantages and privileges now enjoyed by this island.’

That focus on supporting business has not wavered in the intervening two centuries, although Chamber would be the first to admit that progress in some areas has proved frustratingly slow. Its dedication to ‘open new channels of business for fair and honest purpose’ still applies today and the organisation is strongly committed to act as an enabler and honest broker for a whole variety of economic schemes and physical change to enhance life and business here. When the island was experiencing ‘extreme depression’ in 1830, a move to improve the harbour to enable its use by steam vessels, was led by nearly 200 merchants and ship owners. Strong speeches were made but the proposed cost of £35,000 worried some in the community and it took strong lobbying by Chamber and public speeches to achieve action. It also involved Chamber, at its own expense, drawing up plans for a more ambitious development, including a deep water pier. Very slowly, the harbour was extended and improved and

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by 1864 the White Rock was being used by Weymouth boats. The need for good connectivity and communication has always been at the heart of the organisation. In the early days, that meant a reliable and efficient mail boat service and records show Chamber’s dissatisfaction with the ferries’ winter operations! There is no part of the island more appropriate for Guernsey Chamber to have its headquarters than the markets area. The organisation worked for 30 years to achieve the development of a vegetable market in the middle of Town. Chamber petitioned the States and lobbied repeatedly. Its efforts played a major part in achieving the change which now represents a focal point in our Town. The States announced that: ‘This Chamber, having for the last 30 years taken a great interest and also an active part in the question of the creation of a vegetable market, resolved to express its satisfaction on the opening of the market to the public by holding a banquet to celebrate this auspicious event.’ The scale and boldness of those decisions regarding the harbour and the market were visionary and brave beyond any developments since. It wasn’t only business and commerce which Chamber supported but the improvement of life in general for islanders. The creation of ‘bathing machines’ to act as an attraction for visitors was promoted by Chamber in

1858 and by the 1860s, the organisation’s sub committee was closely involved in the planning and building of a pool at La Vallette. This facility was advertised in London with the climate promoted as having ‘restorative effects’ and the produce and scenery ‘unsurpassed by that of any watering place in the world.’ Major projects have continued to be proposed, investigated and supported by Chamber’s corporate members ever since those days. Between the wars, the organisation was closely involved in the airport location and development. Meetings even continued during the Occupation and war years. Guernsey Chamber has continued to be at the forefront of business development since 1945, identifying new initiatives and supporting existing ones to help ensure that the island remains economically sound. With the recent addition of the Business Development Centre at Guernsey’s new headquarters in the Markets building, we are confident that Chamber’s founding father, Daniel De Lisle Brock, would nod his head in approval! Chamber will be celebrating its 210th anniversary soon and would like to invite members and potential members to come along and help us to mark this significant development in our history. Please see www.guernseychamber.com for details. ■

FORWARD THINKING New initiatives are the support and mentoring of new businesses, emerging sectors and the reshaping of existing businesses to prepare them for future needs. An internship/secondment programme under which young islanders can acquire firsthand experience of a diverse number of organisations and, at the same time, carry out valuable data-driven research for Chamber’s various lobbying and development projects. An open-door drop in policy at the Business Development Centre to discuss both general and specific business matters, together with advice for anyone thinking of establishing an organisation here. An ongoing series of free to member events designed to advise, update and educate people in our corporate sectors on changes and procedures, together with input on raising the profile of their businesses and helping them to further develop.

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NOVEMBER CHAMBER LUnCH - PROPERTY SPECIAL Testament to the level of interest in the island’s property market is the fact that Chamber’s specially-themed lunch on Monday 19 November almost sold out in just days. Called ‘Unintended Consequences’, the speaker forum will address the way that apparently unlinked political or business decisions can impact the sector and affect a huge number of islanders. Speakers Zef Eisenberg, of the Open Market Forum, and Charles McHugh, property investment expert, will talk about the open and local market sectors. They will co-present

on this important sector and where it should be positioned, with superb insight into how a host of island topics and issues have affected this crucial area of local life for all concerned, whether born here or moved here. Come along to share your thoughts on aspects such as the open market’s future, property values and supply in Guernsey and even whether we should be making it easier to bring people here and accommodate them. The lunch series is kindly sponsored by Sure. Non-members also welcome.

If Chamber receives continued strong interest in this topic, we will work to repeat the session so please register an interest at office@guernseychamber.com. ■

TIN WHISTLE PRODUCTIONS Guernsey Chamber is delighted to have recently confirmed the membership of Oliver Bailey-Davies and Tin Whistle Productions, which is a not for profit, Guernsey-based professional theatre company. We will be working with Oli to provide presentation skills training, customer service insight and support for our start-up businesses

and students as part of a Lunch & Learn series to be launched soon. We are delighted that this new collaboration also involves Chamber Council member David Ummels with his acclaimed Art for Guernsey and Art for Impact initiatives. Oliver will be giving a short presentation at the start of the November lunch

explaining how his experience and skillset can help businesses to present themselves well and inviting them to support his first major show for Guernsey, The Chronicles of Sarnia, running for three weeks in the lead up to Christmas. Read more about our exciting new collaboration with Oliver and David on the Chamber website www.guernseychamber.com ■

DECEMBER LUNCH - SOAPBOX SPECIAL

The chance for people to have their very own four minutes of fame and to speak on any topic which might interest the monthly lunch gathering is being afforded at our Soapbox Special event for December.

exchanges to add to the festive feel of our Christmas lunch. The session will be led by Oliver Bailey-Davies of the Tin Whistle Theatre Company who will advise would-be presenters and the audience ‘How not to speak gibberish!’

Taking place on Monday 17 December and sponsored by Sure, Chamber will encourage some quick fire exchanges on topics of interest and some rapid mic

This lively lunch version will also include Christmas lunch and drinks. Tickets available on Eventbrite. ■

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FIBRE IN THE AIR

Ian Kelly, CEO of Sure, discusses the potential for 5G technology in the islands.

Today the Channel Islands are well served by fast mobile networks, which in Sure’s case use the latest 4G+ technology to deliver speeds twice that of any other Channel Island operator, as well as exceeding 95% coverage. Sure and other operators compare favourably to the UK both in terms of coverage and value for money. 5G, the fifth generation of mobile network technology, is a revolution that will bring multi-gigabit broadband speeds to everyone, everywhere, enabling a fully digital world in the future. Sure, which recently showcased 5G technology for the first time in Guernsey and Jersey, believes that 5G’s transformation potential is best coined as ‘fibre in the air’. The leap from today’s fixed and mobile technology is significant; having multigigabit speeds available to everyone everywhere will mean that 5G is 20-40 times faster than most people use at home, at work or on their phones. The significance of this is absolutely transformational for our lives, businesses and communities. Imagine going to any restaurant, café, park, beach or home and having instant access to the fastest internet connection you’ve ever experienced. That is the future that 5G promises to deliver and the technology

marks a real step-change for our societies. Not only that, but 5G has the added benefit of providing these enhanced speeds with minimal disruption. There won’t be the need to dig up roads to lay physical cables as the ultra-fast connections will be in the air all around us, providing reliable, secure and flexible connectivity. Where fibre broadband installations can take years, 5G can be delivered in months with no disruption to the community.

has already been partially achieved but smaller businesses will benefit from the scale and availability of 5G; finally, the roll out of 5G in line with the UK will actually see us exceed the UK’s capability due to the island’s superior coverage – currently 95% of the island is covered by 4G, compared with less than 90% of the UK.

The roll out of 5G in line with the UK will actually see us exceed the UK’s capability due to the island’s superior coverage.

The States of Jersey also announced a telecoms strategy this year which proposed adopting policies to encourage the speedy and efficient roll out of 5G and outlined the island’s 5G requirement. We want to work with both islands’ governments and believe that regulatory changes and funding are both needed as part of this collaboration.

At Sure, we’re already considering what this is going to mean in practice for the Channel Islands and we want to roll out 5G in the most effective and efficient way to benefit all islanders. Of course concepts like driverless cars and drone postal services are very futuristic and exciting but the first stage of installing the technology is getting multi-gigabit speeds across the islands via 5G services. A project of this scale and with this much transformative potential will of course require us to work with the islands’ governments, the regulator CICRA and the other telecoms operators.

CICRA has been proactively pushing the 5G agenda via a series of summits involving governments, operators and the regulators. It also created innovation licences for telecoms operators to trial 5G technology and Sure was the first operator to take advantage of this process. In doing so, Sure partnered with Huawei, the leading global provider of information and communications technology infrastructure, to showcase 5G to businesses, the government, customers and the public to give everyone a glimpse of our 5G future including smart health care, drone application and smart driving.

In Guernsey, the government’s ambitious and progressive Future of Telecoms policy published this year set out three key objectives, all of which we believe 5G will help to realise. The objective to provide 100Mbps broadband to 85% of homes could be facilitated by 5G’s provision of speeds 10-20 times that level; having fibre to business districts

That future is going to be more connected than anything we’ve seen before and, more importantly, those connections are going to be ultrafast. At Sure we’re hugely optimistic about the step-change that 5G represents; fibre in the air will provide multi-gigabit connections everywhere and that presents multiple opportunities for our island communities. ■

JERSEY CHAMBER NEWS

Chamber Connection – A Year in Review Chamber Connection was officially formed in July 2017 and is dedicated to being a voice for people aged 18-35 in local industry. We aim to provide opportunities for development, networking and political engagement across all sectors of commerce in Jersey. Following Chamber Connection’s inception, the immediate task for the committee was to gather thoughts and opinions from a sample of Jersey’s 18-35 demographic. A live survey was conducted at our launch event in December 2017 and the output of this provided us with strong insights into the topics and issues impacting that demographic. These insights have been used to steer our activities in 2018.

Events Events are at the heart of what Chamber Connection does and our calendar kicked off in March with an evening of speed buzzing networking, delivered by the Busy Queen Bee Jersey. Our sample survey revealed that networking placed highly on the agendas of Jersey’s 18-35 demographic and this intimate but fastpaced event allowed attendees to learn about networking fundamentals and, importantly, make many new connections. May saw Jersey’s General Election take place and in the run up to this, Chamber Connection hosted its biggest event to date - a meet, greet and debate with Jersey’s election candidates. All political candidates were invited to the event and over the course of the evening some of those in attendance were randomly selected to 12

answer a pre-submitted question. The event provided a great platform for attendees to find out more about candidates’ backgrounds, beliefs and manifesto over drinks in an informal setting. The turnout was fantastic with 40 candidates attending. We hosted a further networking event in June through a beer and pizza night at the Barclays Eagle Lab, which allowed attendees to meet like-minded individuals in an interesting setting. Alongside networking, our sample survey also highlighted mindfulness and well-being as a popular subject and Chamber Connection is currently planning an event covering this area.

Political engagement In conjunction with hosting events, Chamber Connection aims to be a voice for key issues affecting the 18-35 demographic and earlier this year helped conduct a survey with Chamber members on Jersey’s university funding proposals. Off the back of this, Chamber formed a response which was submitted to the Scrutiny Panel reviewing the proposals. The committee meets monthly and often talks through new political developments or pieces of upcoming legislation. The discussions around Jersey’s minimum wage and the island’s migration policy remain on our agenda, with a view to seeing how they develop over the coming months. One of the strengths of Chamber Connection is that the committee is not specific to one industry, so we are able to review key issues in Jersey from different perspectives.

Other initiatives Throughout the year, Chamber Connection has attended several events and supported other initiatives on the island. Some of our committee members attended the inaugural Jersey Policy Forum Conference and a further highlight was being invited to support a local programme called LEAP (Leadership and Entrepreneurial Accelerator Programme). The purpose of LEAP is to bring young women from around the world together in collaborative teams to develop social change projects and learn new businessrelated skills, before presenting their ideas in a ‘Dragons Den’ style pitch. The committee is proud of what Chamber Connection has achieved in a relatively short space of time, and we have a few more activities planned for this year before we look ahead to 2019. If you are interested in finding out more about Chamber Connection or putting forward thoughts and ideas to the committee, please do so at admin@jerseychamber.com ■

J E RSE Y C H AM B ER NE WS Brexit and Jersey – the latesT.… Speaker: Date:

Kate Nutt, group director, external relations, Government of Jersey Wednesday 14 November

Venue: Pomme D’Or Timings: 12:15-14:30

November Lunch

Overview With the ever-moving position on the UK’s Brexit negotiations, what plans can business make? What is our government doing throughout these negotiations and what are the likely outcomes for Jersey? Get the latest from the team looking after Jersey’s interests with a Q&A panel session with three leading government officers following Kate’s talk. External relations is responsible for the island’s international relationships, working to maintain and advance the island’s constitutional, political and economic links with overseas partners. The Ministry leads the government’s response to

The future for St Helier Speaker: Constable Simon Crowcroft Date:

Wednesday 12 December

Venue: The Royal Yacht Timings: 12:15-14:30

DECEMBER LUNCH

Overview With the ‘Future of St Helier’ being one of the previous four pillars of government strategy, and with the largest population of resident and workers, how does St Helier differ as a parish run operation and what are the aspirations for our capital? The majority of Jersey business operate within the parish and they should play a major part in the development and strategies being drawn up as to how it will look in the future. Jersey Chamber of Commerce has played a crucial role in shaping St Helier for over 250 years and Chamber members will have a vital voice in designing its future.

Brexit, and is based across four locations: Jersey, London, Brussels and France (the latter two joint with Guernsey). Kate joined HM Treasury in the UK civil service in 2004, working in a range of roles in respect of public sector procurement before moving to the Cabinet Office in 2010. She moved to work for the Government of Jersey in 2013, setting up its new representative office in London before taking up post as group director for the department in 2016. Event sponsor:

RBS International

Wine sponsor:

Dunell’s Premier Wines

Coffee sponsor: Cooper & Co

Simon Crowcroft is a Jersey politician, Connétable of St Helier, and former teacher. He was first elected to the States of Jersey as a Deputy of St Helier in 1996 as a representative of St Helier District No. 2 constituency. In December 2001, he successfully stood for election as Connétable of St Helier, defeating incumbent Bob Le Brocq. He has since been re-elected in 2004, 2008, 2011, 2014 and earlier this year. Event sponsor:

HSBC

Wine sponsor:

Dunell’s Premier Wines

Coffee sponsor: Cooper & Co

J ERSEY C HAM B E R NE WS

The building and construction world is probably even further ahead, with projects on plan, that might make a 2020 vision, in bricks and glass. Financially, the forecasts are firmly framed and digitally, whatever is now, is so yesterday as we get smarter than a Smart City – or Smart Island. MURRAY NORTON Chief executive officer Jersey Chamber of Commerce The Jersey Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 250th anniversary, so it is understandable that one gets reflective, noting the giant strides of progress made over those two and a half centuries and the hand that this Chamber has had in influencing all that we enjoy today. With the gathering pace to the end of December, we will all be gorging on endless reviews of the year that was 2018, and why not? There is a real hunger for it, and I’m as partial to a slice of nostalgia as the next Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show viewer. For business though, time has marched on. Our hospitality members would be the first to tell you that they have finished the pricing and planning of the summer 2019 offers that will be paraded before everyone, the minute the advertising world stops selling us Christmas via every conceivable medium. Talking of which, our retail members were done with the Christmas planning and stock buying by June and are now firmly decided on the stock ranges for spring and even next summer.

St Helier is, and will be, central to Jersey life, business and, who knows, even a new hospital one day, and I expect some big talk coming our way on how it is shaped and run. Wherever you look, the workflow left 2018 way back and it is crystal ball clear that short-termism is not good for anyone. Being nimble and fleet of commercial foot, yes, and a fair amount of flexibility is also good, particularly when the political trade winds change, be that a refreshing breeze or a gust of hot air, depending on your viewpoint.

A four-year political cycle may appear a long time to get much done, but even the elected members themselves get frustrated at the lack of speed to get completed the work they set out at the start of a term. Once a new team comes in, basically all bets are off as to what sticks from the last lot and which direction we head off in next. One month, it’s a desire to reach a minimum wage of 45% of the average wage by 2020, then post-election the soon-to-be Chief Minister’s deal with The Reform Party is £10 an hour. Local retailers, fighting a losing price war against online competition, were told repeatedly for over five years by government: ‘once the technology makes it cost effective to collect more GST from online purchases, we will reduce the de minimis to a lower level than the current £240.’ Guess what? The technology has improved dramatically, but so has the government.

J E RSE Y C H AM B ER NE WS

So although this would raise millions in the fairest of all taxes – a user pays type of consumption tax - just like fuel, alcohol and the GST in local shops, some of our politicians fear it might be unpopular, so they passed on collecting revenue they need and retailers are left with another three or four years wondering what that technology promise baloney was all about. They must now await the EU to tackle taxation online in perhaps 2021. Of course, nobody can expect the freshly elected to blindly follow the previous office, but some reasoned assistance for a retail community searching for a sustainable future would be welcome.

There’s Fort Regent to redesign, and possibly reuse, and a University for Jersey called for by many. Planning ahead will take plenty of brave decisions that will outlive a couple of political terms. It is very unpalatable that nobody will thank you for the decision you made 10 years ago after you’d been ousted. Someone wise once said to me: ‘If politicians made the right decisions for Jersey, they’d probably not be electable at the next election.’ We have seen the high-level vision that is the Common Strategic Policy, and yes, it’s a good start. Like all wish lists, that’s the easy bit. How we achieve them and pay for them, is the devilish detail that we

have yet to receive. Along with the detail and death by a thousand reviews, at some point there will be some tough decisions. St Helier is, and will be, central to Jersey life, business and, who knows, even a new hospital one day, and I expect some big talk coming our way on how it is shaped and run. A ‘Future St Helier’, well that will certainly need a plan and not one that should be changed when the personnel change every 208 weeks. There’s Fort Regent to redesign, and possibly reuse, and a University for Jersey called for by many, perhaps one might just solve the other and give St Helier that ‘Uni town’ buzz, with an available student community willing to put a part-time shoulder to the hospitality wheel, when

not studying for the jobs vacancies we have in abundance. None of this will be easy and I’ve not even mentioned that known unknown that is Brexit. Our next lunch is at the Pomme D’Or Hotel on 14 November, with the director of external relations, Kate Nutt, giving business a crucial update on Brexit. The Christmas Lunch on 12 December at the Royal Yacht will bring some seasonal reflective humour and Constable Simon Crowcroft with his designs on the Future St Helier. Do not miss either! Visit www.jerseychamber.com for tickets. I want to take a few lines just to thank Julie, Tamara and the team at Contact magazine for their first-class publications this year. Running a magazine is never easy and corralling the words from us after deadlines have long passed, must be thankless at times – so thank you team. Let’s enjoy having a respectful look back and acknowledge the past, our achievements and the upcoming season of goodwill, then face forward and set the long-term plans in motion for Jersey and Chamber. Our new Jersey Chamber website and newly evolved logo both set us on that path. Do take a look. www.jerseychamber.com ■

J ERSEY C HAM B E R NE WS

ROYAL RECOGNITION The Jersey Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 250th anniversary on Friday 19 October with a blacktie gala event at the Royal Jersey Showground. More than 500 members of Chamber attended the celebratory evening to mark the organisation’s contribution to the island. Guest of honour, Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor, Sir Stephen Dalton, brought a very special message from the Queen herself, addressed to Chamber president, Eliot Lincoln. Her letter, which was presented to Eliot on the evening, said: ‘Please convey my warm thanks to the members of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce for their loyal greetings, sent on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of their founding which is being celebrated this year.

It really highlights the place that the Chamber of Commerce has in British history and to get a message of thanks like this has left me almost speechless. ‘As your patron, I was interested to learn of the contribution made by the organisation to promote trade and commerce across the island and your continuing support 16

to businesses in Jersey and their success both nationally and internationally. ‘I much appreciate your thoughtfulness in writing as you did and in return, send my best wishes to you all for a most memorable anniversary year.’ Eliot said he was stunned to receive the letter: ‘What an amazing and supportive message from the Queen. It really highlights the place that the Chamber of Commerce has in British history and to get a message of thanks like this has left me almost speechless.’ Chamber chief executive, Murray Norton, was equally delighted when the letter from Buckingham Palace arrived: ‘What an honour to receive such a message. The Jersey Chamber of Commerce is such an important organisation and running it is a real honour. The gala celebration was really made special by this letter from the Queen.’ The Queen’s message was one of a number of highlights in a hugely successful evening, which saw the guests enjoy dinner and entertainment from impressionist Rory Bremner as well as music from West End stars, The Definitive Rat Pack. ■

J E RSE Y C H AM B ER NE WS

THANK YOU The Jersey Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the generous sponsors of our 250th anniversary gala celebrations.

GOLD SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSORS

J ERSEY C HAM B E R NE WS

OUR NEW LOOK The year we celebrate our 250th anniversary seemed a fitting time to rebrand the organisation and ensure that Chamber had a digital presence appropriate for the 21st century, while still reflecting our history and heritage. The Jersey Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with Jersey-based agency, The Collective, to conduct our brand review and develop our new website.

While our new logo was designed to look better, our new website has also been designed to work better. We hope that our members will now have a more interactive online experience with Chamber. For our member organisations, there is the ability to login and manage their own events and upload offers, job vacancies and news articles. Individual members can access personalised content such

as member offers and events, which are tailored precisely to their areas of interest. The website is designed to showcase the value of Chamber to our members and we hope it helps support the local businesses we represent. â&#x2013;

Our iconic ancient seal has been sympathetically transformed into a functional modern logo that is versatile and can be reproduced well in small sizes on digital platforms. The Collective decided to take the Chamber wording out of the logo, leaving us with a simplified version of our ancient seal. The process, however, was not simple. Each element of the logo was redrawn in pencil, including the sails and the barrel, to ensure that it would have the correct impact when transferred to the digital realm.

J E R SE Y N E W M E M B E R S

THE COLLECTIVE

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Tel: 01534 855033 Email: info@thecollective.je Website: www.thecollective.je

J ERSE Y N E W M EMBE RS

THE CHANNEL ISLANDS FINANCIAL OMBUDSMAN

The Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman (CIFO) is an independent office that resolves complaints about financial services provided in or from Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and Sark. CIFO has statutory powers to investigate and decide complaints as an alternative to the court system. The service is free, impartial, informal, speedy and confidential. If you

We are a group of professionals from diverse fields who have banded together to provide an alternative resourcing company that works for all local businesses.

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Recruitment issues are evolving and having a knock-on effect on employers and, ultimately, our economy. We are building a ‘people bank’ where candidates can register their skills and availability and clients can search for the talent and experience they’re looking for.

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are not happy with your financial services provider’s response to your complaint, or have not received one after three months, you can refer your complaint to CIFO. Tel: 01534 748610 (Jersey) 01481 722218 (Guernsey/Alderney/Sark) Email: enquiries@ci-fo.org Website: www.ci-fo.org

We are not sales people and we do not work on commission. We offer highly competitive rates, flexible payment terms, return to work opportunities and time to listen and understand the needs of our clients and our candidates. Tel: 01534 722000 Email: hello@goodegg.je Web: www.goodegg.je

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We are the perfect venue for corporate entertainment and team building, with special corporate hire prices available for whole venue hire. Contact: Emma (Events Coordinator) Tel: 01534 679500 Email: sales@virtualityjersey.com Web: www.virtualityjersey.com

J ER SEY C HA M B E R NE WS

A VOICE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES David Warr of Cooper & Co explains why he supports the Jersey Chamber of Commerce, and why he would encourage other small business owners to enjoy the benefits of membership. I was recently at a talk about how small businesses can differentiate themselves from large corporations. Increasingly the space that was once the preserve of small businesses is being taken by larger organisations with bigger marketing budgets, who are able to shout louder. This is certainly the case in my business - coffee. Yet 99.36% of all businesses in the UK at the beginning of 2017 in the

private sector were small businesses and growing. So, what’s the secret? In essence it’s because people still buy from people. The “faces” of the company provide authenticity, they are passionate, they’ll experiment, they have conviction and they’ll be part of the local community. Chamber is a champion of the small business community and is still around today because those behind it have the same characteristics needed to survive in business. It can be difficult to measure the value Chamber membership adds to your business in monetary terms, but it does add value.

Its representatives work tirelessly to get the outcomes from government that work for business, for our economy and the future prosperity of the island. It doesn’t always get its way, the GST de minimis debate is currently a case in point. However, after 250 years of promoting local businesses, the Jersey Chamber of Commerce would recognise that this is a long road. Like many organisations, Chamber needs businesses to be committed to it, and without the lifeblood of membership it cannot survive. I would urge those of you who are not members to give it a try, as “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. ■

B USI N ESS D IA RY

BUSINESS DIARY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER Key dates for your diary

DATE

EVENT

Tues 13 Nov

Guernsey Community Awards

Weds 14 Nov

SME online security workshop

Weds 14 Nov & Thurs 15 Nov

Tourism Ideathon

TIME

17:00-19:00

08:00-10:00

16:00-21:00

VENUE

INFORMATION

St James

Jim Delbridge will host the ceremony recognising outstanding contributions to the community.

Jersey Eagle Lab

Workshop showing practical steps for online security for small and medium sized businesses.

Moores Hotel

Startup Guernsey and Visit Guernsey invite islanders to help develop new local tourism projects.

OGH Hotel

Titled, ‘The Shape of Things to Come’, the panel will look at technological innovation at board level.

Fri 16 Nov

IoD Guernsey winter seminar

Mon 26 Nov

Digital marketing breakfast briefing

08:00-10:00

Radisson Blu

The Jersey Marketing and Communications Network host digital marketing practitioner, Daniel Rowles.

Tues 27 Nov

Net-Connecting

18:00-20:00

Catherine Best Guernsey

Women are encouraged to practise their networking skills at this Female Potential event.

Weds 28 Nov

PA Network's Festive Christmas Drinks

17:00-19:30

Grand Jersey

Join the PA Network to celebrate Christmas and their recent award success.

Grand Jersey

Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondre, will give a ‘Review of 2018 and the challenges facing Jersey in 2019’.

Thurs 6 Dec

IoD Jersey lunch

12:15-14:15

12:30-14:30

CORPORATE

FUNDS

TRUSTS

ACCOUNTING

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First regulated green fund in Guernsey Guernsey has registered a Guernseydomiciled agribusiness fund as the world’s first regulated green fund.

production in Europe and Australasiabased companies operating in the international high-value food supply chain.

The Cibus Fund, launched last year, becomes the first fund to be awarded the Guernsey Green Fund regulatory “kitemark” by the island’s regulator, the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. The Cibus Fund is a private equity vehicle managed by London and Hong Kongbased private credit fund manager ADM Capital Europe LLP. It was its first Guernsey fund, investing in mid-market opportunities for sustainable food processing and

Dominic Wheatley, chief executive of Guernsey Finance, said: ‘The registration of our first Guernsey Green Fund has been eagerly anticipated, and is another milestone for us on our way to confirming our status as the leading specialist green finance centre. ‘We believe this is a world first, and I’m sure this will be the first of many Guernsey Green Funds.’ ■

Vistra Fund Services in Guernsey is administrator to the fund, while offshore law firm Carey Olsen has advised ADM Capital on Guernsey activities.

Acquisitions at Ravenscroft Ravenscroft has acquired Royal London Asset Management CI Limited and Royal London Custody Services CI Limited to expand its existing cash management offering. The two businesses have been bought for an undisclosed sum from Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited with all five employees moving across to Ravenscroft as soon as the sale is completed. The acquisition, which was subject to approval by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, will increase Ravenscroft’s assets under administration to more than £6.5 billion.

Guernsey law firm, Ferbrache & Farrell, acted as sole legal counsel to Ravenscroft in the purchase. ‘This is another exciting chapter in the Ravenscroft story. Our existing cash management clients will benefit from their service being provided by a well-respected and very experienced team and it also gives Ravenscroft immediate scalability. Royal London CI’s clients will see no changes and will liaise with the same familiar faces,’ said Mark Bousfield, group managing director of Ravenscroft.

Piers Hillier, chief investment officer at Royal London Asset Management, added: ‘The Royal London Asset Management CI business has seen steady growth under Royal London ownership and Ravenscroft is the ideal local partner for the team to continue their journey with.’ ■

CHAN N EL ISL A ND S NE WS

Jersey firm becomes TISE Listing Member The firm recently launched its new legal service offering from Jersey and now Maples Listing Services (CI) Limited has been approved to arrange and sponsor the listing of all types of securities on TISE.

Maples and Calder in Jersey has been admitted as a Listing Member of The International Stock Exchange (TISE).

Fiona Le Poidevin, CEO of The International Stock Exchange Group (TISEG), said: ‘I am very pleased to welcome Maples and Calder in Jersey as a Listing Member of TISE. Their ability to promote this new TISE listing service

through their global network complements our strategy for an increasingly diverse client base both in terms of product type and geographical origin of business.’ The Maples and Calder office in Jersey is managed by Chris Byrne. He is joined by senior hires Simon Hopwood and Paul Burton and associates Anna Cochrane and Stephanie Edge. All have experience of providing TISE listing services. ■

Platinum employer accreditation for Intertrust Jersey, Guernsey, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and China.

Intertrust has been accredited as a Platinum Employer Partner across six jurisdictions by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Intertrust has achieved the accreditation across its offices in

STEP’s Employer Partnership Programme has been designed to help employers maximise the learning of their STEP members. It provides a set of quality standards and a variety of additional support to help organisations enhance their employee’s developmental journey. The three-month process involved meeting with STEP, collating relevant data, providing evidence of Intertrust’s work culture, the learning opportunities

available for employees and appraisal and development information. The team also had to evidence how they structure their training, mentoring and monthly check-ins. Ian Rumens, global head of private wealth at Intertrust in Jersey, said: ‘STEP sets the industry standards for training and academia and this status reflects the hard work we have done to support our employees in their professional growth. It is important to us to put our employees first and to help them reach their goals and develop as professionals.’ ■

Bright Futures forges relationship with skills expert Bright Futures is adding to its available expertise through membership of the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB). The Guernsey-based charitable group focuses on helping to equip people with the right skills for future business and employment. Bright Futures is working with professional organisations from around the world to ensure that the island is well placed to deal with the skill requirements of

industry. ‘Joining the NCUB will enable us to work alongside and collaborate on essential research to gain a better understanding of where the existing and anticipated skills gaps of the future lie. The organisation promotes, develops and

supports university-business collaboration across the UK which will prove useful to us in some of our work on the island,’ said Bright Futures founder Susie Crowder. NCUB chief executive Dr Joe Marshall said: ‘I am looking forward to working in partnership with them on the collaboration agenda, and specifically on furthering Bright Futures’ objectives and ambitions in the Channel Islands by connecting them with the insight, intelligence and experience in our network of national leaders.’ ■

C H AN N E L I SL AN DS NE WS

Young starters at Deloitte This year 10 school leavers and university graduates have started client work with Deloitte in Jersey as they commence three and four-year training contracts with the firm. The new trainees represent a broad range of backgrounds and academic specialisms, from Biochemistry and English to Art History and Law. The Jersey trainees include three local school leavers who will be joining Deloitte’s ‘earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship’ – the Brightstart programme - as well as Jersey and UK graduates. Siobhan Durcan, Jersey student recruitment lead, said: ‘The high

standard of applicants, and the variety of educational backgrounds reflects Deloitte’s approach to recruitment and the different training routes which are available.

We are delighted to welcome such a talented group and are excited to see them develop and grow over the coming months and years.’ ■

‘Each of our programmes can flex as they progress, and we have a supportive environment to help them succeed.

CIPR Forum proves its value The delegates, which included a dozen students from local colleges, heard from four guest speakers on “The Value of PR” and culminated in a panel session moderated by Jason MacKenzie, the founding chair of CIPR Channel Islands and the immediate past president of the CIPR.

Unauthentic data, fake followers and social media bots were hot topics when 60 communications professionals and students attended the Channel Islands PR Forum to discuss the concept of value in public relations.

Hosted by the Channel Islands Group of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the event marked the 10th anniversary of the local group and 70 years of the Institute.

Mark Oliphant, chair of CIPR Channel Islands, said: ‘This was the fourth year we have held the Channel Islands PR Forum and it was the most packed agenda and well-attended event to date. This year’s Forum provided different perspectives on the concept of value, with our speakers providing a balance of theoretical and practical ideas to help us demonstrate the valuable contribution PR professionals make to the organisations they serve.’ ■

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CHAN N EL ISL A ND S NE WS

Solar partnership for Guernsey Electricity and Guernsey Post Guernsey Electricity and Guernsey Post have announced plans for the installation of the largest solar array in the Channel Islands. The project will help both companies reach significant milestones in their ambitions for the generation and use of renewable energy. The new solar array will be approximately 200kW in size and will produce around 200,000 kWh of electricity each year. The recent success of the solar PV array at the power station site means Guernsey Electricity is well placed to work with Guernsey Post on delivering this important project for the island. The solar array will generate the equivalent amount of energy required to power Guernsey Post’s entire fleet of vehicles. Boley Smillie, chief executive of Guernsey Post said: ‘The prospect of an entirely electric

vehicle fleet, the elimination of exhaust emissions and helping generate our vehicle energy requirements by solar power is within our grasp, it is no longer just an aspiration.’ Alan Bates, chief executive at Guernsey Electricity added: ‘We believe that all

islanders should benefit in an equitable way from developments in the energy sector. This commercial scale solar array will feed into the island’s network, so everyone can benefit from a higher percentage of renewable energy.’ ■

Jersey’s Call&Check service rolled out Jersey’s States is supporting the Call&Check system developed by Jersey Post to roll it out island-wide. Successful trials have been running in three parishes since 2013. Call&Check enables people to live independently in their own homes for longer. Regular visits are made by their postal worker where they ask five short questions to find out how the customer is and if they need anything. Responses are sent for action via the postal worker’s digital handset to the customer’s approved contacts. The Department of Health and Community Services is backing the service by providing £100,000 of funds until the end of July 2019

to support members of the public who it is recognised would benefit from receiving Call&Check. Health Minister, Deputy Richard Renouf, said: ‘The pilot demonstrated that Call&Check works and helps meet the States’ objectives of reducing isolation and enabling islanders to stay in their own homes for longer. This service not only connects patients to healthcare and community services but will lead to substantial savings in the cost of home-based healthcare because it will replace the regular non-essential visits that healthcare professionals currently have to do.’ ■

Legal Corporate Fiduciary

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12-14 New Street St. Peter Port Guernsey, GY1 2PF T +44 (0)1481 723 723 E info@walkersglobal.com

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G LO UE CA RN TE SE Y

C SA HA FF M ER PN Y ES S

SU C IS RE SE D TR IT US T

GUER N SEY P EOPL E

CIARAN O’NEILL

DONNA BREHAUT

JO STODDART

Credit Suisse Trust has appointed Ciaran O’Neill as its new centre head.

Donna Brehaut has joined Saffery Champness Registered Fiduciaries as trust manager.

Jo Stoddart has been announced as the new director of Locate Guernsey.

Ciaran has more than 20 years’ experience working in the trust industry. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving business growth and ensuring effective implementation of the group strategy in Guernsey.

Donna will oversee a fiduciary team specialising in the establishment, management and administration of a diverse portfolio of offshore structures for high net worth individuals across a range of jurisdictions.

Jo joins with strong commercial credentials. She will be supported at Locate Guernsey by a new number two, Paul Kilminster, who was previously administrator of the population management office. Jo said: ‘The Committee for Economic Development has backed Locate Guernsey by investing in its future, and I look forward to working with colleagues on and off island to promote Guernsey as a premier league jurisdiction for high net worth individuals and scale-up businesses.’

RE SO L IT UTI O N

‘Donna has an impressive background and has proved that she is exceptionally client focused. She has consistently provided a high level of service and has been recognised throughout her career as a future leader of the private client sector.’

G RO UP

FE & RBR FA A RR CH EL E L

‘We are delighted to welcome Ciaran back to Guernsey. His breadth of experience and knowledge of the trust industry is invaluable. Ciaran brings an open mindset from handling extremely demanding roles in both London and Asia.’

Managing director, Nick Batiste, said:

ZE DR A

CEO and Guernsey branch manager, Paul Annegarn, said:

ALISON ANTILL

NEIL BLACK & ADAM BUCKHOLT

ED ALLISETTE

Ferbrache & Farrell has recruited Alison Antill as an associate in its dispute resolution team.

ZEDRA Fund Managers has made two new appointments.

Alison is an English qualified solicitor. Her practice focuses on corporate and commercial disputes, including insolvency, shareholder, contractual and professional negligence matters and intellectual property.

Adam Buckholt has been promoted to the board while Neil Black has been appointed as an associate director and head of governance and compliance.

Ed Allisette has joined IT support firm Resolution IT as a trainee service desk engineer.

Head of dispute resolution, Martin Jones, said: ‘Alison has excellent experience which will be of real benefit to our clients and she will play an important role in the firm’s development as we continue to grow our dispute resolution offering.’

Head of funds, David McNay, said: ‘Both individuals are highly respected members of the industry and we are looking forward to seeing them develop and drive the business forward over the coming years.’ Photo left to right: Neil Black, David McNay and Adam Buckholt

He gained previous IT support experience with a local telecoms provider. At Resolution IT, he will now study for recognised professional qualifications in order to become an accredited IT professional. Ed said: ‘IT is a growing sector in Guernsey and Resolution IT is at the forefront of embracing the latest technologies, enabling it to provide the best service to its customers. That makes it an ever changing and exciting place to work.’

Q RC

PR O RC HA RD

RA V HO EN LD SCR IN O G FT S

G UE RN SEY P EOP LE

CHRIS BARLING

DAN GALLIENNE

JULIE TODD

Chris Barling has joined the board of Ravenscroft Holdings Limited as a non-executive director.

Public relations professional Dan Gallienne has been promoted to account director at Orchard PR.

Julie Todd has joined Quintessential Relocation Consultants.

Brooke Kenyon, managing director (client services), said:

Founder and CEO, Jo Stoddart, said:

‘Dan is an accomplished wordsmith and a PR natural who has made an enormous contribution to the company from the day he joined. His successes and client endorsements speak volumes about the high regard in which he is held.’

‘Her passion for offering customer service excellence will enhance our clients’ experience across a range of different relocation matters and her extensive network of professional contacts will be invaluable as the business evolves.’

AO N

W A PA ITR RT O NE SE RS &

‘I am delighted that Chris is joining the board. I’ve known him for a long time and had the pleasure of working alongside him at Hargreaves Lansdown. His experience and knowledge is vast and he will be a great asset to the business going forward.’

Julie previously founded and organised the annual Jersey and Guernsey Customer Service Awards, co-founded the Guernsey Property & Construction Awards and has a long established background in media.

BA ER

Chairman Stephen Lansdown said:

He joined Orchard four years ago as an account executive and has progressed swiftly to the senior team. He was awarded accredited practitioner status by the CIPR last year.

JU LI US

Chris brings with him 10 years of public board level experience, including eight years with FTSE 100 constituent Hargreaves Lansdown. He specialises in product development and the impact digital has on business.

PAULA PROTHEROE

KAREN MARTIN

GLYN SMITH

Paula Protheroe has joined Waitrose & Partners Admiral Park as branch manager and a director on the Guernsey board.

Julius Baer has appointed Karen Martin as its new human resources director.

Aon Insurance Managers has appointed Glyn Smith as an executive director.

Karen joins Julius Baer with 30 years’ experience as an HR specialist. In her new role she will be a part of the senior leadership team.

Glyn will have responsibility for Aon’s two managed rated reinsurance companies, Humboldt Re and Kelvin Re. He has a wealth of experience working in the general insurance and captive (re) insurance management markets.

Paula has worked for the partnership for over 30 years since starting her career as a John Lewis weekend sales assistant. She has gained experience across a breadth of disciplines including personnel, management development and operational roles. Paula said: ‘I am incredibly excited about taking up this opportunity and in particular talking to customers to understand their shopping experiences and help identify how we can deliver even better services.’

Branch manager, Stephen Burt, said: ‘Having someone with such expertise in this important role will add a great deal of value to the bank’s recruitment and employee welfare. Karen joins us with a wealth of experience at a senior executive level and will be especially important throughout our planned period of growth.’

Managing director, Paul Sykes, said: ‘Glyn’s experience and proven leadership skills will help us grow and develop our rated reinsurance vehicles which represent a key pillar of our insurance management capabilities and a significant development of Guernsey’s insurance industry.’

YOU N G BUSINE SS G ROU P

GET TO KNOW … YBG

A regular feature of the YBG newsletter is a ‘Get to Know’ interview of a new or existing member. Following a number of questions about the organisation at various events, president, Déne Reardon, prepared a ‘Get to Know’ interview about YBG for Contact.

What is YBG? The Young Business Group is a nonprofit organisation with the aim of connecting members of Guernsey’s business community and providing an environment for them to meet and network in an informal setting.

Do you have an age limit? There is a minimum age, however no maximum age limit. ‘Young’ in the Oxford dictionary is defined as ‘having lived a short life’ and whilst some of us may technically not qualify, we still consider ourselves as young. We have a ‘try before you buy’ option so that potential members can decide whether YBG is right for them.

What are the benefits of membership? The primary benefit of membership is a calendar of events arranged to provide an environment where our members can make and foster connections in Guernsey’s business community. The varied events provide something for everyone and include networking drinks, dinners and lunches that are structured to provide opportunities for informal conversation, together with a presentation

from a guest speaker. Highlights include a trip to Herm, a quiz and an annual summer ball. Attendees are listed on our events page so that members can follow up on new or existing contacts.

What does the YBG annual calendar look like? In addition to our monthly events, we are also involved in a number of projects, including the Bill Green Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit and the Christmas lights switch on parade.

The council includes a wide cross section of members from various business sectors, each with the skills of enthusiasm and a shared vision. The Bill Green Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit is presented annually at our summer ball. The award is presented to local businesses which have demonstrated a desire to succeed and the ambition, vision and drive to turn ideas into a successful business. Nominations for the award open in the new year and close at the end of March each year. A panel of judges, including a director from Start-Up Guernsey, the president and vice-president of YBG, select a shortlist of three nominees, who are invited to attend the summer ball in June for the final presentation. Previous

winners include School of Popular Music, B-Creative, Livingroom, ibz.tv, Pet Technology Store and Donkey Logic. The summer ball is a glittering evening of fine dining and first-rate entertainment and is the highlight of the YBG calendar. The Christmas lights switch on parade is a magical event organised by YBG in collaboration with the St Peter Port Constables, St Peter Port Christmas Lights and supported by the sponsor Sure as well as volunteers.

Who is responsible for the running of YBG? The management of YBG is undertaken by a council of YBG members led by the president and vice-president. The council meets each month to discuss and plan upcoming events and projects. The council includes a wide cross section of members from various business sectors, each with the skills of enthusiasm and a shared vision. The handover from president to vice-president takes place each year at the AGM in March.

Tell us something we don’t know about YBG YBG was set up over 50 years ago, initially as a ‘ginger group’ to the Chamber of Commerce, to add comment from a young perspective and provoke debate. In those times only men were allowed to become members. The organisation discussed the Billet d’état every month and provided comment to Chamber. Although we no longer discuss the Billet, we do continue to be active in the business community. Happily, the membership is now a diverse group of people from all sectors of Guernsey’s varied businesses. ■

“Personal service at its best! The Quintessential team were brilliant, found us the perfect home, overseeing our furniture arrival when our ferry from the U.K. was delayed, provided lots of helpful info about Guernsey, and much more.” Maria Lozano Garcia “Having done in-depth orientation with you for a few days before our arrival, made the settling in, when we finally arrived in Guernsey, so much easier. I did not come with unrealistic expectations and knew what to expect from the start. Having been around the island thoroughly during orientation helped me to find my way with much more ease - I think this helped me hugely.” CSS

With clients from all over the world our focus is on making your relocation as simple and stress free as possible.

Contact: Julie Todd Guernsey: +44 (0) 1481 257200 Email: julie@qrcci.com

• Arranging preliminary visits and orientation tours • Independent home search for purchase or rental • Pre-viewing properties on your behalf • Advice and guidance about schooling and childcare options • Negotiation of property sales and lease contracts • Settling in and help line services • Support for Spouse/Partners

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UB S

PO JE RT RS S O EY F

C 5A LL IA NC E SCOTT WORKMAN

INEZ BARTOLO

EMMA GOUYETTE

Scott Workman has been appointed chief executive officer of C5 Alliance.

Inez Bartolo is joining Ports of Jersey as airport director.

UBS has appointed Emma Gouyette to a newly created role of client advisor.

He is the former chief operating officer at the Ministry of Defence’s Information Systems and Services division, and has extensive experience in defining technology requirements for demanding information and communication users in challenging environments.

She will assume responsibility for all aerodrome operations later this year. Inez has worked for the Civil Aviation Authority for over 27 years.

Emma will help the firm with the growth of its External Asset Manager (EAM) business. She has 20 years’ experience in financial services and is proficient in managing relationships with both high profile clients and intermediaries.

‘I am very pleased to have expanded the team and created a new client advisor role this year. The addition is testament to our ability to align ourselves with EAMs and assist them to grow their businesses.’

M M AN O AG OR EM E EN T

L’H O RI ZO N

‘C5 is a people organisation which has an inspirational management group leading a first-class team of technologists and business professionals.’

Head of UBS Financial Intermediaries, Helen Ollivro, said:

‘Inez is one of the CAA’s most senior and experienced leaders, having worked alongside the majority of UK aerodromes, including Jersey, and comes to us with a wealth of experience. Given the focus on regulatory matters for Ports of Jersey, she will be a great asset to the team.’

C O LL AS C RI LL

Scott said:

Group CEO, Doug Bannister, said:

SAMI AMOR

CHRISTINE FOX

MATTHEW SATCHELL

L’Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa has appointed Sami Amor as its deputy general manager.

Christine Fox has joined Collas Crill’s corporate, finance and funds team as counsel.

Matthew Satchell has been appointed funds director at Moores Management.

Sami has worked in the hospitality industry in the UK for 35 years. He previously worked at Castel Hotel Windsor, where he was responsible for several royal functions. His new role will involve responsibility for ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of all hotel operations.

She brings with her over 15 years’ legal experience and specialises in banking and finance work. Christine previously worked in the Jersey banking team of another offshore law firm and as a legal adviser at the Jersey Law Officers’ Department.

Matthew is a Jersey advocate, who has spent over 10 years with a top tier offshore law firm, where he gained extensive experience advising on the full spectrum of collective investment funds. In his new role, he will be responsible for delivering product and operational support and expertise to the alternative funds team.

Hotel manager, Shaun McGachan, said: ‘We are delighted to have Sami join our management team at L’Horizon. He brings with him a wealth of experience and constantly strives to achieve excellent levels of hospitality.’

Group partner, Mike Williams, said: ‘It’s fantastic to be further bolstering the corporate, finance and funds team as it continues to go from strength to strength. To attract a lawyer of her calibre is testament to the quality of our clients and the work we are doing.’

Funds director, Fiona Wild, said: ‘His legal background and specialist alternative fund expertise make him an excellent addition to the team and I very much look forward to working with him as we continue to grow our business.’

Select.je, 2nd Floor, York Chambers, York Street, St Helier, JE2 3RQ

hello@select.je

01534 88 88 66

www.select.je

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LA W BC R

ST A JE TE RS S O EY F

C O NT IN UU M ANIKSHA PANCHMATIA

STEVE SCOTT

ALISON BROWN

Aniksha Panchmatia has joined Continuum as a consultant.

RBS International’s head of human resources has joined the States of Jersey.

Advocate Alison Brown has joined BCR Law.

She will manage projects for the firm as it expand its data analytics service in Jersey. Aniksha is a Prince 2 qualified project manager who has led high profile workstreams in financial services and health care.

Steve Scott will be driving transformation and culture change across the States. He has 34 years’ industry experience and has worked and lived in Jersey for 10 years.

‘I’m delighted that RBS International is seconding a senior leader to support us as we embark on this critical change programme that will transform the culture across the public sector. I am confident this kind of partnership working will help government to maintain a strong, sustainable economy.’

Managing partner, David Benest, said: ‘She brings further skill and experience to our family and criminal law teams and will be able to assist our valued private clients across a range of different matters, according to their individual needs.’

LI Q UI D

‘Aniksha is an experienced, well-liked project manager with a strong track record with financial services firms and the NHS. She is used to working with stakeholders across diverse business areas in Jersey and in the UK.’

Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondre, said:

BE DE LL C RI ST IN

Founder, Dan Hare, said:

Alison will specialise in family and criminal law matters. She previously worked for two other Jersey law firms, specialising in family law matters. She is an accredited family mediator and has experience in employment and personal injury law.

GIOVANNI CANTON

GUY WESTMACOTT

COLIN PEREIRA

Giovanni Canton has joined EY’s Channel Islands tax team as a senior manager.

Bedell Cristin has appointed Guy Westmacott as a partner.

Communications consultancy Liquid has appointed Colin Pereira as senior designer.

Giovanni has extensive experience of helping financial services firms comply with the everchanging tax transparency and disclosure rules.

A specialist in corporate and commercial matters, Guy works on a variety of international transactions and also advises on related regulatory aspects . Managing partner, David Cadin, said:

Colin has 20 years’ industry experience, having previously worked for some of Jersey’s most respected design agencies. In his new role, he will be supporting the design team on local, national and international clients across a number of sectors.

‘Guy has played a significant role in building our commercial and corporate practice. He has been instrumental in supporting some of the biggest corporate deals the firm has undertaken, whilst also demonstrating a commitment to client service and ability to work as part of a global team.’

Creative director, Glen Smith, said:

Channel Islands head of tax, Wendy Martin, said: ‘Now is a crucial time for financial institutions, with the imminent Tax Authorities’ audits likely to begin in the coming months. Having Giovanni’s international expertise on the team will ensure we are ready to assist local businesses with their ongoing reporting and disclosure obligations.’

‘We’ve experienced continuous growth this year, which has brought about greater collaboration between our UK and Channel Island offices. These appointments and promotions add strength and depth to our growing and talented team.’

“I need experts who will support all aspects of my financial life - that’s why I spoke to BDO.” Discrete, reliable and responsive private client services

From accounting and financial assurance services to Guernsey, UK and French taxation advice for private clients, we provide the expert advice you need.

After four enjoyable years as publisher of Contact magazine, we are sad to say that this is our last issue.

During our four successful years as publisher, we steered the magazine from being Guernseyonly to include Jersey Chamber - making it a true celebration of pan-island co-operation - and helped hundreds of local businesses get their message across to the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s readership. We have some new and exciting projects in the offing for 2019 and are excited by the fresh challenges ahead. The team at Collaborate Communications wishes all at Chamber well for the future. Collaborate Communications Ltd specialises in niche publications such as this. If you have a special anniversary, achievement, or annual event and might want us to produce and publish an accompanying publication, please get in touch. We even look after the advertising from your suppliers and sponsors!

Collaborate Communications Ltd www.collaboratecommunications.com

Jersey +44 (01534) 858514 Guernsey +44 (01381) 715222

CUSTOM ER SE RV IC E AWA R D S

SERVICE WITH A SMILE This year’s Sure Customer Service Awards were recently presented in front of hundreds of islanders at awards ceremonies in Jersey and Guernsey. In Guernsey, the overall winner for 2018 was the team from Surf & Turf, who also took home the ‘Best Service from a Team’ award. In Jersey, the overall winner was the team from Hotel Cristina, who swept the board when they also picked up the gongs for ‘Best Service from a Team’ and ‘Best Service from Leisure, Tourism & Accommodation’ as well as ‘The People’s Choice’ award for receiving the most nominations from the public.

C USTO M ER SERVI C E AWA RD S

Co-ordinator of the event, Jill Clark, said: ‘The new timescale of summer nominations has worked really well, with businesses receiving huge amounts of valuable feedback from their customers. The feedback not only lets them know they are doing a great job, but also how things can be improved – so that service just gets better and better. That’s got to be good for everyone on the islands – tourists and locals alike. It is clear from the number of entries for this year’s awards that both customers and businesses take customer service very seriously and understand that a great customer experience is essential for business success.’ ■

RETURNING TO WORK

Melissa Campbell, director at Situations in Guernsey, explains the options for those looking to return to the workplace after some time away.

If you’ve been taking a break from your career but feel it’s now time to return to the workplace, there are options available in Guernsey for you. You may have taken time out to raise a family or travel, or due to illness. You may have been running your own business but have now decided to return to employment, or perhaps you retired early but now wish to secure some degree of work to keep you busy. No matter the reason for your break, updating your skills, particularly from an IT perspective, is all-important if you’re thinking about reactivating your office career. What are the training options? There are various options available on the island to bring your office skills up to date, from OCR/RSA courses in text and word processing, to the introduction to basic IT, as well as BTEC and HNC qualifications in business studies and IT.

Working hours/flexibility Often when people are returning to work after a break, they are ideally seeking a role over part-time hours, which can be hard to find in a small island like Guernsey. However, local employers are more willing nowadays to consider flexible working situations, e.g. a full 35 hour week but with an earlier or later daily start time and/or working some or all of the hours remotely from home. It’s important for businesses to consider those looking to return to work, including their previous experience and qualifications.

There are also OCR certificates and diplomas in administration, including various modules such as text processing, spreadsheets and an introduction to bookkeeping, which can be very useful if seeking an administrative role.

Successful placements To give an example of some successful return to work placements, here at Situations we have placed candidates with prior relevant experience back into client-facing banking and trust roles after eight to 10 year breaks, and we’ve also placed a candidate aged over 65 in a permanent legal secretarial position. So it’s certainly possible with the right skills and prior experience.

local employers are more willing nowadays to consider flexible working situations, e.g. a full 35 hour week but with an earlier or later daily start time.

Transferable skills Depending on the role, Guernsey employers do not always have a huge choice of applicants to consider for their vacancies and, when reviewing CVs, it’s important for businesses to consider those looking to return to work, including

looking at previous experience and qualifications, transferable skills, recent training and any relevant voluntary work or projects undertaken during a break. Time to temp? If you’re thinking about a return to work, it is worth also considering temporary or contract roles whilst seeking the right permanent position. Most temp roles are over full-time working hours, however such assignments can offer flexibility and more time off, as well as the option to try out a job before committing on a permanent basis. Depending on your skill set, if you have strong office skills and are keen to find a position as soon as possible, it can sometimes be quicker to secure temporary work rather than a permanent role, which can bring in a salary and give you some leeway to take more time over your long term job search. If you are considering returning to an office career and would like some advice, contact the experienced and qualified consultants at Situations Recruitment on 01481 710639 ■

We really take the time to find out what makes you special, highlighting your unique strengths so you can realise your true potential. Come and talk to us and see how SUPER your career can be.

situations.gg

BE PART OF THE BUSINESS REVOLUTION You know the drill, an entrepreneur has an idea, gets a senior team together along with funding and then spends months fighting the tide while the back office and support functions mature. This approach, while important, distracts them from the job of running the core business and burns through that all-important seed capital. Back in 2017 the question was asked “what if there was a different, unusual, but more effective way to build a business and generate profits from day one?” It was the answer to that question which led to the birth of the RAS Group. On this small piece of rock we call home, we have turned business development on its head and have gone for a totally different approach. We liken it to an ‘inside out model’. We built our fully developed back office and support functions and then sat back and waited for customers to come running and plug in; and come they have! In providing a turnkey administrative and support framework for new and growing businesses, we have allowed start-ups and businesses moving through growth or rationalisation phases to focus on what they do best. With our staff, systems, checks and balances already working and in place, clients have simply plugged into the functions that they required. Choosing from our Bookkeeping, Administration, Marketing, PR, Creative Design, Risk, Management Accounting, Project Management or Consultancy teams. It is fair to say, that some saw the idea as lunacy. Instead of building RAS incrementally, only investing

in new staff when a certain client threshold was reached, we first put together a team with a core set of skills, then developed our offering before aggressively coming to market. The approach was innovative, game changing and way ahead of its time, a model built to take the twenty first century by storm.

Whether a client takes just bookkeeping or a selection of our services; the model remains focussed on building a strong knowledge based relationship where we are able to fully understand the wider needs of the client and support them accordingly. We call this approach ‘Insourcing’, where members of our team work directly for the client on day-to-day business activities which they have neither the time, space nor experience to handle in house. It is this approach, where our staff go beyond service provision to work with the business at every stage of their journey, that has delivered the successes that our clients are shouting about. But our value proposition is about more than a cost-effective turnkey solution. We deliver for our clients in other ways too. The first is our crucial experience in business reengineering which enables us to solve client problems by creating solutions that use a combination of people, processes and technology. After all, when you have fewer limitations on your solution you have greater opportunities to deliver. Our practical, real world and expert led solutions have consistently provided great business value at the lowest possible cost. The second is simply that we are

01481 200570 enquiries@rasgrp.com rasgrp.com

accountable. Supporting clients means having experts on hand. RAS Group has gathered those experts in one room and made them singularly accountable to our clients. Because with a single provider there are no ‘he said, she said’ excuses to muddy the water, slow down a project or simply cost clients money!

While much of our work remains confidential, eighteen months on we can point to the very public successes of our working relationship with the innovative brewing and distillery company White Rock where we have leveraged the skills and business know how of the RAS team to make a very real difference. The brewery has core brewing expertise and a strong sales focus. Working with RAS has allowed them to do much more at a faster pace, to enter new markets and generate exciting new opportunities while they focus on what they do best.

From law firms to financial service providers, local businesses are waking up to the opportunities that a working relationship with RAS brings, whether they are seeking input on acquisitions, general business development or equity partnerships. RAS works to successfully shape and deliver their ambitions. And it’s not just on the rock! RAS is working with businesses around the globe to identify and expand on their own markets and opportunities, but for the team at RAS, Guernsey will remain pivotal to their growth ambitions.

“RAS has gathered those experts in a room and made them singularly accountable”

#ABUSINESSTHATDELIVERS F IND O U T w h at w e ca n d o for you

We believe in building successful, long-term relationships. We are Butterfield.

At Butterfield, we specialise in assembling the best people, products and services to create bespoke financial solutions for wealth management and the financial intermediary market. It is a skill Butterfield has honed over 160 years in banking. Although much has changed over that period of time, our core values, entrepreneurial spirit and unrelenting focus on our clients’ needs, remains at the heart of everything we do.

Butterfield Bank (Guernsey) Ltd PO Box 25, Regency Court, Glategny Esplanade, St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3AP www.gg.butterfieldgroup.com

To find out more about Butterfield’s personalised wealth management services, please contact one of our Business Development Advisers: GUERNSEY +44 (0)1481 711521 or e-mail Guernsey@butterfieldgroup.com JERSEY +44 (0)1534 843333 or e-mail Jersey@butterfieldgroup.com

Butterfield Bank (Jersey) Ltd PO Box 250, St. Paul’s Gate, New Street, St Helier, Jersey JE4 5PU www.je.butterfieldgroup.com

THE BAHAM AS • BERMUDA • CAYMAN ISL ANDS • GUERNSE Y • JERSE Y • SINGAPORE • SWITZERL AND • UNITED KINGDOM Butterfield Bank (Guernsey) Limited (“BBGL”) is licensed and regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (“GFSC”) under the Banking Supervision (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 1994, The Protection of Investors (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 1987 and the Regulation of Fiduciaries, Administration Businesses and Company Directors, etc (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2000, each as amended from time to time. Company Registration No. 21061. BBGL is a participant in the Guernsey Banking Deposit Compensation Scheme. The Scheme offers protection for ‘qualifying deposits’ up to £50,000, subject to certain limitations. The maximum total amount of compensation is capped at £100,000,000 in any 5 year period. Full details are available on the Scheme’s website www.dcs.gg or on request. Butterfield Trust (Guernsey) Limited (“BTGL”) is licensed and regulated by the GFSC under the Regulation of Fiduciaries, Administration Business and Company Directors, etc, (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2000, as amended. Company registration No 31645. BBGL and BTGL are both registered under the Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2017 and are registered for the purposes of The Companies (Guernsey) Law 2008. Their registered office is P.O. Box 25, Regency Court, Glategny Esplanade, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3AP. Butterfield Bank (Jersey) Limited (“BBJL”) is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission to conduct deposit taking business under the Banking Business (Jersey) Law 1991 (as amended), investment business pursuant to the Financial Services (Jersey) Law 1998, (as amended) and money service business under the Financial Services (Jersey) Law 1998 (as amended). BBJL is registered under the Data Protection (Jersey) Law, 2018 and is registered with the Jersey Registrar of Companies for the purpose of the Companies (Jersey) Law 1991 (as amended). BBJL’s registered office address is St Paul’s Gate, New Street, St Helier, Jersey JE4 5PU. Company registration number 124784. BBJL is a participant in the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Scheme. The Scheme offers protection for eligible deposits of up to £50,000. The maximum total amount of compensation is capped at £100,000,000 in any 5 year period. Full details of the Scheme and banking groups covered are available on the States of Jersey website www.gov.je/dcs, or on request. BBGL, BTGL and BBJL are wholly-owned subsidiaries of The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited. Photo by Lachlan Dempsey on Unsplash.

I N VESTM E N T M AN AG E ME N T

Turning the Tide

Jersey’s banks did not escape the effects of 2008’s recession, with both banking licences and deposits falling. But Noel McLaughlin, chief operating officer at Butterfield Bank (Jersey) Limited, says the sector is now stable, diversified and better able to withstand any future market contractions. The systemic importance of a stable and vibrant banking system to the broader health of the economy cannot be understated. William Gladstone, the former British Prime Minister, expressed it evocatively when he compared the role of finance in a country’s health to that of the viscera in a body: ‘Finance is … the stomach of the country, from which all the other organs take their tone.’ By allocating capital to the most productive channels, banks act as the heart of a community, pumping capital around the system to where it is most needed and, in the process, stimulating growth. However, in the decade since the great recession, the world’s banking system has undergone a drastic change. Jersey’s banks have proved no exception to the headwinds buffering the broader financial markets, with both the number of banks and deposits declining. As of 31 March 2018, a total of 28 banks - including nearly half of the top 25 banks in the world by Tier 1 Capital - were registered in Jersey. This number is down from 48 in September 2007 and 73 at the turn of the millennium.

The island’s strong regulatory and judicial system and position between the finance hubs of Europe and London rendered it an attractive destination to international finance

by £2.5 billion to £115.5 billion - it is clear that the revocation of surplus licenses tells only part of the story. The other part is that as banking profits came under pressure from increasingly stringent regulatory mandates and straitened market conditions, international banking groups sought to cut costs by consolidating their offshore operations. This resulted in a slow haemorrhaging of banks from the shores of international finance centres. Despite the contraction of the sector, banking remains a vital component of Jersey’s economy. The sector employs 8% of the total population and comprised 41% of financial services revenue in 2015. Jersey has been lucky in this regard: the island’s strong regulatory and judicial system and position between the finance hubs of Europe and London rendered it an attractive destination to international finance. Its popularity allowed Jersey to implement a policy limiting bank licenses to the subsidiaries or branches of the top 500 global banks, which ensured a certain quality control.

In the wake of the crisis, this prudence paid off. On average, Jersey’s banking sector holds a Tier 1 Capital ratio that is 50% higher than Basel III requirements. In the 10 years to 2017, the risk-weighted ratios (reserve capital based on the perceived riskiness of a bank’s holdings) of Jersey’s banks increased by over 2% to 15.6%. The leverage ratios (equity relative to total assets) increased from 4.6% to 6.6%. Capitalisation ratios are important because well-capitalised banks do a better job of lending than their more highly leveraged peers, and adequate capital buffers ensure the smooth functioning of the banking system through the vicissitudes of economic cycles. In other words, while consolidation and cost cutting have resulted in a decline in the global banking footprint on the island, those banks that remain are less likely to buckle under the strain of the next financial crisis given their strong capital buffers and prudent approach to risk-taking. Additionally, the tide may have started to turn back towards Jersey with the granting earlier this year of the island’s first full banking license – to Butterfield Bank - in several years. Butterfield has been committed to the Channel Islands via our bank in Guernsey since 1973 and we’re delighted to be expanding our presence in Jersey. ■

The contraction is, in part, due to the lapse of surplus licenses. However, looking at the concurrent fall in deposits - in Q1 2018, total banking deposits decreased

INVESTM EN T M A NA G E M E NT

The rise of the emerging consumer

Samantha Dovey, head of fund research at Ravenscroft, looks at how investors should approach emerging markets.

Emerging markets represent the majority of the global population and will be even more dominant in the future. But do they present an investment opportunity worth considering? The sheer number of people that reside in these countries creates huge new demand through aggregation of money, as well as a potential to grow that should last for decades to come. This is what we refer to as a tailwind. Demand starts with simple staples such as toothpaste and shampoo; these quickly escalate up the value chain to items such as smartphones, healthcare and making their first capital purchases. Alongside this, the demand for better education rises as many people realise that the more educated they are, the more they will ultimately prosper. That drive for prosperity has been well established and structural shifts are driving change. These long-term structural forces should not be forgotten when countries are facing short-term challenges or contagion from other markets. Regardless of the US President’s latest tweets or Turkey’s vain attempts to control its currency, people around the world carry on consuming. Once you have started brushing your teeth, it is very difficult to give up, no matter how tight money is (unless you happen to be a four year old!). 2018 has certainly been a tale of two markets; developed markets have carried on their upward trajectory whereas emerging markets have been hindered by trade tariffs and

currency volatility. Small countries with minimal global impact, such as Turkey, are tarring the rest of the emergingmarket region with the same brush. A working example: At its worst point this year, the MSCI Latin America Index was down nearly 12% towards the end of June; it then posted a short rally into the beginning of August only to fall once again on the back of Argentina raising interest rates to 60%. From 7 August to 5 September the index fell nearly 13%, but it is currently down only 3% for the year. This, although not great, is perfectly acceptable compared to where it has been. So what do you do when something like this happens? Your heart says get out, which is exactly the wrong thing to do. This is where your head should take over. At these so-called “inflection points”, investment managers look for opportunities. If we believe the tailwinds described above still hold and that any fall has happened due to a short-term pricing anomaly then we simply buy more of these quality assets at a cheaper price.

It is easy to say don’t let your heart rule your head, but we understand how difficult that can be. This is why Ravenscroft has a strict valuation process: we look at how much we pay for companies based on how much they are earning – and it is always nice to buy them at a lower price. We load all our fund portfolios and chart their respective valuations over 10 years, so we can see how the value of today’s portfolio has changed over time. If we use Brown Advisory Latin America (which is held in both Ravenscroft’s Huntress Balanced and Growth portfolios) as the example, the value today is roughly 15x price-to-earnings, but it has traded as high as 22x and as low as 14x. Accordingly, today’s value is a shining example of how you can pick up quality assets at prices that have not been seen since 2008/2009. As we say time and time again, know what you own and why you own it and understand how your manager invests in the region. The main difference between investing in emerging markets and developed markets is the timeframe; emerging markets do tend to need longer. It therefore follows that because of this higher volatility, our process leads us to apportioning smaller investment allocations to emerging markets than to their developed market counterparts. So just remember that when markets are falling all around you, keep a clear head and look for value. In the words Sir Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”. ■

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Part of the Ravenscroft group of companies | BullionRock is the trading name of Ravenscroft Precious Metals Limited (“RPML”) (company number 54550) which has its registered office address at PO Box 222, Level 5, The Market Buildings, Fountain Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 4JG. RPML is registered with the Guernsey Financial Services Commission as a Non-Regulated Financial Services Business.

INVESTM EN T M A NA G E M E NT

an environmentally friendly wrapper

Tim Clipstone, partner in Ogier’s Guernsey investment funds team, analyses the Guernsey Green Fund designation.

Governments around the world have committed to reducing carbon emissions and many of our brightest minds are developing green technologies to improve the quality of our air, water and land, help us use natural resources more efficiently and generally mitigate the environmental damage caused by our current use of fossil fuels.

that fall within a set of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles compiled by the joint finance group of certain multilateral development banks.

green criteria from either (i) an independent third party or (ii) a Guernsey licensee contracted to the scheme (usually the administrator or manager of the scheme).

These technologies are proving to be popular and, increasingly, profitable asset classes and there is also a growing interest among investors for truly green investment funds which do not sacrifice returns. In light of these factors, the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) introduced the Guernsey Green Fund designation to provide investment managers an opportunity to “assure investors that their investments are contributing to initiatives that have a positive environmental impact on the planet and in so doing inspire confidence that their investments are well regulated”. The designation is available to registered and authorised schemes which are run in accordance with the Guernsey Green Funds Rules issued by the GFSC on 6 July 2018.

The asset classes include net emissionreducing renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind and ocean power, technologies that improving the efficiency of transmission and distribution systems and the retrofitting of existing buildings to enable reductions in energy consumption. The remainder of the scheme’s assets can be invested more broadly, but must not lessen the overall objective of mitigating environmental damage and must not be invest in certain proscribed asset classes, including uranium mining, fossil fuel-based power generation and “anything that helps to extend the life of fossil fuel usage”. In addition, the investment manager may include a statement in the scheme’s prospectus that the manager intends to incorporate ESG principles into its investment analysis and decision making processes, further enhancing the socially responsible nature of the investment.

Criteria for applying the Guernsey Green Fund kite mark The kite mark will be capable of being used in connection with schemes whose assets are invested with the aim of spreading risk and with the ultimate objective of mitigating environmental damage resulting in a net positive outcome for the environment. To this end, 75% of the scheme’s investments must be in asset classes

Who decides if the scheme qualifies as a Guernsey Green Fund? The GFSC will only designate a scheme as a Guernsey Green Fund if it is satisfied that the scheme’s principle documents and its prospectus appear to conform to the new rules and it has received a certification that the scheme meets the

Once it is up and running, the designated administrator is required, on a monthly basis, to monitor the investments made by the scheme against the green criteria specified in the prospectus and its investment criteria. Where the scheme contravenes either it must take certain remedial steps to rectify the situation, and where the contravention continues to be unrectified, the administrator will be required to make a notification to the Commission. In addition, the designated administrator is required to submit an annual return to the GFSC detailing how the scheme has invested within the green criteria within six months of the scheme’s year end to confirm the scheme continues to qualify as a Guernsey Green Fund. It is intended that investment managers and investors will see the Guernsey Green Fund designation as a valuable green assurance mark that will become a recognised standard for the investment industry, building as it does on Guernsey’s strong reputation as a well regulated jurisdiction for financial products and one that is committed to a greener future. ■

I N VESTM E N T M AN AG E ME N T

A SUBSTANTIAL UNDERTAKING Andrew Weaver and Andrew Harding, partners at Appleby, consider the topical issue of economic substance for companies tax resident in the islands.

At the time of writing, one of the most significant matters facing the Channel Islands investment management sector (and in fact, offshore business as a whole) is the question of economic substance for companies that are tax resident in the islands. The challenge facing us is that this is such a fast developing issue that circumstances and information available will have changed enormously by the time of publication. Proposals are due to be lodged for legislation in Jersey by 23 October 2018 and in both jurisdictions it is anticipated that changes to corporate tax residency rules will be in place with effect from 1 January 2019. Some things, however, are already determined. In response to requests from the EU Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) (COCG) and with the threat of being placed on an EU blacklist as a non-co-operating jurisdiction, Guernsey and Jersey gave high level government commitments to make the necessary changes to ensure companies have sufficient economic substance where appropriate, to be reflected in their respective legal and regulatory frameworks and introduce additional accounting and tax reporting obligations where required. The commitments included addressing the COCG’s concerns by 31 December 2018. The ambition reflected here should not be underestimated. An enormous amount of government resource is being committed, together with support from the private sector. It involves diplomatic engagement with the EU, accelerated

legislative change and the development of reporting and assessment procedures, all in an extraordinarily short time frame, which we suggest is unprecedented. It will also involve a considerable impact on both the conduct of business activities in the islands and how they are reported – businesses should be considering now the implementation requirements involved.

management: sufficiently frequent board meetings in the island of directors who have the necessary knowledge and expertise , with a quorum physically present in the island at which strategic decisions are set and minutes made reflecting those decisions. In addition, all company records and minutes must be kept in the island.

In the investment management sector, the relevant activities of fund management, holding company activities and financing and leasing are likely to have the widest application. The Channel Islands have a thriving investment management sector, managing the wealth of individuals and operating pooled investment vehicles. The proposals identify a number of “relevant activities”, in respect of which substance requirements will be imposed. In the investment management sector, the relevant activities of fund management, holding company activities and financing and leasing are likely to have the widest application. The proposals recognise that collective investment vehicle activities will be subject to reduced substance requirements as they differ from other companies with geographically mobile income. The first requirement for substance relates to demonstrating that the company is directed and managed in the island. This is something that all participants in the financial services sector in the Channel Islands will be familiar with. The proposals are likely to contain a bit more prescription as to what requirements must be met with regard to the proper direction and

The second requirement is that the core income generating activities must be carried out in the island. For fund management companies, core income generating activities may include taking decisions on holding and selling of investments, calculating risks and reserves, taking decisions on currency, interest fluctuations and/or hedging positions, preparing relevant regulatory and/or other reports for government authorities and investors. Finally such companies must also demonstrate that there is an adequate level of suitably qualified employees in the island, an adequate level of expenditure incurred in the island proportionate to the activities of the company and adequate physical offices and/or premises in the island. It is anticipated that these three tests may be satisfied by an adequate level of expenditure on outsourcing to service companies in the island where the service companies themselves satisfy the tests of suitably qualified employees, physical premises and local expenditure. ■

INVESTM EN T M A NA G E M E NT

Investment Management vs Self Investing

Craig Allen, head of investment management at Julius Baer, considers the benefits of using a manager rather than taking a DIY approach to investing.

With an abundance of freely available research and access to live pricing, individual investors now have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Professional investment managers therefore no longer have a material information advantage. Furthermore, high minimum investment amounts are no longer a material barrier for the individual investor. Given this backdrop, it would be reasonable to ask why the investment management industry continues to grow and why potential clients would still use the services of a professional to manage their financial affairs. Costs A well-informed individual can now buy, sell and hold investments on an online trading platform in a highly cost effective manner. They will typically be charged a modest custody fee with trading fees on top. The amount of these fees may depend on size and volumes. In contrast, an investment manager will typically charge an all-inclusive fee covering custody, management, trading and reporting, based on the size of assets. The private investor may therefore achieve slightly lower costs, though in some cases an elevated turnover strategy can actually result in higher costs than for a professional investment manager. Performance Performance is of course the key consideration. Many individual investors will have achieved several notable successes, but also seen their fair share of losses.

Often these successes or failures will have come within the same country or sector. The times when an individual investor has been holding too much cash in a bull market is also an important consideration.

All respectable investment management companies will provide a diversified portfolio and the results delivered should be considered in this light. Unless an individual investor has a particular edge in a certain stock or sector, it is exceptionally unlikely that he or she will be able to beat the performance of a professional over any reasonable time period. Diversification Linked with the performance analysis, diversification should not be underrated. All respectable investment management companies will provide a diversified portfolio and the results delivered should be considered in this light. An individual investor may beat the professional over certain time periods, but if this result is achieved by just owning a few stocks in the same industry then the risks involved are not comparable. In an extreme example, putting ÂŁ500,000 on red in the casino and achieving a 100% return does not mean that this was a correct or prudent investment decision. Time and energy It is often said that investing is a very

expensive hobby. Constantly watching the share prices of a few companies may sound exciting, but the initial buzz soon wears off and the pain of seeing an investment decline in value can materially affects oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental health. Even if an individual is of the opinion that he or she can match the performance of a professional over a sustained period, the fee paid to the investment manager will more than compensate for the time, energy and emotional cost of doing it yourself. There are more productive and rewarding pastimes available after all! Tax and reporting For local clients, an income statement is critical, though how many local clients can claim expertise on UK and US withholdings taxes for example? Are so many trades being placed that that the services of an accountant are required to unravel the trades? Conclusion Despite the wealth of information that is now freely available, the investment management industry continues to thrive and grow. This is because a professional will almost always beat an amateur, even after slightly higher charges. Of course, an individual still needs to select a decent investment manager and approaching a trusted, locally based professional, often via a referral from a friend, typically delivers the best results. In the long run, logic, discipline, diversification and process beats emotion, market timing and speculation. â&#x2013;

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Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., Lefebvre Court, Lefebvre Street, St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 4BS, T +44 (0)1481 726618 Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd., Guernsey Branch is licensed in Guernsey to provide banking and investment services and is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.

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We get that you are worried about cyber security PwC Channel Islands understands that managing cyber risk effectively isn’t just a technology issue. It’s a combination of people, process and technology. We look at all three aspects to bring you an independent expert view on your cyber vulnerabilities and how to manage them. Protect what matters to you. Visit our website or email oliver.delafosse@pwc.com today.

© 2018 PricewaterhouseCoopers CI LLP. All rights reserved. “PricewaterhouseCoopers” and “PwC” refer to the Channel Island firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers CI LLP, which is a member firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member firm of which is a separate legal entity. PricewaterhouseCoopers CI LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England with registered number OC309347, provides assurance, advisory and tax services. The registered office is 1 Embankment Place, London WC2N 6RH and its principal place of business is 37 Esplanade, St. Helier, Jersey JE1 4XA.

DI G I TA L & T ECH

5G – A smarter future

Sure’s chief digital officer, Justin Bellinger, explains how 5G’s ‘fibre in the air’ proposition will change society, and looks at some of the technology that underpins it.

Talk of 5G is ramping up in the Channel Islands with a CICRA summit in November following hot on the heels of Sure’s 5G exhibitions in Guernsey and Jersey. 5G represents a stepchange for our society; the number of connections it is going to facilitate is going to be akin to having fibre-like speeds everywhere around us. At Sure, we very much see 5G as fibre in the air. Fibre in the air So the future is sure to be smart; fast, reliable, wireless connections will become the norm and, more importantly, those connections are going to be everywhere. Imagine the fastest internet connection you’ve ever experienced and then imagine it being even faster and everywhere you go. 5G will provide multi-gigabit speeds as standard so it will be like everyone has their own personal fibre connection. This is obviously great news for the individual as it means that we will have access to the internet, each other and various devices in a quick and reliable form. It’s also good news for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) as they will be able to benefit

from greater speeds without the need for industrial-level broadband connections. 5G will replace broadband services as we know them now but this is only the first phase of the technology’s development.

Faster speeds are the result of greater throughput, which refers to the amount of data transmitted and is measured in megabytes or gigabytes per second (Mbps, Gbps). It is anticipated that 5G will enable a throughput of 10Gbps – a huge increase from 4G and faster than most typical fibre connections.

The second phase will involve harnessing the ultra-fast speeds and creating a digital society everywhere. It is predicted that the number of devices online will increase at least tenfold with the introduction of 5G and this will result in smarter societies in which technology is employed to make all of our lives easier and better. The internet of things is set to explode and result in the development of smart towns where the traffic management systems connect to driverless cars and automatically re-route away from congestion. Connections and latency 5G’s fibre in the air proposition is fundamentally about enabling the world to be wireless and increasing mobile lifestyles; on top of the increased speeds there are two

further technical dimensions which will change with 5G: • Number of connections and capacity. 5G is going to increase the number of connections that are possible. The technology will allow one million connections per square kilometre, an exponential increase on what is currently available with 4G. • Latency. This refers to the length of the delay between a message being sent and received over a network. 5G will bring ultra-low latency, from today’s fast 50 milliseconds (Ms) to only 1Ms. An example to demonstrate the importance of latency is a car driving at 35mph would still travel 77cm on a 50Ms network, on a 1Ms network like 5G it would only travel 1.5cm - a huge difference with serious ramifications for the safety of the technology. So when 5G is developed and operational, we will have more connections capable of receiving more data much more quickly. These massive improvements open up the possibility of a digital society where everything is connected and there are huge improvements in areas such as eHealth or education. At Sure we want the Channel Islands to be at the forefront of developments and believe the islands have to be ambitious with 5G; we’re optimistic that we can work with both governments to introduce a technology that is going to change the way we all live. ■

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DI G I TA L & T ECH

Taking the right steps towards cyber security

James Kelsh, senior information security consultant at Resolution IT in Guernsey, outlines how businesses can protect themselves from cyber threats.

In today’s post-GDPR world with the prospect of heavy fines for those who incur a data breach, cyber security has never been more urgent. Factor in the continued rise in data being generated through the increasing number of connected ‘internet of things’ devices and the opportunities for today’s cyber criminals have never been so varied and plentiful. If you’re looking for hard-core statistics, the UK government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2018 doesn’t make for encouraging reading. Forty-three percent of UK businesses suffered a cyber security breach in the last year, yet just 27% of businesses have a formal cyber security policy and only 20% of staff have received any form of cyber security training in the last 12 months. Throw in one final statistic of human error accounting for 88% of data breaches and it’s obvious there are gaping cyber security holes that need to be filled. Quickly. As a first step, the UK government recommends Cyber Essentials, which will help a business guard against the most common cyber threats and is a visible certification that a company takes its cyber security seriously. First launched in 2014, Cyber Essentials, much like the cyber landscape, has had to evolve and adapt in the intervening four years to meet the increasing threat posed by cyber-attacks. It now covers five basic areas of cyber security in its certification: • Boundary walls and internet gateways – these will monitor all your network’s traffic, identifying it and blocking where necessary.

• Secure configuration – this will make sure proper passwords are in place and potentially two-factor authentication for sensitive accounts. Only necessary applications and user accounts are installed and applicable. • Access control – employees are often a company’s biggest threat, e.g. unwittingly accessing data they are not authorised to. The Cyber Essentials certification requires controls to be in place, so all staff don’t have access to all data, administrator permissions are only given to necessary people • Malware protection - making sure anti-malware is installed on all devices. Malware is the most common form of cyber attack • Patch management – keeping your devices up to date to protect against vulnerabilities in software over time.

The IASME standard was recently recognised as the best cyber security standard for small companies by the UK government. It’s worth noting that UK businesses are increasingly making it a requirement that other businesses they deal with can prove they are also Cyber Essentials certified. The States of Guernsey announced in its Guernsey Cyber Security Strategy of 2017 that it will encourage businesses to get the certification. Who wants to share data with third party suppliers when there’s no verification their supply chain has taken all reasonable steps to secure its data?

Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus (which includes being independently audited) are the basic first steps in demonstrating a commitment to cyber security. The next level is IASME (Information Assurance for Small and Medium Enterprises) Governance and Governance Gold, both of which check GDPR obligations are fulfilled. The IASME certifications, based on international best practice, are risk-based. They include training and managing your staff to recognise common cyber-attacks, monitoring of systems, providing backup and business continuity plans, as well as incidence response reporting and procedures. The IASME standard was recently recognised as the best cyber security standard for small companies by the UK government when in consultation with trade associations and industry groups. Both Cyber Essentials and IASME are part of the cyber-security journey businesses need to be prepared to take. New cyber threats require new tools, new procedures and renewed training of staff. Businesses need to understand cyber security training is a constant. If they don’t, the reputational and monetary losses from a data breach could be catastrophic and, in some cases, irreparable. You can have the latest cyber security technology in place but if you haven’t trained your staff then it’s not going to do its job. Effective cyber security, protected by fully trained and aware staff, is one of the greatest challenges facing today’s digitally enabled businesses. ■

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DI G I TA L & T ECH

SIMPLE STEPS TO STAY SAFE

Ricky Magalhaes, managed security services director at Logicalis CI, explains how you can help protect your family online.

The dangers online are real but fortunately the ways to stay safer are more simple and straightforward than you might think. Following these steps will not only help to protect you and your family from bullies, fraudsters and predators, they may also help you fight the addictive appeal of the virtual world.

use multiple levels of authentication when accessing services. The first could be your biometric reader, followed by a PIN or password and then a text or token sent to your phone.

Make sure you know who you or who your children are talking to

Simply put, if you’re in a virtual world, don’t let anyone cross over and meet you in the real world. Letting people cross that partition is asking for trouble and keeping the worlds separate is a very simple but effective firewall.

You need to be sure who you are speaking to because there are a lot of people out there masquerading as someone they’re not. There are also ‘bots’ that pretend to be people, and we’re seeing that more and more on Facebook and in games. The best way to authenticate who you’re talking to is simple: only speak to people who you know.

Keep the virtual world ‘virtual’ and the real world ‘real’

Our islands are considered a safe place to grow up in but don’t be fooled: the virtual world takes no account of borders.

dinner table conversation. Some popular social media networks are just trying to trick children into becoming ‘members’ and do very little to protect them. I would recommend restricting your children’s time to less than one hour a day. Don’t assume the Channel Islands are safer Our islands are considered a safe place to grow up in but don’t be fooled: the virtual world takes no account of borders. The internet is very accessible here, we have excellent bandwidth and we’re in the top 2%-4% of global affluence. We have become digital beings who are very well connected to the rest of the world, so the bad guys know who and where we are, and they are targeting us. Recognise the problem … and it isn’t the online predator

Education is key Avoid snake oil It’s important that both children and parents are aware of the issues. A UKbased charitable trust called The Centre for Cyber Safety and Education (www. iamcybersafe.org) runs a web-based programme called Safe and Secure Online, which a number of schools in the Channel Islands have signed up to. They also run online courses for parents. Remember the basics Being safer is as simple as changing your passwords to something that can’t be easily guessed. Some people still use very obvious combinations such as 0000 or 1234 for their mobile phone access, which is simply asking for trouble. Also,

Some vendors would like to sell you a piece of anti-virus software, but beware of the snake-oil salesman. Everyone wants to sell you a lock and key but actually all you have to do is shut the door. People can’t attack what’s not there, so keeping the door closed is a lot simpler than putting in technology or infrastructure or changing major habits. How do you make sure no one gets your data? Simple: don’t put it online.

If someone asked me, “what are the actual threats?”, I would answer, anyone using Facebook or another platform as a weapon to isolate, humiliate and bully. As a parent, it is different to know if your child is being bullied in, for example, Fortnite or League of Legends. Parents should know what their children are doing and what their passwords are, up to the age of 16, as a minimum. We should have a contract with our children which says: “If I don’t know your password, you’re not going online”. ■

Parents: become friends with your children By that, I mean speak to them about what they do online and explain to them what the dangers are. Make it part of the

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W HAT ’S N EX T FOR 20 1 9?

BUILDING THE ISLAND’S FUTURE

David De La Mare, director of DLM Architects in Guernsey, considers how the island can improve its building stock.

Although a relatively small community, Guernsey is privileged to have a hugely varied landscape supporting a diverse range of lifestyles. Despite this, one of the most pressing issues we see for 2019 and beyond is the low quality of existing building stock. The level of investment required to bring these buildings up to scratch with modern standards and styles of living often outweighs the financial viability of completing the works. There is therefore little incentive for would be developers to upgrade these properties and it is difficult for individuals wishing to borrow against the value to improve their home. As a result, many of these buildings are sitting vacant and unsellable whilst larger pockets of open land are being used to construct multiple new dwellings. This is often negatively received and resisted by local residents due to a surge in density, and there is a limited supply of suitable land parcels left for this type of development. Planning constraints and space limitations mean that innovative architectural responses are needed to upgrade the existing buildings we have. There are carefully considered alterations that can be made to many properties to improve them and add value above the costs to implement. Our planning and building regulations sometimes create challenging hurdles for owners undertaking smaller upgrades to their properties. For example, an owner

may wish to make a small improvement to an existing element of their property, but to comply with current regulations they would typically have to upgrade a larger proportion. This can be too expensive for some, not add value and therefore nothing is done. As a result, these properties in need of repair are habitually overpriced on the market, and hard to borrow against, so tend to fall into further disrepair through neglect.

tentatively been adopted by the Island Development Plan’s ‘Waste Management Strategy’ for all new development. A further solution could be the introduction of government incentives to improve the building stock; these could take the form of grants to home owners or landlords’ tax relief. These small changes could have a hugely positive impact on existing housing stock.

The costs of energy efficient buildings are higher, and offering relief in land costs would incentivise homeowners and developers alike to start building for the future. The increase of modular construction techniques has provided a more costeffective solution for many. However, due to poor design they often display a lack of identity and relationship to their site, and pose issues for the local economy as well as the look and feel of the island. There must be careful consideration given to how every proposal integrates within the local vernacular on a case by case basis. Most prefab methods currently involve outsourcing trades from outside the Channel Islands, impacting the local industry and taking money off-island. We would love to see local fabrication adapt to meet this demand. We have an incredible skill set of quality workmanship available on island, and we should be wary not to dilute this. An ongoing and important trend is the need to minimise waste through maximising use of existing structure, working within the site topography and encouraging energy efficient construction. This has

We should also encourage alternative construction methods and strive for government support, including flexibility within building regulations and planning; possibly exemptions to the zoning of land to allow more sustainable types of construction and buildings of high architectural value on more sensitive sites. The costs of energy efficient buildings are higher, and offering relief in land costs would incentivise home-owners and developers alike to start building for the future. These are all issues that reach far beyond 2019, however they need to be thought about now. At DLM we believe that architecture should not just be seen as a statutory requirement, but as an opportunity to maximise the potential of your investment and the enjoyment of your home. With some small changes to the way government approaches the issue, 2019 and beyond could see more innovative architecture and developments across Guernsey. ■

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WH AT ’ S N EX T FO R 2019?

GLOBAL IMPACTS ON the ISLANDS

Jason Connolly, director of Next Generation IT, looks forward to 2019 and the myriad of challenges the tech sector faces.

This year has certainly been an interesting one for local businesses, with many changes in the macro-economic environment driven by increasing political instability. To explain the drivers and impact of historical events, academics use the acronym SPERM: S Social P Political E Economic R Religious M Military This can be applied to the Channel Islands in the technology context to determine how 2019 will pan out. Social - changing ways of working Technology is changing our lives beyond recognition, enabling people to connect to their systems from any device anywhere in the world, allowing people to fill spare time with work, improving productivity and in many cases spending more time at home with the family. In the future, driverless cars will whisk us to work and computer chips implanted in our brains will directly connect us to the internet. An increasing pace of change is inevitable, but adaptable businesses that invest in technology can bring their ideas to fruition fastest, disrupt markets and gain market share. However, technology change is expensive and traditional fixed capacity onsite IT systems cannot adapt rapidly or cost-effectively. An accelerated uptake of cloud computing will give local businesses access to flexible IT infrastructure that grows and adapts with a business, driving digital transformation.

Political - Brexit, Trump and uncertainty The destabilising effect of Brexit and Trump’s election has profoundly affected UK and Channel Islands’ business. Initially, uncertainty and devaluation of the pound held back businesses and the long-term effects are still not known. There will be opportunities and threats depending on what the final deal is. Brexit poses particular challenges for technology firms. Highlighting the impact, HP, Microsoft, IBM and 31 other tech businesses wrote an open letter to The Times warning Brexit will ‘break’ IT in the UK. Economic - economic migrants, M&A activity and protectionism The Channel Islands are seen as a safe haven for many wealthy individuals who are fleeing the political uncertainty in the UK. There is an increase in mergers and acquisitions with local businesses striving to increase in size to remain competitive in the global marketplace. An escalating trade war developing between the US and China is leading to increased protectionism, which is bad for global trade and is fanning a global headwind on business that the Channel Islands will not escape. Religious – fanatical following and Far Eastern competitors There isn’t a great deal of scope for religion in technology, but perhaps the fanatical following that companies like Apple have enjoyed over the last few years is waning. Far Eastern competitors such as Huawei and Samsung are mounting a solid challenge to the established players’ supremacy.

Military - competitive pressures and threats to business Security challenges are increasing with many local organisations succumbing to ransomware attacks in 2018. Interestingly, local businesses and the regulator are being proactive and viewing cyber security as a competitive advantage. The frequency and complexity of attacks continue to increase exponentially and many security companies are successfully employing artificial intelligence (AI) in their products to fight back. Experts predict that we are entering the fourth industrial revolution, where unrelenting technological progress is blurring the traditional boundaries between physical, digital and biological realms. This means there are great opportunities for increases in efficiency and standards of living but AI threatens employment, targeting knowledge workers such as accountants, bookkeepers, administrators and legal advisors. So is 2019 going to be a historical year, either as a return to burgeoning worldwide growth or a continuation of the recent instability? On balance, it’s likely to be historical for all the wrong reasons, with continuing uncertainty around Brexit, an escalating trade war between the US and China, and increasingly damaging cyber security breaches. However, the Channel Islands are well placed to weather these storms and benefit from the ensuing uncertainty. ■

PROM OTION A L FE ATU R E

A HOME FROM HOME

Oliver Appleyard, group sales and marketing manager of Seymour Hotels in Jersey, outlines the benefits of the group’s serviced apartments for those looking for a temporary base in the island.

For many business people with professional links to Jersey, travelling for work may be frequent and it is not unusual to be away for weeks or even months at a time. If relocating from the UK or abroad, a base in Jersey may be needed before choosing and setting up a more permanent home. Others may be looking for a place to stay that offers freedom and flexibility for a holiday or a visit to friends and family. For Jersey residents whose homes are being renovated, or who are waiting for a purchase or long-term rental to be arranged, then as a home from home, The Merton Suites are ideal. Today’s guests, whatever their purpose, are increasingly finding these serviced apartments offer convenience and excellent value for money. The Suites are part of the Seymour Hotels group, which is currently offering winter let and corporate rates to make the apartments an even more attractive option. The Suites are designed in such a way that they can interconnect to offer spacious accommodation for anything from two to 12 guests, with children welcome. Each suite is equipped with twin or double beds, fully equipped kitchen, telephone, free wi-fi, the latest flat screen TV technology, including smartphone and laptop connectivity, and free in house movies. They have a stylish modern bathroom with separate shower as well as iron and ironing board, hair

dryer, in-room safe and south facing balcony. The Suites also provide guests with dedicated secure parking and on site laundry facilities. The serviced apartments can offer twice as much space as a standard hotel room with scope to work and entertain. Guests have the freedom to come and go as they please with no rules and regulations, choose whether to cater for themselves (which is perfect for those with special dietary requirements) or dine out as they please. There’s also the benefit of peaceful, quiet surroundings without distractions. Business guests may like to hold private meetings or entertain colleagues in their apartment. This reduces the costs of hiring a separate meeting room or entertainment space. Any guests spending time away from home will appreciate relaxing with a home cooked meal prepared in the well-equipped modern kitchen. Whilst guests can enjoy the independence and flexibility of a serviced apartment, they also have the added benefit of being able to use all the different restaurants, bars, live entertainment and services of the adjacent Merton Hotel (open until 15 December 2018 and then re-opening on 5 April 2019). Merton Suite guests have all year round free access to the Merton Aquadome and Leisure Club,

which has a newly refurbished and fully equipped gym, sauna and steam room. There’s indoor and outdoor pools and a Flowrider® surf wave machine. The new poolside Cascades Café provides healthy ‘quick snack’ meal options. With all these leisure activities on hand, guests will have no trouble unwinding after a busy day. The Merton Suites, adjacent to The Merton Hotel, provide the perfect place for business visitors to the island, and local guests, who are looking for flexible, stylish accommodation that offers independent living and true value for money just moments from St Helier. The Suites are within walking distance of St Helier’s main business hub and its amenities as well as local shops, and only a short drive to anywhere else on the island. If you are looking for a long term let, or your company regularly brings clients or colleagues to the island, then the Merton Suites can offer special rates for a stylish and flexible ‘home from home’ environment. ■

Home Suite Home

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LET M R E T

If you are moving home, renovating, relocating or in Jersey for work then our flexible self-catering accommodation is ideal. Our excellent rates include free parking, free use of the Merton Leisure Club and Aquadome, WiFi and weekly cleaning with fresh linen.

www.jerseylets.com

For reservations please call (01534) 751374

B USIN ES S IN TH E COM MU NITY

The Channel Islands Co-operative Society has chosen 13 environmental projects to support through its Eco-Fund

Carey Olsen helped the Guernsey Child Contact Centre to upgrade its facilities and equipment

Intertrust donated a cycling helmet to each primary school in Jersey to mark Headway’s Brain Injury Awareness Week

Volunteers from Guernsey Electricity cleaned up Bordeaux Harbour as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch event

The Hawksford Castle Chase raised more than £2,700 for the Jersey Heritage ‘Love Your Castle’ campaign

The ABN AMRO dancefloor challenge raised more than £12,000 for Headway Guernsey and the Guernsey Amateur Dancesport Association

Julius Baer donated funds to support the transformation of the Guille-Allès Children’s Library in Guernsey

Ravenscroft sponsored the JS Juniors minis football team in Jersey, supplying kits for the squad and staff

Lloyds Bank Foundation has funded a full-time dry house worker for the Guernsey Alcohol Advisory Service

AFM donated time and materials to build a new toilet block at Jersey charity Acorn Enterprises

Trainee solicitors from Ogierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jersey and Guernsey teams spent a day painting the Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House at Elizabeth Castle

Staff at Deloitte took part in cycling challenges to support Guernsey Mind

Funds raised by the Saffery Rotary Walk were presented to 20 community projects in Guernsey

Butterfield saw 57 volunteers turn out for a beach clean up at Grandes Rocques for its annual community day

Almost 130 HSBC staff entered the Jersey Marathon to raise funds for charities Jersey Hospice Care and Seeing is Believing

B USIN ES S IN TH E COM MU NITY

Skipton Community Fund

At the start of this year, Skipton International launched a community driven pan-island fund to help local good causes. The Skipton Community Fund was set up to support smaller not-for-profit organisations and charities with projects that wouldn’t usually receive financial support. As we approach the end of 2018, Contact has been finding out what it has achieved in its first year. As the existing sponsor of two large community events through the Skipton Art Series / Open Studios in Jersey and the Skipton Swimarathon in Guernsey, Skipton has seen firsthand the impact donations can have on the community and decided, as a business, they wanted to do even more to help. Focusing on smaller innovative charities and organisations, where a small amount will go a long way, the fund aims to help those projects and causes that offer a wide benefit to the community. Skipton’s objective was to help projects and individuals on both Jersey and Guernsey, funnelling money back into the islands and into events and ventures that would enrich the lives of islanders.

For the business, being involved in community events and supporting local projects not only allows it to better understand the evolving needs of its customers, but also provides it with the opportunity to give back to the Channel Islands and demonstrate its dedication to the islands and their culture.

‘The Skipton Community Fund has been a great success in its first year. The fund has started to become more recognised and we are now receiving a healthy stream of applications from both islands. We are thrilled to have been able to help with so many projects for some really great causes.’

‘We were prompted to look at creating a community fund following a large amount of media coverage about cut backs to funding, especially to the arts and sporting communities. The Skipton Community Fund has not only supported projects across both islands, but also donated towards causes close to our staff members’ hearts,’ said Aaron Walden, commercial manager for Skipton International.

Jim Coupe, managing director of Skipton, said: ‘Skipton has always had a strong community presence and we would like to see more events take place that really unite people and involve the whole island. ‘We hope that our example will encourage more firms to give back to the island and local community, supporting more initiatives that make both Channel Islands wonderful places to both live and visit.’

B USI N E SS I N T H E CO M MUN IT Y The Skipton Community Fund had a sum of £20,000 to commit to local projects for 2018. The business is keen to replicate the success of the venture in 2019, with a view to eventually increasing the size of the pot available to applicants. As the bank celebrates 10 years of business next year, they also want to celebrate being an important part of the community. To find out more about the Skipton Community Fund or to see if your organisation could be eligible to apply, visit www.skiptoninternational. com/community-fund

WHO BENEFITED IN 2018? Citizens Advice The first grant from the fund was made to Citizens Advice in both Jersey and Guernsey. Citizens Advice provides a valuable service to islanders, helping out those in financial stress or with mounting debt, amongst other matters. The sum of £1,000 was granted to each island’s organisation, helping them to increase awareness of Citizens Advice and the services they offer.

We rely on the generosity of islanders to make our performances happen. This sponsorship from the Skipton Community Fund helped us make this one of our most colourful productions yet. Citizens Advice in Jersey used the sum towards its ongoing administrative expenses, as the charity relies heavily on the donations of others and finds it hard to compete against some of the larger, more recognised charities. The Guernsey Citizens Advice used the grant to run electrical tests on items donated to its Friends of Citizens Advice charity shop to ensure they meet safety requirements. The £1,000

donated from the Fund will allow them to carry out this function at the charity shop for a period of three years. Class Act Productions Class Act Productions approached the Skipton Community Fund for assistance with their production of The Wizard of Oz in September. They applied for £1,160 to cover the cost of hiring and shipping specialist costumes from the UK for the performances. The amateur dramatics group relies heavily on funding for rehearsal venues, set building and storage, so were extremely grateful for the financial assistance provided by the fund. The organisation aims to develop confidence and artistic talent in their members whose ages range from six to 72. Sue Savident, chairperson of Class Act Productions, said: ‘We rely on the generosity of islanders to make our performances happen. This sponsorship from the Skipton Community Fund helped us make this one of our most colourful productions yet.’

Youth Trust’s Youth Enquiry Service (YES Project) to produce new promotional literature and to cover administration expenses following the organisation’s move to a new home at The Link in Eagle House. The YES Project provides free confidential information, advice and support to those aged between 14-25 covering issues such as homelessness, education, money, employment and emotional health and wellbeing. The charity is aiming to make themselves more visible and accessible to young people in Jersey, which will be better achieved from moving premises and thanks to the promotion the money from the fund will provide. The charity used the grant to produce banners, mugs and wrist bands to promote awareness within the community. ■

YES Project A grant from the Skipton Community Fund allowed the Jersey

INTERV IEW

MEET THE

BOSS What does an average day involve for you? It revolves around stewarding and executing our strategic plan for the year and ensuring we hit our global success targets. Primarily, it’s about making decisions based on inputs from around the globe where my colleagues require my opinion and expertise to pick the ‘right’ next step. What’s your favourite part of the job? Meeting my colleagues around the world, synchronising ideas and strategy, reviewing acquisition targets and exploring new services for our clients. Enabling a route to success for our team members, whatever their objective, be it career success or financial return or job satisfaction. What do you least enjoy about your role? Saying goodbye to business partners, clients or team members. The bond that you have built and the professional relationship that you have had, never makes it easy to say goodbye. What have been the highlights of your career so far? There have been many. Given my energy levels and forward focus I am always looking to build on the past to reach new highs in my career. If I had to say anything relevant I would

Michel van Leeuwen is group chief executive at corporate, private client and fund service provider, Hawksford. Based in Jersey, he told Contact how he manages the global business.

choose to focus on having been part of a couple of teams where we executed our plans to perfection and I have seen the direct results that it has had on their experience, life and attitude to work.

Don’t blame anyone for feeling you don’t have balance in your work or life. It is your life and you are its captain. What else do you hope to achieve in the future? I hope to deliver all the plans we have for Hawksford over the next five years and in the process have all team members across the globe enjoy the ride. Beyond that I would look to mentor and impart my varied experience across a non-executive director career. What do you attribute your career success to? Technology focus, being in the right place at the right time, and helping to create my own ‘luck’ by trusting my gut almost as much as my brain and logic when making decisions. How do you think your colleagues would describe you? Someone that is open, approachable

and fair, not interested in hierarchy and not hindered by an aversion to the spoken word. How do you try to get a good work/life balance? In a world where technology is taking over a large swathe of our lives, the work/life balance equation is becoming ever less relevant. If you love what you do, isn’t that life? If you love your life, doesn’t that require work to sustain it? For me, a relevant mix of sports, work, sleep and entertainment is required. This balance is different for everyone. Each of us needs to decide for themselves. Don’t blame anyone for feeling you don’t have balance in your work or life. It is your life and you are its captain. For me, the outcome crystallises the result, therefore, if you are generally happy you have likely achieved balance. If you could have had an alternative career, what would it have been? I would have been a pilot, initially in the Air Force and subsequently driving 747 buses full of passengers or freight across the globe.

Applebyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Channel Islands team of legal specialists advise global public and private companies, financial institutions, and high net worth individuals, working with them and their advisers to achieve practical solutions, whether in a single location or across multiple jurisdictions. Appleby Guernsey +44 (0)1481 755600 guernsey@applebyglobal.com

Appleby Jersey +44 (0)1534 888 777 jersey@applebyglobal.com

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