Contact September/October 2018 by Rock and Small

SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2018

DRIVING CHANGE SINCE TAKING OFFICE AT THE GUERNSEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BARRIE BAXTER HASNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T SLOWED DOWN

PLUGGED IN

ISLAND APPETITES

VIEWPOINT

Is the future electric? We investigate the opportunities for electric vehicles in the islands

Local food and drink producers explain the advantages of our location for producing gourmet goods

Richard Digard considers the population problem facing the Channel Islands

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WELCO ME

WELCOME TO THE SeptEMBER/OctOBER ISSUE OF CONTACT BARRIE BAXTER

President Guernsey Chamber of Commerce

Six weeks in to my tenancy and we are still in the foundation building of change for the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce. We want to focus on our goals and these are, interestingly, no different to those created at the inception of Chamber here in the island in 1808. Those goals are to represent the consensus view of business and the people involved in those organisations (our members) to government and to society to support the continued growth, sustainability and societal contribution from those businesses. One topic which arises in almost every conversation I have had since taking over is the island’s transport links – both sea and air. Everyone wants to talk about it and no one that I have encountered is happy with the status quo. Good air and sea links are a foundation for business success in an island community. The days when people were born here, lived here and never left, have long gone and as we look ahead for opportunities to keep our economy healthy and our population happy, being able to get to Guernsey or travel off-island is at the heart of almost everything. Technology might mean that we can do a degree of business remotely, but there will always be a need for face-to-face meetings. In addition, people with the type of vision and entrepreneurial spirit who we want to live here probably also need to be travelling and working in other parts of the globe. We should not expect them (or anyone) to pay long-haul prices for a 40 minute journey. It is my nature to work together with others, find solutions and identify opportunities for this amazing place in which we live. Chamber wants to work collaboratively to achieve a solution and we are prioritising it. Get in touch at office@guernseychamber.com to send us your thoughts.

Eliot Lincoln

President Jersey Chamber of Commerce

Being on the inside of Jersey Chamber, it can be easy to assume that the value of Chamber is clear to everyone. With 550 member organisations numbering 27,000 employees, it does surprise me that so many people are not aware that they are members, and for the ones that do, that we provide anything beyond our lunches. Over the next few months, we will be working hard to ensure that the Chamber value proposition is clear to everyone. Of course, we bring you lunches every month. Regularly attended by well over 200 members, we deliver the speakers you want to hear from on subjects you care about. It is the primary monthly networking event on Jersey’s business calendar. Our seven committees meet monthly or bi-monthly, attended by our voluntary committee members, to ensure our members stay informed and that we can provide clear information to those in government during our regular meetings with them. This is where, for me, one of the key values of Chamber is delivered, in our ability to influence and inform our island’s decision makers on key policy decisions. We organise “critical briefings” regularly, delivering key information to our members. Invariably with attendance of more than 100 members and interaction via our “Twitter Wall”, the engagement and the feedback we receive speaks for itself. Our members also get a chance to post member-to-member offers, encouraging business and strengthening commerce on our island. We have an events page where members can post their events, which tends to be the busiest page on our website. All of this only happens with the support of a first-class Chamber executive team, made up of Hayley and Helen and ably led by Murray Norton. I’d like to take this opportunity to send a massive thank you to Hayley who is leaving our team to join pastures new. Good luck!

EDITOR Tamara Timothy

editor@collaboratecommunications.com

SALES Julie Todd

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Adam Martel

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

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Anthony Barbapiccola

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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 All the news and upcoming events from Guernsey Chamber, alongside an update on the island’s discrimination legislation for members. 16 Jersey Chamber news As Jersey Chamber celebrates its 250th anniversary, we have all the details of its gala celebration in October. 30 Viewpoint Richard Digard has a stark warning for the islands as he considers the population problem. 36 Jersey Enterprise Week We find out what’s on offer for islanders at this year’s Jersey Enterprise Week.

Guernsey Chamber news 08

Keeping it local 74

PEOPLE 04 Barrie Baxter With a move to a new office and plenty of plans afoot, the new president of the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce fills us in on the start of his term. 74 Keeping it local We meet the Channel Island producers aiming to feed islanders without the food miles. 82 Alan Le Pavoux The Bosdet Foundation charity manager tells us about his work and how the Foundation helps local good causes.

Barrie Baxter 04

84 Tim Roberts The director of Shields & Rutland estate agency takes us on a tour of his job for this issue’s Meet the Boss feature.

CONTRIBUTORS Richard Digard Nicci Martel Tamara Timothy

Writer Writer Writer

Chris George

Photographer The Bosdet Foundation 82

Jersey Chamber news 16

OPEN FOR BUSINESS Just six weeks into his new role As president of the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce, Barrie Baxter clearly hasn’t wasted a moment. From changing the structure of the organisation to spearheading its move to new office space, he is determined that Chamber is seen by everyone as open for business. He told Tamara Timothy about his drive to support innovation at all levels in the island.

Speaking to Barrie in Guernsey Chamber’s office space in the Market Buildings, it is difficult to escape the significance of the location. Chamber’s new office could stand for everything the new president is bringing to the organisation. The large windows running down both sides of the space mean complete transparency – whatever happens in here is very much open to the public. The leather sofas and comfortable furniture signify the welcome that Chamber wants to extend to everyone in the business community. Even the art that adorns the walls (Unit 10 is currently a gallery and will continue to be used for art displays) showcases the creative spirit embodied in Barrie’s plans. That creativity is something he thinks is crucial for success in commerce. ‘I believe that business is a creative art. Really successful business people have a genuine passion for what they do, and a by-product of that is that they make money. Those entrepreneurs

I N T E RVIE W

If we can generate income through our activities, then we will have capital available to support fledgling businesses coming through our doors.

who simply want to make money will never do as well as those with a passion for what their business creates.’ Passion is something Barrie clearly has plenty of. His successful career has taken him all over the globe in retail and technology roles. Owning and running a World Superbike team has added another layer of life experience – all of which he’s using to drive change at his new organisation. ‘I want to encourage people to join the Chamber of Commerce – we should be pulling them into the organisation by virtue of what we can offer, not taking membership for granted. There’s a quote I recently came across: ‘The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new”,* and I think it sums up exactly what we should be doing.’

We want to offer support for the whole business lifecycle, from the initial idea to how to exit at the right time. Building the new seems to be what Barrie has already achieved. Since becoming president, the structure of the organisation has been changed to enable it to be more agile. Rather than all decisions being made at Council level, there is a new, smaller executive comprising the current and

past presidents, director John O’Neill, head of business development Kay Leslie, and finance and legal representatives alongside a delegate from Council. Barrie describes the move as an obvious one. ‘We couldn’t make decisions of the nature we’re talking about if we kept having an executive that was so unwieldy. The Chamber of Commerce should be held up as an exemplar to other businesses, but nobody would recommend having 29 directors. The changes we’ve made mean the organisation is now agile, focused and ready to move forward.’ And moving forward they are. With Barrie at the helm, Chamber not only has plans, but is putting them into action. The new office space is a key part of that as the organisation is creating a new business development centre for the island. Barrie will be opening the door to both new businesses and those looking to expand or improve existing businesses to offer practical support, encouragement and possibly investment.

‘I feel strongly that Chamber has a responsibility to provide this. Nobody else is doing it and it is therefore our role to fill that gap. With our new offices we are literally in the best place to do it and it is a service we have to offer. We want to offer support for the whole business lifecycle, from the initial idea to how to exit at the right time. ‘Chamber has never been about creating revenue streams, but I want to change that. If we can generate income through our activities, then we will have capital available to support fledgling businesses coming through our doors. Those funds could be used to make a real difference in providing unsecured lending for worthy startups who can’t find financing elsewhere.’ While Barrie is determined that the revamped Chamber will encourage new businesses and individuals to join, he is also very aware of its duty to represent its current members. ‘We are a membership organisation and we have a very important role to play. We should be representing our members’ views to the States of Guernsey and responding to government on key topics that require input from the business community.’ As part of that, the established sub-groups of the Chamber of Commerce are also undergoing major change. Renamed steering groups, they will be charged with gaining a consensual view from membership on relevant and important island issues. All of those sitting on the groups will act as a type of operations board, coming together to form a stronger, united view of members’ issues.

I N T E RVIE W

OPPORTUNITY CALLING AT CHAMBER As part of the reorganisation of Guernsey Chamber, it will be running a new interns programme offering research opportunities to young businesspeople and aspiring entrepreneurs. The programme will encourage young people to work within Chamber for a period of time, conducting research on topical issues and creating white papers on subjects the organisation believes are important to the island. The scheme will allow Chamber to produce empirically sound research based on real data that can be used to support its government lobbying.

‘We need to find better ways of gaining the views of our members. That can only be done by us talking with our membership, listening to what they have to say and discussing it thoroughly so we can truly represent their views. Issues don’t exist in isolation – whether it is the finance industry, hospitality or retail, everyone is facing the same difficulties in areas such as travel and population. We want to speak on their behalf with authority.’ Half of Guernsey’s business community are members of Chamber. Rather than celebrating that success, Barrie is more concerned with why the other half are not.

‘Every time I hear somebody say that they used to be a member of Chamber, I am determined to ensure that we appeal to them enough for them to join again.’ With Chamber certainly not resting on its laurels while it tries to benefit the island, he doesn’t believe others should either. ‘Any business can do better. Guernsey Chamber can do better. The States of Guernsey can do better. We can all do better.’ What is clear, is that Barrie is determined to do his best by the organisation he has been tasked with leading. ■

* For those who like to know the provenance of quotes, this saying is often wrongly attributed to the Ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates. In fact, the words are used by a character named Socrates in the book ‘Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book that Changes Lives’ by author Dan Millman.

Barrie explains the advantages available to those taking part: ‘The benefits to the interns will be through exposure to a vibrant business environment, while also deepening their understanding of the politics and business issues across the island. Through creating the research papers they will gain a wealth of experience which they can then take back to their employer.’ Chamber would be interested in recruiting interns to look at such diverse areas as finance, retail, hospitality, transport and the infrastructure of the island. The placements could vary from six weeks to six months depending on the project work required. If your organisation would like to get involved with the new interns programme, contact office@guernseychamber.com for further information about the opportunities available.

GUERNSEY CHAMBER NEWS

GET INVOLVED! Chamber’s monthly lunches are a wellestablished way of gaining insight into topical subjects both on-island and globally. Having listened to our membership request for informative sessions about our main industry - the finance sector - we are delighted to have GFSC director William Mason as our September speaker. William has been the director general of the

Guernsey Financial Services Commission since mid-2013. He is also a member of the executive committee of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors and chairman of its Audit & Risk Committee. Prior to joining the Commission, William was head of risk at the Central Bank of Ireland where he led work to renew Irish financial services supervision in the wake of the Irish banking collapse.

Services Authority (FSA), joining shortly before the UK financial crisis. Whilst there, he led teams supervising a range of credit institutions, insurers and investment firms throughout the financial crisis. The lunch is being held on Monday 17 September at the Old Government House Hotel. Please book on Eventbrite. Non-members welcome. ■

He also worked as the Irish participant in the small vanguard team planning operational aspects of banking union for the European Central Bank (ECB). Before moving to Ireland, William worked for the UK Financial

OCTOBER CHAMBER LUnCH Our October lunch will focus on the need for good customer service across all business areas in Guernsey.

Sure sponsors the popular Customer Service Awards which are being held at the Duke of Richmond on 27 September

Speaker Charlotte Dunsterville, from Sure, will give lunch attendees insight into how to do it well and what is happening locally.

The lunch is being held on Monday 15 October at the Old Government House Hotel. Please book on Eventbrite. Nonmembers welcome. ■

LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD… The island’s property market – both local and open – is a pivotal part of island life for business and individuals.

‘Property Special’ with insight from the open market forum and property investment expert Charles McHugh.

Recognising that importance, Chamber’s lunch on Monday 19 November is a

December will see a Chamber talk like no other! We are throwing open the floor

to anyone with a desire to talk about their chosen topic and will invite several speakers to present for four minutes each. If you would like to take part in our ‘Soapbox Special’ on Monday 18 December, please email office@guernseychamber.com ■

G UE RN SEY C H AM B ER NE WS

OPEN SKIES WELCOMED BY CHAMBER Approving an open skies policy with lifeline protection for Gatwick and Alderney demonstrates that the island’s politicians are mindful of the needs of business and families here, according to Guernsey Chamber president Barrie Baxter. The organisation, which represents half of the island’s working population, made its position clear in the run-up to the States debate by coming out against protectionist transport policies. Mr Baxter, who has insight and experience in the sector, said the removal of the licence requirement for operating air routes to and from the island is ‘a major step in the right direction’.

Guernsey is keen to encourage people to come here. It is also vital for those working here and for families and individuals to be able to enjoy holidays or easily take business trips off-island,’ said the Chamber president.

‘Transport is a key enabler of business and we need to send out this clear signal that

He added: ‘Chamber applauds the decisiveness in this 22 to 14 vote. We

will now begin to poll our membership to see how we can help to deliver databased facts and figures as part of the whole transport scenario. Guernsey plc needs as much information as possible to be able to make informed decisions on these crucial areas going forward.’ ■

Make Your Views Known on Minimum Wage The Committee for Employment & Social Security would like to hear people’s views on current minimum wage levels, to help it develop proposals for relevant rates for 2019 and also future plans for minimum wage in the medium term. Following a successful amendment in 2017, the States directed that the Committee provide clarity on its medium term plan for increasing minimum wage

levels when it returns to the Assembly later this year with proposals for 2019’s rates. The Committee has considered the medium term to be five years.

wage is £7.75 per hour for adults.The Committee is also intending to equalise the Young Persons’ Minimum Wage with the Adult rate over the same period.

Among other options, the Committee is considering linking the minimum wage to 60% of median earnings. This would imply a minimum wage of £9.33 per hour, in today’s terms, by 2023. For context purposes, the 2018 minimum

The Committee is inviting people to complete a questionnaire which seeks feedback on current minimum wage levels but also explains in greater detail some of the options under consideration for the medium term. The feedback will help the Committee to make its recommendations to the States later this year for the Minimum Wage & Associated Rates to apply from 1 January 2019 and beyond. The questionnaire can be completed online by visiting: www.gov.gg/minwage2018 The closing date for completed questionnaires is Friday 10 September 2018. ■

GUERN SEY CH A M B E R NE WS into how and why money matters and help educate investors of the future. The new updated 2018/19 edition of the book #yourmoney, published by the CISI, has been produced by author Jeannette Lichner to provide a clear overview of everything you need to know about money. Written with 16–25 year olds in mind, though not limited to that age group, it aims to offer guidance allowing readers to take responsibility for their finances and navigate the money challenges and pitfalls ahead.

World Investor Week The Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) is once again taking part in the International Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO) annual global initiative, World Investor Week (WIW) – an event which seeks to promote the importance of investor education and protection. The event takes place during the first week of October and a number of organisations are supporting the GFSC locally. Providing for the future is a key feature of a person’s investment strategy, balancing investment portfolios with short term and long-term returns aimed at catering for and secure retirement. The GFSC’s key focus for WIW 2018 is to bring both consumers and those who are knowledgeable in financial services together in a relaxed environment to discuss savings, mortgages, investments,

pensions and more. WIW will primarily be located in the Chamber of Commerce’s new premises in the market building. The GFSC will be reaching out to individuals who are not only investors in the traditional sense of the word, but those who are perhaps less involved in the financial services sector and may feel they lack some understanding about financial products, or are unsure about who to approach regarding money-related options and issues. We hope to connect with, and educate, the wider population in the Bailiwick and help them understand more about their money and financial arrangements. As part of WIW, the not-for-profit professional body the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI) has kindly offered to donate a copy of #yourmoney to all year 11 students in the Bailiwick. It is hoped that the book will provide an insight

Personal finance has never been more important and Jeanette says: ‘At age 16–25 most people become financially independent and start making moneyrelated decisions that have long-term implications. That is a critical time to lay down good money management practices. We also discuss attitudes to money and the fact that our attitudes to money are most likely formed by the age of seven! The book is written in a straightforward, pragmatic style. I wanted it to be entertaining so I have included relevant quotations, newspaper references tips and personal anecdotes to make the explanations and topics ‘real’.’ CISI CEO Simon Culhane, Chartered FCSI, says: ‘This book cracks the financial code – it’s a jargon buster. We think it should be essential reading for anyone starting out in the world on their own and having to manage their own money. It is as relevant for a 16-year-old who is starting their first job as it is for those going on to university. Our strong belief in the importance of financial education and the relevance of this book is reflected through the CISI Education Trust which has donated copies to every school and university whose pupils are enrolled on the CISI foundation qualification programme.’ The WIW Hub will be located at Unit 10, Inner Market, St Peter Port and will be open from 10am – 4pm daily. More information will be provided nearer the time. ■

G UE RN SEY C H AM B ER NE WS

REWARDING CUSTOMER SERVICE

It is the first time that the awards have run in both islands concurrently, with a fantastic response. The awards are now in their eighth year and are designed to encourage and celebrate customer service excellence, recognising individuals and teams working in all industry sectors for going that extra mile to wow their customers. There were 10 categories open to public nomination this year, including best service from an individual, a team, a sole trader, retail, travel and food & drink. Over 2,000 online nominations were received via the CSA’s new online voting system, but even more paper nominations have been received. Event organiser, Jill Clark, said: ‘They have been an absolute joy to read. Each week we pick out some examples of brilliant

nominations to feature on Island FM and social media, so I have had the pleasure of reading every single nomination – and there are some amazing people out there. They are a true example of how customer service should be every day, and this is what we are aiming to encourage and celebrate’. The nominations are being judged as you read this. A shortlist of three has been produced for each of the categories, with the awards being presented at a champagne reception at the Duke of Richmond on Thursday 27 September and in Jersey on Thursday 4 October at the Radisson Blu. Tickets for the event are available on the CSA website www.thecustomerserviceawards.com and anyone is invited to celebrate those individuals who go the extra mile. The Awards are already looking for supporters and sponsors for 2019, so if anyone is interested in finding out more about becoming a category sponsor they can contact Jill via the CSA site or on jill.clark@cwgsy.net.

It is only through local sponsorship that we can ensure the awards continue in the future, for the benefit of everyone. Sponsorship rates start from only £500, which is great value to have an association with such a prestigious award. ■

categories for this [ Theyear’s awards are …

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The Sure Customer Service Awards (CSA) for the Channel Islands closed on 31 August after three months of islanders having the opportunity to nominate the local businesses they feel provide the best customer service.

SOLE TRADER TEAM ASPIRING STAR INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE DIGITAL INNOVATION FOOD & DRINK LEISURE, TOURISM & ACCOMMODATION TRAVEL RETAIL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

GUERN SEY CH A M B E R NE WS

Employing in the digital present and the digital future

Justin Bellinger, chief digital officer at Sure, explains how the telecoms company is embracing digital technology to improve the working lives of its employees. as a business to digitise and measure even more of our business activities.

A business should always practice what it preaches – it’s the simplest way to prove that it has values that it truly believes in. At Sure, we’ve been focusing our recent client-facing efforts on digital transformation – the ways in which businesses need to embrace technology to continue to prosper. As a telecoms company we have a significant role to play in providing the infrastructure that enables digital transformation, but what are we doing to digitally transform our own business?

Measurement for benefit of employees A big part of being a digital business is embracing the latest technology; at Sure, rather than living in fear of change, we think about how our business can use these tools to save time and add to what we already offer. At Sure, we measure as much as we can about our business as it gives us statistics we can use to identify trends and improve our services. As part of this, we’re making a multi-million pound investment in an innovative technology platform that will transform our operations; future-proofing Sure for the increasingly digital world. The new platform will provide advanced technologies to enhance customer experience through provisioning, billing, customer relationship management and more. This major project will enable Sure

We also measure employee sentiment through an anonymous feedback tool that asks our team members one question per week to assess their mood and happiness on areas such as wellness, personal growth and satisfaction. The results and actions are published and demonstrate that we’re listening and taking action.

We offer an intense two-day session on the stages of developing an idea to a point where it can be tested by potential users.

insights and cash to help the participants take their idea to a level that can be pitched to an investment board. The great thing about Project-i is that it’s not the product that is eventually developed that matters to us but, rather, the change in the people who have taken part. We don’t care if the idea is directly related to telecommunications or a new piece for a combine harvester, the important thing is the process to develop the idea as far as possible. Project-i aims to empower our staff to feel they can be leaders; it’s about providing a safe space to innovate and develop problem-solving skills.

The next generation This has resulted in real change to employees’ working lives; from our ‘justfor-fun’ initiatives to a complete revamp of the canteen in our Guernsey headquarters. Gathering feedback has made us more responsive as a business and has engaged our employees like never before.

Employee input is crucial We want employees to feel they work at a company where they can express themselves, think outside the box and have a meaningful say in the development of Sure. One of the key ways we achieve these goals is through Project-i, our innovation programme. Anyone in our business is free to sign up to Project-i and the last cohort was 17 people. We offer an intense two-day session on the stages of developing an idea to a point where it can be tested by potential users. There are keynote speakers, tools,

It’s obvious, but digital transformation is largely future-focused. Businesses need to be prepared for an increasingly digital future and, from a staffing perspective, the employees of the future are going to be digital natives. For people starting their journey in telecoms we have the Sure Academy, which runs for two years and takes our new interns through many areas of our business while offering the opportunity to take professional qualifications. These are just a few of the many things we do at Sure to ensure that digital tools and our increasingly digital future are not things to fear, but can be used to our advantage and ensure that Sure remains an inspiring place to work now and in the future. ■

G UE RN SEY C H AM B ER NE WS

DISCRIMINATION LEGISLATION UPDATE In May this year, the Committee for Employment and Social Security submitted an amendment to the Policy and Resource Plan seeking States endorsement to expand the scope of the project to develop proposals for disability discrimination legislation (which was part of the Disability and Inclusion Strategy) to include proposals for multi-ground discrimination legislation.

covers discrimination on the grounds of sex (including maternity and adoption leave), gender reassignment, and marriage. These apply in the field of employment only.

On 5 June, the amendment was endorsed by the States and saw the expansion of the project to include other grounds of protection from discrimination – which are likely to include sex, gender identity or reassignment, marital status, age, race, family status (i.e. caring for a child or disabled family member), sexual orientation, religion or belief and disability.

Having engaged subject experts to undertake a comparative study of disability discrimination legislation in six countries, Ireland and Australia were chosen as the most suitable models to base proposals for Guernsey’s new legislation on. It is felt that, despite the expansion of the scope of the project, these jurisdictions are still suitable models. Work is currently underway to identify the best provisions from Irish and Australian legislation and to consider points which

The proposals for the new legislation would seek to expand protection from discrimination to the fields of goods and services provision, accommodation provision and education, in addition to employment.

As the law currently stands, there is a limited amount of discrimination legislation, which

may need adjustments to meet Guernsey’s needs. This will feed into the production of a full set of proposals which will be published for consultation in 2019 and later considered by the States before the end of its term of government in 2020, Once the States have considered the proposals, the legislation will be drafted and a date will be agreed at which the new legislation will come into force. Some initial work has also been undertaken to look at the potential functions of an Equality & Rights Organisation and the role such an organisation might play in informing people about and enforcing any equality legislation. Chamber is planning to hold a lunchtime event focusing on this topic on Thursday 27 September. Please check our website and Eventbrite for further information. ■

G U E R N SE Y N E W M E M B E R S Marina Health & Leisure is a high end, adults only, private members health and fitness club.

MARINA HEALTH & LEISURE

Located in the heart of St Peter Port at the prestigious Marina Court development, with a limited and exclusive membership, the club features a 15m swimming pool, fully equipped state of the art gym, sauna and steam room, luxury changing rooms and wet and dry relaxation areas.

Members benefit from personal audiovisual connectivity, and a relaxing lounge area complete with newspapers, magazines and energy drinks. A team of professional, highly trained and friendly staff are also based on site offering the opportunity for expert personal training. Contact: Sean Mills Email: sean.mills@kings.gg Tel: 01481 721818 Website: www.marina.gg

GUER N SEY N E W M E M B E R S

C BOUGOURD PLASTERERS

KINGS PREMIER HEALTH CLUB

C Bougourd Plasterers work as a husband and wife team specialising in spray rendering & screeding solutions.

majority of materials used. Together with the friendly advice and site support they offer, you can be assured of quality and class.

With an arsenal of materials behind them from manufacturers such as Baumit, Weber and Fassa Bortolo, they aim to be the go-to for all your plastering, rendering and screeding needs. Not only do they apply and install these systems, but they also stock and supply the

Contact: Craig Bougourd Email: cbougourdplasterers@outlook.com Tel: 07781 458006 Website: www.facebook.com/c.bougourdplasterers/

Kings is the island’s most progressive and well-equipped family sports and leisure club and is a centre of excellence for health and fitness. We believe in offering something for everyone, from individuals to families to the professional sportsperson.

£3m. has been invested in the facilities since 2015, with brand new cardio and strength zones and top of the range Life Fitness equipment offering nearly limitless training possibilities. A further £3m. is still to come, which will see Kings further cement its position as the premier health club in Guernsey.

Our expert staff can help you meet your fitness goals. Members can enjoy a swim in one of our indoor or outdoor pools, play a game of tennis or squash on one of our courts, or take part in one of over 90 free fitness and exercise classes per week.

Therapy at the Bridge is a sports injury and sports/remedial massage clinic that opened in April 2018 to assess and treat all kinds of musculo-skeletal injuries.

THERAPY AT THE BRIDGE

Everyone is welcome from the obsessive sports person through to the sports-phobic members of our community of all ages and states of fitness. The clinic offers a friendly, helpful and completely confidential service.

Bright Futures LBG is a new and innovative not-for-profit venture established in Guernsey for the people of Guernsey.

BRIGHT FUTURES

Bright Futures LBG will provide Guernsey residents with professional impartial career advice; mapping and mentoring; vocational educational funding for all age groups; and an annual report based on a commercial analysis of existing and required skills in the workplace.

Contact: Steve Brehaut Email: steve.brehaut@kings.gg Tel: 01481 723366 Website: www.kings.gg

Treatments may involve a combination of stretching and strengthening exercises, mobilisations of joints, massage or taping. All assessments and treatments will be explained in advance. If you have no injury and would just like a massage, then that is fine. Contact: Rose Hall Email: info@therapy.gg Tel: 01481 246111 Website: www.therapy.gg

Our purpose is to encourage islanders and their employers to recognise the threats and opportunities of the changing nature of the workplace and raise awareness of the skill requirements necessary to ensure Guernsey retains a competitive position on the world stage. Contact: Susie Crowder Email: susie@thebrightfuturesfund.org Tel: 07781 144904 Website: http://brightfutures.org.gg/

G UERN SEY N E W M EMBE RS

Rock Trustees is an independently owned and managed business providing bespoke wealth protection strategies to families, investors and entrepreneurs.

ROCK TRUSTEES

Founded in 2004, we offer a full range of trust and corporate services. We are committed to finding appropriate solutions for our clients with the objective of delivering long-term asset preservation

EaseeDo is a Guernsey-based company, recently established to continue the development and bring to market a new software of the same name.

EASEEDO

We are a small team, dedicated to creating a leading software tool to assist executive function, the mental skillset key to organising and planning tasks, maintaining attention, regulating emotion and self-monitoring.

Guernsey restaurant, Pier 17 has been run by Seamus Duggan since 2009.

PIER 17

Although tucked away in the hidden east arm of the Albert Pier within the heart of St Peter Port harbour, Pier 17 remains one of Guernseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite dining destinations. The venue encompasses two al fresco dining spaces, the perennially popular port side conservatory restaurant, with extensive private dining options for the perfect business show off event and location.

and wealth management, whilst retaining confidentiality and flexibility. Our personal service and excellent record is attributable to the cumulative invaluable experience and commitment of the team assembled on Guernsey and Sark. Contact: Lauren Ker Email: info@rocktrustees.com Tel: 01481 832901 Website: http://www.rocktrustees.com

The EaseeDo founders were inspired to create the software from their personal experience and a drive to help families like their own. We aim to make our software elegant, intuitive and flexible, a solution that fits seamlessly into everyday life, adding valued support and promoting independence. Contact: Trevor Nicholls Email: trevor@easeedo.app Tel: 07911 713381 Website: www.easeedo.app

Be it a small private business lunch, casual team dinner or an exclusive private event â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we tailor make each event to the limits you set. For an informal chat to discuss your next booking or event, drop in or phone Seamus or Phil. Contact: Seamus Duggan/Phil Collinson Email: reservations@pier17restaurant.com Tel: 01481 720823 Website: www.pier17restaurant.com

Join Chamber today the voice of local business

Business support; networking events; business advice; business events; liaison with States departments; new interactive website.

www.guernseychamber.com

@GuernseyChamber

GuernseyChamber

JERSEY CHAMBER NEWS

SEPTEMBER SONG MURRAY NORTON Chief executive officer Jersey Chamber of Commerce A week in politics is a very long time, someone once said … imagine then what the passing of time since preelection purdah in April feels like! We have a new leader, by the way, and as yet he and his government have done nothing wildly controversial. Maybe that’s the plan? Criticism has been raised in the media instead at the procrastination and delays to policy. At the election we heard that there is so much to do, so why then have we heard little suggestion of what is to come? Perhaps the proximity of the summer recess is too close to the election for any head of steam to be built? It takes little deep thinking to know that retail, digital, renewable energy, population and migration, the hospital, productivity

struggles and the minimum wage/ living wage issues have not gone away. And there they sit, whilst the industries affected stew and wonder what the Chief Minister’s big ideas are. It is many of those backseat drivers of the last assembly, who criticised the finance centre, hospital and even areas of the equal marriage laws, who are now driving the bus. But so far it feels like we are on a mystery tour. We appear to be running a two-speed system with Charlie Parker’s bullet train speeding toward major reform to our public sector, with unswerving, unnerving, unerring directness. Meanwhile, the perception is that our political pony and trap is clip-clopping through a green lane, trying not to upset anyone, whilst taking time out to re-examine everything v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y at 15mph. This inertia is ably assisted by bringing the Policy Review Board third arm in to kick the tyres of the big ticket policies. This may well weaken Scrutiny’s role or might make the Assembly more inclusive, but almost certainly it will make everything take much longer to do. But if your objective is to let government ‘settle down’ and ‘allow things to bed in’ - two of the Chief Minister’s favourite phrases so far, that will play out. If the future is bright orange in the civil service, the government hue is currently one shade of grey, and if the

plan is ‘give them nothing to write about’ chances are many will - and have started writing that nothing is happening. In October, the Chief Minister will be our speaker at the Chamber lunch and businesses in Jersey will get a chance to hear and question him on his plans in the short, medium and long term. No doubt he will have taken the past five months to listen and discuss what business needs from the experienced leaders of industry. Business is open seven days a week, and for many it operates seven days a week. Regardless of your stance on Sunday trading, the fact is much of our island airlines, ferry services, buses, taxis, hotels, restaurants, bars, sporting facilities, utility companies, hospital staff, emergency services, the media, small/medium sized shops and many other call out and covering services - never stop running. For five long months, business has held its collective breath, waiting for a clear suggestion of what the new administration will deliver … cue image of tumbleweed rolling through the Royal Square. There is a lovely old tune called September Song, which opens with: ”Oh, it’s a long, long while from May to December, but the days grow short when you reach September.” The October Chamber lunch will be held on Wednesday 10 October at the Radisson Blu. ■

J E RSE Y C H AM B ER NE WS

Executive Council Profile JUSTIN CLAPHAM

FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR Justin was born in Jersey and has spent the majority of his life and career in the island. With a passion for the wellbeing of Jersey, Justin joined the Chamber of Commerce finance committee in April 2017 in order share his ideas and views for the island in a forum that has effective and appropriate industry representation with our political leaders, regulators and other influential parties. ‘I am delighted and feel extremely honoured to be asked to take over as chairman of the finance committee and to have a seat on the executive council as an honorary member. I look forward to representing the best interests of the Jersey finance industry and the island as a whole.’ Justin is the chief operating officer and a client director at Baccata Trustees Limited, which is a Jersey based independent trust company and outsourced corporate services provider. He has a background across many areas within the finance industry including being the head of the Jersey branch of a global bank, managing director of a trust company, director of a private equity and real

estate fund services business and head of an investment business. In addition, he held the position of chief administrative officer for a large global markets business in London and has held numerous non-executive directorships.

Jersey has a very strong reputation as being a top jurisdiction to do business and, being an active member of the finance industry, I see the standards remain high. He has a number of professional qualifications and has undertaken a mid-career masters degree in business administration, gaining a Finance MBA from Manchester Business School. He is a chartered director, fellow of the Institute of Directors, fellow of the ACI, Chartered Wealth Manager and chartered fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. In his early career, Justin was an equity and bond stockbroker, money broker and bank treasury foreign exchange and money market trader.

Outside of work he is a devoted family man with three young children. ‘Having spent some time away from the island, I have a new found appreciation for how great Jersey really is. It is not just about our amazing beaches and sights and the quality of life available, but how well it is managed from a social, political and regulatory perspective. Jersey has a very strong reputation as being a top jurisdiction to do business and, being an active member of the finance industry, I see the standards remain high. ‘It is important that the industries in Jersey continue to have a say on the future of Jersey. The Chamber of Commerce is the perfect forum because it has committees representing the interests of many sectors across the island. In my experience as a finance committee member, the guests that attend committee meetings to provide updates on the latest developments and challenges faced leave the meeting having gained useful insights and knowledge from the views expressed by committee members.’ ■

Outside of the finance industry, he is the founder of Carryax Limited, a Jersey company which provides hand support devices for people who find it difficult carrying hand held items. He also has a passion for technology and photography and often makes it to the 5km weekly parkrun on Saturday mornings.

J ERSEY C HAM B E R NE WS

Through the eyes of your customer - how listening to your customers’ negative experiences can be a valuable source of business intelligence

SEPTEMBER LUNCH

Speaker:

Douglas Melville, principal ombudsman and chief executive, Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman

Date:

Wednesday 12 September

Venue: The Royal Yacht Timings: 12:15-14:30 Overview For our September Chamber lunch, we are delighted to welcome Douglas Melville, principal ombudsman and chief executive of the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman (CIFO), as our guest speaker. The CIFO team works at the coalface each day to resolve consumer issues arising from the provision of financial services in and from the Channel Islands.

Developing a strategic vision for Jersey Speaker: Senator John Le Fondré, Chief Minister, States of Jersey Date:

Wednesday 10 October

Venue: Radisson Blu Timings: 12:15-14:30

Mr Melville will use his presentation to highlight issues that pose both challenges and opportunities for businesses from all sectors. A series of interesting and thought-provoking case studies taken from CIFO’s first couple of years of operation will illustrate the value of good customer communication and the law of unintended consequences. He will explore the challenge it can be to provide (what might appear to the CIFO to be) great customer service, but which ultimately depends on the point of view of the individuals involved. Event sponsor:

BWCI

Wine Sponsor:

Dunell’s Premier Wines

Coffee Sponsor: Cooper & Co

Overview Jersey’s recently-elected Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, will address Chamber members at the October lunch and outline his vision for his term in office. Event sponsor:

Hawksford

Wine Sponsor:

Dunell’s Premier Wines

Coffee Sponsor: Cooper & Co

OCTOBER LUNCH

DATES FOR 2018 CHAMBER LUNCHES 18

14 November

Pomme D’Or

12 December

The Royal Yacht

J E RSE Y C H AM B ER NE WS

THE JERSEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 250TH ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER You are cordially invited to a very special gala dinner evening of celebration marking the milestone 250th anniversary of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce. The evening will commence with a champagne reception, followed by a sumptuous three course dinner. With musical entertainment from acclaimed West End stars, ‘The Definitive Rat Pack’ and a star turn from BAFTA award-winning impressionist, Rory Bremner, it’s guaranteed to be a night not to be missed. The event will offer a perfect opportunity to entertain clients, colleagues and

peers and we look forward to welcoming many of our members and supporters. Booking will be by tables of 10 or 12, with tickets priced at £95 per person for standard tables and £115 for premium located tables. Interest is high, so book your table soon, only by visiting jerseychamber250.com Date: Friday 19 October Venue: The Royal Jersey Showground Timings: 6:45pm- 1:00am ■

J ERSEY C HAM B E R NE WS

THEN AND NOW... One can hardly fail to catch the waves of immense historical importance attached to the Jersey Chamber of Commerce. It has been an incredible 250 years of being right at the centre of island life, since in 1768 a group of shipping merchants set sail on an organisation that is as important and relevant today as it was then. By initiating the early rumblings of political reforms is right where Chamber started: challenging the ruling elite of the time, bringing in corn for a starving population, and influencing great change in what we recognise today as democracy. Today the multi-faceted commercial landscape of Jersey has many issues to grapple with and the experience and knowledge of those running the businesses of our island - our members - are a force to reckoned with.

History is garnished with valued improvements to Jersey, thanks to the wise influence of the previous Chamber business community generations. Early improvements to our harbours and the very beginnings of our commercial airport owe much to the work of the Chamber. The first postal delivery services and later the first submarine telegraphic cables to Jersey, undoubtedly an important improvement in commerce, were funded by Jersey’s Chamber of Commerce. There are so many points in Jersey’s development that began at our doorstep that it is clear, we were the original ‘Team Jersey’ before the phrase was even thought of. As we celebrate this historic milestone at our 250th gala dinner on Friday 19 October, we must rightly reflect on our past, but also look forward.

Obviously just about everything has changed since 1768 and change will continue at a gathering speed. That change includes our office too with exciting improvements currently underway to the communication with, and value offered in having membership of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce, that will strengthen and enhance what we provide. The constants will remain at the core of what we do. Chamber exists for the benefit and prosperity of Jersey. As the independent voice of business, we are key to influencing the decisions our government makes on the future of Jersey. It is virtually unthinkable that any business would not want to have a say in this future. By being a member of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce you get an opportunity to put a hand on the tiller and have a say in the steering of the good ship Jersey. ■

J E R SE Y N E W M E M B E R S Headed by Gill Hunt, Hunt Estates is a member of the Jersey Estate Agents Association, of which Gill is president.

HUNT ESTATES

She is also the elected Channel Islands’ representative for, and a member of, NAEA Propertymark, which is the UK’s leading professional body for estate agents. Membership of these associations means that her team adheres to their high standards, which provides you with reassurance they will act with honesty and integrity and abide by both associations’ rules.

Whether you are a buyer, seller, a landlord or tenant, everyone needs a reliable estate agent who will provide an honest valuation and use their networking and marketing skills. Hunt Estates will go to every length to look after your interests and keep your transaction on track. It’s just simple honesty, integrity and putting you first. Contact: Gill Hunt Tel: 01534 860650 Email: gill@huntestates.co Website: www.huntestates.co

J ERSE Y N E W M EMBE RS

Beresford Street Kitchen (BSK) is a social enterprise providing training and employment for people with learning disabilities and autism.

BERESFORD STREET KITCHEN

Our vision is of an inclusive workforce, where people with learning disabilities and autism have the opportunity to maximise their potential, be recognised for their skills and be regarded positively with respect. We offer three services at BSK. Our café, where we have two beautiful areas to relax and enjoy

BE SECURE

Tel: 01534 509644 Email: info@aspirejersey.je Website: www.beresfordstreetkitchen.je

Be Secure is a consultancy business providing services in the following areas:

owned businesses, in both commercial and financial services sectors.

• GDPR data protection • ISO 27001 information security • Cyber security

As a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and as a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) and GDPR practitioner, Be Secure’s founder is available to help in a professional and practical way.

Be Secure works in association with partners who are experienced professionals in data protection, technology and cyber security. Be Secure is led by a highly experienced finance professional, Brian Sinney, who has worked in senior roles in private equity

Alex Picot Trust Company is an independent Jersey trust company specialising in family trusts.

ALEX PICOT TRUST COMPANY

breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or just a slice of homemade cake and a coffee. This also has a grab and go section and offers children’s lunch boxes. Our outside catering service offers corporate catering and outside catering events. Finally, our printworks offers a full range of printing and graphic design of any size orders. Please see our website for more details.

The accountancy practice that led to the formation of Alex Picot Trust was established in Jersey in 1885 and the first trust company work was undertaken in 1935. This grew over the years and led to the incorporation of Alex Picot Trust Company Ltd as a separate company in 1990.

Contact: Brian Sinney Tel: +44 (0)7797 738743 Email: brian@besecure-consultants.com Website: www.besecure-consultants.com

Membership of the Kreston International network provides Alex Picot Trust with direct access to the local expertise and knowledge of qualified accountancy professionals in over 125 countries worldwide. Contact: Andrew Le Cheminant Tel: 01534 753777 Email: andrew.lecheminant@alexpicottrust.com Website: www.alexpicottrust.com

Alex Picot Trust remains 100% locally owned and more than 50% of its clients are Jersey residents.

CIPR forum to discuss the value of PR The Channel Islands group of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is to discuss the value of public relations at its annual forum on Thursday 27 September. Guest speakers will include the CIPR president Sarah Hall; founding chairman of the CIPR Channel Islands group, and managing director of Curzon PR, Jason MacKenzie; and Richard Bagnall, chairman of the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) and CEO of PRIME Research UK.

‘The value that PR practitioners bring to the organisations they serve has come under scrutiny in recent times and so we want to discuss the ways in which we can demonstrate the contribution our activity plays in creating more effective organisations.’

Mark Oliphant, chairman of CIPR Channel Islands, said: ‘The Channel Islands PR Forum is our group’s flagship event and we’re excited to welcome a fascinating line-up of guest speakers to join us in our 10th anniversary year.

Daniel Rowles, CEO of Target Internet, and Jenny Caven, head of external affairs at Slimming World, will also speak at the event, which also includes a panel session exploring the ways of measuring the success of PR activity. ■

C5 Alliance awards student bursary Michael Borman is to be the sixth student to benefit from C5 Alliance’s annual bursary scheme. Eighteen-year-old Michael will attend the University of Liverpool in September to study computer science. He previously attended the Guernsey Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre and obtained A levels in maths, physics and computer science. The number of applications for C5 Alliance’s bursary scheme is growing year-on-year. It offers both financial support and the opportunity to work during the summer to encourage young people to develop an interest in a technology career.

The panel of judges that assess each bursary application felt that Michael had clear, practical experience that could be utilised by, and contribute to, C5 during his degree. Deputy chief operating officer, Simon Tidd, awarded the bursary and said: ‘We chose Michael because his dedication to his career stood out and we truly believe that the bursary will make a material difference to him and his studies. Our business is continually evolving and offers diverse career opportunities, so it’s important to engage with the future

of the industry and provide them with a development path. I wish Michael the very best of luck with his studies and congratulations on his excellent results.’ ■

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

JT recognised for support of SMEs Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute the vast majority of local businesses and are the engine of the Channel Island economy.

JT has been named ‘Best Communication Solutions Company in the Channel Islands’ at the 2018 UK Enterprise Awards, which focuses on the SME sector.

The UK Enterprise Awards are organised by SME News magazine, which is the UK’s biggest selling publication in the sector. JT was recognised for the breadth of its offering, the positive impact it has in the Jersey and Guernsey communities and its recently completed ground-breaking full-fibre network.

Katie Corbett, JT’s enterprise and business services director, said: ‘This welcome recognition is down to the great work of everyone at JT, but particularly our pan-island SME team. We like to consider ourselves to be trusted partners of our clients, working with them to find the best solutions, with a focus on strategy and best working practices as well as technology. We’re proud to give them the tools to grow and develop their business.’ ■

further connections with the island’s principal source of new business flows.

Guernsey’s first private wealth forum to take place in London The inaugural Guernsey private wealth forum is taking place in London on Thursday 8 November to recognise the mutual benefits and importance of the island’s relationship with the capital.

The Guernsey Finance event, hosted in conjunction with the Guernsey Association of Trustees (GAT) and STEP Guernsey, is being held in Spitalfields and Guernseybased practitioners are excited about the initiative and the chance to make

GAT committee member and director at First Names Group (Guernsey), Alasdair McLaren, said the forum was an opportunity to remind the international market of the strength and depth of Guernsey’s fiduciary industry and strengthen relationships with the London market. ‘The fiduciary industry regards London as the premier hub for international private wealth advice,’ he said. ‘Certainly, at First Names, London is the number one source of client introductions from professional intermediaries. These intermediaries are also the first port of call for fiduciaries when looking for quality international wealth structuring advice.’ ■

Major award for Aurigny website design and build of Aurigny.com, the website of Guernsey’s airline.

Channel Island creative and digital marketing agency, Oi, has won an award at the 2018 global dotCOMM Awards.

Peter Grange, Oi chief executive officer, said it was great achievement for both the agency and Aurigny. ‘The re-design and build of Aurigny’s website was a major, complex project involving a huge amount of user experience research, cutting-edge technology, and was over a year in the making,’ he said.

The agency won a platinum award in the travel website category for the

The dotCOMM Awards is a global competition honouring excellence

in web creativity and digital communication, administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. Judges were industry professionals who looked for companies and individuals whose talent exceeded a high standard of excellence and whose work served as a benchmark for the industry. There were more than 2,000 entries from throughout the United States and many other countries. ■

CHAN N EL ISL A ND S NE WS

Management buyout at BDO Guernsey Richard Searle, André Trebert, Justin Hallett and Stuart Phillips have purchased the business from BDO LLP in the UK.

BDO Guernsey is now an independent firm within the global BDO organisation following a management buyout of the business by the Guernsey firm’s board of directors.

The company employs more than 80 people in the island and has a Guernsey heritage which extends back over 120 years. It has been part of the BDO international network since the early 1990s and merged with BDO LLP in the UK in 2012.

exciting point in the firm’s growth story: ‘Guernsey is experiencing change across the private and public sectors as well as to the island’s wider position in global markets. Our UK and Guernsey leadership teams have agreed that now is the right time to reinstate a management decision-making model in Guernsey which can directly apply BDO’s future interests to local current trends and developments - and we’re really looking forward to doing that.’ ■

Richard Searle, BDO Guernsey’s managing director, said the change represents an

Jersey regime popular with alternative managers

In the lead up to Brexit, the number of alternative fund managers choosing to future-proof their EUfocused funds through Jersey grew in the first half of this year.

The latest figures from the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC) for the period ending 30 June 2018 show that the number of Jerseyregistered managers opting to market into EU member states through national private placement regimes (NPPR) under the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) rose 8% between January and June 2018 and 23% year-on-year to stand at 161. Meanwhile, the total number of Jersey alternative investment

funds being marketed into the EU through NPPR also increased.. Commenting on the figures, Geoff Cook, CEO of Jersey Finance, said: ‘Brexit ‘deadline day’ is now less than a year away and it’s looking increasingly like EU market access will prove to be a key challenge for UK fund managers. Our message is clear – Jersey is ready to play a supportive role in enabling non-EU, including UK, managers to continue to market their funds to EU investors through our triedand-tested private placement regime.’ ■

Increased activity at TISE There has been further growth in new listings on The International Stock Exchange (TISE), with 338 newly listed securities during the first half of 2018. This takes the total number of listed securities on the exchange up to 2,642 by the mid-point of the year. During the same period, four new members were approved to sponsor listings on TISE, taking the total number of listing and trading members up to 44.

Fiona Le Poidevin, CEO of The International Stock Exchange Group (TISEG), said: ‘2017 was an exceptional twelve months where we built on the success of previous years. I am delighted that we have continued in the same vein during the first half of 2018 such that new listings have surpassed the number of new listings during the same period last year.’ During the first half of the year, TISE also received a bronze award in the Marketing / Business Development /

Public Relations Team of the Year category at the Citywealth Brand Management and Reputation Awards 2018. ■

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

New mortgage product from local lender Following the recent rise in interest rates, islanders will now have access to a new five-year, fixed rate product for purchase or remortgage. The Family Building Society was introduced to Guernsey by mortgage broker largemortgageloans.com at the beginning of 2017 and offers specialist products, tailored to specific situations such as later life lending and family mortgages. The new five year, fixed rate mortgage is available now and comes at an historic

Partnership for Logicalis Jersey IT solutions and managed services company Logicalis has partnered with Thycotic, a provider of ‘privileged account management’ (PAM) solutions for more than 7,500 organisations worldwide, to bring identity and access management solutions to businesses globally. Through this partnership, Logicalis will offer Thycotic’s secret server and privilege manager solutions from its St Helierbased centre of excellence and security

time for interest rates. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise rates by 0.25% in August 2018 to 0.75%, meaning they are at their highest level since March 2009.

Paul Welch, founder and CEO of largemortgageloans.com, says people are increasingly aware of the long-term view: ‘We always urge our customers to think long-term when they’re taking out a mortgage, but the reality of rising interest rates has focused people’s minds towards certainty and stability. We have seen a trend away from the base rate tracker mortgages that have been so popular for the last decade, towards long-term, fixed rate products.’ ■

operations centre (SOC), to help customers keep their privileged accounts safe from cyber-attacks and to achieve compliance. Establishing privileged account access controls is a growing priority: in a recent report more than 60 per cent of organisations stated that they are required to satisfy regulatory compliance requirements around privilege credential access. ‘Thycotic definitely has something the market both wants and needs,’ said Ricky Magalhaes, managed security services director, Logicalis. ‘We knew we needed a PAM solution following an increase in

demand from customers wanting to protect privileged user credentials. Once we evaluated the available solutions, Thycotic clearly provided the best technology for our customers’ needs. In terms of innovation and performance, the products stood out on technical merit alone.’ ■

Unusual conveyance for property lawyers The property team at Jersey law firm Viberts has helped complete the purchase of one of the most southerly properties in the British Isles.

Advocate James Lawrence and senior conveyancer, Michael Falle, both travelled to Les Minquiers to undertake a unique site visit and check boundaries for one of the huts on the Maitresse Ile. The contract of sale was then passed through Jersey’s Royal Court on 17 August. There are fewer than 20 huts on Les Minquiers, most of which are closer in size to a garden chalet. Many of these properties have been formally conveyed by contracts passed before the Royal Court, some of which date back from 19th century.

Commenting on this rare transaction, Advocate Lawrence said: ‘This was certainly a piece of work which neither Michael or I will forget. It’s not every day you take a boat to undertake a property site visit, but the process is ultimately the same as with any property – checking boundaries and the site generally. The actual transaction is interesting in itself too. Ordinarily, these beautiful huts are passed through families from one generation to the next, so the fact that one was subject to a transaction is rare.’ ■

CHAN N EL ISL A ND S NE WS

Ravenscroft to acquire 25% of MXC Capital Ravenscroft has agreed terms to acquire a 25% shareholding of MXC Capital (UK) Limited (MXCUK). The deal, which is worth £2.25 million, has been agreed between Ravenscroft Holdings Limited, MXCUK and MXC Guernsey Limited, which is a subsidiary of AIM quoted MXC Capital Limited (MXC). The deal, which is subject to consent from the Financial Conduct Authority, will strengthen the relationship between the two companies. Earlier this year, MXC was appointed as a consultant to Ravenscroft in relation to its role as investment manager to the Guernsey Investment Fund’s Technology & Innovation Cell, which has already made a number of investments in

projects and businesses which have a Bailiwick of Guernsey focus, or which may benefit directly or indirectly the development of the Bailiwick. Jon Ravenscroft, chief executive officer of Ravenscroft, said the deal benefits both companies. ‘This is a long-term investment which aligns Ravenscroft’s interests more closely with those of MXC with whom we have already established a successful working relationship. We expect opportunities to refer work to each other and believe there is potential for further synergy in the future, which will

further benefit our shareholders and our loyal and hard-working teams,’ he said. On completion, Ravenscroft will pay £1.5 million with the remaining £0.75 million due in January 2019. ■

SGG Group completes acquisition of First Names Group SGG Group has received regulatory approval and completed its transaction to acquire First Names Group. As a result of this transaction, the newly combined business has become the world’s fourth largest global investor services firm by revenue,

now employing more than 1,700 people across 22 jurisdictions. A comprehensive review of the newly combined Group’s brands is currently underway and, until this review is completed, all businesses will continue to operate under their existing brand names. Commenting on the acquisition, Serge Krancenblum, group CEO of SGG Group, said: ‘This acquisition represents a key milestone for SGG Group as we continue with our international expansion. First Names Group perfectly complements our existing client offering and grows our jurisdictional capabilities, giving us a truly global

footprint while still allowing us to maintain personal relationships with our clients.’ Group segment leader private clients, previously First Names Group CEO, Mark Pesco, added: ‘At First Names Group we’ve been highly ambitious and delivered exceptional growth over the last few years. Joining forces with SGG Group is a hugely exciting opportunity as it brings a wealth of new opportunities for us as a combined business, for our people and especially for our clients.’ ■

IN VAN S BR UR TAG O AN E KE C RS E

ZE DR A

S C TA HA N RT DA ER RD ED

SIMON VOISIN

SAM O’REILLY

Standard Chartered Private Bank has appointed Stephan Geissmar as head of investments in its wealth intermediaries team.

Independent trust, corporate and fund services company, ZEDRA, has appointed Simon Voisin as a client director.

The insurance broking division of the Vantage Group has appointed Sam O’Reilly as business development executive.

Stephan will be responsible for supporting relationship managers in providing investment solutions that both protect and enhance intermediary clients’ wealth.

Simon is a qualified trust professional. At ZEDRA, he will have a global mandate focusing on the maintenance and growth of a portfolio of private and corporate clients.

Sam previously worked for Rossborough Insurance and has joined Vantage to spearhead its business expansion in the professional and high net worth areas.

Head of wealth intermediaries, Adam Buxton, said:

Managing director, Ashley Cox, said:

Managing director, Tim Rattray, said:

‘Simon will use his technical knowledge and extensive wealth planning experience to guide future business development. He has significant expertise in technical trust, company, taxation and fiduciary matters.’

‘I am delighted that Sam has agreed to join us. His work will involve working with local professional service providers and our private clients to enhance our service offering and provide insurance solutions in this complex area.’

UB S

BC R

LA W

‘Stephan’s experience across multiple jurisdictions including South Africa, the UK and Jersey complements our knowledge and presence in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.’

RU BI S

STEPHAN GEISSMAR

JAMES O’GRADY

PHILIP LEGRAND

PHILIPPE GORON

Advocate James O’Grady has joined BCR Law.

UBS has appointed Philip Legrand as an associate director.

Rubis has appointed Philippe Goron as its new managing director for its Channel Islands operations.

James trained as an English solicitor at Shoosmiths and was called to the Jersey Bar in October 2011. Prior to joining BCR Law, he was senior in-house legal counsel for an asset services company in Jersey. Partner Wendy Lambert said: ‘He has an excellent background across a good range of offshore corporate transactions and he will strengthen our highly capable team, expanding the services we can offer due to his experience both working with external clients and on in-house matters.’

Philip will manage a portfolio of UK resident non-domiciled private clients. He will also be working with the established team of client advisors to look after the interests of high value private clients resident in Jersey and Channel Island intermediaries. Head of private clients, Michael Clarke, said: ‘The appointment is a reflection of our growing local wealth management business and our desire to ensure that we continue to offer our clients the best customer service on the market. Philip is a strong addition to the team.’

Philippe has 35 years’ experience of leading major projects and businesses in the civil engineering and fuel industries, including 20 years with major international companies such as Elf and Total, spanning Europe, Africa and India, most recently in Paris. Philippe said: ‘Rubis has an excellent reputation for innovation and customer service. I am keen to build on that and to continue to deliver quality products and services to existing and new customers.’

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

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O G IE R

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LISA MCCLURE

SANNE has appointed Jonathan Ferrara as its new managing director of its client services business in Jersey.

Advocate Rebecca McNulty has joined Ogier’s dispute resolution team as a managing associate.

PwC has promoted Lisa McClure to partner.

Jonathan is a chartered accountant with more than 30 years’ experience in the professional financial services industry. At SANNE, he will be responsible for providing expert guidance and support to the local client service leadership teams based on the island.

Rebecca is an experienced senior litigator, who brings 15 years’ experience to her new team. She is skilled in commercial litigation, contentious trust, regulatory work, property related disputes and insurance litigation.

Chief commercial officer, Martin Schnaier, said:

Partner Nick Williams said:

‘Jonathan is a highly regarded industry professional who brings extensive industry experience, dynamism and expertise to our business. I am delighted to have him lead our client services business in Jersey.’

‘Rebecca is a welcome addition to the team, bringing with her many years of experience and a very strong reputation across a broad range of commercial litigation matters, particularly insurance-related disputes.’

The partners of LWR Law, Marian Whittaker and Angela Roscouet, have joined Voisin Law. Both are experienced advocates in the island. Marian is widely known as a leading practitioner in family law while Angela concentrates on noncontentious private client work. Managing partner, Ian Strang, said: ‘We are delighted that Marian and Angela are joining our growing team. Both bring a wealth of experience with them and we look forward to welcoming them and their clients.’ Photo: Marian Whittaker (left) and Angela Roscouet

JOHN GODDARD HSBC has appointed John Goddard as head of retail banking and wealth management. John will take on responsibility for the bank’s retail banking and wealth management business, including its international HSBC expat business. John said: ‘HSBC has seen strong growth in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man and in its international HSBC Expat service in recent years. We are absolutely committed to supporting the banking needs of residents in all three islands and we have some exciting plans to enhance our service for local people.’

Lisa has been with the PwC network for 15 years, having originally joined the firm’s Guernsey office in 2003. Her specialist niche is in real estate and she will now play a vital role in leading and shaping PwC’s strategic direction in that area. Senior partner, Simon Perry, said: ‘Lisa genuinely lives our PwC values, delivers exceptional quality and client service, innovates and inspires those around her.’

C O LL AS C RI LL

VO IS IN

MARIAN WHITTAKER & ANGELA ROSCOUET

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REBECCA MCNULTY

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JONATHAN FERRARA

ALEXANDRA BASSFORD & ALISON LE BRETON Collas Crill has appointed Alexandra Bassford and Alison Le Breton as associates to its property team. Both are experienced in all aspects of Jersey property law, including commercial and residential. Partner Martin Le Boutillier said: ‘They both have a first-rate reputation in our market and will assist the team as we continue to deliver an exceptional, bespoke service for our clients.’ Photo: Alexandra Bassford (left) and Alison Le Breton

FEATUR E

VIEWPOINT as seen by Richard Digard

No immigration, no future Forget everything else. The real problem these islands have is immigration and how to find the vital staff they need in a post-Brexit, devalued sterling world. Richard Digard argues it’s actually a matter of survival. Let’s start with an under-appreciated fact: without significant annual immigration these islands have no future. At least, not a future that any of us would recognise or want. We can already see in Alderney how falling numbers of residents are damaging its economy. That’s why it’s costing Guernsey in excess of £8m. per year (and rising) in subsidies, support and social security to keep that community afloat. Sark is quite possibly beyond repair but at least picking up the pieces isn’t Guernsey’s responsibility, whereas a post-war settlement with the UK Government means we are obligated to bale out Alderney. The scale of that help has been exposed by Policy and Resources, which says, per capita, the deficit is equivalent to £250m. for Guernsey – a staggering sum equal to £6,500 per taxpayer. The point, however, is that the Channel Islands’ two largest islands

are also very exposed to the same sort of depopulation pressures being experienced by their neighbours – and they are in rather different places. The latest figures from Guernsey indicate the depth of the problem. More islanders are dying than are being born. Not since the end of 2016 have there been more little Guerns than deceased ones. Even then, the ‘surplus’ was just nine.

In Guernsey’s case, for instance, the number of under 15s – the future adults and workers – has declined in 13 of the last 14 quarters. Jersey’s a bit better. But the natural growth in its population last year was only 100 (births minus deaths), and that’s down from a peak of 400 in 2011. So it’s going the same way as Guernsey, but more slowly, and the births vs deaths graphs haven’t yet crossed. They are, however, trending to do so.

In other words, left to their own devices and given a bit of time, resident Guernsey donkeys and Jersey crapauds are spiralling towards extinction. We are simply not self-sufficient in people creation. Now, before you tap your partner on the shoulder and whisper huskily, ‘it’s our civic duty darling…,’ you’re going to have to, er, go some to procreate all the extra nippers we need. Probably by a factor of 10 or so. Think Victorian times and earlier, when being pregnant was the only effective method of birth control. As I said at the start, not a future most of us would want or recognise. In Guernsey’s case, for instance, the number of under 15s – the future adults and workers – has declined in 13 of the last 14 quarters. That’s bad enough but the 16-64 age group, effectively the economically active group, has reduced for a full 14 quarters on the bounce.

F EAT URE Not quite freefall, but you get the drift. And before you ask, pensioners (to age 85) have increased throughout that period, while the number of 85+ citizens has gone up on all but three of those quarters. This is very revealing. Unless these Bailiwicks wish to become depopulated and see the cost of looking after their senior citizens spiral upwards and fall on the fewer and fewer workers left paying tax, we need steady immigration.

are. A sort of ‘what can you expect – Brexit, falling pound affecting value of wages sent back home…’ sort of way.

likely – it’s being priced in by the markets – meaning the islands are even less on the radar for mobile staff.

It’s similar in Jersey. I’d say the iconic Lamplighter pub being forced to stop serving food because of staff shortages was a disturbing portent, but the (much bigger than Guernsey’s) agricultural sector is also struggling to cope, and threatening food shortages as a result.

Yes, there are guarantees from both Jersey and Guernsey that those currently here will retain their rights post-Brexit but there’s no word on what will happen to those wanting to come in after Britain leaves the union.

Without dramatising this, Britain quitting the EU remains a huge unknown, especially for the financial services on which these islands rely. Add to that the uncertainty regarding the Channel Islands being able to attract European guest workers and the potential for economic upheaval is massive. But ‘outsiders’ coming here to live, work and steal our men/women is apparently ‘A Bad Thing’. We know this because we see our politicians railing against population growth and demanding to protect locals. This uneasy balance between total reliance on large numbers of people coming to these islands – not too many of them, and not for too long – while not being especially welcome in some quarters is one thing. The fact that fewer and fewer are prepared to put themselves through the begrudging and temporary hoop of coming here is quite another.

My main concern, however, is this. Political and public attention is focused on immigration being, at best, something to be wary of. At the same time, the tide is turning against these islands being seen as attractive venues while, when this was filed, sterling had crashed to its lowest recent level, making working here even less attractive for euro-denominated staff.

Without dramatising this, Britain quitting the EU remains a huge unknown, especially for the financial services on which these islands rely. Add to that the uncertainty regarding the Channel Islands being able to attract European guest workers and the potential for economic upheaval is massive. The External Relations teams dealing with this for the respective States are well aware of the dangers but it appears few other opinion formers are. If anything, political and public attitudes are still rooted in the ‘we have a problem with immigration’ past. Well, we do have a problem: without it, we can’t survive. And we’ve yet to wake up to the realisation we can’t take guest workers for granted any longer. ■

Perhaps worse, Britain blundering out of the EU without a deal looks increasingly

The head of Guernsey’s Employment and Social Security Committee acknowledged this the other day, confirming that fewer people are coming to the island to live and work. For example, Guernsey used to have around 2,000 Latvian guest workers but that’s fallen by between 500-1,000. At the same time, unemployment has dropped to under 300 while there are around 1,100 job vacancies. Go figure, as they say. Yet this was stated in a shouldershrugging manner. Ah well, there we

G U FI ER NA N NC SEY E

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IN BA VE ILI LI ST WIC M M K IT EN ED T S

GUER N SEY P EOPL E

SIR GEOFFREY ROWLAND

TIM CLIPSTONE

ANDY SLOAN

Former Guernsey Bailiff, Sir Geoffrey Rowland QC, has been appointed as chairman of Bailiwick Investments Limited.

Tim Clipstone has joined Ogier as a partner in its investment fund team.

Guernsey Finance has announced the permanent appointment of Andy Sloan as deputy chief executive, strategy.

IN DU LG E

M ED IA

‘It is important that we continue to provide venture capital to companies that have demonstrated entrepreneurial flair, sound business judgement and need further investment to develop in the islands and beyond our shores.’

Partner, Marcus Leese, said: ‘Tim has had a distinguished offshore career and joins us with a significant international reputation for the quality and depth of his investment fund and regulatory knowledge and experience.’

Dr Sloan was previously acting director of strategy on part-time secondment from the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. Chief executive, Dominic Wheatley, said: ‘Dr Sloan complements the strong team at Guernsey Finance, bringing a broad mix of experience in international financial services, strategy regulation, policy and economic expertise. I am delighted he is joining us permanently to develop jurisdictional strategy for finance services.’

IN CH A BR SUR NN O AN EL KE C RS E

Sir Geoffrey said:

Tim has more than 20 years’ experience as a lawyer in London and offshore. He has a strong reputation for his work with offshore investment funds, specialising in investment fund structuring, equity fundraising, mergers and acquisitions and group reorganisations.

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Bailiwick Investments Limited has substantial equity holdings in a number of local businesses including SandpiperCI, Jacksons and The International Stock Exchange.

JONNY SPICER

JONATHAN BAILEY

TONY DE SOUSA

Web design and development agency, Indulge Media, has appointed Jonny Spicer as a web developer.

Nerine Fiduciaries has appointed Jonathan Bailey as client services director.

Tony De Sousa has been named managing director of Channel Insurance Brokers (CIB).

Jonathan joins the Guernsey office after five years of running the firm’s British Virgin Islands’ operation. He has considerable experience advising clients on BVI trusts, the use of VISTA legislation, private trust companies and general succession of BVI company shares.

Tony has two decades of experience in the insurance industry and is well known in the local insurance market. He joined CIB in 2016 as a director, primarily responsible for the personal insurance team.

Jonny has gained experience within the legal, broking and sports betting industries. His passion is within computing, the internet and digital technology. Managing director, Russell Isabelle, said: ‘Since opening our Oxford office in May 2016 and then expanding our Guernsey team we have won some great projects that really offer up creative challenges for the agency. It is an exciting time for our industry.’

Jonathan said: ‘I’m looking forward to working with the Guernsey team and the challenge of working in a similar role but in a completely different location. It felt like the right move to make, settling in Guernsey while staying with a company I have enjoyed working for.’

Tony said: ‘We have a tremendous opportunity to grow further, bringing our strong business values and service delivery to match the demands and rightly high expectations of our clients.’

AI RT EL -V O DA FO NE

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G UE RN SEY P EOP LE

KELVIN WHELAN

ANNA MILON

ASHISH PETWAL

Kelvin Whelan has returned to EY as a senior manager in the private client and trust team.

C5 Alliance has promoted Anna Milon from senior consultant to head of process and platforms.

Airtel-Vodafone has appointed Ashish Petwal as senior business manager.

David White, head of tax for EY, said:

Rob Leader, group managing director, said: ‘Anna’s own career trajectory is testimony in itself to women succeeding in technology. She is an excellent role model and we are proud of the work she is doing to inspire more interest from women in our industry.’

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‘This is a significant time for fiduciaries and private clients. Kelvin’s understanding and firsthand experience within the fiduciary industry will bring invaluable insights to help our clients navigate their paths through these changes.’

Anna has worked at C5 for four years and is an expert in Microsoft CRM and Sharepoint platforms as well as being an active advocate for women working in the technology industry.

Ashish will be responsible for operations, customer service delivery and business development for AirtelVodafone’s Guernsey operation. Peter Zunino, head of sales and marketing, said: ‘Ashish joins the team with a wealth of experience in hospitality and customer service delivery. In such a highly competitive market, customer service is at the heart of everything that we do at Airtel-Vodafone. We are always looking to improve our customer service delivery and Ashish will play a key role in this.’

IN S TE KI RN PT AT ON IO NA L

Kelvin first joined EY as a trainee and progressed to manager before gaining experience within the fiduciary industry. In his new role he will specialise in the offshore aspects of UK tax for private clients, as well as focusing on private trust and company structures.

ROBIN LE PAGE

JAMES TRACEY

NIGEL PASCOE

Robin Le Page has been promoted to operations director at Rihoy & Son.

James Tracey has been promoted to managing director of JTC’s Guernsey office.

Nigel Pascoe is taking up a role of director of business development at Skipton International.

Since starting as a trainee engineer, Robin has progressed through the business with a number of roles, including site engineer, site manager, project manager and contracts manager.

With more than 15 years’ experience in international financial services, James will be pivotal in leading the firm’s Guernsey office and will also assume additional crossjurisdictional responsibilities.

Nigel will be responsible for a growing team of mortgage associates and business development managers, expanding Skipton International’s deposit base as well as addressing the expat and Guernsey mortgage markets.

Managing director, Gavin Rihoy, said: ‘When Robin joined us, he had first class educational skills and a sound knowledge of the construction trade. Over the last 10 years, he’s been able to put those into practice across a range of roles and responsibilities. His promotion to director level is a reflection of his dedication and commitment.’

Tony Whitney, group head of institutional client services, said: ‘James has a vast amount of experience in the global alternative funds space and will be absolutely key in leading our evolving business in Guernsey, including overseeing the growth of our offshore ManCo platform in the jurisdiction.’

Managing director, Jim Coupe, said: ‘Nigel is already widely known and respected in the local and expat lending markets and I am pleased that we can now enable Nigel to provide his skills and experience to help more deposit introducers.’

YOU N G BUSINE SS G ROU P

THE MINDS OF MILLENNIALS Josh Payne of Guernsey’s Young Business Group explores the priorities for the millennial generation, in and out of the workplace. The membership demographic of YBG largely comprises of millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996. Millennials mainly see the world through the internet, email and social media in its various guises. If you can remember the Nokia 6110, “txt spk”, or iPod Nanos then you certainly are well within this bracket. As a result, millennials are the most techsavvy generation in human history, and the most anxious. Recent studies have declared that millennials are the most anxious generation in history. Is this a coincidence? Western life has become a perpetual cycle of technology, sleep deprivation and spectacularly high expectations set by social media. A recent Deloitte mobile consumer survey found 18- to 24-year-olds check their phones up to 56 times a day and some check it more than 200 times daily. We are high on Wi-Fi, messaging like crazy and living in an almost perpetual state of “fight or flight”. It’s no wonder then that conversations about mental health are more common. The good news is there is mounting evidence to suggest mental health is becoming a priority for millennials in their personal and professional lives.

A recent UK report found that being physically and mentally healthy topped the list (77%) for UK millennials when asked what would most help them live a happier, more fulfilled life. Enjoying their work and profession ranked higher than having friends and an active social circle. Having a family ranked lower (46%), as did being wealthy (41%), in comparison. One international survey found that British millennials have the second worst mental wellbeing in the world, only second to Japan. Supporting the mental wellbeing of employees not only shows that you are a caring employer, but also helps reduce sickness and promotes productivity, with happier employees being shown to be significantly more productive. YBG has the pleasure of being hosted by two local businesses, POS Interiors and PF+A, for our members’ event on Thursday 6 September. John Hibbs from PF+A will talk to our members about how workspaces can be designed to accommodate the changing ways in which we work and live through the millennial generation.

‘The way we work has changed dramatically since the birth of the workplace, and today the speed at which it changes is increasing. Technology now undertakes more and more of the repetitive, mundane tasks meaning humans are free to do more creative, knowledge work. Workspaces today need to cater for collaboration, learning, socialising and focus. Focus being the most important yet least supported,’ said John. ‘Throw in the mix the millennial issues. They reside in a world where anything they want they can have instantly, apart from experience, which is the most important thing needed in the creative work world we live in. Businesses that can connect the experienced humans with the millennial humans do best, businesses that design their offices to cater to the four different work modes do best. Get this right and businesses are experiencing significant uplift in turnover. It’s almost a false economy to not redesign your office to suit today’s way of working.’ If your business would like to present to our members or talk at future events, please contact the President of the YBG Council at president@ybg.gg ■

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EN TERPR IS E W E E K

AN ENTERPRISING WEEK

Graeme Smith, chief executive officer of Jersey Business, outlines what this year’s Enterprise Week offers Chamber members.

As we enter September, Enterprise Week 2018 from 18 to 21 September, is fast approaching. This week-long programme of stimulating, practical and thought provoking seminars is the most important series of future focused business events in Jersey. This year Enterprise Week is looking at the importance of recognising and adapting to the economic challenges impacting the island and the role that business leaders have in shaping the look and feel of Jersey’s local businesses and future economy. Designed to provide practical tools and techniques as well as enable business leaders to network and discuss issues that will impact on their business success, Enterprise Week will set the stage for an ongoing discussion on the role and impact of the business community in Jersey. Chamber members, drawn from businesses of all sizes and from all sectors, are a representation of the dynamic entrepreneurial activity that takes place on our island. The opening event on Tuesday 18 September will therefore be particularly relevant as it considers what will be shaping the island’s economy over the next 12 months. Jersey’s Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondre, will open the event, which will move in to a panel discussion that will challenge leaders as individuals to recognise the impact they have not only on their own organisations but also on the island as a whole. Acknowledging

the importance of our business leaders as role models, the panel will evaluate the responsibility, challenges and opportunities they have to drive change and shape their organisations for the future. Adding a global context to the discussion, Simon Jack, the BBC’s business editor, will explain how UK and European politics, as well as the waves of change rippling out from the USA and the Far East, will affect our small jurisdiction. Simon will offer his insight into how issues such as Brexit might play out and what we, as leaders in Jersey, need to take into account in planning and strategising for the immediate future.

Using TV to reach a new audience isn’t as expensive as you think and more importantly it can be incredibly targeted. Following this opening session, other events during the week will concentrate on more specific areas of business activity that can drive future growth and change. The after work event on Wednesday 19 September will explore the relationship we have with our future clients and customers. We will hear from a panel of small businesses who are changing the way they communicate with their customers, having recognised the new ways people are finding and absorbing information. They will discuss how they choose between the numerous avenues of communication that are now available to both marketeers and consumers. Attend this event if you

are developing your marketing strategy, establishing your brand or trying to reach a new market or customer. If you are, or are thinking about exporting into the UK in the near future, the breakfast session on Thursday 20 September is for you. Using TV to reach a new audience isn’t as expensive as you think and more importantly it can be incredibly targeted. ITV’s UK-based business development controller will talk you through the techniques you can use to get your messages in front of your ideal customer. Thinking again about new opportunities, we are holding a three-hour business growth masterclass during the morning of Friday 21 September. This high paced session will talk you through Royston Guest’s ‘Built to Grow’ formula, which has proven success in delivering sustained, profitable growth. If you are interested in attending this event please email us for more information. We hope that has given you an overview of some of the events that you can take part in. Most are free and designed to give you inspiration as well as something practical to help you grow your business. As Chamber members you are the entrepreneurs that make Jersey the vibrant economy that it is and we are delighted to be able to organise these events for you. Please go to www.jerseybusiness.je/ events/enterprise-week-overview to see everything that is going on and to book your place. ■

B USI N ESS D IA RY

BUSINESS DIARY SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER Key dates for your diary

DATE

EVENT

Weds 12 Sept

Guernsey Marketing Forum social media festival

Weds 19 Sept

Thurs 20 Sept

Thurs 27 Sept

Weds 3 Oct

Digital marketinG meet up

IoD Jersey annual debate

Channel Islands PR Forum 2018

GDPR toolkit workshop

TIME

17:30-19:30

12:30-13:30

17:30-22:30

12:15-22:00

08:00-10:00

VENUE

INFORMTION

St James

Hear from inspirational thinkers and leaders from some of the world’s biggest social networks.

Digital Greenhouse, Guernsey

With the smart phone integral to modern life, this meet up will look at how to make sure websites and campaigns are ‘moblified’.

RJA&HS

Keynote speaker Leo Johnson, partner and disruption lead at PwC, will help examine how sustainable Jersey’s economy is.

The Club Hotel & Spa

CIPR Channel Islands is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a half day event in Jersey focusing on the value of PR.

Jersey Business

Practical workshop which will give attendees a to do list and sample guides on how to implement GDPR.

Thurs 4 Oct

Guernsey IoD convention

16:00-22:30

Beau Sejour

Alastair Stewart OBE will moderate a discussion exploring how the island is viewed and how stakeholders can improve ‘The Guernsey Brand’.

Mon 15 Oct

Lloyds Bank Digital KnowHow Session (Guernsey)

09:30-14:30

Les Cotils Centre

Free digital skills workshop for small businesses and charities, in partnership with Google.

Tues 16 Oct

Lloyds Bank Digital KnowHow Session (Jersey)

The Royal Yacht Hotel

Includes a 30 minutes session for charities from the Lloyds Bank Foundation on online grant applications.

09:30-14:30

How to help make your home greener HYDRO

NUCLEAR

SOLAR ARRAY

CABLE LINK

GENERATION ON-ISLAND

Start with the right mix

Heat Sustainably electricity.gg/heating

At Guernsey Electricity, we import 86% of our electricity from sustainable sources in France including hydro-electric and low-carbon nuclear, and our on-island generation now includes a 30-panel Solar PV array.

Home heating design and installation E: energy.sales@electricity.gg | T: 200749 Switching from a fossil-fuel heating system to an electric heating solution is one of the easiest ways to help reduce your impact on the environment. The lower-carbon energy mix supplying electric heating means less reliance on non-renewable fossil-fuels such as gas and oil. Join the thousands of islanders that have already switched and saved with electric heating.

This means you’ve already helped lower your carbon footprint. Sign up to our email newsletter to learn more.

Invest in energyefficient appliances Home Appliances from Guernsey Electricity’s Shop

Visit our Home Heating Centre

E: shop@electricity.gg | T: 241941 Buying wisely will save you money on your electricity bills. Our shop on the bridge has a wide range of modern, energy-efficient home appliances including washing machines, fridges and dishwashers that save both energy and water use.

Use renewable technology where possible We have a fully-qualified Low Carbon Consultant who can offer impartial advice on the best system for you – solar panel installation, heat pumps or energy efficient boilers.

Sign up to our email newsletter & stay up to date with our environmental news, updates and energy tips Northside, Vale www.electricity.gg

/guernseyelectricity

@gsyelectricity

guernseyelectricity

Would you like to find out more about going greener and switching to electric heating? Visit our Home Heating Centre in the Guernsey Electricity Shop at Northside, the Bridge to find out more and speak to our friendly staff.

E N ERGY & EN VI RO N ME N T

The greenest energy on the island

Chief executive of Guernsey Electricity, Alan Bates, considers the great strides taken in achieving a carbon neutral Guernsey.

Over the last 100 years the island’s electricity supply has undergone considerable evolution. However, it is in the last two decades that we’ve seen significant developments as Guernsey Electricity has focused on importing and generating secure sources of sustainable energy. The company now provides the greenest energy on the island.

with nearly all of the island’s electricity demand being met by secure, sustainable sources of energy. For example, in 2017 the undersea cable, GJ1 met 86% of Guernsey Electricity’s demand, with 53% coming from low-carbon nuclear sources generated in Europe and 33% from the world’s first tidal power station, operated by EDF (Électricité de France), at La Rance in Brittany. The remaining electricity was generated on-island.

In the 1990s, the diesel engines at the power station were nearing the end of their life. There was a growing awareness of the detrimental effect on the environment that burning fossil fuels to create energy was having, and new alternatives were being developed.

We foresee greater uptake of electric vehicles and other developments in technology from a smarter grid to local micro and macro forms of electricity generation.

A move towards driving and harnessing technological innovation, for the benefit of Guernsey and the population, was needed.

Guernsey Electricity and France continue to work together on the investigation of a second cable, named GF1, which will link the island directly to France. The cable will help safeguard the future power supply to Guernsey and ensure Guernsey Electricity can supply the entire island with imported low-carbon energy, minimising local hydrocarbon generation and therefore, emissions.

In September 1996, the States approved the construction of an undersea power cable link through Guernsey and Jersey to France, named GJ1. The cable provides the island with access to secure sources of hydroelectricity and lowcarbon energy from France and wider Europe. The Channel Islands Electricity Grid Company Limited was formed in 1998 and two years later, in November 2000, Guernsey Electricity took its first units of electricity from the European Grid through the undersea cable. Decades later and Guernsey Electricity’s greenhouse gas emissions are currently almost half of other local energy sources,

This year has also been pivotal to achieving increased efficiency and sustainable energy, especially with regards to on-island generation. In March 2018, the installation of hundreds of roof-mounted solar panels at the power station on Northside, Vale, created the largest solar array in the Channel Islands and further diversified the island’s energy mix. In just 50 days the panels generated enough energy to provide seven average

homes with light and power for a whole year, or to allow someone to drive for 100,000 miles in an electric vehicle. In April 2018, Guernsey Electricity introduced a new carbon emissions reporting system, which aligns the company with European best practice guidelines and requirements. The new reporting methodology enables the disclosure of all greenhouse gas emissions, rather than just carbon, as previously. Considerable progress has been made in a relatively short amount of time. As a company, we are confident that sustainable power generation will continue to evolve as there are further advancements in renewables and energy storage. We foresee greater uptake of electric vehicles and other developments in technology from a smarter grid to local micro and macro forms of electricity generation. Guernsey Electricity is considering these changes and how we can best meet the island’s needs, including securing our ability to import lowcarbon electricity, while ensuring there is sufficient on-island generation and storage for security. We are also working to understand how charging for the supply of electricity can be fair to all. ■

ENERGY & ENV IRONM E NT

Get Plugged In: The Drive Behind Electric Vehicles How many electric vehicles have you spotted on the road today? None? A couple? They’re not exactly a common sight on island roads - yet, that is. Make no mistake, says Nicci Martel, the widespread use of electric vehicles (EVs) is coming. With regards to EVs, it’s no longer a question of ‘if’ drivers will make the switch, but ‘when.’ And with the motoring industry poised to introduce dozens of new battery electric models over the next five years, the ‘when’ might be sooner than you think. The first six months of 2018 alone has seen a 20% increase in the number of registered EVs in Guernsey, taking the total up to 191, and there are currently 222 in Jersey alongside 425 hybrid vehicles. Guernsey has also seen its first public charging facilities installed this year, while Jersey Electricity is trialling new technology for car charging payment. It’s all part of a shift in momentum in the Channel Islands,

reflecting the wider transformation happening across Europe. ‘First there was the diesel emissions scandal, then the UK government announced a ban on sales of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040. We’re still 22 years off that, but the political climate has changed and people are moving away from fossil fuels. The environmental challenges we face have come to the fore and that’s generated a lot more interest in EVs,’ said Phil Valois, sales executive at Bagot Road Garage, which has been selling Renault EVs since 2012. ‘It was a slow start. There were some early adopters in the island, people who appreciated the technology and the environmentally conscious, but now we’re seeing competitively priced nearly new and used models, and EVs have become a really attractive proposition.’ In Guernsey, the number of people installing EV charging points at home has increased, according to J.E.R. Electrical, which installed the new public charging units in North Beach car park. The company has seen the number of enquiries grow from one every six weeks, two years ago, to now one a week. ‘I think people used to worry about

battery life but the technology has come so far and it’s getting better. I can get between 80 to 90 miles out of my electric van before it needs charging and in somewhere like Guernsey, that’s ideal. In fact, I can’t think of anywhere where EVs are better suited,’ said the company’s director, Jer Norris. The reality is that people looking to purchase a new vehicle in the not too distant future might have no choice other than to buy electric. Both the UK and France announced a ban on cars powered solely by diesel and petrol from 2040 and these high-profile decisions have brought the debate around use of EVs in the Channel Islands into sharper focus. EV advocates on both islands have been working with their respective governments to develop infrastructure to support the technology. ‘Our aim is to extend Jersey’s public network to around 50 charging points but we can’t do this without support and engagement from the States of Jersey, with whom we continue to work closely,’ said Jersey Electricity’s energy solutions manager, Ian Wilson, who is overseeing the trial of a new pay-as-you-go Chargemaster charger at Powerhouse. Guernsey’s two new public charging units are the first in what is also hoped will be a growing network. But it is dependent on demand, according to the government’s Committee for Environment and Infrastructure. ‘I would say that most EV owners rely on charging their vehicles at home, but if you live in a flat or rely on on-street parking,

E N ERGY & EN VI RO N ME N T

Where can I charge an EV?

then the practicalities of owning an EV are complicated. Better public charging facilities would make electric vehicles a realistic choice for more people,’ said Sean Fuller, director of Novamotion EV and founder of EV Guernsey, which organised its third EV expo in July. Also at the expo was Keith Hounsell, co-owner of Plug-NGo, a Guernsey-based company that works with local government authorities to understand the needs for public EV charging points. He’s currently investigating the logistics for chargers in high-density residential areas in Guernsey. ‘At the expo, we had quite a few local residents who wanted to switch to electric but had nowhere to charge the vehicles at the

moment, and that puts people off, so it is something authorities are looking into,’ he said. ‘We’ve also approached Visit Guernsey on how they can work with hotels and publicise that Guernsey is somewhere you can visit with an electric car. We’ve installed points at Fermain Valley Hotel, next we’ll be doing the Bella Luce Hotel, and Cobo Bay Hotel and The Farmhouse. We are getting EV drivers from Europe and something like a map of charge points would be great.’ For more information about the EV ownership in Jersey, check out jec.co.uk, and for more information and EVs in Guernsey, visit www.evguernsey.org. ■

Most EV owners opt to have an electric charging point professionally installed at their home, either in a garage or in a suitable position on a wall near the driveway. However, if this is not possible, or you need a daytime top-up, or are visiting the islands, here’s where to find public charging points …

Jersey Joining JE’s Evolve Club provides access to charging points located in the five multi-storey town car parks: Sand Street, Patriotic Street, Green Street, Minden Place and Pier Road and at The Powerhouse car park. The Savoy Hotel also offers a charging point for guests.

Guernsey There are two pay-as-you-go public charging units in North Beach carpark, plus Hotel de Havelet, Les Douvres Hotel and Fermain Valley Hotel have charging points available for guests and non-guests, while Freelance Motors also has a charging point that may be accessed by arrangement.

A driver’s perspective Jer Norris, of J.E.R. Electrical, made the switch to an electric vehicle more than two years ago and drives a Renault Kangoo: ‘I wanted one because they’re cleaner, better for the environment and quieter. In my mind, I think we could make Guernsey such a quiet place to live and set an example to the rest of the world. They are the perfect vehicle for Guernsey. When I drive a normal car now, it’s like driving a tractor,’ said the 33-year-old. ‘I charge at home overnight and I know switching to an EV has saved me money because I’ve tracked it. Driving 50 miles a day, I spend £20 on electricity a month, which is bonkers.’ Sean Fuller of EV Guernsey has had a number of models since switching to an EV three years ago but now drives a Nissan EV200. Its suitability for short-distance driving in Guernsey persuaded him to make the transition. ‘I can understand that for people who regularly drive abroad, it can be a pain. You can buy longer range EVs, but you really have to plan your route. But for mostly short-distance driving, EVs are perfect. There’s no engine to warm up and it accelerates well - I don’t want to drive a snail, I want something responsive and in tune with my needs,’ said Sean. ‘I charge it up about twice a week - it’s just like charging up your smart phone.’

ENERGY & E NV IRONM E NT

Underwriting Local Conservation For 28 Years

Insurance Corporation Channel Islands has supported community conservation for almost three decades and there is no shortage of projects looking for help. This year, its Conservation Awards attracted a record number of entries across the islands. As a truly local insurance company, Insurance Corporation Channel Islands believe it is important to put something back into the community. Through their Community Support Programme (a mix of education, arts, sport, the environment and charitable causes) they are widely supportive and integrated into the Channel Islands community, being involved in causes that are important to their people, brokers and customers. For the past 28 years, Insurance Corporation Channel Islands have remained true to their local promise of putting conservation at the heart of the community. 2018 was no different, with the Conservation Awards in both Guernsey and Jersey attracting record numbers of entries across a diverse range of projects.

The initiative is open to all ages with entries encouraged from schools, individuals, businesses, leisure and conservation organisations. Best Conservation Project is awarded to the overall winner in both Jersey and Guernsey. The winner of the main Best Conservation Project Jersey this year was Ronez Jersey, for their project at their quarry site with Durrell Jersey, where they have encouraged the rare red-billed choughs to nest and breed. Paul Pinel from Ronez Jersey was delighted with their win and the £1,500 prize money: ‘Entering the Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards has highlighted how Durrell and Ronez have been working together to improve Jersey’s biodiversity. Ronez’s involvement has really emphasized that this is not just a Durrell project but a partner effort that is for the benefit of the whole island.’

The judges picked The Pollinator Project to receive the top prize in Guernsey for 2018. Team member, Barry Wells, was asked what the award meant to the project and how would the prize money help them? ‘The Pollinator Project is first and foremost an “awareness” project. This award will give us the exposure we need to get people to understand our aims and ambitions, and highlight the plight of pollinators.’ Insurance Corporation’s managing director, Mandy Hunt, says the continuing popularity of the competition is no surprise. ‘Green issues that may have been considered alternative in the past are firmly in the mainstream now and we are proud to be pioneers among the corporate community for recognising the worth of funding positive achievements in this area. We continue to be pleasantly surprised by

E N ERGY & EN VI RO N ME N T the broad range of entries, the commitment put into projects and the wide age range of people taking part. This year we are again focusing on attracting even more young people to take part.’ All shortlisted entries were visited by a team of judges, which included local environmentalists and representatives of the Insurance Corporation, who choose the prize winners. ‘Whether it is a school who enter a large project or a young individual with a tiny project on their window sill, both are making a contribution to the protection of our valuable green spaces and our local flora and fauna. We award money to our successful entrants because we believe it is important to help with the funding as well as celebrate their diligence and hard work.’ Further prizes and funding were awarded across both islands for Runner-Up, Young

Conservationist of the Year, Best School Award and the Peter Walpole People’s Choice Award, which is determined by a public vote. All shortlisted entrants also received a Highly Commended Certificate. Angela Salmon, one of the judges this year, noted:

Paul Masterton, non-executive chairman of Insurance Corporation, said this year they were incredibly impressed with the passion and dedication demonstrated by entrants to conservation projects across both islands. He reaffirmed the organisation’s long term commitment to local conservation and said everybody involved is already looking forward to the 29th Conservation Awards in 2019. If you’d like to know more about the Insurance Corporation Conservation Awards, take a look at their “In the Community” section on their website, where you can read full interviews with this year’s winners www.insurancecorporation.com ■

‘The winning projects are all making a fantastic contribution to nature conservation. The projects have involved many members of our community and these projects will be enjoyed by adults and children. The people leading the winning projects showed great knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm for nature conservation and they are also keen to share their knowledge by educating others.’

WORKING TOWARDS A

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The Guernsey Recycling (1996) Group Ltd [trading as GRG] were recently presented with the Keep Guernsey Green Award, after demonstrating their commitment to environmental sustainability. GRG is Guernsey’s leading waste recycling and recovery company; incorporating Island Waste Ltd, Mayside Recycling, Galaxy CI and Guernsey Recycling Scrap Metal. The sites, collectively, recycle and recover everything from household and commercial cardboard, paper and plastics, to metals, computer hardware and construction and demolition waste. ‘Our objective is to ensure that all the waste we receive can be used as a future resource; whether through reuse, recycling or recovery. We believe in being an active member of the community, protecting our local environment, and investing in Guernsey’s green economy,’ said managing director, Michael Grime.

INVESTING IN RECYCLING AND SUSTAINABILITY GRG is investing in new infrastructure and machinery in order to enhance its capacity to deal with complex materials. A new building has been commissioned at its Island Waste, Pointes Lane site. Completed in just eight weeks, it houses a state of the art RDF shredder which can process nonrecyclable materials for recovery, diverting refuse from landfill, and providing an energy source.

Contact Name: Michael Grime Email Address: michael.grime@grgcorp.com Phone: 01481 247786

VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY The Keep Guernsey Green Award recognises Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives within the community. GRG is supporting La Société Guernesiaise’s Beach Cleans by providing equipment for each event; and recycling the refuse found. There are 12 public clean up events in 2018; which everyone is welcome to join. GRG has also assisted local schools in undertaking their own beach cleans, and discussing issues such as recycling and marine plastics with the children.

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E N ERGY & EN VI RO N ME N T

ENERGY, CUSTOMER CHOICE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Ian Plenderleith, group managing director of International Energy Group, discusses its aim to provide sustainable energy options for the Channel Islands.

In recent times we have all witnessed the dramatic change in new housing build design requirements and quality, not only in the UK but across the Channel Islands as well. Insulated homes and businesses use considerably less energy that they once did. Add to that the highly efficient appliances now available alongside smart heating control systems – sitting on the sofa changing your home comfort temperature settings on your smart phone is all so common place. These developments all help to give customers greater control over their energy bills whilst reducing the Channel Islands’ carbon footprint. With a new Island Energy Policy being developed in Guernsey and Pathway 2050 in place in Jersey, the key is to democratise energy supply whilst decarbonising the islands, as Europe has been doing very well for some time. Future-proof holistic energy policies are needed across both islands that will give customers greater choice, provide secure, sustainable and affordable energy for future generations of islanders, and reduce carbon emissions. For the citizens of the islands, it is critical that there is a balance between energy policy, competition and sustainability, and International Energy Group (IEG) is working with government in supporting these initiatives. IEG is broadening its energy provision portfolio to meet the needs of its customers across the islands and was granted a licence to generate and

supply its customers in Guernsey with electricity in the latter part of 2017. We are now working with the Channel Islands Competition & Regulatory Authorities (CICRA) to ensure all market operators have a ‘level playing field’ to operate in for the benefit of all islanders in a fair and transparent way, and we hope to commence deployment of our low carbon energy projects in the near future.

We wish to see islanders being empowered to decide how and where they receive their energy, effectively democratising the energy market by providing a straightforward energy service that will provide choice, value and be environmentally friendly at the same time. Several major nations have announced that they will ban the sale of non-electric vehicles by 2040. This will have an impact on electricity demand in the future across the islands. The transition to electric transport will actually suit the Channel Islands well because of our geographical sizes and will undoubtedly have an effect on electricity demand when it comes to charging all of the islands’ new electric vehicles. All this new electricity has to come from somewhere and this is one of the strands of IEG’s future business plans, that we wish to be able to contribute to electricity supplies across the islands using on-island distributed generation schemes.

We are now considering a 2060 vision of how the islands will be powered in the future. We are planning significant private capital investment at no cost to taxpayers, effectively contributing to the islands’ low carbon infrastructure at zero subsidy from the islands’ governments. Since our electricity licence was granted, we have spent the past 12 months talking to islanders, stakeholders and politicians, evaluating what really is the best solution for the islands’ energy economies. We are now looking forward to making a real difference to the way islanders choose their energy supplies in the future by introducing on-island low-carbon electricity systems that are resource efficient and socially inclusive across all customer groups. We wish to see islanders being empowered to decide how and where they receive their energy, effectively democratising the energy market by providing a straightforward energy service that will provide choice, value and be environmentally friendly at the same time. We want to work with the States of Guernsey and Jersey through the development of sustainable energy policies that are fit for purpose, not just for now, but for the long term future of all islanders and businesses. We can all help to build a cleaner, greener energy landscape for our islands for generations to come. ■

EDUCATION

NEVER STOP LEARNING

Louise Misselke, principal of the Guernsey College of Further Education, explains the importance of a lifetime of learning.

Automation, an ageing population, technological disruptions and a ‘gig’ economy are just some of the factors that mean life-long learning is increasingly becoming the key to success. From an early age, we were probably all advised that learning is about the education that you get at schools, colleges and universities. That is just the start of the story. Throughout our lives there will always be a need to pursue further learning opportunities to gain new knowledge, expertise and skills to take us to the next level. The time of ‘a job for life’ is a thing of the past. That single qualification or degree

you earned in your youth or a career you picked in your 20s will not be permanent. Career development should be considered as a life-long process. People now migrate from job to job over their career in search of greater fulfilment and compensation with some research suggesting that people will move on average 12 times in their career. Those people who stay in the same job over a long period of time will almost certainly see the nature of their work shift rapidly. In order to thrive economically, you simply have to keep learning. In some cases, this could involve a complete career change and consequent re-training and qualifications. Both learners and learning providers are constantly

adapting to the changing needs. Learning is becoming an economic imperative (according to The Economist). Technological change demands stronger and more continuous connections between education and employment. We are fortunate in Guernsey that despite living on a small island, we have access to an extremely wide range of courses delivered through a range of channels to suit individuals’ preferences. So whether you are looking to take that next step in your career or looking for a complete change of direction, your ‘on-island’ opportunities are countless. ■

LEARN TODAY, LEAD TOMORROW

Looking to take that next step in your career or looking for a change in direction? We have a wide range of professional courses starting throughout the year across all discplines and at all levels. From Teacher Training to HR, Architectural Techonology to Bookkeeping, Food Hygiene to Nail Technology, Digital Technology to Early Years. A full list of all part-time courses can be found on our website. Tel: 01481 750200 GuernseyCollege

Email: college@gcfe.net @GuernseyCollege

Web: www.guernseycollege.ac.gg Guernsey College of Further Education

L E A DERSH IP

What makes a great leader?

Jill Clark, the founder of Customer-Excellence consultancy, qualified lecturer and coach at the GTA University Centre, gives her thoughts on what makes a great business leader and how to develop the skills to become one.

Leadership vs authority I have been lucky enough to work with, and for, some great leaders in my 25 years of working life. I’ve also worked with some poor ones. My main conclusion on leadership is that people can confuse authority with leadership – they are absolutely not the same thing. Many people are ‘leaders’ of companies, but they are not effective leaders, they just happen to be in a position of authority and tell people what to do. There are also many individuals who are in positions of less authority who are great leaders. They get things done because the team around them want to get things done.

would not do themselves. Think of the leaders you have experienced – who made you feel safe and trusted you to deliver? Great leaders look after their people It is a priority for great leaders to help their team develop and be the best they can be. When the team needs support to improve, they get it. Empathy is the foundation; everyone has an off day now and again, and great leaders recognise that. They care about their team and in return their team follows them and wants to help deliver their vision. Do the great leaders in your organisation put the people or the figures first?

The fundamentals of good leadership won’t change The Institute of Leadership & Management’s (ILM) 2020 Vision: future trends in leadership and management research found that future managers will need to be agile and adaptive in a rapidly changing workplace. The fundamentals of good leadership and management will matter more than ever. The research found that the core functions of good leadership and management will be more important but harder to achieve. More than half (52%) of managers surveyed agreed that skills such as communication, delegating, goal-setting and motivating direct reports were more important but 46% agreed that tasks related to these skills are more difficult to carry out. Ensuring leaders can successfully carry out core management and leadership practices while contending with technological and cultural change in organisations is a difficult balancing act. Giving leaders the opportunity to continually improve and hone their skills will be vital.

Great leaders create a trusting environment Many things contribute to the environment of an organisation but the team at the top sets the tone. Great leaders create a strong feeling of trust and a safe environment where everyone thrives and contributes. There is a deep sense of cooperation – because everyone genuinely cares for everyone else, and individuals become focused on making the organisation a success. This level of trust can only be created when the top team lead by example. Great leaders would never ask you to do something they

Great leaders communicate brilliantly Great leaders keep their teams updated and involved so everyone feels part of the strategy. Most importantly of all, leaders listen. They listen to their team and do not interupt – they gain the views of the coalface, consider them carefully and then make decisions. The vision they then build is clear and they communicate it again and again until everyone understands it and wants to help deliver that vision. Think of the great communicators in your business – do you regard them as good leaders?

Can I become a great leader? Absolutely. I do not agree that ‘leaders are born’ – they progress over time. It’s a little like going to the gym to get fit – it won’t happen overnight and you need to be committed and conscious of your actions. Don’t be fooled into thinking that if you are a manager you are a leader. The two are very different - but you can develop into a great leader. You can start now with small actions and over time you will improve. ■

TEMPING IS TEMPTING!

With the demand for temporary resources high in Guernsey, Situations has recently taken on a new recruitment consultant to manage its temp desk. Cath Renouf comes to Situations with several years’ experience in Guernsey’s finance sector, extensive prior teaching experience and a background in psychology. Cath will now assist clients in filling temporary vacancies, as well as find roles for those candidates who are seeking temp and contract work. She explains the advantages of temping for both employees and businesses. Situations Recruitment’s temp market is buoyant, with a huge range of temps being placed this summer in roles including banking customer service and operations, payments, IT/systems admin, trust, compliance/AML, file reviews, business analysis and projects, as well as general administrative, secretarial and reception work. While many people think of temps as being used for holiday and sickness cover, temporary staff can offer even more benefits to a business. Situations’ clients employ temps to assist with busy periods without adding to their permanent headcount, to cover seasonal work, undertake special projects and to assess whether they may need an additional member of staff on a permanent basis, giving the business control and flexibility. As Situations take care of all screening of candidates, the client can employ the temp quickly and easily. Whilst Situations still do have such temps out on assignment, many temps are now working in trust, accounting, compliance, banking, etc., undertaking senior roles and getting high rates of pay. TEMPING TODAY Situations has been successfully placing temps in Guernsey’s finance and

commercial sectors since its inception 32 years ago, but temping has changed during that time. Until around 10 years ago, the vast majority of temps were PAs/ secretaries, administrators, receptionists and filing clerks. Whilst Situations still do have such temps out on assignment, many temps are now working in trust, accounting, compliance, banking, etc., undertaking senior roles and getting high rates of pay. Although Situations do still see the occasional assignment for a day, or a week or two, assignments nowadays are generally for 6-12 months and temps can often be made permanent if both parties are happy. You can ‘try before you buy’ – try out a particular field of work or company and see if you like it before committing to a permanent position/future career WHY TEMP? • Freedom! You can work when you like and take time out when you like • Variety – to undertake a range of roles and tasks in order to keep your working life interesting • It’s great for seasonal work or when you need to take longer breaks, e.g. you can work over the winter and then take time out in the summer sunshine • You can earn some extra cash to go travelling, do that house refurbishment or treat yourself to something special

• If you’ve retired from permanent work but are not quite ready to give up work entirely, you can temp for short or long periods to suit you • You can ‘try before you buy’ – try out a particular field of work or company and see if you like it before committing to a permanent position/future career • Increase your skill set – add to your skills to help your future career • Made redundant? You can temp to maintain income whilst seeking a new permanent position • Networking – by temping in various places you will build your professional network and develop useful contacts. For more details on temping and contract work or to book one of Situations’ Super Temps, please contact Cath Renouf at Situations – temps@situations.gg ■

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ACCOU N TAN CY

Being an accountant is the most interesting job in the world Gareth Nicolle, director of Collenette Jones in Guernsey, sets out the benefits of a career in accountancy.

Whether or not you agree with the title of this article (and let’s be honest, there are probably not many people that do) it has at least encouraged you to read this far. If you asked somebody to describe an accountant, I almost guarantee that ‘interesting’ will not rank high on their list of adjectives. Dull, boring, interested in numbers; an overwhelming impression of a middle-aged man in a grey suit. That is the stereotype that those of us who choose to pursue a career in accounting must bear, but it is increasingly far from the truth. Shall we get one thing out of the way early on? There is a lot to an accountant’s ongoing work that is routine, which some people will find boring. Working in practice, we prepare financial statements and income tax returns for a wide range of individuals and companies; we advise people on the most efficient way of structuring investments, to maximise the tax allowances they can claim; and yes, complying with professional standards and regulatory requirements can mean form filling. But that is not all we do. If we are to prepare accurate accounts and tax returns – and, more importantly, give our clients the advice they need before something goes wrong – we need to know them, understand their goals and have a real insight into what their business does. This means talking to them, and building relationships.

The most interesting aspects of the job can be dealing with those one-off pieces of work clients ask you to help them with – when they are looking to purchase a business, are considering expanding what they already do into new products or markets, or are planning to retire. These decisions will invariably be emotional – whether the excitement of a new idea, or realising the fruits of a lifetime of hard work – and the analytical input that a good accountant can offer at such times is invaluable. It’s a time when you can offer solutions that a non-accountant might not even have thought about, and there is real satisfaction in seeing your clients succeed.

The Channel Islands are lucky to have a wide variety of employers that can offer a varied and interesting career to an accountant – both within the finance industry and outside. Thus far, I have only looked at the reasons why a particular career in accounting might be more interesting than you had thought – but the best thing about an accounting qualification is the doors that it can open. Every business of any size needs an accountant. The Channel Islands are lucky to have a wide variety of employers that can offer a varied and interesting career to an accountant – both within the finance industry and outside. Specsavers

and Healthspan are just a couple of examples of larger local employers which have significant finance teams. What about if you have your sights set on a career outside of the islands? Again, accountancy could offer you that opportunity. Many of the larger accounting firms offer newly qualified staff the chance to experience working in other countries, with opportunities in London, Australia, the Cayman Islands and the United States not uncommon. If you prefer to ‘go it alone’, accounting qualifications are recognised internationally, and demonstrate to a potential employer that you are prepared (and able) to go to the effort required to pass technically challenging exams. It is also worth bearing in mind that obtaining an accounting qualification – and following that up with some solid accounting experience – might be only the first step on your career path. A finance background is a great route to senior positions in larger companies – statistics released for FTSE 100 companies show that, at February 2018, 51% of chief executives have a finance background. ■

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ACCO UN TAN CY

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Virginie Deflassieux, French tax director, and Caley Clarke, tax senior manager, at BDO consider the tax implications of owning homes in the UK or France as a Guernsey resident. Many Guernsey residents own real estate in the UK or France. These properties may be former main homes, inherited from relatives, holiday homes or the result of a diversified investment strategy to provide capital growth and rental income.

Any UK assets held, including UK property, will be subject to UK inheritance tax at 40% tax upon your death, after a nil rate band of £325,000. There is no inheritance or estate tax payable in Guernsey.* French property

All these scenarios lead to tax consequences in the country where the properties are situated. Ignoring these tax requirements can lead to painful back duties and penalties. UK property If you rent your UK property out, you will be liable to UK income tax on your profits. You will be required to complete a UK tax return each year including all UK income for the year, which runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year. As a Channel Islands’ resident, you will be entitled to claim UK personal allowance of up to £11,850 against your UK income. The current tax rate is 20%, 40% or 45%, depending on your levels of UK source income. You also need to report this income in Guernsey and claim double tax relief, reducing the Guernsey liability on this income. Since 6 April 2015, the sale of UK residential property by non-residents has become chargeable to UK capital gains tax. If beneficial, the value at 6 April 2015 can be used instead of cost and it is therefore useful to obtain a valuation at that date. An annual exemption of £11,700 can be deducted from the gain, which is taxed at 18% or 28%, depending on income levels. The vendor must submit an online form within 30 days of the date of conveyance. If you already complete UK tax returns any tax may be paid on the usual balancing payment date, or within 30 days. Unless trading in property, the gain will not be taxable in Guernsey.

Any income from French property rentals must be reported to the non-resident tax office in France. Your local tax office will only be concerned with annual occupier’s rates (Taxe d’Habitation) and Taxes Foncières (land and building tax). They may also wish to confirm that you have not inadvertently become a French tax resident, liable on a worldwide basis. This is particularly relevant to those who spend “extended holidays” in France. Unfurnished rentals are reportable together with any allowable expenses, including mortgage interest. Expenses may be rejected if you cannot provide invoices and payment evidence. Long-term leases are subject to strict rules protecting tenants, such as the requirement to cover a three-year period automatically renewable, save for strict notice procedures. It is also unlawful to evict tenants between October and March.

You may seek to cover costs when you are not using your French holiday home. Under French rules, furnished rentals are commercial activities which must be registered as a French business with a SIRET (business registration) number. If registered in one name only, it is possible to apply a simplified tax regime (Micro BIC) whereby expenses are set at 50% deduction of the turnover or 71% if the property is registered as a “meublé de tourisme classé” or “chambre d’hôtes”. These are subject to annual turnover limits of €70,000 or €170,000 respectively. Above these limits, an itemised regime applies requiring full evidence of expenses. Deductions such as depreciation or mortgage interest are usually pro-rated to the period of rentals. The rate of tax on net profit is 20% plus extra social surcharges of 17.2%, so a total charge of 37.2% for non-resident taxpayers, who can claim this as a tax credit. Owning French real estate brings other French tax considerations such as wealth tax if the total value is sufficiently high, but also property capital gains tax and estate planning issues given France’s forced heirship rules. ■ * All rates and allowances are for the tax year ended 5 April 2019.

CORPORATE

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FUNDS

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MONEY-MAKING MUSIC

A trio of Guernsey advisors recently supported the launch of a fund that is the first of its kind in the island. Fund administrator Estera, law firm Ogier and PwC worked together on the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited (Hipgnosis Songs).

The Guernsey fund investing in songs and musical intellectual property rights was admitted to the London Stock Exchange (LSE) on 11 July 2018 after raising £202.2 million. Hipgnosis Songs was set up by Merck Mercuriadis, the former manager of global stars including Beyoncé, Elton John, Morrissey, Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses. Three leading Guernsey advisors collaborated in the IPO on the Specialist Fund Segment of the LSE. Fund administrator Estera International Fund Managers (Guernsey) Limited, law firm Ogier and PwC worked closely with investment adviser The Family (Music) Limited (TFM) on the launch of the first London-listed vehicle to offer an attractive and growing level of income and capital growth investing in music. TFM, founded by Merck Mercuriadis, counts in its advisory board music industry veterans as well as luminary Nile Rodgers.

The Estera team was led by directors Mariana Enevoldsen and James Christie. Ogier acted as Guernsey legal counsel, led by group partner Craig Cordle and associate Charlotte Brown, while the PwC team of reporting accountants included Stephanie Coxon and Jo Mauger. Mariana Enevoldsen said: ‘We have a long track-record in providing administrative services to innovative alternative investment funds. Supported by a highly-credible advisory team, which is deeply embedded within the music industry, Hipgnosis Songs answers ongoing investor demand for increasing levels of income and capital growth from assets which are completely uncorrelated to other investments.’ Craig Cordle, partner and head of Guernsey investment funds at Ogier, said: ‘Ogier is delighted to have

worked together with TFM and local and international advisors to bring this innovative product to fruition. This is a new asset class for Guernsey and Hipgnosis Songs is a fantastic addition to the strong stable of LSE-listed closed-ended funds already domiciled in Guernsey. New promoters like TFM are exactly what Guernsey needs, and Hipgnosis Songs is a great reflection of how Guernsey can support fundraising internationally.’ Stephanie Coxon from PwC said: ‘This is another great product for Guernsey. It demonstrates the jurisdiction continues to be popular and trusted by advisors and investors. It’s also interesting to see promoters and advisors looking to create products that provide constant yields that are not necessarily correlated to other financial markets.’ N+1 Singer acted as financial adviser and bookrunner and Herbert Smith Freehills as UK legal advisors. ■

L EGAL A RE N A

GUERNSEY GREEN FUNDS – AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WRAPPER Tim Clipstone, partner in Ogier’s Guernsey investment funds team, considers the recently introduced Guernsey Green Fund designation.

It remains to be seen whether this year’s super-heated summer is a further indication of fundamental climate change or a statistical outlier, but what is incontrovertible is that governments around the world have committed to reducing carbon emissions and many of our best and brightest minds are developing green technologies which are improving the quality of our air, water and land, helping us to use natural resources more efficiently, and generally mitigating the environmental damage caused by our current use of fossil fuels. 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 the light of these factors, the Guernsey Financial Services Commission (GFSC) introduced the Guernsey Green Fund designation to provide investment managers with 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. Criteria for applying the Guernsey Green Fund kite mark The kite mark will be capable of being used in connection with Guernsey registered or authorised 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 that fall within a set of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles compiled by the joint finance group of certain multilateral development banks. The asset classes include net emission-reducing 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 scheme’s overall objective of mitigating environmental damage. They also must not invest in certain proscribed asset classes, including uranium mining, fossil fuelbased 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. Who decides if the scheme qualifies as a Guernsey Green Fund?

that the scheme meets the 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). 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. ■ * From GFSC consultation paper 28 April 2018

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

LEGAL ARENA

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

The Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman

Advocate Adam Cole, counsel at Ferbrache & Farrell, considers the role of the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman, whether it has wider decision-making powers than the Royal Court, and what remedies are open to parties who feel aggrieved by such a decision. The Channel Island Financial Ombudsman (CIFO) is designed to offer an alternative to court by which complaints against relevant financial services businesses (FSBs) can be resolved quickly, informally and fairly. The CIFO has the power to make awards up to a maximum of £150,000. Many fiduciaries will be aware of the statutory carve-outs that limit the CIFO’s jurisdiction in respect of the majority of their business streams. They may, therefore, be understandably inclined towards the view that the CIFO is of little relevance to them. However, for those administering a retirement annuity trust scheme (RATS), this may not be the end of the story from the CIFO’s perspective. By way of a recent example, we are aware of a RATS member having complained to the CIFO about the administration of the RATS by its trustee. The RATS was governed by Guernsey law and the trust instrument included provisions that discharged and indemnified the trustee’s liability to the maximum extent permitted by law.

CIFO awards are not subject to appeal and the avenue for challenge is judicial review. Even a prima facie eligible complaint to the CIFO may be rejected if there are compelling reasons why it would be inappropriate for the CIFO to handle the matter. Such reasons include

there being a more appropriate forum than the CIFO. More specifically, that may require consideration of, first, whether it is impossible for the CIFO to determine a complaint without deciding a “significant doubtful point of law” and, secondly, whether the need for a court’s involvement outweighs the benefits of the CIFO process.

In the context of the relatively low value of CIFO awards, any fiduciary would need to carefully weigh the merits of a challenge against the costs of the process. The trustee in the recent example, again understandably, contended that a CIFO monetary award would amount to a determination that the trustee could not rely upon a clause that (in the absence of the trustee’s fraud, wilful misconduct or gross negligence) lawfully excused it from liability. Similarly, the trustee explained that for any award to have a meaningful compensatory effect, the trustee would also need to be prevented from relying upon its lawful indemnity- which would otherwise result in a circularity whereby the trustee’s liability fell to be settled from the assets of the RATS. In each of the circumstances, the trustee argued that the CIFO was not properly placed to determine the complaint and should reject it. The CIFO decided that it was an eligible complaint and that it could be dealt with on the basis of what was “fair and reasonable”.

The CIFO ultimately upheld the complaint without any finding of fraud, gross negligence or wilful misconduct against the trustee. A decision of this nature, which effectively over-reaches the trust instrument of a RATS, may not be consistent with the decision that a court could properly reach in identical circumstances. CIFO awards are not subject to appeal and the avenue for challenge is judicial review. Judicial review is a review of the process by which a public body makes an administrative decision in order to determine whether the decision was lawful. The remedy is a discretionary one and is not frequently employed. Whilst a decision of the sort outlined above may be liable to judicial review, in the context of the relatively low value of CIFO awards, any fiduciary would need to carefully weigh the merits of a challenge against the costs of the process – including the possibility of an adverse costs order if the judicial review failed. The hope is that the CIFO will not seek to push the margins of its jurisdiction in ways that impact upon the clear and certain terms of the islands’ trust laws. Decisions of this nature may, though, cause even the hopeful to pause for thought.■

Grand Masters. Our dispute resolution department has vast experience of local and international litigation and dispute resolution generally, gained from acting in complex local and international high-value disputes, both in Guernsey and throughout the world.

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L EGAL A RE N A

THE RISE OF DATA REQUESTS

In light of recent regulatory change, Stephen Ozanne, senior counsel at Walkers in Guernsey, outlines three key points to consider before responding to any data subject access requests.

Since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force earlier this year, it is our perception that data subject access requests (DSARs) have been on the increase. The publicity around GDPR and the enhanced rights that are given to individuals, including the right to access their personal information, has meant that we are seeing more people using DSARs to demand information from businesses (acting as “controllers” of data). This has particularly been the case in situations that are leading into, or involve, a dispute. A controller’s knee jerk reaction to receipt of a DSAR might well be to panic and provide every bit of information that it holds in relation to the individual. After all, the potential fines for non-compliance with GDPR are frightening. However, controllers should not rush into copying all of their files and handing them over to the requestor without first considering these key points. Know who you are dealing with and get your timing right Often, DSARs are submitted by third parties, such as professional advisers acting on behalf of an individual, and not by the individual him or herself. If the controller has any reason to doubt the requestor’s identity, which is particularly the case when they are dealing with third parties, it is important that the controller requests additional information that is reasonably necessary to confirm the identity. Generally, controllers have one month following the day that they receive a DSAR to comply with the access request. If additional information is needed to

confirm the identity of the requestor, the clock should not start to run until the day on which the controller receives that additional information. Only personal data Quite often DSARs contain a very wide request for information as a “fishing expedition” to find the “smoking gun” document that could help in a legal claim. However, controllers must be vigilant and carefully review the information that they hold to ensure that it actually is personal data before deciding whether to disclose it.

Information that does not relate to an individual, such as pure financial data relating to an investment, is not personal data and should not be disclosable. DSARs only apply to personal data, which is information that relates to an identified, or identifiable, individual. People’s names are clearly personal data because a person can be directly identified from their name. In relation to other types of information that may not directly identify an individual, the question is whether an individual can be indirectly identified using additional information, or by any other reasonable means, taking into account other factors such as the technology available and the costs and time required to identify the individual. Information that does not relate to an individual, such as pure financial data relating to an investment, is not personal data and should not be disclosable.

Check if any exemptions apply In Guernsey, there are various different exemptions that may apply to disclosure of information pursuant to a DSAR, particularly in relation to certain types of financial services and information relating to trusts. Controllers should carefully consider whether any exemptions apply to disclosure of the personal data that they hold. Controllers must also check whether the information relates to any other individuals, such as employees, other customers or third parties. Controllers are obliged to refuse to disclose information if it would be reasonable to do so to protect the significant interests of another individual. There are a number of factors that a controller should consider when deciding whether it would be reasonable to refuse to disclose information in this situation, but ultimately it is a balancing exercise of different individuals’ rights and interests, which have to be considered on a case by case basis. The practicalities of DSARs will be covered at Walkers’ annual Channel Islands Employment Conference in Guernsey on 17 October 2018 and in Jersey on 18 October 2018. ■

LEGAL ARENA

THE RISE OF THE LAWBOT?

Advocates Michael Cushing and Anthony Williams of Appleby consider the impact of technology on the litigation process.

Like most professions, the practice of law has been changed immeasurably by technology. Communication is now instantaneous. Gone are the days of writing a letter and knowing that you could put the file away for a week before the response came back. Legal research is conducted online and not in a law library, with access to legal authorities from courts around the world. Knowledge management platforms keep lawyers up to date and deliver incredible efficiencies in document production. Evidence can be transcribed in real time so that those involved in a case, whether they are in the court room or the office, can read and consider the evidence as it is given. Court hearings can be held remotely using video technology, with the judge, advocates and even witnesses in different locations. All of these changes, and many more, have contributed to improvements in the accessibility, responsiveness and efficiency of legal services. In litigation, however, technology has had, and will continue to have, a material impact on the way in which lawyers work. Litigation in Jersey and Guernsey, like in England, is conducted on a ‘cards on the table’ basis. This means that each party to a legal dispute is required to disclose every relevant document, regardless of whether it is confidential, the basis upon which the party holds it and, most importantly, whether it is helpful or unhelpful to the party’s case. This is known as the discovery process.

The discovery process extends not only to physical documents, photographs, recordings and so forth, but also to information held electronically. It extends to emails, call logs, voice recordings, text messages and social media posts. It extends to data which has been archived or which has been deleted but is recoverable. Where the party is a corporate entity, it extends to data held by all of its officers, directors, employees and agents.

Given that some estimates have suggested that by 2020 there will be over 5,000 gigabytes of data for every person, it is clear that the exercise of collating and reviewing everything that needs to be disclosed is a task that is only going to get more complicated. Because of the vast amount of digital data now produced, the discovery process in litigation can be a massive exercise. Just one gigabyte of data can contain over 100,000 pages of emails or over 10,000 documents. Given that some estimates have suggested that by 2020 there will be over 5,000 gigabytes of data for every person, it is clear that the exercise of collating and reviewing everything that needs to be disclosed is a task that is only going to get more complicated. Fortunately, digital technology offers solutions to the problems it has helped to create. The days of copying, printing,

sorting into chronological order and having a lawyer review each and every document which may be relevant are largely gone. Electronic review platforms now provide the ability to capture, search and sort huge amounts of data quickly and easily. Technology assisted review allows large volumes of data to be reviewed using artificial intelligence which ‘learns’ to identify (more consistently than a large team of lawyers and at a fraction of the time and cost) not only documents which are relevant to a case, but also those which may have a positive or negative impact on its outcome. The ability instantaneously to keyword search, notate, remove duplicates, sort and index documents provides lawyers with a powerful tool to assist in assessing and exploiting the strengths and weaknesses in a case at an early stage. Even at trial, technology is transforming the way in which cases are conducted. Court bundles can now be prepared and accessed in court electronically, significantly reducing the amount of paper and the time taken to find the document being referred to. Instead, documents can be called up instantaneously by reference number and viewed on screen. With effective use of trial technology, the amount of court time used (and legal costs incurred) can be massively reduced. There is no doubt technology and the advent of AI will impact on the provision of legal services in the future. Of course, whether the lawbot will ever replace the art of human persuasion of an advocate in court is another matter altogether! ■

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LEGAL ARENA

#LawTech: The Calm Before the Storm … is over

Founders of Absolute Barrister, Simon and Katy Gittins, discuss the latest in LawTech, the latent unmet need in the legal market and the role Guernsey could choose to play.

If you own an older car, at some point you will reach the inevitable conclusion that it needs upgrading. There comes a stage where it simply becomes uneconomical to retro fit it with, for example, electric motors and a charging socket. Of course small improvements can be made and you could always upgrade, but as your diesel bills start to increase it will dawn on you that in the longer term you have the wrong model and it is no longer economical to invest in it. We write this in a month that saw both the largest single investment in the legal industry, and a sale of an innovative legal business to one of the big four. Neither was a law firm. Mention LawTech and you might first imagine corporate law clients being serviced with a panoply of a la carte offerings including electronic signatures, client portals, big data, perhaps even using AI for disclosure. If you read the legal press, you can hardly escape a day without headlines of “big law x buys software y to reduce process time z”. But if you’re a client or lawyer using all this tech and the billable hours remain the same, then what’s the point? In fact, these headlines are tracked and it turns out that the top 200 UK law firms tend to pick their tech from the same fixed menu as everyone else. Lawyers feel safe however; not only are billable hours up and revenues up slightly year-on-year but there’s not a hint of a robot taking your job. With good but modest year on year growth of 4%, the legal market tends to agree. This is LawTech but it is hardly disruptive or revolutionary. The biggest issue in the legal market is access to legal advice and representation

because it is too expensive, and developing LawTech products or services to address a larger market. Reports for the first time have tried to quantify this ‘latent unmet need’. One in Canada, and a recent report by a new charity in the UK, put the figure at just 6% of those needing legal advice paying for a lawyer. It too puts BAME legal users as less likely to pay for legal advice and more likely to get bad advice when they do. It’s difficult to see how the dominant hourly rate partnership model is the right one to unlock the investment and development needed to address law’s addiction to a form of monopoly which ignores the other 94% of, let’s not forget - its own market – businesses and individuals.

This market change took new aircraft, new people, new airport investment, the internet, investment in infrastructure and it only took 30 years. For an information-based business like law, it won’t take anywhere near that long. In the airline industry, a flight from New York to LA used to cost $1442 return in the 1970s. The same flight now costs less than three hundred dollars. At that time, less than 20% of the population of America had ever flown. In 2011, at least half of the 300million plus Americans took a return flight every year and the average was two return flights for each and every person. One of the keys to all of this was first to use cheaper older models of aircraft and then take advantage of bulk buy discounts from manufacturers

at vastly reduced rates. The new model of operating in a deregulated market, the low-cost-carriers, in 2011 overtook traditional carriers by market share for the first time: a market where passenger numbers are now set to double again by 2036. This market change took new aircraft, new people, new airport investment, the internet, investment in infrastructure and it only took 30 years. For an information-based business like law, it won’t take anywhere near that long. The half a billion investment mentioned earlier, the largest ever, featured in LegalZoom this month. Although it bought a UK alternative business structure (ABS), LegalZoom is largely US based. It has monthly and transactional pricing for simple tasks like document creation for filing a patent, creating wills and trusts and company formation with attorney review if needed, both for individuals and businesses, and has serviced over six million individual and business clients. The more local news is that Riverview Law has been bought by E&Y, which plans to take 100 staff to a global total of 3,000. These are just the first in an expanding market, or an additional legal market, defined by Thomson Reuters

L EGAL A RE N A Guernsey could be the ideal seed bed in which to deliver support, nurture and grow new banks, new legal solutions and new AI products, but it must seed them if it wants to take a part in growing them too.

as comprising ‘Alternative Legal Services Providers’ (ALSP), an additional market that grew from nothing, estimated at being worth $55bn by 2025. As far as LawTech is concerned, this is surely the calm before the storm. These two investments mark the beginning of something new. Make no mistake, these are innovative LawTech businesses in a market that is at a fraction of its capacity to service the future need. Just as with FinTech (finance), RegTech (regulatory tech, now considered to be separate from LawTech) and MarTech (marketing), there is a role for Guernsey and the Channel Islands. The common thread, the ‘tech’, positions a separate but compliant GDPR jurisdiction ideally placed to take advantage when it comes to innovation, funding, hosting and delivery. However, there are perhaps a few

reasons why you don’t bump into scores of programmers in the High Street or find web services like AWS or other data centres battling to bag their own concrete bunker. Compared with the UK, the innovation fund as distributed in Guernsey is secret (the first four investments in any event) and they are, further, not designed to seed businesses. The seed market model is well understood and essential to start up and boost companies to a series A investment, as opposed to generating a guaranteed state return on each investment. There is no ‘Innovate UK’ equivalent either which underwrites 75% of loans advanced by banks to SMEs, no EIS and SEIS - tax relief to investors (and a de facto pre-requisite for all crowdfunding sites) and there are no innovation grants. On the one hand it’s difficult to underestimate the

potential value of a separate jurisdiction in an information economy but on the other it is difficult to see the mainstream political will to even bring about support on a par with that offered in the UK. Guernsey could be the ideal seed bed in which to deliver support, nurture and grow new banks, new legal solutions and new AI products, but it must seed them if it wants to take a part in growing them too. For LawTech, the fear of truly disruptive innovation and investment in innovation has - post the hype - been relatively calm. The decisions made this month however show that in a global market far from capacity, the calm before the storm is now over. It’s up to Guernsey whether it wants to play a part. ■

LEGAL ARENA

THE SILVER LINING TO FLEXIBLE WORKING

Hana Plsek, senior associate at Collas Crill in Guernsey, outlines the advantages to employers of allowing more flexible working conditions for older members of staff.

For several years there has been a positive buzz around the idea of flexible working. While this hasn’t all been noise, it has frequently revolved around the employment of working mothers. As a result, there are still sections of society that are not considered when discussing flexible working. One such section is the mature aged demographic. What does flexible working actually mean? Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs. This can be achieved by having flexible start and finishing times or the ability to work from different locations such as from the employee’s home. In the UK, applications for flexible working must be considered by employers. While there is no such right in Guernsey, the employer runs the risk of a claim on the basis of discrimination if they do not fairly consider it. But what does this mean for the more senior members of our work force? In the UK, an estimated one million people aged 50-64 have been pushed out of work involuntarily due to health conditions and care responsibilities.

Working flexibly drives employees to be organised and efficient, typically undertaking far more in far less time than their full time colleagues. Much like working mums, the mature aged working demographic need the flexibility to care for members of their family.

Sometimes this includes a poorly spouse or partner or, as is becoming more common, assisting with the childcare of their grandchildren. In order to do this, they are looking to employers to be more flexible with working hours and holiday allowance. Sadly, some employers are refusing those requests as a way of pushing the older generation out of the workplace. These requests are sometimes being viewed as “the beginning of the end” and a headache for employers more generally. This may be a very short sighted view when such an employee can in fact be an inexpensive source of experience and knowledge. What mature employees can add to your business It is a reality for most that financial situations will see us looking to work late into our 60s. As such, employers should be looking to what benefits can be brought to a firm: Experience. They literally will have been there and done that. They will offer the company a wealth of knowledge and information for potentially a fraction of the cost if they are working part time. Loyalty. Unlike their younger counterparts, they are most likely not looking to progress their career further nor are they interested in moving to a new firm. They are a safe set of hands that you know will be consistently there. Work ethic. Much like working mothers, you can get more than you pay for. Working flexibly drives employees to be organised and efficient, typically

undertaking far more in far less time than their full time colleagues. So how can employers support the older generation of staff? Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, has been quoted as saying that: “36 per cent of 55-64 year olds feeling like they’ve been disadvantaged or treated negatively because they were perceived as being older”. In order to promote the wellbeing and productivity of the mature work force (and everyone else) in the office, employers may wish to consider the following: Remote working: provide training and adapt job roles to enable employees to take advantage of technology to make flexible working more viable. Encourage mentoring: take advantage of the knowledge and experience of older employees. Empower older workers by making them feel valued and pass on knowledge to the younger generation. Promote work place health and support: ensure employees are given support to plan for the future and eventual retirement. Flexible working needs to encompass more than just working mothers. Experience, knowledge and loyalty can add immense value to your firm and it’s probably already in your company waiting to be utilised. ■

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HOU SEHOLD E X PE NDITU R E SU RVEY

WHAT DO YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY ON?

Guernsey residents are being encouraged to sign up to the island’s Household Expenditure Survey, which started in May and will be running for 12 months. The team behind the survey says its results are useful across a range of areas and that it is important a representative variety of households take part.

The Household Expenditure Survey is used to determine how much Guernsey households spend on different goods and services, also known as the “cost of living”. It will provide a wealth of information, including how much islanders spend online compared to on island and off island (on holidays and short trips away). The results of the survey are published on www.gov.gg/household and are used by the States’ Data & Analysis team to update the contents of the ‘basket of goods’ used to calculate RPI and RPIX and the weights applied in the calculations. Many businesses monitor or use the published RPI and RPIX inflation figures on a regular basis. Others will need information on islanders’ spending patterns in order to inform business plans or other research. Whether you are interested in total expenditure levels compared to Jersey or the UK, or another aspect of how households prioritise their spending, the survey will give you the answers. It will show whether households are spending more or less across all the different categories of goods and services compared with 2012-13, when the survey was last undertaken. At that point, the average total expenditure was £1,046 per week (£54,398 per year). For the first time, the survey also seeks to find out how much household expenditure is funded by current

income compared to how much is paid for using savings or credit. To ensure the survey results in a sufficiently detailed and representative picture of spending in Guernsey, more than 1,000 households are needed to take part.

There is no such thing as an average household, it’s the mix of different households combined that give the average figures. The States’ Data & Analysis team has teamed up with colleagues in the Jersey Statistics Unit to approach the survey in a different way this time. Fieldworker assisted interviews and online data submissions combine to make the survey easier to complete than before and are providing better quality data. To thank people for taking part, each household can choose to have a £25 voucher or a ticket for one of four prize draws with a top prize of £500. All different sizes and types of household are needed to take part, as the sample needs to represent the mix of households on the island. There is no such thing as an average household, it’s the mix of different households combined that give the average figures. Single person households, big families and house-sharers are all needed. The first part of the survey involves a fieldworker asking the household a set of

questions and filling out a form to gather information on regular payments and large items, such as utility bills, mortgage, rent and insurance payments and vehicle purchases. Once that is complete, all household members then need to record all their smaller purchases over a two week period: the supermarket shopping, lunches and takeaway dinners, meals and drinks out, online purchases, petrol etc. Chamber members can support the survey by opting to participate and encouraging friends and family and those in their professional networks to do so too. They can promote the survey amongst their staff and customers: posters, leaflets and workplace promotional materials are available from the survey team. They can also be part of the roadshow, by hosting one of the fieldworkers for a few hours, so they can explain more about the survey and encourage staff or customers to sign up. The team of fieldworkers is both visiting randomly selected addresses across the island and making visits to volunteers who have offered their participation. By getting as many volunteers as possible, the survey can be run in the most cost efficient way. To find out more or volunteer to take part (at any point until April 2019), visit https://www.gov.gg/hes ■

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The perfect place for a wonderful lunch with a spectacular view. Relax with a chilled glass of Champagne and try our new Mediterranean menu. Enjoy a host of summer flavours in our very own sunny paradise in the heart of town. Take a long, lazy afternoon and treat yourself to a rustic pizza, a succulent rack of lamb or fish of the day cooked to perfection in our new Roccbox™ wood-fired ovens.

GREAT BRITISH GRAZING FOOD

Try our new Great British grazing platters, perfect for sharing with friends or colleagues. Classic steak and kidney pie, chorizo Scotch eggs and many more quintessentially British dishes prepared with only the finest seasonal and local produce for you to enjoy in The Crown Club or on The Terrace. Sit back, and enjoy a sophisticated evening of exquisite food and drink.

GUERNSEY IN THE LIMELIGHT

This year our beautiful island will hit the big screen with the adaptation of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Widely regarded as the most historic hotel in The Channel Islands, The OGH played its part during The Occupation as a Soldatenheim, or soldier’s home where officers and NCOs could come to relax and meet. We have discovered a wealth of information about the part played by the hotel and have collated it into our very own archive for our guests to enjoy. Come and learn more about our rich heritage while you sample dishes inspired by this period in history and served in our very own Occupation archive.

SOLDATENHEIM MENU Soldatenheim broth ~ Tian of Guernsey crab tomato jelly, ruby grapefruit, cucumber sorbet Guernsey bean jar ham hock, beef shank, haricot beans Vegetable bean jar (v) nettles, tomato, root vegetables

Roasted pork tenderloin black pudding, squash purée, potato peel pie

Guernsey Gâche “pain perdu” local liqueur gel, Guernsey Dairy ice cream

Pan seared local catch of the day charred fennel, potato peel pie, dill butter

Apricot and ginger syllabub Roquette cider jelly

Wild mushroom tart (v) shallot emulsion, poached hen’s egg

Guernsey Cheddar and Fort Grey quince paste, celery, oat cake ~ Coffee and handmade chocolates

St Ann’s Place, St Peter Port, GY1 2NU | T. 01481 724921 | www.theoghhotel.com

FOOD, DRINK & H OS PITA L ITY

K E E P I N G

I T

LO CA L The Channel Islands have an abundance of food and drink producers making the most of our natural climate and environmental advantages to produce world-class local goods. Tamara Timothy has been meeting some of those looking to satisfy islanders’ appetites.

GUERNSEY OYSTERS Charlotte Dickson and her partner Justin started their oyster farming business in 2016, when they took over two sites at Rocquaine plus the oyster beds at Herm. Two years on, their business is thriving and their oysters are a familiar sight at local food events as well as on restaurant menus. Local oysters are a staple of the island’s food offering but, according to Charlotte, not everyone is aware of just how ‘local’ they are.

‘Every oyster consumed in the Bailiwick is entirely reared in the Bailiwick – I’m not sure people realise that and quite how unusual it is.’ In Guernsey, the shellfish are grown from seed right through to consumption. The Bailiwick of Guernsey has been fortunate to escape the disease that has affected many oyster populations, so no oysters are imported into the island that could risk contaminating the local breeding areas. At the Guernsey and Herm sites, oysters are nurtured from babies through to a size where they can be sold locally or exported, mainly in bulk to France. ‘The French market prefers much smaller oysters to the local market in Guernsey. So the ones we ship there are younger than those we sell for consumption here. But the demand for both is huge.’ Charlotte is not only passionate about her business, but about educating the local population on the uniqueness of their product. As part of that, she takes

her ‘oyster bar’, an old fishing boat aptly named HMS Oyster, to local events. ‘I meet people who have grown up in Guernsey but who see the beds at Rocquaine and Herm and have no idea what they are. So many islanders have no concept of how oysters are farmed and how special the industry is. I really want to raise the awareness and understanding and appreciation of our local oysters.’ Charlotte will be helped in that campaign by the recent acquisition of new sites in Guernsey, which will be more accessible to the public and hopefully allow her to show the beds to school tours and other groups – ensuring more people are aware of how unique a Guernsey oyster is.

FO O D, DRI N K & H O SP I TALIT Y

THE JERSEY TEA COMPANY The Jersey Tea Company is a recent newcomer to the local food and drink scene. The home-grown tea business was started by four friends last year and will soon have its first products available for purchase. Director Katherine Boucher explained where the inspiration for the unusual business venture came from. ‘The initial idea came about simply because of my husband Terry’s curiosity. I’m from Jersey but when he moved to the island he was very interested in finding out all about it, and one particular building that caught his eye was that of the Overseas Trading Company.’ A little research later, and the couple became aware of the island’s historical importance in terms of importing, blending and distributing tea. But it wasn’t until they heard a Radio 4 programme about growing tea in Europe that the idea really took hold. Eventually they concluded that it could be possible to grow quality tea locally in Jersey. Now the company has managed it, with three handcrafted whole leaf teas – green,

oolong and black – ready to be distributed, which have all been grown and processed on-island. ‘While we haven’t had enough processed tea to be able to distribute commercially until now, for the past year we have produced tea that could be tasted for research and development purposes. That meant us entering a whole new world of ‘tea sommeliers’, and we have even had tasters from the UK Tea Academy test our teas. ‘Everyone’s opinions have been really positive so far, with some tasters comparing our tea to a Japanese tea, which we believe is due to the effect of the sea on local soil.’ The taste may be similar to a tea from Japan, but this is very much a Jersey product. The 25,000 tea plants are being grown organically on carefully chosen land which the company is letting from Jersey Hemp and Farm Fresh Organics.

Katherine is a psychologist in her day job and so is more aware than most of the health benefits that tea can bring. ‘The antioxidant benefits of a quality tea like this are well-known, but there are also other advantages. I love the idea of people pausing in their busy lives to make a cup of proper tea and simply enjoy it. There is a whole literature around the psychological aspects of tea breaks in the workplace and how they encourage productivity – it’s a fascinating area and I’m glad we can be part of it.’

WALLOW CHARCUTERIE set the bar high. From the pedigree pigs he imported to start the business to the top of the range equipment he uses for curing and hanging the meat, he wants to produce a quality product.

Guernseyman Mark Terry first discovered his love of cured meat during his career sailing in the Mediterranean. Fast forward to the present and he has settled down on a picturesque farm in the heart of St Pierre du Bois. But he still has a taste

of his previous life through his new business producing artisan charcuterie.

From just a few pigs a couple of years ago, the farm is now home to around 70 pedigree Oxford Sandy and Blacks, a 300-year-old native English breed. The high fat content of their meat means they are ideal for producing cured meats.

Wallow is currently the only producer of charcuterie in the Channel Islands, and as the first to show what can be done locally, Mark was determined to

The nature of the business means that the livestock changes regularly as Mark only keeps the female pigs to make his charcuterie.

FOOD, DRINK & H OS PITA L ITY

really taste in the meat. So the boys go for pork at between four and six months and the girls we keep for around a year.’ Once the pigs are the right age and weight, they are slaughtered and the meat cured by Mark on the farm. He’s keeping his recipes guarded, but says it’s actually the quality of the meat rather than any secret ingredients that make his products stand out. ‘We only want the girls because they don’t suffer from the taint that a boy pig can get. An older boar takes on what is called boar taint, which I think you can

‘The meat is hung to age and dry and that is what really takes the time. Some of our larger cuts have now been hanging for over a year and the rest for at least

five or six months. But we can’t cut down on that time because that’s where you get the flavour. All the proteins in the meat change and the fat breaks down and it produces this lovely-looking, very tasty meat. It’s completely different to something mass-produced you could buy in a shop and we think it’s rather special.’ So far, it seems others agree. Wallow has featured on many local restaurant menus, and its popularity has meant that Mark is struggling to keep up with demand. He says he is looking to expand, but for now his charcuterie will have to be worth the wait.

SLEEP WELL A long-haul plane trip home from the USA gave local businesswoman Sam Watts the idea of a Jersey milk-based drink to encourage better sleep. Together with her husband, Allan, they have now produced a product that is being distributed nationally in the UK, with plans to expand further afield.

there, it triggered a lot of interest from the trade press and other retailers.’

‘Two years ago we were on our way home to Jersey from Los Angeles. I hate flying so I picked up a bottle of drink with melatonin to try to help me sleep on the flight. I then realised that nothing similar was available at home and the idea was born.’

‘At the beginning we worked with Jersey Dairy to develop a natural recipe that was both delicious and could be produced commercially. We then had to create the brand and secure the necessary trademarks. We both have experience in marketing and branding, but creating a food product is very different.

Not one to waste time, a year later Sam and Allan Watts launched Sleep Well. The drink is made with Jersey milk, valerian and honey. A natural product that can be used by everyone over the age of one, it appealed to food distributors from the start. ‘From the launch we were quickly picked up by Fortnum & Mason, which was fantastic. They have a wonderful reputation, and they are recognised as being industry leaders when it comes to introducing new foods to the market. Once we were stocked

As experts in marketing, branding and PR, Sam and her husband were well placed to take advantage of any opportunities that arose, but she admits it has been a steep learning curve for them both.

‘It is an expensive product to produce. We have it blended by Jersey Dairy, but it has to be packaged in Somerset. But we look at it that we’re not selling milk, we’re selling sleep – and it’s hard to put a price on a good night’s rest.’

Sleep Well is now available online from Amazon and sleepwellmilk.com, in more than 50 local shops, and recently launched in 18 Booths stores in the North of England. But Sam and Allan don’t plan to stop there. With Jersey Dairy conquering overseas markets, they are also looking to places such as Europe, China and Dubai for future growth, alongside plans to produce a wider range of flavours and non-dairy versions of the drink. That’s a lot to achieve, but hopefully they can sleep soundly knowing they’ve created a successful brand from this local product. ■

P RO M OT I O N A L F E AT URE

Seymour Hotels invest in tourism

Leading Jersey hotel group, Seymour Hotels, is responsible for 10% of the island’s bed stock. It has recently completed a substantial £5 million investment programme in its three hotels – The Merton Hotel & Suites, Pomme d’Or Hotel and The Greenhills Country House Hotel. Managing director, David Seymour, explains why the group wanted to improve its offering. Seymour Hotels has been committed to Jersey’s tourism industry for almost 100 years, with five generations of the Seymour family working in the business. We have recently made a significant investment of our resources into this important pillar of Jersey’s economy and feel this sends a clear signal of our confidence in the island’s tourism industry. Our investment programme has covered all the hotels within the group and has ranged from upgrades which will be obvious to all hotel users to those which are less noticeable, but will ultimately have a real impact on our environmental footprint. A major investment was the £2.3 million we have spent on moving from steam to low temperature hot water systems across the Merton Hotel. While this will provide economic savings for the group, it will also make a significant difference to our environmental impact. Our concern for the environment has also seen us move to LED

lighting across all three hotels, which will mean major energy savings compared with traditional lighting. At the Merton Aquadome we have installed a new, market-leading filtration system to ensure the facility has the cleanest, clearest swimming water possible. Meanwhile, at the Pomme d’Or, new state-of-the-art air conditioning units will provide cleaner air to our guests there. While guests won’t see our IT improvements, they will certainly benefit from them. We have completed an IT infrastructure review across the group and implemented major new systems. This has included a new reservations, guest billing and EPOS system providing real time rates and sales data. We hope this will make the group more accessible to traditional and online sales channels, which should drive an increase in visits to the island. We know that Jersey residents enjoy our facilities regularly, and they will see the

results of our investment programme. Our refurbishment of the Merton Aquadome gym with new cardiovascular and weight resistance equipment will benefit all users, alongside the new focus of the Cascades poolside café on grab-and-go style healthy eating options. The new all-weather floodlit multisport ball court will provide facilities for visitors and locals to enjoy 5-a-side, unihoc, tennis, netball, basketball and other popular sports year-round. The Seymour Hotels Group provides leisure facilities that both residents and visitors enjoy. This investment programme reinforces the confidence we have in Jersey’s tourism industry and reflects our commitment to the environment through energy savings and cutting-edge technology solutions. As a result, we can continue to meet and exceed customer requests in an increasingly demanding market. We are now in a position to respond to all market opportunities efficiently and effectively for the benefit of both our business and the island as a whole. ■

PROPERTY & CONSTR U C TION AWARDS

Award nominations flooding in

The organisers of this year’s Guernsey Property & Construction Awards say the amount of nominations received to date has far exceeded those of previous years.

With eight awards up for grabs, those who excel within the construction and property sectors are invited to nominate colleagues, peers or clients. The nomination period ends on 28 September for the following categories: Aspiring star Health & safety Engineering project of the year Construction professional of the year Property agent of the year Innovation for best new product or service Industry supplier of the year Lifetime achievement

One of the event’s key sponsors, BDO Guernsey, said: ‘The construction sector, which has always been so important to Guernsey, is one we have served for many years and it has been fascinating to see it grow and develop over that time. These awards give us an exciting opportunity to take a closer look at the success achieved by the sector as a whole, as well as the firms and individuals operating within it. ‘We look forward to taking an active role in the judging of the awards, particularly the innovation award which we are sponsoring, as we know we will unearth some untold stories of remarkable success happening here in Guernsey. We are

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excited to ensure that those stories are heard by the wider community and to celebrate the ground-breaking work being undertaken on the island.’ The Guernsey Property & Construction Awards take place on Thursday 8 November at Beau Sejour, sponsored by Ogier, BDO, G4S, Channel Island Ceramics and Guernsey Gas. The hosts for the evening are successful local racing drivers Andy and Sebastian Priaulx, with entertainment from Jake Lambert. It is free to nominate and full details can be found at www.guernseyconstructionawards.com ■

THE GUERNSEY PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION AWARDS 2018 Sponsors

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TICKETS: £750 PER TABLE OF 10, OR £75 INDIVIDUALLY Early booking/C.I.F. members discount: For all bookings made and paid for before 30 June 2018, there will be a discounted rate of £5 per person (£700 per table of 10 or £70 per person) TO BOOK email Adam or Julie at: adam@collaboratecommunications.com julie@collaboratecommunications.com

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J ER SEY F ESTIVA L

Book festivals abound all over Britain these days, so any newcomers to the calendar need something special to help them stand out. The organisers of the Jersey Festival of Words believe they found just that on their beautiful island with its unique atmosphere and rich Anglo-French heritage. Committee members Paul Bisson and Chris Bright explain what this year’s festival has to offer. Now in its fourth year, this friendly and accessible boutique event features big name celebrity authors in all genres from the world of British publishing, sharing a packed programme with island-based writers inspired by Jersey’s history, traditions and native language, Jèrriais. As well as St Helier’s theatres, the festival always aims to make use of historic venues, with previous events behind held at the Maritime Musuem, Durrell Zoo and Mont Orgueil Castle. This year, the iconic late Victorian seawater bathing pool at Havre des Pas will be the ideal stage for a discussion between novelist Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido, and Alexandra Heminsley, whose Leap In chronicles her journey from fearful novice to experienced sea swimmer.

Celebrity trainer Faisal Abdalla will be introducing his new book The PMA Method during an exclusive work-out session at Jersey’s Club Soulgenic, while a variety of wellbeing and positive thinking workshops are being hosted by various speakers.

Star names at the five day festival in September include Joanna Trollope, the doyenne of romantic novelists, and topselling crime writer Peter James, who has recently become a Jersey resident and who will be giving an exclusive preview to his long-anticipated novel, Absolute Proof - about a man who receives proof of God’s existence. Charismatic poet Lemn Sissay, the laureate of the London Olympics, will also be taking the stage to perform from his poetry collection, Gold From the Stone. Jersey’s traumatic experience of Nazi Occupation from 1940 to 1945 provides the backdrop to two of the new books being featured. Rupert Thomson’s novel Never Anyone But You is based on the fascinating love story of surrealist artists and Occupation heroines, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, while Hitler’s British Isles by historian Duncan Barrett makes vivid use of the personal testimony of Islanders who lived through those grim years. Several of this year’s events feature writers with a focus on health and wellbeing. Telegraph columnist and mental health campaigner Bryony Gordon will be talking about her latest book Eat, Drink, Run, in which she describes her journey

Peter James

from couch potato to London Marathon runner, while renowned blogger ‘Mummy was a Secret Drinker’, aka Clare Pooley, discusses her experiences after becoming a teetotaller in her new book, The Sober Diaries. Celebrity trainer Faisal Abdalla will be introducing his new book The PMA Method during an exclusive workout session at Jersey’s Club Soulgenic, while a variety of wellbeing and positive thinking workshops are being hosted by various speakers including Andrew Cope, Mark Bisson and Glenda Riovallan. Those are just some of the highlights of a festival that will range from poetry with pizza, the healing power of gardening and Donald Trump’s ties with Russia to advice on how to survive in teaching, secrets of a Masterchef winner and tips to writing a successful crime novel.

J E RSE Y F ESTIVA L

Bryony Gordon

As ever the Rathbones/JEP writing competition invites islanders to submit their own stories for award and publication, and this year sees the launch of the Jersey Festival of Words poetry competition, the winning prizes for which will be presented by Lemn Sissay at his event. This year’s festival will also feature a ‘scratch’ performance of Jackie the Baboon, a new play commissioned in conjunction with the Festival and Art House Jersey to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. It will be written and performed by renowned acting group and puppeteers Brunskill and Grimes, who received national acclaim following their directorial work on the stage production of War Horse.

Joanna Trollope

The Jersey Festival of Words, launched in 2015 as a non-profit venture by a group of enthusiasts keen for their island home to join the ranks of book festival destinations, has also developed a reputation for its fantastic programme of events for schools, families and young readers. This year’s Santander International schools programme authors include Andy Cope (Spy Dog, The Art of Being Brilliant), Robin Etherington (Freaking and Fearless), Laura Ellen Anderson (Amelia Fang), Laura Steven (The Exact Opposite of Okay) and Adam Frost (The Awesome Book of Space), while the Saturday morning of the festival sees the return of actor Fleur Alexander with a spectacular stage event based on J.K.Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Several children’s story times will be hosted at Jersey Library (including multilingual and signed events) and in collaboration with the Office de Jèrriais, free copies of a Jèrriais translation of Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt will be presented to children attending a unique reading of the book. Other Channel Islanders taking part in this year’s festival include poet and writer Simon Crowcroft, award-winning blogger Emma Critchley (www.islandliving365. com), romance writer Laura Carter and historian Paul Darroch, who makes a welcome return to the festival with a

Libby Page

special preview of his new book White Star, Blue Iceberg: Jersey Sea Stories. The Jersey Festival of Words is organised by the Jersey Literary Festival Association, and enjoys great support from various individuals, volunteers and commercial sponsors. ‘We’re grateful to all who continue to support us,’ said festival chairman Jennifer Bridge. ‘We have aimed from the start to create an event that is inclusive and accessible for all, celebrating the power and pleasure of reading, showcasing Jersey’s heritage and introducing young audiences to the world that books open up. As our festival continues to grow in scope and confidence, we hope to welcome more tourists to our events, as well as Jersey residents.’ ■

The Jersey Festival of Words 2018 takes place from Wednesday 26 September to Sunday 30 September. A full printed festival programme is available, while details on all festival events, including how to book, can be found at www.jerseyfestivalofwords.org

B USIN ES S IN TH E COM MU NITY

Ashburton Investments’ staff took part in a beach clean for the National Trust of Jersey’s coastline campaign

Guernsey’s Lieutenant Governor, Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder, has become patron of the Saffery Rotary Walk

Janvrin, Les Landes and Samarès primary schools won this year’s Waitrose “Grow and Sell” scheme in Jersey and visited Woodside Farms

Julius Baer is funding the training of a therapy dog for Les Voies school in Guernsey

Monique Gueguen from First Tower School won a competition to design a duck for the 10th Barclays Jersey Boat Show

RAS Group sponsored a week of stargazing and astronomy lectures in Sark

Guernsey Electricity has sponsored three local children to take part in a junior event at the Tour des Ports de la Manche sailing regatta

Creative agency Oi donated desks to Jersey Employment Trust to support their Acorn Reuse Centre

Alex Picot fitness challenge benefited the Jersey Motor Neurone Disease Association and the Stroke Association

Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled received three sports wheelchairs from Stonehage Fleming and Lady Taverners

RBC will be the title sponsor of Super League Triathlon in Jersey this year

The Guernsey Skipton Swimarathon launched a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colouring competition with local artist Sharka Lee

Sure Community Foundation sponsored Guernsey teachers to set an active example to their students

Rubis Channel Islands is supporting a photography competition for Jersey and Guernsey Trees for Life

Trust Corporation International sponsored a charity American flag football tournament to benefit Headway Guernsey

B USIN ES S IN TH E COM MU NITY

The Bosdet Foundation

The Les Ormes resort in Jersey is well known for offering holiday homes, less known is the benefit it brings to the local community. Charity manager, Alan Le Pavoux, told Contact about the Bosdet Foundation behind Les Ormes and how it helps young islanders. Centre Point Trust

The Bosdet Foundation was set up by the late George Bisson in 1989 in memory of his mother. At that time, George transferred the Les Quennevais Campsite and surrounding properties that he owned (now called Les Ormes) into the Bosdet Foundation. Almost 30 years later, the Foundation distributes hundreds of thousands of pounds to good causes in Jersey, with the ambition of donating one million pounds per year by 2030. It’s a significant goal, but one that, if achieved, would make a considerable difference to the island. According to Alan, it would help meet a real need. ‘The last round of applications we opened up, we were oversubscribed by £1.2 million. That is a lot of people looking for help, especially when you bear in mind that we are very clear in our focus of who we will give money to so we have already cut out many huge areas of need in the island.’

The focus Alan refers to is the restrictions the Bosdet Foundation has imposed on its charitable giving, in order to concentrate on where it most believes it can help. The Foundation will only help people in Jersey and will not support animal charities, political causes or religious groups. In recent years they have aimed their grants at disadvantaged young people – supporting children from antenatal up to the age of 18.

‘We are already talking to people about where the real issues are in Jersey and what we can focus on. Once we have done the research and discovered where we can have most impact, we will then be very clear on our outcomes and what we want to achieve. When we have those goals set out, we will be asking relevant organisations to come up with projects and proposals that will address the particular issue we hope to help solve.’

That age range ties in with the current drive of the Foundation to make as much long-term difference as possible.

That long-term view is already reflected in many of the projects that the Bosdet Foundation has recently helped. That includes their funding for an oral health educator as part of the dental care programme, Super Smiles, which is aimed at helping improve the oral health of children.

‘We have chosen to help children as we believe that if we support young people and families then ultimately you can get to a point where you reduce the social need in the island. We’re not looking for quick fixes or sticking plaster projects, we would rather move to a position where we are doing longterm projects that can have a real impact.’ By long-term, Alan means as much as 10 years. He says they are currently looking at the Foundation’s cash flow, but are hoping to start an ongoing project next year that would benefit from up to £50,0000 per year for a decade. Clearly, if they were to donate such a large amount of money they would want to make sure it was the right fit for the Foundation.

‘The Super Smiles programme reached a large population of very young children. It was spearheaded by dentists who were analysing the results in a clinical way, and the data demonstrated a reduction in cavies over just a short period. If we can support that for a generation then the work will have a knock on effect for the next generation, and that is to the long term benefit of the community.’ The Bosdet Foundation is also involved with educational charity, Every Child Our Future (ECOF). ECOF is focused on

B USI N E SS I N T H E CO M MUN IT Y

Every Child Our Future

Super Smiles

Alan Le Pavoux

literacy in primary school children and aims to help children aged five to seven, who are struggling with their reading, catch up with their peers and reach their full potential. The Foundation provides administration support to arrange the volunteer work, and always welcome applications for those who feel they can give some time to help a child. Speaking to Alan, there is an endless list of charities and causes that the Foundation has helped – from funding counseling training for Jersey Action against Rape to donating money towards an outdoor play area for Centre Point Trust. While the Foundation is happy to help in isolation, it also welcomes the opportunity to work with other organisations in the island. ‘If we form partnerships with other organisations we can often achieve more with the funding and have far more impact. The Centre Point project was already being partly funded by another foundation. The fact we put the rest in allowed the job to be finished. With the Super Smiles programme, another foundation put the funding in for the materials and we supported the educator, which again was a much more effective way of working.’

While the Bosdet Foundation aims to be as effective as possible, Les Ormes is also required to run as efficiently as possible. The business has evolved considerably since George Bisson’s original bequest, to ensure that meaningful profits are available to the Foundation.

describes himself as having ‘the best job in the world’. With the Foundation’s future plans, that job should only get better. For more information on the Bosdet Foundation and the charitable projects they have helped, visit www.bosdet.je ■

‘Les Ormes as a business is there to make money and so they make sure that it is run as well as possible. They are always looking to develop what they can do and increase income for the Foundation. At the same time, when facilities are available, we can take advantage of them. The stand up paddle boards purchased for Les Ormes, for example, are also lent out to our local sea scouts. We are always finding ways to benefit the community.’ It is part of Alan’s role to help charities with their applications and ensure that those in need get the opportunity to tell the Foundation’s trustees about the help that they are looking for. When he then sees the difference the money makes he

INTERV IEW

MEET THE

BOSS

Tim Roberts, director of Shields & Rutland, sets out the selling points of his job, and tells Contact why we should be able to trust estate agents.

What does an average day involve for you? Part of what makes the job so much fun is that every day is different. However, I would say every day involves viewing properties, meeting new clients, working with the property management team, liaising with advocates, buyers and vendors and working with third parties to look at ways to promote and develop the business. What’s your favourite part of the job? The people. I really enjoy seeing houses and not being behind a desk all day but the best part of the job is meeting clients. I love getting to know them and then finding them their perfect home or finding them a buyer to allow them to start a new chapter in their lives. What do you least enjoy about your role? When there are problems with sales. We do everything we can to avoid problems and if any do pop up, we do our best to solve them. Unfortunately there are occasions when a sale cannot go ahead and it can cause upset for both the buyers and the vendors. This is the hardest part of the job - giving people bad news. How do you think your colleagues would describe you? It would depend on what day and during what situation. On some occasions I’d hate to guess. I’ve been fortunate to work under some fantastic managers in my career and I think I’ve learned how best to motivate and lead a team. I hope they would say that I look after them but can be firm when I need to be. Equally, I wouldn’t be surprised if they told you that they were in charge and I just do as I’m told. What attributes do you need to be a good estate agent? You need to learn to deal with all kinds of people and to not get flustered when presented with problems. You need to be hardworking, self motivated and, in all honesty, fairly competitive. You also need to be prepared to work hard. Selling houses and managing other people’s property is not a 9-5, Monday to Friday job. What’s the best advice you can give someone looking to sell or buy a property? Build a good relationship with your estate agent and the process will be much easier. There will be a lot of communication whether you are buying or selling and the process can be quite stressful. The better your relationship with the agent, the smoother everything will go - from giving feedback on viewings to dealing with any problems and negotiating any offers. If you are looking to buy a property and the agent knows your search criteria well, you should get a call before the property even hits the market - this benefits both the person looking to buy the property and the vendor. Estate agents often make the lists of ‘least trusted’ professions, is that unfair? I think so. It frustrates me a little bit as I know how I like to do this job and the importance of always being honest. The process of buying a property can take weeks or months. If you are not honest with your clients you will get found out and it wastes everybody’s time and it creates more work. It also affects your reputation and on a small island that can cause huge damage to your business.

You need to be hardworking, self motivated and, in all honesty, fairly competitive.

If you could have had an alternative career, what would it have been? When I left school I was hoping to work in the music industry but that never worked out. I think if I had to choose an alternative career and I was back at A level or university age now, I would try to be an architect. Luckily, I love what I do now.

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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.

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