Cherie Blair to be keynote speaker at flagship finance event

The human rights lawyer, pictured, and wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, will be principal speaker at the Guernsey Private Wealth Forum in London this October.

The event, which is organised by industry promotional agency Guernsey Finance, is focused on the power of capital and the good that wealth can do. It is a theme that Mrs Blair will address during her speech.

A long-time campaigner for women’s equality, she is the founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

The foundation’s objective is to close the global gender gap in entrepreneurship through supporting women in low and middle income countries.

‘I am delighted to be delivering the keynote speech at this year’s Guernsey Private Wealth Forum.

‘The power of capital lies in the exponential impact that philanthropy can have on individuals, communities, and even entire economies,’ she said.

‘Since the Covid-19 pandemic, our world has become more connected than ever, yet existing inequalities have deepened further. So there is no better time to examine how private wealth can be a key conduit to creating a more equal and just world.’

As well as her keynote speech, Mrs Blair will have a ‘fireside chat’ with Guernsey Finance chief executive Rupert Pleasant.

Mr Pleasant said he was delighted to welcome such a high-profile speaker and said Mrs Blair’s input demonstrated the importance of the forum in the private wealth space.

‘After more than a year of online webinars, we are excited to return to physical events and all the benefits they bring,’ he said.

‘I stated at our industry update at the beginning of the year that 2021 would be the year of private wealth and our line-up puts the Guernsey Private Wealth Forum among the flagship events in the private wealth space.

‘Cherie Blair is a fantastic addition to the forum and her work with her foundation also follows on neatly from our Women in Family Office campaign from last year, in which we discussed the role of women in achieving and maintaining good governance in family offices.’

The event will also include a panel discussion exploring Guernsey as a centre for family offices and associated private wealth structures, discussing philanthropy among the suite of products Guernsey offers, and how sustainability runs through it all.

Other guests at the high-profile event include senior Guernsey business leaders Sally Rochester, director at Deloitte, who will provide a Guernsey-specific update, and event moderator Elaine Gray, head of dispute resolution and litigation at Carey Olsen Guernsey.