The new chief executive, the former deputy Barnaby Molloy, who was poised to leave the promotional agency until the apparent mishap with a training video that grabbed national headlines, took to the stage at Beau Sejour to put forward a robust and confident approach for 2026.
‘Events at the end of last year understandably prompted questions about our organisation,’ he said.
‘We listened to those questions carefully. We can understand why matters like these contest confidence, they can create uncertainty.
‘Two individuals left Guernsey Finance at the end of last year, during a period of intense scrutiny. Their actions did not in any way reflect our organisation.
‘That was a really disappointing and challenging period for many of us, but what matters is not the event itself, it’s how we respond.’
Mr Molloy said an independent investigation had since concluded there were no wider issues across the organisation and nothing wrong with its culture. Its governance was strengthened with the arrival of three ‘fantastic’ new non-executive directors, and Mr Molloy said he had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the offers of support and encouragement.
‘I was reminded about Guernsey’s genuine desire to move forward together. It’s this collective pride, this collective responsibility, if only we could harness that for our business as usual and our day-to-day. Imagine what we can achieve together rather than just saving it for these difficult moments. So I want to keep that conversation going. You fed back to me. Please keep helping us understand what’s working and what’s not.’
Among other changes the agency is to refresh its business development teams – though Mr Molloy gave no details on his plans.
Guernsey Finance chairman Paul Sykes also referenced ‘unfortunate and unexpected challenges’ in his upbeat closing address.
‘The truth is that much of the work that was being done to strengthen Guernsey Finance was happening last year. The comeback will be bigger than the setback,’ he said.
‘We’re ambitious, we’re aspirational, but we’re not complacent.’
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