‘States of Action’ needs to collaborate and trust more
THE chairwoman of the Institute of Directors has urged the States to show more collaboration, trust and mutual respect to overcome some of the challenges facing the island.
Wendy Dorey is due to stand down from the senior IoD role next May, but in closing the annual convention, the IoD’s biggest event of the year, used the platform of her last major event to appeal directly to government.
‘If this Assembly wants to be the “States of Action”, then collaboration, trust and a high level of mutual respect is the most effective way to get results,’ she said.
‘For me collaboration between States committees is essential to tackle the big challenges Guernsey is facing, including the tax review and the population review. These issues span all the committees, and it seems to me there are still too many committees working in silos.’
Mrs Dorey added that collaboration would not work without trust, and pushed for deputies, some of whom were present as guests of the IoD, including some senior committee presidents, to ‘listen, offer constructive challenge, and work through differences’.
The local branch of the IoD is intending to set up a youth advisory panel, along the lines of one of the themes discussed during the debate.
Keynote speaker Wolfango Piccoli, is a co-president of Teneo, who has responsibility for managing the company’s global political risk platform and for its specific coverage of Europe.
He spoke fairly gloomily about the state of Europe and economic prospects.
‘Looking at the importance of the finance sector to Guernsey and assuming things will get worse, I think, as in every financial crisis, there’s going to be winners and losers,’ he said.
‘But things may be different this time, as the international coordination we’ve seen in the past I don’t think will be coming, and if it comes, it will be much more limited.’
