Fiona Le Poidevin, the current Deputy Chief Executive of Guernsey Finance, will take over as Chief Executive from Peter Niven with effect from 30 June.
Niven has been with Guernsey Finance since 2006 and will continue to act in a part time consultancy role with the company until the end of 2012.
Making the announcement, Jim Gilligan, the Chairman of Guernsey Finance, reflected on Niven’s time as head of the Island’s promotional body for the finance industry.
“In the six years that Peter has been at the helm, the work of Guernsey Finance has led the way in the marketing of Guernsey as an international finance centre and has become a role model for other centres to copy. Peter has been successful in assembling a professional team that is well respected by the industry locally and beyond and the success of Guernsey reflects their enormous efforts over that time,” said Mr Gilligan.
“Whilst he will be a hard act to follow, we are pleased that Fiona has very quickly become a leading member of the team and the Board has every confidence in her going forward. The Board wishes to place on record our sincere thanks and appreciation of the tremendous job Peter has done for Guernsey Finance during his tenure as Chief Executive.”
Le Poidevin says: “I am really pleased to have this opportunity so soon into my tenure at Guernsey Finance and I am looking forward to the challenges that this presents, not least in view of the continuing difficult economic conditions within which Guernsey is competing on the world stage. I am extremely grateful to Peter for his encouragement and help over the last year and look forward to that continuing until the end of this year.”
Guernsey Finance is a joint collaboration between the States of Guernsey (through the Commerce and Employment Department) and the finance industry on the Island, represented by the Guernsey International Business Association (GIBA), with a remit to market the Island as an international finance centre on the world stage. It employs eight staff in Guernsey and has a representative office in Shanghai where there is one member of staff.
Niven, the outgoing Chief Executive, says: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Guernsey Finance as we have made huge strides in both working with the industry on the Island and ensuring that the Island gets a fair hearing in the increasingly competitive world of international finance. All good things come to an end however and in a role like this there needs to be regular refreshment at the top to enable new thinking and new leadership to take the company on to the next stages of its development.”
Niven has over 35 years’ experience in the financial services market in both the UK and offshore and was previously Chief Executive of the Lloyds TSB Offshore Financial Services Group. He is a non executive director of several Guernsey based fund and captive insurance companies and is also a Fellow of the Institute of Bankers and a Chartered Director.
Le Poidevin joined Guernsey Finance at the end of March last year as Technical Director and Deputy Chief Executive. Previously a senior tax manager, she has over 13 years’ experience in financial services in both the UK and Guernsey. She is also a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Institute of Directors.
