Chief Minister, IoD UK's Chief Economist, leading CEOs and global innovators headline IoD Guernsey's growth conference

Guernsey's economic future takes centre stage on 18 November, when the Institute of Directors (IoD) Guernsey unveils its Economic Growth Action Plan in front of one of the strongest line-ups the island's business community has seen. Chief Minister Lindsay de Sausmarez, IoD UK Chief Economist Anna Leach, and the chief executives of Beyon Group, KPMG Islands Group and Ports of Jersey are among the speakers. 

The plan is the result of months of surveys, workshops and one-to-one interviews, drawing on more than 300 voices from across the private and public sectors. Titled 'Unlocking Economic Growth: Guernsey's Competitive Future', the conference will put the plan in front of the people who can make it happen, with perspectives from the boardroom, government, the classroom and the island’s next generation of talent, drawn from Guernsey, Jersey, the UK and further afield. 

Joining them are Bloomberg Associates economic analyst and former London & Partners CEO Gordon Innes, and CMS partner specialising in emerging technologies and AI, Charles Kerrigan, alongside island leaders from education, business and government. 

Two speakers bring an innovator's edge to the day. Liz Bradford, Co-Founder, President & CTO of Maia Health, draws on two decades of leading change in financial services, and now as a founder, to challenge how organisations perform and transform. Mia Edgworth, a Guernsey student and founder at the University of Cambridge, brings the next generation's view of risk-taking, and what tomorrow's island leaders need from the decisions being made today. 

Glen Tonks, Chair of IoD Guernsey, said: 'This is a line-up that matches the scale of the challenge. Our speakers bring experience from Guernsey, Jersey, the UK and well beyond, and we are proud to put new and next-generation voices on the same stage as established leaders. They will challenge our assumptions. The Action Plan then gives us something concrete to act on. 18 November is about moving from conversation to commitment.' 

Session 1 – Global Positioning and Decision-Making 

What makes firms and investors choose one jurisdiction over another, and where does Guernsey stand when they do? With the global context shifting fast, the opening panel weighs up the biggest opportunities and risks ahead for the island. 

Moderator: Elaine Gary, Partner, Carey Olsen 

Session 2 – Innovation and Risk 

Fresh thinking runs through the heart of the afternoon. Mia Edgworth, a Guernsey student at the University of Cambridge, opens with a TEDx-style talk on risk-taking and what it means for the next generation of island leaders. After the break, Liz Bradford, Co-Founder, President & CTO of Maia Health, speaks on high-performance leadership, transformational change and mindset. 

Moderator: Andrew Essa, Founder, Fairhaven AI Partners & IoD Guernsey Research Lead 

Both then join Niresh Rajah, seasoned Group Chief Data & AI Officer and Associate Fellow & Innovation Expert at the University of Oxford, and Kevin Brown, global financial services executive and Chair of Bank Aston, for a fireside conversation on how boards and organisations can match an appetite for innovation with responsible risk management. 

Session 3 – Unlocking the Growth Enablers 

Talent, housing, connectivity, infrastructure, AI, policy and the pace of government decision-making: these are the levers that will decide how fast Guernsey grows. This panel asks how to pull them. 

Moderator: Hannah Hayward, NED and Client Partner, Arolla Partners 

Session 4 – The Action Plan: The Road Ahead 

The finale brings government and business together on one stage to put the Economic Growth Action Plan to the test: what needs to happen first, who owns it, and how the island will know it is working. 

Moderator: Jo Huxtable, IoD Guernsey Committee member 

The conference is made possible by the generous support of its sponsors: Carey Olsen, Aston, Sure, Opera, Butterfield, KPMG, NP Group and Howden.