AS we near the end of 2020, there is no denying that it has been a challenging and difficult time for our island, working through and adapting to a global pandemic.
However, Jersey has proven to be forward-thinking, innovative, and resilient and our collective response to the challenges of 2020 has been remarkable for a small island community.
The finance industry is proud to play its role in Jersey’s future prosperity. As the Island’s largest employer, we have a responsibility to support local and global economies on the road to recovery.
Aside from the range of community and charity-based initiatives that run all year round, our employees have worked even harder to support the Island during the pandemic to help improve lives locally and support things they care about. Not only are we supporting the economy locally, but we are also helping to improve global economies by championing cross-border flows and improving the lives of people beyond our shores. ‘Jersey for Good’ – a current campaign by Jersey Finance – showcases some of the industry’s efforts, and the pride we all share in their achievements.
Adapting to change
As the promotional body of Jersey’s international finance centre, Jersey Finance, like everyone, has had to adapt to the current climate.
That has made us more ambitious than ever before in our digital outreach – something that is particularly important given that around half of Jersey’s new business emanates from outside Europe. In a digitally driven environment where everyone’s focus has suddenly been channeled into an online space, it has been more important than ever to really try and cut through the noise and promote the Jersey brand clearly. Our team has adapted to the virtual events sphere both locally and in our overseas markets and re-engineered our programme to ensure that our global audience know we, Jersey, were still open for business.
Like many finance industry businesses, Jersey Finance has adapted its working-from-home policy to further enhance our employees’ work-life balance, while continuing to deliver a high standard of service to our members and stakeholders, and maintaining the values and team culture that make Jersey Finance a great place to work.
Many businesses are also adapting and moving towards greater flexibility by considering important factors such as staff wellbeing, business continuity plans, technology infrastructures and security, as well as client needs and practicalities.
A prosperous future
As we look ahead to 2021 and the global landscape, Brexit remains on the horizon as negotiations continue to determine what the new relationship between the UK and EU will be like. Investors, however, are seeking stability and certainty throughout current negotiations and beyond – putting Jersey’s stable, political and financial environment in a positive position. For financial services, Brexit is a story of continuity. We will continue to build a strong, clear narrative about Jersey’s role as an IFC and work with our key partners to ensure that it remains an attractive proposition for international investors in terms of our reputation, expertise and stability.
Next year marks 60 years since Jersey’s modern financial services industry put down roots, exporting our financial expertise and intellectual capital to the world, and began its journey into the award-winning international finance centre of today.
Our ‘Together We Shine: A Celebration of 60 Years’ initiative will help to make a difference to worthy local causes and will reflect the industry’s ongoing commitment to the future prosperity of our island community.
As part of this initiative, we will be hosting a charity ball in July 2021 and have a fundraising goal of £60,000 which we hope to reach through a year of fundraising with our Jersey Finance members. All fundraising proceeds will be donated to the Association of Jersey Charities, the representative body of charitable organisations operating in Jersey.
Jersey’s finance industry is proud of our community’s resilience, strength and ability to adapt, no matter what challenges we may face. In 2021 we will likely continue to face Covid-19-related challenges, and indeed these are challenging times for our local community and for our global partners. However, we have the opportunity now to really demonstrate and reflect what we stand for – connecting people and bringing about positive change. In that context, our industry has both the responsibility and the capability to play a vital part in the road to recovery, at home and internationally.
