Arolla Partners has further expanded its business with the appointment of Rebecca Booth, Hannah Hayward, and Lisa Barnett to the firm.
The company said each of the women “bring extensive experience across board governance, regulatory oversight, and client service further strengthening Arolla’s ability to meet the needs of sophisticated fund and corporate structures across publicly listed, private capital, emerging and developed markets, fiduciary and privately-owned businesses”.
Ms Booth is a Chartered Governance Professional with more than 20 years’ boardroom experience across various investment sectors and operating companies.
She is Chairperson of the Sustainable Finance Guernsey Council and the Marketing Committee of the Guernsey Investment & Funds Association.
Ms Barnett has more than 30 years’ experience in finance, 20 of which were in executive board roles in the fund and fiduciary sectors. Her most recent role was as Managing Director of RBC in Guernsey.
Ms Hayward has more than 20 years of leadership experience across the legal, financial services, private equity, and venture capital sectors. She currently holds a range of listed and non-listed board roles, including Chairman of a newly founded Fund Administrator and Non-Executive Directorships on boards in the Hedge Fund and Fiduciary sectors.
Now in its seventh year, Arolla Client Director Hubert Nicolle said Arolla continues to see increased demand from managers, investors, and intermediaries seeking directors who bring professional rigour, strategic insight, and a commitment to substance which is what these three women will provide.
“As the business environment shifts, boards are becoming more active, expectations are higher, and good governance matters more than ever,” he said.
“Our evolution reflects that. We’re building a business that enables directors to perform at their best supported by our robust platform and deep connections with Guernsey’s finance industry.”
Arolla has also highlighted the increased recognition given to the value of female directors in achieving greater board effectiveness.
A recent UK government supported report showed that women are now appointed to more than 43% of board positions on FTSE350 companies, up from 9.5% in 2011; and 30.5% of board positions on 50 of the UK’s largest private companies.
Bloomberg research from 2024 showed that companies with more female directors on boards across Europe, US and Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) provided higher annual returns of between 2-5%, compared to peers with less gender diverse boards, since 2018.*
“Our clients continue to look for genuinely independent directors who are both pragmatic and deeply engaged,” said Andreas Tautscher, Arolla Chairman.
“As we grow, we’re investing in the experienced talent that underpins our model, ensuring we remain connected to industry, responsive, and technically strong.”