Guernsey Finance’s Board of Directors has confirmed the appointment of Paul Sykes as the organisation’s new Chairman.
Mr Sykes will take up his new role, succeeding Guernsey’s Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Trott OBE, who held the position as Guernsey Finance Chairman from 2016 to 2025.
As MD of Aon Guernsey, Mr Sykes will bring a “wealth of expertise to the position”, said Guernsey Finance.
He started his career in Guernsey 35 years ago, before holding leadership roles at country and regional levels for Aon. He returned to Guernsey in 2010, and Guernsey Finance said he has been “instrumental in the development of Guernsey’s highly successful insurance industry which spans captive solutions, Insurance Linked Securities and the reinsurance sector” since then.
“It’s a tremendous privilege and an exciting responsibility to be taking over from our Chief Minister as Chair of Guernsey Finance,” said Mr Sykes.
“I share with Lyndon the same love for Guernsey which manifests into a mission and purpose to promote and serve the island.
“There is huge potential for Guernsey’s financial services industry to build on the recent endorsements we have received from MoneyVal and rating agency Standard & Poors, which reinforce Guernsey’s reputation as a safe, stable and secure business in which to do business.
“We have great talent in the sector allied to proven regulatory and legal frameworks. We can add to that a track record with many of the world’s major corporations, global organisations and government agencies, who have worked with us to create numerous world firsts and innovative solutions for clients and communities worldwide.
“The global financial markets have rarely been more volatile than in 2025, but Guernsey is agile and can adapt better than most jurisdictions to the new ‘multi-aligned world’. We can be both a safe place for international investment and a conduit for capital into London and other reputable finance centres.”
Deputy Trott said: “It has been a privilege to serve as Chairman of such a dynamic team for the last nine years.
“The Board is fortunate to be welcoming Paul as our new Chair, who is both incredibly knowledgeable about Guernsey’s financial services sector and deeply committed to the role. He is also very engaging and personable, and I have no doubt that Paul will guide our strategy forward from a strong base laid out from positive outcomes in 2024 and prior.”
Guernsey Finance Chief Executive Rupert Pleasant commented: “On behalf of the Guernsey Finance team, I would like to extend a huge thank you to Lyndon for his unwavering dedication in leading our agency for the last nine years.
“His tenure as Chair has proved incredibly fruitful, with the island’s reputation as a leading international finance centre being enhanced year on year, and we are immensely grateful for his guidance and support.
“Looking ahead, I am confident that Paul’s expertise will enable us to bolster Guernsey’s hard-earned reputation. We will continue to progress, thanks to the solid expertise we have built up within our Board, to shape our strategy as we continue to navigate the global financial services sector’s evolving trends and challenges.”