The Institute of Directors Guernsey held its annual Spring Seminar last week, with a focus on Guernsey’s economic history, and potential future growth.
Tristan Claridge, the researcher behind the IoD’s 2024 Social Capital report, opened the event via video presentation before keynote speaker, Andrew Doyle, discussed the island’s past economic transformations and suggested that storytelling is key to its economic identity.
Mr Doyle is the author of Reinvention Island, and used his speech to explore Guernsey’s economic history, tracing a pattern of reinvention through industries including wool, shipbuilding, granite, tomatoes and finance; each lasting between 50 and 200 years. He highlighted how storytelling plays a central role in economic identity and direction and challenged the current narrative of decline.
The IoD says’ the seminar addressed the need for collaboration, innovation, and leadership to overcome limited growth experienced in recent years. Concerns about nostalgia, risk aversion, and a lack of consensus hindering progress were raised.
“The Spring Seminar showed there’s real appetite to talk about Guernsey’s future – not just the challenges but the opportunities too,” said IoD Chair, Glen Tonks.
“Andrew Doyle’s message that Guernsey has always reinvented itself was timely, especially when you look at recent investment activity and transactions, represent a significant vote of confidence in Guernsey.
“To quote the IoD’s Economic Lead, Richard Hemans, ‘others see Guernsey as an attractive place to do business, and we should too.’ That outside confidence is something we can build on.”