Former IMF Economist becomes Jersey Finance Chairman

Monday 10 July 2017

Dr Gunther Thumann has been formally appointed Chairman of Jersey Finance.

Dr Thumann has a Ph.D. in economics and statistics from the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nurnberg; he was also an economist in the German civil service and subsequently Senior Economist for the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C.

After joining Salomon Brothers in London as Managing Director, in the late 1990s he founded a consultancy specialising in central banks. In 2007 Dr Thumann was appointed Partner, CEO and Chairman of the board of Brevan Howard Capital Management in Jersey (Channel Islands) and, over his ten years there, he built the offshore business and established the Jersey business as the hub of the Brevan Howard Group.

Geoff Cook, CEO, Jersey Finance, said: “To have someone of Gunther’s calibre as our new Chairman is clearly fantastic news for us as an organisation, and for our members, and his leadership and insights will be invaluable as we step up our activity in our key markets. He is a hugely respected figure who has vast experience as Executive and Non-Executive Director in several hedge funds and an enormous amount of experience in the global financial services arena more widely.

Dr Thumann said: “I am delighted to be joining Jersey Finance, and I am looking forward to helping give guidance and direction to the great team who are there.

“Jersey is operating in a dynamic global market. As the body which represents and promotes the Island, Jersey Finance has a vitally important role in ensuring that the industry remains highly competitive and the Island retains its global reputation as an international finance centre of excellence.”