Jersey business to benefit from Deloitte NED expertise

Wednesday 09 March 2016

The challenges facing non-executive directors in 2016 and the skills they need to navigate the digital age are just two of the topics senior Deloitte experts will tackle during their visit to Jersey this month.

Deloitte’s James Beasley, Financial Services Governance and Margaret Doyle, Partner, Head of Deloitte’s Financial Services Insight will be talking to NEDs and other senior industry figures at the forthcoming Jersey NED conference organised by BL Global at the Pomme d'Or Hotel on 16 March.

Helen Gale, Head of Deloitte’s Jersey NED Programme explains their involvement, saying: ”The quality of expertise and depth of experience within our local NED community is a strong attraction for international investors and institutions. Deloitte is committed to supporting continuing development of this important financial services offering. It is key that NEDs are able to access top quality insights and look ahead to how the NED role will develop over the coming years, if they are to retain their quality and competitive edge.

"The event promises to be a thought provoking and inspirational few hours that will no doubt spark further discussion and debate in the coming months."

Mrs Doyle heads the Financial Services Insight team for Deloitte in the UK. This team explores and reports on a range of strategic issues facing senior business management teams in the finance, investment and insurance sectors. 

She has spent more than 15 years as a financial journalist, having started her career as a Strategy Consultant at McKinsey & Company. Margaret has written for The Economist and The Daily Telegraph and edited Global Agenda, the official Davos magazine. She has guest-presented many top BBC radio programmes and has been a frequent commentator on financial and current affairs, most frequently on BBC and Sky News. She has also spoken at, or chaired, conferences for a variety of organisations including Economist Conferences and the European Commission.

With cyber-crime hitting the headlines and cutting-edge technologies raising issues around privacy and ethics, she will share her insights on how boards can balance innovation and opportunity with risk management in the digital age. 

James Beasley runs Deloitte’s London-based NED programme which many FTSE 350 board members are part of. He will be sharing his particular expertise in the field of strategic change and structural reform in his presentation which explores what should be on the NED agenda in 2016.

Mr Beasley said: “The pressures on boards and their directors are rapidly evolving and originate from a variety of sources. The effectiveness with which each firm meets these challenges – from dealing with disruption and embedding innovation, to talent acquisition and crisis management – will depend on numerous factors, but the role played by Non-Executive Directors will be critical.”

Whilst they are on the island Margaret and James will be meeting Deloitte clients and sharing their specialist knowledge. 

Deloitte runs a long-established programme of NED briefings throughout the year and also regularly publishes market insights and developments for its members. The Deloitte Jersey NED club is connected into the UK London-based NED programme, run by James. The team is well-versed in topics such as the board’s role in cyber risk oversight, board composition, the benefits of women in the boardroom, board best practice and pay strategies.