Israeli branding expert to give keynote speech at IoD annual debate

Monday 22 August 2016

Israel's former Consul-General in New York is to be the key speaker at this year's Institute of Directors annual debate.

Ambassador Ido Aharoni, is a recognized international expert on country positioning and nation branding. Mr Aharoni will discuss how Israel has identified and leveraged its brand identity and explore the importance of countries articulating their own brand in order to steer a safe course in the future.

A member of Israel’s Foreign Service since 1991, Aharoni was previously a Senior Advisor to Israel's Foreign Minister and Vice Prime Minister in charge of media and public affairs. Between 2001-2005, he served as Israel’s Consul for Media and Public Affairs at Israel's Consulate General in New York and the Tri-State area, having assumed the position several weeks prior to the terror attacks of 9/11.

This year’s IoD Jersey Annual Debate is entitled ‘Future-Proofing Jersey’ and will take place on Thursday 15th September at the RJA&HS.

As well as Ambassador Aharoni’s keynote, the debate will also include two panel discussions which will explore how mega trends are likely to shape the environment in which Jersey’s public and private sectors exist. Under the guidance of moderator and renowned news broadcaster Alastair Stewart, the panel sessions will also examine Jersey’s commitment to innovation, internal threats, the island’s use of resources, competition from other jurisdictions and the impact of international security.

IoD Jersey Chairman Chris Clark, said: "We are incredibly fortunate to be able to welcome Ambassador Aharoni to Jersey for our Debate this year, and we are thankful to PwC for introducing such a renowned speaker to us. His experience as to how another country has worked hard to pull together its overarching brand and used that to help it navigate a challenging environment will be invaluable to us here in Jersey, as we seek to understand our combined strengths, address our weaknesses and look to the future with confidence.”

Alex Ohlsson, Managing Partner of sponsor Carey Olsen, added: “Particularly given the UK’s recent decision to leave the EU, there is even more focus on how global political and economic developments are likely to impact Jersey and Ambassador Aharoni will undoubtedly have some fascinating insights in this respect. This year’s Debate is ambitious but should resonate strongly with all those in Jersey’s public and private sectors who are interested in our collective future success.”