The board of Digital Jersey has been boosted back to full strength by the appointment of three highly experienced professionals who will help the team to push forward with a host of initiatives to benefit the island and especially to help the wider economy emerge from the current Covid-19 crisis.
Dame Wendy Hall, Rob Kirkby and Tom Hacquoil, are all working in or with the technology industry. They will join the Board on 1 July.
Professor Dame Wendy Hall is the Regius Professor of Computer Science, University of Southampton, was co-Chair of the UK Government’s Artificial Intelligence Review, and was announced by the UK Government as the first Skills Champion for AI in the UK. At Digital Jersey’s Annual Review in January she told the audience that Jersey could become the start-up location in the world for AI and she wants to work with Digital Jersey to help train local people in AI skills for the future.
Rob Kirkby is the Digital Lead and a Partner with KPMG Channel Islands. He has an in-depth knowledge of the offshore financial services industry and was Technical Director at Jersey Finance.
Tom Hacquoil (pictured) is the CEO of Pinpoint and won both the Jersey and UK IoD Start-Up Director of the Year awards in 2019. He is also the founder of the Digital Jersey Coding Programme and has been involved with Digital Jersey since its inception.
Chairman of the Digital Jersey Board, Frank Walker, said they had been inundated with applicants for the vacancies: “I was absolutely delighted to see over 80 excellent candidates apply to join the Board. It’s a clear reflection of the importance now placed on the digital sector and the role of Digital Jersey. I’m looking forward to welcoming our three new non-execs and to the contribution they will undoubtedly make to our important work in assisting the digital sector, and the wider economy, recover from the impact of Covid-19, and build our new economic future.”
The three new Board members will join existing Non-Executive Directors, Aaron Chatterley and Gailina Liew.
Digital Jersey CEO Tony Moretta said: “I am looking forward to incorporating the experience of our three new NEDs into the Board and work of Digital Jersey. In Rob Kirkby, we have an excellent resource both from his regulatory and risk experience as we put into place Jersey’s crucial fintech strategy. Tom Hacquoil has been associated with Digital Jersey from its start and both his passion for digital education and entrepreneurial experience, will support the work of our Digital Academy and grass-roots tech industry network. Professor Dame Wendy Hall is a major coup for us as she is a leading AI expert and her extensive links and connections in the UK, and further afield, will be of real value as we plan and implement the digital future. We are delighted that she has seen the potential in Jersey and wants to join our board.”
