The Jersey Institute of Directors has announced the finalists for the 2026 Director of the Year Awards, supported by gold sponsor, Appleby, and silver sponsor, Resolution IT.
Thirty-two individuals feature on the shortlist for the awards, which celebrate strong leadership and recognise excellence across the private, public and third sectors of Jersey’s community.
Chair of the independent panel of judges, Eliot Lincoln (pictured), said: “This year marks the 15th anniversary of the IoD Awards in Jersey, as well as 15 years of continued sponsorship by Appleby. What truly stands out this year, is the remarkable diversity of industry sectors represented, making this year’s entries particularly exciting.”
The independent judging panel was chaired by Eliot Lincoln, Vice President of Chamber of Commerce and Director at Helier Consulting. The panel comprised:
- Helen Ruelle – Group Company Secretary, Laing O’Rourke
- Dean Blackburn – Group Chief Executive, ZEDRA Group
- Alex Morel – Chief Executive Officer, Jersey Trees for Life
- Ed Daubeney – Managing Director, Envestors Channel Islands and Non-Executive Director
- Jill Britton – Director General, Jersey Financial Services Commission
Alex Ruddy, Chair, IoD Jersey, said: “This year’s finalists prove that Jersey’s leadership talent is thriving across all areas of the economy, not just the finance sector. The independent judging panel has selected finalists who have shown impressive business acumen and a commitment to driving positive change within their organisations and the wider local community.
“Jersey is clearly a jurisdiction of choice for leaders across all fields, and IoD is once again excited to showcase the talent on island. This year’s awards ceremony will be a special celebration of Jersey’s director community, and we look forward to coming together to honour their achievements for what promises to be an unforgettable evening of celebration, glitz and the Strictly legend himself Anton du Beke. We are grateful to our Gold, Silver and individual award sponsors.”
The shortlist, in alphabetical order, is as follows:
Large Business
- Maxine Dunn – Jersey Post
- Ian Gray – Seymour Hotels of Jersey
- Alison Gurd – BNP Paribas
- Warwick Long – HSBC
SME Business
- Michael Benest – Trillium Group
- Ben Cairney – Ashbe Construction
- Christopher Dobbing – United Club Jersey
- Matt Mackenzie – Kingsman Office Suites
- Emma Roberts – Entrust Limited
Innovation
- David McGrath – Channel Islands Cooperative
- Ed Prow – The Potting Shed
- Alice Vincenti – Parent Health Hub
Aspiring Director
- Chris Bester – HLG Associates Limited
- James Faure – Clairo
- Michael Kirkwood – Lifeline Group
- Charlie Petulla – Ryde
Third Sector
- Marcus Liddiard – Association of Jersey Charities
- Claire Richards – Citizens Advice Jersey
- Claudine Snape – Dementia Jersey
Public Sector
- Darren Bowring – Government of Jersey
- Alison Fossey – States of Jersey Police
- Laura Hopley – Jersey Financial Services Commission
Sustainability
- Simon Matthews – Channel Islands Cooperative
- Stuart Moseley – IT Hardware Services
- David Postlethwaite – KPMG in the Crown Dependencies
- Simon Vardon – Greening Jersey
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
- Gaëlle Deschamps – G Force
- Denise Heavey – Mentorhood
- Kiley Henley – Enhance HR
Non-Executive
- Caroline Dutot – Invesco Bond Income Plus (BIPS)
- Cassidy Mason – Jersey Opera House
- Jay Parmar – Caring Cooks of Jersey
