Ladies’ College students, Liv Strappini and Hetti Ross and Blanchelande College student, Ben Stark have been named as this year’s leading Directors of Tomorrow.
The Directors of Tomorrow initiative was created by The Ana Leaf Foundation to showcase young business talent on the island.
This year the scheme invited ten students, who were selected by their teachers due to their interest in business or economics, to attend the Directors of Tomorrow lunch, hosted by Dr Matthew Agarwala, a leading environmental economist and the IoD Conference in the evening. This year’s conference focused on sustainability, and how it is integral to the island’s global brand and the wider economy. It featured talks from keynote speakers Dr Agarwala and Tom Rivett-Carnac, one of the architects of the Paris Climate Agreement. The students were then asked to submit a blog based on their experience at the events.
These blogs were judged by IoD Chair in Guernsey, Wendy Dorey, and representatives from The Ana Leaf Foundation. The three students’ accounts of their experience will be hosted on the Guernsey IoD website and they will benefit from further opportunities with the IoD in the next year.
Wendy Dorey, Institute of Directors Guernsey Chair, said: “The Directors of Tomorrow initiative is a great way for students to become immersed in the changing business world. All the blogs demonstrated a good understanding of the issues that were discussed on the evening. The students are very engaged in the ways Guernsey can become more sustainable and I highly encourage them to take up the opportunities available to them on the island.”
Hayley de Putron, a Trustee of The Ana Leaf Foundation, said: “The initiative is now in its 11th year, and provides students with a chance to voice their own opinions to industry professionals. I’m pleased the students found the experience informative and interesting and hopefully, with the knowledge they have now, they will take into account the environment when making personal and business decisions.”
Ben Stark, a student from Blanchelande College, said: “I was pleased to have the opportunity to attend the Institute of Directors Convention. I was interested to see how a small, and somewhat insignificant island could have an impact on such a titanic issue like climate change. My query was answered as an advocate of each of Guernsey’s sectors gave ways in which Guernsey could make a global impact.”
The Directors of Tomorrow blogs can be viewed here.