Guernsey Finance, a joint government and industry initiative that promotes and connects the island as an international finance centre, has named Aon’s Paul Sykes as its new Chairman.
Sykes has played an instrumental role in developing and promoting Guernsey’s insurance, reinsurance and insurance-linked securities (ILS) market over the years.Sykes, Managing Director at Aon Guernsey, will step into the Guernsey Finance Chairman role after the Board approved the appointment. He will suceed Guernsey’s Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Trott OBE, who had been Chair from 2016 to 2025.
Sykes began his career in Guernsey 35 years ago, since when he has held leadership roles at country and regional levels for Aon, returning to Guernsey in 2010 since when he has been a strong proponent for ILS on the island.
In his time working for Aon in Guernsey, under Sykes’ watch the broker established a specialist centre in collateralised reinsurance and transacted numerous ILS arrangements and other complex risk transfers that featured capital markets capacity on the island.
Sykes has also been Chairman of the Guernsey International Business Association (GIBA) since May 2023, but will now be succeeded as GIBA Chair by Jo Peacegood, who also sits on the Guernsey Finance Board of Directors.
Sykes commented on his appointment, “It’s a tremendous privilege and an exciting responsibility to be taking over from our Chief Minister as Chair of Guernsey Finance. I share with Lyndon the same love for Guernsey which manifests into a mission and purpose to promote and serve the island.
“There is huge potential for Guernsey’s financial services industry to build on the recent endorsements we have received from MoneyVal and rating agency Standard & Poors, which reinforce Guernsey’s reputation as a safe, stable and secure business in which to do business.
“We have great talent in the sector allied to proven regulatory and legal frameworks. We can add to that a track record with many of the world’s major corporations, global organisations and government agencies, who have worked with us to create numerous world firsts and innovative solutions for clients and communities worldwide.
“The global financial markets have rarely been more volatile than in 2025, but Guernsey is agile and can adapt better than most jurisdictions to the new ‘multi-aligned world’. We can be both a safe place for international investment and a conduit for capital into London and other reputable finance centres.”
Guernsey Finance Chief Executive Rupert Pleasant added, “On behalf of the Guernsey Finance team, I would like to extend a huge thank you to Lyndon for his unwavering dedication in leading our agency for the last nine years.
“His tenure as Chair has proved incredibly fruitful, with the island’s reputation as a leading international finance centre being enhanced year on year, and we are immensely grateful for his guidance and support.
“Looking ahead, I am confident that Paul’s expertise will enable us to bolster Guernsey’s hard-earned reputation. We will continue to progress, thanks to the solid expertise we have built up within our Board, to shape our strategy as we continue to navigate the global financial services sector’s evolving trends and challenges.”
