MIKE Hennessy, chief executive of the island’s Chamber of Commerce, has announced he is leaving to take on a new high powered role with financial company Kleinwort Benson.
Father-of-two Mr Hennessy, 47, is departing the job after three busy and ‘dramatic’ years. He said: ‘It has been a fantastic pleasure.’
He added: ‘Clearly it is a sad moment because I’ve loved the Chamber job, no two days have been the same.’
‘It gives you a huge variation of not only people but industry to work with on key issues.
‘That of course has also involved working with the government promoting the island, as well as seeking to defend our position on many fronts.’
Speaking to iomtoday just hours before formally announcing his decision to 300 Chamber members island-wide, Mr Hennessy said: ‘I’ve spent three happy years at chamber doing what I think is one of the best jobs in the island.
‘And I have thoroughly enjoyed working with every sector in the process.
‘Earlier this year I was approached to become non executive chairman of Kleinwort Benson in the Isle of Man and I was happy to do that as my background is in banking.’ He said Kleinwort Benson, a private bank and provider of financial services, based in St George’s Court, Douglas, had decided to grow its operation in the island and ‘as a result of that they have approached me to consider heading the Isle of Man operation.
‘We’re still in discussions to finalise details with the regulatior and I will be moving in the first quarter of 2013.’
Mr Hennessy won’t have far to go as his current office is just round the corner in Capital House on Circular Road.
And he has vowed to do all he can to help his successor. The Chamber job is being advertised shortly. Mr Hennessy said his Chamber role was initially part time when he started as chief executive three years ago. But the demand of the busy job meant he often put in long hours. ‘But I have to say you cannot do it without the help and support of the individual committes of which there are nine and who are captains of industry on a voluntary basis supporting Chamber.’
Asked about his proudest moments, Mr Hennessy, who last year picked up the title of Business Person of the Year in the Isle of Man Newspapers Awards for Excellence, said there have been many. He said: ‘Being able to grasp the breadth of the island’s operations and Isle of Man plc and to be able to run with it in conjunction with sector experts, wide and varied, from financial services to engineering, and to be able to support those people in what they are already doing and seeking to do has been a pleasure.’
He joined HSBC in 1983 in England and worked in a number of jurisdictions. ‘The bank had a tendency to move me every three years and in 2009 I made the fundamental decision that the Isle of Man was a great place to live and bring up a family and just as importantly to do business and therefore I left the bank to stay in the island.’
He said he believes in the work life balance and pointed to his bike in a corner of his office, which he uses to cycle every day from his home in Laxey to work.
His wife Jacqueline, a bank worker and children Holly, nine and James, six, are excited by the move. However ‘my nine year old daughter likes me being chief executive because she sees and hears me quite a lot in the media and seems to enjoy that. But she’s also delighted that this next change involves staying in the island.’
Mr Hennessy said the ‘feedback is that we have raised the profile (of the chamber). And one thing will certainly not happen in 2013, I will not just walk away from Chamber. I have Kleinwort Benson’s blessing to support the transition to a new chief executive.’
He added that the last three years have been ‘dramatic. Take areas such as the VAT and Customs and Excise arrangement, and a change in government but I can assure you that the next 12 months will not only see further change but opportunities for the island.
‘I think by successfully diversifying the economy that gives us a fantastic starting platform and there are opportunities the Chamber is following closely within many of the sectors. But we do need support in areas such as retail and construction.
‘I would say that there is much more work going on behind the scenes and below the radar than actually is dealt with in the public domain and I’d like to thank the Chamber membership.’
He added: ‘I’m sure we are the envy of the Channel Islands in terms of our diversity. Not only are we not overdependent on one sector but we have driven ourselves towards excellence in most of the sectors we operate in.
‘The Chamber’s engineering committee is a shining example of how we have worked with government. not only through the ACE project but moving towards a training academy in the island that will help the future of the sector. All we do in that sector is cutting edge.’