"Exclusive opportunities" await young business trio

Wednesday 24 February 2021

Blanchelande College student, Isabella Taylor, and Ladies’ College students, Lucy Merrien and Elsie Lister, have been named as this year’s leading 'Directors of Tomorrow'.

Directors of Tomorrow was created by The Ana Leaf Foundation 10 years ago as a way of celebrating young business talent on the island.

The three students were selected from a group of eight nominated by their schools to take part in the 2020 IoD Directors of Tomorrow initiative.

This year the scheme invited students, selected by their teachers based on their interest in business and current affairs, to attend the Career Inspiration Summit and an exclusive lunch with local industry leaders.

The events aimed to share insights and inspiration, facilitating discussions with entrepreneurs and industry professionals on their career journeys and business experiences. Afterwards the students were invited to submit a piece of writing that reflected on their experience.

These were judged by the new IoD Chair in Guernsey, Wendy Dorey, and representatives from The Ana Leaf Foundation. 

“This is a great initiative for students in Guernsey to be involved with," said Ms Dorey.

"It is clear from reading the students’ entries that they found the Career Inspiration Summit informative and insightful, especially as it highlighted the many opportunities that are available to them in Guernsey. The IoD Guernsey branch is strongly supportive of nurturing and developing local students to help build a pipeline of local talent.”

Hayley De Putron, a trustee of the Ana Leaf Foundation, said: “We were pleased that we were able to host the Directors of Tomorrow students this year at the Career Inspiration Summit. Now in its tenth year, this initiative is a great way to give bright young minds the opportunity to voice their opinions and hear from business leaders, entrepreneurs and industry professionals.

“In previous years, we have taken the selected Directors of Tomorrow students on a trip to the UK to visit various places including the Houses of Parliament, ITN News, the BBC’s Media City in Salford and educational conferences. Last year, due to the pandemic, the session was virtual with students enjoying a special online meeting with renowned sustainability expert Rod Mountain. We are looking forward to providing another excellent opportunity this year.” 

Pictured top: Left to right - Linda Johnson from KPMG, who was a moderator at the Career Inspiration Summit, Ladies' College students Lucy Merrien and Elsie Lister, and Isabella Taylor from Blanchelande College.