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The sudden resignation of Jersey's Government CEO has reignited calls for the Channel Islands to work more closely together with a combined role leading both Guernsey and Jersey's civil services.
Suzanne Wylie had only been in the role for little more than a year after moving to Jersey in February 2022 before her departure was announced yesterday afternoon.
Pictured: Suzanne Wylie is retuning to Ireland after just 13 months working in Jersey.
The former Belfast Chief Executive, who was appointed to the top role in Jersey's civil service in February 2022, will be taking up a new opportunity in the Northern Irish capital.
Jersey's Chief Minister Kristina Moore thanked Ms Wylie for her "professionalism and hard work during her time as Chief Executive" and said she "has had a positive impact since starting with the Government of Jersey and we respect her wishes to return to Belfast."
Ms Wylie will be starting her new position in the summer with Ms Moore saying Jersey's priorities remain focused.
“Suzanne is successfully working through transformations across the Government, from the turnaround team in Health and Community Services to the formation of Jersey’s Cabinet Office.
“These priorities have been dealt with alongside navigating officers through the recovery stages of the series of major incidents that have affected our Island. Suzanne will continue in these endeavors for the next few months while we look to appoint a successor. We wish her all the success in her future.”
If so, I would once again strongly urge both @Govgg and @GovJersey to think seriously and creatively as to combined role, focus of which w/b delivery of more cost effective government services across both islands.
— Gavin St Pier (@gavinstpier) March 22, 2023
Carpe diem. Action this day. Find opportunity in a crisis. https://t.co/U2jCw96tzi
Deputy Gavin St Pier has made repeated calls for Guernsey and Jersey to work more closely together, since he was Chief Minister and during his time on Guernsey's back benches.
He told Express that the news of Ms Wylie's resignation paves the way for a discussion about joint working across the islands with a joint role prime for definition.
“Having vacancies in senior leadership roles are golden opportunities for any organisation – and government is no different - to reconsider its future requirements.
"If the political leaderships in both Jersey and Guernsey are truly serious about delivering, rather than talking about, future joint working, they will seize this opportunity to define a joint role. A role whose purpose is to transform and deliver more cost effective public services across both islands."
Having faced opposition when he has proposed closer joint working between Guernsey and Jersey before he isn't expecting anything to change this time around either.
"It won’t be easy," he acknowledged. "That’s an understatement. It will be very hard. But there are always more reasons presented against change to counter those in favour. Massive internal resistance in both islands to such an idea is to be expected. Now is a time for bold vision, ambition and leadership."
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