Specsavers' co-founder and Ambassador of the NED Development Programme Dame Mary Perkins shares her view of the value of developing the island's non-executive director population:
"It is important that all companies in Guernsey support the development of local talent in employees. In Specsavers we call this “growing our own” and we have had successful 2 year Board Placements drawn from our optical partners for a few years now. They have brought a fresh perspective to our business, and have gone on after their 2 years to contribute greatly in our industry. NED’s development gives the knowledge and skills to understand the roles and responsibilities of sitting on a Board, looking at the challenges that need to be examined. I was a NED with Guernsey Post a decade ago and can appreciate the value of training for special NED skills here on the island, as it is not possible to keep importing that from other places. We need the ongoing availability of NEDs to ensure timely replacements with, for example, good corporate governance skills already inbuilt."
- Dame Mary Perkins, Co-Founder of Specsavers and Ambassador of the NED Development Programme