Leading Swiss bankers and professionals recently learned what Guernsey’s finance centre has to offer.

Local representatives travelled to Geneva to address the British Swiss Chamber of Commerce.

Almost 100 guests heard Albert Good, chief executive officer of Credit Suisse Group banking operations and honorary Swiss consul to the Channel Islands, highlight strong links between the two jurisdictions.

‘The finance industries of both Switzerland and the Channel Islands are not only benefiting their own countries,’ he said. ‘More importantly still, and from a broader perspective, these finance industries are very much a necessary and integral part of making Europe successful, enabling it not only to retain but also to expand its prosperity.’

He urged governments, politicians, diplomats, public servants and business leaders to convey this message to the decision-makers shaping Europe.

Mr Good’s speech was followed by Guernsey Promotional Agency chief executive John Bridle. Mr Bridle noted that many current issues facing Guernsey and Switzerland arose from the globalisation of financial services and the increasing pressure from international authorities for harmonisation of tax regimes and adherence to global reporting standards.

‘A by-product of this is increased interest from media commentators, increased reporting and, it must be said, a great deal of misrepresentation and downright misinformation - much of it rooted in suspicion, political bias or simple jealousy of Guernsey’s success.’

He observed that Guernsey was mindful that reputation was critical to long-term business and, while it could be underwritten by confidentiality and low tax regimes, reputation could not rest on those factors alone.

Mr Bridle spoke of an emerging view within the local finance sector that its future lay in adapting its services with increasing focus in the coming years.

‘Development of core specialisms in specific areas such as risk-management products, hedge fund and new international wealth management structures are likely to augment the more generalist fiduciary and private banking mandates of the last decade.’

Jersey Finance chief executive Phil Austin also spoke on the same platform as Mr Good and Mr Bridle.

The event was the first of two high-profile marketing engagements in Switzerland for the Guernsey Promotional Agency this year. The AGEFI Conference in Geneva on 8 and 9 October will be sponsored by the agency.

Mr Bridle will be speaking on Guernsey’s strategy and Keith Corbin will give a practitioner’s view of local financial product and service developments. A number of Guernsey-based institutions and professionals will also be attending the event.