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Guernsey Finance CEO Resigns Amid Independent Investigation

18/11/2025

On November 17, 2025, Guernsey Finance—a promotional body funded by the States of Guernsey to market the island's finance industry globally—announced the resignation of its Chief Executive Officer, Rupert Pleasant.

The organisation's Board stated it is treating "recent events" with extreme seriousness and has ordered an independent investigation into the matter, which began last week.

Details of the events remain undisclosed, and the Board emphasised the need for collaboration with stakeholders to maintain staff well-being and operational continuity.

✅ Key Facts Confirmed

Resignation: Rupert Pleasant stepped down as CEO of Guernsey Finance on November 17, 2025. His profile was removed from the agency’s website and LinkedIn shortly after. He had led the organisation since 2020 and had previously been recognised for his role in promoting sustainable finance and for meeting King Charles during his visit to Guernsey. [guernseypress.com]

Reason & Investigation: The Board announced an independent investigation into “recent events,” which reportedly involve a Teams meeting video or audio inadvertently shared, possibly linked to a data breach. No official details have been disclosed to avoid compromising the process. [guernseypress.com]

Interim Leadership: Barnaby Molloy, previously Deputy CEO, has been appointed Acting CEO. Molloy has over 20 years of experience in financial services and marketing and is known for his governance and strategic leadership roles. [captive.com]

Organisational Context: Guernsey Finance is a joint industry-government body that promotes Guernsey’s financial services globally. It employs around 25 staff and is funded partly by the States of Guernsey and a levy on licensed financial services businesses. [guernseypress.com]

Other Key Details from the Announcement

Resignation and Transition: Rupert Pleasant, who had led the organisation, stepped down immediately. Barnaby Molloy has been appointed as Acting CEO to ensure smooth operations.
Investigation Scope: The probe is independent and ongoing, with no further specifics released to avoid compromising the process.
Context: Guernsey Finance plays a critical role in promoting the island as a financial hub, particularly in areas like funds, trusts, and insurance. This development has sparked local speculation, but official sources have not elaborated.

The story broke via local media outlets, with ITV News Channel reporting it as a sudden departure and Bailiwick Express noting widespread community buzz over the past few days. On X (formerly Twitter), the news spread quickly through posts from Guernsey Press and ITV Channel News, highlighting the Board's statement verbatim.

This incident occurs against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny on financial governance in Guernsey, including recent enhancements to anti-money laundering measures and the island's preparations for international evaluations. No prior public issues involving Pleasant were noted in recent reports, suggesting the events are internal and recent.

Updates are expected as the investigation progresses; for now, Guernsey Finance appears focused on stability.

Source

https://guernseypress.com/news/2025/11/17/guernsey-finance-chief-resigns-as-board-launches-investigation

GUERNSEY DATA PROTECTION LEGAL

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As well as owning and publishing Comsure's copyrighted works, Comsure wishes to use the copyright-protected works of others. To do so, Comsure is applying for exemptions in the UK copyright law. There are certain very specific situations where Comsure is permitted to do so without seeking permission from the owner. These exemptions are in the copyright sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)[www.gov.UK/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws]. Many situations allow for Comsure to apply for exemptions. These include 1] Non-commercial research and private study, 2] Criticism, review and reporting of current events, 3] the copying of works in any medium as long as the use is to illustrate a point. 4] no posting is for commercial purposes [payment]. (for a full list of exemptions, please read here www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright]. Concerning the exceptions, Comsure will acknowledge the work of the source author by providing a link to the source material. Comsure claims no ownership of non-Comsure content. The non-Comsure articles posted on the Comsure website are deemed important, relevant, and newsworthy to a Comsure audience (e.g. regulated financial services and professional firms [DNFSBs]). Comsure does not wish to take any credit for the publication, and the publication can be read in full in its original form if you click the articles link that always accompanies the news item. Also, Comsure does not seek any payment for highlighting these important articles. If you want any article removed, Comsure will automatically do so on a reasonable request if you email info@comsuregroup.com.  

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As well as owning and publishing Comsure's copyrighted works, Comsure wishes to use the copyright-protected works of others. To do so, Comsure is applying for exemptions in the UK copyright law. There are certain very specific situations where Comsure is permitted to do so without seeking permission from the owner. These exemptions are in the copyright sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)[www.gov.UK/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws]. Many situations allow for Comsure to apply for exemptions. These include 1] Non-commercial research and private study, 2] Criticism, review and reporting of current events, 3] the copying of works in any medium as long as the use is to illustrate a point. 4] no posting is for commercial purposes [payment]. (for a full list of exemptions, please read here www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright]. Concerning the exceptions, Comsure will acknowledge the work of the source author by providing a link to the source material. Comsure claims no ownership of non-Comsure content. The non-Comsure articles posted on the Comsure website are deemed important, relevant, and newsworthy to a Comsure audience (e.g. regulated financial services and professional firms [DNFSBs]). Comsure does not wish to take any credit for the publication, and the publication can be read in full in its original form if you click the articles link that always accompanies the news item. Also, Comsure does not seek any payment for highlighting these important articles. If you want any article removed, Comsure will automatically do so on a reasonable request if you email info@comsuregroup.com.