Environment Ministers’ Council
Minister for Environment and Climate Change Prof John Cortes chaired a virtual meeting of the Council of Environment Ministers from the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) and Crown Dependencies (CDs). The Council was set up at a meeting in Gibraltar’s Garrison Library in 2015, and has met at least annually since.
The meeting was attended by Environment Ministers, or equivalents, and senior officials from all the territories in question, as well as their London representatives, and the UK Overseas Territories’ Association (UKOTA), with the secretariat provided by the UK Overseas Territories’ Conservation Forum (UKOTCF).
The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, UK DEFRA Minister of State (Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs) attended the meeting and participated in the discussions. These covered a wide range of topics, including representation in Conferences of the Parties of environmental conventions and agreements, biodiversity, funding for environmental projects, and management of protected areas.
All present considered the meeting to be useful and successful and agreed to increase the frequency to at least every six months.
Minister Cortes commented, “All the OTs and CDs are very different from each other in many ways, but also share many common challenges, problems and opportunities. These meetings of the Council have proved extremely useful in pushing the environmental agenda both in our small jurisdictions and also in the UK.”
Kindred CEO RESIGNS
Gibraltar employer Kindred Group plc has announced that its Board of Directors received the resignation of CEO Henrik Tjärnström, effective immediately. The Board of Directors has appointed Nils Andén as interim CEO, also effective immediately.
“I look very much forward to working closely with our Board of Directors, the executive management team and all employees to achieve the goals of Kindred”, said Nils Andén. “I re-joined Kindred in 2020 as its Chief Commercial officer, after having had positions within Kindred between 2006 and 2016 as Head of Poker, Head of Established Markets and Chief Marketing Officer for the Unibet brand. I have a strong belief in our organisation and the business models that have made this Company so successful and am more confident than ever in Kindred’s potential.”
“I am very pleased with the Board of Directors’ choice of Nils Andén as the interim CEO, guaranteeing a smooth hand over”, says Henrik Tjärnström.
“Henrik has been at the helm through many important milestones passed by Kindred and has undoubtedly put his mark in both the history of the Company and the industry. Thus, on behalf of the Board of Directors and all shareholders I would like to thank Henrik for his valuable contributions to the success of Kindred throughout the years he has led the Company and wish him well in his future endeavours”, said Evert Carlsson, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kindred.
The company operates 32Red and Unibet amongst others.
The BIBA conference 2023
Gibraltar Finance attended and exhibiting at the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) annual conference and exhibition at Manchester Central in the United Kingdom.
The BIBA conference is one of Europe’s largest insurance gatherings and in 2022 there were 8,066 attendees and 222 exhibitors including 5,169 brokers.
Michael Ashton, Senior Executive, represented Gibraltar Finance and he was joined on the stand by five insurance professionals from Gibraltar.
The Hon Albert Isola MP, Gibraltar’s Minister for Digital and Financial Services stated, “The insurance industry is a significant and core part of Gibraltar’s financial services sector. It 2022 the total gross premium income collectively written by all Gibraltar’s insurance companies reached circa £7 billion for the first time and Gibraltar’s motor insurers’ share of the UK motor insurance market exceeded 30% again for the first time.
BIBA offers the opportunity to showcase Gibraltar’s vibrant insurance sector, which has also seen significant growth in pet insurance and the intermediation of travel insurance in recent years, to a wide audience and to emphasise Gibraltar’s unique passporting rights into the United Kingdom.
A special thank you to all five insurance professionals who travelled to Manchester to support the Gibraltar Finance stand at BIBA 2023.”
NEW MID-HARBOUR AGREEMENT
His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar recently granted a Licence Agreement to Mid-Harbour Small Boat’s Marina Association for an area of land at 6 Coaling Island Road for the purpose of a boat repairing and service yard.
This will provide the Association’s berth holders with an area where they can haul out their boats and carry out maintenance and repairs.
The Licence Agreement was signed at No6 Convent Place by Managing Director of Land Property Services, Kevin De Los Santos on behalf of HMGoG and John Collins as President of the Mid-Harbour Small Boats’s Marina Association.
