Guernsey Finance Strengthens Hong Kong Presence with New Appointment

Guernsey Finance, the promotional agency for the island's finance industry, has announced that its dedicated Hong Kong presence is paying dividends as it appoints a permanent Hong Kong representative, Dorothy Kwok.

The agency opened an office in Hong Kong at the end of 2016, linking up with the regulator, the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. Their presence in Hong Kong has supported the development of the agency's ongoing work in China, which began more than 10 years ago.

Kate Clouston, deputy chief executive at Guernsey Finance, said, "Our presence in Hong Kong has given us more visibility to the Hong Kong network of intermediaries and has better informed them about the opportunity to work with Guernsey service providers."

Ms. Clouston continued, "The Guernsey Financial Services Committee (GFSC) has received more than 100 technical inquiries across all sectors over the past 15 months and it has certainly been helpful to have their presence to support our work.

"Our work in China is well-established and we continue to look for opportunities coming directly from the Chinese mainland, while recognizing that Hong Kong is considered a gateway to China and that a significant amount of China-related business comes through there."

Ms. Kwok has 8 years' experience in the trust and corporate services industry, most recently with a company that was bought by global trust business Equiom, which also has a Guernsey office. Her work with Equiom and another Jersey-based trust company brought her into contact with Channel Islands structures, and she spent time working in Jersey.

"Guernsey's financial services are well respected in Hong Kong," said Ms. Kwok. "I am looking forward to playing my part in ensuring that [Guernsey's] offering is known more widely."