Jersey Funds Association appoints new chairman

The Jersey Funds Association has appointed former committee member Mike Byrne as its new chairman.

Byrne takes over the role from Ben Robins, the head of law firm Mourant Ozannes’s fund practice, who has served his three-year term at the helm of the JFA.

Byrne has worked at service provider PwC for more than 15 years. Most recently he was responsible for leading the asset management division for PwC in the Channel Islands focused on private equity and hedge funds, according to a statement from the JFA.

During his tenure he has gained experience working in Europe and Asia, and returned to PwC’s Jersey office in 2014 after a two-year secondment in Singapore, where he led the firm’s development of services in the alternative funds space.

Byrne will be joined on the committee by Tim Morgan, a partner at law firm Mourant Ozannes, who will serve a second term as vice chair.

“It is certainly an interesting time to take over as chairman of the Jersey Funds Association,” Byrne said in the statement.

“Jersey’s proactive approach to developing new funds legislation together with its commitment to enhancing links with overseas markets will ensure its funds industry can look forward to a positive future.”

Alongside Byrne’s election at the trade association's recent AGM, the JFA also announced its updated committee, which includes Peter Rioda, a director within fund administrator Sanne Group’s private equity practice, and Vycki Price, head of trustee, custody and depositary services at State Street.