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JT Group CEO steps down to lead Internet of Things business

After nearly 12 years as CEO, the Board of JT has agreed that Graeme Millar will step down as JT Group CEO. He will remain in Jersey, to head-up its recently sold Internet of Things (IoT) business.

John Diamond, who has been with JT for 11 years – most recently in Australia where he is Senior Vice-President, Asia Pacific – will act as Interim CEO of the JT Group, while a recruitment process for a permanent replacement is carried out.

Phil Male, JT Chair, said “I would like to thank Graeme for the passion and devotion to JT he has shown over the years and the work he has done to transform JT into one of the planet’s most innovative and commercially astute telcos. This has been achieved whilst retaining the company culture that aims to truly support and serve our customers. Whilst both Gigabit Jersey and our international growth have been major successes during Graeme’s time in office, I am most proud of the way that he lead JT to support our communities when Covid hit.

“I know that Graeme will work closely with John Diamond who has for many years been part of our CEO succession plans. John will arrive in Jersey, later this week to take up the position of Interim Group CEO, working with Graeme for a few weeks to ensure a smooth transition. In July the Board will launch the process to select a new permanent CEO.”

Graeme Millar added: “It has been the greatest honour of my lifetime to lead JT, but with Gigabit Jersey complete; a successful sale of our world beating IoT business and our Covid support efforts starting to wind down it is the right time for JT to select a new leader for the next decade. I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the next phase of growth of JT IoT and especially pleased that this will allow me to continue to live in Jersey.

“I would like to thank all of my colleagues at JT that have made the last 12 years so enjoyable and successful. Finally, special thanks to the three Chairmen that I have served under: John Boothman, John Stares and Phil Male, without whose guidance and support I would have achieved so much less.”

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JT creates and sells Jersey’s biggest digital technology business

St. Helier, Jersey – June 24th 2021. JT is delighted to confirm it has reached agreement to sell a majority stake in its Internet of Things (IoT) division to the family backed private equity investor Perwyn.  The new business will remain headquartered in Jersey.  JT were advised exclusively on this deal by Arma Partners.

This division was created as part of JT’s international expansion drive in 2014 and has doubled in size every year for the last 3 years. It provides device connectivity services to customers around the world. There are almost 10 million JT SIMs in active use today. The sale has been timed to maximise the excellent growth potential of this successful business by securing substantial investment from a new owner who specialises in providing risk capital to rapidly growing technology businesses.  JT will continue to benefit from this growth by supplying services to the new company and retaining a minority stake in it.

Phil Male, JT’s Chairman said: “I am immensely proud of the hard work, talent and commitment which the JT team have shown to get our IoT business to this point.  Together we have grown this business from inception into an entity now worthy of a sale at this scale. This sale not only shows the vast potential and value of Jersey’s digital sector, but also demonstrates that within Jersey we have both the human talent and the funding to enable and build globally successful digital businesses.

Now is the right time for JT to sell the majority of this business, in order to further turbo-charge that success. Whilst retaining a minority stake and becoming a supplier to Jersey’s biggest technology business, we believe that in Perwyn we have a new owner for the business with the vision and risk appetite to fund and grow this young, dynamic and growing global Jersey business.”

Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, said:

“This is extraordinarily good news for Jersey and a clear marker of just what can be achieved in the digital economy. We welcome this significant inward investment to the Island, which will lead to growth and exciting employment opportunities for Islanders.

“The agreement clearly shows that Jersey is gaining a global reputation as an incubator of successful digital businesses, and I am determined that this will represent the start of an even more exciting time for Jersey’s digital sector. “

Andrew Wynn, Founder and Managing Partner of Perwyn, added:

“We are extremely pleased to have secured the purchase of JT’s IoT business. We have been watching JT’s development in this space for some time with great interest and are impressed by both the speed and scale of their success and growth in this area.  They are now one of the most attractive players in this global market.  The process of dealing with JT and the island of Jersey during this transaction has been collaborative and productive.  We are confident this relationship will bring benefits to Jersey, as well as augmenting the island’s future attractiveness as an incubator for leading-edge innovative businesses. We look forward to working with the JT team to complete the transaction, which is one of important size and scale for us.”

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Communications boost for local cancer charity, with JT partnership

This year the JT Guernsey Team have decided to offer their support to Guernsey Cancer Support, a small charity made up of volunteers who help those living with or impacted by cancer, their families and carers.

The Channel Islands telecoms group has kick-started its 12-month commitment with a people donation of £500 and a number of free-roaming devices and sims that the Charity’s members can use when travelling off-island for treatment, giving them one less thing to worry about.

Gill Syvret-Berboda, Chairwoman of Guernsey Cancer Support, said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to JT Guernsey for choosing us as their charity of the year. Like so many other charities, it has been a difficult 12 months particularly during the lockdown periods when we were unable to hold our monthly meetings or spend time with members and give support to those affected by cancer.  

‘Improving connectivity will enable us to help our members who are travelling off-island for critical treatment to stay in touch with loved ones. This is going to make a huge difference to us and all the people who use our services.  A team like JT, that is clearly passionate about being part of what we do, is already making a difference and means so much to us.’

Tamara O’Brien, Deputy Managing Director, JT Guernsey said: “Unfortunately, one in two people will be affected by cancer in some way, and the chances are we all know someone, likely more than one person, who has been affected in some way by this disease.

“For this reason alone, we are all fully committed to supporting Guernsey Cancer Support as they care for our loved ones. It’s very important to us that we get involved with causes which are dedicated to helping others because without additional support, especially in difficult times, many services would not be so readily available.”

Helping local charities and initiatives is embedded into JT’s culture; it’s a great way to bring people together and give back to the communities we serve.

Throughout 2021, JT will focus their support on charities which helps people living with cancer and their families. The Guernsey office has chosen Guernsey Cancer Support and the team in Jersey will partner with Macmillan Jersey to make the best use of JT’s expertise to help develop digital patient services and to make a positive impact where it is most needed.

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Progress Report 2020 details a strong year for JT’s core business

St. Helier, Jersey: JT Group has today published its Progress Report for 2020, describing a strong year for its core business.

Overall, the Group’s Financial Statements detail an increase in profit before tax of 17% on 2019, at £4.7m – JT was also able to maintain a healthy dividend to its shareholder, the Government of Jersey, of £6m (2019: £7m).

The strong performance of the Group’s core activities meant that the cash generated by the business increased by 30% on 2019, and the level of net debt reduced by 41%.

Total Group revenues fell by 13% as a result of a one-off strategic decision to exit Voice Trading business, but that had little impact on profits, as it was low margin.

The Progress Report also explains how JT played its part in supporting islanders to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by doubling broadband speeds to 1Gb/s at no extra cost to support people working at home, providing free local landline calls to its customers, and suspending charges for both late payments, and exceeding agreed data limits.

In addition, the Report details the success of the Group’s Internet of Things (IoT) division which was created by JT in 2014 and has doubled in size every year for the last 3 years. It provides device connectivity solutions to customers across the world.

JT Group Chairman, Phil Male, commented: “Clearly, 2020 needs to be seen through the frame of COVID-19, and in the light of what many people experienced in that year. JT played its part to support the community in any way it could, perhaps notably by doubling broadband speeds to help islanders to work from home. I would like to thank our people who pulled together brilliantly under some really tough circumstances to make that happen quickly, and with the minimum of disruption – I know I speak for the whole leadership team when I say how very proud we are of them all. 2020 was a year when we were all tested – but JT has come through it strongly and is very well set-up to continue supporting the islands as we go forward.”

Graeme Millar, JT Group CEO, added: “2020 was a year when our whole community faced considerable challenges, and I would like to echo Phil’s comments about how well the JT team pulled together in the face of such tough circumstances.

From a trading point of view, it was a very solid performance. We had to contend with the negative effects of Brexit, the pandemic and general volatility in global markets. But we took a prudent approach to those challenges, protected our core business and looked to focus on new opportunities for growth. That core businesses performed very well indeed, and proved how resilient the JT Group is. And we see excellent future opportunities both for our Internet of Things division, but also for Fraud Protection Services, and for our international business generally. Closer to home we enabled the cultural shift to working-from-home, something which demonstrated the deep capability of our network; we will continue to invest in that to make sure the islands have the essential infrastructure they need to prosper.”

ENDS

You can read JT’s Progress Report 2020/21 and Financial Statements here >

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Jersey talent stands tall next to the world’s largest businesses

JT’s frontline Customer Experience teams are up against some of the biggest business names from the business world after being chosen as finalists in two categories at the International Digital Experience Awards.

Two of JT’s customer experience (CX) initiatives have been shortlisted twice in the Best Use of Customer Feedback category, and JT’s Field Engineering Worx App, developed in-house, during the COVID-19 pandemic to help digitise the case management for JT Engineers, is in the running for the Best Use of a Digital Platform.

Both CX entries are competing in the same category as the global energy giant Shell and the Indian telecoms company Tata Communications.

The winners will be announced on 22 July after presenting their initiatives in full to a distinguished panel of judges from around the world.

Graeme Millar, JT’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’m so proud of the individuals whose hard work, dedication and brilliance shine a light on Jersey. It’s not the first time our Customer Experience teams have been up against some of the biggest names in the world of business, so we understand the challenges of being measured alongside these brands and are delighted to be recognised as their peer. It really demonstrates, that our local talent is up there amongst the best and how technology and the use of digital channels is improving the customer experience.”

Tamara O’Brien, Group Head of Corporate Communications, Brand & CX , said: “Making the shortlist with not just one, but three entries is a fantastic achievement and I’m so thrilled that our people are being recognised for their genuine dedication to providing great customer service. They did that while we were all facing daily challenges during the pandemic, at a time when what we do best suddenly became essential, every JT team member played a key role in keeping our community connected.’’

The International Digital Experience Awards recognise innovation and best practice as millions of people moved to becoming digital-first customers during 2020 and 2021.

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JT supporting diversity and inclusion for future senior leaders

JT has signed up to the I WILL programme, supporting the Government of Jersey’s plans to expand the range of skills for those holding senior positions within the government.

The telecoms group has placed diversity and inclusion among its key goals to become a more sustainable business and has appointed Alison Rogers, who is the Government of Jersey’s Group Director of Strategic Finance, as its first Board Apprentice. The I WILL initiative was introduced to address inequality and increase the number of women in senior leadership positions following a review of the gender pay gap.

Alison, who has had a career in the public and private sector spanning over 25 years, will spend a year under the mentorship of JT’s Board.

Graeme Millar, CEO JT Group, said: “At JT, we put people at the heart of what we do, and we believe in a digital future for all, helping to bridge any skill gaps in our society and achieve a better future for the communities we serve. That’s why it’s so exciting that JT is hosting Alison as a Board Apprentice, she will witness first-hand what it’s like to work on large scale digital transformation initiatives and what the process is to govern them. Everyone deserves the chance to rise to the top of organisations and the I WILL programme champions those aspirations, creating a pool of board-ready people capable of taking top positions in Jersey’s private, public and third sectors.’’

Alison Rogers said: “I have worked predominantly in finance, within both the private and public sectors, and I am relishing the opportunity to experience first-hand how the JT Board operates. Throughout my career I’ve worked very closely with operational areas and always gained a good understanding of the business needs. I value the collaborative approach to working and I’m really looking forward to sitting in with my hosts on the JT Board and drawing on their extensive business experience at the very top of their industry. It’s refreshing to know that there are companies such as JT operating in the Channel Islands who put diversity and equality at the heart of what they do.”

macmillan with JT phone cases
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JT donates phone accessories to help cancer charity’s community project

JT are donating smartphone accessories to Macmillan Jersey to help towards their fund raising for a cancer support space at The Lounge charity book café in Burrard Street later this year. Macmillan Jersey was chosen by JT for a second year of support following the enormous impact the successful partnership had on both the telecoms group and the cancer charity in 2020.
The accessories, which are currently on sale in The Lounge, include covers and screen protectors for iPhone and Samsung smartphones. These are for phone models no longer sold in the JT shop but still widely used in the community, giving islanders the chance to purchase at a heavy discount with 100% of the proceeds going to the charity.

Graeme Millar, JT Group CEO, said: “Providing critical cancer support services for our community is so important and we’re really pleased to be able to continue to help towards these vital services, that connect people living with or effected by cancer to information and support from the very heart of our high street.

Our teams have worked together for the past eighteen months, embracing change, overcoming personal challenges and creating innovative ways to generate awareness and raise funds. To be able to recycle, repurpose and reuse while supporting our chosen charity who work tirelessly for our community is at the very core of JT’s values. The stock items we are donating we no longer sell the phones they are designed for, and we want both Macmillan Jersey and islanders to be able to benefit from that. We hope that the sale of these items will mean the charity will be able to pay for the improvements needed to bring their vision of a town centre support hub to life.”

Steph Gibaut, from Macmillan Jersey, said: “At Macmillan Jersey, our vision is that everybody affected by cancer in Jersey has access to emotional, practical and wellbeing support, through whatever their preferred route of contact is.

Later this year, we’d like to refurbish the upper floor of our town hub, The Lounge Charity Book Café, to transform it into a much more flexible space for cancer support activities. This would create a new cancer support suite in a central location for people to drop in on their lunch breaks and after work or school to speak to one of our cancer support team. It would be in addition to our Cancer Support Centre, The Oasis at The Lido Medical Centre. In order to do this, we need to raise around £15,000 to renovate our current office and we’re delighted that our partners JT continue to help us find new ways of raising the money needed to reach our target.

Daragh McDermott at Strive
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JT works with new elite sports academy to develop the skills of the island’s youth

JT is proud to be working with Strive to help talented young people excel at sport and reach their full potential, as well as assisting to put Jersey on the map as a location for elite sports.

Strive is a pioneering centre designed to provide the best knowledge and expertise to train athletes and sports people and to encourage greater participation in sport and wellbeing within our community. Its core belief is that a healthier lifestyle should be available to everyone and Strive is committed to providing opportunities for young people by teaming up with local secondary schools to develop the skills of students through its dedicated Academy programme.

As sponsors of the Academy’s Education Room, JT has provided the digital equipment required to support the Academy’s health and fitness education programme.  It will teach young people how sport ties in with leading healthier lifestyles and give them the knowledge and ability so that they can inspire their families and friends to lead healthier lifestyles as well.

An additional aim of Strive is to support local athletes and teams with a desire to improve, giving them access to the services that are essential for those dedicated to pursuing excellence in their sporting endeavours.

Strive will use JT’s Managed Wi-Fi service throughout the premises, providing world-class, reliable, secure and hyper fast Wi-Fi for members, local athletes and visiting professionals, such as the British & Irish Lions rugby team during their upcoming training camp in advance of their tour of South Africa.

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director, JT (Channel Islands), said: “We recognise the importance of working alongside such a pioneering project to elevate the profile of the Island and more importantly support the learning of Jersey school children. This venture will enable an equal platform of opportunity for children to grow and flourish, presenting athletic opportunities that, without this facility, may not be achievable. The centre will offer a diverse range of sports activities, thereby securing continued participation in sports and its important link to a healthy lifestyle. Designed to support a healthier life, Strive is a state-of-the-art facility that combines the services normally found in a health club with the expert coaching and advice associated with elite sport, enabled by state-of-the-art facilities and underpinned by JT’s world-class fibre network.”

Ben Harvey, Managing Director, Strive, said: “We are partnering with all Jersey’s secondary schools and are really excited to be nurturing the aspirations of our young people to live more active and healthier lives. We are working towards empowering young people with purpose, self-esteem and leadership and we are grateful for the support and expertise that our partnership with JT is securing for this centre. We see it as our mission to provide fitness and health education to all young people in Jersey.”

For more information about Strive visit https://www.strive.je/

Aerial photo of Cobo Bay Hotel
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Balcony Gigs to return in the 10th year of JT support

With news of the Government’s roadmap for exiting lockdown, Cobo Bay Hotel have announced that their popular Balcony Gigs will return this summer with an exciting line-up for Guernsey music lovers. The Big Band Collective will kick off the series of six gigs starting on Sunday 2 May, marking 10 years since JT began sponsoring the now legendary, and much anticipated, annual Balcony Gigs.

On the line-up, which will continue through the summer until the August Bank Holiday weekend, are tributes to world famous international acts such as AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac and Oasis, supported by amazing local bands,  many of whom are now firm favourites on the Cobo stage.

Organisers will stay in close contact with the health authorities to make sure the gigs comply with all restrictions in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone attending and contributing to each event.

Tamara O’Brien, JT’s Deputy Managing Director in Guernsey, said: “Living through the recent lockdown, we have all had a reminder of the things we miss the most, and one of those is probably having the chance to get together with family and friends to enjoy live music. The Cobo Bay gigs provided a massive boost for our community in 2020 when we were lucky enough to be the only place in the British Isles able to hold live music events. Which is why, as we emerge from lockdown, we are pleased to have this opportunity to confirm our support and our renewed sponsorship of these gigs, given what has been an extremely challenging time for all those in the hospitality sector. Guernsey has a really proud tradition of supporting this industry who do so much to enrich our lives. I know I’m not alone in counting down the days for The 2021 Summer Balcony Gigs to kick off,  with a line-up of amazing musical talent who can’t wait to perform.”

Another great Guernsey tradition is supporting local charities, especially now when fundraising has been so difficult for them. There will be a collection at every event in support of the Guernsey Cheshire Home and Guernsey Cancer Support. Each gig will be live streamed across JT’s social media channels so they can be enjoyed by people everywhere.

David Nussbaumer, organiser of Cobo Bay Hotel’s Balcony Gigs, said: “The ongoing support from JT in conjunction with the extra financial assistance received from Ravenscroft this year has ensured the continued success of our Summer Balcony Gigs.  We’re also celebrating a ten-year partnership with JT that we very much value, and look forward to working closely together to bring the carnival atmosphere to Cobo Bay this summer. I really can’t wait to look down on all those happy faces enjoying the true spirit of the Guernsey summer.”

JT Sustainability Strategy
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JT launch their 10-year Sustainability Strategy

JT has launched a 10-year Sustainability Strategy, setting clear targets to reduce its impact on the planet and local environment, and to become a carbon neutral business by 2030.

The JT Sustainability Strategy focuses on two main ambitions, centred around Planet and People. Not only are they focused on reducing environmental impact, but the strategy also outlines their focus on promoting diversity within the organisation and connecting and bringing together our communities. For over a century, JT has been at the very heart of island life, adapting to change and leading innovation and technology in the communities it serves. Today JT has a very clear purpose, which is to help connect their people, customers and islanders to their sustainable future.

The Telecoms operator worked with The Carbon Trust to benchmark and baseline their carbon emissions, bringing existing environmental activities together into a robust and formal planet policy and future vision. That includes using more locally generated renewable energy, reducing their fleet size and moving to electric vehicles, scaling down and repurposing their property estate, while also supporting their customers and partners to reduce their own carbon footprint.

The People strategy also outlines JT’s focus on the community and their commitment to supporting local charities, vulnerable groups and champions the importance of digital education and online security for all. Workforce diversity and inclusion is also a key focus area for the Group which they see as critical to ensure growth and attract the best talent.

Graeme Millar, JT Group CEO, commented: “Climate change remains one of the most urgent challenges for our society today. The fight to contain it requires a genuine commitment from all of us, it’s an opportunity for everyone to work together to protect the world we all share. For us, this is a really important part of our 10-year strategy alongside our ‘social sustainability’ commitment to do good in the communities we live and work in. We’ve a responsibility to champion and lead on digital inclusivity and education and I’m excited to see the benefits that will bring to our islands. We’ve set ourselves some ambitious targets, which won’t be achieved overnight, we hope when we report back each year, we can demonstrate positive steps forward.  We know we won’t get it right first time, however with the support of our people, customers and partners we hope to see good our commitments to supporting our purpose, while providing positive digital and social experiences.

Energy use is an essential part of day to day business operations, but all telecom operators have considerable scope to cut energy costs and consumption which is why JT’s teams are determined to make efficient and sustainable changes wherever the opportunity presents itself.

Tom Noel, JT’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, said: “We’re already making great progress in reducing energy use in all our buildings, using a series of simple solutions such as sensors that make sure lights are not left on, something every business can commit too. We’re putting our foot firmly on the accelerator to achieve wider sustainability goals within our communities, supporting the aims of being a force for good. That’s not just about reducing our use of energy and switching to renewable sources, it’s also about being at the core of community life and supporting a digital future for everyone, because we really believe that the way forward is together’’.