Our People Series

In the last of the Our People Podcast series, Our Stars 2022 sustainability champion Jo Spybey talks with Senior Policy Officer Lisette Jones and Our Stars Sponsor Martin Rowley of Deloitte about sustainability and decarbonisation in the public sector.

‘In this Episode we hear from Denise Drieu, Programme Director for the inclusion review implementation project for Children, Young People, Education and Skills. Denise has worked for Government of Jersey for 33 years across various departments, predominantly in HR roles and organisation wide transformation projects. Denise has witnessed and been a part of many of the changes which has transformed how we work and shares her experience of working both in the specific departments and more corporately. We find out where her passion for diversity and inclusion was ignited, and about the people that have inspired Denise along the way. We discuss flexible working , lifelong learning, the gender pay gap, and reflect on GoJ CEO’s that stood out to Denise during her time in Government. 

Maria explains how despite working in a predominantly male environment she never felt discriminated against due to her sex or ethnic diversity… until later in her career where she experienced the glass ceiling effect. Maria decided to take control of her own destiny and and started looking for opportunities in the public sector.  
From RAF bases with Tornado and Harriet aircrafts, to working on technologies that prevented the Westminster British bombings (7th July 2005) from bringing further devastation, Maria then went on to embark on a role as Digital Transformation Director for Westminster City Counsel. Here she was responsible for the role out of an improved digital and customer strategy across three boroughs that made a hugely positive impact on social housing, social care and children's services. Since joining Government of Jersey Maria’s team played a pivotal role in the island's successful response to Covid19 and were the winners of the public service sustainability award in the 2021 Our Stars ceremony. In her spare time Maria volunteers for Durrel Wildlife as a ranger and was one of the founding members of the GoJ IWILL committee, inspiring women into leadership and learning. 

Sadie Ruellan was studying towards her degree in childhood studies when she started working for the Government. The chaos of Covid-19 resulted in Sadie working on multiple projects in different roles and departments within her first six months. This included the CRESS project that provided support to Islanders living in Jersey for less than five years at the time of the Covid outbreak, working for the Ministerial Support Unit, and as part of the Covid Response team.

Sadie was nominated for her work at this time by people across the organisation and was shortlisted as a finalist for the Rising Stars award. Having discovered a passion for project work and public service, Sadie took up a permanent position as Business Improvement Consultant. It was in this role that Sadie worked on the People Bot project, alongside Stuart Barette and Oliver Meredith who together make up the Business Service Improvement Team.

We find out more about the persona behind People Bot, what she can support staff with in the organisation by identifying areas for improvement, and future plans to create a network of bots, including a Gov Bot for the public.

Jodie le Marquand, who studied Ecology and The Environment at Sussex University which took her on various adventures around the globe; from Sussex, Yorkshire, and Devon, to Portugal, Ecuador and Zambia; shares with us her experiences of working in Parrot conservation in Costa Rica and alongside charities such as ‘Greenpeace’ and ‘Friends of the Earth’ In London. Jodie then returned to Jersey to take up a position as Assistant Policy Officer focusing on sustainability. Jodie describes how rewarding and impactful policy work can be, and how working for Government of Jersey can provide you with greater exposure to various workstreams than in other jurisdictions. We learn more about how the Carbon Neutral Roadmap was developed using a people powered approach, the various consultations that took place, the fact that this was the second largest responded to survey Jersey has ever seen, and some of the key policies implemented and how they can support our community in achieving carbon neutrality.  

Christian May has been a champion for change in Jersey for many years and has similarly created platforms for voices of our community to be heard throughout his various roles. In this episode we learn how Christians passion for our island steered him towards a career in public service, how charitable volunteering supported him in developing greater skills that have supported him on his journey, his reflections on the very first Pride march to take place in Jersey, and the rollercoaster journey he has been on since joining Government over the past 5 years responding to Brexit, Covid19 and just as he thought he might catch his breath; the war between Russia and Ukraine. Christian is now studying towards his Masters in public administration to enhance his contribution towards our public service.

Dr. Tim du Feu tells us about his work across the globe as an environmentalist, specialising in fisheries. We journey from the Far-East, Greenland studying the Arctic Char, Thailand and Guyana and learn about his work with the British and German Governments in their Technical Aid programmes in Southern Tanzania and Northern Nigeria and many other destinations. We find out what drew Tim back to the island, how the skills he developed in natural resources transferred to working on the Jersey Census, and his current work in Natural Environment. Tim uses the knowledge gained from his experiences working with communities and traditional rulers around the globe to help shape our services believing ‘everyone has a value, everyone has an idea and that the key is to listen’. Current projects include working with Island farmers to improve nitrates and pesticides in our water, understanding the historic PFAS pollution in water around the airport, implementing the new Wildlife Law, developing countryside access network, habitat restoration on the north coast using Manx longhorn sheep and working with the Ecrehous Residents Association to protect breeding Terns.

In this episode we find out more about the future of Government of Jerseys Community and Volunteering initiatives, but first we get to know our guests who are intrinsically involved in launching these initiatives; Tom Martin Hughes, GoJ Talent Programmes, and Paul McGinnety, Director for Local Services. Tom Martin Hughes, the first young person in jersey to be awarded the prestigious Diana awards tells us about how community projects have always been a big part of his life. We find out about Toms work in HCS in Jersey, hosting the Princess Diana Awards, being styled by Gucci and how he went on to having a day named after him in Texas. Tom then takes over this episode as Host where we hear from Paul about the fascinating role and scope that comes with being the Director of Local Services. An area of government that impacts the whole of our community and is strongly connected with the third-party sector. Paul shares his career journey, how community spirit in the island was strengthened by the Covid19 pandemic and why giving something back is important to our employees, our community and to the government as an employer and role model for other organisations. We find out more about the Government of Jerseys Community and Volunteering Initiatives, how to embrace these and how they might also be used as a development tool.

Garreth Saunders is an Advanced Paramedic Manager whose role is pivotal in supporting Jersey Ambulance Services contribution to delivering the Jersey Care model. Clearly attracted to highly stressful vocations, Garreth takes us on his career journey from selling Jeans at school, to working in social care, the royal marines, and in close protection for royal families overseas and high-profile clients closer to home. Gareth worked on the front line for UK ambulance services during the pandemic and compares this with his experiences overseas in close protection. He shares some key messages and reflections with us during this episode, where we touch on PTSD, stress responses, resilience, and wellbeing.

Rhiannon Small is the first women to fulfil a senior manager role in Government of Jerseys Customs and Immigration department, paving the way for others to follow in her footsteps. In this episode Rhiannon, IWILL steering group member who champions the positives of flexible and inclusive working, reflects on the significant mentors and role models that have impacted her journey and shares how being driven by what she loves has supported Rhiannon in carving out her career.
An ambassador for the IWILL mentoring programme, Rhiannon was previously matched with and mentored by Paul Martin, Interim CEO, in 2021 and this year has registered as a mentor to support and guide fellow colleagues on their journey.