Helen Kilpatrick, Cayman Islands governor-designate, found time to meet some of Cayman’s media on Saturday (20) before leaving back to the United Kingdom (UK) after her brief visit here. She arrived Thursday evening on a familiarisation visit.

The burning question why Ms Kilpatrick had taken a sudden foreign office assignment after being a full and long time UK civil servant with financial controller/accountancy background and lengthy employment in the Home Office, was immediately asked.

She answered, “It’s a change, but I’m not sure it’s an enormous change. This job builds on my previous experience in local government, in the Home Office, in policing, prisons, in all the services retained to the governor.  The areas and responsibilities I have here are not new.”

Speaking on her top priority and whether her financial background had anything to do with Cayman’s financial difficulties she dodged the questions a little saying:

“My priority has got to be to listen and learn when I first arrive. One-and-a-half days is not enough. I’m definitely going to be spending my first four to six weeks getting ’round, meeting everybody, touring the island and making sure that I understand where everybody’s coming from and what the issues are.

“A background in financial accounting will help anybody in this sort of role. It’s an important aspect of government, it’s an important aspect of business life in Cayman.”

Although present Governor Duncan Taylor will be leaving Cayman in the next few weeks to take up his new position as Ambassador in Mexico, Ms Kilpatrick will not be taking up her position until September. She will be the Cayman Islands very first female governor.

Photo Credit: Lennon Christian/GIS