The New Governor will take up appointment in November of this year and is looking forward to the role.

Governor Designate, Andrew Gurr, said: “I was delighted to learn of my appointment as Governor. My wife, Jean, and I are both looking forward to living on St Helena very much. This is a time of great opportunity for the Island and I look forward to working with the St Helena Government and all the people on the Island over the next few years.”

The Governor Designate has been married for over 39 years and met his wife Jean at University. He has a degree in Geography and a Masters of Business Administration. His wife has a degree in Music and is an associate of the London College of Music.

The couple have two children Paul, 35 who has a young son and Kathy, 33. They also have a dachshund dog called Stanley and they are hoping to bring him to the Island.

The Governor Designate loves music, photography, jogging, hill walking and occasional golf while his wife enjoys gardening. The couple also enjoy sport including cricket and football for which they are West Ham fans.

They both have some experience living in a small island environment when they spent time on the Falkland Islands. During this time, Mr Gurr served as Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands Government.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has said that the Governor Designate will bring considerable leadership experience in both the public and commercial sectors to his position of Governor, along with experience in economic development and change management.

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