Career diplomat Jane Owen has been appointed the new governor of the Cayman Islands and will succeed Governor Martyn Roper when he demits office early next year.
The Governor’s Office, in a statement Friday morning, announced Owen’s appointment saying she will take up her post in April 2023.
Roper, who was appointed Governor back in 2018, was granted an extension on his tenure and has served in the post for the last four years.
He had replaced Anwar Choudhury, who was removed from the role after an investigation into complaints about his conduct.
Neither the nature of those complaints nor if they were substantiated were ever revealed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Owen welcomes appointment
Owen, a mother of two, is currently serving in Bern, Switzerland as His Majesty’s Ambassador and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Principality of Liechtenstein where she has been posted since 2017.
In a comment on her appointment, she said, “I am honoured and delighted to be appointed by His Majesty The King to be Governor of the Cayman Islands from April 2023. I look forward to developing a close partnership with the elected government and I will do my utmost to support the people of all three Islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.”
Owen, prior to her Bern appointment, served as UK Trade and Investment deputy CEO and chief operating officer from 2014 to 2016.
She also served as Her Late Majesty’s Ambassador to Oslo, and New Delhi Counsellor for Trade, Finance, Science and Climate Change.
Owen was educated at Ellerslie School in Malvern, and Trinity College, Cambridge (BA hons in Russian, French and German). She was married to David Donnelly, who passed away in 2017.
Owen is originally from Bilston in the West Midlands.
Highlights of Roper’s time in Cayman
Roper worked closely with the Alden McLaughlin-led administration as Cayman navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.
He oversaw procurement and delivery of Cayman’s free COVID vaccines.
He is now working with the Wayne Panton-led government as Cayman moves to the new post-pandemic normal.
He also enacted Cayman’s Civil Partnerships law paving the way for same-sex couples to enjoy the same legal protections as traditional married couples. However, his use of the governor’s reserve powers to enact that law was subject to legal challenge.
Roper is a prominent figure in the community who has hosted and attended many events at which he interacted with residents on a personal level.
He also learned to play the steel pan and would often showcase his skills, which he honed under the tutelage of pan master Earl La Pierre.
Roper will be spending his last Christmas as governor here in the Cayman Islands.
Jane Owen’s CV
2017 to present Bern, His Majesty’s Ambassador, and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Principality of Liechtenstein2014 to 2016 UK Trade and Investment, Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer
2010 to 2014 Oslo, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
2006 to 2010 New Delhi, Counsellor for Trade, Finance, Science and Climate Change
2002 to 2006 Tokyo, Commercial Counsellor
1998 to 2001 Hanoi, Deputy Head of Mission
1996 to 1998 FCO, Head, Mediterranean and Asia Section, Europe Department
1993 to 1996 Department of International Trade, Head, Japan Section
1990 to 1993 Tokyo, Second Secretary, Trade
1988 to 1990 Full Time Language Training (Japanese)
1987 to 1988 FCO, Desk Officer, Central America Department
1986 to 1987 Japan English Teaching programme (JET)
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