MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands next Chief Executive, “a bit nervous”, points to the interesting moment of the Islands' development

Dr Clausen, “I think it is great that other women, and very young women, can see women in many different senior roles so that they know that they can go there too”. (Pic PN)

Dr Andrea Clausen has been appointed as the next Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands Government and will step into the position in April 2025. Dr Clausen will be the first Falkland Islander and the first female to take on the Chief Executive role, and evidence of how much the Falklands have invested in their people.

In a brief interview with the local TV station, Dr. Clausen said how excited and very proud she was with the appointment, “especially because the Falkland Islands is my home, and my life, and my family are here, but I'm also a bit nervous because it is a very big job”.

“The Falklands is in a very interesting point in its development in many different ways, I would like to help deliver and guide the Islands through that, obviously with the support from the team in the Falkland Islands Government, but also under the sort of guidance of the elected members of the Legislative Assembly, who make all the decisions about that Journey.

”If I were to mention some really key challenges that we face, imminently that would be whether or not we have a hydrocarbons industry, where that project is; the challenges of climate change both to the rural sector and fishing, then there are all sort of more socio project aspects and things that need to be done that I'll need to attend my attention to as well.

“So it is quite a wide range, including the role of Chief Executive of the Civil Services, which has always been filled by somebody from overseas, one way or another.

”I think it is significant how the Falkland Islands has invested in its own people and nurtured them, and promoted them through the system to be able to reach this office. I know I'm not of a sort of career civil servant, but I have had a career that has been in our community so I feel very proud about that and I hope that this is a change for the future and that we see other people come forward to apply from the Falklands in the future.

“In terms of being the first female, I think that is also a great thing, but I don't think that is what it is really about. I think it is great that other women, and very young women who are thinking about what their career aspirations might be, it's good for them to see women in many different senior roles so that they know that they can go there too. ”There's nothing stopping them, just because you are a woman doesn't mean you can't do it,. But really what you achieve should be about merit, and not whether you are male of female”, concluded Dr. Clausen.