Kneeshaw, who is also chief executive of Royal London 360°, told a packed audience that the Manx government had done an “excellent job of ducking and diving and adapting the country to face the future”.
One such example is the tax information agreement signed by the island with the UK (incidentally on the same day) – the first of its kind to be signed by any of the UK’s Crown Dependencies.
In the well-received speech, which also quoted from American author and philosopher Malcolm Gladwell, Kneeshaw said he would “rather be part of a small, dynamic, adaptable, creative business or country than a big oil tanker one” adding that “it may sometimes feel a bit scary but it’s more fun”.
Continuing his theme, Kneeshaw explained that the Isle of Man insurance sector lives in, “as the Chinese say, interesting times”, and that the island is under “worldwide scrutiny and external pressures like never before”.
However, Kneeshaw, who early in the speech described himself as an "anarchist at heart", said “a true misfit or renegade treats this as an opportunity to change, to adapt, or to recreate the business”.
On an even more positive note, Kneeshaw added that “there are great opportunities in our industry on the island at the moment”.
The annual dinner also this year saw John Sergeant, former chief political correspondent for the BBC, give an entertaining after dinner speech.
