Tourism chair resigns amid questions over business history and ongoing fraud investigation

Government silent on whether anonymous whistleblower dossier prompted Andrew Mackness's departure

The Chair of Visit Isle of Man, Andrew Mackness, has stepped down from the role after just nine months in post.

Visit Isle of Man confirmed his resignation in a brief statement, attributing the decision to his wish to “focus fully on his own business interests, both on and off-Island.”

However, Manx Radio can reveal that Mr Mackness’s departure comes shortly after the broadcaster received a whistleblower dossier containing documents relating to his past as a Conservative councillor and director of a council-owned company now at the centre of an ongoing police fraud investigation.

Undisclosed political background

When Mr Mackness was appointed to lead Visit Isle of Man in 2024, a government press release described him as a businessman with “42 years of senior leadership experience in the retail, service and property sectors.” It highlighted his role as Chair and major shareholder of St Andrews Lakes, a leisure destination in the South-East of England, and noted he had moved to the Island two years prior with his wife to run a consultancy business serving clients in both the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom.

The statement made no mention of his political background.

From 2016 to 2019, Mr Mackness served as a Conservative councillor on Medway Council in Kent. During that time, he was also a director of Medway Commercial Group (MCG), a local authority trading company. He resigned as director on 31 March 2019, the same year the company was found to have lost £1.7 million in public money.

All directors of MCG stepped down that year and a new board was appointed to take over.

At the time, KentOnline reported that Medway Commercial Group had embarked on “highly speculative ventures” without permission, and that some of its projects represented a significant “departure from its expertise”.

The then-Leader of Medway Council, Alan Jarrett, told a cabinet meeting that “it is clear that certain individuals did not act in a way they should have done,” but urged against “jumping to conclusions.”

He also revealed that he had concerns about the company’s direction dating back 18 months prior to the investigation, which led him to call in external forensic accountants to assess the organisation.

Police investigation remains live

In March 2019, Kent Police launched an investigation into MCG following allegations of fraud. The force confirmed the investigation remains active.

A spokesperson for Kent Police told Manx Radio: “The investigation is complex in its nature and being carried out by specialist detectives from the force’s Economic Crime Unit who are continuing to follow a number of lines of enquiry including the review of a significant quantity of financial documents.

"A man and woman in their 50s, both from Tenterden, and a man in his 40s from Rochester were all arrested on suspicion of fraud in June 2021.

"A man and woman in their 50s, both from Chatham, have also since been interviewed under caution and all individuals remain subject to ongoing enquiries.”

Kent Police confirmed that no charges have been brought to date and could not name the individuals involved.

Manx Radio understands the scale and complexity of the investigation have placed pressure on the force’s capacity, with limited resources available to pursue a full-scale inquiry.

Council and Conservative responses

Medway Council told Manx Radio: “Medway Council continues to fully cooperate with Kent Police, and we will continue to ask for routine updates in what we appreciate is a complex investigation.

"In the meantime, the council has taken decisive steps to strengthen the governance of its local authority trading companies. Under our administration we have implemented changes in line with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) best practice to increase transparency, accountability, and public confidence in how these companies operate.”

Meanwhile, Medway Conservatives commented on Mr Mackness’s departure from local politics, stating: “Mr Mackness did not seek re-election and stood down as a councillor in May 2019, and in his letter to the then Leader explaining his decision, said he was focused on his own business' development plus non-executive roles.”

Business interests and directorships

According to Companies House records, Mr Mackness has held 44 appointments since 2009. He currently holds seven active directorships, five of which are his own companies based in Kent. He also registered a company in the Isle of Man in November 2022, shortly after relocating to the Island.

One name that appears alongside his in some corporate records is Vikram Sahdev – a former director of Medway Commercial Group, resigning in 2017, and briefly a director of St Andrews Aqua Park Ltd, one of Mr Mackness’s companies, between September and November 2023.

Mr Sahdev, who describes himself as a “dynamic solution-finder dedicated to narrowing the gap between the public and private sector,” also appeared as an attendee in the Visit Isle of Man board meeting in April 2025. However, the minutes show he made no contribution to the discussion.

Despite best efforts, Manx Radio has been unable to contact Vikram Sahdev to offer him a right of reply, but will continue to look for a method to approach him.

Visit Isle of Man has refused to confirm the purpose of Mr Sahdev’s involvement and whether any contractual agreement with the executive agency exists.

Tourism tax and board minutes

During Mr Mackness’s time as Chair, he expressed interest in exploring alternative ways to fund tourism. Minutes from a Visit Isle of Man board meeting in December 2024 record him stating that the agency needed to “explore new funding channels and creative ways to operate” while balancing “government requirements with commercial goals.”

One of the ideas floated at that meeting was a tourism tax, which the board supported in principle, though acknowledged more discussion was needed on how it would work.

Questions to Visit Isle of Man

Manx Radio asked Visit Isle of Man to confirm whether Mr Mackness’s background played any role in his decision to resign, whether due diligence checks had been carried out before his appointment, and if his history was known prior to his appointment.

A spokesperson for the agency declined to answer those questions but confirmed that an investigation had been launched. It is understood this began on 10 June 2025, but no further details – including the terms of reference – have been released.

The agency said it would not comment further until the investigation was complete and could not indicate when that might be.

Right of reply: Andrew Mackness

Manx Radio also approached Mr Mackness to offer an opportunity to respond to the concerns raised.

"All roles I have held are, and have always been, in the public domain and come with a strong track record of delivery. It is the responsibility of executive officers to undertake any due diligence they consider necessary.

The politically motivated claims dating back to 2019 are pure mischief-making.

To be absolutely clear: I have never been arrested. Where voluntarily requested, I have – and would always – assist the police in any investigation.”

As non-executive Chair of Visit Isle of Man, I had no involvement in operational matters, procurement, or appointments – these are entirely the responsibility of the CEO. Any non-board attendees were invited by the CEO to support the presentation of the updated strategy, which was formally presented to the board and is publicly recorded.

The strategic changes introduced during my tenure were long overdue. The Agencies remain over-structured, burdened by unnecessary cost, and require reform to deliver better value for the Isle of Man taxpayer.

I was proud to support the CEO in initiating structural reform and in introducing a wide range of commercially capable individuals and organisations to assist in driving improvement – including challenging underperformance where necessary.

I am proud of what I achieved in this role and throughout a career leading organisations across the private, public, and third sectors – all of which have progressed under my strategic leadership.

I wish the CEO every success in implementing the further changes now required.

I will be making no further comment." - Andrew Mackness