Sure’s operations in the Isle of Man will now be managed as one bigger group merging with the South Atlantic and an atoll in the Indian Ocean called Diego Garcia.

Ian Kelly has been CEO of Sure’s South Atlantic and Diego Garcia operations for the last three years and a Batelco Groupexecutive since 2007.

Now he has been appointed acting CEO of the expanded group. It means Sure’s operations in the Isle of Man and Channel Islands and in the South Atlantic and Diego Garcia will now be managed as one group (Sure), headquartered in Guernsey. Diego Garcia is the home of a United States military base.

A Sure spokesman said the Sure operations in the Isle of Man will be unaffected by the group expansions.

He said the jobs of employees in the island will not be affected and local CEO Mike Phillips and his team here remain as usual.

Eddie Saints, who was the Guernsey-based CEO of Sure’s Channel Islands and Isle of Man operations since 2008, was due to take on the role with Mr Kelly’s support prior to his death earlier this month.

Sure says it has a specialist understanding of small market economies and the merger means that the overall group has operational responsibility for companies within seven territories - each with niche service and infrastructure requirements.

The company says the initiative recognises the benefits of economies of scale and the value of combining resources to create one focused and simplified operating structure.

Aspokesman said the two regions, which include the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, the Falkland Islands, Ascension Island, St Helena and Diego Garcia, had previously worked together on a number of key initiatives but the merger will enable ’greater operating synergies and facilitate the sharing of knowledge, skills and expertise.’

Acting CEO, Ian Kelly, said: ’Eddie and I worked closely together during the planning of this merger and he was passionate about the benefits and opportunities that working as one expanded group would bring.

’Eddie was a strong leader and he leaves a legacy of a successful business which I intend to build upon.

’Sure’s knowledge of small market economies and our level of expertise in dealing with the geographical and operational nuances of these island locations are well-established and sharing knowledge and expertise across the group is one of the big benefits of the merger.

’Sure’s performance across both regions in the past few years has been strong and the merger is recognition of both this performance and the potential that exists in having a larger, stronger group.’ It was reported that New Year’s Eve marked the conclusion of a 50-year agreement under which the UK has allowed the US to use the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia as a military base.

On New Year’s Day the agreement was rolled over into a new one lasting a further 20 years.

Diego Garcia is a 17 sq. mile horseshoe-shaped atoll in the Chagos Archipelago. It has a tropical climate.