Foster announces NITB Board appointments
Tourism Minister Arlene Foster today announced the appointment of Katy Best and Duncan McCausland to the Board of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.
~ Thursday, 26 January 2012
The reappointments of Howard Hastings as Chairman and Alistair McGowan, Donald Price, Martyn Todd and Clive Gordon as Board members were also announced.
The reappointments took effect from 1 January 2012 and the term will end on 31 December 2014. The appointments will take place with effect from 1 February 2012 and will end on 31 January 2015.
Commenting on the appointments and reappointments, the Arlene Foster said: “I am confident that the Chairman and four Board members, as well as the two new members, will continue to make a significant contribution to NITB’s endeavours in achieving the challenging tourism targets set out in the Executive’s Draft Programme for Government and draft Tourism Strategy for Northern Ireland.
“The wide range of skills and experiences that they will continue to bring to the Board can assist the NITB in its efforts to grow and develop Northern Ireland tourism.”
The appointments and reappointments have been made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, Northern Ireland.
Chairman of the Board of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board carries a remuneration of £22,695 per annum.
Membership of the Board of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board carries a remuneration of £4,945 per annum.
Notes to editors:
1. The Executive’s Draft Programme for Government has set targets that include increasing the number of tourists visiting the region to 3.6 million by the end of 2013 and increasing tourism revenue to £625million.
2. Pen Pictures
New appointments
Mrs Katy Best
Katy Best is the Commercial and Marketing Director at Belfast City Airport and is responsible for all revenue streams, marketing, communications and tourism related activity at the Airport. Katy has over 10 year’s experience within tourism-related businesses in Belfast, London and Sydney. She was previously a Council member of the NI Chamber of Commerce and has held a post on the Tourism Ireland Central Marketing Partnership Committee. Katy is a member of the Corporate Leadership team for City of Culture 2013.
Mr Duncan McCausland
Duncan McCausland is a recently retired Assistant Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. He is a Deputy Lieutenant for Co. Down and a Committee Member of the Prince’s Trust Council for Northern Ireland. He sits on the Board of the Nomadic Trust and was recently appointed to the Ministerial-led NI Prisons Reform Oversight Group.
Reappointments
Dr Howard Hastings, Chair
Howard Hastings is the Managing Director of Hastings Hotels. He is also a Director of Merrion Hotel Ltd (ROI) and a former Chairman of the Board of Governors at Rockport School Ltd. He is a Board Member of Tourism Ireland, (remuneration £5,235 per annum), where he has served for all but one year since its foundation in 2000. During the 1990s he was Chairman of the Institute of Directors in Northern Ireland and Founding Chairman of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation. He has served on the Bank of Ireland Advisory Board for Northern Ireland and on the Board of Castlereagh College for Further Education. His previous public appointments include the Training & Employment Agency, Investors in People, New Deal Task Force and the Tourism and Hospitality Training Council. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Ulster in 2011.
Mr Clive Gordon
Clive Gordon is currently an Associate Consultant with TTC International, a Director of the Richhill Buildings Preservation Trust and a member of the Richhill Townscape Heritage Initiative Partnership. He was formerly Managing Director of the Environment and Development Company (1989-2008), a Director of Development for Center Parcs (1984-89) and an Assistant Director for Nottinghamshire County Council (1974-85). From 2001-2006, Clive held senior positions at the National Museums of Science and Industry (incorporating the Science Museum in London and Swindon, the National Railway Museum in York, and the National Media Museum in Bradford). He was Vice Chairman of the Tourism Society from 1996-1999.
Mr Alistair McGowan
Alistair McGowan is the CEO of the RUC Athletics Association with responsibility for the development and maintenance of sport, recreation and business services for 10,000 members. At present he is on secondment to the World Police & Fire Games with responsibility for Games Delivery. In 2007 he led the team which secured the World Police & Fire Games for Belfast in 2013; this is the third largest multisports event in the world, which will attract around 12,000 competitors from 100 countries. From 1997-2003 he was Director of the Rural College / Derrynoid Centre, Draperstown; he has also been Chairman of Sperrins Tourism and a Foundation Governor of Sperrin Integrated College.
Mr Don Price
Donald Price was Chief Executive of the Northern Bank from 1998 until his retirement in June 2008. Prior to this he has held a number of senior management positions in Northern Ireland and overseas. From 1995-1998 he was Managing Director (MD) of Belfast Telegraph Newspapers and for three years previous to that he was MD with Northern Ireland Railways Company Ltd. He worked for BP for over 18 years in a variety of commercial management roles in Europe, Asia and Africa. He also sits on the Board of Northern Ireland Water, remuneration £18,000 per annum.
Mr Martyn Todd
Martyn Todd was first appointed as a Board Member for NITB in January 2009. During his first term he took a keen interest in Tourism Strategy, Ulster in Bloom, internal staff recognition and co-operation with the NI Environment Agency, of which he is an Independent Board Member, remuneration £12,000 per annum. He retired from the post of Director of Recreation and Community Services in Down District Council in September 2009. His interests include local history, hill-walking and sailing. He was awarded an MBE in 2000 for co-ordinating the project that successfully set up the Strangford Stone in Delamont Country Park to celebrate the Millennium.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees/reappointees to be published. None of the appointees or reappointees has had any political activity in the past five years.
3. For press enquiries please contact DETI Press Office on tel: 028 9052 9604. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
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