Appointments to the board of Invest Northern Ireland
Monday, 14 April 2008Enterprise Minister, Nigel Dodds, today announced eight new appointments to the Board of Invest Northern Ireland.
The appointments of Mr Roy Adair, Mr Tim Brundle, Dr David Dobbin CBE, Mr Mark Ennis, Mr Frank Hewitt, Dr Alan Lennon OBE, Professor Gerry McCormac and Mr Gerry McGinn were made to the Board of Invest Northern Ireland for a period of three years, effective from 1 April 2008.
Commenting on the appointments, the Minister said: “The new members are joining the Invest NI Board at a time of great importance for the local economy. The wide range of skills and experiences they will bring to the Board will further enhance the ability of Invest NI to help Northern Ireland create the dynamic and innovative economy that we are seeking.
“I have every confidence that Invest NI, using the collective talents of both its new and existing Board members, is well equipped to attract new investment, and to assist existing businesses to improve their productivity and become more internationally competitive. I wish the new members well in their appointments.”
The appointments have been made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.
Invest NI Board members currently receive an annual remuneration of £11,405.
The Minister also announced the extension of the appointment of Mrs Rotha Johnston, Sir Patrick Haren and Mrs Rosemary Peters-Gallagher for a further year, also from 1 April 2008. The other members of the Board are, Chairman, Mr Stephen Kingon, Mr John Brady, Mr Bryan Keating and Mr Ed Vernon.
Notes to Editors:
Appointments to the Board of Invest Northern Ireland
Invest Northern Ireland is a non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) whose sponsor Department is the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI). Established under the Industrial Development Act (Northern Ireland) 2002, its role is to promote innovation, enterprise and competitiveness in Northern Ireland businesses, encourage new start-ups and market Northern Ireland as a location for inward investment.
Under the provisions of the Act the Board of Invest NI shall consist of a Chairman and not fewer than 10 nor more than 20 other members. Current membership stands at 12 (Chairman and 11 other members). With these new appointments, the membership will stand at 15 (Chairman and 14 members), reducing to 12 at 1 April 2009.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for the political activity of appointees (if any declared) to be published.
New appointees
Mr Roy Adair
Mr Adair is Chief Executive of Belfast Harbour Commissioners (BHC) with overall responsibility for performance of the business including strategy and providing oversight of all operational matters. His career started with Rothmans International with a variety of engineering and manufacturing management roles. He became Director and General Manager of the Ballymena engineering company, Flexibox at 28. He was the first Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Quality Centre. He joined the DDL Group as Managing Director of Irlandus Circuits Ltd in January 1994. He assumed European Group Managing Director role with responsibility for the other Group company, DDL Electronics in 1996. He is a former non-Executive Director of the Laganside Corporation and former Chairman of the Institute of Directors’ Economic Strategy Committee. Mr Adair is a Board Member of the UK Major Ports Group Ltd and a Board Member of Business in the Community. In 2007 he was appointed as HRH Prince Charles Ambassador for Corporate Social Responsibility for Northern Ireland.
Mr Adair does not hold any other Ministerial appointments and has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Mr Tim Brundle
Mr Brundle is Director of Innovation at the University of Ulster (Ulster). He is responsible for the University’s commercial output including consultancy, knowledge transfer, intellectual property licensing, technology commercialisation and spin outs. In addition he has responsibility for UUTech Ltd, the University of Ulster’s technology venturing company. Prior to his appointment with Ulster, on behalf of QinetiQ Group PLC, he held the positions of both Director of Sales and Marketing and Technology Transfer Director within the Ministry of Defence Diversity Agency. He holds a number of non-Executive posts and is a member of the Advanced Engineering MATRIX Horizon Panel.
Mr Brundle does not hold any other Ministerial appointments and has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Dr David Dobbin CBE
Dr David Dobbin has extensive international business experience in the food and drink and packaging sectors and is currently Group Chief Executive of United Dairy Farmers, a leading UK dairy processor based in Northern Ireland. He is actively involved in promoting regional economic development and is Chairman of the Prince’s Trust in Northern Ireland and has recently been appointed as Chairman of InterTradeIreland. Dr Dobbin also serves on a number of other public and private sector boards including the Strategic Investment Board of Northern Ireland, the BT Ireland Advisory board and the Food From Britain Council. He has previously held a number of public and industry appointments including Chairman of CBI Northern Ireland. In addition to receiving the CBE in the 2005 Birthday Honours for his service to the agrifood and packaging industries, Dr. Dobbin was awarded an honorary Chinese citizenship in 1998 in recognition of his service to economic development in China and an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast in 2005 for his services to the economy.
Dr Dobbin is a member of the Strategic Investment Board for which he receives remuneration of £11,000 pa and the Food from Britain Council, with remuneration of up to £1,800 pa. As Chairman of InterTradeIreland he receives £9,520 pa. He has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Mr Mark Ennis
In 2003 Mr Ennis was appointed as main Board Director of Airtricity, a leading renewable energy business, which develops and operates wind farms across Europe. He is currently Director of Strategy & Public Policy and has responsibility for overseeing the development of Airtricity’s strategy across all operational and geographical areas including Ireland, UK Mainland, Europe and China.
Prior to joining Airtricity he was CEO of Boxmore International PLC a manufacturer of packaging for the Pharmaceutical, Agro-chemical, and Food sectors. He has been an advisor to a number of businesses and has served as a Non-Executive Director on several Boards including the Industrial Research & Technology Unit from 1998 to 2002 and Down Lisburn Trust Board from 1993 to 1999. He currently serves as a Non- Executive Director of ST & D Ltd, a University of Ulster spin out company.
In addition to his business activities, Mr Ennis is a member and past Chairman of CBI Northern Ireland and is currently Chairman of the Management Leadership Network an organisation established in 2002 to encourage leadership development in NI. He is a member of the IOD where he Chairs the Professional Development Committee. He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Management.
Mr Ennis does not hold any other Ministerial appointments and has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years
Mr Frank Hewitt
Mr Hewitt is currently Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce with overall responsibility for management of the Chamber including financial management, strategic development, business development, communications and responsibilities. Prior to this he was Deputy Secretary with responsibility for Corporate Services in Department of Culture Arts and Leisure for 18 months. He held the post of Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Growth Challenge for 4 years. He has many years of industrial development experience with the former Industrial Development Board and was formerly Deputy Chief Executive there with responsibility for overseas investment. He is currently Honorary Consul for the Federal Republic of Germany and a Board member of the Organised Crime Task Force Stakeholders Group.
Mr Hewitt does not hold any other Ministerial appointments and has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Dr Alan Lennon OBE
Dr Lennon is currently a self employed consultant. In addition to this he is one of 6 Commissioners, responsible for running NI Civil Service senior appointment processes. He is also Chairman of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s sponsored Research and Education Advisory Panel. He was formerly Chairman of CCEA for 9 years – leading the 250 person organisation in the development and delivery of education services to NI schools. In January 2008 he received an OBE for services to Education in Northern Ireland. Prior to this he was Managing Director and major shareholder in Munster Simms Engineering – a SME business in Northern Ireland manufacturing and exporting water systems for the leisure marine industry.
As a NI Civil Service Commissioner, Dr Lennon receives remuneration of £300 per day. His remuneration on the Research and Education Advisory Panel is £450 per day. He has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Professor Gerry McCormac
Professor McCormac has, for the last 7 years, been Pro-Vice Chancellor of Queen’s University (QUB). He has primary responsibility at QUB for Economic Development and Outreach. This includes responsibility for development of technology transfer activity, engagement with economic development bodies, political representatives, the business community and other stakeholders. He represents QUB on the Economic Development Forum Innovation sub-Committee, the Northern Ireland Science and Industry Panel (MATRIX) and on the university liaison panel of the Board of the Northern Ireland Science Park.
Professor McCormac does not hold any other Ministerial appointments and has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Mr Gerry McGinn
Mr McGinn is currently Head of Goodbody Stockbrokers newly created presence in Northern Ireland. His extensive private sector experience includes being Chief Executive of Bank of Ireland’s – Banking – UK with responsibility for Corporate, SME and Personal Banking throughout UK. During this time he led the merger of Bank of Ireland’s GB and NI operations. Prior to this he was Chief Executive of Bank of Ireland, NI. From September 2001 to July 2007 he held the posts of Permanent Secretary for Department of Education and then Department of Regional Development.
Mr McGinn does not hold any other Ministerial appointments and has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Extendees
Mrs Rotha Johnston CBE
Deputy Chairperson)
Mrs Johnston is a National Trustee of the BBC for Northern Ireland and Pro-Chancellor at the Queen’s University, Belfast. Mrs Johnston has a number of property interests. Prior to this she was a shareholder and director of Variety Foods Ltd, a food service company supplying the Irish market. She was previously a Council Member of the Northern Ireland Economic Council and a Board Member of the Labour Relations Agency and also worked in both economic development and the textiles sector. Mrs Johnston is also a Director of AIB UK plc.
Mrs Johnston does not hold any other Ministerial appointments and has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Sir Patrick Haren
Sir Patrick is Deputy Chairman of Viridian Group Limited, the all-island energy company which operates in competitive markets North and South and whose major subsidiary is Northern Ireland Electricity. As Chairman of the NI Growth Challenge and the NI Quality Centre, he initiated their merger under the new Centre for Competitiveness. He is a graduate of Queen's University Belfast and of University College Dublin and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Executive MBA in European Utility Management at Jacobs University Bremen.
Sir Patrick does not hold any other Ministerial appointments and has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Mrs Rosemary Peters-Gallagher OBE
Mrs Peters-Gallagher is a Partner in Moore Stephens Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors and Business Advisors. The practice has a network of 5 offices employing 150 staff throughout Northern Ireland and is a member firm of Moore Stephens International. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and a member of the Institute of Directors, serving on the Professional Development Committee of the latter. She is also a Member of the Council and Court of the University of Ulster where she is Chairman of the Audit Committee. She also Chairs the Invest NI Audit Committee.
Mrs Peters-Gallagher is a Non-Executive Director of the Northern Health and Social Services Board for which she receives remuneration of £5,000 pa. She was recently appointed a Non-Executive Director of the Cabinet Office Audit and Risk Committee for which she receives remuneration of £4,000 pa. She has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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