The Minister said: “Noel Brady, Trefor Campbell, Peter Curistan, and Peter Dixon are being appointed for the first time and will bring a wide range of commercial experience to the Belfast Harbour Commissioners. I am also reappointing Ross Reed and David Russell who had applied for further terms through public competition and who will help to provide important continuity to the Harbour Commissioners. ”
The Minister confirmed that existing commissioners - Ronnie Foreman, Mary McMahon and Steve Pollard - will serve for a further period of four years having been appointed in January 2005 after an open competition.
The Minister went on to say “The public competition to recruit new board members attracted a range of highly skilled candidates. I consider that the six Commissioners appointed as a result of the competition will ensure that Belfast port continues to have a strong and representative Board with a wealth of talent.
“Under the leadership of the Chairman, Len O’Hagan, who will continue to serve in this capacity until 31 December 2010, I am confident the new Board will provide the strategic direction necessary to encourage the continued growth and success of Belfast port as a key regional gateway and important economic driver for the North of Ireland.”
The appointees join the representatives of Belfast City Council: Councillors David Browne, Tom Hartley, Alban Maginness, and David Rodway. Mr Roy Adair, the port’s Chief Executive, will continue to serve as a Commissioner in an ex-officio capacity.
The Minister concluded by thanking outgoing Commissioners, Richard Milliken, Michael McAree and Joe McCusker for their valuable contribution to the board over the last six years.
Notes to Editors:
- Belfast Harbour Commissioners has responsibility, under a series of Harbour Acts and Orders, for improving, maintaining and managing the harbour. The constitution of the Commissioners was established under the Belfast Harbour Order (Northern Ireland) 2002 (No 40). The Harbour Commissioners currently has a membership of a Chairman and fourteen members, one of whom is the serving Chief Executive, and four representatives from Belfast City Council. Commissioners currently receive remuneration of £9,945 per annum.
- The Chairman of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners, Len O’Hagan, was appointed after an open competition in December 2006. His term of office ends on 31 December 2010.
- The term of office for all the other Commissioners ends on 31 December 2011.
- The process of reconstituting the Board was carried out by means of an open, public competition in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) Monitored Kitemark Scheme.
- As per OCPA guidance where those appointed have been involved in political activity it is noted below.
New Members
Noel Brady is managing director of his own company, Consult Nb1 Ltd, which provides executive support services to a range of national and international companies. As managing Director he brings almost 30 years experience in both the public and private sectors. After leaving the Civil Service in 1991 he went on to join CFM Group Ltd, latterly Fujitsu Services. On leaving Fujitsu he joined Sx3, part of the Viridian Group of Companies, in 1999 until March 2004 before he left to start his own company.
Since September 2005 he has been a Non-Executive Director of the Driver and Vehicle Agency. Other positions held include: Chairman of the Sales Institute of Ireland, Northern Branch; member of the Northern Ireland Committee of the Institute of Directors; and Member of Corporate Fundraising Committee for the Simon Community.
Peter Dixon commenced employment with British Gas as a trainee Gas Engineer. Over a time span of 21 years he progressed to various executive positions. For the past 7 years, he has been CEO of Phoenix Gas. Other positions, past and present include; Chief Executive of Kellen Investments Ltd; Group Executive of East Surrey Holdings plc; Head of Service Delivery at Centrica Plc; and Chairman of the Development Board of the Ulster Orchestra.
Trefor Campbell was managing director of Moy Park Ltd from 1982 to 2007, and is now chairman. In 1984 he led a management buyout of the company, and then joined the OSI Group of companies in 1996. He established and was the first chairman of Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association.
Other positions held include: Director on the British Poultry Council since 2002; Trustee of the NI Assembly and Business Trust since 1999 and in 1995 was a founding member of the Centre for Competitiveness. He is a past board member of Business in the Community.
Peter Curistan is an honours graduate of Queen’s University with a degree in Economics, Law and Accountancy, and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. He is Chairman of the Sheridan Group of companies, established in 1989. He has a background in major property development in Belfast and elsewhere most notably the Odyssey. He currently holds an appointment at the University of Ulster as Visiting Professor of Entrepreneurship.
Re-appointed Members
Ross Reed is a manager and company chairman with a wide experience of top level Executive and Non-Executive Posts. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants with substantial operating and corporate finance experience. His company, Interfrigo, has just been announced as the European Independent Cold Storage Company for 2007. Currently he is a Deputy Chairman of the General Commissioners of Income Tax; a Fundraiser for Rudolf Steiner School. A current Belfast Harbour Commissioner, he is Chairman of the Belfast Harbour Pension Fund Ltd.
David Russell retired as the Chief Executive of Hampden Group plc in June 2000. He has been a Belfast Harbour Commissioner since January 2002 and is Chairman of the Titanic Quarter and Estates Committee. He is also currently the Chairman of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board. From March 2000 to September 2006, he was the Chairman of Ulster Supported Employment Limited.
He has also been involved in a range of voluntary organisations, and currently is Chairman of the NI Council of the Save the Children Fund. He has been a Council Member of the University of Ulster.
Ronnie Foreman was appointed to the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners in January 2005. He is chairman of Aervent Group and chairman of FIN Aspire Publishing. A Director of Fluor Ltd., he is also self-employed as a Business Development Consultant. Mr Foreman was formerly Chairman of Statistics Advisory Committee and owner of Alpha Controls Ltd.
During 2006 Mr Foreman was a member of Harbour’s Commercial Projects Committee, the Safety & Environmental Committee and the Security Committee.
Mary McMahon is a self-employed social policy researcher. She is a member of a number of voluntary community organisations concerned with social justice, poverty, marginalisation and exclusion. She has canvassed on behalf of the Irish Labour Party.
A Board member since 2002 Ms McMahon was recently a member of the Harbour’s Safety & Environmental Committee and the Corporate Governance & Audit Committee.
Roy Adair was confirmed as Chief Executive Officer in October 2005.
Prior to his appointment Mr Adair was the Port of Belfast’s Operations Director. In addition, he is a board member of the UK Major Ports Group Ltd and of Business in the Community.
Steven Pollard has interests in community economic regeneration and is actively engaged in a number of initiatives in this field. He is currently the Northern Ireland Director of Protocol Skills and was previously Project Director of Conexus, a training solutions organisation affiliated to Castlereagh College. Mr Pollard is a member of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ Corporate Governance & Audit Committee and the Titanic Quarter & Estate Committee.
Councillor David Browne is an Ulster Unionist elected member of Belfast City Council. He was appointed to the Board in July 2005.In addition to being the former High Sheriff of Belfast, Councillor Browne is also member of several Belfast City Council Committees and Chairman of Grove Housing Association.
Mr Browne is a member of Belfast Harbour Commissoners’ Corporate Governance & Audit Committee, the Security Committee and the Ports Policy Review Committee.
Councillor Tom Hartley is a Sinn Féin elected member of Belfast City Council. He was appointed to the Board in July 2005. In addition to being a member of several Belfast City Council committees, Councillor Hartley is a Board Member of the West Belfast Partnership Board, Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau and Belfast Education & Library Board.
Councillor Hartley is a member of Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ Safety & Environmental Committee and the Corporate Governance of Audit Committee.
Councillor Alban Maginness MLA is a Social and Democratic Labour Party elected member of Belfast City Council and MLA for Belfast North. A Barrister by profession, Councillor Maginness was appointed to the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners in 2006. Councillor Maginness is the Chair of the Harbour’s Trust Port Review Committee and sits on the Corporate Governance & Audit Committee and the Titanic Quarter & Estate Committee.
In addition to being a member of several Belfast City Council committees, Councillor Maginness is a member if the Employment Services Board.
Councillor David Rodway was nominated by Belfast City Council in July 2007 to be one the Council representative on the board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners. A member of the Democratic Unionist Party, he was elected to represent the Victoria Ward of Belfast City Council in May 2005. He is a marine consultant. As a member of Belfast City Council he also sits on the Belfast Education and Library Board. He is a member of various committees on Belfast City Council including the Town Planning Committee and the Policy and Resources Committee, of which he is Deputy Chairman.
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