Department for Regional Development appoints independent board members

The Department for Regional Development has confirmed the appointment of two independent members to its Board. They are Mr Allen McCartney, who will take appointment on 1 January 2009, and Mr Brian Carlin who will take up appointment in January 2010.

The purpose of independent board members is to bring fresh perspective, skills, experience and a constructive challenge to the management of Departments.

The Department’s Permanent Secretary, Paul Priestly, welcomed the new independent board members saying: “I am pleased that Mr McCartney and Mr Carlin have accepted these positions and I look forward to working with them. They both bring considerable experience and expertise from the public, private and voluntary sectors, and I am confident they will make an important and effective contribution to the work of the Departmental Board.”

The appointments will run from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2010 for Mr McCartney and from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2011 for Mr Carlin.

Notes to Editors

1. These appointments follow on from HM Treasury’s guidance on best practice with regard to composition of Departmental Boards (Corporate Governance in Central Departments: Code of Good Practice (2005)).
2. Independent Board Members will not take executive decisions but will provide external advice and expertise which will inform the decision-making process. They will add value by offering independent constructive challenge to the operation of the Board. They will contribute to the corporate management of the Department by the Board within the strategic policy and resources framework set by Ministers.
3. Allen McCartney formally held senior management positions with Viridian Group and Northern Ireland Electricity. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. He is currently a self –employed consultant in management and engineering.
4. He is a Lay Magistrate sitting in Youth Court, and Family and Domestic Proceedings Court. He is also a non executive director of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority in Northern Ireland.
5. His interests include urban renewal and he is currently working on the Skainos Project, a £20million redevelopment in inner East Belfast. Leisure time is spent on travel, golf, cycling, music, home and family.
6. Brian Carlin (OBE) spent his career of 43 years in Bombardier Shorts retiring as Executive Vice President in 1996. He has served as a Civil Service Commissioner since 2002 and will finish his final term in March 2009. Other public appointments have included serving for seven years as Chairman of the Central Services Agency, nine years on the Curriculum Council and five years on the Equality Commission until July 2008.
7. He currently serves on the Board of Maydown Precision Engineering in Derry and acts as a trustee of the Bombardier Shorts Pension Fund and the Bombardier Shorts Charitable Foundation.
8. Neither appointee has declared any political activity.
9. Media queries to: Michaela Smyth, Department for Regional Development, Press Office, Tel: 028 9054 0887. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.