Extension of Non-Executive Member Appointments for the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners

Date published: 24 December 2019

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The Department for Infrastructure has announced that the appointment terms of nine Non-Executive Members of the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners have been extended.

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This is with effect from 1 February 2020 to 31 July 2020. 

These extensions have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland’s Code of Practice.

 

Notes to editors: 

  1. Belfast Harbour Commissioners is a Public Trust Port established by legislation.  The Commissioners have responsibility, under a series of Harbour Acts and Orders, for developing, maintaining and operating Belfast Port to the highest standards of efficiency, financial prudence, environmental awareness, safety and security to the benefit of all stakeholders.  The Constitution of the Commissioners was established under Schedule 1 of the Belfast Harbour Order (Northern Ireland) 2002.
  2. The Belfast Harbour Commissioners currently have a membership of a Chair, an Executive Member and twelve Non Executive Members, including three Councillor Members.  The Non-Executive Members currently receive remuneration of £12,608 per annum.
  3. Dr Ed Vernon has served on the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2012.  He has a background in the IT sector.  He was founder and Chief Executive of BIC Systems and also Head of Corporate Strategy at BT Ireland.  He is a former Board Member of Invest NI and is currently a Deputy Chair of Queen’s University Foundation Board.
  4. Ms Rotha Johnston has served on the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2012.  She has a background in both private and public sectors.  She is a Director of Wildflower Property and a former Business Development Director for LEDU and co-owner of Variety Foods.  She is currently Chair of NI Screen (2013 to date), for which she receives remuneration of £10,000 per annum.
  5. Mr Kyle Alexander OBE has served on the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2016.  He has a background in the Public Sector.  He was Chief Executive of Laganside Corporation which was responsible for the transformation of Belfast’s waterfront and Cathedral Quarter.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and is a Trustee of The Eastside Greenways Trust and has been involved with the Connswater Community Greenway since its inception.  He is also a Trustee of Parkinson’s UK, representing Northern Ireland interests on the national charity’s board.
  6. Mrs Diana Fitzsimons has served on the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2016.  She is a planner and a development surveyor and a Fellow of both the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).  She formerly worked as a Senior Lecturer at the Ulster University; as a Principal Commissioner with the Planning Appeals Commission; as Office Director of the planning consultancy Turley; and as a part-time Inspector with the English Planning Inspectorate.  She is currently Chair of Radius Housing Association and a Visiting Professor in the Built Environment at Ulster University.
  7. Dr Gerard O’Hare CBE DL has served on the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2012.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.  He is the founder of Parker Green International, a private international investment and development company.  He is a former President of Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade and a former Board Member of Intertrade Ireland. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and the CBI.  He is also a Board Member of Invest NI (2012 to date) for which he receives £12,517 per annum.  Dr O’Hare is also a Trustee of Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.
  8. Ms Deborah Lange has served on the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2016.  She is a Certified Public Accountant and has held a number of senior executive positions within the accounting and high-tech sectors.  She was the Senior Vice President of Global Tax at Oracle Corporation and also chaired the Silicon Valley Tax Directors Group.  She is currently a Board Member of Invest NI (2014 to 2019), for which she receives remuneration of £12,517 per annum. Ms Lange is also an Assessor for the Women in Business Northern Ireland Diversity Mark and was a member of the Board of the Queens University Foundation from 2017 to 2019.
  9. Mrs Jane Chambers has served on the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2016.  Mrs Chambers is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Project Manager.  She has had a wide career specialising in major infrastructure and property development.  She is a Director in J Chambers Consulting Ltd. Most recently she has been delivering wastewater infrastructure in Dublin and during her career, has worked on major projects including the Integrated Wastewater framework for NI Water, the Kilkeel Harbour Sea Defence, Springvale Campus, Belfast and Bangor Olympic Swimming Pool and Leisure Complex.
  10. Mr Richard Everitt has served on the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2016.  He has a background in both public and private sectors.  He is a former Chief Executive of the Port of London Authority and of National Air Traffic Services Limited.  He was also a Director of BAA plc.  He is a former Chairman of Air Partner plc and is currently the Chairman of Dover Harbour Board.
  11. Ms Christine Hayes has served on the Board of Belfast Harbour Commissioners since 2012.  She is also a member of the Belfast Harbour Pension Fund.  Her background is in Finance and the Banking Sector.  She is a former Director of Credit Management within the TSB Group and also the Risk Director at Egg plc.  Additionally, she has worked as a business consultant and coach and currently volunteers as a business mentor with the Prince’s Trust.
  12. 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 to be published.  All appointees have declared that they have not undertaken any recent political activity.
  13. The Department for Infrastructure does not reappoint board members automatically to a second term. All appointments are made through open competition.  These are short term extensions rather than a re-appointment. The Department for Infrastructure is intending to launch a recruitment campaign for Belfast Harbour Commissioners in the New Year.
  14. All media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office on 028 9054 0007 or email: press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk.  Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.
     
  15. Follow the Department on Twitter @deptinfra and on Facebook @DepartmentforInfrastructure

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