SERC appointment and reappointments - pen pictures

Appointment

Ms Gráinne McVeigh

Gráinne is a chartered director of the Institute of Directors with senior leadership experience in international sales and marketing, investment attraction, governance, and economic development. Former Director of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering and Life Sciences at Invest Northern Ireland.

She currently serves as non-executive director on the boards of NI Transport Holding Company (Translink) remunerated at £13,189 per annum, the Consumer Council for NI remunerated at £58.17 (per meeting under four hours) and £116.32 (per meeting over four hours), NI Alternatives and the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium Management Committee (both non-remunerated).

Gráinne has a degree in French from Lancaster University and an MBA in International Business from University of Ulster. Gráinne also holds a Diploma in Marketing, a Diploma in Personnel Management and a Diploma in Company Direction, from the Institute of Directors.

Reappointments

Ms Majella Corrigan

Majella is Director of Planning and Schools Provision in the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS). She has over 20 years’ experience working in education, working in adult education and training before starting her career as a post-primary teacher. She transferred to the Northern Ireland Assembly to establish the Assembly Education Service. Majella then undertook the role of English subject officer in CCEA, subsequently moving to work with the Northern Ireland Qualifications Regulator which included the role of programme manager on the Ministerial Review of GCSEs and A levels, before returning to CCEA Awarding Body as service improvement and STEM programme manager.

Majella is a member of the board of governors of Stranmillis University College (non-remunerated).

Mrs Deborah O’Hare

Deborah has been principal of The Wallace High School in Lisburn since 2009. Previously she was principal of Portadown College and has held a range of leadership positions in Antrim Grammar School, Methodist College and Banbridge Academy. She has a BA Hons degree in French, a post graduate certificate in education, a Master’s degree in educational management and a professional qualification in headship.

She has particular expertise in curriculum development, matching the curriculum to meet the needs of both the individual and the economy, leadership training, leadership development and digital learning. In Wallace she has led the school through a large scale one-to-one digital device roll out, with the associated training and educational programmes placing Wallace at the forefront of digital learning in the UK.

Deborah is a former president of the Association of Schools and College Leaders, Northern Ireland; a former member of the education committee of the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), and is a regular contributor to consultations on a range of education, mental health and financial policy across primary, post-primary, FE and HE sectors.

She is also a member of the NI Skills Council and a member of CAFRE’s College Advisory Group.

Dr Danny McConnell

Danny is a Deloitte Senior Partner where he leads the Technology & Transformation practice in Northern Ireland and has over 25 years’ experience, primarily working with clients across the UK public sector, where his focus is on data and digital transformation.

He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy, holds a BSc in Chemistry from Queen’s University, a Masters in Business Administration from Ulster University and a PhD from Loughborough University.

Danny is a current Board member of the Health Information & Quality Authority (HIQA) Ireland, and a member of the Resources Oversight Committee (ROC).

Danny was previously a board member of Helm Housing Association and Radius Housing Association.

Mr Alan McCrum

Alan has over 30 years' policing experience in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. He is a graduate of the highly prestigious UK College of Policing, Strategic Command Course. He has extensive leadership experience and was previously commander for policing in Belfast, County Antrim and County Armagh. He has widespread experience in strategic partnership working, change management, critical incident management, and leadership and ethics.

He led the design of the PSNI Policing with the Community 2020 Strategy and introduced an integrated offender management approach to policing in Northern Ireland, in addition to leading a number of significant change projects.

Since his retirement from policing in 2015, he established his own security sector reform consultancy. Subsequently, he led the British government’s support to policing reform in Lebanon for over four years as the project director for the UK government-funded Conflict Security and Stabilisation Fund policing programme in Lebanon.

Alan holds a postgraduate diploma in legal studies and a Masters in Public Administration from Ulster University. He is an alumnus of the Windsor Leadership Trust. Alan is also an appointed lay Chair for the Northern Ireland Social Care Council and lay panel member for the General Dental Council, Fitness to Practice Committees, (remunerated) and is a Trustee and non-executive director of a voluntary sector advocacy and mental health charity (unremunerated).

Mr Darren Stewart

Darren has extensive involvement in providing strategic and commercial finance leadership as the Director of Finance within Catalyst.

Darren has over 20 years’ experience working in a number of senior finance roles delivering improved financial performance and business growth, transformation and enhanced system, process and control environments across a variety of sectors including financial services, FMCG, charitable and social enterprise.

He has a BSc in accounting, MSc in computer science and applications, as well as being a fellow of the Chartered Accountants Ireland. Darren is also a member of the Ballyholme Primary School board of governors (non-remunerated).

Mr Derek Wilson

Derek has almost four decades' experience in financial services, having most recently worked in the senior management teams of two local banks, where at various times he managed mortgage businesses in NI, GB and RoI. A business graduate of Queen's University, Belfast he served as chairman of the NI Mortgage Committee of UK Finance, formerly the Council of Mortgage Lenders, for ten years.

He is the current Chair of Co-ownership having served on the board of that organisation since 2019.

Since June 2015 Derek has served on the board of NI Housing Executive (NIHE) where he also chairs the Resources and Performance Committee, having previously served on the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee for six years. Remunerated at £7,500 per annum.

On 1 January 2024 Derek was re-appointed to a second three year term as a Commissioner with the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland which is remunerated at £22,000. He also serves as a lay member of the Statutory Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society for NI and as the independent member of the Audit and Risk Panel of Belfast City Council.

He is chair of the NI Medical and Dental Training Agency remunerated at £15,000.

Derek has experience of the education sector having formerly worked as a part time lecturer for both the Institute of Bankers and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He was formerly the chair of the board of governors of Lambeg Primary School. Derek brings a wealth of experience of governance, risk management, finance, strategy and transformational change from his varied business experience.