The Department of Health has announced the appointment of three Non-Executive Members to the Business Services Organisation (BSO).
Mark Lowry, Maynard Mawhinney, and Frederick Smyth have been appointed as Non-Executive Lay Members. All three appointments commenced on 15 January 2024 and will end on a date not later than 14 January 2028.
These appointments are made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland.
BSO is a Non-Departmental Public Body which came into existence on 1 April 2009. Its services are provided to 10 Arm’s Length Bodies of the Department of Health and to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, as well as to the six HSC Trusts. It also delivers services from a number of satellite offices located throughout Northern Ireland.
The Board of the BSO consists of 9 Non-Executive Members including the Chair and 4 Executive Members including the Chief Executive.
Notes to editors:
- Mark Lowry studied civil engineering at QUB and, after graduating in 1982, spent 4 years working in South Africa before returning to start what was to become a 32-year career with the CRH group (the world's largest building materials group, headquartered in Dublin). During his time with CRH, he rose through the ranks to become MD of Farrans Construction, then CEO of Northstone, both based in Belfast, before taking up the reins as Country MD for CRH Poland, living in Warsaw for 4 years. In 2016, he became the CRH group Sustainability Director, based in Amsterdam and Dublin for 3 years. In 2019 he returned to Northern Ireland as CEO of The McAvoy Group, excited by MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) and its opportunities. He semi-retired in 2022 and is now a Non-Executive Director with McAvoy and Thomas Telford, and an Independent Non-Executive Board Committee Member with the NIHE, as well as proudly being a STEM ambassador with the ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers). In his career, Mr Lowry was also a Past-President of the CEF (Construction Employers Federation), a Past-Chair of the ICE (NI) and a Board Committee Member of the CBI (NI). He is also a Fellow of the ICE.
- Maynard Mawhinney is an experienced Board member having served on the South-Eastern HSC Trust Board where he Chaired the Finance & Performance Committee; the Health & Safety Executive Board; and in the private sector as a Non-Executive Director with Around Noon Ltd a company with operations in Northern Ireland, Ireland and England. Prior to that he was Director of Food & Commercial Tourism with Invest NI. He currently serves as Independent Chair of the Review of Roles and Responsibilities of NI Councillors with the Department for Communities. Mr Mawhinney has two other public appointments with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA); the first as Chair of the College Advisory Group to CAFRE. This appointment which commenced in July 2021, attracts a daily fee of £370, and has a time commitment of 5 full days per annum. The second appointment is as a Board member with the NI Fishery Harbours Authority (NIFHA) which commenced on 18 December 2023. This position attracts an annual remuneration of £5099 with a time commitment of 16-18 days.
- Fred Smyth is a Chartered Accountant and experienced finance consultant with significant non-executive experience in the public, voluntary and private sectors. He held a range of senior roles in his Corporate and Business Banking career, leading teams through significant change and being responsible for overall business performance and risk management. With a strong interest in improving opportunities for others less fortunate in our society, he is a board member of the charity Include Youth, who work with disadvantaged young people. He was previously a Board member of NIGALA, who represent the interests of children and young people through the family courts and is a former Vice–Chair of the Simon Community. Mr Smyth coaches a wide range of businesses and is an accredited mediator who develops collaborative relationships to enhance value for individuals, organisations and communities. Mr Smyth hold one other public appointment as a Member of the North-West Regional College Governing Body. This appointment which commenced in July 2022, attracts a fee of £250 for a Governing Body meeting and £150 for a committee meeting or event and requires a time commitment of around 1 day per month.
- Appointments to the BSO are made by the Department of Health.
- 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 three appointees have declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
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