BBC Northern Ireland controller Peter Johnston appointed new chair of Skillset's national board
9 December 2009
Skillset is delighted to announce that BBC Northern Ireland controller Peter Johnston has become the new chair of Skillset's Northern Ireland national board.
Mr Johnston, who took up the position of chair on Wednesday last week (December 2), has worked at the BBC for 15 years and been controller for the past three.
He took over the position from Mairead Regan, who has served as Skillset's chair in Northern Ireland for more than six years. Ms Regan, who is group human resources director of UTV Media, will remain on the board, continuing her decade-long association with the Sector Skills Council for the Creative Media Industries.
Skillset's chief executive officer, Dinah Caine, said: "We are thrilled to announce Peter's appointment at such a crucial time for the future of the Creative Industries in Northern Ireland. Given the BBC's commitment to moving a large portion of its production out of London, we see this as a huge opportunity for the nations and regions, and Peter's knowledge and vision will be invaluable to us.
"We would also like to say a huge thanks to Mairead, who has been a fantastic leader of our board over the past six years. Skillset looks forward to continuing our association with her long into the future."
For more information contact:
Skillset press and PR officer Nick Sheridan on 020 713 9854 or nicks@skillset.org
Skillset press and PR manager Jennifer Walters on 0207 713 9854 or jenniferw@skillset.org
Out-of-hours: 07827 989 330.
Notes to Editors
Skillset is the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for Creative Media which comprises TV, film, radio, interactive media, animation, computer games, facilities, photo imaging and publishing. SSCs are licensed by the UK Government and by Ministers in the devolved administrations to tackle the skills and productivity challenge by sector. They are independent, UK-wide organisations, are employer-led, and actively involve trade unions, professional bodies and other stakeholders in the industry.