ROSE Mary Stalker has been appointed for a three-year term to chair the board of Invest Northern Ireland.
The 55-year-old, who has carved out an illustrious career in manufacturing, where she held senior roles in the likes of Ford, Boeing and Rolls Royce, succeeds Mark Ennis in the £42,790 a year role.
And her first job will be to oversee the appointment of a new chief executive to success Alastair Hamilton, who is retiring at the end of the summer.
Ms Stalker, who has been on the Invest NI board since 2012, takes up the post on August 1.
An experienced business leader who has successfully operated for many years at executive team and board level in complex multi-disciplinary global organisations, she has been responsible for the successful delivery of multiple transformational projects in a range of disciplines across numerous industry sectors including aerospace, automotive, construction and energy.
A graduate of Queen's University Belfast, she is a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the recipient of numerous awards, including the European Woman of Achievement in Business and European Automotive Woman of the Year.
She works as an independent consultant and serves as non-executive chair for Metal Forming Innovation/Tirnaform an advanced engineering start-up and is founder of 4C UR Future CIC a not for profit community interest company dedicated to informing, inspiring and improving employability and career awareness in schoolchildren.
She has until recently served as chair of the Prince’s Trust in Northern Ireland, chair of the manufacturing task force for Mid & East Antrim Borough Council and previously chaired the Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, Catagen Limited and been a non-executive director of Catalyst Inc.
Department for the Economy permanent secretary Noel Lavery said: “The position of chair of Invest NI is challenging and it is essential, particularly in this time of uncertainty, that we have strong and effective leaders with the skills and experience needed to deliver change.
“Rose Mary has gained extensive business development experience across large and medium sized businesses, and I am confident her experience and drive will prove vital as we continue on the journey of transforming Northern Ireland into a globally competitive economy that works for everyone.
“Under her leadership Invest Northern Ireland will continue to fulfil its role of supporting local businesses to create jobs, innovate and grow their exports; and to attract new inward investors.”
Paying tribute to outgoing chair Mark Ennis, he added: “I thank him for his determination and commitment during his time as chair. Throughout the past eight years Mark has made a significant contribution to Invest NI, consistently showing strong leadership in challenging economic times.”
