BII unveils new chief executive
The BII has appointed the deputy regional director for economy in Tyne and Wear Neil Robertson as its new chief executive, the Morning Advertiser can exclusively reveal.
He will take over from John McNamara, who has been head-hunted to take up the post of chief executive of the recently formed Alliance of Sector Skills Councils, the collective voice for all 25 Sector Skills Councils in the UK, in January 2009.
Robertson joined the Government Office for the North East in January 2008 and was formerly at the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. There he had responsibility for public service agreement targets, basic skills, adult learning and English for speakers of other languages.
Robertson has also had spells in youth work specialising in training, research and addressing drugs misuse and at the Scottish Further Education Unit.
He also spent time working with the City & Guilds where he held management responsibilities for customer relations, quality assurance and business development.
In January 2003 he was appointed to lead skills development at the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
"I am delighted to be offered this high profile and important role within the licensed retail industry," said Robertson. "I share BII's belief in raising standards of professionalism and social responsibility and am very impressed with the range of qualifications and support services that the organisation provides to its members. I look forward to working with the staff and Council at BII to take the organisation forward to the next stage of its development."
McNamara added: "Neil is an outstanding candidate who came through a very high quality field and rigorous interview process to be offered the job. He brings with him many years of relevant experience and I am sure he will be successful at making a very worthwhile contribution to our membership and qualifications efforts."
Martin Grant, chairman of BII, said: "This is an important time for BII and a challenging period for the industry. There are exciting opportunities ahead and Neil is clearly the right person to take us forward. We're delighted to welcome him to the team."
