DWP appoints new ONR Chair
Mark McAllister announced as the new Chair of the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).
The Department for Work and Pensions is pleased to appoint Mark McAllister as the new Chair of the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).
As Chair, Mark will be responsible for ensuring that ONR delivers its mission to provide efficient and effective regulation of the nuclear industry on behalf of the public. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role, gained in a wide ranging career in the international oil industry.
Mark will succeed Nick Baldwin CBE, who has held the post of ONR Chair for 8 years. Nick has led ONR’s Board since 2011, prior to ONR becoming a public corporation and independent nuclear regulator in 2014 and since, through its crucial transitional and development years.
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Sarah Newton said:
I’m delighted to welcome Mark McAllister to the role of ONR Chair. He will bring a wealth of relevant experience and skills, and I am confident that the ONR will continue to provide valuable advice under his leadership.
I would also like to thank the ONR’s current Chair, Nick Baldwin, for the high quality and constructive support he has provided to me and my predecessors over the past 8 years. His considerable contribution to nuclear safety, security and the success of ONR throughout some challenging times has been very much appreciated.
Mark McAllister said:
I am delighted to be appointed Chair of ONR. As the UK nuclear regulator, ONR has a vital role in ensuring the continued safe operation of the current nuclear portfolio and the suitability of new nuclear reactors. I look forward to working with the Board and the executive team to ensure that the ONR continues to provide efficient and effective regulation of the nuclear industry.
Mark McAllister will take up his 5-year appointment on 1 April 2019.
About the ONR
The ONR is a public corporation sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is responsible for the regulation of nuclear safety and security at 37 nuclear licensed sites in the UK. It also regulates transport and ensures that safeguard obligations for the UK are met.
About Mark McAllister
Mark McAllister has worked in the international oil industry since 1979. He served as Chairman of Oil Spill Response and Prevention Advisory Group (OSPRAG) which formulated the joint response of the North Sea oil industry, trade unions and government to the Macondo blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. He has helped pioneer a new marine heavy-lift technology aimed at ensuring the safe and efficient removal of large offshore oil and gas platforms. In 2009, Mark was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Technology from Robert Gordon’s University in recognition of services to the oil industry.
The ONR Chair
Mark McAllister takes up his 5-year appointment as ONR Chair from 1 April 2019. Current Chair, Nick Baldwin CBE, stands down on 31 March 2019 at the end of his second term of office having completed over eight years of service.
Nick was initially appointed Chair of the interim ONR in 2011, then an agency of the Health and Safety Executive. He became the first statutory Chair of the vested organisation in April 2014, after successfully steering the organisation through the complex process of becoming a public corporation.
The post of ONR Chair attracts a salary of £52,800 based on a minimum time commitment of 8 days per month (96 days per annum).
The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates all appointments made by the Secretary of State to the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
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