Principal
|
|
The chief executive of Belfast Met began her career working in the public sector, including around substantial economic and social policy issues, before returning to Northern Ireland pre-ceasefire with a young family. "I have always believed in this place," she says. "We have 12,000 students and over 1,000 staff, with a high proportion of that our lecturers and front line support staff. We offer an amazing range of vocational and training courses and qualifications from entry level and essential skills, through to traineeships, apprenticeships, A-levels through to higher education including diplomas, foundation degrees and full degrees plus post grad opportunities. "I've had a long career working across these islands and in the public, private and voluntary sectors," she says. "I was senior civil servant for 13 years working on substantial economic and social policy issues."It's a huge privilege to lead the largest further education college in Northern Ireland – an award-winning learning community and one of the top 10 largest colleges in the UK, to make a difference to people's life opportunities through the provision of high quality, industry relevant, skills and training." Born and raised in north Belfast, Louise, who is also chair of the College Principals' Group representing the six further education colleges in Northern Ireland, says her approach to her top role is founded in "collaborative and distributed leadership". "The Cavehill and Waterworks were my playground, inspired by an amazing teacher at primary school who fostered my love of the English language and its rich literature," Louise says. "I wrote to Seamus Heaney as a 10-year-old and he wrote back. I studied English and American literature at Manchester then worked in the private sector there before moving to London where I was designed financial conferences serving the City and international markets, before returning to Belfast to set up a civic leadership organisation, which over 10 years I grew to an island-wide force for positive change. "I joined the senior civil service as a direct entrant in 2004 and worked across education, justice, agriculture and rural development and was deputy secretary for Housing and Urban Regeneration before I left to join Belfast Met." "[In terms of leadership] my colleagues would tell you better than I what that looks like in practice. However, I believe deeply in collaborative and distributed leadership. I am inspired by the talented team I work with every day at Belfast Met whose know-how, innovation and commitment are outstanding. The best bosses I ever worked for where the ones that got out of my way to let me fly. I try to remember that and as Michelangelo is reputed to have said – 'I am still learning'." |
There is no biographical profile of the Principal on the College's website. This one is from a