The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) today announced that Keith Morrison will succeed Jim Keyes as Chief Executive.

Keith Morrison is currently the Director of Food, Farm and Rural Policy in the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).

Keith joined the Civil Service in 1987, spending his early career in Police Authority and DOE in several posts including spells in the Public Record Office, training and press office.

He joined DARD in 1998, working as private secretary to the Agriculture Minister and later on rural development issues. From 2000-2006 he worked in Brussels on secondment to the UK Representation to the EU where he dealt with various agriculture and fisheries negotiations and legislation. He was part of the UK Presidency team in 2005.

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Keith's current responsibilities include development and implementation of a Rural White Paper (an Executive wide strategy to address the needs of rural communities), management of the Rural Development Programme (a 7-year, £500m EU programme to support farmers and rural communities) and leading DARD's rural anti poverty and social inclusion work. Since April 2011, Keith has also taken on responsibility for DARD’s food and farm policy teams which cover the full range of primary production and food industry development issues, including the development of a new agri-food strategy for Northern Ireland.

Mr Morrison will formally take up the role of Chief Executive on 4 February 2013.

(CD/GK)