Biographies: Non-Executive and Executive Committee

- Non-Executive Members  -

Dr Helen Mounsey, BSc (Hons), PhD

Helen Mounsey was appointed Chair on 1 October 2007, having previously been appointed to the Board on 7 November 2002. She joined the consulting practice of PriceWaterhouseCoopers in 1989, and is now an Associate Partner with IBM Business Consulting Services following the merger of the two organisations in October 2002. During her time as a consultant, she has worked extensively on asset management and operational systems in the utilities sector, especially on electricity and water applications.

She has a particular specialism in geographical information systems originating from her doctoral research in this subject.  Between 1982 and 1989 she was a lecturer in GIS at Birkbeck College, the University of London. Between 1980 and 1982 she was a senior research assistant at the University of Durham (where she obtained her PhD) and a computing officer at the University of Edinburgh. She was an active member of the Association of Geographical Information from its formation in the 1980’s, and Hon. Treasurer and a Member of their Management Committee and Council between 1994 and 2001. She has a particular interest in the environment, and chairs the Authority's Environment Group.

Mr John Hawksley, FCA

John Hawksley was appointed to the Board on 17 April 2000 and he was reappointed in 2004 for a further term to 30 September 2008. He qualified as an accountant in 1965. His senior experience was in positions with the then (i.e. pre-merger) Deloitte Haskins & Sells, both as an Audit Partner for a wide range of companies in both the public and private sectors, and as a member of the national firm’s management team. He was Senior Partner Midlands Region with Coopers and Lybrand between 1990 and 1995, and then National Partner Development Director with PricewaterhouseCoopers between 1995 and 1999.

He was President of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce for 1995/96 and served as a Council member of West Midlands Regional CBI (1989-97), and as a Director of Newtown and South Aston City Challenge Ltd. He was a Director of 3e’s enterprises limited to 31 March 2004. His current involvement includes being Chairman of amelca plc (in Receivership), a Director of Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Limited, a Trustee of Birmingham Hippodrome Development Trust and Chairman of T & L Limited. He chairs the Audit Committee.

Dr Barrie Jones, PhD, BSc (Hons), CEng, FIMinE

Barrie Jones was appointed to the Board on 22 May 2000 and he was reappointed in 2004 for a further term to 30 September 2009. He is a Chartered Engineer and is a Fellow of the Institution of Mining Engineers, with a PhD in Mining Engineering. He was employed in a number of senior positions within British Coal Corporation, most recently as Assistant Group Director/Technical Support Manager, North East Group between 1989 and 1993 and then Head of Mining between 1993 and 1996.

He was appointed in 1996 as Chief Operating Officer with Mines Rescue Service Limited, a position he continues to hold. He is an Advisory Member of the Deep Mined Coal Industry Advisory Committee and Chief Examiner of the Mining Qualifications Board. He was formerly a member of the European Union Safety and Health Commission for Extractive Industry. He chairs the Remuneration Committee. 

- Executive Committee -

Mr Philip Lawrence, ACA

Philip Lawrence joined the Authority on 1 May 2006 as Director of Finance and was appointed Chief Executive on 1 January 2007. Philip graduated in 1990 from Birmingham University with a degree in Mathematics and joined Deloitte and Touche where he qualified as Chartered Accountant in 1993. He worked for Deloitte and Touche across a number of disciplines including Assurance and Advisory Services, Forensic Services and Transaction Support. Philip was based in the Midlands and London and also spent three years on secondment in Kenya and South Africa serving a number of multinational groups.

In 2003 he joined the telecommunications equipment group, Marconi Corporation plc, as Director of External Reporting to assist the company through their financial restructuring, US listing and quarterly reporting to the London and New York stock exchanges. After 18 months he moved to be Director of Financial Planning and Reporting for the Group. Philip´s final project at Marconi was to dispose of the majority of the group to Ericsson, which was completed in March 2006.

Mr Ian Wilson, FRICS

Ian Wilson was appointed Director of Mining Projects and Property on 5 October 2001 and was appointed to the Board from 26 November 2002. He has been with the Authority since October 1994, and was previously Operations Manager (Central), a position which he had held since 1999.

He held a number of posts within British Coal in colliery surveying before specialising in mining subsidence engineering and held the post as Assistant Chief Surveyor of British Coal until joining the Coal Authority as a Licensing Manager. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Mr Steve Pennell

Stephen Pennell has been with the Authority since its inception in 1994. He was appointed Director of Mining Information and Services on 17 January 2005. He was formerly Head of ICT and prior to that, the Mining Information Systems Manager.

He qualified as a Chartered Minerals Surveyor in 1985, practising in that capacity at Collieries and the Group Headquarters of the NCB Western Area.

He headed the development of the computing and information systems for Coal Mining Information at Bretby in 1989. He is currently a member of the British Computing Society and an Associate of the Institute of Directors.

Mrs Sally Brook Shanahan, LLB

Sally Brook Shanahan was appointed as the Authoritys Solicitor and Secretary on 1st January 1998. She was educated at Nottingham High School for Girls GDST and graduated from Nottingham Trent University with a BA (Hons) in Law in 1981, subsequently converted to LLB. After completing the Solicitors Final Examinations at the College of Law, Chester in 1982 she was articled to Richard Leman at Actons in Nottingham and admitted as a Solicitor in 1984.

Upon qualification Sally began her legal career with the Greater London Council in the Litigation and Contracts Branch. She joined the National Coal Board in 1985 as an Assistant Solicitor in the Litigation and Employment Branch of the Legal Department. Thereafter, she held a number of appointments, the final of which was Head of Legal Services and Departmental Secretary until the closure of British Coal in December 1997.

December 2006