Media Release

CA/MR/2006/05 – 15 August 2006

Appointment of Chief Executive

The Coal Authority announces today that Philip Lawrence has been appointed as Chief Executive with the consent of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.  Mr. Lawrence will take up his appointment on 1 January 2007 upon the retirement of Albert Schofield, OBE.

Mr. Lawrence, 37, is a mathematics graduate of Birmingham University  and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.  He began his professional career as a chartered accountant with Deloitte & Touche where he remained for twelve years working on international audit and corporate finance projects both in the UK and overseas.

For the three years prior to joining the Authority on 1 May 2006, Mr. Lawrence was Director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Marconi Corporation PLC.

Mr. Lawrence formally took up his current position as Director of Finance with the Authority on 1 June 2006.

Mr. Lawrence does not hold any Ministerial appointments and has not undertaken any political activity in the past five years.  He will receive a salary of £110,000 per annum for the appointment, which is not time limited.

END

Note for Editors:

The Coal Authority, located at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was established under the Coal Industry Act 1994, with responsibility for four principal functions: Licensing coal-mining operations; subsidence damage claims which are not the responsibility of the privatised successor companies or other licensed operators; dealing with property and historic liabilities such as old shafts and minewater pumping; and providing public access to information on coal-mining operations past and present.

Media contact: 

John Delaney
Corporate Affairs Manager
200 Lichfield Lane
Mansfield
Nottinghamshire
NG18 4RG

Tel:  01623 637000       
Fax: 01623 427316

Email: johndelaney@coal.gov.uk