The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has appointed Rachel McCorriston as the new Head of Policy for Northern Ireland.
Roger Pollen, Head of FSB in Northern Ireland, said:
“I am delighted to welcome Rachel McCorriston as the new Head of Policy for FSB in Northern Ireland. Rachel joins us from the Northern Ireland Office where she was the Senior Economist.
“Rachel brings extensive knowledge and experience from working in a range of advisory, policy and economist roles across the UK and Ireland, in both the public and private sectors including the NIO, Northern Ireland Civil Service and EY. She will be an invaluable addition to the FSB team in Northern Ireland.
“Rachel brings with her an outstanding track record of delivering economic and market analysis at senior levels of Government and at private sector Board level, providing strategic insights through evidence-based research.
“Given the many challenges faced by small businesses across Northern Ireland, whether from economic headwinds, the rising costs of doing business, or the direct impacts of political decision making at Westminster and Stormont, I am very pleased that Rachel has decided to join the FSB team in Northern Ireland. Her experience and knowledge of working with the UK Government, liaising with Cabinet Office, HM Treasury, the NI Department for the Economy and other offices means that she will be able to hit the ground running in the FSB team. This will help ensure that FSB continues to represent SMEs across Northern Ireland with high quality analysis of the issues they face, represented clearly and professionally at all levels of government.”
Speaking about her appointment, Rachel McCorriston said:
“I am delighted to be joining FSB, which is recognised within Government as the authoritative voice of small businesses across the UK. Having worked on key economic and social issues in my career, in conjunction with the UK and Irish Governments at different stages, I am really excited to be putting those skills and experience to use for the benefit of SMEs across Northern Ireland.
“As the largest business representative organisation, FSB gives me a fantastic opportunity to open a new chapter in my career as I take up the role as Head of Policy in Northern Ireland. I understand the crucial role that entrepreneurship and innovation play in growing the economy and how important it is to create an entrepreneurial environment where businesses can grow and thrive, creating jobs and opportunity for the future.
“It is vital that the government and the private sector work together to achieve those ambitions. I have experience of both, so I am determined to use my knowledge and skills as I work with the many thousands of businesses that make up FSB in Northern Ireland to help shape future government policy.”
Commenting on the recruitment process that led to Rachel’s appointment, Roger Pollen said:
“This appointment is a really key role within the FSB NI team, so we engaged Staffline Executive Search to manage the process for us. Their rigorous input, under the expert guidance of Denise Falls, Head of Executive Search brought forward a range of particularly high quality, impressive candidates through a very competitive process, from which we were absolutely delighted with the outcome which saw Rachel McCorriston joining our team. I would warmly commend Staffline Executive to any employer seeking professional support and input to the recruitment process in identifying quality candidates.”