Virginia McVea is to turn into the brand new Chief Executive Officer of the U.Okay. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), overseeing the work of the company, which responds to tens of hundreds of incidents at sea yearly, inspects hundreds of U.Okay.-registered ships and protects over 11,000 miles of shoreline.
“I would like to welcome and congratulate Virginia,” stated U.Okay. Maritime Minister Baroness Vere. “She joins at a pivotal time for the agency as it faces both challenges and exciting opportunities, and I look forward to working with her to grow the U.K. flag, decarbonize the maritime sector and encourage greater investment in the U.K.”
McVea will step down from her current role, Chief Electoral Officer of Northern Ireland, in time to take up her new function on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on April 3. A professional solicitor, she beforehand served as Director of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
The MCA’s uniformed arm, His Majesty’s Coastguard, is neither a navy nor regulation enforcement company, however is accountable for the initiation and coordination of all maritime search and rescue (SAR) inside the U.Okay. Maritime Search and Rescue Region. This contains the mobilization, group and tasking of sufficient sources to answer individuals both in misery at sea, or to individuals liable to damage or loss of life on the cliffs or shoreline of the United Kingdom.