Passing the Helm: Maritime Belfast Trust Celebrates Incoming and Outgoing Chairs

Maritime Belfast Trust celebrates 5 years contribution of outgoing Chair Marie-Thérése McGivern and welcomes new Chair, Paul Henry.

Maritime Belfast Trust, the charity, which is responsible for promoting and preserving Belfast’s waterfront & maritime heritage, is pleased to welcome a new Chair, Paul Henry. With a distinguished background in leadership, finance, and real estate, Paul will bring a wealth of expertise to further enhance Maritime Belfast’s vision for the city’s historic waterfront.

Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive of Maritime Belfast Trust, highlighted, “We are extremely grateful to Marie-Thérése for her inspiring leadership over the last five years, and her nine years as a trustee before that. Her dedication, vision and guidance have been invaluable to the Board and the team. With Marie-Thérése’s support, we have advanced several major projects, including the Titanic Belfast Gallery Refreshment program, our largest and most ambitious refreshment project to date.

“As Marie-Thérése hands over the role to Paul, we are confident that Maritime Belfast will continue to grow. Looking ahead to 2025, we are entering an exciting time as we implement ‘Embracing the Belfast Waterfront Promenade Framework,’ an important opportunity to balance community, nature and development, delivering a world class heritage waterfront that is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Marie-Thérése McGivern, Chair of Maritime Belfast, highlighted: “It has been my huge honour and privilege to be part of Maritime Belfast for nearly 14 years. In that time we have been an essential part of the transformation of the waterfront creating a space celebrating our past and inventing our future. Bringing the river and the Lough to the city. I know that Paul Henry will continue to build strongly on that legacy and I look forward to the further enhancement of this wonderful project.”

Paul is a Chartered Accountant with a proven track record of success across various sectors. As the owner of a historic 1902 Fairy Class sailing yacht that is sailed on Belfast Lough, Paul is committed to Belfast’s maritime heritage. His leadership role in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, including Chair of Chartered Accountants Ireland and involved in the formation of a revised masterplan for Queen’s Island, have prepared him to strategically guide Maritime Belfast to deliver Belfast’s waterfront as a vibrant accessible heritage destination.

Welcoming his appointment, Paul Henry said: “I am delighted to take on the role of Chair of Maritime Belfast and express my sincere gratitude to my fellow board members for entrusting me with this important responsibility and look forward to advancing the mission and goals of the charity.  I am fully committed to working diligently to provide leadership, strategic direction, and oversight to help Maritime Belfast continue to grow, adapt, and achieve its objectives. Our collective vision for the future is one I am excited to help shape, and I look forward to fostering collaboration and strengthening the relationships within our board and with the broader community we serve.”

For further information on the role/work of Maritime Belfast Trust, please visit maritimebelfast.com and  maritime-mile.com