CBI Northern Ireland appoints County Down man and chief executive of The Maxol Group as new vice chair

A County Down man and chief executive of The Maxol Group has been appointed vice chair of CBI Northern Ireland.

Since joining Maxol Oil Ltd in 1986, Brian has been involved in the development of Maxol’s All-Island retail network. As founder director and member of the Northern Ireland Oil Federation, he has played a role in raising the standards and profile of the local oil distributor and retail market, together with lobbying local politicians and Westminster on retail service station matters relating to fuel duty tax and planning.

He is the chair of CBI NI’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Working Group, which is driving significant improvements around charge-point provision across Northern Ireland and also sits on the CBI NI Council.

He succeeds Elaine Birchall as vice chair and will work closely with CBI NI chair Richard Gillan and CBI NI director Angela McGowan during what will be a pivotal year for the Northern Ireland economy. With a newly formed executive and a UK General Election due to be called before the end of the year; the voice of business will be critically important.

Brian Donaldson, vice chair, CBI Northern Ireland, said: “I am honoured to be appointed vice chair of CBI NI and I look forward to working closely with Angela, Richard, and the wider Northern Ireland team.

"I recognise the enormous responsibility we have to tackle the many challenges our local business community is facing. Following the DUP’s announcement on Tuesday, I am optimistic that the political uncertainty can be consigned to the past and politicians will seize the opportunity to work together and to get the Northern Ireland economy moving again.

“Local businesses need access to the right skills in our workforce to help them drive economic growth and, as we make the transition to a net zero economy, we need a clear roadmap to achieve that primary objective.

"I believe the CBI has a pivotal role to play here and that we can work collaboratively with local businesses and policymakers to help create a successful and prosperous economy that benefits everyone.”

Angela McGowan, director, CBI Northern Ireland, explained: “I am delighted to welcome Brian as vice chair. He has an almost unrivalled knowledge of the energy sector, having worked as a chief executive across the All-Island economy for years.

“Brian has a wealth of insights and experience in areas such as energy markets, retail, all-island trade, and building a family-owned business. I have no doubt that his strengths in leadership and collaborative working will ensure that Northern Ireland captures all the economic opportunities that are on our horizon.

Richard Gillan, chair, CBI Northern Ireland, added: “I am excited by the opportunity of working closely with Brian, who is one of Northern Ireland’s most respected business figures, to achieve CBI NI’s aims. Brian’s expertise and experience is well respected by our members and together we will help unlock firms’ potential and tackle the challenges facing Northern Ireland’s business community.”

The CBI speaks on behalf of 170,000 businesses of all sizes and sectors, across every region and nation of the UK. This includes over 1,100 corporate members, plus nearly 150 trade associations. Corporate members alone employ over 2.3 million private sector workers.