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U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency to get new CEO

Written by Nick Blenkey
U.K. Maritime and Coast Guard Agency

Virginia McVea

Virginia McVea is to become the new Chief Executive Officer of the U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), overseeing the work of the agency, which responds to tens of thousands of incidents at sea every year, inspects thousands of U.K.-registered ships and protects over 11,000 miles of coastline.

“I would like to welcome and congratulate Virginia,” said U.K. 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 role at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on April 3. A qualified solicitor, she previously served as Director of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

The MCA’s uniformed arm, His Majesty’s Coastguard, is neither a military nor law enforcement agency, but is responsible for the initiation and coordination of all maritime search and rescue (SAR) within the U.K. Maritime Search and Rescue Region. This includes the mobilization, organization and tasking of adequate resources to respond to persons either in distress at sea, or to persons at risk of injury or death on the cliffs or shoreline of the United Kingdom.

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