Kerry Hourihan
Head of Maritime Skills and Training, Department for Transport
Kerry has held a wide range of maritime roles in the Department for Transport, including managing the Employment, Pensions and Training team, the first London International Shipping Week, introducing and running the Merchant Navy Medal State Award and now heads up the Maritime Skills, Diversity and Careers team (apart from a brief departure in 2020 to lead the Maritime Directorate’s COVID-19 Communications and Briefing team).
Prior to that, Kerry started her career in the civil service over 20 years ago on their graduate programme and has had a number of roles across several Government departments including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, Department for Communities and Local Government and being a member of an interdepartmental team working for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, HM Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Kerry has worked in a range of areas including policy, communications and stakeholder management, bill work, finance and project work. However, with a background in mathematics and education, Kerry spent many years working in a variety of economic policy roles with a focus on skills at both the regional and local level, including regional economic policy, cities policy and local economic policy.