Nicole Lappin

Nicole Lappin is a collaborative leader who is passionate about effective governance improving the delivery of public sector services. She has expertise in regulation and governance, including education, health, justice, finance and the charity sector. She has led on changing Board governance structures and in overseeing an organisation transition from five separate bodies into a single entity. Transformation of service delivery has been central to the organisations she has served.

Nicole qualified as a Barrister from King’s Inns Dublin and practised in both Dublin and Belfast for five years. In 2015, she was an Inaugural Board Member of the Education Authority. In 2017, she was appointed as an Independent Board Member of the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, and she currently chairs its Audit and Risk committee. Also in 2017, she was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority in Dublin where she chaired its Audit committee. In 2018, she was appointed Chair of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and, in 2019, she was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Last year Nicole became Chair of the Public Sector Chairs Forum, where she works alongside colleagues across the public sector.

Having served as a School Governor for over fifteen years, Nicole is delighted to be working in corporate governance, overseeing the delivery of public services in important areas such as health, education, justice, financial and charity regulation and now housing. Married, with three children, Nicole has many interests outside governance and is a keen amateur photographer. She is looking forward to meeting and working with new colleagues as she takes up her role with the Housing Executive.