The Foundation comprises a Chairman and a Board of five Trustees appointed by the Northern Ireland Minister of Justice. Two of the Trustees are nominated by the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. The positions are unpaid.
Mr White is a former senior officer in the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland having served as an Assistant Chief Constable in both. He also served in Iraq in the temporary rank of Deputy Chief Constable while attached to the US-led Coalition. Following his service as a police officer Mr White has held a number of senior roles within the European Union; most notably he served as a Head of Mission and Special Adviser to the European Union’s Secretary General/High Representative for Foreign Affairs based in Brussels and Baghdad. Currently he is a security sector consultant working with a number of international bodies and groups. Mr White’s local voluntary work included spells as a board member of Community Restorative Justice Ireland and chairman of the Northern Ireland Association of Churchill Fellows. Mr White is a Commissioner in the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, since September 2020. Mr White was a former Trustee of the RUC GC Foundation from 27 July 2012 to 26 July 2017. Mr White chairs and leads the Foundation in a voluntary capacity.
Political Activity: None
Commenting on his appointment he said, “I feel very privileged to be offered the opportunity to lead the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Foundation, particularly so since I am its first chairman to have served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The Foundation has a mandate which is very close to my heart – to mark the sacrifices and honour the achievements of the RUCGC and I will do all in my power to ensure that this mandate will be at the centre of all our activities. My aim is to provide visible, inclusive and empathetic leadership to a Foundation that is proud of the RUC’s history while being meaningful to our stakeholders and outward-looking for those interested in learning about policing and the positive role it plays in society”.
Michael Davidson joined the Criminology team at Ulster as a Lecturer in 2016. Michael’s research and teaching interests are in the areas of law enforcement, terrorism and political violence, counter terrorism, preventing violent extremism and leadership and management. Michael is highly experienced and has an in-depth knowledge of training design, development and delivery at all levels within law enforcement agencies both locally and internationally.
Michael is currently the Course Director for the BSc (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice (Applied Practice) degree designed for current and recently retired members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).
Michael is Course Director for the Open Source Intelligence Course (OSINT) delivered online through a collaborative partnership.
Michael is also Subject Partnership Manager (SPM), within Ulster University, for five programs:
SPM PSNI Student Officer Training Program
SPM PSNI Advanced Diploma Intelligence Policing
SPM PSNI Advanced Diploma Intelligence Management
SPM PSNI Advanced Diploma PSNI Professional Teaching
SPM Northern Ireland Prison Service, Certificate in Custody Prison Officer Practice
Michael is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy; he teaches at undergraduate level and supervises student dissertations at undergraduate level. Michael has studied Terrorism at St Andrews University and has completed Advanced Diplomas in Intelligence Policing and Intelligence Management at Ulster University. He holds a BA in Leadership and Management (with commendation) from Dundee University and has specific expertise in the transfer of learning to workplace application.
Michael has over 30 years’ practical experience of law enforcement in various areas specialising in covert and intelligence duties. These attributes are further enhanced through practical experience in defensive surveillance techniques, human intelligence supervision, intelligence management, the creation of accredited CPD training programs and a trainer in the Behaviour Assessment Screening System.
Highly experienced in counter terrorism training, a former project manager in the Leadership in Counter Terrorism program (LinCT) 2013-2016 an international program with a principle purpose to promote personal and professional development, networking, exchange of good practice and global thinking of Counter Terrorism Professionals from both law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Michael has 10 years training experience in Law enforcement, 5 years as the head of a specialist skills training department and has delivered training to various agencies internationally. Michael also recently spent a month reviewing and redesigning elements of intelligence training for police forces, in Australia. Michael has been actively involved in the development and delivery of a number of EU funded projects.
Michael Atkinson became the NI Policing Board’s nominated trustee on July 24th (and was briefed on that date by the Foundation Chairman). He officially commenced his role from 02 October 2023 (filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Joanne Bunting).
Michael is a Chartered Engineer with 35+ years’ experience in the Energy Utilities Sector.
While working for Northern Ireland Electricity, Michael delivered major business performance improvement and transformation programmes, including the introduction of full retail competition in the Northern Ireland electricity market and the delivery of the Northern Ireland Government’s 2020 renewable energy targets.
Following retirement from full time employment in 2017, he served as an independent member of the NIPB from 2020 to 2023 and currently provides a range of consultancy services within the Electrical Utility industry.
In his early career Michael completed an engineering degree at Queens University in 1981 and went on to study Business, Corporate Leadership and General Management at the Ulster University (NI), Napier University (Scotland), and Harvard University (Boston US). He holds a B.Sc. in Engineering, an MBA and an MSc (Distn.) in Corporate Leadership. In his earlier years Michael was a keen sportsman, competing at international level in both athletics and weightlifting.
