Speakers
Plenary Session
Beverley has served as Director General of the Northern Ireland Prison Service and Deputy Secretary for Reducing Offending Policy in the Department of Justice since 2023, providing strategic leadership across custodial services and rehabilitation policy.
She joined the Northern Ireland Civil Service in 1990 and brings over 30 years’ experience across a range of departments, spanning both policy development and operational delivery. She has held a number of senior leadership roles, including serving as Private Secretary to several Ministers.
Her previous roles include leading the establishment of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry; overseeing social and affordable housing policy; delivering a Neighbourhood Renewal Programme to tackle deprivation and disadvantage; and serving as Director of Governance in the Department of Education, where she led the creation of the Education Authority for Northern Ireland.
As Deputy Secretary in the Department for Communities, Beverley was responsible for central policy functions, including the development of an anti-poverty strategy and a suite of social inclusion strategies.
She holds a BSc (Hons) in Business Management and an MSc in Innovation Management in the Public Service. In September 2025, she was appointed to the Board of EuroPris, the European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services, which promotes collaboration and the sharing of best practice across European prison systems.