Strategic Leadership Team

Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive - Phil Shillito

Phil is the Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) and came into this role in October 2022. He is the chair of the Humber Local Resilience Forum which oversees the planning for and response to, all major multi-agency incidents in the Humber region.

Following a 28-year career at neighbouring South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Phil joined Humberside in July 2016, originally as Director of Public Safety, but was later promoted to the role of Deputy Chief Fire Officer.

He is the National Fire Chief’s Council Lead Officer for Productivity and Efficiency, and he is a passionate advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion. He was part of the team that led HFRS to become the first Fire and Rescue Service to be awarded Global Advocate status by the United Nations for their HeForShe movement.

Phil was a founding Director of HFR Solutions (CIC), an award-winning multi-million-pound Social Enterprise that generates funds for local charities and he is also a member of the Tribune Trust Charity. Phil is a keen sportsman and has previously represented the Fire Service at rugby.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer and Executive Director of Service Delivery - Niall McKiniry

Niall joined Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) in 1995 as a firefighter and has progressed through the ranks becoming the Deputy Chief Fire Officer in October 2022.

Before his recent roles on the Executive Board and the Strategic Leadership Team, Niall has served at various fire stations across the region including Bridlington, East Hull, Scunthorpe and Hull Central, in addition to a variety of specialist and senior roles at Service Headquarters.

As Deputy Chief Fire Officer, he is responsible for the Emergency Response and Prevention and Protection Directorates, which he manages through the Strategic Leadership Team.

Niall is the National Fire Chief’s Council Strategic Lead for Evaluation under the Community Risk Programme and is an enthusiastic advocate for improving the safety, health and well-being of the communities across the region.

Niall is the Race Equality Ambassador for the Service and the Chairperson for the Sports and Welfare Section, and he is a keen sports and fitness enthusiast. He is a qualified and experienced Strategic Incident Commander and holds a Master’s in Business Administration, as well as other post graduate leadership qualifications.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer and Executive Director of Corporate Services - Matt Sutcliffe

Matt joined Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) in June 2001 and was initially posted to Blue Watch at Immingham West Fire Station. Since then, he has gained extensive experience across multiple areas of the Service, including Operational, Safety, Training, and Corporate Services. Matt holds a Master's in Business Administration as well as several other post-graduate qualifications.

Matt was promoted to the position of Assistant Chief Fire Officer in November 2022. In this role, he supports the Chief Fire Officer in providing strategic leadership, shaping the vision and direction of the Service, and driving service improvement to meet the needs of staff and communities. Additionally, Matt actively supports the Chief Fire Officer's Productivity and Efficiency work, as part of wider sector improvement initiatives led by the National Fire Chief's Council.

As part of his ongoing professional development, Matt undertook an 18-month secondment with the Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), where he played a critical role in the planning and development of Hull Falls Intervention Response Safety Team (Hull FIRST). This initiative has been recognised nationally as best practice for supporting the community. During his time at the CCG, Matt was able to further support the community and colleagues in the Health sector.

Matt takes an active role in supporting LGBTQ+ staff and communities throughout the region. This includes supporting the Service's LGBT+ Staff Group and participating in regional Pride events.

He is the official Disability Ambassador for the Service and involved in supporting the staff group, Voices for Disability.

Executive Director of Finance and Section 151 Officer - Kevin Wilson

Kevin Wilson is the Statutory Finance Officer responsible for the administration of the financial affairs of the Authority as required under the Local Government Act 1985. As Executive Director of Finance and Section 151 Officer, he has direct responsibility for the Service’s Finance function.

Prior to joining the Service in March 2007, Kevin had worked for Hull City Council, Newport City Council and Gwent County Council where he had undertaken a range of senior finance roles.

Executive Director of People and Development - Christine Cooper

Christine joined the Service on 7 February 2022, having served at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service for 15 years as the Head of HR.

Christine has worked in the field of HR for over 20 years, having served at Bradford Metropolitan District Council as well as Wakefield District Council in various HR roles.

Christine is responsible for all areas of HR, Organisational Development, Occupational Health and Wellbeing, and Training.

Area Manager of Emergency Response - Jason Kirby

Jason joined the Service in March 1995 as an On-Call firefighter at Barton Fire Station and has served at Scunthorpe and Immingham West Fire Stations.

Jason went on to undertake a variety of roles throughout the Service, including senior roles specialising in People and Development, and Emergency Response.

Jason was promoted to Area Manager of Emergency Response in November 2022; he is responsible for Emergency Response across the four local authorities, Emergency Preparedness and Fleet and Estates.

Area Manager of Prevention and Protection - Jon Henderson

In August 2022, Jon was appointed as the Area Manager of Prevention and Protection for Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) and is responsible for public safety across the Humber region.

He began his career in the fire and rescue service as a firefighter at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2006, where he was part of the Technical Rescue team. He advanced through several roles, including the Training Centre, Divisional Commander, and Prevention and Protection.

Jon holds a Master's (MSc) in Disaster Management and Emergency Planning and is a qualified Members (MIFireE) from the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE). He used his emergency planning skills to serve as Chair of the Tactical Coordination Group at the Local Resilience Forum while at Lincolnshire.

He has had the opportunity to work across the fire sector and undertake secondments to the Fire Service College, West Yorkshire, and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services. In addition, Jon has served as an Inspector for His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

Area Manager of Service Improvement - Steve Duffield

Steve joined the Service in June 2001, and his first posting was to White Watch at Cromwell Road Fire Station.

Steve went on to undertake a variety of roles throughout the Service, including senior roles specialising in fire safety and prevention and protection.

Steve was promoted to Area Manager of Service Improvement in October 2022; he is responsible for Corporate Assurance, Health, Safety and Environment, Corporate Risk and Intelligence and ICT.