Voices of Leadership Conference 2024

Donna Traynor

Conference Host

Donna Traynor is one of Ireland’s most respected public figures, with over three decades of experience in broadcasting. After starting her career at RTÉ, she became a household name as the presenter of BBC Northern Ireland’s award-winning “BBC Newsline.” Donna has covered some of the most significant events in Ireland’s history, including George Best’s funeral, the Titanic centenary, and Queen Elizabeth II’s state visit to Ireland. She also gained international recognition with cameo appearances in the hit series "Derry Girls." Donna now provides media performance and public speaking training. As a familiar voice to thousands, Donna will be our guiding voice throughout the conference.

Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly

First Minister and deputy First Minister

Since February 2024, Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly have served as joint heads of government of Northern Ireland, leading the Northern Ireland Executive and holding overall responsibility for the running of the Executive Office.

Hannah Scott

Olympic Rowing Champion 2024 | Team GB

Hannah Scott is an Olympic Champion and world-class rower who began her journey at Bann Rowing Club in Coleraine. The five-time All-Ireland Champion went on to Princeton University, where she captained the women’s crew and became a two-time Ivy League Champion. She also claimed two silver medals at the U23 World Rowing Championships. Representing Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she won the B Final. In 2023, she claimed the World Championship title in the women’s quad, then went on to secure both European and Olympic gold in 2024. Hannah is passionate about advocating for women in sports and enjoys pottery painting, sea swims, and black coffee. Her favourite mantra, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard," inspires her relentless dedication on and off the water.

Dr. Niamh Shaw

Scientist & Engineer | STEAM Specialist on a Mission to get to Space

Respected science communicator and explorer, Niamh really cares about our planet and has devoted her life to exploring Earth from the ground and above, from space. Experiencing life in the extremes she has travelled all 7 continents to gather and share human stories of space and science education, reporting on science assignments from the remotest parts of the world to lead the change for a healthier and more sustainable planet. Driven always by her curiosity and fascination for people, Niamh possesses a PhD in science, 2 degrees in Engineering, is an international fellow of The Explorers Club and the European Space Agency's ESA Champion for space education. She contributes to The Irish Times, BBC Sky at Night magazine, RTE television and radio, BBC News and SkyNews, on social media as well as children's television. Her first book 'Dream Big' about her ambition to report from space, was published by Mercier Press in 2021.

Karen Walrond

Author & International Leadership Consultant

Karen is an author, leadership consultant, and attorney dedicated to fostering value-centred, compassionate leadership. Trained in positive psychology coaching with the Wholebeing Institute, she uses science-based methods to enhance satisfaction, purpose, and fulfilment. Karen’s work focuses on helping individuals discover their strengths, develop leadership skills, and use them to create impactful change. Her bestselling book, The Lightmaker’s Manifesto, and her award-winning latest book, Radiant Rebellion, explore themes of integrity, advocacy, and resistance to ageism. Her debut, The Beauty of Different, combines imagery and essays on authenticity and courage. Formerly Chief Counsel at Landmark Graphics Corporation and Chief of Staff at Halliburton Energy Services, Karen has extensive experience in strategy, change management, and corporate ethics. Her insights have been featured on CNN, USA Today, and Good Housekeeping. Karen holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center, and is an active member of the State Bar of Texas.

Vicky Davies

Chief Executive | Danske Bank UK

Vicky began her career at Accenture and joined Danske Bank’s senior management team in 2012. Vicky became the bank’s first female CEO in 2021. Under her leadership, Danske Bank UK has been recognised as the best company to work for in Northern Ireland and the top financial services employer in the UK. In 2024, Danske earned the Gold Diversity Mark for its commitment to inclusion, and Vicky was named Business Woman of the Year at the Women in Business Awards 2024. She holds an MBA from INSEAD and serves on several boards, including UK Finance, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as Chair of Business in the Community Northern Ireland.

Professor Helen McCarthy

Chief Scientific & Technology Adviser

Professor Helen McCarthy, appointed as Chief Scientific and Technology Adviser (CSTA) in June 2024, leads Northern Ireland's science and technology strategy. She chairs the NI Science and Technology Advisory Network (NISTAN) and provides policy advice across government, universities, and the business community. A globally recognised expert, Professor McCarthy holds the Chair of Nanomedicine at Queen’s University Belfast. She has supervised over 40 PhD students, holds 18 patents, and founded pHion Therapeutics. Her research focuses on non-viral delivery systems for drug therapies, and she has won multiple awards for innovation and secured nearly £10M in funding.

Professor Karen McCloskey

Director of Queen's Gender Initiative

Professor Karen McCloskey is Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (EDI) at Queen’s University Belfast. She is Director of the Queen’s Gender Initiative and led the recent Institutional Athena Swan Gold Award programme(Charter for gender equality charter in academia). She is an Athena Swan Charter Panel Chair (UK) and was a member of the Women in Business’ steering group that established Diversity Mark. Professor McCloskey is committed to fostering inclusion and belonging. Her portfolio includes establishing and delivering institutional programmes through collaboration and co-creation with colleagues. She is a speaker, consultant, advisor and mentor. As Professor of Physiology in the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s, Professor McCloskey is an educator and research group leader.

Noyona Chundur

Chief Executive | Consumer Council for Northern Ireland

Noyona Chundur has been the Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland since January 2021. In 2023, she was named Public Sector Director of the Year at the Institute of Director Awards. Noyona is a Chartered Director with the Institute of Directors, a non-executive Director for Progressive Building Society, and a Council Member for the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Before becoming Chief Executive, she served on the Consumer Council’s Board and chaired its Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. Previously, Noyona led award-winning communications as Head of Campaigns and Digital Solutions at Invest Northern Ireland. She also served as Chair of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival for 11 years, until 2024.

Matthew Hynds

General Manager | Killeavy Castle Estate

Matthew is the General Manager at Killeavy Castle Estate, a renowned hospitality destination in Co. Armagh. With a passion for sustainable practices and exceptional guest experiences, Matthew leads the estate's award-winning team. Prior to his current role, Matthew held various management positions in the hospitality industry, gaining valuable experience in operations and leadership. His commitment to sustainability is evident in the estate's use of local produce, waste management initiatives, and focus on reducing its carbon footprint. Matthew's leadership has been instrumental in Killeavy Castle Estate's success in delivering unforgettable experiences for guests while promoting a sustainable future for our planet.

Judy McElroy

Sustainability & Environment Senior Manager | NIE Networks

Judy is the Sustainability & Environment Senior Manager at NIE Networks Ltd, a position she took up in July 2020. NIE Networks owns and manages the electricity networks in Northern Ireland, with c. 50,000km of network and c. 910,000 connected customers. NIE Networks’ vision is to deliver a sustainable energy system for Northern Ireland that addresses climate change through the decarbonisation of electricity and connection of renewable generation and low carbon technologies to the electricity grid. Judy is responsible for the Sustainability, Environment, Net Zero and ESG strategies and initiatives at NIE Networks. Judy previously held a number of Engineering roles in NIE Networks including in Asset Management. She is a member of the Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET) and Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA).

Keith Lippert

Head of Financial Crime and Fraud prevention at Monzo Bank

Keith Lippert has 30 years of experience in financial services and currently holds the position of Head of Financial Crime and Fraud prevention at Monzo Bank. Keith leads an international team of over 1,500 crime prevention professionals working to protect consumers from financial crime. He was previously Vice President and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at The Allstate Corporation. Keith has expertise in financial crime prevention, anti-terrorism, sanctions, money laundering, and fraud prevention. Before joining Allstate, he served as the Legal Chief Operating Officer for Barclays Bank in London and as the Vice President of International Fraud Prevention for American Express. Under Keith's leadership, his Northern Ireland team has achieved remarkable success, winning 21 prestigious cybersecurity awards. Keith himself was honoured with the esteemed Digital DNA Business Personality of the Year award in 2020. This recognition celebrates his positive impact on the local business community through his efforts in building a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Northern Ireland, inspiring future generations of cyber professionals as the leader of The National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst initiative in Northern Ireland, and his commitment to promoting diversity in the technology industry as a board member for Women in Business NI since 2019.

Professor Karise Hutchinson

Professor of Leadership | Illuminaire Leadership Institute

Karise is a Professor of Leadership and the founder of Illuminaire Leadership - a global institute providing high-quality, research-led insights to leaders in private, public, and third-sector organisations. She is an award-winning researcher, author, educator, speaker, and strategic advisor to leaders across government, public and private sectors, as well as not-for-profit organisations. Whether through her TED talks or the launch of Illuminaire Press - a unique leadership science, strategy, and story publication series - Karise specialises in uncovering and disseminating the latest leadership thinking. She is driven by her purpose to equip and enable leaders to critically examine how they think about and practice leadership today, for the benefit of tomorrow.

Darragh McCarthy

CEO & Founder | FinTrU

Darragh founded FinTrU in 2013 and serves as the company’s CEO. He is a member of the Executive Committee and is responsible for managing overall operations and setting the company’s strategic direction and objectives. A highly experienced leader with over 30 years’ experience in the Financial Services industry, Darragh founded FinTrU whilst identifying Global Investment Banks’ increasing demand for first-class resources to navigate the shifting regulatory landscape. Today, FinTrU employs over 1,500 people across offices in Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Letterkenny, London, New York and Porto. Whilst FinTrU is a profit-driven organisation, Darragh is highly motivated by creating high-quality professional employment. As a leader, his passion is to build connections with people and to ignite their entrepreneurial spirit – with the aim to inspire others to thrive and achieve their goals. Outside of FinTrU, Darragh is the Vice President of the Belfast Chamber Board and a member of the Innovation and Growth Advisory Board for the City of London. He is also the Chair of the Fellowship Programme Advisory Board for the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building.

Tessa Breslin

Leadership Consultant & Executive Coach

Tessa has recently launched an independent leadership consulting practice in Northern Ireland. Previously, she served on the Board and Leadership Team of YSC, a global leadership strategy consultancy, and was Managing Director of its North American business. Tessa has also led talent agendas for a global facilities management organisation and an airport management business. With over twenty years of experience, she has advised Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 CEOs and C-suite leaders on leadership strategy, talent development, and CEO succession. She is passionate about empowering senior women leaders to reach their full potential. A Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Tessa is also a member of the American Psychological Association, a practitioner with the Health Promotions Council (UK), and an ICF Accredited Coach. She serves as Vice Chair of the Queen’s University, Belfast Foundation and is a Non-Executive Director on several Boards.

Gillian McKee

Managing Director | GIRAFFE Associates Ltd

Gillian is a sustainability and ESG consultant, working with businesses on strategy development, training and engagement. She has worked in the responsible business and sustainability space for most of her career – spending 22 years with membership organisation Business in the Community NI before leaving in 2019 to establish her own business. With clients across the agri-food, construction, manufacturing, tech and public sectors, she has a wealth of experience in guiding organisations through the big picture thinking needed to understand sustainability and embed it across their operations. She also offers training in sustainability, carbon literacy and a range of other topics designed to support companies in engaging employees on their sustainability journey Gillian is an external assessor for BITC’s CORE Standard for Responsible Business, the independent auditor for Diversity Mark’s Gold Award and a B Leader, trained to support companies seeking to become certified B Corporations. In 2024 she won the Women in Business Best Green (Small) Business Award.

Maggie O’Carroll

Co-Founder | The Women’s Organisation UK

Professor Maggie O’Carroll has over 35 years’ experience as an entrepreneur having started and grown her own business and co-founded social enterprises The Women’s Organisation in the UK and Enterprise Evolution Education and Consultancy an economic development social enterprise headquartered in Ireland and operating globally. She led the development of the first dedicated women business incubator, research and business support facility in the UK securing over £10m capital and revenue investment. She is a social entrepreneur, entrepreneurship researcher and educator publishing in academic journals and educational textbooks. She specialised in female enterprise and social entrepreneurship research, policy development and implementation and is a Professor of Entrepreneurial Practice at the Hunter Centre, Strathclyde University and a visiting scholar at Nottingham University, and Simmons University Boston. Her leadership experience encompasses large scale publicly funded projects and commercial business development services relating to gender informed and social enterprise research, design, support and delivery, property management, technology adoption, research and policy support. She is currently leading and working on initiatives including the development and roll out of a national workplace wellness programme, to help SMEs implement changes in the workplace that support female employees’ reproductive health in England, female entrepreneurship in an All Island of Ireland context and accelerating deep tech through place-based innovation and connected ecosystems for women-led start-ups across Europe.

Councillor Bev Craig

Leader of Manchester City Council

Bev Craig became Leader of Manchester City Council in December 2021. First elected in 2011 as a Burnage Councillor, she held a range of responsibilities on Manchester City Council, including serving for 4 years as Executive Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, then as Deputy Leader overseeing resources, capital programmes, social value and digital. Born and raised council estate just outside of Belfast, she was the first in her family to go to university, moving to Manchester in 2003 to study and making it her home. After graduating from the University of Manchester she began her career in local government, before working in higher education and then a national trade union leading on social care. Alongside working full time, Bev completed postgraduate degrees at Warwick Business School and the University of Manchester. As Executive Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing she led the city of Manchester's COVID health and community response, manging the crisis and focusing on a more equal recovery, and has championed the City’s work to become a Living Wage City. As Leader her focus is on Manchester’s ambitious COVID recovery, the importance of building a more inclusive and sustainable economy, children and young people, equalities, housing and zero carbon. She is also Greater Manchester Combined Authority portfolio lead for Economy, Business & Inclusive Growth.

Tina McKenzie MBE

CEO | Staffline Ireland

After graduating from Ulster University, Tina went on to pursue a successful international recruitment career, giving her over 30 years’ experience in the Recruitment and Employment Services sector and a wealth of entrepreneurial experience. After returning to Northern Ireland in 2013, she established Staffline Recruitment as a start-up throughout Ireland; taking the company from a standing start to a dominant market leader with a turnover of £150 million within 5 years. This unprecedented success led to a stream of awards including the UTV Fast Business Growth Award in 2015, IOD’s Director of the Year Award in 2017, UTV Business Eye’s Business Personality of the Year Award in 2018, the Belfast Telegraph Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 and the Women in Business Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year Award in 2022. In 2023, Tina was awarded an MBE for services to the local economy and was also named as the 20th most influential person in UK politics in by Politico. In 2024, Tina was appointed to the Department of Business and Trade Small Business Council. She has previously served as the European Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day and is the serving Honorary Consul to Finland in Northern Ireland. Tina currently Chairs the Policy and Advocacy Board of the Federation of Small Businesses, the largest business organisation in the UK. She is also a member of the Ireland Funds Global Board.