Arguably the UK's best known experimental physicist, Professor Brian Cox's books and TV programmes have been read and watched around the world and credited with making science engaging and accessible to millions. With his down-to-earth, likeable enthusiasm, Brian is frequently labelled a 'rock star scientist', in part due to his time as a professional musician. He the Professor of Particle Physics at Manchester University, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science, and a key part of the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. 

Brian's blockbuster TV shows include Wonders of the Universe, The Planets, Wonders of Life, and Forces of Nature. He has also presented Stargazing, Space Hoppers, The Big Bang, and numerous editions of Horizon. His books accompanying the Wonders of... series have become bestsellers, as did his co-authored titles Why Does E=mc2? and The Quantum Universe. 

From speaking at TED in the US to World Economic Forums in Davos and China, Brian's presentations engage, inform, and entertain. They feature awe-inspiring images from the depths of the universe as well as his trademark infectious enthusiasm for his subject. Brian believes that science can unite the world in an attempt to discover our shared origins and answer long-held mysteries. 

Brian is one of the few speakers to tour internationally with a solo lecture show, Universal: Adventures In Space and Time. An International Fellow of the Explorers Club, Brian was awarded the prestigious Lord Kelvin Award for his work in promoting science to all. When not filming around the world, he writes for a range of popular and scientific journals and co-hosts Radio 4's Infinite Monkey Cage with friend and co-host Robin Ince, examining the big and not-so-big science questions. 

Daniel Hulme is a globally recognised expert in AI and investor in Emerging Technologies. He's the CEO of Satalia, an award-winning company that provides AI innovations for global brands. Satalia joined the world's largest media company in 2021, WPP, where Daniel is also the Chief AI Officer. Daniel has been recognised as one of the top 10 Chief AI Officers globally.
 
Having received a Masters and Doctorate in AI at UCL, Daniel is also UCL's Computer Science Entrepreneur in Residence and a lecturer at LSE's Marshall Institute, focused on using AI to solve business and social problems.
 
Daniel is a serial TEDx and Google speaker, and regularly keynotes on AI, ethics, innovation and decentralization. He contributes to numerous books and articles on the future of work, and is a faculty member of SingularityU.
 
Daniel has advisory and executive positions across companies and governments. He holds an international Kauffman Global Entrepreneur Scholarship and actively promotes purposeful entrepreneurship and technology innovation across the globe.

Minette Batters was the first woman to be elected President of the National Farmers’ Union in 113yrs. She’s represented the interests of over 46,000 farming businesses across England and Wales through unprecedented times, navigating the challenges of Brexit, Covid 19 and the war in Ukraine. During this time, she worked with four Prime Ministers - three of them in one year - and six Defra Secretaries of State.   

In 2020 she led the NFU on one of the most successful campaigns ever seen, bringing together a coalition of chefs, including Jamie Oliver, farmers, environmentalists, consumer groups and animal welfare experts - resulting in over one million people signing the NFU food standards petition.   

Minette co-founded ‘Ladies in Beef’ and the Great British Beef Week and is currently writing a monthly piece for Country Life magazine. She is currently an ambassador for Farm Africa and a passionate advocate and fundraiser for the Junior Diabetic Research Foundation.  

Minette is mother to twins and is a tenant farmer, on the Longford Estate near Salisbury, Wiltshire. 

Andrew Haldane is the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). He was formerly Chief Economist at the Bank of England and a member of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee.  He was the Permanent Secretary for Levelling Up at the Cabinet Office from September 2021 to March 2022.  Andrew is Founder and President of the charity Pro Bono Economics, Vice-Chair of the charity National Numeracy and Chair of the National Numeracy Leadership Council. 

Andrew chairs the Government’s Levelling Up Advisory Council and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre’s Industrial Board.  He is contributing editor at the Financial Times and Chief Economic Advisor at PwC. Among other positions, he is Honorary Professor at the Universities of Nottingham, Manchester and Exeter, Visiting Professor at King’s College, London and a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Academy of Social Sciences.

Mark is Professor of Digital Health and Chair in Translational Cancer Genomics at Queen’s. He is Scientific Director of DATA-CAN, the UK’s Health Data Research Hub for Cancer. Mark is Chair of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership and Chair of the Lancet Oncology European Groundshot Commission. Mark is Co-Lead of the All Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI) a coalition of 10 universities across the island of Ireland. He co-leads two AICRI HEA funded North South Research Programmes focusing on precision medicine and digital health. In 2021, Mark received the Irish Association for Cancer Research’s Outstanding Contribution to cancer research award, for his pioneering work on cancer research and care on the island of Ireland.  

Mark has a strong commitment to patient-centred research and addressing cancer inequalities. He was architect of the European Cancer Patient's Bill of Rights for which he received the 2018 European Health Award, a prestigious award for partnerships that yield real health impact in Europe. His pioneering work on Covid-19 and cancer received the Royal College of Physicians Excellence in Patient Care Award and the prestigious European Communique Award.  In 2022, he and his team won the prestigious HDR-UK Impact of the Year Award for providing the crucial intelligence to inform a change in policy for treating colorectal cancer in England. In November 2023, Mark received a Special Merit Award from the European Cancer Organisation, Europe’s largest multi-professional cancer organisation, in recognition of his ground-breaking work in Covid and Cancer and his work on cancer inequalities. 

Mark is Scientific lead of ECO’s European Cancer Pulse which captures data intelligence to inform mitigation of cancer inequalities. He was one of the leadership involved in developing and launching a radical new data-informed UK plan for cancer research and cancer care in the House of Commons, Westminster. In January 2024 he provided the crucial evidence on the need to re-establish a National Cancer Plan to the Health and Social Care Select Committee Future Cancer Inquiry in the House of Commons.     

Cecilia Harvey is a visionary leader who has left an indelible mark on the world of technology. As a senior executive, entrepreneur, and author with over two decades of experience in the industry, she is a game changer who is committed to fostering diversity and changing the face of technology to catalyse innovation and inclusive thought. 

Cecilia's illustrious career began on Wall Street, where she quickly made a name for herself as a tech trailblazer. She has held senior positions at some of the world's largest financial institutions, including Morgan Stanley, Barclays, HSBC, and IBM. She also served as the COO of Citigroup Markets and Securities Services Technology. 

Cecilia is on a mission to be a force for positive change in the tech sector. She is also the founder of Tech Women Today, a global digital platform that showcases women in technology and serves as a resource for female entrepreneurs who want to leverage technology to grow and scale their businesses. 
 
Cecilia's passion for promoting diversity in tech is rooted in her deep understanding of the industry's challenges. In 2023, only 18% of the UK tech workforce was female, and just 5% were from a black or minority ethnic background. With her fiery determination, Cecilia is opening doors, smashing ceilings, and helping underrepresented and marginalized communities thrive. Through her work, Cecilia has challenged the norm and recognized the power of her own path. Her profile is unmatched in the sector, and she is a shining example of what can be achieved when you combine talent, tenacity, and a commitment to making a positive difference in the world. 

Andy Burnham was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2017, and was re-elected for a second term in May 2021. 

The Mayor joins Greater Manchester’s Combined Authority as its chair and eleventh member. He is also the lead for Policy & Reform and Transport.  

Prior to being Mayor, Andy was MP for Leigh from 2001. In Government, Andy has held Ministerial positions at the Home Office, Department of Health and the Treasury. In 2008 he became Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, before returning to Health as Secretary of State in 2009. 

In opposition, Andy has served as Shadow Education Secretary, Shadow Health Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary. 

Andy lives in Leigh, Greater Manchester, with his wife and three children. He is a keen supporter of Everton FC. 

Wendy Austin is one of Northern Ireland's most respected and well-known broadcasters, with a media career spanning four decades.

Starting out in print journalism at the Belfast Telegraph, Wendy transitioned into broadcasting when she joined BBC Northern Ireland first as a tv reporter and later a radio presenter. 

Wendy has been the voice of many BBC radio programmes including the breakfast time Good Morning Ulster show, Morning Extra and Wendy After Lunch in NI, before a move to BBCR4 in London where she presented PM Woman's Hour and The Exchange. Wendy returned to present GMU in the early 1990’s before joining popular lunchtime Talk Back programme. In 2015, Wendy launched the station's Inside Business programme. Wendy retired from BBC in 2020, after nearly 44 years with the corporation.

Wendy’s versatility and professionalism have made her a trusted voice in current affairs, politics, and human interest stories. Over the years, she has interviewed countless political leaders, experts, and everyday heroes, earning a reputation for her balanced, thoughtful, and engaging style.

Wendy is a passionate advocate for women in media, serving as a role model and mentor to aspiring journalists. Her influence extends beyond broadcasting, as she remains deeply engaged in community initiatives and public speaking. 

Bill Neely has been a broadcast journalist for more than 40 years, beginning at the BBC in Northern Ireland in 1981. 
  
He has won numerous awards, from the Royal Television Society, three consecutive BAFTA awards, an Emmy and the prestigious American Peabody award for coverage of ISIS in Iraq.  
  
Bill helped launch Sky News in 1989 before moving to ITN where he worked for 25 years, later becoming the Chief Global Correspondent of the leading US TV network NBC News. 

Neely has covered major international events from the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union to multiple wars, earthquakes, national elections and summits.  
  
He is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, is married with two daughters and lives in Richmond, outside London. 

Mark Simpson is an award-winning correspondent and presenter at BBC News. Mark has more than 30 years' experience in journalism, reporting on some of the biggest breaking news stories in Belfast, Dublin and beyond.

Mark is a Queen’s University Belfast alumnus, having graduated in 1989 with a degree in Modern History and Politics. He began his journalistic career at a series of Belfast-based newspapers, including the News Letter, The Irish News, and the Belfast Telegraph.

He joined the BBC in 1998 as a political correspondent, just before the Good Friday Agreement.

In 2005, he moved to Leeds, to take up the position of North of England Correspondent, reporting for national and international BBC News.

In 2008, he returned to Belfast as BBC Ireland Correspondent, and later became a news correspondent at BBC NI.

Mark specialises in politics, sport, community and current affairs, and has built a reputation as one of Belfast’s best-known and respected news correspondents.

Her Excellency Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg is Chairperson and Managing Director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group (ESAG). She is known for her stellar leadership of the Group under the tutelage of her late father, the Founder, Easa Saleh Al Gurg.  

Dr Al Gurg believes in the power of mentorship and is famed for her support and encouragement of Arab women entrepreneurs.  She is Founder of the Dubai Businesswomen Council and Member of the Board of Directors of Dubai Chambers.  She is also a Member of the Family Business Advisory Committee which oversees the Dubai Centre for Family Businesses. 

Dr Al Gurg is the Deputy Chairperson of the National Bank of Fujairah, a member of the Board of Directors for Dubai Academic Health Corporation, and Vice Chairperson of University of Dubai.  She is on the Board of Trustees for the Mohammad Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. She is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Board of Governors at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University and on the Board of Trustees for Ajman University.  

She holds an Honorary Doctorate from Queen’s for economics and was conferred as a Doctor of Literature by Amity University, India. In 2022, she was appointed as Honorary Pro-Chancellor at Heriot Watt University. 

She is also the Chairperson of the Board of Al Jalila Foundation. In 2023, she was awarded the Legion of Honor, Chevalier (Knight) by President of France Emmanuel Macron.  

Dr Al Gurg is also a published author. Her biography was the first of its kind by an Emirati businesswoman.  The second book - The Power of Authenticity: Three Principles of Leadership; is a candid account of the obstacles and triumphs that this well-respected UAE business leader faced on her path to becoming one of the most influential businesswomen in the Arab world. 

Roberto Alvarez is a systems-thinker and doer who has been working at the intersections of technology, business, policy, global issues and communications for more than 25 years. A native from Brazil, he has worked and implemented joint initiatives with organizations and partners in the Americas, Africa, Europe, MENA, Oceania and Asia throughout his career. 

As a citizen, he is particularly concerned on how organizations and countries can innovate to “solve for sustainability” and societies can address an increasingly complex array of themes in the policy arena. His professional focus has been on convening cross-sector global groups of leaders to address economic and societal issues and building partnerships to accelerate innovation in technology, business models and institutions. 

Roberto currently serves as the Executive Director of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC), a global multi-stakeholder organization with a footprint in more than 30 nations. Before joining the GFCC, he was a Senior Manager at the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI), where he led innovation, internationalization and sectorial development initiatives. Roberto also worked as a management and operations consultant (with a focus on manufacturing and logistics), co-founded 3 tech companies, designed and implemented grad programs and taught graduated courses in different Brazilian universities. He is an author and/or organizer of publications on innovation, industrial development and manufacturing strategy and operations. During his period in consultancy, he managed projects in industries such as automotive, energy, building materials, government administration and higher education. 

He holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, was trained in Quality and Productivity at the Japan Productivity Center and Exponential Technologies and the NASA AMES-based Singularity University. He is a global speaker and has made angel investments in Brazil and the U.S.

John Barry is a father, a political activist, trades unionist, recovering politician and Professor of Green Political Economy in the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action at Queen's University Belfast. He is also co-chair of the Belfast Climate Commission, and member of the Sustainable Future Committee of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

What keeps him awake at night is the life opportunities and future wellbeing of his and other children in this age of the planetary emergency and intersecting social and economic injustices within and between countries.  What also keeps him awake at night is the following question: why it is easier for most people to believe in the end of the world than the end of capitalism and economic growth?  What keeps him awake during his day job is why higher education is continuing in a 'business as usual' manner while the planet burns, inequality increases, and militarisation and conflict within and between societies grows?

Kelly has spent many years leading Schneider Electric’s business across the globe and is currently responsible for all operations within the UK and Ireland, Belgium and Netherlands. Kelly has also held the role of Schneider Electric Country President, Ireland and Vice-President of the Power Solutions Division in the US. 

During her experience, Kelly has led many Schneider functions across the globe with a strong focus on strategy and business execution.  During her time in the US, Kelly led strategy and business development for Schneider’s $4B Partner Business with a focus on strategic growth and breakthrough initiatives, market and geographic expansions and internal start-ups.  

She has held previous roles with Danaher Corporation and TAC/Schneider Electric selling complex energy management infrastructure projects to K-12 Schools and Universities in Texas, Illinois and New Mexico. 

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in advertising and public relation from Texas Christian University and a master's degree in Business Administration from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.   

She currently serves on the Corporate Advisory Board for the Darden School of Business, is the Deputy Chair of the French Chamber of Great Britain and an Executive Director of British American Business. 

Debbie leads Belfast City Council’s climate work and co-chairs the ‘Belfast Resilience & Sustainability Board’ and the Belfast Climate Commission. She leads a programme of work that includes developing and delivering a localised roadmap to decarbonise the city, supporting a retrofit hub and developing an Low Emission Vehicle Strategy as well as projects that are re-naturing the city. Prior to joining the Council, Debbie led the design and delivery of climate investments in Asia and Africa. Debbie is also a Board member of the Centre for Competitiveness.

As Ireland's Ambassador to the United Nations (2013-17), he led with his Kenyan colleague the global negotiations which in August 2015 delivered agreement on the Sustainable Development Goals and the wider 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The agreement of all 193 countries in the world to this unprecedented blueprint for the development of humanity and preservation of the planet was considered one of the greatest achievements in the history of the UN. 

David Donoghue also led a UN negotiation process which in 2016 produced the New York Declaration on Migrants and Refugees, the first ever global agreement of this kind. 

Earlier in his career, he was involved for many years in the Northern Ireland peace process. He was a senior member of the Irish Government's negotiating team for the Good Friday Agreement (1998). He is the author of "One Good Day" (2022), a personal account of those negotiations.

He had postings at different times as Ireland's Ambassador to Russia, Austria and Germany.  He was also from 2001-4 the head of Irish Aid, the country's development cooperation programme, and from 2009-13 the Political Director at the Department of Foreign Affairs, a role which gave him overall responsibility for Ireland's foreign policy.

David Donoghue works today in a variety of think-tanks, civil society and academic settings on sustainable development, migration/refugee issues and conflict resolution. He is a Distinguished Fellow at ODI, a London-based think-tank, and a Fellow of the Robert Bosch Academy in Germany. He holds three honorary doctorates from Irish universities and is also an Honorary Professor of the Practice in the School of Management at Queen's University Belfast. He chairs the executive committee for the Irish branch of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (which is led by QUB and UCC). He is a Board member of Enlight, a network of European universities, and is also a visiting lecturer at a number of universities in Europe and the US.   Among other roles, he is the Chairman of Screen Producers Ireland.   

Dr Ryan Feeney is a member of the Queen’s University Management Board with lead responsibility for Administration and External Affairs. He has oversight of The Chancellery (Central Administration, Legal and Governance Directorate); Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility; Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy; and Strategic Communications.

As Registrar, he is also the Secretary to both the University’s Senate and Academic Council and is responsible for central institutional coordination reporting to President and Vice-Chancellor.

Prior to this appointment, he was Director of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility at Queen’s and before that Director of Strategic Communication and Engagement at the PSNI. He was previously Head of Public Engagement at Queen’s and was a Visiting Professor at Ulster University in Governance and Public Policy.

Dr Feeney also served as an independent member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board from 2011-2018, where he was the lead member for Human Rights and Professional Standards.

He is a graduate of St Mary's University College and postgraduate in Law from Queen’s. He has a Doctorate in Governance, specialising in political science and public policy from the Institute of Public Administration, National University of Ireland, with a specific focus on the Stand 2 structures of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

He is also a Trustee of Politics in Action, a member of the CBI regional Council and a member of the Board of the Centre for Cross Border Studies.

As the 19th chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, Joan Gabel oversees a community of nearly 34,000 students and more than 15,000 faculty and staff members across five distinct campuses, all working to advance Pitt’s legacy of academic excellence, community service and research innovation.  

During her tenure, the University has achieved record new student applications, graduation rates, postgraduation placement and research expenditures. Gabel also led the creation of the University’s first metrics-driven strategic plan, the Plan for Pitt 2028, which prioritizes the University’s values and impact. To ensure a Pitt education remains accessible and affordable, she launched the innovative Pitt Finish Line Grant to provide just-in-time financial support for students nearing graduation. 

Since her arrival, Gabel became a founding member of College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, which has grown to represent 100 colleges and universities. She serves as chair of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ Council of Presidents and the Fulbright Scholar Advisory Board (CIES); as academic vice-chair of the Council on Competitiveness; and on the boards of the American Council on Education and the Association of American Universities.  

Gabel previously served as the president of the University of Minnesota (U of M) System and Twin Cities campus. Under her leadership, U of M developed its first comprehensive systemwide strategic plan, which resulted in record-setting graduation rates and annual research expenditures, as well as unmatched startups, patents and private giving, including the completion of a $4 billion capital campaign that exceeded its goal by 10%. Transformational partnerships, such as the NXT GEN MED program between the university, Mayo Clinic and Google, led to reimagined research and student opportunities. 

Prior to joining U of M, she served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of South Carolina and as dean of the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business at the University of Missouri. Gabel began her teaching career at Georgia State University, then joined Florida State University where she was the DeSantis Professor of Legal Studies; chair of the Department of Risk Management and Insurance, Real Estate and Legal Studies; and director of international relations within the College of Business. 

Stephen is an energy market executive with over 25 years’ experience across the energy, manufacturing and retail sectors. As Director of Strategy and Low Carbon Solutions for SSE Energy Customer Solutions he has responsibility for shaping the future of the business, ensuring that SSE is helping its customers across the UK and Ireland on their path to Net Zero, through low carbon solutions provision as well as driving strategic innovation with a focus on sustainability.  

Since joining SSE in 2006 Stephen has held roles including Director of Business Energy and Director of Finance & Pricing for SSE Airtricity and Transformation Programme Director in the GB Retail business.

He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Ireland, having trained in KPMG, and has a degree in Business & Legal Studies (University College Dublin) and a Masters in Strategy & Leadership (University College Cork).  

SSE Energy Customer Solutions is the retail division of SSE plc. providing energy solutions to over 400,000 business customers in Great Britain from SMEs to large corporates, and almost 700,000 homes and businesses across the Island of Ireland. SSE has the broadest renewable generation portfolio in the UK, creating a real opportunity to drive change in the energy industry and society. SSE Energy Customer Solutions provides traceable renewable energy and low carbon solutions by bridging the gap between SSE’s renewable assets and our customer’s businesses.

Sir Ian has been President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast since August 2018. He has extensive experience of university innovation driving regional economic growth.  This includes cross-sector developments both in Northern Ireland and England, and specifically the Belfast Region City Deal Innovation Pillar, driving innovation in key sectors for the local economy, such as health innovation, data science & analytics, and advanced manufacturing. He is passionate about the importance of social responsibility and inclusion to the University’s mission, particularly widening participation, diversity & inclusion and civic engagement.  

He is a strong advocate for collaboration across and between sectors. His leadership has developed or expanded partnerships across the island of Ireland, the UK, the Middle East and the USA. He Is a past President of Universities Ireland, promoting collaboration across the island, a member of the British Council’s Education Advisory Group, Founder of both the Health Innovation Research Alliance, Northern Ireland (HIRANI) and the Northern Health Science Alliance, and non-executive Director of Dubai Academic Health Corporation.  He is a Deputy Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast. 

By way of background, he is a medical graduate of the University of Glasgow, with his research and clinical career in obstetrics & gynaecology, where he was recognised as an international authority on pregnancy complications, particularly thrombotic problems. He has published over 400 Publications including 14 Books and 28 Clinical Guidelines He has held senior leadership positions in several UK Universities, and was Vice-President of the University of Manchester, immediately before moving to Queen’s. He was made a Knight Bachelor in the King’s Birthday Honours 2023 for services to education and the economy.

John Healy OBE is a highly experienced senior executive with 30 years of experience in the technology sector, mostly gained in the financial service industry. John studied at Queen’s, graduating with a BEng in Manufacturing Engineering in 1991 and an MSc in Computer Science in 1992. He was Vice President and Managing Director at Allstate NI until December 2022. His influence elevated Allstate’s reputation as the top technology employer in Northern Ireland, where he helped establish strong ties with universities, as well as ensuring good working relationships with government.

In 2020, John won Director of the Year award for Inclusivity (Institute of Directors) and is regarded as one of the best-known business figures in Northern Ireland. He is past-President of the NI Chamber and was previously Chair of Software NI. He was awarded an OBE in the 2020 New Year’s Honours list in recognition of his services to economic development in Northern Ireland. He is currently Chair of Invest NI, Northern Ireland’s economic development agency, whose role is to grow the economy by helping new and existing businesses to compete internationally, and by attracting new investment to NI.

Professor Kathryn Higgins (PhD) is founder and Director of Queen’s Communities and Place, a cross institutional initiative based on partnership between communities, policymakers and academics. Guided by our Social Charter we commit the resources of the University to work in partnership to find lasting solutions that tackle disadvantage and improve outcomes for children, young people and communities.  

Kathryn is an experienced research leader having previously directed two multi-disciplinary research centres at Queen's - the Institute of Childcare Research (2007-2019) and the Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation (2019-2021) Her Directorship of Queen’s Communities and Place consolidates her extensive experience in leading research consortiums around community health and wellbeing and of vulnerable populations, particularly children and young people. 

She has attracted funding from prestigious sources such as the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Northern Ireland Executive and individual Ministerial Departments of the Executive. 

Adrian Johnston will take up the role of Belfast Innovation Commissioner in January 2025. He is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in technology and innovation. Before joining Innovation City Belfast, he served as the Director of Strategic Business Development at Catalyst, starting in December 2021. In this role, Adrian was instrumental in cultivating and strengthening strategic partnerships across industry, academia, and government, with a focus on driving innovation and economic growth in Northern Ireland. He led Catalyst's Open Innovation team, concentrating on the creation of dynamic clusters in Health & Life Sciences, NetZero, and RegTech.

Adrian holds a PhD, specializing in AI adoption in high-value semiconductor manufacturing. From December 2018 to December 2021, he served as the Head of Digital Catapult NI, where he played a key role in accelerating the adoption of AI and emerging digital technologies across various sectors.

Adrian has consistently prioritised inclusive innovation throughout his career. He was the Chair of the International Fund for Ireland from March 2012 to February 2019, where he led efforts to drive reconciliation and stimulate economic and social advancement for communities across the island of Ireland. Currently, Adrian serves as the Chair of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, where he and his team address critical societal challenges such as homelessness, poverty, health inequalities, and digital exclusion.

Dr David Jordan is a Lecturer in Economics at Queen’s Business School, and a Research Associate at The Productivity Institute. He is currently examining the reasons behind low levels of productivity in Northern Ireland as part of the work of the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum, and he is the Independent Expert Advisor on Productivity to the Northern Ireland Department for the Economy.  

His wider research focuses on regional and public economics, alongside economic and financial history. He is particularly interested in the economics of devolution, including how institutions and policy have shaped the long-run performance of Northern Ireland’s economy. 

Andrew Keane is Director of NexSys and the Energy Institute at University College Dublin. Andrew is a Full Professor in the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at UCD where he leads a group focused on power system planning and operation, especially distribution networks.  
 
Current research topics focus upon the interaction between power electronic systems and the power system, often arising from renewable and distributed energy resources. Other interests include multi energy systems and their co-simulation and co-optimisation. 
  
Andrew is Director of NexSys an all-island research programme involving 40 academics from across nine universities. NexSys targets the development of credible pathways to a Net Zero Carbon Energy System. Previously, Andrew has served as Head of the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at UCD and held positions in industry with ESB Networks. In 2015 he co-founded NovoGrid a grid automation company developing software solutions for renewable generators and utilities. 
 

Stephen took up his position as Chair of Senate on 1 January 2021.   

Stephen graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 1968 with a BA and completed a Diploma in Business Administration before joining Coopers and Lybrand in 1969. He qualified as a chartered accountant in 1972 and was admitted as a Partner in the firm in 1975 with responsibility for management consulting. In 1993, he was appointed Managing Partner in charge of the Northern Ireland firm.   

In 1998, following the international merger of Coopers and Lybrand and Price Waterhouse, he was appointed Managing Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Northern Ireland until his retirement in 2007.   

Over the years, he has held several Chairmanships and non-executive directorships across a range of sectors, including Action on Hearing Loss; ASG Holdings Limited; Balcas Limited; Business in the Community; Collinbridge Holdings Limited; Invest Northern Ireland; Institute of Management Consultants; Lagan Group; Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce; Northern Ireland Electricity and the Ulster Society of Chartered Accountants.   

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, he is the Principal of Stephen Kingon Associates, a consultancy.   

He is the Chairman of the Centre of Competitiveness and a distinguished fellow of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils. In addition, he is a non-executive director of NI Opera and advisor to Forward Emphasis International Limited and Mash Direct. In 2000, he was awarded a CBE for his services to Economic Development.   

In 2012, Queen’s University awarded him an honorary doctorate for services to business and economic development, and in 2014, he was admitted as a Member of the Royal Irish Academy due to his work on cross-border economic and business development.   

Dave is an innovator, social entrepreneur, motivational speaker and the founder and managing director of multi-award-winning Madlug C.I.C which achieved B-Corp certification in 2022. 

Prior to beginning his journey with Madlug, Dave was a youth worker for over 20 years and for the past eight years he has also become heavily involved in mentoring and raising awareness of social enterprises and social businesses. 

Following a hugely successful crowdfunding campaign with Madlug over the summer of 2017, Dave was given the opportunity to have brunch with Sir Richard Branson in what was a great opportunity to share the story of Madlug with a global business leader.  

In 2019 Dave went on to win the prestige titles of GBEA Entrepreneur of the year for Northern Ireland and Entrepreneur for Good for the UKDave is extremely passionate about using Madlug to influence a new young generation of social entrepreneurs. 

Andrew Lynch is the Chief Innovation Officer at IMR. He is a member of the EFFRA Made in Europe Partnership Board, and the international Vice President of the EUREKA SMART Manufacturing Board of Directors.  Andrew is a member of the ManuFuture High Level Group and chairs the ManuFuture ETP Working Group (State Aid Strategies- Research & Innovation). He is also on the Academic Advisory Board of the UKs Smart Manufacturing Digital Hub.

In Ireland, Andrew is on the Board of Directors of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence (AMTEC), as well as on the Ingenuity and ATiM Cluster Executive Steering Committees.  He is the founding chair of the Irish National Steering Committee on Collaborative Robotics, and a founding member of the National Advisory Board for the Digital Manufacturing Futures Centre (AIM) and the Board of the FutureCAST Technology Centre on Construction. 

Andrew is a contributing expert on several key international policy directives for manufacturing, including the ManuFuture policy document (Vision 2030), the EFFRA Made in Europe program, ManuFuture ETP Strategic Working Group Initiatives, the ECSEL LIASE I4 Whitepaper on the Future of Manufacturing and the ECS SRA (Electronic Components & Systems, Strategic Research Agenda). 

He holds an honours Degree in Biochemistry, a first class Masters in Environmental Analytical Chemistry, a PhD in Engineering, and is happily married with two adored daughters. 

Paul is experienced in promoting and managing advanced technology projects in various industrial sectors on a regional, national and international basis. He has strong inter-personal skills forged over many years of working in customer-driven industries in international business environments. He has proven ability to collaborate with colleagues from differing backgrounds, cultures and disciplines to achieve commercial success. He is an experienced Non-Executive Director in the public and private sectors.  

Paul was General Manager of Rolls-Royce Aerospace in Northern Ireland from 1998 - 2015; he implemented a major investment plan to establish a technology centre of excellence with 50+ employees developing safety-critical software for the company’s suite of civil and military aircraft engines. He designed and implemented a corporate strategy for software engineering process improvement based upon the University of Pittsburgh’s CMMI framework. He collaborated with regional and national government bodies to implement industry growth initiatives via his role as Chairman of the Northern Ireland Aerospace Consortium (cluster-representative body) for 7 years.  

Prior to his time with Rolls-Royce, Paul worked in the IT industry; he directed a programme for software quality awareness and training in Central and Eastern Europe and supported the European Commission in defining the content of technology research and development programmes. 

Recently, Paul developed a successful R+D project proposal for a technology optimisation upgrade for a leading Irish sawmill and he facilitated an Industry 4.0 Collaborative Growth Network of manufacturing SMEs in Northern Ireland. At the Centre for Competitiveness currently Paul is leading the Centre’s initiatives in renewable energy with a focus on the utilisation of agricultural manures for the production of biomethane. 

Jonathan McAlpin is Chief Executive of East Belfast Enterprise, having joined the company from his previous role as Director of Operations for the Ulster Community Investment Trust.

Jonathan has dedicated his career to working with social enterprises and SMEs. Before joining UCIT, he was a consultant with Venture International providing management consultancy services to community organisations and social enterprises, which followed his previous work with the West Belfast Development Trust, where he provided advice and financial support to assist start-up and expanding SMEs.

Jonathan is currently Chairman of Enterprise Northern Ireland, Vice Chair of CO3 and serves on a number of Boards in a voluntary capacity.

In his spare time, he is a passionate football fan and follows the fortunes of Northern Ireland and his local team, Crusaders FC!

Having worked both within technology transfer environments and as an entrepreneur with his own start–up companies, Brian’s experience includes co–owning an aerospace manufacturing business based in the UK and Poland; co–founding an innovation software company in the UK and Netherlands; establishing the Innovation Commons – a community and shared platform of university TTOs bringing entrepreneurs to work on early–stage projects; and working on numerous national knowledge transfer initiatives as Chair of the Association for University Research and Industry Links (AURIL).

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 (Advance HE Charter for gender equality in academia). She has been an Athena Swan Charter Panel Chair (UK) since 2021.

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. Her research group focusses on urological cancers with the aim of combatting disease and minimising treatment side-effects on urinary health.

Cat McCusker is the Regional Market Leader in Northern Ireland and the Education Consulting Leader. The professional services firm employs over 3,700 people in Northern Ireland, which is PwC UK’s fastest-growing region. Its destination workplace in Belfast’s Merchant Square is PwC’s largest regional office outside of London. Cat is particularly passionate about the skills agenda, mental health, ESG and customer led transformation. Across her role as the Education Consulting leader, Cat works at a global and local level to help universities to reimagine their student and staff experience, bringing people, experience and technology innovation together to help solve some of the firm’s clients’ biggest challenges. Beyond education, she has also worked with major organisations across local government, central government and the police, generating significant cost savings and tangible benefits. 

Angela works with the UK and NE Governments, Regulators, HTA bodies, the NHS, the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry and Patient Organisations on pioneering collaborations that will improve population health outcomes and patient access to clinical trials, RWE studies and ultimately innovative medicines.
 
Post the 2016 Brexit referendum she supported the UK Government Office for Life Sciences, DHSC, NHSE and DIT on strategies to minimise potential fall-out for clinical trials, medicines supply chain and de-prioritisation of the UK. 
 
Her leadership in this space led to UK Government appointing IQVIA as a trusted partner in April 2020 to deliver the Covid Infection Survey, subsequently described by Sir Patrick Vallance as a global public health exemplar surveillance programme.
 
In 2020, Angela established the UK Clinical Research Coalition(CRC), co-chaired by Baroness Nicola Blackwood and Dr Jonathan Sheffield to embed the research learning from the first wave of COVID-19. Many of the CRC recommendations were subsequently embedded in The Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery
 
Angela initiated and led a work programme for the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative (DAC) that enabled the DAC to better understand what it would take for LMICs to be able to operationalise Alzheimer’s Dementia Trials.
 
In 2021, Angela led an IQVIA team to support members of the UK 100 day mission team understand the clinical research capabilities of 6 LMICs to be able to pivot from BaU to implementing trials to discover treatments for the next global health/pandemic challenge.
 
More recently she has supported the Tony Blair Institute have access to IQVIA global subject matter experts on Infectious disease expertise for programmes such as the OneShot programme and the B20 summit in Indonesia 
 
Angela spent a decade in pharmaceutical leadership roles with Merck Sharp and Dohme and Bristol Myers Squibb, prior to starting the world’s second market access agency in 1998, which she sold to IMS Health in 2013. 
 
Angela is a Subject Matter Expert in health policy for research and life science investment, market access, rare disease, biosimilars, and effective engagement with Governments, Payers and Providers.

Clare is a dynamic CEO with over two decades of experience in innovation, mentoring, project management and funding and in particular across the tech and creative sectors.  

As co-founder and CEO of AwakenHub/AwakenAngels, she leads efforts to empower women entrepreneurs and investors to transform the startup landscape across Ireland.  

Clare's strategic leadership extends to Innovate-NI, where she drives sustainability and entrepreneurship in local businesses.  

Known for her strategic operational acumen and commitment to fostering entrepreneurial talent, Clare is a trusted advisor to startups and investors alike.  

She was recognised as 'Northern Ireland Business Personality of the Year 2016,' and continues to be a driving influence in shaping Ireland's entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

Mark McGranaghan is a Fellow at EPRI, located at the EPRI Europe office in Dublin. He received his BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toledo (Ohio) in 1977 and 1978, respectively. He has authored more than 70 technical papers and articles on topics ranging from power quality to insulation coordination. Mark has been a leader in the areas of power quality, development of the smart grid, and distributed resource integration for over 20 years. He is an IEEE Fellow and in 2014 received the Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award for his expertise and dedication to power engineering standards development.

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.

Seán works with clients in Utilities, Automotive and Financial Services to accelerate customer demand for net-zero solutions across mobility and buildings. His focus is enabling system-wide innovation and new business models across fleet electrification, charging infrastructure, green financing, and future home energy.

Sean is the Global Solution Lead for Connected Energy, working with utilities to reinvent the future of energy retail to bring integrated decarbonisation solutions to homes and businesses.

He leads Accenture’s “Mobility Futures” programme to reimagine positive systemic impacts of emerging mobility shifts - far beyond the vehicle. The program provides practical pathways to get from today to a preferable tomorrow, covering technology, human behaviour, cities, public policy, and cross-industry collaboration.

Seán has over 20 years consulting experience, with the last 12 years spent at the nexus of sustainability and growth. In 2015, he founded Fortitude Partners, a sustainable innovation consultancy, advising leaders of companies including BASF, Microsoft, Unilever and Moody’s on growth strategies and product innovation to address the biggest societal and environmental issues of our time. Fortitude became part of Accenture in 2022.

Dr Wendy McLoone is Interim Director of Research at Queen’s University Belfast with responsibility for the strategic direction and leadership of professional support services to improve the long-term quality of the University’s research and research environment.  

Prior to this Wendy held the role of Head of Research Development, a cross university role which provided leadership and support for the development and growth of the research portfolio. Previously Wendy worked for Science Foundation Ireland, developing, and successfully leading innovative strategies for funding discovery and translational research.  She lectured in Chemical Engineering at Queen’s for eight years and was a process engineer for Eli Lilly S.A. 

Celine McStravick is the CEO of NICVA (Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action). NICVA is the largest membership and representative umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland.  

With over a 1400 members, NICVA lobbies and campaigns to advance the interests of the people and communities that its members support. NICVA also offers a wide range of practical services and support to the voluntary and community sector.  

Celine was appointed as CEO of NICVA in 2023 and has over 25 years’ experience in the Voluntary and Community sector. Celine is a dynamic and visionary leader with a deep commitment to social change and community empowerment. Celine's career spans across multiple sectors, including her previous position as the Strategic Director for External Affairs at NCB, a UK-wide leading children’s charity.   

Her advocacy for outcomes-based accountability in Northern Ireland led her to develop and chair the inaugural Global Outcomes Summit in Belfast, a testament to her commitment to international collaboration. She is a member of the boards of CO3, SportNI, and NICIE. Celine's passion, strategic acumen, and collaborative spirit continue to drive positive social impact and transform the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland. 

As a member of the Microsoft Ireland Leadership Team, Dr Frank O'Donnell is in charge of the Public Sector business, where he works with Government, Health and Education customers across the island. He has more than 20 years of public sector experience - first as a Senior Director at Scottish Enterprise, where he led eBusiness, broadband and the software industry growth in Scotland, and then as a consultant to public sector clients as a Partner at PA Consulting and Head of Health and Public Sector Consulting at KPMG.  

Frank's work has mostly focused on using technology to transform government and public services in the Irish, UK, and Middle East markets. He has a PhD in Engineering Design from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

Dr Len O'Hagan is a Pro-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast and Chair of Senate Elect. He is a leading business figure in Ireland, with extensive national and international governance and directorial experience in both the private and public sectors.

Len graduated in Economics from Queen's University and is a Director of Mediahuis Group Ireland, a member of the Global Advisory Board of the private equity group, VentureWave Capital Ltd., and a Director of QUBIS.

He is a Board Member of Hillsborough Castle and is also a Patron of Horatio’s Garden, Northern Ireland. A Fellow of the Institute of Directors, Dr O'Hagan's previous appointments include Chair of Northern Ireland Water; Chair of the All-Island Congenital Heart Disease Network; Chair of Belfast Harbour Commissioners; Chair of the Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC); CEO of the Royal College of Physicians; and a Director of the Ireland - US Council.

He has held senior positions in a number of international public companies including Smurfit; Fitzwilton; and Reed International and continues to be a Director in a number of private companies.

This year Len was awarded an Honorary Degree from Trinity College Dublin and in 2013, was awarded an Honorary Degree by Queen's University Belfast for exceptional services to Business and Commerce, and in 2011 was awarded an Honorary Degree in Economics from Ulster University.

In 2014, Dr O’Hagan was awarded a CBE for his services to tourism and the economy in Northern Ireland.

Steve Orr is Chief Executive Officer of Catalyst and serves on the Board of Directors. Catalyst is Northern Ireland’s science and technology hub providing a home to over 150 innovative companies and helping over 1000 entrepreneurs per annum to create and scale companies. 

Before being named CEO in November 2018, Steve was Director and Co-founder of Connect, Catalyst’s not-for-profit network of experienced entrepreneurs, business professionals and top research talent dedicated to the creation and scaling of innovation companies in Northern Ireland. 

Prior to Connect, Steve co-founded Kineticom, Inc a San Diego, California based technical talent firm in 2000. In 2006 Kineticom was ranked #33 on the Inc 500, the list of the fastest growing privately held companies in the US. Previous to Kineticom, Steve worked in Buckinghamshire, UK and San Diego and San Francisco, California for S.Com Ltd and S.Com Inc. Steve earned a BSc in Business Information Technology from University of Northumbria. 

Steve is a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering and was awarded an OBE in 2022 for services to innovation. 

Iain is a four time Olympian, three time Olympic medallist and double Olympic champion. He is also a veteran of four America's Cup challenges beginning in 2005 as a helmsman for the +39 Challenge, before joining Great Britain's America's Cup challenge, Team Origin.

After retiring from Olympic competition in 2012, he joined Artemis Racing as a tactician, and was appointed Team Manager in October 2013. Iain then went on to lead the team's successful 35th America's Cup campaign in Bermuda, reaching the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series final in 2017.

Passionate about protecting the oceans, the economics graduate founded Artemis Technologies in 2017, with a mission to see how America's Cup technology could play a part in the decarbonization of the maritime industry.

He has overseen the company' transition from a sailing services provider, to an applied technologies company focusing on clean innovations for marine transportation.

Professor Wayne Powell is Principal and Chief Executive of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the UK’s leading agri-food-environment, tertiary education Institution.

His previous roles include Chief Science Officer at CGIAR, a global agri-food partnership, Professor & Founding Director of the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, and CEO & Director NIAB, Cambridge. He is a Senior Fullbright Scholar and worked for the DuPont Company in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.

Professor Wayne Powell has more than 30 years experience working in the field of contemporary plant genetics and has extensive experience leading organisational and cultural change programmes.

Wayne is a member of Scotland’s Science Advisory Council, Chair of Interface, Board member of NatureScot and member of the FCDO Research Advisory Group (RAG). Until recently he was a member of both DEFRA and DFID’s Science Advisory Council and Convenor of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee of Universities Scotland. He maintains an active research group and is an elected Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Mark Price is Professor of Aeronautics and EPSRC Fellow in Engineering Design. He was formerly Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Engineering and Physical Sciences, and Member of the University Executive Board at Queen’s University Belfast. A Chartered Engineer he worked in the Aerospace and Software industries before turning to academia.

He has held numerous external leadership positions including Chair of the EPSRC Manufacturing the Future Strategic Advisory Team, a Trustee of the James Kane Foundation and the Campaign for Science and Engineering, as well being a member of the Aircraft Subgroup of the Zero Emissions Flight working group of the Jet Zero Council.  

His current roles are focused entirely on introducing disruptive technologies in engineering design to help deliver net zero in manufacturing working closely with AMIC and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

His EPSRC Fellowship is delivering tools through AMIC and the National Composites Centre to support decision making in aerospace manufacturing and understanding how environmental and policy constraints can be used to positively direct manufacturing enterprises toward net zero and sustainability. 

Austen Rainer, Professor in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast, has worked at leading universities in England, New Zealand and now in Northern Ireland. For the last five years, he has taught team-based software innovation to final year undergraduate students.  

Austen led on the creation of the Allstate Software Studio, a physical and digital space designed to support large-scale, multi-disciplinary, flexible, teamwork. He also participated as a co-founder in two iterations of Catalyst’s Co-founders accelerator programme. 

His current research interests include the engineering of large software systems for science and the intersection of algorithmic thinking with story thinking. 

He is currently a Core Team member of the Leverhulme Interdisciplinary Network on Algorithmic Solutions, and a member of the Steering Committee for the Digital Scholarship Hub. He mentors and coaches academic and professional colleagues. He is married with two teenage children. 

Sinéad Rocks is from Belfast and graduated from Queen’s in 1995 with a BA in English.  In 2019, she was appointed Managing Director, Nations and Regions at Channel 4, and has overseen the rollout of the biggest change in the broadcaster’s history, 4 All the UK. Under her leadership, the broadcaster has opened three regional centres which are at the heart of Channel 4’s plan to attract and develop talent from across the UK.   

Before joining Channel 4, Sinéad was the BBC’s Director of Education, responsible for a range of content across TV, radio, and online and she also played a key role in the BBC’s move to Salford – migrating the BBC’s Learning department to the Northwest site. She started her career as a journalist at BBC Northern Ireland and is a former editor of Newsround as well as an Executive Producer for BBC Current Affairs. 

Professor David Rooney is the Dean of Internationalisation and Reputation within the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast.

He is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at Queen’s and director of the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy. His research focuses on energy generation, materials and system integration with a particular focus on Zero Carbon technologies. He has a H-Index of 57, over 10,000 citations and a grant portfolio of over £10m.  

He works with a wide range of industries and government bodies, to advance decarbonisation through specific projects, as well as supporting collaboration and cooperation through industrial clusters. He is a committee member for the all-Island Institute for Chemical Engineers and a consultant assessor for an international energy company.  He has developed a range of educational courses in Hydrogen Energy Systems and Net Zero Engineering and has a significant background in international partnerships where he previously led the University’s Transnational Education programme as Vice-dean for the China Queen’s College in Shenyang, China.  

James has over 25 years’ experience in investment management and investment banking and currently serves as a non-executive director on the boards of several publicly listed and private companies.   

Since 2020, he has served as Non-Executive Chairman of Centamin plc and non-executive Director of Ecora Resources plc, where he also serves as Chair of the Sustainability Committee and is a Director of Manara Minerals.  

In addition, he is a director of the Tantallon Capital India Fund, a dedicated Indian equity investment fund, and serves on the Board of Governors of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. 

Mr Rutherford obtained a BSC (Econ) in Economics & Computer Science from Queens University Belfast in 1980 and an MA (Econ) in Development Economics from the University of Sussex in 1981.  He is also an alumnus of the London Business School. 

Marguerite is Deputy Chief Executive of Energy Utility ESB, based in Dublin. Prior to her appointment, she worked in various technical and managerial positions in ESB, including Generation Manager, Head of Asset Management for ESB Networks, Executive Director Customer Solutions and Managing Director of ESB Networks DAC. With a degree in Electrical Engineering from UCC, Marguerite is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow and Past President of Engineers Ireland, a Fellow of the Academy of Engineers, a Board member of Energy UK and a Governor of The Irish Times Trust.

Nigel Scollan is Director of The Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) and Professor of Agriculture & Sustainability at Queens University, Belfast. The Institute addresses key challenges around food security and one health. IGFS was determined as number 1 in Research Excellence Framework 2021 in unit of assessment 6 on agriculture, food and veterinary science. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a UK-wide assessment of the quality of research in universities undertaken by expert review panels. 

Nigel conducted his PhD at The University of Edinburgh, followed by a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada before joining Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Aberystwyth in 1993 and subsequently Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) Aberystwyth University in 2008. He held a numbers of posts at IBERS including Waitrose Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and Professor of Public Engagement with Science at Aberystwyth University. 

Nigel is a Past President of the British Society of Animal Science and a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society in the UK and a past Director of the Oxford Farming Conference (2017-2020).   

Dr Nathan Skillen is an Assistant Professor of Sustainability in the International Centre for Brewing & Distilling at Heriot-Watt University. He previously worked at Queen’s University Belfast where he was the Programme Director for Post Graduate Taught courses in Net Zero Engineering.  

He’s held a fellowship with the UKRI Supergen Bioenergy Hub, which focused on the development of emerging technology for biomass reforming to value-added compounds. He received his BSc (Hons) in Molecular Biology with Biosciences from Robert Gordon University before completing his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the same institute and in collaboration with the University of St. Andrews and California Institute of Technology.  

Nathan has published several research articles and book chapters and currently sits on the international editorial board of Biomass & Bioenergy (Elsevier). In addition, he was part of a team of a research team from across the UK that created the first graphic novel on Bioenergy.

Karen is the CEO of agri-tech company Real Leaf Farm, which is leading the development of sustainable hydroponic farming in Ireland and the UK. She has a strong commitment to sustainability and ESG and is dedicated to driving growth and value for businesses. She previously led the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland for nearly 10 years. Karen also has experience in scaling food businesses, having spent nine years in Glanbia plc where she was responsible for acquiring Glanbia’s first nutritional businesses.  

Karen is Vice Chair of Tourism Ireland and a board member of the Port of Waterford (POW) and is Chair of the POW Green Committee and Audit Risk Committee. Previous directorships include Chair of Showcase Ireland Events Limited, Vice-President of the Bureau of European Design Associations and Board Member of Kilkenny Carlow Education Training Board. A qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Director, Karen holds an MBA from UCD Smurfit School and recently completed the Business Sustainability Management programme at the University of Cambridge. 

The Honorable Deborah L. Wince-Smith is the President & CEO of the Council on Competitiveness, a non-partisan leadership coalition of CEO’s, University Presidents, Labor Union Leaders, and National Laboratory Directors, all committed to developing policy solutions and national initiatives to drive future productivity growth, prosperity for all Americans, and the global success of American business. She has more than 20 years of experience as a senior U.S. government official, as the first Senate-confirmed Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy in the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush, and as the Assistant Director for International Affairs in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Reagan Administration. She served as a Senate-confirmed member of the Oversight Board of the Internal Revenue Service in the Administrations of President George W. Bush and President Barack H. Obama.  

As a globally recognized leader and practitioner in competitiveness strategy, innovation policy, technology commercialization, and public-private partnerships, Ms. Wince-Smith has served and is a current member on numerous national and global advisory boards and committees, as a University Trustee, and as a director on public and private corporate boards.   

She has served on the University of California’s President Council for the National Laboratories, the Board of Governors of Argonne National Laboratory, the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, the Smithsonian National Board, as a Trustee of Lehigh University, member of the Advisory Committee of the US Export-Import Bank, UNICEF, the Secretary of State’s International Economic Policy Committee, as Chair of the Secretary of Commerce’s Strengthening America’s Communities Initiative (SACI), Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Competitiveness, member of Malaysia’s Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC), and as a Corporate Director of NASDAQ-OMX. 

Suzanne Wylie is Chief Executive of NI Chamber, a leading membership organisation representing over 1,000 businesses in all sectors across the region. 

She joined in 2023, having previously held significant leadership roles in public services for over 15 years including as Chief Executive to the Jersey Government and prior to that, as Chief Executive of Belfast City Council. During that time she was instrumental in securing the £1bn Belfast Region City Deal. 

A strong advocate for business innovation, she is passionate about helping Northern Ireland’s economy and the businesses within it to maximize their growth potential. As Chief Executive, she is deeply embedded in businesses issues, working closely with policy makers to establish the optimum conditions for economic growth and helping member companies to capitalise on unique opportunities and overcome various hurdles. 

She is leading NI Chamber through a strategy of membership growth, as well as deepening its level of influence on policy makers. 

Suzanne is a member of the Board of Choice Housing, a Council member of Dublin Chamber and sits on the HSC Transformation Advisory Board. She was awarded an OBE, received an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University where she also completed her MBA, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.