IoD NI Director of the Year Awards 2022 Shortlist Revealed

 The Institute of Directors Northern Ireland (IoD NI) has revealed the names of the business leaders shortlisted in this year’s Director of the Year Awards 2022 for Northern Ireland.

The finalists represent the broad range of diversity and talent which is to be found across every sector of business and industry here. Nominees include young entrepreneurs and more experienced leaders from the public and private sector.

The winners will be revealed at a lunchtime awards ceremony in the Merchant Hotel on Friday December 09, hosted by IoD member, Andi Jarvis.

Awards will be given for Family Business Director of the Year, Early-Stage Business Director of the Year, and Public / Third Sector Director of the Year as well as honouring achievements in Corporate Social Responsibility, Innovation and Inclusivity. A special award for philanthropy will also be made to an individual who has gone above and beyond to support charitable causes throughout their career.

Those leaders making the 2022 Director of the Year shortlist come from some of Northern Ireland’s best known and most successful companies including Translink, All State NI, Danske Bank, Tourism NI and Dale Farm. All entries have been expertly judged by an independent panel made up of Seamus McGuckin and Lorna Hagan from head sponsor of the awards, AIB; Barry Byrne of the Mount Charles Group and Paul Gillen from law firm, Lewis Silkin.

Announcing the shortlist, IoD Northern Ireland Chair, Gordon Milligan, said it was important to recognise the exceptional talent of directors here.

“The IoD Director of the Year awards in association with AIB are all about profiling the high calibre of our local business leaders and sharing their accomplishments with a wider audience.

“Good leadership is a key component to the overall success of a firm or organisation, so we feel it is important to recognise and reward those who have made exceptional strides in this area.

“Our list of shortlisted leaders and directors reflect the broad wealth of talent that exists here both within the public and private sector and we are very much looking forward to celebrating with all of those who made the shortlist in a few weeks’ time.”

Seamus McGuckin, Head of Business Banking at headline sponsors AIB added,

“This has been a challenging period for many businesses, and we feel it is fitting to acknowledge the leadership skills of those who are driving our local economy forward and working hard to maintain the highest standard of corporate governance businesses here are renowned for.

“We are looking forward to working with the IoD to deliver what promises to be a great event. Good luck to all of the nominees, it is a great honour to have made the shortlist and you should all be very proud of reaching this stage.”

The full 2022 shortlist is as follows:

Director of the Year – Agility & Resilience – Sponsored by Schroders Personal Wealth

• Chris Conway – Translink
• Kieran Donnelly – Morrow Communications
• Peter Minnis – Todd Architects
• Philip O’Meara – Eircom UK Limited

Director of the Year – Equality, Diversity & Inclusion – Sponsored by Tughans 

• Heather McKee- SERC
• Linda McMillan- Fibrus
• Lesley Miller- Allstate NI
• Caroline van der Feltz – Danske Bank

Director of the Year – Family Business – Sponsored by BDO NI

• Simon Hunter MBE – Hunter Apparel
• Mark Hutchinson- Hutchinson Engineering
• Seamus McKeague – Creagh Concrete
• Marie-Claire Reid – TST Transport
• Louise Skeath – SDG
• Patrick Woods – Linwoods

Director of the Year – Innovation – Sponsored by KPMG 

• Rob Chester – Ubloquity
• Jim Darragh – Totalmobile
• John Harkin – Alchemy
• David Maxwell – Further Space
• Lorna McAdoo- Version 1
• Alastair McKinley – Analytic Engines

Director of the Year – International – Sponsored by Invest NI

• Keith Farley – Aflac NI
• Oonagh O’Reilly – ICC Belfast
• Stephen Henderson- SJ Henderson Fulfilment Ltd

Director of the Year – Large Business – Sponsored by ABL Group

• Buta Atwal- Wrightbus
• Cathal Geoghegan – Henderson Foodservice
• Leigh Meyer – Citi
• Paul Murnaghan – BT Northern Ireland
• Nick Whelan – Dale Farm

Director of the Year – Non – Executive – Sponsored by Deloitte 

• Joy Allen – Morrow Communications
• Noel Brady – Continu Ltd
• John Hansen – Titanic Quarter Limited
• Alex Lee – FSCom
• Brendan McGurgan – CDE Asia

Director of the Year – Public Sector – Sponsored by Capita Technology Solutions

• Damian Duffy – Belfast Metropolitan College
• Joanne McGowan – Ulster University
• John McGrillen – Tourism NI
• Edward O’Neill- Department of Health
• Dan West – Department of Health

Director of the Year – Third Sector – Sponsored by Capita Technology Solutions

• Rosemary Doherty – Praxis Care
• Colin Jess – Social Enterprise NI
• Carol McTaggart – Clanmil Housing Group
• Brendan Mullan -USPCA

Director of the Year – Small to Medium Business – Sponsored by Ulster University Business School

• Eamonn Bunting – Outsource Solutions
• Shaun Copas – Copas Technologies
• David Holmes – Warrenpoint Harbour Authority
• Scott King – Pinnacle Growth Group
• Louise Skeath – SDG

Director of the Year – Young – Sponsored by Carson McDowell

• Stephen Clarke – Profast Group
• Celine Grant – Regen Waste
• Chris Gray – Gray’s Communications
• Eddie McKeever – McKeever Hotel Group
• David Smith – Kilwaughter Minerals Limited
• Ian Wilson – Seopa Ltd