Five new members elected to IoD NI Committee

The Institute of Directors, Northern Ireland, has welcomed five new members to its committee.

Joining the committee for 2023 are Colin Coffey, Chair at the Agrifood & Biosciences Institute; Nuala Murphy, Director at Diversity Mark; Patrick Gallen, Partner at Grant Thornton Ireland; Philip Smyth, Chief Risk Officer, Danske Bank and Emer Hinphey, Founder of HR consultancy firm Think People.

The new appointees will be joined in their roles by existing committee members Natasha Sayee, Northern Ireland Civil Service;  Barry Byrne, Mount Charles Group and Kathryn Thompson, National Museums NI, who have been re-elected for another term.

Congratulating the new and re-elected members on their election to the committee, Heather White, Nations Manager at the IoD, said she was looking forward to working with them all, as IoD continues to provide a strategic voice for our members throughout Northern Ireland.

“2023 will be a challenging time for many as rising energy costs, labour shortages and supply chain issues continue to put operational pressures on firms. During such times, it’s vital that business owners can continue to access the insights and leadership they need to help them navigate such challenges and we are confident that the new committee members, along with existing members, have the diverse skills and expertise required to offer such support.”

“Congratulations to all of the new members on their election, it’s great to have you on board.  We know you will work to support the local team and IoD network across our pillars of membership, professional development, governance and policy matters.”

About the new members

Colin Coffey: Colin is an experienced Chair and currently holds a portfolio of Non-Executive Chair and Director positions in both the public and private sectors which includes Chair at the AgriFood & BioSciences Institute, Non-Executive Director at InvestNI and Chair at Natural World Products. With a background based in the Agri-food sector, he also has extensive experience in increasing shareholder value and developing better governance using a mix of leadership skills, practical experience and risk management.

Nuala Murphy: Nuala leads Diversity Mark – an Awarding Authority on diversity and inclusion across the UK and Ireland accrediting more than 150 businesses and 150000 employees. A community builder and connector by nature – she has been a trailblazing leader for the diversity and inclusion in NI and beyond – from starting and scaling the Lean In Movement across Ireland. Nuala has had one big mission – to support those on her team, give everyone a seat at the table and a chance to be heard, starting with the furthest first.

Patrick Gallen: Patrick leads Grant Thornton’s People and Change Consulting practice in Ireland, and has over 30 years of experience in People and Change. He specialises in delivering behavioural change through capability building, which can range from working on complex transformation projects right through to coaching senior Board members on a one-to-one basis. He has a keen interest in the future of work and how the impact of Covid-19 is driving how organisations lead and manage their workforce in a hybrid environment and describes his core areas of expertise as, strategic workforce management, change management, leadership skills, building resilience and talent management.

Philip Smyth: Philip is the Chief Risk Officer for Danske Bank UK and is a member of the Bank’s Executive Committee.  He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and is a Certified Bank Director.  He has over 20 years’ experience in providing risk related services in a range of sectors within UK/Ireland and on a wider European basis.  His career has spanned professional services, life insurance and retail banking.  Through his work with the bank and via his professional network, Phil is passionate about helping businesses thrive in Northern Ireland and is also actively involved in supporting sustainability and diversity.

Emer Hinphey:

Emer is co-founder and CEO of HR and Organisation Development consulting business Think People, which was born following a number of senior positions in the technology, banking and telecoms sectors. Emer helps clients work through people challenges and growth opportunities including embedding and enabling change, developing individual capability, and designing organisational structures to help deliver on client strategy.  Recognised as a business leader and a reputable commentator, Emer is regularly invited to speak on how organisations can build capability and engagement. Emer is an enthusiastic advocate of the application of psychology to help us understand ourselves and our teams and how to use this knowledge to create brilliant organisations.

Better directors for a better world

The IoD supports directors and business leaders across the UK and beyond to learn, network and build successful, responsible businesses.
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