EXTERN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director
- Vice Chair
- Northern Ireland Chair, Extern Group Director and Vice Chair and Extern Ireland Director
Aideen lives in Belfast and was educated at Queen's and the Ulster Universities. After graduating in Geography from QUB, Aideen taught in the post-primary sector before embarking on a rewarding career in social housing for over 30 years, specialising in the provision of supported accommodation for vulnerable people, including frail elderly, homeless, mentally ill and learning disabled people and street drinkers, as well as ethnic minorities. She initiated many innovative and statutory organisations on an all-Ireland basis.
Aideen served on the NI Regional Council of the Society of St Vincent de Paul for over 15 years and undertook several initiatives to improve standards of accommodation and service provision of the organisation's homeless facilities throughout Ireland, recognising that everyone should have a safe place to call home and a stake in their community in order to have the opportunity to fulfil their full potential in life.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman and Extern Northern Ireland Director
Mr McCartney is by profession a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, with degree qualifications in both electrical engineering and corporate leadership.
He had a distinguished career at Director level in Northern Ireland Electricity and Viridian Group and brings a wealth of experience from previous public sector board appointments in the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, the Department for Regional Development, and the Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland.
He is a Lay Magistrate and an Assessor for the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency.
Colin graduated from Queen's University, Belfast in 1996 and qualified as a solicitor in 1998. He joined Almac in 2003 as a Legal Adviser and was appointed as General Counsel and Secretary to the Alma c Board.
For over fourteen years he has been an Executive Director at the international pharmaceutical giant Almac Group and his role has included leading on strategy, development and performance, governance across multiple jurisdictions, grant and funding opportunities and government liaison. He has been recognised for his contribution to economic development and philanthropy.
Colin was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for 2022 for his services to philanthropy and economic development.
Deirdre has worked in Extern since June 2007 and has held a variety of roles within Extern including Service Manager, Programme Manager, Assistant Director. Deirdre holds responsibility for Tusla, Department of Justice and HSE funded services.
Deirdre has a wealth of experience in the area of service delivery, people management and strategic development. She is passionate about the delivery of effective and high quality services. Deirdre's prior experience in the residential care and homeless sector both in a professional and voluntary capacity has further served to invigorate her drive and energy to improve the lives of those most vulnerable in our society.
She has an Honours Degree in Applied Social Studies and Diploma in Management and Employee Relations.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Northern Ireland Director and Vice Chair and Company Secretary, Extern Group Director and Extern Ireland Director
Ian lives in Belfast and was educated at MCB and London University. After graduating in economics Ian studied accountancy. After a spell in practice, he became the Finance Director of a leading Irish brand and was promoted to Chief Executive, holding that position for 16 years. He has much expertise in strategic planning, transformation, finance and marketing.
Ian was Chair of PlayBoard, Vice Chair of Sport NI, Director of Sport NI, and is presently Vice Chair of Ark Housing.
He has a keen interest in rugby and football, initially as a player and now as an administrator, and holds the position of Chairman of Rugby at Queen's University, Belfast.
He is married to Lynne with three grown-up children.
Job Titles:
- Non Executive Director
- Business Consultant from Clonakilty County Cork
- Ireland Chair and Extern Group Director
Jim Daly is a self employed business consultant from Clonakilty County Cork. Jim is a qualified Teacher and former school principal who is currently completing his studies with the Institute of Directors to become a chartered Director. Jim spent 16 years working as a public representative and announced his intention to retire from politics in 2020 while serving as Minister for Mental Health & Older People.
Jim has a keen interest in Children's welfare and education and recently completed studies at UCC in Trauma Informed Care. Jim previously served as Chair of the all party Oireachtas Committee on Children & Youth affairs where he championed many issues affecting vulnerable children especially those in foster care and played a lead role in the successful passing of the Children's referendum of 2012.
Jim Daly is currently a non executive Director of a number of private and not for profit boards as well as providing consultancy services to a wide range of businesses especially in the health area.
Job Titles:
- Director of People and Organisational Development
- First Director of People and Organisational Development
Jonathan was appointed as Extern's first Director of People and Organisational Development in 2019.
He has worked in senior HR leadership roles for over 25 years in the retail, media and construction sectors for local, national and global organisations.
Jonathan brings a wealth of expertise and experience to Extern of managing teams and change, creating and implementing HR strategies and people development initiatives which support organisational growth and transformation.
Jonathan holds an MBA and is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Programme Manager With Extern Ireland
A native of Derry/Londonderry, Leslie Ann followed her passion for youth work by volunteering with Extern Youth Services which fuelled an ambition to become a qualified Social Worker which included placement with Extern before becoming qualified. Relocating to Dublin in 2000 to work for the HSE, Leslie Ann quickly took up secondment to Extern to develop services in Dublin.
Following a successful promotion to Programme Manager with Extern Ireland, Leslie Ann was instrumental in the development of Extern Services across the Republic of Ireland becoming Assistant Director of Services in 2016 and Director of Services from 2021.
In April 2023, Leslie was appointed Chief Operating Officer for Extern NI and Extern Ireland.
Job Titles:
- Ireland Director
- Member of the New Children 's Hospital Board
Marian holds a Masters in Adult Education, a BSc in Youth and Community Work, Diplomas in Corporate Governance and Performance Management, and is a qualified Life and Business Coach and General Nurse. Her career has focused on children, young people and families through roles in both the statutory and non-profit sector. She has also lectured part-time in Maynooth University, Ireland, at post-graduate level in Adult and Community Education.
Since becoming CEO of the Childhood Development Initiative (CDI) in 2007, Marian has overseen the design, delivery and evaluation of practice models across a spectrum of needs and led the roll out of proven interventions to communities throughout Ireland, including developing a series of training and quality assurance strategies.
Marian has previously held roles in the HSE and Department of Justice and has also worked directly with young people and early school leavers. She developed the Copping On youth crime prevention programme, established the all-island Breaking Through Network and currently chairs Restorative Practices Ireland.
Marian has been a member of the new Children's Hospital Board, and the Social Work Registration Board. She remains a member of the Airfield Trust Board, and recently ended a seven-year period as Chair of the Prevention and Early Intervention Network where she led numerous campaigns to influence Government policy and resourcing.
Marian is a skilled communicator, and has published a number of academic papers, presented widely at national and international conferences and co-authored a best-selling book (Click Click) about three sisters' experience of child abuse.
Mr Niall O'Sullivan is currently undertaking a PhD at Trinity College Dublin, and holds both a Masters and Honours Degree from Munster Technological University. He works full-time in the Higher Educational sector at Trinity College's Dental School as an Instructional Designer, while completing his doctoral research on Educational Technology in medical Higher Education.
Niall has spent his career working in Technology, Higher Education and Financial Services. He has worked in a variety of large-scale organisations such as Apple and Europe's largest insurance company, Aviva, before progressing onto Higher Education. Niall has maintained a strong focus on research-informed practice throughout his career.
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance and Corporate Services
- Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants
Pauline is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. She attended Queens University Belfast and has a 1 st Class honours degree in Accounting and Economics, and a postgraduate diploma in accounting.
Pauline has held senior finance roles across a variety of sectors, managing a range of multi-disciplinary teams. For the last 17 years, she worked in two large charities, Director of Finance for Praxis Care, and Group Director of Finance & Corporate Services for Inspire Wellbeing.
Job Titles:
- Education Adviser for the UK Foreign Commonwealth
- Northern Ireland Director
Shane is an Education Adviser for the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. He graduated from Queen's University Belfast and achieved his Masters in Education from the University of Nottingham.
Shane previously worked in Kabul, where he had oversight of a girls education programme, working with the Afghanistan government to increase girls access and improve learning outcomes for 70,000 girls. Shane has also worked for the UK's Stabilisation Unit and the British Council working on multilateral policy and managing international education programs with UK and EU funding.
Before joining the civil service, Shane was a secondary school teacher in England and Northern Ireland between 2013-2016. Prior to teaching, he worked for the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust overseeing the Future Voices programme, which promoted volunteering and participation to develop leadership skills for young adults, supporting their active participation in a diverse and pluralist society.
Shane volunteered with the Trust between 2006 and 2012, leading international exchanges and supporting shared education in post-primary schools across Northern Ireland. More recently, he was the vice-chair on the board of governors for a Federation of Special Schools in London, where he volunteered between 2017-2020.
Shane is currently supporting education reform and promoting girls' education to increase access to quality education in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Job Titles:
- Director of Policy and Development
- in 2021 As Head of Communications
Sharon joined Extern in 2021 as Head of Communications and Engagement on returning home to the North after 15 years living in the Republic of Ireland working with Dublin based charities developing their strategies, profile, engagement with policymakers and developing funding streams to support new services.
Sharon's career has been far reaching with extensive experience from the corporate and commercial sector in the development of strategy and influencing government in the UK and Northern Ireland. Then in a move across the border in 2008 Sharon shifted her focus to the voluntary and community sector where her skills in development and political engagement supported the growth of charities in the Dementia and Intellectual Disabilities sectors.
Job Titles:
- Northern Ireland Director and Extern Group Director and Company Secretary
Stephen lives in North Down and was educated at Cambridge University. He joined the Civil Service in 1975 and worked in the Northern Ireland Office and other Departments. In 1990/91 he spent a year in the USA as a Humphrey Fulbright Fellow.
Subsequently he was involved in the negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement; and from 2000 to 2009 he was the Chair of the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Board. During this period he helped to implement a number of reforms including the establishment of the Youth Justice Agency, the Public Prosecution Service and the Criminal Justice Inspectorate, as well as the introduction of statutory restorative conferencing for young offenders, risk-based sentencing, and modernized sexual offences legislation.
After retiring from the Civil Service in 2009, he was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Health and Social Care Board and served in this role for 11 years. He has also served as a Parole Commissioner and as the Northern Ireland Commissioner on the Criminal Cases Review Commission, based in Birmingham.
He is married with three grown-up children.
Stephen is from Galway and attended NUI Galway where he studied Commence and went onto become a Fellow Member of Chartered Accountants Ireland having trained with of one of the big four Accountancy practices.
Since then he has been living and working in Dublin in the banking sector for over 16 years across multiple roles including Corporate Banking, Credit, Retail Banking, Recovery, Strategy, Governance & Compliance and Mergers & Acquisitions.
He is a Qualified Financial Advisor and Member of the Institute of Bankers of Ireland.
Stephen has several years' experience in lecturing in Accounting and Economics on a part time basis.
Stephen has recently completed a Masters in Risk Management and Corporate Governance.