Executive director at Almac Group appointed to new CEO at Extern Board

The Extern Group Board has appointed Northern Ireland businessman Colin Hayburn as the charity’s new CEO.

A Queens University graduate, Colin has a wealth of strategic, leadership and governance experience as an executive director at the McClay Foundation and for the past 14 years as an executive director at the international pharmaceutical giant Almac Group.

He was awarded an MBE for services to economic development and philanthropy in June 2022.

Extern, a registered charity for over 40 years in NI and 21 years in the RoI, has represented and supported the hardest to reach and vulnerable in communities by delivering innovative services that society desperately needs.

Colin said: “I have admired and respected the work of Extern for years, and in particular its dedicated focus to reach the most disadvantaged and voiceless in our communities. I am honoured and excited to take up the opportunity to lead the highly skilled and dedicated management and staff team. Together we will continue to deliver innovative services, amplify the voices of the people we support and walk in solidarity with them.

“Forging a just society for the future means deepening partnerships and collaborations that will better serve those whose lives are being lived on the fringes of society, and in so doing we believe everyone in society will benefit. Extern is uniquely placed to effect change that will transform lives. I look forward to working closely with funders and stakeholders from across the sector as well as policy makers and legislators.”

Allen McCartney, chair of Extern Group, explained: “We are delighted to appoint a new chief executive with an outstanding track record. Colin brings extensive leadership experience from his years at Almac Group coupled with a keen sense of social justice through the charitable endeavours of the McClay Foundation since 2008. Colin’s skills and experience will prove vital to the next phase of our work which will be launched though our new five-year strategy in April 2023.

“Extern has successfully met the tough challenges of the last few years, and we can now look forward with renewed confidence to what we can achieve together under the leadership of our new CEO.”

Colin will take up his new role on January 16 2023.