Four new Institute of Directors Northern Ireland committee members elected

Joining the committee are Alan Lowry, founder and chief executive officer, Environmental Street Furniture, Richard Johnston CDir, deputy director, Ulster University Economic Policy Centre, Claudine Heron, director, W&R Barnett and Grainne Walsh, director, Stratagem.

Gordon Milligan, Institute of Directors Northern Ireland chairman, said: “We are glad to welcome our four new committee members to the IoD NI, as they join us in helping to provide a strategic voice for business leaders across Northern Ireland.

“They each bring with them a diverse and extensive set of skills from a broad range of business backgrounds and sectors, including manufacturing, education, research, and public affairs.

“As we move forward into 2022, the Northern Ireland business community continues to face unique challenges, most notably Covid-19 and the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

“Elected based on their wealth of knowledge, insights and leadership, this addition to our committee will prove invaluable in helping steer the IoD and in providing support to our growing community of members as they navigate these issues.”

Alan Lowry founded Environmental Street Furniture in 2012, growing the company into one of the Northern Ireland’s best-known exporters with sales in to 27 countries.

Building on almost 20 years of experience in economic research, consultancy and public policy development, Richard Johnson, who is a chartered director, has held roles in Invest Northern Ireland, government and the private sector.

Claudine Heron is a director of W&R Barnett as well as chief executive officer of the Commodity Trading Division of the group. She has experience in the oil industry and her strengths lie in setting strategic direction from a local to global context.

Director at Stratagem, Grainne Walsh has a background in public affairs, stakeholder management, policy activity and crisis communications.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) is a non-party political organisation representing the views of around 30,000 individual business leaders in the UK with over 950 members in Northern Ireland. Members are drawn from the private, public and voluntary sectors.

For more information about IoD NI, visit www.iod.com/ni.

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