Profiles
His Grace the Duke of Abercorn, Honorary Patron
James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Abercorn was educated at Eton College and the Royal Agricultural College. In 1952 he was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards. From 1964-70 he was MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Company directorships have included Director, Northern Bank; Director, Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board; Director of InterTradeIreland; and Chairman of Laganside Development Corporation from 1989-96. The Duke is President of Independent Age, former Patron of the Royal Agricultural Society, former President of the Building Society Association. High Sheriff for Co Tyrone in 1970. Appointed as a Knight of the Garter in 1999 and is Colonel of the Irish Guards. The Duke received an Honorary LLB from Queen’s in 1997.
Dr Alan R Gillespie, CBE, Honorary Patron
Alan was educated at Grosvenor High School Belfast and Cambridge University where he was awarded BA (Hons), MA and PhD degrees. His international banking career began in 1976 with Citibank in London and Geneva. In 1986 he joined Goldman Sachs & Co in New York and then spent fourteen years with Goldman Sachs in London, as a Partner and Managing Director. Following his retirement from Goldman Sachs in 1999, Alan took on a public sector role for the UK Government as Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Development Corporation and completed this three year assignment at the end of 2002. He was Chairman of the Northern Ireland Industrial Development Board from 1998 to 2002 and Non-Executive Chairman of Ulster Bank Group from 2001 to 2008. Alan is currently Chairman of the International Finance Facility for Immunization, and a Non-Executive Director of United Business Media plc. In 2005 Queen's awarded Alan an honorary LLD in recognition for his services to business and commerce and for public service. Alan was appointed High Sheriff of Co Down in 2008 and also joined the Board of the British Irish Association.
Dr Neville Isdell, Honorary Patron
Neville Isdell is the former chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. He took the world’s largest beverage company to new heights during his tenure. He expanded on the company’s proud legacy of corporate responsibility by embedding sustainability throughout every facet of the organisation and helping ensure its role as a community-connected twenty-first century enterprise. These efforts resulted in The Coca-Cola Company’s return to Fortune’s “World Most Admired Companies” list in 2006. A native of Ireland, Neville joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1966 in Zambia. After a career spanning almost four decades and several continents he retired in 2001. From January 2002 to May 2004, Neville was an international consultant to The Coca-Cola Company. In June 2004 he came out of retirement to lead The Coca-Cola Company as chairman and CEO. He serves on the boards of a number of NGOs, including CSIS, the World Wildlife Fund, and chairs the Investment Climate Facility. Neville is also a member of the Board of Directors of General Motors, and on the global leadership panel of the UN Special Representative for business and human rights. He is a recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award. Neville received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Cape Town and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School PMD. He is the recipient of four honorary degrees including one from Queen’s University in 2009 for services to business and commerce.
Sir John Parker, Honorary Patron
Sir John is Chairman of National Grid, Vice Chairman of DP World (Dubai) and Joint Chairman of Mondi plc. He holds a number of other appointments; Senior Non Executive Director of the Court of the Bank of England, member of the Prime Minister’s Business Council for Britain and also holds Non Executive Directorships of Carnival plc, Carnival Inc and EADS Airbus.
Born and educated in Northern Ireland, he studied naval architecture and mechanical engineering at the College of Technology and Queen's University, Belfast. He received an honorary DSc in Engineering from Queen's in 1985 and has also received honorary degrees from the University of Ulster and Trinity College Dublin. Past senior positions include Managing Director of Austin and Pickersgill Shipbuilders in Sunderland, Deputy Chief Executive of British Shipbuilders Corporation, Chairman and CEO of Babcock International plc, Chairman of RMC Group plc and Chairman and Chief Executive of Harland and Wolff Shipbuilders in Belfast. Sir John was knighted in 2001 for Services to the Defence and Shipbuilding Industries. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Fellow and past President of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects.
Mr Thomas Lynch, Chairman
Tom graduated from Queen’s with a BSc in Economics in 1978 and is a former President of the Students’ Union. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG and became a Partner in 1990. Tom is currently Non-Executive Chairman of Amarin Corporation plc. Directorships have included Nanogen Inc (a genetic testing company), Pembroke Capital (aviation finance) and Warner Chilcott (which was acquired by Galen). Tom’s charitable interests include The Royal Opera House Trust.
Mr Garrett Curran
Garrett is a Managing Director of Credit Suisse Group AG, an international financial services group. He is the co-Head of Securities Sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa within Credit Suisse's Investment Bank and is a member of the Fixed Income Operating Committee. He previously worked for 9 years at Dresdner Kleinwort Ltd, the former investment banking subsidiary of Allianz Group SE, where he was a Managing Director and member of the Executive Committee. Prior to banking, Garrett read Law at St Catharine's College, Cambridge University and spent a year reading Hispanic Studies at the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain.
Mr Michael Doran
Michael joined White & Case LLP, a global London law firm, in June 2010 as a partner in its Global Capital Markets and Global Banking practices. Michael graduated from Queen's in 1986 (LL.B. Hons) and The Institute of Professional Legal Studies in 1987. He spent one year as a sabbatical officer in the Students’ Union in 1987-1988. He qualified as a solicitor in Northern Ireland before joining the law firm Clifford Chance in 1989. Michael became a partner in the US law firm Sidley Austin Brown & Wood in 1999 before joining the London office of the international law firm Gide Loyrette Nouel in June 2003 where he was a partner for 7 years.
Mr Richard Ennis
Richard was educated at Wallace High School, Lisburn and graduated from Queen's in 1989 with a BSc in Economics. He is married to Kathryn and has three children. He trained as a Chartered Accountant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers with whom he spent time working in Hong Kong. In 1995 he took up a position as a senior associate with a Belfast based corporate finance boutique. In 1997 he joined Ulster Bank and is currently Head of its Corporate & Property division in Northern Ireland. From 2004 until 2008 he was a Trustee Director of the Ulster Bank Pension Fund.
Dr Sheila O'Malley Fuchs
Sheila serves on the Board of Directors of The American Ireland Fund, and is a Director of Ashford Castle Hotel, President of the Georgian Society, and a Trustee of the American Ballet Theatre. She is also President and COO of Rockfleet Media, Inc. She received a BA in Political Science from Marymount Manhattan College. In 2007 Sheila received an Honorary DUniv from Queen’s.
Professor Sir Peter Gregson
Professor Sir Peter Gregson served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton before his appointment as President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's. He graduated from Imperial College London in 1980 with a first-class Bachelor of Science degree. He was also awarded the Bessemer Medal. He obtained his doctorate, and was awarded the Matthey Prize, at Imperial in 1983. A Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, Professor Gregson began his academic career at the University of Southampton as a lecturer in Engineering Materials in 1983, rising to become Professor of Aerospace Materials; he became Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Southampton in 2000. His awards include the Donald Julius Groen Prize of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and the Rosenhain Medal and Prize of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. In 2001 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and in 2002 he became a member of the Windsor Leadership Trust. He was appointed to the governing body of one of the UK's most important research organisations - the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils - in 2003. Professor Gregson is internationally renowned for his research in two specific areas: engineering performance of aerospace materials, and the development of innovative load-bearing medical devices for use in hip and joint replacements. In 2005 he was elected to the Council of the Royal Academy of Engineering and named a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland.
Dr Alistair Hanna
Alistair graduated from Queen's in 1968 with a first class honours degree in Physics and a PhD in Nuclear Physics in 1972. In 1974 he graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA with distinction and joined the management consultancy firm, McKinsey & Co, becoming a partner in 1979, a Director in 1986, and Managing Partner of the Stamford Office in 1993. He led the firm's microeconomics and software practices and was a leader of the telecommunications and aerospace units. Since retiring from McKinsey in 1997 he founded the not-for-profit organisation "Alpha North America" which offers the Alpha course to churches in the USA to help them bring in new members. Since then he has opened up the Alpha Latin America office to bring the Alpha course to the countries south of the United States. He continues to do consulting projects, runs the Ardtara Country House Hotel in Upperlands, Northern Ireland and is engaged in developing a Resort Hotel complex outside Bushmills. Alistair also serves on the board of Fountain House and the Saltwater Institute. He lives in Lawrence, New York and is married to the Reverend Nancy Hanna with a daughter Anne Warner.
Mr Colin Johnston
Colin was educated at The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, Belfast and Heriot Watt, Edinburgh followed by a post graduate diploma at Queen’s (1987-1988). He is married to Alison and has four children. He trained as a chartered accountant with KPMG and was chairman of the Ulster Society of chartered accountants in 2006/2007. He heads a group of companies largely trading under the name Clear. These include: a retail pharmacy chain trading in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man; private day nurseries in Northern Ireland; a healthcare distribution company trading throughout the British Isles and has interests in residential and commercial property. Previously Mr Johnston was a director of Bairds Chemists which was sold to a PLC in 2005.
Mr Johnston’s charitable interests have included directorships or trusteeships of national charities and he is one of the founders of Landmark East, a not-for-profit property development company. He is also a director of East Belfast Social Economy Company and its subsidiaries.
Dr Edmund F Kelly
Ted Kelly was elected Chairman of Liberty Mutual in April of 2000. Mr. Kelly joined Liberty Mutual in 1992 as President and Chief Operating Officer, and was elected Chief Executive Officer in 1998. Mr. Kelly has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Liberty Mutual Group since 1992. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America; a member of the boards of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, the EMC Corporation, the American Ireland Fund, the Insurance Information Institute; and he serves on various other community and education boards. In addition, Mr. Kelly is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Born in Ireland, Mr. Kelly graduated from Queen's University in Belfast and obtained his Ph.D. in mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mr Stephen Kingon
Stephen graduated from Queen’s in 1968 with a BA degree. He joined Coopers & Lybrand in 1969 and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1972. By 1993, he was Managing Partner in charge of the Northern Ireland firm. In 1998, he became Managing Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers following the merger of Coopers & Lybrand with Price Waterhouse. He is a former Chairman of the Ulster Society of Chartered Accountants, the NI Chamber of Commerce, Business in the Community NI and the Institute of Management Consultants. Currently he is Chairman of the Centre for Competitiveness and Invest Northern Ireland.
Mr Norman Lyle
Norman lives in Hong Kong where he is a Non-Executive Director of Standard Chartered Bank Hong Kong and Grosvenor Asia. He is also Supervisor of the Standard Chartered subsidiaries in China and Taiwan and a Non-Executive Director of DohaLand in Qatar. Prior to retiring in 2005 he was Group Finance Director of Jardine Matheson having relocated to Hong Kong from London in 1997. Before this he worked in the UK, Malaysia and Kenya for ICI where he was Group Treasurer and then Head of the Finance Function of Zeneca on its demerger from ICI in 1993. Born and educated in Northern Ireland and the USA, where he attended the Harvard Business School, he is a Fellow and past President of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Fellow of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. He was a member of the Royal Parks Board in London and Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Norman was awarded an OBE in 2004 for services to UK-Hong Kong business.
Mr Anthony Russell
Tony graduated from Queen’s in 1967 with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering followed by a Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering from Leeds University. In 1968 he joined the consulting engineering firm of Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Partners and was based in London before taking up assignments in Germany, Malaysia and Kenya. A keen rugby player, he played in NI, England and for the Kenya national side in 1975. In 1976 he joined Acres International, a global Canadian consulting engineering firm, working in Nepal and Lesotho for ten years before taking up a position in Toronto where he became a Director and Senior Vice President responsible for the firm’s transportation engineering practice. Upon the purchase of Acres in 2004 by the Hatch Group of Companies, another major Canadian consulting company, Tony became the Senior Vice President of Hatch Mott MacDonald responsible for the operation and development of the transportation practice in Central Canada. In 2010 Tony was recognized as the Canadian Transportation Person of the Year for his leadership and advancement of the aviation, rail, transit and highway sectors of the transportation industry in Canada. Tony has served on the education advisory boards of community colleges in Ontario and on the board of the Sheridan Science and Technology Park, Canada’s premier industrial research community located in Mississauga, Ontario. He is now retired and divides his time between Toronto and Donegal.
Mr Robert Sinclair
Robert graduated from Queen's in 1979 (LL.B. Hons) and The Institute of Professional Legal Studies in 1980. He is the founder and Senior Partner of Belfast city law firm Robert G. Sinclair and Co. He holds directorships and shareholdings of several property companies and also acts as trustee for a number of local businesses. A keen runner, he has completed the New York marathon. Robert has owned several leading racehorses which have won various prestigious events including races at the Cheltenham Festival. He is a keen golfer and is a member of the K Club, Helens Bay, Clandeboye and Dunham Forest in England.
Mr Edward Vernon
Ed graduated from Queen's University in 1981 with a BSc in Electrical & Electronic Engineering and in 1982 with an MSc in Electronic Engineering within Queen's University's Wolfson Unit. In 1984, he co-founded B.I.C. Systems which became a leading technology systems integration and solutions business. This was acquired by BT plc in 2004 after which he became Head of Corporate Development. In 1997 he joined the board of the NI Software Industry Federation, held the position of Chairman in 1999 - 2000 and remained a board member until November 2004. He led a Strategy Development Group which produced a landmark plan for development of the ICT sector in Northern Ireland. 'IT's The Future' was collaborative with NI government economic development agencies with key recommendations incorporated into government policy. Ed received the British Computer Society IT Professional of the Year award in 2002, in 2003 was awarded the Flax Trust Entrepreneur of the Year Award, in 2005 he received the Institute of Directors’ award of Excellence and also that year became an inaugural member of Invest Northern Ireland's Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame. He is a board member of Invest Northern Ireland, a member of the IoD Northern Ireland committee, a member of Matrix and Chair of the Matrix ICT Panel. In 2007 Ed headed the Capital Realisations Taskforce on behalf of the NI Executive. He is Chief Executive of Synetecs and Chairman of Macildowie Associates.
Mr Anthony Watson
After graduating from Queen's in 1967 with a degree in Economics, Tony joined Prudential as an economist. He continued his sporting interest after his graduation, playing for London Irish Rugby Football Club until 1968. His career has included terms with the investment firms Touche Remnant, Citibank and AMP Asset Management. Tony retired as Chief Executive of Hermes Pensions Management in January 2006. He also serves as Chairman of Marks and Spencer Pension Trust Limited and the Asian Infrastructure Fund. He retired as Chairman of the Strategic Investment Board in Northern Ireland at the end of March 2009. Tony is a non-executive director of Lloyds Banking Group plc, Hammerson plc, Witan Investment Trust and Vodafone Group, he is also on the Advisory Board of Norges Bank Investment Bank and is a member of the Shareholder Executive Board. Called to the English Bar in 1976, he is now a Bencher at Lincoln's Inn. In January 2009 Tony was awarded the CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for his services to the economic redevelopment of Northern Ireland.
