Tourism Ireland Board of Directors
Hugh Friel
Hugh Friel is the former Chief Executive of Kerry Group plc, a public company, listed on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges. He joined Kerry on its formation in 1972 as Financial Controller, becoming Deputy Chief Executive on its flotation in 1986. He was appointed Chief Executive on 1 January 2002 and retired as Chief Executive and Director of Kerry Group at the end of December 2007.
Ciara Boyle
Ciara Boyle is employed as a Service Manager for a Northern Ireland based charity. Her professional background includes experience in marketing, public relations, event management and business development within a range of sectors. Previous roles have incorporated marketing and event management for a leading visitor attraction, development of products and community based tourism initiatives in addition to delivery of the Welcome to Excellence suite of programmes to the sector.
Bill McGinnis
Bill McGinnis CBE is currently Chairman of the McAvoy Group. He also serves on the boards of other private and publicly-quoted companies in Ireland and in Scandinavia. In addition, he serves on the boards of Invest Northern Ireland, the Department for Employment and Learning Northern Ireland, UK Trade and Investment, and was previously a Board Member of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. He was Chairman of the Air Routes Development Company and a former President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce.
David Lyle
David Lyle is the Chief Executive of advertising agency LyleBailie International and has over 20 years’ experience in destination marketing, including his advertising work for P&O Irish Sea and his role as marketing advisor for Odyssey. His unique experience in North-South co-operation includes producing 16 cross-border TV campaigns on road safety and public service awareness. He is a principal author of over 30 effectiveness award-winning case studies and over 200 creative awards – including 5 Grand Prix.
Ann Riordan
Ann Riordan, formerly of Microsoft, held senior executive positions in the computer industry since 1975.
She currently serves as a Board Member to the Council of the Institute of Directors in Ireland, the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, FIT Ltd, Social Innovations Foundation Ireland and is Chairman of the National Standards Authority of Ireland and the Dublin Regional Tourism Authority.
Tom McGrath CBE
Tom McGrath CBE, was appointed to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board in 1998 and subsequently Chairman in January 2003. He has held a number of Public Appointments, was awarded in 1997 an OBE for Services to Education and in 2007 was advanced to CBE for Services to Tourism in Northern Ireland. He is the Northern Ireland Regional Director of Marsh Ltd and Director of Marsh Ireland Ltd. He is a Chartered Insurance Broker. He specialises in Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance and acts as a Professional Witness in Insurance Disputes.
John Power
John Power is Chief Executive of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), a position he has held since 1996. Prior to joining the IHF, he was a Group Director of Ryan Hotels Plc and Chief Executive of its Irish Hotels Division, where he worked for twenty-seven years. He is a board member of Tourism Ireland Ltd, the Dublin Convention Bureau and an active member of many committees including Tourism Marketing Partnership, Hotels Joint Labour Committee and the Business Tourism Forum.
Shaun Quinn
Shaun Quinn is Chief Executive of Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority. Prior to his appointment in 2002, he was Chief Executive of CERT, the former State Tourism Training Agency. He joined CERT from Bord Bia – the Irish Food Board where he held the positions of Strategic Planning Director and later Head of Marketing.
Brian Ambrose
Brian Ambrose has 30 years experience in the aviation industry which has included senior management positions within Bombardier in Engineering, Business Development and Business Improvement. Moving to Belfast City Airport in 1997 as Director of Operations in 2004, he was appointed Chief Executive by the new Spanish owners Ferrovial. He is currently Chairman of CBI Northern Ireland and is also a Board Member of MLN (Management Leadership Network) and Mencap Northern Ireland.
Moira McNamara
Moira McNamara is Director of the Mercer Accommodation Group, with 1,000 hotel rooms and 770 Student Accommodation rooms, employing over 500 people, with a turnover of €25m. The Group operates accommodation facilities for The Mercer Hotel off Stephen’s Green, Tara Towers, Montrose, and now the Burlington Hotel (opening the end of April), along with Cork International Airport Hotel and Parknasilla.
Mandy Martin
Mandy Martin is a Director of the Park Avenue Hotel, a family business started by her grandparents over 45 years ago. She has previously represented the hotel sector (up to 100 bedrooms) on the Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau Board. In 2003 she was appointed to the Board of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. Mandy was asked to join the Board of East Belfast Partnership 2 years ago and chairs the Employability and Tourism groups.
Robert Manson
Robert Manson is a solicitor. He trained and practised at Arthur Cox Solicitors for six years before moving to Drury Sports Management. He subsequently joined Cordiant Communications Group PLC (then parent of Bates and Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agencies) and worked in Romania and Argentina before taking up a position as Vice President of Bates Worldwide in New York. He currently runs his own property business in Ireland.
