Board Members

Mr Seán Hogan is the current Chairman of the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute and Northern Ireland Water.  His former appointments include non-executive directorships with the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, Warrenpoint Harbour Authority and the Southern Health & Social Services Board, and Chairmanships with Newry & Mourne Health & Social Services Trust and Designate Chairman with the Education & Skills Authority.  He currently is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, the Institute of Sales & Marketing Management and the Chartered Management Institute.

Bob lives in Newtownabbey. He is a Chartered Certified Accountant and has a broad management background having held a number of senior management posts in both the private and public sectors, including Group Financial Controller and General Manager (Finance) in NIE, and Director of Finance in the IT company Sx3. He is currently a Non-Executive Director in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for NI Commissioner for Children and Young People, Independent Member of the NI Housing Executive Audit Committee, member of the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, and a member of the NI Valuation Tribunal.

Mrs McCartan is a Chartered Accountant by profession and lives in Belfast.  Mrs McCartan has over 20 years post qualifying experience in executive and non-executive roles in the private and public sectors.

Mrs McCartan has three other public appointments.  She is a Member of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland, a Commissioner on the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission and a Non-Executive Director of the Business Services Organisation (DHSSPS).

Mrs Hilda Stewart lives in Randalstown and is actively involved in the family farm partnership.  She has an MSc in Sustainable Rural Development from Queen's University Belfast.  Mrs Stewart is currently Chair of the CAFRE College Advisory Group (CAG).  She has previously held a number of public appointments and voluntary positions including World President of the Associated Countrywomen of the World and Chairman of the Federation of Women Institutes of Northern Ireland.

Mr Seamus McCaffrey lives in Irvinestown. He is a practising accountant and a livestock farmer at Irvinestown. He is Chair of Business in the Community’s Western Team and a member of the Western ‘Investing for Health Partnership’, representing the interests of the private sector along with other members from the statutory and voluntary sectors. Mr McCaffrey is a Past Chair of the Ireland-Poland Business Association, an all-island trade association.

Mr Alan McKeown is a Group Business Development Director at Dunbia, one of the UK and Ireland's largest meat processing businesses headquartered in Dungannon.  Mr McKeown holds a first class honours degree in Biochemistry and has previously worked as a management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and Accenture.  He lives in Cookstown, and has a keen interest in all aspects of agriculture and rural affairs.

Mr Hinds lives in Cultra, Co Down and is well known as a professional Executive Resourcing Consultant.  He is the Principal of Trevor Hinds Consulting and has enjoyed a wide range of senior level commercial experience within the business and voluntary sectors.  He was formerly Director, Executive Resourcing with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Northern Ireland and assisted with many significant appointments in public, private and voluntary organisations throughout the province.  Mr Hinds is also a Board member and Trustee of Mindwise, the leading Mental Health Charity in Northern Ireland; a Board member of the Drainage Council for the Rivers Agency; and a Board member of North City Training Ltd, a member of the Bryson Charitable Group.  He is a member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Belfast.