Team

The Fellowship Programme would not be possible with the support of our advisory board, academic advisors, and programme team.

View allAdvisory boardFellowship ForumProgramme team

Darragh McCarthy

Chair of the Advisory Board, CEO & Founder of FinTrU

Darragh McCarthy founded FinTrU in 2013 and serves as the company’s CEO. He is responsible for managing overall operations and setting the company’s strategic direction and objectives.

With over thirty years of experience in the financial services industry, Darragh founded FinTrU in response to global investment banks’ growing need for high-quality expertise to navigate an evolving regulatory landscape.

Under his leadership, FinTrU has become a leading provider of technology-enabled Client Lifecycle Management solutions, employing 1,400 people across Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Letterkenny, London, New York and Porto.

Whilst FinTrU is a profit-driven organisation, Darragh is highly motivated by creating high-quality professional employment. As a leader, his passion is to build connections with people and to ignite their entrepreneurial spirit – with the aim to inspire others to thrive and achieve their goals.

Outside of FinTrU, Darragh is the Chair of the Centre for Democracy and Peace. He is also the President of the Belfast Chamber Board and a member of the Innovation and Growth Advisory Board for the City of London.

In 2024, Darragh received a degree of Doctor of Science (DSc honoris causa) from Ulster University in recognition of highly impactful leadership in the financial services industry.

In 2025, he received an Honorary OBE for services to the economy in Northern Ireland.

Nick Coburn CBE

Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Ulster Carpets

Nick is managing director and deputy chairman of Ulster Carpets, the premier supplier of Axminster and Wilton carpets to the world market.

Nick joined his family’s company in 1977, working in a wide range of roles in manufacturing and sales before being appointed managing director in 2004 and also deputy chairman of Ulster Carpets Group in 2017.

A former chairman of the Textile Institute and past president of the NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nick is currently a member of the Strategic Trade Advisory Group with the Department for International Trade as well as a member of the Economic Advisory Group with the Department for the Economy.

Peter Cunningham

CEO, Camlin Group

Peter Cunningham is the Chief Executive Officer of the Camlin Group, responsible for setting and delivering upon the strategic vision and direction of the global organisation and its business units across the Energy and Rail market sectors.

Having become CEO in 2019 Peter has been responsible for setting a new purpose and strategic direction for the organisation and has led its subsequent revenue growth rate over 20% year on year. The company now forecasts a group-wide revenue target of £80M+ for 2023. The company employs approximately 560 people globally, with a strong engineering and operational majority based in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

Before becoming CEO of Camlin, Peter was previously Managing Director of the UK division of its Energy business, Kelvatek, for 6 years then subsequently was Managing Director of Camlin, before taking over as CEO. He studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering (MEng) at Loughborough University. He is married with three children, and lives near Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

Dalreen Buchanan

Business Support Manager, Ulster Carpets

Dalreen Buchanan is Business Support Manager at Ulster Carpets where she plays an integral role at one of Northern Ireland’s most successful exporters.

Having worked across a number of key departments at Ulster Carpets, including IT Support, Customer Services, and Production Planning, Dalreen is able to utilise nearly thrity-five years’ experience to ensure the smooth delivery of high service standards.

In a broad and diverse role, Dalreen’s wide-ranging understanding of the company’s central operational requirements is key to working with external suppliers.

Melanie McMordie

Client Managing Director, Fujitsu NI
Melanie is the Managing Director for Fujitsu in Northern Ireland. Fujitsu employs over 600 people in Northern Ireland and provides a wide range of IT services to Northern Ireland public sector clients and wider clients in the rest of the UK utilising modern digital technologies. Northern Ireland continues to be a focus for investment for Fujitsu as a major near-shore centre with a particular focus on digital applications capability. Melanie has over twenty years’ experience in the IT Industry and is passionate about driving continuous improvement through innovation and digital transformation.

 Helen Sullivan FCIPD

Chief People and Culture Officer, NIE Networks
Helen Sullivan recently joined NIE Networks as Chief People and Culture Officer, responsible for Human Resources, Health & Safety, Communications & Engagement, and the Learning & Culture agenda. Helen joined NIE from PwC, where her twenty-five year career spanned both client-facing consulting and internal leadership roles. Most recently she worked as Director and People Driver for the PwC Deals business globally, focusing on transformation, delivery models, and workforce planning. Prior to that she spent nearly twenty years working with clients in energy, utilities and government throughout the UK, leading HR and OD consulting projects across the employee life cycle then moving into HR function and tech transformation consulting programmes. Helen has a wealth of experience in strategic workforce planning, change management, culture, and talent management. She is currently a judge for the NI CIPD Awards.

Professor Harvey Maylor

Fellowship Academic Advisor and Associate Professor at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Harvey Maylor is a Senior Fellow in Management Practice and an Associate Professor at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Harvey teaches on the Major Projects Leadership Academy and the Saïd MSc in Major Programme Management, as well as leading their Leading Strategic Projects programme.

Harvey has worked as a consultant for governments, corporations, and charities, and is an Eminence Associate at Deloitte LLP.

His research interests are in systems design and complexity in major projects and the integration of policy and project systems in government.

Christina Bates

Treasurer and CDP Trustee

Christina Bates is Treasurer of the Fellowship Programme and a CDP Trustee. She previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of Allstate Northern Ireland, leading the Accounting and Finance team for almost twenty-five years and was part of the senior leadership team.

She oversaw Allstate NI grow and develop through its lifecycle and provide high quality services to its parent company, the Allstate Corporation.

Christina trained with Ernst and Young in Belfast and was responsible for the entrepreneurial services department prior to moving to Allstate in 2000. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and a member of the UK Investment Council, which is a forum for global investors to interact with government in relation to UK inward investment.

Her undergraduate degree in Human Sciences from Oxford University provides a natural synergy with the Fellowship Programme, both in terms of place and subject matter. Coupled with her financial expertise, Christina brings vital strategic insight to the advisory board and wider Fellowship Programme.

Eva Grosman

Programme Director and CEO of CDP

Eva Grosman is a co-founder and CEO of the Centre for Democracy and Peace. Eva co-founded the award-winning Unite Against Hate campaign, challenging all forms of prejudice and hate crime, and was an independent member of the Policing and Community Safety Partnership in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

As Head of Programmes at the Northern Ireland Assembly Legislative Strengthening Trust, Eva developed and implemented Politics Plus, a capacity building programme designed to enhance skills and effectiveness of those involved in political and public life. Eva, originally from Poland initiated Polish Cultural Week and Polish Film Festival, served on the board of the Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC) and delivered several cultural diplomacy programmes, in partnership with the leading arts organisations in Poland, Ireland and the UK.

She is a recipient of the Spirit of Washington Ireland Award honouring exceptional leaders from Northern Ireland and Ireland. Eva has qualifications in management, marketing and political communications, and holds a Masters-level Post-Graduate Diploma in Strategy and Innovation from the University of Oxford.

Zachary Hutchinson

Programme Manager
Zachary Hutchinson is an award-winning graduate of the University of St Andrews. With a background in research, Zac continues to apply his skills through the role of Programme Manager at the Centre for Democracy and Peace.
He is passionate about utilising communication and leadership in the public sphere to create a prosperous and hopeful future for all. Apart from his four years on the east coast of Scotland, Zac has lived on the north coast of Northern Ireland, where he remains committed to seeking the prosperity of the region and the fulfilment of its potential.

Lord Alderdice

Chairman Emeritus / Fellowship Forum
A Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords since 1996, Lord Alderdice is a member of the Select Committee of the House of Lords on International Relations and Defence. He is also the UK Government’s Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan and Central Asia.
As leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, Alderdice played a significant role in the talks on Northern Ireland, including negotiation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and was appointed the first Speaker of the new Northern Ireland Assembly. Formerly a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer in Psychotherapy at Queen’s University Belfast, Alderdice is currently a Senior Research Fellow at Harris Manchester College, Oxford. His research interests include the individual and group psychology of violent political conflict and the psychology of religious fundamentalism. He travels extensively to speak, consult, negotiate, and work on the resolution of violent political conflict in various parts of the world, with a particular focus on the Middle East. We are delighted that Lord Alderdice, following his retirement from the Centre for Democracy and Peace Board of Directors, has accepted the honorary role of Chairman Emeritus and will continue to provide valuable strategic advice and guidance to the Centre.

Baroness Ritchie

Fellowship Forum
Baroness Ritchie has been a Labour member of the House of Lords since 2019 and was the first female leader of the SDLP (2010 to 2011).
She is the former MP for the constituency of South Down, where she served from 2010 to 2017, and is a former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 2003 to 2012. Baroness Ritchie has extensive political interests, which include health, the environment, Europe, young people, and the economy. She is the former Minister for Social Development, serving on the Northern Ireland Executive between 2007 and 2010. As Minister, her responsibilities included housing, urban regeneration, community development, child support, and the Social Security Agency.

Baroness Goudie

Fellowship Forum
Baroness Goudie is a member of the British House of Lords and a global advocate for the rights of women and children.
She works globally to promote gender equality, women’s rights, and peacebuilding, including being an advisor to the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, as well as sitting on the advisory board of the London School of Economics’ Centre for Women, Peace and Security. Baroness Goudie is also a member of the Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) Management Board of Advisors. She is a trustee of the El-Hibri Charitable Foundation, which fosters interfaith dialogue and establishes common ground and solutions to global challenges affecting humankind. She was a member of the Select Committee on Sexual Violence in Conflict, a task force appointed to consider the UK’s policy and practice for preventing sexual violence in conflict, and is currently a member of the Finance Committee for the House of Lords.

Lord Hay

Fellowship Forum
Lord Hay was a founding member of the DUP and served for many years as Chairman of his local Londonderry association, and has been an Executive member of the party for many years.
He was first elected to Londonderry City Council in 1981 and served as Deputy Lord Mayor from 1992 to 1993, and Mayor of the City from 1993 to 1994. In 1998, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly and became Speaker in 2007 following the restoration of devolution. Lord Hay continues to take a keen interest in local community issues and became a Life Peer in 2014.

Fellow Testimony

For me, the Fellowship goes beyond what you could even begin to imagine. It embeds a culture of curiosity in you, and it challenges your thinking in a way that stretches your capabilities further than you expect. The content, the connection, and the clarity it brought me has been life changing. I’ve come away from it feeling much more fulfilled, with a clearer sense of myself, how I want to move forward and understanding what my part to play is. The impact this will have in Northern Ireland as it evolves beyond five years will be invaluable.

Anna McClung
Deputy Principal at the Department of Justice, Class of 2026

The Fellowship Programme has been a unique opportunity to learn from leaders across NI. I have been inspired by the energy and commitment of Fellows to making NI a better place. It has also allowed time for personal and professional reflection and a renewed focus on my own next steps in leadership. The increasing strength of the alumni network will allow the relationships and networks created this year to continue to influence my development and I am proud to be part of it.

Rhyannon Blythe
Director (Legal) at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, Class of 2026

The CDP Fellowship Programme was a great opportunity to be immersed in problem solving methods and networking. The 2026 cohort was an excellent mix of public, political, civic and private sector individuals who each brought and shared their own unique perspectives. Having the space to debate and discuss important and dynamic issues and work collectively on a chosen challenge provided a great foundation for further personal development.

Gareth Wilson
MLA for Newry and Armagh, Class of 2026

The wide range of experience from both the public and private sector across our cohort really challenged my thinking on how the Health sector gets its business done. The Fellowship has created pathways for me to explore how Health can benefit from working across all sectors.

Blaithnid Hughes
Head of Service for Anaesthetics, Theatres & Critical Care Services, at the Southern HSC Trust, Class of 2025

The CDP team, along with its supporters and sponsors, demonstrate unwavering dedication to the programme and its Fellows. I leave with a renewed sense of hope, a strong network of conscientious leaders, and a clearer path for my own growth and development, with a curiosity for what comes next.

Vincenta Leyden
Service Development Manager at the MND Association, Class of 2025

Being part of the Fellowship Programme has been a really meaningful experience. It has given me time to step back, think differently, and learn from people with a wide range of views and backgrounds. Having finished the programme, I feel more hopeful, more focused, and very grateful to have been part of this journey.

Declan Barry
CEO of ExportExplore, Class of 2025

The Fellowship Programme has been a transformative experience. I have built lasting relationships with remarkable leaders across Northern Ireland. The diverse learning environment, guided by world-class experts, broadened my horizons and significantly supported my leadership development.

Aidan Sloane
Chief Operating Officer & Executive Director of Belfast Metropolitan College, Class of 2025

I’ve learned so much in a very short time. Getting outside perspective has been enlightening and a great education for me. It is also surprisingly encouraging about how people outside the arts value what we do and how much will there is to help.

Charlotte Dryden
CEO, Oh Yeah Music Centre, Class of 2025