About us Our Team Our trustees Our trustees Extern’s Board of Trustees is responsible for our governance and strategic direction. The Board is accountable for everything we do, including setting our strategic direction, scrutinising our performance and supporting & empowering our Executive Team of Directors. Board members do not receive any remuneration in respect of their services to the charity. Receipted expenses are reimbursed when incurred. The Directors, who are non-executive, represent a diverse range of relevant experience including: finance legal criminal justice housing health children’s services business research and mental health Read more about our trustees' below Allen McCartney Extern Group Chair, Extern Northern Ireland Director and Extern Ireland Director Mr McCartney is by profession a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, with degree qualifications in both electrical engineering and corporate leadership. He had a distinguished career at Director level in Northern Ireland Electricity and Viridian Group and brings a wealth of experience from previous public sector board appointments in the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, the Department for Regional Development, and the Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland. He is a Lay Magistrate and an Assessor for the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency. Aideen D’Arcy MBE Extern Northern Ireland Chair, Extern Group Director and Company Secretary & Extern Ireland Director Aideen lives in Belfast and was educated at Queen’s and the Ulster Universities. After graduating in Geography from QUB, Aideen taught in the post-primary sector before embarking on a rewarding career in social housing for over 30 years, specialising in the provision of supported accommodation for vulnerable people, including frail elderly, homeless, mentally ill and learning disabled people and street drinkers, as well as ethnic minorities. She initiated many innovative and statutory organisations on an all-Ireland basis. Aideen served on the NI Regional Council of the Society of St Vincent de Paul for over 15 years and undertook several initiatives to improve standards of accommodation and service provision of the organisation's homeless facilities throughout Ireland, recognising that everyone should have a safe place to call home and a stake in their community in order to have the opportunity to fulfil their full potential in life. Jim Daly Extern Ireland Chair and Extern Group Director Jim Daly is a self employed business consultant from Clonakilty County Cork. Jim is a qualified Teacher and former school principal who is currently completing his studies with the Institute of Directors to become a chartered Director. Jim spent 16 years working as a public representative and announced his intention to retire from politics in 2020 while serving as Minister for Mental Health & Older People. Jim has a keen interest in Children’s welfare and education and recently completed studies at UCC in Trauma Informed Care. Jim previously served as Chair of the all party Oireachtas Committee on Children & Youth affairs where he championed many issues affecting vulnerable children especially those in foster care and played a lead role in the successful passing of the Children’s referendum of 2012. Jim Daly is currently a non executive Director of a number of private and not for profit boards as well as providing consultancy services to a wide range of businesses especially in the health area. Andrew McCloskey Extern Northern Ireland Director and Treasurer, Extern Group Vice-Chair & Chair of the Business Development Committee Andrew is a business professional with more than 20 years’ experience in global companies. He has worked in the procurement, IT, and planning departments specialising in the use of technologies to enhance business performance and holds a Master of Business Administration from Ulster University and a Law Degree from the Open University. Brendan Johnston MBE Extern Northern Ireland Director, Extern Group Director & Chair of Audit & Risk Committee. Brendan Johnston is a social worker and has spent his career in statutory social work in Northern Ireland. He has had experience of many different roles in his career, working in all programmes of care though mainly in the area of children’s services. In the late ‘90s he worked closely with Extern West, particularly with development of Killadeas and later Roscor. As well as his qualification in social work, Brendan has a Diploma in Management Studies and an MBA. In 2004, he completed the Top Management Programme run by the Kings Fund. Brendan has also been involved in a number of joint training initiatives with colleagues from CO3 and the Republic of Ireland. Brendan previously worked as an Assistant Director of Social Services at the Western Health Social Board, where he was responsible for commissioning children’s services and training for social workers and social care workers. More recently, Brendan was the first Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Social Care Council and was responsible for establishing the regulation of social care workers in Northern Ireland. His work at the Council and in previous roles has provided him with a large range of experience in Strategic Management, Policy Formulation, Governance Risk Management, Finance and Human Resources. Brendan retired from the Council in early 2013. Ian McAvoy Extern Northern Ireland Director and Company Secretary, Extern Group Director and Treasurer and Extern Ireland Director and Treasurer Ian lives in Belfast and was educated at MCB and London University. After graduating in economics Ian studied accountancy. After a spell in practice, he became the Finance Director of a leading Irish brand and was promoted to Chief Executive, holding that position for 16 years. He has much expertise in strategic planning, transformation, finance and marketing. Ian was Chair of PlayBoard, Vice Chair of Sport NI, Director of Sport NI, and is presently Vice Chair of Ark Housing. He has a keen interest in rugby and football, initially as a player and now as an administrator, and holds the position of Chairman of Rugby at Queen's University, Belfast. He is married to Lynne with three grown-up children. Stephen Leach Extern Northern Ireland Director and Extern Group Director Stephen lives in North Down and was educated at Cambridge University. He joined the Civil Service in 1975 and worked in the Northern Ireland Office and other Departments. In 1990/91 he spent a year in the USA as a Humphrey Fulbright Fellow. Subsequently he was involved in the negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement; and from 2000 to 2009 he was the Chair of the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Board. During this period he helped to implement a number of reforms including the establishment of the Youth Justice Agency, the Public Prosecution Service and the Criminal Justice Inspectorate, as well as the introduction of statutory restorative conferencing for young offenders, risk-based sentencing, and modernized sexual offences legislation. After retiring from the Civil Service in 2009, he was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Health and Social Care Board and served in this role for 11 years. He has also served as a Parole Commissioner and as the Northern Ireland Commissioner on the Criminal Cases Review Commission, based in Birmingham. He is married with three grown-up children. Marian Quinn Extern Ireland Director Marian holds a Masters in Adult Education, a BSc in Youth and Community Work, Diplomas in Corporate Governance and Performance Management, and is a qualified Life and Business Coach and General Nurse. Her career has focused on children, young people and families through roles in both the statutory and non-profit sector. She has also lectured part-time in Maynooth University, Ireland, at post-graduate level in Adult and Community Education. Since becoming CEO of the Childhood Development Initiative (CDI) in 2007, Marian has overseen the design, delivery and evaluation of practice models across a spectrum of needs and led the roll out of proven interventions to communities throughout Ireland, including developing a series of training and quality assurance strategies. Marian has previously held roles in the HSE and Department of Justice and has also worked directly with young people and early school leavers. She developed the Copping On youth crime prevention programme, established the all-island Breaking Through Network and currently chairs Restorative Practices Ireland. Marian has been a member of the new Children’s Hospital Board, and the Social Work Registration Board. She remains a member of the Airfield Trust Board, and recently ended a seven-year period as Chair of the Prevention and Early Intervention Network where she led numerous campaigns to influence Government policy and resourcing. Marian is a skilled communicator, and has published a number of academic papers, presented widely at national and international conferences and co-authored a best-selling book (Click Click) about three sisters’ experience of child abuse. Eavann Murphy Extern Ireland Director and Extern Group Director Born in Northern Ireland and living in Dublin since 1999. Studied HND Computer Science, Masters - Marketing Management and ACCA Diploma Accounting & Finance all at University of Ulster. Currently Managing Director for the Wholesale Division of eir Group and founding Chair of the eir Group Brand Council. Extensively corporate career working in Bank of Ireland, Northern Ireland 1988-2000 in various marketing and strategy roles and then in Telecommunications with Vodafone 2000-2014 and within the eir Group since 20015 managing key business units across consumer, business and public sector markets. Previously served on the Board of Governors for Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. Completed the Institute of Directors Chartered Directors Diploma in 2021. Shane McLaughlin Extern Northern Ireland Director Shane is an Education Adviser for the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. He graduated from Queen's University Belfast and achieved his Masters in Education from the University of Nottingham.Shane previously worked in Kabul, where he had oversight of a girls education programme, working with the Afghanistan government to increase girls access and improve learning outcomes for 70,000 girls. Shane has also worked for the UK’s Stabilisation Unit and the British Council working on multilateral policy and managing international education programs with UK and EU funding.Before joining the civil service, Shane was a secondary school teacher in England and Northern Ireland between 2013-2016. Prior to teaching, he worked for the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust overseeing the Future Voices programme, which promoted volunteering and participation to develop leadership skills for young adults, supporting their active participation in a diverse and pluralist society. Shane volunteered with the Trust between 2006 and 2012, leading international exchanges and supporting shared education in post-primary schools across Northern Ireland. More recently, he was the vice-chair on the board of governors for a Federation of Special Schools in London, where he volunteered between 2017-2020. Shane is currently supporting education reform and promoting girls' education to increase access to quality education in the Democratic Republic of Congo.