Mr Drew is a self-employed business consultant providing strategic advice regarding business improvement and change management.
Les was previously employed by Northern Ireland Electricity Networks as Head of Procurement. He has held a number of other senior management posts during his 39-year career including, Group Financial Controller; Governance and Risk Manager; Regulation Officer; and Information Technology Contract Manager and until March 2017 Head of Procurement.
Sharon Gallagher, took up post as Chief Executive of the Health and Social Care Board on 28 September 2020.
Sharon has enjoyed a number of challenging and rewarding roles during her NI Civil Service career. She has undertaken the responsibilities of Director of HR for the Department of Social Development (DSD), Policy Advisor for Welfare Reform, Social Security Agency (SSA), Director of Organisational Change (SSA), Director of Corporate Services (DHSSPS), Director of Service Delivery (DHSSPS) and Director of Transformation (DoH).
Sharon currently holds dual roles as Chief Executive of the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and Deputy Secretary for Transformation, Planning and Performance Group (TPPG), Department of Health.
Sharon has advised Ministers on matters pertaining to her area of responsibility and has played a key role in contributing to the strategic direction of the organisations within which she worked. She has extensive leadership experience over a range of settings and works to successfully develop her staff to build their capacity and ultimately deliver improved outcomes.
Dr Thomas Moore has worked in senior academic and leadership roles in several Universities and Colleges across the UK. Most recently he was the Principal and Chief Executive of Blackburn College in Lancashire. He led the establishment of a Strategic Alliance engaging with a range of stakeholders to support NHS workforce reforms.
In Wales, he was the Senior Officer at the Welsh Regulatory Body responsible for the Regulation of Nursing and Midwifery; and was subsequently the Academic Provost and Executive Dean for Health and Social Care at Glyndwr University.
In Scotland, Dr Moore was the Principal and Chief Executive of Perth College, part of the Federated University of the Highlands and Islands. He led Perth College through Regionalisation of the FE Sector and the significant changes which resulted. He was the FE Sector representative on the QAA Committee for Scotland. Dr Moore started his career as a nurse in Northern Ireland.
Mrs Lowry has 30 years’ experience working in both the private and public sector throughout her career. She has held several public appointments in a variety of areas, including Independent Board Member with the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure; Deputy Chair of the Health and Safety Executive and was a member of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) Audit Committee and an Independent Assessor for Public Appointments.
Mr Norman McKinley has extensive senior leadership experience within the voluntary sector both nationally and locally. His early professional career was in social work and he is currently Executive Director for UK Operations with the British Red Cross. Previously he served as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Trust. Mr McKinley holds Masters’ Degrees in Social Work and Business Administration. He brings a diverse range of experience in governance and in the successful delivery of large-scale transformational change.
Dr Theresa Donaldson is a Chartered Director with the Institute of Directors. She holds Non- Executive Director roles with NI Probation Board, NI Equality Commission and Eirgrid PLC. She is a member of the Lord Chief Justice Solicitors’ Disciplinary Panel for NI and is a member with NI Appeals Committee for BBC Children in Need. She was Chief Executive of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (June 2014-September 2018) and Chief Executive of Craigavon Borough Council (2010-2014). Prior to this Theresa held several senior management positions in health and social care and legal services in NI including as Director of Policy and Civil Service Delivery in the Northern Ireland Legal Services Commission and Deputy Director NI Guardian Ad Litem Agency.
Dr Nazia Latif has extensive experience of working on human rights and equality issues in Northern Ireland and internationally. A highly experienced trainer and researcher, Nazia believes in encouraging collaboration between staff and service users to bring positive change in the delivery of public services. She worked for the NI Human Rights Commission for 13 years where she led a number of systemic investigations of international significance, including In Defence of Dignity, an investigation into the human rights of older people in nursing homes. Nazia currently runs Right Practice and specialises in providing practical assistance to organisations to initiate and manage change in order to improve service delivery. Her focus is on helping organisations meet their human rights and equality obligations. Nazia is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, holds a MA from the University of Durham and a PhD from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Mrs Catherine McCallum OBE, is a retired senior civil servant, who held a number of positions throughout her 38 year career. Most of her career was spent in the old Department for Social Development, working in social security, child support services and training. She was Chief Executive of Rivers Agency for a number of years and, in her final years of service, she was Director of Rural Affairs at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Catherine is a volunteer with the Society of St Vincent de Paul and is President of her local Conference. She is a graduate of Queen’s University and holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Ulster University. She is married with three adult children and two grandchildren. In 2017 Catherine was awarded an OBE for services to Government and the community.
Paul Cavanagh was an Assistant Director in HSCB's Commissioning Directorate, leading on commissioning of health and social care services in the Western Area and regionally on ambulance services, radiotherapy services; major trauma care; Helicopter Emergency Medical Service; intermediate care; external contracting; and direct patient services, including patient travel and national contact point for EU directive on cross-border healthcare.
He is formerly the Chief Executive of City Centre Initiative in Derry and Coordinator of the North West Community Network. He currently sits on the Social Impact Committee for Comic Relief; is a former member of the Board and NI Committee of the Big Lottery Fund; and was a founding NI Charities Commissioner.
An economist by training Lisa worked in the private and public sector before joining the HSC in 2004.
Lisa has been the Interim Director of Performance Management and Service Improvement for the HSCB since April 2018. Lisa’s substantive post is the Assistant Director of Scheduled Care for the HSCB and had responsibility for elective care reform, service improvement and performance management.
Lisa previously held the posts of HSCB Assistant Director of Commissioning overseeing clinical networks and NICE processes. Prior to that Lisa was the lead for Northern Ireland’s Managed Clinical Network for Cancer Services where she led a number of regional service improvement initiatives and became a peer reviewer with the NHS England Peer Review Team.
Tracey McCaig is Interim Director of Finance for the HSCB.
Prior to this appointment Tracey held the post of Assistant Director of Finance in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust from May 2017.
During her 32 year career in Health and Social Care finance, Tracey, who is a Chartered Management accountant, has headed up a number senior finance roles across the HSC, ranging from internal audit to head accountant roles in the NI Ambulance Service, Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency.
Tracey has a proven track record in team leadership, quality improvement, financial governance and multi-disciplinary HSC team working to effect change and improvement in HSC services.
Brendan Whittle was appointed as HSCB Director of Social Care and Children and Executive Director of Social Work in April 2021.
Previously Brendan has held senior positions in the HSC, including as a Director at South Eastern HSC Trust between 2012 and 2019. He initially served as Director of Adult Services and Prison Healthcare and subsequently as Director of Children’s Services & Executive Director of Social work. Most recently, Brendan has been Deputy Director of Social Care and Children at HSCB since 2019.
Brendan qualified as a Social Worker in London, working in East London initially before moving to Northern Ireland in 1992. He has a wealth of experience in Health and Social Care across a range of areas including Children’s Services, Hospital Social Work, Disability services, Older People and Mental Health services.
During this time Brendan has maintained his professional development achieving both the MSc in Advanced Social Work and the Northern Ireland Leadership and Strategic Award in Social Work.