Northern Ireland Environment Forum 2025

Between 2008 and 2023 Max worked as General Manager for the National Trust, initially across the whole North Coast and then, following a decision to divide the portfolio, at Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede. During this time he was responsible for all day-to-day aspects of the strategy, including conservation, visitor servicing, working with key stakeholders and the delivery of the new visitor centre. Prior to his time with the National Trust Max had a variety of senior roles in the private and charitable sectors including CEO of Sperrins Tourism and Head of Primary Distribution for Sainsbury’s. He joined Northern Ireland Environment Link as CEO in July 2023.

Originally from Kent, Max is from a farming background and grew up with a passion for nature, a passion which he has brought to all of his previous roles, including looking at alternative transport solutions and fuel sources for Sainsbury’s. He moved to Northern Ireland in 2003 and is married with 2 sons. Aside from conservation and nature his interests include sport, especially as an enthusiastic coach for Coleraine’s under 18 rugby team, travel and the arts. He is a trustee of World Heritage UK, a Liveryman in the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers and a Freeman of the City of London.

Joanne Sherwood is the Director of RSPB Northern Ireland, leading a dedicated team of staff and volunteers and inspiring them and others to save nature in Northern Ireland and on the Isle of Man, the latter in partnership with Manx Birdlife. She is a strong advocate of partnership working, including on an all-Ireland basis with BirdWatch Ireland. A water engineer by background, she is also the Vice Chair of Northern Ireland Environment Link and prior to joining RSPB in 2014, had a 20-year career in environmental regulation and management in England and Wales.

Jacqueline Gibson is successfully leading the world's longest running resource matching program, coined Industrial Symbiosis; saving companies money (average of £60k + a month!), protecting the environment, contributing to the global circular economy and ultimately guiding them along their journey to Net Zero. With a BSC Honors in Sustainability with Climate Change, she has over 25 years’ experience with UK industry developing climate mitigation actions coupled with conservation adaptation projects on the ground in Sub-Sahara Africa. She has carved sustainability positions in organisations along her journey using her passion, tenacity and drive. She was the first Sustainability Advisor for a UK or Irish Port, the first for a UK or Irish Construction Company, known as a guru in green building design and living, and in recent years was the first sustainability appointed person on a UK Landed Estate, declaring it the first in the UK to be carbon neutral by 2027! From decarbonising Blenheim Palace to marine conservation on Carlingford Lough, and leading HSBC’s citizen science global water program to managing Royal Dutch Shell’s biodiversity budget, she has won a number of global green awards and presented over the world on embedding SDGs into business practice.

Anne-Marie Campbell – lives and works in Mid Ulster. She graduated as an electrical engineer and has specialised in senior leadership within local government. Anne-Marie has worked across all Council service areas for over 20 years and is now Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Environment for Mid Ulster District Council. She is currently responsible for all Environment Services delivered by Council and leads the development and delivery of all capital projects. She is also Chair of the Board of Governors for a local grammar school and spends her spare time walking and enjoying the outdoors.

A solicitor by profession, Dame Glenys Stacey has a wealth of CEO and regulatory experience, having led the start-up or development of a number of public-sector organisations responsible for legal or regulatory services. She has previously served as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation, Chief Executive at Animal Health (now part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency), chair of the Professional Standards Authority and Chief Regulator at Ofqual. In 2019, she chaired an independent review of farm regulation at the request of the then Secretary of State for Defra. Dame Glenys was appointed Dame Commander of the British Empire in the New Year’s honours list in 2016 recognising her services to education. She was appointed Chair-designate of the OEP in December 2020 and appointed Chair on legal creation of the OEP.

Ruth Hunter is a Professor of Public Health and Planetary Health, at the Centre for Public Health, Queen’s University Belfast. Ruth is a member of the DfC Ministerial Advisory Group for Architecture and Built Environment and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for systems science (https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/who/). Her research includes the SPACE project which explores the impact of the environment on cognitive health (https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/space/). The GroundsWell consortium focuses on the role of green and blue spaces for preventing chronic diseases, reducing inequalities, and providing inclusive spaces for women, girls and people with disabilities (https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/groundswell/). Working in partnership with The Executive Office, this work will explore how we can end violence against women and girls in public spaces. Other transport related research investigates policies and interventions to reduce car dependency in Belfast (https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/cardep/) including recommendations from a Citizens’ Jury, and evaluating 20mph speed limits in Belfast (https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/20mph/).

Grant McBurney has been a member of the Planning and Environmental Law team within Carson McDowell since 2005. Grant advises on waste and contamination land matters, renewable energy projects, as well as providing planning and environmental due diligence support to the Corporate team. He is a member of the Environmental and Planning Law Association of Northern Ireland, sitting on its committee and the UK Environmental Law Association. He is also a corporate member of Quarry Products Association for Northern Ireland. Grant is described as “highly professional and very efficient” in the Chambers and Partners UK Guide 2020.

John French became Chief Executive of the Utility Regulator in November 2020. Prior to joining the Utility Regulator, John was Chief Executive of The Consumer Council from July 2015. Before this, John was Director of Regulation and Pricing at firmus energy, Investment Planning and Regulatory Reporting Manager at NIE Networks, Head of Policy at the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Network Director at the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership in Vienna, and a diplomatic policy advisor on climate change and energy issues within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. John is a chartered director, chartered manager, and a fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Louise Cullen is Agriculture and Environmental Correspondent at BBC News NI. Louise started her career with Reuters after graduating from Queen’s University Belfast in Law & Accounting. She relocated to Fermanagh in 2002, where she launched BBC Radio Ulster’s News in the West, imported a husband from England and adopted several cats. After returning to Belfast in 2013, she worked in tv, radio and digital, becoming the BBCNI Agriculture & Environment Correspondent just before COP26 in Glasgow. Since then, she has immersed herself in a world of climate challenges and solutions where every day is a school day. Outside work, Louise is a keen reader and puzzler, qualified Zumba instructor, and closet poet.

Tim Walker has been active in environmental services at a senior management level for many years and is a passionate believer in highlighting our place in the natural world. He has been Acting Chief Executive of arc21 – a waste contracting partnership – since 2019. Before that, he headed up waste management in Belfast City Council and oversaw a more than tenfold increase in the Council’s recycling rate. Tim is a member of the DEFRA Advisory Committee on Packaging (UK), is currently the President of CIWM and is a Visiting Research Fellow with Queen’s University Belfast looking at the Circular Economy. He holds a number of professional and academic qualifications.

Sharon McManus is the Group Head of Sustainability at ESB, where she leads the strategic direction on sustainability across the organisation. Sharon’s role involves ensuring the delivery of sustainability strategies, related programs, compliance, & capability, and fostering a culture of sustainability across ESB. Prior to her current role, Sharon served as an Engineer Corps Officer of the Irish Defence Forces for 27 years and has worked in both combat and infrastructural engineering environments at home and abroad including as the Defence Forces Energy Manager with responsibility for energy management throughout the land, sea and air domains of the Defence Force and as the European Defence Agency (EDA) Energy & Environment lead and the European Commission’s Consultation Forum for Sustainable Energy in the Defence & Security Sector Lead. Sharon has a BE Civil Engineering degree from NUIG and a MEngSc Sustainable Energy Master’s degree from UCC. She also has a MA in leadership Management and Defence studies from the Military College and NUIM. She is currently undertaking a MBA with Smurfit Business School, UCD. Sharon has served on four overseas deployments with the Irish Defence Forces including; Liberia, 2005; Kosovo, 2006, Chad, 2010 and Lebanon, 2021.

Dorinnia Carville is a Chartered Accountant who trained and worked in “Big 4” private sector accountancy firms in London and Belfast before moving into public sector audit at the NI Audit Office, holding positions including Financial Audit Director and Director of Corporate Services. Following the review of public administration, Dorinnia moved into local government as Director of Corporate Services, and later Deputy Chief Executive, at Newry Mourne and Down District Council. She was also Acting Chief Executive of the Council before becoming Northern Ireland’s Comptroller & Auditor General in August 2022.

Amy Bell has over 5 years' experience working in climate adaptation and mitigation in Northern Ireland. Amy leads delivery of the Climate NI Programme, which is a cross-sectoral partnership devoted to understanding and enabling adaptation and mitigation actions in Northern Ireland that can address the climate emergency. Amy also works on a number of other climate projects across the UK and Ireland aiming to enhance transboundary climate adaptation work. Amy has experience developing climate change policy in Northern Ireland through engagement with civil society, researchers and public bodies.

Dr Bróna McNeill is the Freshwater Development Officer at NI Environment Link, working on advocacy, research and action to help improve the freshwater environment in NI. Bróna has a background in law and policy, having previously worked as a lecturer in the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast. She also chairs the board of the Environmental Justice Network Ireland (EJNI).