Colum McLornan
BA Hons Hospitality Management
Colum’s degree in Hospitality Management set him on a path to become an industry leader in the hospitality and tourism sector in the UK and Europe. Colum is Director of Friendship Travel, a UK tour operator specialising in solo traveller experiences since 1999.
Together with business partner Claire Hunter, Colum is part-owner and Director of the Marine Hotel in Ballycastle; a crown jewel of the North Coast boasting stunning views and luxury, tranquil seaside escapes. Under their management and 13 years of hard work and experienced leadership, Colum and Claire have transformed a derelict, £400k hotel into a successful enterprise worth £5 million.
Along the way, picking up notable accolades, including, awarded the prestigious AA Four Star Hotel rating and the Marine Hotel was named in The Guardian’s Top 10 renovated seaside hotels in 2024. Most recently in 2022, Colum founded a new boutique hotel in Faro, Portugal ‘Casa Rosa Villa Olhao’ which has expanded his business acumen and leadership in the hospitality and tourism industry to new markets.
Ulster University are incredibly proud of the success Colum has achieved throughout his career and are delighted to showcase his proven track record as an experienced leader and entrepreneur in NI and beyond.
Azem Hanif
BA Hons Banking & Finance 1995, MSc Accounting 1997, MBA 2014
A three-time Ulster University graduate, Azem Hanif has carved out a distinguished management career in banking and finance for almost three decades. Enjoying a variety of leading roles at Royal Bank of Scotland and at AIB (NI), Azem became an Associate Director of Bank of Scotland in 2006 before moving to Danske Bank where he spent almost 17 years.
A former Senior Manager of Corporate & Business Credit at Danske Bank, Azem joined leading Asset Based Lending company Upstream ABL in Belfast this year as Credit and Risk Partner to support the company’s top team to drive the ambitions of local business owners and entrepreneurs with flexible funding solutions that unlock real growth and new opportunities.
Reflecting on his experience, Azem told us,
“Ulster University played a critical role in my personal and professional growth for the best part of a decade providing me with the deep knowledge, insights and experience I needed to advance my career. After graduating with BA Hons in Banking and Finance I went on to complete an MSc and as my career advanced, I was delighted to graduate with an MBA in 2014 which grounded my learning and improved my leadership skills while giving me to the tools that helped me to focus on innovation, growth and adaptability in a dynamic, fast-moving business world.”
Darian Shotton
MSc Advanced Practice in Physiotherapy
Darian Shotton, graduated with an MSc in Advanced Physiotherapy in 2005, her thesis being "Ear Acupuncture for Cocaine Addiction”.
Since originally qualifying from the NI School of Physiotherapy in 1968 Darian’s career has spanned employment in many parts of the world including, London, Borneo, Japan and Norway. She obtained a Licentiate in Acupuncture from The British College of Acupuncture in 1980, and became an Associate Life Member of the Royal Society of Medicine in 2016.
She has always had a strong interest in both Mental Health and Photography and has had 2 solo Photography Exhibitions, one in Stavanger Museum, Norway and one in the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast. She also attended a Foundation Course in Art and Design in SERC, Bangor in 2017/18.
She has now published a book entitled “Photos & Meditations to Soothe & Inspire”, which is available from late October 2025.
Martin Murphy
BSc Hons Accounting 2011, MSc Management and Corporate Governance 2014
In June 2024 Ulster University alumnus Martin Murphy, alongside the rest of the Lough Neagh Rouges (open water swimmers), took on the challenge to swim from Donaghadee Co. Down all the way to Portpatrick in Scotland to help raise money for PIPS, a local mental health and suicide prevention charity. Together, they raised an amazing £13,701 for the charity!
With all the money raised, Martin and the rest of the team were able to directly support the charity’s mission to provide critical services for suicide prevention, intervention, and trauma assistance. Congratulations Martin on this amazing accomplishment!
