Visiting professors

Robert Fitzpatrick

Chief Executive, The Odyssey Trust Company Ltd

Jackie Henry

UK Managing Partner for People and Purpose, Deloitte NI

Expertise

Jackie is the UK Managing Partner for People and Purpose at Deloitte, leading the firm’s UK people strategy and purpose agenda, including a focus on inclusion and wellbeing.

She started her career with Deloitte in Belfast in 1989, first working in audit before moving to consulting. Jackie became a partner in 2004 and was the Northern Ireland office senior partner from July 2014 to May 2025. She has also previously served as the People and Purpose lead for consulting.

Jackie's commitment to diversity, inclusion and social mobility has been a focus throughout her career, in particular her efforts in building skills and providing access to education for people across Northern Ireland. She has over 30 years’ experience of supporting the transformational change of Northern Ireland, particularly within the public sector.

In 2017, Jackie was awarded an MBE for services to the Northern Ireland economy. She received an Honorary Doctorate from Ulster University in 2022, was recognised as Northern Ireland’s Business Woman of the Year in 2023, and was named #1 Empower Advocate by INvolve in 2025.

Alain Kerloc'h

Restauranteur, Ox

Sharing industry experience of working in the restaurant trade with students.

Ian McConnell

Partner, PWC

Expertise

Ian has a wide range of experience of forensic services.  He has led a diverse range of investigations in relation to fraud, financial crime, regulatory compliance, financial and procurement irregularities, breaches of corporate governance and conflicts of interest.  He also has an established track record of supporting law enforcement agencies in their efforts to tackle fraud and organised crime within criminal, civil recovery and tax investigations, providing specialist forensic accounting inputs, including asset tracing and asset confiscation support. Ian regularly acts as an expert accountant on financial aspects of commercial and transaction disputes, professional indemnity and personal injury claims.

Role at Ulster University

Prof McConnell has worked with the Business School to develop courses in the forensic accounting specialist area and also advises on course development to ensure they are professionally relevant.  He works with students to develop employability skills and has arranged for students to visit the PWC offices and has shared his industry insights with them.

Professor Niall McKenna

Restauranteur, James Street South

Neil Gibson

Permanent Secretary, Department of Finance

As Permanent Secretary, in the Department of Finance (DoF) Neil is responsible for a portfolio of major services to the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

This includes the delivery of the Executive’s budget (c.£19bn pa),  procurement delivery, HR, shared public services in IT, property management, statistical services and rates collection.  He also has overall responsibility for DoF, which has a budget of (C.£340m) and 3,690 staff.

Neil was previously Chief Economist for EY in Ireland, professor of Economic Policy and the first Director of the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre.  He has also run his own consultancy business and led a global economics team for Oxford Economics.

Neil is a Visiting Professor of Economic Policy at Ulster University.  He has a Bachelor’s in Applied Economics from Ulster University and a Master’s in Computer Science and Applications from Queen’s University, Belfast.

Neil is married and has two teenage children.

Stephen Kelly

CEO, Manufacturing NI

Expertise

As CEO of Manufacturing Northern Ireland, Stephen represents the interests of the sector to Governments in NI, UK, the EU, and the US in areas which impacts on Northern Ireland’s position as a location to create, grow, and sustain a manufacturing business.

He was a member of the UK Government’s Board of Trade, UK National President of Junior Chamber and the BBC’s Broadcasting Council and is currently on the Board of a local arts based social.

In March 2024, Stephen was appointed by the Minister for the Economy to Chair the Taskforce to double number of students at Ulster University’s Derry~Londonderry campus.

Tina McKenzie

CEO, Staffline Recruitment Ireland

Expertise

After graduating from Ulster University, Tina went on to pursue a successful international recruitment career, giving her over 30 years’ experience in the Recruitment and Employment Services sector and a wealth of entrepreneurial experience. After returning to Northern Ireland in 2013, she established Staffline Recruitment as a start-up throughout Ireland; taking the company from a standing start to a dominant market leader with a turnover of £150 million within 5 years.

This unprecedented success led to a stream of awards including the UTV Fast Business Growth Award in 2015, IOD’s Director of the Year Award in 2017, UTV Business Eye’s Business Personality of the Year Award in 2018, the Belfast Telegraph Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 and the Women in Business Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year Award in 2022. In 2023, Tina was awarded an MBE for services to the local economy and was also named as the 20th most influential person in UK politics in by Politico.

In 2024, Tina was appointed to the Department of Business and Trade Small Business Council. She has previously served as the European Ambassador for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day and is the serving Honorary Consul to Finland in Northern Ireland. Tina currently Chairs the Policy and Advocacy Board of the Federation of Small Businesses, the largest business organisation in the UK. She also recently joined the Ireland Funds Global Board.

John Stapleton

Entrepreneur, Investor, Non-Executive Director

Expertise

John is an investor & Non-Executive Director, providing value-added business growth advice, guidance and mentoring to business owners. John is a business thought leader and delivers keynotes on a range of entrepreneurial, management & motivational leadership topics: www.johnstapleton.eu In 1987 John co-founded The New Covent Garden Soup Co Ltd pioneering the fresh soup category in the UK – successfully exiting in 1998. John then brought the fresh soup concept to the US – co-founding Glencoe Foods in 1998. In 2005, John co-founded Little Dish, which supplies healthy, natural and convenient meals and snacks to children over one year old – successfully exiting in 2017.

Role at Ulster University

Bringing industry even closer to the School, supporting students' understanding of the Food & Beverage industry at large and supporting the faculty to drive even more relevance in its course offering.

Dr Timothy S. Mescon

AACSB Vice President, Americas Growth and Engagement

Bio

Dr Timothy S. Mescon is a globally recognised leader in business education with over 40 years’ experience in academic leadership, accreditation and international engagement. He is President Emeritus of Columbus State University and Executive‑in‑Residence at the Parker College of Business, Georgia Southern University.

Dr Mescon previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at AACSB International, the world’s leading business school accrediting body. His career includes senior leadership roles at leading US institutions, including Kennesaw State University, Salisbury University, the University of Miami and Arizona State University.

His service has been recognised with the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the White House and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Award of Excellence. A prolific scholar, he has authored over 200 articles and case studies and co‑authored five books on entrepreneurship, accreditation and the future of business education.

Role at Ulster University Business School

Dr Mescon has been appointed Visiting Professor at Ulster University Business School, supporting the School’s teaching, research and global engagement agenda.

In this role, he will contribute to strengthening UUBS’s international outlook, entrepreneurial education and global partnerships, working with staff and students to enhance global perspectives across programmes and research. His appointment further reinforces UUBS’s commitment to delivering a globally connected, future‑focused business education.

Caroline Van der Feltz

HR Director, Danske Bank

Expertise

A native of Northern Ireland Caroline has been HR Director for Danske Bank since September 2015. Caroline has operated outside of NI for the majority of her career having held senior HR roles within the Financial Services and FMCG area based out of London.

She spent 11 years with the RBS Group working in the payments with WorldPay and RBS/Natwest Private Banking area and before moving on was an Executive HR Director with Private Bank Coutts & Co. Prior to relocating to Belfast take up her current role with Danske Bank she was a Global HR Director for RB (Reckitt Benckiser) holding a significant global remit across both developed and developing markets.

Caroline is Chair of the CBI People and Skills Committee, sits on the Department for the Economy’s Northern Ireland Skills Committee and Chairs their Skills EDI Committee. She is also a Board member of the Financial Services Skills Committee formed by Philip Hampton to help the Financial Services sector in the UK compete post Brexit and she serves on the Board of Governors for Campbell College Belfast.

She was awarded the IoD EDI Director of the Year award in 2022 and the CIPD Award in 2023 for Outstanding Contribution in the field of Development in Northern Ireland in 2023.  She now resides in Co Down with her 2 sons.

Dr Caroline McGroary

Chartered Accountant, Fulbright Scholar and Lecturer in Accounting and Business Strategy at Dublin City University (DCU)

Role at Ulster University

A visiting professor at Ulster University Business School, Department of Management, Leadership and Marketing, taking on an ambassadorial role promoting aspects of the University’s activities to wider public, including delivering guest lecturers, providing critical input to the Department’s Executive Education portfolio and working closely with colleagues in the delivery of the H2GM programme.

In her role as Visiting Professor at Ulster University Business School, Caroline looks forward to supporting its mission of developing leaders, innovators and changemakers of tomorrow. By combining her academic expertise, professional experience and business network, she aims to create meaningful opportunities and deliver transformational impact for Ulster University students and the wider Business School.

Professor Daniel Broby

Professor of Financial Technology at the Asian Institute of Management

Daniel Broby is a finance academic and former senior fund management executive, now Professor of Financial Technology at the Asian Institute of Management. He previously held the FinTech Chair at Ulster University Business School, where he directed the Centre for Financial and Regulatory Technology and served as a Director of FinTech NI.

His research focuses on FinTech innovation, regulation, and financial markets, with particular interests in indices, benchmarks, and disruptive technologies. He has published widely and contributes actively to policy and industry discussions.

Alongside his academic work, Daniel has held senior executive roles including Chief Investment Officer and Chief Executive Officer, and has been recognised by professional bodies such as CFA Institute and CISI. Although now based in Southeast Asia, he maintains strong ties to Northern Ireland.

Lynne Rainey

UUBS Strategic Employers Advisory Forum Chair; Executive Coach; Former Partner at PwC UK 

Lynne Rainey is Chair of the UUBS Strategic Employers Advisory Forum, an executive coach, and a former PwC UK Partner with 25 years’ experience in professional services. She has a strong track record in growing businesses, advising clients, and developing talent, and has led major initiatives in technology adoption, people strategy and organisational change.

At PwC, Lynne held senior leadership roles including Student Recruitment Sponsor, People Partner for Forensic Services and Financial Crime, and Place & Purpose Leader. She shaped PwC NI’s talent pipeline through initiatives such as the first local Flying Start degree programmes with Queen’s University Belfast, and redesigned early‑career recruitment to better reflect student expectations and a purpose‑led approach.

Known for her ability to embed transformational and behavioural change, Lynne fosters high‑performance cultures while maintaining a strong human touch. She brings deep expertise in coaching, leadership development, and strategic problem‑solving, underpinned by integrity, emotional intelligence and commercial insight.

Curious and collaborative by nature, she is recognised as a trusted adviser who can influence at senior levels and help teams thrive.

Maeve Monaghan

CEO NOW Group

Maeve Monaghan MBE leads NOW Group, a social enterprise supporting people with disabilities and learning difficulties into sustainable employment.

Under her leadership, NOW Group has grown significantly, launching impactful initiatives like the JAM Card and Loaf Catering.

She also chairs Clanmil Housing Association and has held other prominent roles in the social sector, earning recognition for her transformative leadership and commitment to inclusion.

Michele Shirlow

CEO FoodNI

Michelle Shirlow MBE, founder of FoodNI and Ulster University alumna, who championed the internationally acclaimed 2016 Year of Food and Drink which led to Northern Ireland winning World's Best Food destination and is now implementing the Food Strategy Framework focusing on transforming our food system for future generations.

Robert Richardson

CEO, Institute of Hospitality (IoH)

Robert Richardson FIH MI is the Chief Executive Officer of the award-winning Institute of Hospitality (IoH), the world’s largest professional body of almost 16,000 hospitality professionals worldwide, and a registered charity. IoH is dedicated to driving the recognition of the hospitality profession and uplifting its membership through lifelong learning, mentorship, and network-building.

Richardson built his career in the hospitality industry, working his way up through the ranks from hotel floor staff to hotel General Manager, and now as CEO of IoH, he has a deep belief in making the hospitality industry open, inclusive, and accessible to all who seek to join it. In 2021, Robert led the Institute to win the Chartered Governance Institute UK&I “Diversity & Inclusion Strategy of the Year” award in recognition of these efforts.

Prior to joining IoH, Richardson served in senior management positions at major hotel chains including Hilton Worldwide, IHG and Ramada Jarvis, before applying those industry best practices to a few of England’s best independent hotels. For 12 years, Richardson served as General Manager across two independent, luxury properties, including a luxury boutique hotel and golf resort in the Kentish countryside, and a grade 2 listed coastal heritage property.

A true people champion, Richardson believes that for organisations to succeed and thrive, people must feel they belong regardless of background or position. To this end, he regularly speaks on his efforts in the international and U.K. conference circuit and trade press, as well as contributing frequently to radio and podcast conversations in both his home country of the U.K. and abroad.

Richardson was recognised by Hotel Designs on their 2020 Brit List as “one of the top 25 hoteliers operating in Great Britain” and Boutique Hotelier magazine has recognised Richardson in their annual Power List as a “Young Trailblazer”, and an “Industry Titan”.

In 2022 Richardson was made an “Honorary Master Innholder” by the Worshipful Company of Innholders and was recognised in the USA produced Global Hospitality Magazine as “one of the 100 Most powerful People in Europe’s travel and Hospitality Industry” in both 2022 and 2023, and in 2024 as “one of the 50 Most Inspirational People in Global Hospitality and Travel”.

Richardson is a trustee for the registered charity “Room to Reward”, a unique volunteer-recognition charity created to say ‘thank you’ to the inspirational volunteers who give up their time to make a difference to those who need it most.