Barry is Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Training Board Northern Ireland (CITB
NI), a role he has held for 15 years. A Chartered Civil Engineer, Barry has held leadership
roles in Cogent Sector Skills Council, National House Building Council (NHBC), and
Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).  Barry started his work journey as an Apprentice
Draughtsman and with the support of his employers and FE/HE sector made his journey to a
Chartered Civil Engineer.
In the King’s Birthday Honours List 2023, Barry was awarded an OBE for services to
economic development, in recognition of his work with government, industry, and
stakeholders within NI and beyond, to promote and deliver training and development within
construction with emphasis on Apprenticeships.
Barry has brought his extensive experience to his work with the NI Skills Council, the
Strategic Advisory Forum for Apprenticeships & Youth Training, as well as the industry-led
Green Skills Delivery Group.

Excalibur Press founder and chief vision officer Tina Calder began her career in journalism where she became an award winning showbiz and business reporter with nearly three decades of a career behind her.
Throughout her journalistic career Tina was not only fascinated by the commercialisation of the media but was an editor and writer of columns and advertising supplements. Tina was also an editor for trade publications in hospitality, property, construction and food and drink among others.
In recent years after founding Excalibur Press, Tina has become a specialist and trainer in sales conversion copywriting as well as thought leadership, brand storytelling, content and marketing strategy. More recently Tina has specialised in supporting and training clients in using AI in their business operations, marketing and copywriting.
Much of Tina's work includes mentoring on a range of government programmes in everything from marketing and digital transformation to communications and specialist areas such as AI, manufacturing, engineering, construction, hospitality and the arts.

Head of Transformation & Innovation at NI Water, where he leads the organisation’s transformation programme. With a focus on innovation, climate resilience, and operational excellence, Mark and the team are delivering initiatives that modernise infrastructure, enhance customer outcomes, and position NI Water as a forward-thinking utility. His leadership blends strategic vision with collaborative execution, enabling the organisation to proactively respond to regulatory reform, environmental challenges, and emerging technologies.

Stephen is responsible for the effective delivery of strategic stakeholder engagement and membership services at Energy & Utility Skills. Leading on the development and delivery of the 2020-25 skills strategy, his focus is on delivering a safe, skilled and sustainable workforce across the power, gas water and waste and recycling industries. Stephen leads on the programme of work for the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership, National Skills Academy for Power, National Skills Academy for Gas and Water Strategy, which encompasses EDI, sector attraction, workforce resilience, and skills & competencies. He has led successful organisational design, competency management and strategic change programmes, holds an MBA, and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

Jonathan has played a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth and development strategy for over two decades.

He leads the company's energy services, corporate affairs and business development divisions and has played an integral role in shaping Phoenix Energy’s pathway to supporting a net zero economy.

Since 2019 Jonathan has worked closely with stakeholders from the energy sector, academia, industry, and government departments to help shape market frameworks that support the development of a Renewable Gas Sector in Northern Ireland. Through his work, he fosters strong relationships with stakeholders, partners and the community underpinning the leading role Phoenix plays in the energy sector in Northern Ireland.

Jill brings over 20 years of expertise in the technology industry, specialising in system implementation and project management for technology solutions and services. In recent years, Jill has shifted focus to academia, researching employability and the development of professional skills in both students and professionals, particularly within the fields of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Recent work as Qualification Director for the OU’s new Artificial Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence degree has deepened Jill’s interest and focus on sustainability within the technology context.

Steph works in a policy and public affairs role, advising on policy developments and shaping external engagement across the Irish energy sector. She delivers strategic policy insight covering renewables and cross-cutting issues across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Before joining SSE, she worked with Energia Group as a Renewable Energy Policy Analyst, building expertise in renewable integration, energy storage, and cross-border market alignment.

Steph is a former U.S. diplomat and has led on economic policy and engagement in Hong Kong and Macau, and supported high-level U.S. delegations.

Stephanie holds an MA in Diplomacy and International Political Economy and recently earned a microcredential in Energy Economics and Policy from the University of Limerick.

Ciaran has been employed for 29 years in the Northern Ireland Further Education sector with responsibility for leading the College Inclusion/Labour Activation provision, Apprenticeship, Business Support functions and Strategic Planning. He is responsible for developing partnerships with industry, academia, statutory agencies and the community & voluntary sector to deliver regional social and economic development initiatives. He currently leads a range of EU funded initiatives supporting inclusion, lifelong learning, green skills development and industrial decarbonisation across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.

An accomplished presenter and journalist, Barra Best has been broadcasting across the airwaves for BBC Northern Ireland for 20 years.

After cutting his teeth as a news and current affairs reporter Barra moved to the weather team in 2010 and remains there today, forecasting the weather and reporting on it when weather becomes the news story.

He has also fronted a number of popular BBC 1 series including ‘Walk The Line’, which charted the lost railways of Northern Ireland, ‘Coast Lives’ which examined the lives of those that live, work, and holiday around our coast, and ‘Barra’s Return of The Wild’ which explored some of our threatened native species and the conservation efforts to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

Claire Scullion, Corporate Communications Manager with NIE Networks and Vice-Chair of the Green Skills Promotional Awareness Lead Group. Claire has over 20 years’ experience in communications with specific interest in issues management, media and strategic communications. Having joined NIE Networks in 2022, Claire oversees the external communications response including advertising campaigns, issues management, emergency preparedness, social media and strategic messaging and leads the external communications team. In 2023 Claire was responsible for the “History Making, Barrier Breaking” recruitment campaign which resulted in over 140,000 user visits to the website, 6000 applications to join the roles available and a further 1400 registering an interest in joining the company. She has also led the external response to Storm Éowyn which caused unprecedented damage to the electricity network resulting in 164,000 calls and 96,000 digital messages to the company. Prior to joining NIE Networks Claire worked as Communications Manager at the Northern Health and Social Care Trust where she had responsibility for issues management, emergency preparedness, social media and public affairs and included leading the external response to the Covid pandemic and the mass vaccination programme.

Helen Donaldson leads GRAHAM’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy, ensuring it underpins the company’s long-term ambitions and meets evolving regulatory and stakeholder expectations. As Group Director of ESG, she provides strategic oversight and governance, championing initiatives that drive sustainability performance and deliver measurable social value. A Fellow Chartered Accountant, Helen joined GRAHAM in 2016 as an Internal Auditor and has since played a key role in strengthening governance and risk management. Working closely with the Executive Team, she is focused on embedding ESG principles into core decision-making and is passionate about advancing the skills and capabilities needed to deliver a more sustainable built environment.

GORDON PARKES, Executive Director - People & Culture, has worked for NIE Networks for 24 years. He has over 40 years’ experience in Human Resources across several organisations and sectors. He is a Board Member of the Board of Trustees of the Grand Opera House Trust and of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. He is currently Chair of the Green Skills Delivery Group and also a member of the Northern Ireland Skills Council established by the Department for the Economy. Since 2013 he has been a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and, in 2019, was awarded Chartered Companion status by the CIPD Board. He holds a Masters in Business Administration, is a member of the Institute of Directors and holds a Diploma in Company Direction (DipIoD). In 2023 he was appointed to the Advisory Board of the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building Fellowship Programme.

Born and raised in Belfast, David is a retired PE, Geography and International Baccalaureate Environmental Systems teacher who has taught internationally in schools around the world. Passionate about experiential student engagement, David has initiated many overseas sustainable service trips for students and adults. Much of his life and work has been in Asia with a focus on combating modern slavery, both in the field and serving on two boards of organisations in Hong Kong and Cambodia.

David enjoyed a career in elite sport, representing UK National League teams in Athletics and Basketball in the UK and Germany. In his first and favourite sport of Rugby, he began with Malone RFC, followed by London Irish, and he then gained representative honours with Ulster and Ireland B.

Recognising that students need to be empowered as change makers in global issues, David supports the development of an experience of education that nurtures self-belief through engagement and challenge. David believes that the power of young people’s energy and passion should be a force for positive change.

David is a Director of Sustainability Education (SusEd) www.sused.org an organisation committed to leading transformational, systemic impact on the world of education, towards a better, more peaceful and more sustainable world.

Claire Whiteside is the Generation Queue Manager at NIE Networks, where she plays a pivotal role in supporting customers through their connection journey and promoting collaboration within the energy sector. A passionate advocate for decarbonisation, Claire finds great reward in helping customers contribute to Northern Ireland’s renewable energy targets.

Claire graduated in 2020 with a Master’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. During her studies, she was awarded a NIE Networks scholarship, which included a bursary, three summer placements, and a year in industry. This early exposure to the energy sector laid a strong foundation of technical knowledge and practical experience, which she has since built upon in her professional career.

Claire brings a customer-focused perspective to the green transition, with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in connecting generation to the grid. Her work is instrumental in enabling a more sustainable and resilient energy future for Northern Ireland.

Clare’s career has always centred around training and education. For nearly 20 years she has been the Regional Project Manager for Skills with Unite the Union.
Clare is passionate about an engaged, progressive and skilled economy and has worked with employers throughout the country to engage their workforce in reskilling and upskilling, assisting in the setup of many workplace skills academies.
Clare is an advocate of collaboration; indeed, she believes it is the key to progress and sustainability.
Clare’s extensive experience of working within the skills delivery systems, various funders, government bodies and running highly successful programmes ‘on a shoestring’, has earned her a seat on various advisory and skills delivery groups. Her various hats include UK Shipbuilding Skills Delivery Group (UKSSDG), NI Skills Council (NISC), Apprenticeships and NISC Green Skills.
Alongside her daughter Shealyn, Clare is the founder & Chair of BraveheartsNI. A 100% volunteer charity supporting teenagers and adults in NI living with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD).
Clare is also an avid traveller, teaches Spin, is a coastal rower and loves to sea swim.

In July 2024, Sorcha Eastwood was elected as the Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley in an historic election, becoming the first ever female and first ever united community MP to serve the constituency.

She currently sits on the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, where she elevates green skills as a major economic opportunity for Northern Ireland.

Before becoming an MP, Sorcha served as an MLA for Lagan Valley from 2022 to 2024, acting as the Alliance Party’s Economy spokesperson, and was first elected as a councillor on Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council in 2019. She previously worked as an Adviser to the former Employment and Learning Minister, Professor Stephen Farry, in 2017.

With a background in business and HR, Sorcha has worked in retail, the health service, manufacturing, and construction before moving into politics.

A vocal advocate for green skills, Sorcha has focused on climate action as a generational opportunity for Northern Ireland to lead in renewable technology and green innovation. She has called for an action plan for net-zero skills, for green skills to be prioritised within training structures, and for urgent reform of the taxation system to support the net-zero transition.

She has also long championed improved apprenticeship pathways, repeatedly calling for reform of the apprenticeship levy both in Stormont and Westminster to unlock potential and expedite growth in green and renewable industries.

During her time as an MLA, Sorcha launched and chaired the All-Party Group on Skills – bringing together politicians, educators, unions, and businesses, with green skills identified as a key inquiry area at the group’s foundation.

Sophie is the driving force behind community engagement and educational strategy at Heat Engineer Software. With a passion for nurturing sector-wide collaboration and building skills pathways, she bridges the gap between technical innovation and professional development.

As Community & Education Manager, Sophie spearheads initiatives that strengthen industry connections—from partnerships with academic institutions to empowering the next generation of heating engineers. Her work extends beyond internal strategy, reaching public forums and events where she highlights the importance of accessible, high‑quality learning and inclusive outreach.

Ian Snowden is the Permanent Secretary of the Department for the Economy. He took up the position on 8 December 2023. Ian has worked in the Northern Ireland Civil Service for 31 years. Prior to joining the Department for the Economy, he had been Chief Executive of Land & Property Services for five years, where he was responsible for Land Registers of Northern Ireland, Ordnance Survey NI, Valuation Services, rating policy and the collection of business and domestic rates. During the pandemic, he led on the delivery of a major package of rate reliefs and grants for businesses affected by the restrictions to control the virus which provided £1.25 billion in support for the local economy. He has also worked on creating a register of all land and property owned by Northern Ireland departments and arms’ length bodies and a new approach to asset management.
Before joining LPS, Ian worked the Department for Communities as Head of the Engaged Communities Group, where he was responsible for a wide portfolio that included arts, culture, language policy, sport, museums, libraries, built heritage, community development, community based regeneration and social inclusion policy. In DfC and the former Department for Social Development, he also worked for almost 18 years in Housing and Urban , working in some of Northern Ireland’s most disadvantaged and segregated communities, including West Belfast and Londonderry.
Since 2015 Ian has led the co-ordination of Northern Ireland’s response to the immediate and longer-term needs of Syrian, Afghan and Ukrainian refugees being resettled in Northern Ireland. To date, 1,900 Syrians, over 100 Afghans and 3,000 Ukrainians have been successfully supported into new lives here.

Professor Neil Hewitt, Professor of Energy and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies at Ulster University, is a Chartered Physicist and Chartered Engineer. An expert in heat pumps and sustainable energy, his UK and EU-funded research is advancing low-carbon innovation and shaping the skills needed to achieve net-zero targets.

John Barry is a father, a political activist, recovering politician, trades unionist and Professor of Green Political Economy in the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action at Queens University Belfast.

What keeps him awake at night is the life opportunities and future wellbeing of his and other children in this age of the planetary emergency and intersecting social and economic injustices within and between countries. What also keeps him awake at night is the following question: why it is easier for most people to believe in the end of the world than the end of capitalism and economic growth?

His areas of academic-activist research include post-growth and heterodox political economy; decarbonisation and decolonisation; the politics, policy and political economy of climate breakdown and climate resilience; socio-technical analyses of low carbon just energy and sustainability transitions; climate injustice-based nonviolent direct action and social mobilisation; and the overlap between conflict transformation and these sustainability and energy transformations.
His forthcoming book is provisionally entitled, Practicing What You Teach: Anti-Capitalist and Post-Growth Tales of Failing (Forward) from the Molehills of Power and Disciplinary Margins.

Mal O’Hara is the Leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland and a former Irish Senator, Belfast City Councillor, and Harbour Commissioner. A recognised advocate for social and environmental justice, he previously served as Vice-Chair of the Equal Marriage Campaign in Northern Ireland.
With extensive experience in the voluntary sector, Mal served on the board of a suicide prevention charity in North Belfast for eight years and a regional mental health charity for four years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he established a community food project that delivered more than 17,000 meals to vulnerable households across North and West Belfast.
In local government, he led the creation of Belfast City Council’s Climate Unit, setting the council on a path to net-zero. He has campaigned on air pollution, expanded access to leisure services for asylum seekers and refugees, and is a leading voice for progressive drug reform.
Born and raised in North Belfast, Mal lives there with his husband and nephew.