Deirdre Toner and Mark Mitchell have been appointed for a four-year term until 24 February 2030.

Mrs Toner has over 35 years of experience as a senior leader, leading organisations in public sector, health and justice sector, and 25 years of chair and board member experience in health trusts, regulatory bodies, policing, mental health, health inequality and rights based organisations.

As a graduate/postgraduate in public policy and human rights law, she has a keen interest in supporting organisations that promote good governance, public accountability and improving life chances.

Mrs Toner lives in Newry near her grown-up family and volunteers locally with bodies representing vulnerable groups.

Her other appointments including chairing the Civil Service Commission NI and serving as an independent panel member with the General Optical Council.

Mr Mitchell is a former managing director with strong governance, operational, and commercial acumen. He has over 30 years’ experience at board level across manufacturing, engineering, food production and international operations.

He has served on executive boards in businesses across the UK, Ireland, Asia and the Middle East, contributed to high-level strategy, risk oversight, investment decisions and stakeholder governance.

He has worked closely with shareholders, parent companies and group boards to align operations with long-term corporate strategy and led international expansions, factory openings, and performance turnarounds.

He is recognised for mentoring emerging leaders, fostering effective teams and building resilient organisational cultures.

He is a former director of British Expertise, promoting UK industry and services abroad — offering valuable insight into governance, diplomacy and policy influence.

Mr Mitchell is currently engaged as an associate with McWilliams Associates, providing leadership and management training across the private sector and in local government. He is also a non-executive director on the board of Cunningham Covers Ltd in Maghera.