About Us
The Northern Ireland branch was established in 1934 and comprises members who work in the private, public and voluntary and community sectors. The branch promotes the highest standards in Chartered Secretaryship and represents and supports the profession. In furtherance of this objective, the branch committee organises a mixture of professional and social events which take place throughout the year.
The branch has a close relationship with the University of Ulster. Students who successfully complete the Postgraduate Diploma/MSc in Management and Corporate Governance can become graduate members of the Institute.
The committee encourages all members to attend events and assures new members of a warm welcome.
Upcoming events
Our branches offer a variety of events to support your professional development at every stage of your career. Whether you to want brush up on your knowledge and skills, network with peers or add to your CPD, we run sessions on a variety of topics and in a variety of formats, with contributions from experts and guest speakers across the governance community.
Event
Subsidiary Governance Conference 2025
This year, the Chartered Governance Institute’s Subsidiary Governance Conference is back to explore the evolving landscape currently impacting parent and subsidiary companies. By investigating a range of geopolitical, economic, legal and regulatory issues, this event aims to better equip participants with the knowledge and strategies needed to navigate these complex governance challenges.
Annual Conference
Governance 2025
*******Governance 2025 Sold Out*******
Join us at our 2025 Annual Conference, ‘Navigating Governance: Adapting to an Evolving World’ on 1st and 2nd July at the Novotel Hammersmith West in London. Hundreds of governance professionals and expert speakers in London for two days of insight, discussions on best practice and debate.
The CGI Annual Conference – Governance 2025 is the ideal environment to network governance professionals from across the UK and beyond.
Prices will start from £250 with discounted rates available for CGI Members and Students.
Latest Blogs
Blog
The Institute's Response to the UK Stewardship Code Consultation
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has finished consulting on its proposed changes to the Code. The UK Stewardship Code sets a standard for how investors manage their responsibilities and aims to ensure that investment decisions drive long-term value and create positive societal outcomes.
Meet the team
The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland maintains a presence in Northern Ireland through its local branch committee. The local branch strives to enhance the presence of the Institute within Northern Ireland, to support members and students throughout their careers and study programmes, as qualified or aspiring governance professionals. If you are interested in joining the committee, please contact us.
Branch Chair
Anthony Irvine
Anthony is a Corporate Governance professional with over 10 years of senior management experience across multiple industries including automotive, contact centre, telecommunications, government contracts, NGO, FMCG, and IT.
Educated to Masters level with a MSc in Management and Corporate Governance, and BSc in Management and Leadership Development both from the Ulster University.
Council Member (Former Chair)
Hugh Ó Dreáin
[Member bio]
Student Champion
Josh Finlay
Having graduated from the MSc Management and Corporate Governance course in September 2018, Josh joined now named Ocorian Administration (UK) Limited, a Corporate Service Provider and has experienced working with and providing company secretarial services to listed and unlisted, onshore and offshore, funds.
Events secretary
Holly Tierney
Holly is a Junior Company Secretary at Ocorian Administration (UK) Limited and has experience of working in both the financial services industry and the public sector. Holly currently has responsible for providing corporate secretarial and corporate governance services to listed and private equity funds.
Treasurer
Krupa Balakrishna
Krupa always knew she belonged to Governance, her first steps in governance started as a company secretarial assistant in a firm of company secretaries in India. Passion for governance lead her to completing the Msc Management Corporate Governance post which she worked with Axiom Managed Solutions as a Analyst, Legal Entity Management. Krupa Believes that governance is not restricted to only conventional perception of entity management, she is currently working in as a funding analyst in Citi, Belfast which she thoroughly enjoys.
Social Media Champion
James Fennings
James has more than three years of experience working in Professional Services/Financial Services with listed companies, Investment Trusts and REITs. He is currently providing Company Secretarial services to a Tier 1 Investment Bank Client.
Council Member (Former Chair)
Geoffrey Jordan
Geoffrey is Group Company Secretary of W&R Barnett Limited a holding company of a diversified group of international commodity trading, storage, agribusiness and industrial companies and one of Northern Ireland’s Top 100 Companies. The group has grown from its origins as a grain merchant and expanded its operations to include a wide variety of enterprises including dry bulk commodities, derivatives, molasses, oils, feed mills, corrugated packaging, laboratory testing and storage both in Ireland and worldwide. Geoffrey was appointed Company Secretary in 2001 and has been involved with the Group during this period of sustained growth. He is a former Chair of the Chartered Governance Institute in Northern Ireland.
Council Member
Adrian Kelly
Adrian began his career as a Company Secretary within the investment funds industry in Dublin in 2013, before returning to Belfast in 2014 and commencing a role with Ulster Bank as a Corporate Governance Consultant and progressed to the role of Risk Governance Manager. This role involved providing secretarial support and governance advice to the Board Risk Committee and the Executive Risk Committee within the bank.
More recently Adrian has returned to working in Dublin taking a role with Allied Irish Banks (AIB) as a Corporate Governance Manager, again with a particular focus on Risk Governance and working closely with the risk function of the Group and the Board Risk Committee.
Contact the NI branch
For membership and study enquiries please contact the student and membership team:
For branch support and event queries please contact the branch support team: