Limavady woman receives royal honour

One of eight children, she was educated at Termoncanice Primary School and Limavady Grammar School. She told the Sentinel she was “delighted” to be given such a prestigious acknowledgement of her work: “I am really delighted. The thing about it is, you don’t know who nominated you, so it comes to you as a surprise. It wasn’t anybody around me I don’t think. It’s somebody I’ve worked with over the years. The thing about it is, you find out you have been nominated, are asked if you will accept it, and then you are left with your fingers crossed for five weeks!”

Ann is a Queen’s University graduate of Economic History and Political Science and also obtained an MA in Marketing at the University of Ulster.

She currently heads up the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, where she was appointed the Chamber’s first female Chief Executive in 2008.

Prior to this, Ann was Chief Executive of Enterprise NI - the network of local enterprise agencies and a director with Business in the Community. She commenced her career in the private sector working in production/materials management with Roche Manufacturing, Schering Plough and Bird’s General Foods before moving into local economic development with the Local Enterprise Agency network specialising in small business development and support.

The local woman is a current member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Fellow of the Institute of Business Consulting. In November 2011, she was honoured to win the Best Senior Marketing Professional in Northern Ireland at the Chartered Institute of Marketing Awards Ireland and an Award for Outstanding Management/Leadership at the Irish News - Women in Business Awards also in November 2011.

Speaking about the MBE award, Mark Nodder, President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Managing Director of the Wright Group said: “The Board and Staff of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce were delighted to learn that Ann is to be awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. The award is a fitting recognition of the unique contribution which Ann has made to economic development in Northern Ireland and the development of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce into a first class business organisation.”

Ann was surprised and delighted by the award and is especially pleased to share it with her husband Paul and daughters Amanda and Sarah. She said: “My parents who encouraged and supported would have been very proud.”