MindWise Senior Management and Trustees

Anne Doherty

Chief Executive

Anne’s passion over the past 30 years lies with mental health and wellbeing from early intervention and prevention perspectives. Initially qualifying as a Graphic Designer, from the National College of Art and Design Dublin, 1989, she developed a number of initiatives with RTE, National Museum of Art and Design and Collaboration North while also supporting young people at risk through arts initiatives with St John of God, FAS and subsequently back home in Belfast with Voluntary Services Belfast and the National Schizophrenia Fellowship.  

The voluntary sector appeals to her values and ethos which has resulted in her contributing to the growth and development of a number of small – medium sized 3^rd sector organisations not least MindWise, were she holds the position of Chief Executive.  In addition to her role in MindWise  Anne is an actively participating Trustee of Mental Health UK, mentalhealth-uk.org and a Trustee of the Human Health Project, humanhealthproject.org.

Anne believes the key to success is the partnerships she has formed with the people she works for and with – most importantly the working relationships formed with those directly affected by mental health needs.

Committed to life-long learning and reflective practice she holds a number of health care leadership and management qualifications including but not least a MBA, Life, Executive, Mental Health and Wellbeing Coach and Coach Supervisor and is currently studying towards a Masters in Trauma Studies. She has been instrumental in integrating Coaching into health care practice across disciplines and at all levels and more recently was awarded a Coaching Hero Award by the Minister for Health Republic of Ireland. Anne has also recently been nominated and shortlisted for CO3’s Leading on Organisational Change Award.

Anne actively sits on the NI Personality Disorder Network; The NI Forensic Care Managed Network Advisory Board; The Interdepartmental Board (NICCY Spotlight).

Jayne Wright

Director of People

Jayne started her career as Accounts Assistant with Royal Insurance (later to merge with Sun Alliance to become Royal Sun Alliance). She quickly moved into HR gaining experience and development in a variety of HR disciplines and roles. Jayne then headed up the RSA HR function for Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

She joined MindWise in 2014 as our HR Director, and has been instrumental in MindWise gaining Investors in People Gold. Jayne is a Fellow Member of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel Development), holding an L7 Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Management. She loves to spend time with her family and going on long walks with her dog.

Siobhan Weiniger

Director of Finance

Siobhan joined MindWise in September 2016 as Director of Finance. She is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and holds a BSc Accounting (Hons) and the IOD Certificate in Company Direction. Having worked within the private, public sector and voluntary sectors, Siobhan’s main experience has been within the latter, and she has over twenty years’ experience of providing financial and corporate services support to local charities.

In her free time Siobhan enjoys family time, travelling, reading and learning the tin whistle.

Stephen Potter

Director of Operations

Stephen joined MindWise in November 2022 as Director of Operations. Stephen is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management and a qualified Social Work Practice Teacher. Stephen has worked in the voluntary sector since 2002 in both Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland. Stephen holds bachelor’s degrees in Divinity and Social Work as well as having completed post-graduate study in Social Work Professional Development, Applied Social Studies for Strategy & Leadership and a Masters degree in Philosophy.

Stephen is currently working toward gaining CIPD accreditation and completing an MSc in Executive Leadership. Stephen’s specific areas of interest include leadership development and promoting enabling & psychologically informed environments. In his free time Stephen enjoys reading, cinema and walking Bonzo (the dog).

Oscar Donnelly

Chair

Oscar is a professional advisor on mental health to the Department of Health. He led a number of co-production groups in the development of policy advice, to inform the Northern Ireland Mental Health Strategy, 2021- 2031.

Oscar held the position of Director of Mental Health and Disability Services in the NHSCT from April 2007 until June 2020.  Prior to this, he was appointed Director of Mental Health Services in the legacy Homefirst Community Trust in 2004, having previously worked in Learning Disability Services in the legacy North and West Belfast Community Trust.

In 2019 Oscar was granted a fellowship by the Churchill Foundation to study mental health providers in the USA and Australia who had adopted Zero Suicide approaches to patient care. Oscar established and chaired the Towards Zero Suicide Collaborative Board for Northern Ireland from 2018 - 2022.

Oscar volunteers on the MindWise Mental Health Charity Board, the Glencraig Community Management Council, and the Kilcreggan Homes and Urban Farm Management Council.

Catherine Colleary

Trustee

I joined Mindwise as a Trustee in summer 2020 and am looking forward to getting involved in the role and making a contribution to the organisation.

I am a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Adviser and having worked previously in a large corporate organisation I now run my own business. I enjoy the flexibility that this gives me.

I grew up by the sea and love to escape back to the coast. I enjoy walking, have recently taken up golf and am still kept busy by my two teenage children. 

Denise McCartan

Trustee

I have been on the Board of Trustees since 2022. I am a Clinical Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and Chartered with the British Psychological Society. I have a PhD in neuropsychology and psychopharmacology and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I have an interest in family issues and have associated publications. I work as an independent practitioner and have been writing Court reports since 2007.

I have 3 wonderful grown-up daughters and really enjoy reading and walking, particularly in the Mournes and by the beach. I am also trying to learn how to speak French.

Emma-Rose Duffy

Trustee

My name is Emma-Rose Duffy and I joined the board in 2022. I am Solicitor currently working in the area of children’s rights and I also have experience in the areas of conveyancing and criminal law. My current work involves dealing with vulnerable children and their families who suffer with mental health issues, trauma and/or a disability.  

As a student I participated in the Study USA programme 2012/13 where I studied Business, Criminal Justice and Forensic Science at Centenary College New Jersey. In my final year at QUB I also travelled to Los Angeles to intern at the Los Angeles Federal and State Courts. I spent several weeks observing in Edmund D Edelman Children’s Dependency Court which was designed and built to be a child sensitive courthouse. Gaining first-hand experience of such a unique set up further ignited my passion to help improve the court system for child witnesses in NI. Upon my return from LA, I became a volunteer for the NSPCC’s ‘Young Witness Service’. I also applied to complete a Masters in Children’s Rights. My dissertation, entitled ‘Teddy Bears in Court’ compared the NI and LA court systems and argued for more child friendly court rooms to be built in NI. This is something which I hope to be able to implement in NI in the future. 

My experiences and employment thus far have involved dealing with various people from all walks of life and backgrounds and it has given me a passion to help those in need and ensure the most vulnerable people have their voices heard. On my first day at QUB I found a ring which had the phrase “Be the change you wish to see in the world” engraved on it and that it the motto I try to adhere to. 

Outside of work I love baking, travelling, attending concerts and the theatre with my friends and family!  

Fiona Rooney

Trustee

I have been on the Board of Trustees since 2023. I am a Regulatory Manager with the Utility Regulator. Prior to joining the Utility Regulator, I worked in the market research industry for nearly 30 years. I worked on a range of research projects but am most proud of directing the single largest piece of social research ever in Northern Ireland, this was the NICOLA study (The Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study on Aging) and tracks the health, wealth and happiness of thousands of over 50s in Northern Ireland. 

I have a B.Sc. in Applied Psychology and an M.Res. in Social Research Methods.

I am married and have three wonderful children. We love to go to Spain on holiday and I have recently been trying to relearn Spanish after studying it at school many, many years ago.  I enjoy listening to music and podcasts and when I can, I enjoy reading.