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).

Colin McMinn

Chair

My name is Colin McMinn.   I joined the MindWise Board of Trustees two years ago and was appointed as Chair in 2023. 

I live with my wife Jillian at the Maze just outside Hillsborough. We have two grown-up children, and three beautiful granddaughters, who love to come to our house for sleepovers! 

I retired from the Civil Service over 4 years ago, having spent most of my career in the Department of Health.  For many years I worked in the areas of learning disability, physical disability and mental health policy. I was privileged to be invited to join an international team of experts to advise the authorities in the Czech Republic on disability policy, particularly social inclusion, prior to it joining the EU in 2004.  Latterly I was responsible for overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability.  I also led on the introduction of talking therapies. In addition I worked with Health and Social Care Trusts to provide modern psychiatric facilities for those who need inpatient care. 

I love cars and have been to the Geneva Motor Show.  I also enjoy walking – the Granite Trail in Newcastle and Divis Mountain being my favourites.  Last year we walked to Cuilcagh Mountain in Fermanagh and climbed up the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ to its viewpoint.  We also like to travel, with Uganda and Israel being among the more unusual places we have visited. 

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. 

Teresa Majury

Trustee

I joined the MindWise Board of Trustees in March 2022.  As a carer, I have lived experience of looking after a loved one with complex mental health issues as well as experiencing anxiety and depression myself.  I am passionate about erasing the stigma and discrimination around mental illness and giving a voice to the most vulnerable in our society.  I enjoy reading and crafting especially knitting and punch needling which I find very therapeutic. I’m an enthusiastic amateur gardener and the reemergence of my perennials every Spring always boosts my mood. 

Janet McClinton

Trustee

My name is Janet McClinton and I am a current member of the Board of Trustees. I qualified as a social worker (University of East Anglia) in 1981, working in Norwich before coming back to Northern Ireland  to work for the Probation Board for Northern Ireland. I currently manage a busy staff team including the preparation of court papers and attendances, supporting victims and managing offenders. I'm married with one grown-up son and I love reading, walking (I recently completed part of the Camino de Santiago, some 200 miles) and visiting local historical sites within the island of Ireland and abroad.

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!  

Oscar Donnelly

Trustee

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.

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.