Appointments to the Board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service:

The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD has appointed/reappointed the following persons as members to the Board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.

Ms Una Clifford is a practicing barrister, and Principal of two HR related businesses, HR Nua Ltd, a human resources advisory business and Onboarding People Ltd, a tech platform for businesses to ensure compliance with behavioural standards. She previously led the HR functions of both Research Ireland (formerly Science Foundation Ireland) and Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. In addition, she has many years’ experience in HR within the private sector in the pharmaceutical, financial services and manufacturing sectors.

A pharmacist by background with over 35 years’ experience in senior leadership roles in the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and blue-chip multinational companies such as Grifols and Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Ltd. Specific specialisation in Governance, Quality and Regulatory Affairs and a history of providing global quality strategic direction and building high performing teams. Now working as consultant providing Quality and Regulatory services to the MedTech and Pharmaceutical sectors both in Ireland and internationally.

Ann spent 18 progressive years at the HPRA and was Medical Devices Director and subsequently Human Products Registration and Licensing Director. During this time she was a member of the Executive Committee. She was responsible for the establishment of the Competent Authority in Ireland for medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic medical devices in 2001. She is a former chair of the EU Medical Devices Compliance and Enforcement Working Group.

Industry roles include Executive Director, Global Quality Operations, Jazz Pharmaceuticals providing global quality leadership in the external manufacturing space with responsibility for Development, Commercial and Quality Control activities. She was a member of the Global Quality Leadership Team and managed a diverse portfolio of products and Team locations. Prior to that Ann was Technical Director at Grifols Worldwide Operations Ltd and was responsible for the establishment of the new global site and was member of the Global Executive Committee.

Currently she is a Board Member of Enterprise Ireland and Chair of the Nocomed Advisory Board

Mr Stephen O’Hare is a qualified barrister and the Executive Director of HIV Ireland, a nationally focused charity for the provision of services and the advancement of rights for people living with and impacted by HIV. Stephen is a member of the Executive Board of the Centre for Pathogen Host Research – UCD (CEPHR), a member of the Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials Network Ireland (IDCTNI) and, since 2023, has chaired the Research & Development Board Subcommittee at the Irish Blood Transfusion Service. He is a former board member of AIDS Action Europe, a former executive board member with the Irish Traveller Movement and was formerly Executive Director of Transgender Equality Network Ireland. He has served in an executive leadership capacity for more than nine years and has over two decades of experience leading research in Ireland’s community and voluntary sector.