Our Board

Philip brings nearly 40 years of expertise as a psychiatrist to his role as Chair of Threshold. Educated at Queen’s University, Dr. McGarry served as Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland from 2009 to 2013, and has authored numerous articles on mental health. In 2021 he was awarded the OBE for his services to Mental Health in N Ireland.

His commitment to psychosocial approaches in mental health care is evident in his status as the only accredited Trainer in Ireland for Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT).

Anthony is a retired senior Northern Ireland Civil Servant and Permanent Secretary. A Chartered Certified Accountant, Anthony held various Director positions  across government departments, where he also served as Chief Executive of the NI Courts and Tribunal Service. He served as Global President of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and chaired the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (CCAB). 

Tony is Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, and Partner at PwC. He has 35 years experience across a variety of sectors including charities and not for profit organisations. 

Tony has experience in the areas of audit and governance, accounting and compliance, finance, technology and transformation. Tony is currently the leader for PwC’s national finance and compliance managed service business. Tony began his career as a trainee auditor in a Belfast and has long standing connections to Threshold.

Jim is an Emeritus Full Professor of Social Work at the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, with a career that bridges academia and practical experience. His tenure includes serving as a Professor of Social Work at both Goldsmiths, University of London, and Queen’s University Belfast. 

Jim began his career as a mental health social worker before teaching and researching at Queens University Belfast for twenty years. He was then appointed as Professor of Social Work at both Goldsmiths, University of London and latterly University College Dublin. Jim is currently Emeritus Full Professor of Social Work with interests in mental health social work, policy and the law, and the relationships between social work and political conflict. 

Catriona Loughran is an experienced tax professional and the founder of ExtraTax Training. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, holding both the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and Advanced Diploma in International Tax (ADIT) qualifications. Catriona completed the Boardroom Apprentice programme in 2020.

Joe is a clinical researcher and psychiatrist specialising in the mental health of older people. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed scientific articles and has contributed to several respected journals as a peer reviewer. He serves on the scientific committee to both the Alzheimer’s Association International Congress and the International Lewy Body Dementia Congress.

Mr. Colin Hughes is an expert in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with a specialised interest in self-harm and personality disorders. He is an accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, recognised by the British Association of Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists (BABCP). He holds the position of Honorary Secretary for the BABCP and Chair for the Irish Association for Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (IABCP).

Colin provides expert consultancy in CBT for self-harm and personality disorders and  has co-authored the book CBT for Mild to Moderate Depression and Anxiety: A Guide to Low-Intensity Interventions.

Ms. Jennifer Connolly, a Queen's University Belfast graduate is a former Barrister and dual qualified practising Solicitor with extensive experience. She has acted as Senior Legal Counsel to a number of corporates and has expertise in commercial law, litigation, insurance and regulatory matters.