Past Presidents
With a 240 year history, NI Chamber has been at the epicenter of innovation and enterprise since 1783. Our founders and past presidents were some of Northern Ireland’s finest innovators, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
Today, the role of President is an honour assumed by leading local business people. It’s been held by senior figures from right across Northern Ireland, working in all sectors our economy.
Gillian McAuley
President 2022
Paul Murnaghan
President 2021
Ian Henry
President 2020
John Healy OBE
President 2019 – 2020
Ellvena Graham OBE
President 2017 -2018
Nick Coburn CBE
President 2016
Stephen McCully
President 2015
Kevin Kingston
President 2014 -2015
Mark Nodder OBE
President 2012 – 2013
Francis Martin CBE
President 2010 -2011
Dr Bro McFerran CBE
President 2008 -2009
Dr Mark Sweeney OBE
President 2006 -2007
Lord Rana MBE
President 2004-2005
Mike Mills OBE
President 2003
Victor Haslett CBE
President 2002
Timothy Quin
President 2001
Thomas Rodgers
President 2000
Owen Lamont
President 1999
Stephen L Kingon
President 1998
R J Colin Anderson OBE
President 1996 – 1997
Denis Galway
President 1995
Patrick Murphy
President 1994
William McGinnis DL
President 1993
Noel Stewart
President 1992
J Desmond Smyth
President 1991
Dr W Ben Wilson
President 1990
Dr William Hastings OBE JP
President 1989
Capt OWJ Henderson OBE DL
President 1988
T Roy Neill
President 1987
Ronald M Gibson
President 1986
Michael W S Maclaran
President 1985
John A Stringer
President 1984
Robert T Jordan MBE
President 1983
Sir Myles Humphreys JP
President 1982
John R Fetherston
President 1981
R Brumwell Henderson CBE
President 1980
Dr George Chambers
President 1979
Stanley Craigs OBE
President 1978
A James Beale
President 1977
Andrew B Copnall
President 1976
Robert D Rolston CBE
President 1975
Sir Ivan Ewart Bart DSC JP
President 1974
Erik E Utitz OBE JP
President 1973
H Maurice Gabbey
President 1972
Raymond E Thompson
President 1971
James A Rodgers JP
President 1970
Henry S Corscadden
President 1969
J Allan Gray
President 1968
G Henry Dunlop
President 1967
R Norman Crawford
President 1966
Irene Calvert
President 1965
George B Howden CBE
President 1964
David Andrews OBE JP
President 1963
A Thomas Robinson JP
President 1962
Robert McD Coulter
President 1961
E Mayne Reid
President 1960
J Elliott Forde CBE DL
President 1959
Sir James Norritt DL JP
President 1958
Sir Graham Larmor
President 1957
Robert H Murphy OBE
President 1956
Victor F Clarendon
President 1955
Sir Robert M T McConnell Bart VRD
President 1954
Senator Herbert Quinn CBE
President 1952 – 1953
Col L Sydney Henshall DSO
President 1951
Col Samuel G Haughton DL
President 1950
Sir Frederick E Rebbeck DSc DL
President 1949
RT Hon Sir Harry G H Mulholland Bart OL
President 1948
Richard de B Chamberlain
President 1947
Archibald Scott
President 1946
Sir Walter Smiles CIE DSO MP
President 1945
Arthur F Shillington
President 1944
Sir Thomas W McMullan
President 1943
Charles S Neill
President 1942
John G Michaels
President 1941
Frank N Cooke
President 1940
LT Col Cecil Lindsay DL
President 1939
Capt D Cecil Lindsay DL
President 1938
Sir Joseph McConnell Bart DL MP
President 1937
RT Hon John M Andrews DL MP
President 1936
Robert P C Gotto OBE
President 1935
Andrew C Marshall
President 1934
Henry H Stewart
President 1933
David D Reid DL MP
President 1932
Thomas Somerset MP
President 1931
Malcolm Gordon
President 1930
RT Hon Sir Edward M Archdale Bart DL MP
President 1929
Frank Anderson MBE
President 1928
Hugh L M’Cready
President 1927
John E Wellwood
President 1926
Robert B Henry
President 1925
Sir Samuel Kelly CBE
President 1924
Sir William F Coates Bart DL
President 1923
W Hubert Webb DL
President 1922
William McMullan
President 1921
7th Marquis of Londonderry KG
President 1920
Hugh L Garrett
President 1919
Hugh M Pollock DL
President 1917 – 1918
James H Stirling
President 1916
Samuel C Davidson
President 1915
R Ernest Herdman DL
President 1914
G Herbert Ewart
President 1913
Robert A Mitchell
President 1912
J Milne Barbour DL
President 1911
John Rogers
President 1910
George S Clark MP
President 1909
Sir Charles H Brett
President 1908
9th Earl of Shaftesbury KCVO
President 1907
Robert H S Reade DL
President 1906
Alexander Cooke
President 1905
Walter H Wilson
President 1904
James Wilson
President 1903
RT Hon Thomas Sinclair DL
President 1902
Robert Thompson
President 1901
William Crawford
President 1900
Frederick L Heyn
President 1899
Gustav W Wolff MP
President 1898
R Kyle Knox
President 1897
6th Marquis of Londonderry KG
President 1896
Sir R Lloyd Patterson DL
President 1895
Herbert O Lanyon
President 1894
John Greenhill
President 1893
David B Lytle
President 1892
William C Mitchell
President 1891
Adam Duffin
President 1890
Charles C Connor MP
President 1889
Sir William Q Ewart Bart DL
President 1888
Francis D Ward
President 1887
J Theodore Richardson
President 1886
Robert Megaw
President 1885
Sir E P Cowan HML
President 1884
John Jaffe
President 1883
Sir James P Corry Bart MP
President 1882
Robert H Reade DL
President 1881
R Lloyd Patterson DL
President 1880
RT Hon John Young DL
President 1879
Alexander Johns
President 1878
Sir James Musgrave Bart DL
President 1877
RT Hon Thomas Sinclair DL
President 1876
Thomas Valentine
President 1875
Elias H Thompson
President 1874
Sir John Preston
President 1873
Alexander Johns
President 1872
William Spotten
President 1871
Sir James Hamilton
President 1870
Finlay M’Cance
President 1869
Sir Edward Coey DL
President 1868
John Lytle
President 1867
Charles Duffin
President 1866
James MaCauley
President 1865
Robert Henderson
President 1864
Sir William Ewart Bart MP
President 1863
Thomas Sinclair
President 1862
John Hind
President 1861
John Herdman
President 1860
James Bristow
President 1859
Sir Thomas M’Clure Bart VL MP
President 1858
Robert Grimshaw DL
President 1857
John Thompson DL
President 1856
James Bristow
President 1855
James Kennedy
President 1854
William Valentine
President 1853
William Coates DL
President 1852
John F Ferguson DL
President 1851
James Steen
President 1850
James Bristow
President 1849
Robert McDowell
President 1843 – 1848
William Boyd
President 1835 – 1842
Robert Callwell
President 1834
William Boyd
President 1833
John S Ferguson
President 1821 – 1832
Narcissus Batt
President 1820
Robert Bradshaw
President 1807 – 1819
William Sinclaire
President 1804 – 1806
Hugh Montgomery
President 1802 – 1803
Alexander Orr
President 1791 – 1794
Waddell Cunningham
President 1783 – 1790
