NI Annual Conference - Planning for Prosperity

William Orbinson KC is a King’s Counsel who has specialised for the past 30 years in development planning, energy, infrastructure, minerals, housing, retail, waste management, environmental law, and judicial review. He is a Legal Associate of the RTPI, an Associate of the Planning & Environment Bar Association: the Specialist Bar Association for Planning, Environment and Local Government, and an Affiliate of the Irish Planning Institute. Currently the Chair of the Environmental and Planning Law Association for Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Planning Bar Association, and the PAC Users Group, his publications most recently include ‘Planning Appeals Principles’, 6^th edition 2025, and ‘Planning Judicial Review in Northern Ireland’, 2024, both published through Planning Online.

Roisin Donnelly has been a Member of MAG since 2019. She specialises in Historic Building Conservation, becoming an RIBA Accredited Specialist Conservation Architect in 2011. She is a former SPAB Scholar and has served on the Ulster Architectural Heritage and the RSUA Conservation Committees. Her expertise includes restoration and re-use of historic buildings as well as development proposals for significant or sensitive locations. She is currently a Project Manager with the National Trust responsible for Visitor and Commercial Growth across the region. As secretary of a local Regeneration Forum, she contributes to its management, governance and strategic direction.

Brendan Gallagher is an Associate Director with Global Engineering Consultancy, AtkinsRéalis. With over 20 years industry experience, Brendan has become known for building and delivering integrated Stakeholder Management and Social Impact strategies for complex infrastructure and regeneration projects. Since the introduction of the Social Value policy Brendan also advises organisations on creating meaningful and positive change in communities, focusing on social, economic and environmental outcomes. When not at the day job or spending time with his young family, you’ll probably find Brendan coaching football around the pitches across Belfast.

Suzanne has grown NI Chamber into one of the top performing Chambers in the UK with a strategic focus on skills, infrastructure and trade. Under her leadership, it won British Chambers of Commerce Chamber of the Year in 2024.

Previously, she held significant leadership roles in public services for over 15 years including as Chief Executive to the Jersey Government and prior to that, as Chief Executive of Belfast City Council.

A strong advocate for business innovation, she is passionate about helping Northern Ireland’s economy and the businesses within it to maximise their growth potential. She is deeply embedded in businesses issues, working closely with NI Chamber members and policy makers to establish the optimum conditions for economic growth.

Suzanne is the Chair of Northern Ireland’s convention centre ICC Belfast, and EastSide Partnership, a charity leading the regeneration of east Belfast. She is a member of the Board of Choice Housing, a Council member of Dublin Chamber and sits on the Health & Social Care Transformation Advisory Board. She has been awarded an OBE for services to local government, received an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University where she also completed her MBA and is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Marie is the Belfast Senior Office Partner for Deloitte, leading our amazing 1,300 strong workforce in the city. She has over 20 years’ experience working across a wide variety of public and private sector clients and also leads our work in the Northern Ireland market and our island of Ireland collaboration. Marie’s underpinning skillset is in technology enabled transformation and she leads the Deloitte Technology and Transformation (formerly Consulting) practice in Northern Ireland also. Marie is Vice Chair of CBI, immediate past president of BICC, Chair of Belfast City Region Place Partnership and Council member of NI Chamber. She holds a Masters in Economics from the University of Cambridge and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Queen’s University Belfast. Marie is mother to four children and married to Brian.

Robbie is Head of Planning at Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Council.  He has over 17 years experience working in planning across Scotland, England and Ireland.  He was previously an Associate Director at AECOM in their Belfast office and Head of Development Management and Planning Enforcement at the London Borough of Haringey; the 2024 London RTPI Planning Authority of the year. 

Robbie graduated from the University of Dundee in 2007 with a degree in Town and Regional Planning.  He spent 3 years working in Development Management in East Dunbartonshire on the outskirts of Glasgow followed by Runnymede in Surrey before joining Haringey in 2013.     

Robbie has extensive experience working on complex major planning applications for high profile regeneration projects and service improvement in Development Management and Planning Enforcement. 

Robbie is Junior Vice Chair of the RTPI Northern Ireland Executive Committee.