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The public appointment of the former Allstate NI managing director was announced on Thursdsay.

Mr Healy has been hailed as “a highly experienced senior executive with 30 years of experience in the technology sector, mostly gained in the financial service industry”.

He has extensive experience in leading global teams, developing strategy and delivering solutions to address business and technology issues.

John Healy has been appointed chair of Invest NI. (PressEye)

He is currently Chair of the Software Alliance, the industry-led representative voice of the £1.7 billion software industry in Northern Ireland.

The Derry native was also the Managing Director of Allstate NI, where he served from January 2016 to December 2022.

Before Allstate, Mr Healy held the position of Service Centre Head for Citi’s near shore technology and operations centre in Belfast.

He serves on several boards including being Chair of the Fellowship Advisory Board at the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building, and is a member of the Council of Ulster University and is on the Board of Business in the Community. He is past-President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce.

John Healy, then managing director of AllState, pictured several years ago with teachers and pupils from Drumachose Primary School, Limavady during a visit by the school to AllState in Springtown Business Park as part of the primary schools Time to Code Programme. DER1919GS-026

In 2020 he was awarded an OBE for services to the economy and last year received the prestigious Digital DNA Global Recognition Award 2023.

The term of appointment of Mr Healy as Chair is for a period of three years from 1 March 2024.

It was announced three months ago that senior Industrial Development Authority (IDA) official Kieran Donoghue would be the new Chief Executive of Invest NI.

Mr. Donoghue has been the Global Head of Strategy, Public Policy & International Financial Services at the IDA, Invest NI’s counterpart in the south.

The Department said that Mr Healy’s appointment has been made “in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland (CPANI)”.

Invest Northern Ireland is the region’s economic development agency, and it was established under the Industrial Development Act (Northern Ireland) 2002.

It’s chief function is to grow the economy, but it has faced fierce criticism in years past from Derry and Strabane elected representatives and others in the north west.

Derry man and former Allstate MD John Healy is new chair of Invest NI