Mrs Craig, who is currently NI Regional Director for Common Purpose, will take up the position in January. Her primary responsibility will be to foster a partnership with the building’s Operator to promote and manage this Iconic visitor attraction. Construction for Titanic Belfast is currently well underway with the ambitious visitor attraction on track to open in 2012, in time to mark the 100th anniversary of the RMS Titanic’s tragic maiden voyage. It is likely that an Operator will be appointed in December.
On accepting this appointment Cliodhna commented, “It is a great honour to accept this position. The Titanic brand is such an integral part of our maritime and industrial heritage and it’s a privilege to be part of it. Titanic Belfast will be a flagship destination, demonstrating that Belfast is once again at the cutting edge of innovation. The building will be iconic in design and home to a world-class exhibition on the site of the shipyard where the great ocean liner was built. It will inform, inspire and entertain the many thousands of visitors every year who walk through its doors.”
Jonathan Hegan, Chairman of the Foundation has stated that “the Trustees are delighted with this appointment. Cliodhna has a strong track record in leadership and marketing having worked with a number of big brands over the last number of years. She is also well placed to deliver the broader mission of the Foundation, to educate the public about Belfast’s maritime heritage through the story of RMS Titanic. This will mainly be done through outreach programmes to inspire a new generation to become truly ‘titanic’ thinkers.”
Prior to working at Common Purpose, Cliodhna spent 10 years in the private sector working with Bass Beers Worldwide in Canada, Coca-Cola in NI, and Pernod Ricard in Ireland as Head of Trade Marketing. She has also successfully managed her own Business Mentoring company where she worked with SMEs and the Education sector. Cliodhna is a graduate of the University of Ulster and has studied leadership at Harvard.