A Northern Ireland business leader who has been at the heart of the Brexit debate has been appointed as head of the Northern Ireland Executive’s office in Brussels.
Aodhán Connolly, who until recently represented major supermarkets and retailers as head of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC), takes up his role at a crucial time for the province as negotiations continue between the UK and European Union around the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Up until now he has been putting forward the case for the businesses which the NIRC represent in an effort to keep the flow of goods flowing between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He was also instrumental is bringing retailers from across the spectrum together during the Covid-19 lockdown to share resource and ensure food and other essential products remained available.
In his new role Mr Connolly will be at the heart of the lobbying effort by Stormont with EU ministers as the debate around the protocol rumbles on, as well as promoting Northern Ireland as a region.
“A big part of the role is shouting about the fantastic offer we have here of people, business, tech, arts and much more,” he said on Twitter. “We have a lot to be proud of and I'm very proud to be able to tell that story and open doors for people to see for themselves!”
Known for his distinctive hat – referred to as the Brex-hat – Mr Connolly has appeared regularly on local and national media and spent many hours briefing EU, Westminster and Stormont ministers.
