Dr Jackie Witherow is a senior leader with over twenty years’ experience across the public, private and voluntary sectors, specialising in strategic leadership, policy development, human rights, equality and cultural identity. She is the Founder and Managing Director of Witherow Consultancy, where she advises organisations on leadership, research, strategy, governance and communications.
Jackie currently serves as a Board Member of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression, providing strategic leadership and governance oversight to support its statutory remit to promote cultural pluralism, social cohesion and respect for diversity.
She previously held senior roles at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), including Director of UK Nations and Country Director for Northern Ireland. In these positions she led multi jurisdictional strategic planning, research, policy development, public affairs and service innovation, influencing government policy on equality, accessibility, health reform and public realm design.
Her governance experience includes serving as a Non Executive Director and Chair of the Finance and General Purposes Committee at the Community Relations Council.
Earlier in her career she led policy development at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, managed research programmes and shaped evidence based policy. She also directed a social research consultancy commissioned by government departments, local councils and Queen’s University Belfast, producing published academic work and presenting at national and international conferences.
Jackie holds a PhD from Queen’s University Belfast, a Master’s degree from the University of Salford and a Bachelor’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast.
Jackie has been appointed as a Commissioner for a three-year term, commencing on 1 September 2026.