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Who We Are

The principal partner in Avonbeg Consulting with expertise in the Marine sector is Donal Maguire. The principal partner with expertise in both Further and Higher Education is Terry Maguire PhD. We also have a strong network of subsidiary partners with specialist expertise who can be called in to assist on a project by project basis.

Donal Maguire

Contributions to the Seafood Sector

With a successful 40-year history in management across the seafood sector, nationally and internationally, Donal can bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to bear on any challenge he is asked to help with.

Just recently retired, after serving at Service Director level for 23 years from the senior leadership team of BIM, (Ireland’s Seafood Development State Agency) and with long service in the salmon farming industry in Scotland and Ireland before that, Donal has a very broad skill-set backed up by lots of energy, determination and hard-won common sense.

Managing Director and General Manager of a number of successful and profitable Scottish salmon farming companies between 1983 and 1997.

Awarded the Charles Ross Memorial Nuffield Scholarship for Aquaculture in 1988 in Scotland

Represented the Salmon Farmers of the Western Isles of Scotland on the Scottish National Farmers Union from 1989 to 1994

Established and served as Chairman of the Island of Ireland Cross-Border Aquaculture Initiative EEIG from 1999 until 2020

Oversaw the development and introduction of national quality assurance standards, including organic certification for aquaculture products from 1997 to 2020, including acting as chair of the oversight committee.

Established and served as Chairman of the all-island Bottom Grown Mussel Consultative Forum from 2007 until 2020

Established and served as Chairman of the Coordinated Local Aquaculture Management System (CLAMS) initiative from 1999 until 2020, including the introduction and oversight of the ‘Ecopact’ Environmental Management System and the Strategic Unified Marking System (SUMS) aids to navigation for aquaculture

Chaired the BIM Aquaculture Investment Committee from 1997 until 2018 and served on the national committee thereafter. Over the period oversaw the disbursement of some €110 million of grant aid into the Irish aquaculture industry. During my tenure as Director of Aquaculture Development in BIM the value of the sector almost trebled.

Managed the preparation and was principal author of two National Strategy Reviews into the Bottom Grown and Rope Grown Mussel sectors

Centrally participated in the preparation and drafting of four BIM Corporate Strategies

Authored the Aquaculture sections of two national Sectoral Strategy Reports (Cawley and Circa)

Represented the Irish state position in the international trade dispute mechanism called the ‘Salmon Trilateral Process’ from 1999 until 2004

Served on the National Aquaculture Licensing Vetting Committee from 1997 until it was discontinued in 2010

Moderated and organized six National Seafood Conferences, a ‘World Seafood Congress’ in 2000, BIM’s contribution to the SeaFest EXPO from 2015 to 2018 inclusive and many other specialized events.

Advised and assisted DAFM in the preparation, introduction and operationalization of the
aquaculture sections of four Operational Programmes from 1997 to 2020

Assisted DAFM in dealing successfully with a number of DG Environment ‘pilot complaints’ over many years

Represented the seafood sector position on the drafting team for the ‘Our Ocean Wealth’ Review, which subsequently became the National Maritime Development Strategy known as the ‘Harnessing our Ocean Wealth Strategy’

Terry Maguire PhD

Contributions to the Education Sector

Terry is a senior professional in the field of higher and further education with over 30 years of experience. She has recently retired as the Director of the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in Ireland leading the development of the Forum for 8 years since its establishment. A selection of reports and frameworks overseen by Terry Maguire PhD can be accessed here.

Prior to working in the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Terry held the posts of

- Head of Lifelong Learning in Technological University Dublin (Tallaght Campus) (10 years).

- Development Officer with the National Council for Vocational Awards (Now integrated into Quality Qualifications Ireland) (3 years).

- Academic Consultant (3 years) including roles as Numeracy Advisor to the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) and Post Doctoral Advisor to the Programme for University Industry Interface (PUII, University of Limerick)

She was the Head of Rural Development, Lews Caste College, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland (10 years).

Education

Terry is a science graduate from University College Cork, Ireland where she completed both her bachelors and Masters degree. She holds a PhD from the University of Limerick where her research focused on Adult Mathematics Education and Professional Development. She has also completed a BA (Hons) in mathematics with the Open University, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning with Institute of Technology Tallaght (now part of the Technological University Dublin (TUDublin), Ireland).

In 2019 she was awarded the inaugural Honorary Fellowship of CCT College, Dublin, Ireland in recognition of her contribution to the National enhancement of teaching and learning in Irish Higher Education.

She is a successful academic supervisor at Masters and PHD level and external examiner.

Key interests include the development of a valued and informed teaching and learning culture in Higher and Further Education and Training; strategy development; digital transformation; the Professional Development of all those who teach, student partnership, Enhancing the Employer/Academic interface, Adult Education and in particular Adult Mathematics Education.

Reports, Frameworks and Publications