Northern Ireland science and technology hub Catalyst has appointed Pauline Timoney as its new head of entrepreneurship.
Catalyst is an independent, non-profit science and technology hub focused on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland.
Timoney joins the 50-person strong team at Catalyst to lead the successful delivery of programmes such as Generation Innovation and INVENT which are designed to create opportunities for new entrepreneurs and support the growth and success of startups.
As a veteran COO with over 18 years of experience in IT operations and leadership and a background in quality assurance engineering, Timoney excels in operational effectiveness and driving sustainable business growth.
Beyond her professional achievements, Timoney actively advocates for women in STEM as a mentor with Women in Business and was shortlisted for its ‘C-Level Woman of the Year’ award 2022 and 2023.
Her advocacy positions her perfectly to contribute to Catalyst’s vision of creating opportunity for all from world-leading innovation.
Fiona Bennington, director of entrepreneurship at Catalyst, said: “Pauline’s extensive experience coupled with her passion for fostering entrepreneurship in Northern Ireland is infectious and will be a perfect fit for Catalyst.
“Her commitment to advocating for women in STEM and understanding of the crucial role Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) plays in fostering true innovation aligns seamlessly with what we have set out to achieve at Catalyst. We are already seeing the benefits of having Pauline in the team.”
Timoney said: “I’ve seen first-hand how challenging starting and growing a business can be for entrepreneurs. I am passionate about making entrepreneurship more accessible and supportive for everyone in our community.
“Catalyst’s programmes are doing excellent work to change how we view and approach entrepreneurship for the better and I’m looking forward to applying my previous experience to support a diverse set of entrepreneurs.”