Senior management

The Senior Management Team is led by the Chief Executive,

Linda Robinson BEM
Chief Executive

Linda has a BSc in Psychology, Social Policy, Clinical Psychology and Social Work from Ulster University and a MA in HR Management from Queen’s University.

With over 30 years’ experience delivering best practice services for older people, Linda has exceptional knowledge and understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our ageing population.

Age NI has benefited from Linda Robinson’s instinctive, inclusive leadership style, her dedication to developing people plus her life-time commitment to improving the lives of older people through expert care and innovative dementia service delivery.  Recognised as an expert across the health, social care and policy arenas in NI, Linda has exceptional knowledge and understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our ageing population.

Linda is a highly respected leader within Age NI as well as across Age UK and our wider stakeholder network.  With this expertise and regard, Linda is ideally placed to lead the next phase in the evolution of the charity’s services, influencing, engagement and commercial activities.  As Chief Executive, Linda oversees both the strategic and operational implementation of the agreed Age NI strategy.

Mandy Wilson
Charity Director

Mandy Wilson is a senior leader with extensive experience in voluntary and community, statutory and private sectors. As a qualified mental health nurse registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and with over 35 years’ experience, Mandy has a strong background in health and social care delivery, providing strategic leadership for a wide portfolio of services that support older people to live better.

In addition to her operational leadership, Mandy has a strong interest in systems reform and the role of the voluntary and community sector in shaping sustainable health and social care systems, She brings an informed understanding of commissioning environments and the challenges facing charities operating in increasingly complex and resource-constrained contexts. This perspective is informed both by practical leadership experience and post graduate study in Health and Social Care Management/Leadership and Masters in Public Administration.

With extensive experience in organisational governance and accountability, Mandy has overseen service transformation programmes, risk management frameworks and performance monitoring systems to ensure high standards of care, value for money and continuous improvement. Her leadership combines strategic oversight with a strong emphasis on staff engagement, organisational culture, equality and diversity. She is recognised for her collaborative approach, clear communication and ability to lead through change. She is passionate about advocacy for older people, tackling inequality and ensuring services are designed with, not just for, those who use them. Through her role at Age NI, she continues to champion innovation, partnership and high quality services that improve later life outcomes across Northern Ireland.

Paula Ewart
Corporate Services Director

Paula Ewart is a senior leader and CIMA-qualified accountant with over 30 years’ experience working at Director and Board level. She also holds a degree in Hotel and Catering Management and a JEB teaching diploma.

Throughout her career, Paula has held senior financial and leadership roles across a wide range of sectors, including the public sector, social housing, retail, hospitality, manufacturing and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). She combines senior management experience, strong leadership skills and a continuous improvement mindset to optimise performance while maintaining quality standards and customer satisfaction.

In recent years, Paula has undertaken interim leadership roles, providing support to Boards of Trustees and senior teams during periods of transition and change. This has included providing financial leadership, strengthening governance and regulatory arrangements, improving operational performance and structural efficiencies, supporting business continuity, building team cohesion and identifying opportunities to reduce costs, streamline procedures and improve cashflow.

Paula brings extensive experience in corporate services, financial controls, budgeting, procurement, risk management, organisational restructure, stakeholder engagement and cross-departmental working. Her leadership approach is practical, collaborative and improvement-focused, with a strong emphasis on effective systems, clear accountability, staff development and sustainable organisational performance.

Paula has also contributed to wider third sector leadership through her role as a Board member with CO3 (Chief Officers Third Sector) since October 2024, where she sits on the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee. Through her role at Age NI, she brings a broad corporate services perspective to support good governance, effective resource management and the delivery of organisational priorities.

Subsidiaries

Age NI Enterprises Ltd.