ICE Northern Ireland AGM, chair’s address and supper

Emer Murnaghan

Emer Murnaghan is the innovation director at GRAHAM Civil Engineering, having held posts as head of responsible sustainable business and head of business iImprovement at GRAHAM, which she joined in 2011. The GRAHAM Group reached the 1Bn Turnover milestone in 2023, Civil Engineering makes up approx. one third of the value. 

Emer has a long history of supporting and influencing industry through her previous roles with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). In June 2015 she was awarded the OBE for services to civil engineering and further education in Northern Ireland. In November 2018 she was appointed Trustee and a Vice President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (2018 – 2021). 

In 2019, she was invited to become a WISE Ambassador, to promote gender balance at the highest levels within the UK. She has worked closely with the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland and supported the launch of the WISE Hub NI in October 2020. 

In June 2021 she joined the Trustee Board at Engineering Council and is determined to ensure the highest standards of engineering competency are achieved via pathways that are accessible, attainable, valued, and respected. 

Along with, ICE Past President, Ed Mc Cann, and others, Emer was one of the initial founding members for what has developed into GIRI (Get it Right Initiative) an industry led initiative into the root cause and significant cost of error in the construction industry. In 2021 Emer was invited to join the inaugural GIRI SLG (Strategic Leadership Group) whose remit is to embed the GIRI approach across the industry. 

She is passionate about an industry and profession that exists to serve the fundamental needs of society and is keen to play her part in delivering the UN SDGs by 2030. She is eager to see the industry become more diverse and inclusive not only because it is the right thing to do but because there is a strong business imperative to accelerate this transformation. With diverse thinking comes challenge which, given the right culture, will evolve a safer, successful, innovative and sustainable sector.