Director of Operations

Rosie Byrne Director of Operations
Rosie is a Registered General Nurse with over 25 years nursing experience as a practitioner and at various management levels within cardiology and Unscheduled Care and Emergency Departments between 1990 and 2014. In January 2014, she took up the post of Unscheduled Care Programme Manager within the then established regional Health and Social Care Board (HSCB).
Rosie was appointed as the Unscheduled Care Assistant Director Lead at the HSCB in June 2016 and remained in that post working with a range of stakeholders to support five provider Trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Trust. This included regional work with the Department of Health in relation to improvement of the unscheduled care patient pathway for unscheduled care services until 24 March 2020 when she joined the ambulance service.
Following a period as Assistant Director of Operations, Rosie took up the position of NIAS Executive Director of Operations in October 2020.
Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development

Michelle Lemon Director of Human Resources and Corporate Services
Michelle worked in HR and Training in the private sector prior to joining NIAS in 2001 as Equality Manager, establishing an equality function for the first time in the organisation. She progressed to the role of Assistant Director of HR; Equality, PPI and Patient Experience and has since undertaken the role of Director of Human Resources in NIAS on a temporary basis on a number of occasions over the past six years.
From October 2018 to December 2019, Michelle was seconded to the Department of Health to lead on specific workforce policy work streams, including the recent NIAS pay agreement and contributing to the planning for the introduction of a BSc in Paramedic Science in Northern Ireland.
Michelle’s academic and professional background has included holding a BSc (Hons), CPP with Associate membership of CIPD and a MSc in Business Improvement. She is a former Board member of Employers for Disability.
Michelle was appointed to the post of NIAS Executive Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development in September 2022.
Medical Director

Nigel Ruddell Medical Director
Nigel was appointed as NIAS Executive Medical Director in November 2018, having previously held the position of Assistant Medical Director from January 2009. He graduated from Queens University Belfast in 1992 and trained in the Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, before working for nine years as a General Practitioner in Dromara, County Down. He has always had a keen interest in prehospital emergency care and has responded as a voluntary BASICS doctor alongside NIAS since 2000.
Nigel is an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, a lecturer with the British Association for Immediate Care and an Associate Member of the College of Paramedics. He is a member of the MCUI(UC) Medical Team providing emergency care at local motorcycle racing and equestrian events. Within NIAS, he has a particular interest in the provision of medical equipment and emergency drugs as well as major incident management and emergency triage. Nigel is Medical Director for the Northern Ireland HEMS service and regional advisor for the Hazardous Area Response Team.
Director of Quality, Safety and Improvement

Lynne Charlton Director of Quality, Safety and Improvement
Lynne is a nurse and has held a number of senior clinical and managerial posts across the HSC within Trusts, former Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and the Public Health Agency (PHA). Lynne was appointed to a new Director of Quality, Safety and Improvement post within NIAS in November 2019 and has a range of responsibilities for which she is nominated lead Director in the organisation, including patient safety, patient experience, quality improvement, partnership working, real time user feedback, co-production, safeguarding, environmental cleanliness and Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC).
Director of Planning, Performance and Corporate Services

Seamus Mullen – Director of Planning, Performance and Corporate Services
Séamus Mullen was appointed as the Director of Planning, Performance, and Corporate Services in April 2025. Previously, he was employed as the Assistant Director of Strategic Planning and Partnerships at the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS). Before his time at NIAS, Séamus held senior positions in the Public Health Agency, the EU Peace Programme, and Rural Development.
His career includes extensive experience in strategic planning, policy development, research, and evaluation across statutory, community, and voluntary sectors. He has a strong track record in commissioning services, engaging stakeholders, and making evidence-based decisions.
Séamus brings a wealth of expertise in corporate strategy, performance improvement, and data-driven decision-making. With a background in public health and planning, he is dedicated to driving innovation and continuous improvement within NIAS. His goal is to enhance service delivery, performance and corporate governance to meet the evolving needs of communities across Northern Ireland.