CHI Board

Dr Yvonne Traynor has more than 30 years’ experience in the Food and Chemical sectors. She was previously vice president of Regulatory & Scientific Affairs with Kerry Group. She also held a number of global & regional leadership positions in Quality Assurance, Regulatory Affairs and Research & Development, with German consumer goods company, Henkel. She has a particular interest in organisational transformation, risk management and delivering excellent customer experience. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from Trinity College Dublin which, notably, resulted in a patent for the Nicotine Patch, as an aid for smoking cessation. Later, she obtained a Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance and an MSc in Executive Leadership. She is also a chartered director and has several years board experience, including the role of chairperson of the audit, risk and compliance committee of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service. She is currently a member of the HSE board and has chaired the People & Culture committee and currently chairs the Audit and Risk committee. She joined the board of CHI in May 2025.

Ruben Diaz, M.D., Ph.D. is the Deputy CEO for International Affairs at Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children’s Hospital and the Secretary General for European Children’s Hospitals Organisation (ECHO). As Deputy CEO for International Affairs for Sant Joan de Déu Barcelona Children's Hospital, he supports the hospital’s collaborative efforts with different international healthcare and public institutions in all areas of mutual interest. As the Secretary General for ECHO, Ruben manages this organisation that brings together leading tertiary care children’s hospitals across Europe. Ruben is a M.D., Ph.D graduate from Washington University Medical School at Saint Louis, USA, and completed both his paediatric residency and paediatric endocrinology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH). He had been part of the BCH medical/research staff and Harvard Medical School faculty for 15 years. Prior to his current roles, Ruben held different leadership positions, including Chief of the Endocrine Division, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Knowledge and Training Officer at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu. He remains in practice as a Paediatric Endocrinologist and is a member of a clinical research group focused on diabetes and metabolic regulation.

Fergus Finlay was Chief Executive of Barnardo’s for thirteen years from 2005 until his retirement in October 2018. Under his leadership, Barnardo’s became Ireland’s largest and most effective children’s charity. As CEO he was responsible for an annual budget of €25 million and led a staff team of more than 400 qualified and committed people.

Fergus Finlay played an influential role in Irish politics, serving as adviser to Labour leader Dick Spring from 1983 and later as Deputy Press Secretary to the Coalition Government until 1987. He subsequently acted as Foreign Policy Adviser during the Coalition Governments of Albert Reynolds and John Bruton (1993–1997), contributing significantly to EU Structural Fund negotiations and being a key member of the Cabinet sub-committee on Northern Ireland. Fergus was also involved in the Northern Ireland peace process, participating in pivotal negotiations such as the Downing Street Declaration and the Stormont talks. Recognised as an expert in political strategy and communication, he was instrumental in Mary Robinson’s election as President in 1990, the Labour Party’s electoral success in 1992, and led the Government team that secured the passage of the Divorce Referendum in 1996.

Fergus was a director of WHPR, one of Ireland’s largest public relations firms, from 1999 until 2002. He was for a number of years the Chair of Special Olympics Ireland and was a leading member of the group that brought the Special Olympic World Games to Ireland in 2003.

Fergus was awarded a Human Rights Award by the French Embassy in Dublin in 2013 to recognise the work of Barnardo’s with Ireland’s children. He was also honoured by UCC as an Outstanding Alumnus in 2016, and in 2019 was granted an Honorary Doctorate by NUIG. He has been a life-long campaigner for the rights of people with disabilities and for seven years chaired a government task force to implement a comprehensive employment strategy for people with disabilities.

For many years he has been Chair of the Dolphin House Regeneration Board, which is overseeing one of the largest regenerations in the city, involving new and high-quality accommodation for 400 families, new community facilities, and a purpose-built senior citizens complex.

Mr Hynes is a Member of the HSE Board and is the Chairperson of the HSE Strategy and Reform Board sub-committee. He is the former Group Chief Information Officer for AIB and has a broad range of experience across a number of disciplines, including brand marketing, operations, change management, and technology.

He has 30 years’ experience in blue chip organisations where he has held both regional and global roles, leading teams spread across more than 40 countries. He holds a Masters in Executive Leadership from Ulster University, is a qualified bank director, and Fellow of the Irish Computer Society. Mr Hynes was appointed to the Board of CHI on 9 July 2025.

Ms O’Neill has more than 30 years’ experience in Digital Transformation roles in technology multinationals, Symantec, Visio, Microsoft, Marrakech and Digital Equipment Corp. Ms O’Neill also serves as a Non-Executive Director of Coillte, and the National Transport Authority (NTA).
Ms O’Neill is an Engineering graduate of NUI Galway. In addition, she has post graduate qualifications in Cybersecurity from UCD and Corporate Governance from the Institute of Directors Ireland.

Mr Seabourne is a qualified Engineer and had a 35-year career in the NHS in Scotland until he retired in 2013. During his time in NHS Scotland, he was the project director on many major health projects and held numerous other senior management roles including Director of Estates & Facilities, Director of IM&T, Director of Community Care, Director of Health and Social Care Integration, Chief Operating Officer for two major acute hospitals, and Chief Officer for a Health and Social Care Partnership.

During his NHS career, he was responsible for delivering many healthcare projects in both service developments and in construction and has led the capital development processes of both PFI and Capital funded projects from start to completion. He has gained huge experience in many of the aspects of planning and delivering healthcare infrastructure including strategic planning, financial management and planning, project governance, project commissioning, programme management, commercial management, and stakeholder management.

Since retiring from the NHS, he has held a number of Non-Executive roles for organisations including, Erskine Veterans Hospital, University of Glasgow overseeing their One Billion Pound campus development programme and a fellow of University of Glasgow. Lar Housing Trust, set up to provide affordable housing throughout Scotland. He recently worked for Children’s Health Ireland in 2022 as Chief Operational Commissioning Officer leading the development of the operational commissioning plan for the New Children’s Hospital. Mr Seabourne was appointed to the Board of CHI on 9 July 2025.