MBA Information Breakfast
Inspiring leadership in action
Interested in discovering how the Queen¡¯s MBA can transform your career and the impact you make as a leader? Join us for an inspiring breakfast event on Thursday 21 May at Â鶹Íø Business School (QBS).
Come along for a healthy breakfast and a taste of the MBA (Master of Business Administration) journey. Programme Director, Julie McCandless will unpack how the programme helps ambitious professionals lead with purpose and impact to transform individuals, organisations, and society. Hear first-hand from MBA alumnus who will share their journeys, challenges and the moments that shaped their leadership across sectors. Find out more about Â鶹Íø MBA content themes such as AI and digital transformation, personalised development, real-world business projects, international opportunities, as well as information about timetables, assessment, scholarships (worth ?10,000 each!) and funding.
Thursday 21 May 2026, 8am-9.30am (hospitality from 7.45am)
QBS, Executive Lounge, Student Hub Building, 185 Stranmillis Road, Belfast
REGISTER BELOW
Managing Director, TST Group
Maire Claire Reid has been involved in the transport industry from an early age. In 2013, alongside her family, she helped turn her brother’s ambition of owning a transport company into reality, beginning with just one truck. Today, Maire Claire is the Managing Director of TST Group, where she has overseen the company’s growth into one of the UK and Ireland’s leading logistics partners. Under her leadership, the business has expanded to operate 300 trucks, 500 trailers, and 1.5 million square feet of warehousing across nine depots. TST Group provides fully integrated transport, distribution, warehousing, and customs solutions, supporting major retailers and manufacturers in moving goods seamlessly across borders.
As a qualified Transport Manager, she maintains direct oversight of operations and compliance, ensuring the reliability, safety, and service standards that customers depend on. Despite its scale, TST Group remains proudly family-owned, with values of accountability, partnership, and long-term thinking continuing to guide the company’s growth and investment for the future. Maire Claire has been an active member of the Freight Council for Logistics UK for five years. In 2022, she was appointed Vice Chair of the Logistics UK Freight Council in Northern Ireland, and in 2025 she was appointed Chair, enabling her to contribute directly to sector-wide policy, skills development, and infrastructure planning.
UK Head of Corporate Affairs, Asda
Joe McDonald is the UK Head of Corporate Affairs at Asda, one of the UK’s largest retailers. A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, Joe first studied Economics before completing a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, which set him on a career path within Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector. He began his professional career in food processing before joining the Ulster Farmers’ Union, where he spent 17 years working across policy, communications and membership, developing a strong understanding of the agricultural industry and the importance of organisational purpose and people.
Joe later returned to Queen’s to complete an MBA, gaining strategic leadership skills and a broader understanding of business, innovation and organisational management. Following his MBA, he joined Asda, where he has played a key role in guiding the organisation through major challenges including Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. In his current role, Joe leads corporate affairs across the UK, overseeing a wide range of issues including public policy, communications and emerging priorities such as ESG and AI, while helping the organisation adapt and remain resilient in a rapidly changing environment.
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Managing Director for Ireland, VetPartners
Dr Gavin McCoubrey brings with him over 28 years of veterinary industry and worldwide animal welfare experience. Following two years as Clinical Director for the RSPCA, he founded his first clinic aged 29. Initially himself and one other member of staff, he helped grow the company to a four-centre practice with over 40 employees and a multi-million-pound turnover.
He completed his MBA at Â鶹Íø and looked to make further impact in his field. Conscious that not all veterinarians are business people and not all business people are veterinarians, Gavin positioned himself at the interface between these two skilled disciplines. Working with VetPartners on a consultancy basis, Gavin accepted the role of Managing Director for Ireland. Gavin has been on a true entrepreneurial and leadership journey; from founding and growing to negotiating the sale of his practices.
The Queen’s MBA is designed for ambitious professionals who want to lead with purpose and impact. Grounded in rigorous academic insight and enriched by real-world experience, the programme equips you with the strategic thinking, reflective mindset, and global perspective to drive meaningful change — in your career, your organisation, and society at large. Transform Yourself | Transform Business | Transform Society