Business

Almac boss Armstrong is awarded IoD’s highest accolade

Pharmaceutical chief executive is honoured at IoD NI conference

Alan Armstrong , chair and chief executive of Craigavon-based pharmaceutical giant Almac Group, has been awarded the Institute of Directors' (IoD) highest accolade
Almac chief executive Alan Armstrong (second left) receives his accolade from (from left) IoD NI chair John Hansen, Seamus McGuckin, head of corporate NI at AIB, and Kirsty McManus, national director of IoD NI
By Staff reporter

Alan Armstrong , chair and chief executive of Craigavon-based pharmaceutical giant Almac Group, has been awarded the Institute of Directors’ (IoD) highest accolade.

He was recipient of Chair’s 2024 Award of Excellence in Director and Board Practice, which he received at the IoD NI and AIB Governance and Leadership Summit in Belfast, a new initiative which seeks to bring senior business figures in Northern Ireland together with thought-leaders in the field of ESG, AI and corporate governance.

More than 130 delegates gathered at the Merchant Hotel for the summit, which welcomed AIB as a headline sponsor and was also supported by Tughans, Ulster University Business School and Belfast Harbour.

Nick Wallis, the award-winning journalist who first unearthed the Post Office Horizon scandal, delivered the keynote address while other panel events focused on the importance of environmental, social and governance for SMEs and the impact of AI on business strategy.

IoD regional chair John Hansen, making the presentation to Alan Armstrong OBE, said: “Alan has embodied many of the qualities associated with being an excellent leader and it was an honour to recognise the contribution he has made to Almac and the wider business community here.”

Alan’s successful career has spanned over four decades since he graduated as a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 1981. He then joined Galen Research Laboratories where he was made quality assurance manager in 1982.

Alan Armstrong , chair and chief executive of Craigavon-based pharmaceutical giant Almac Group, has been awarded the Institute of Directors' (IoD) highest accolade
Alan Armstrong is interviewed on stage at the IoD conference by BBC business and economics editor John Campbell

He held several senior management and technical positions until 1995 when he was appointed to the board of directors as chief operating officer before moving to Almac in 2002 as CEO of the pharmaceutical group.

He currently overseas the entire global operations of the group and is responsible for leading its strategic direction. In 2013, he was awarded an OBE by the late Queen Elizabeth for services to the economy of the Northern Ireland.

Mr Armstrong said he was “pleased and honoured” to be presented with the award but credited those who he had worked with for their input into his success.