Lorraine is a recognised expert in the social enterprise sector, with extensive strategy, project delivery and social enterprise mapping skills. She is a founding Director of Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI), the representative body for the sector in Ireland. She is also a Director of Microfinance Ireland which is a government-backed micro-enterprise loan fund. She is founder of Afanite, a business which bridges the gap between social, commercial and public sectors, with a particular focus on social enterprise and credit inclusion. She is Chair of the Credit Union Advisory Committee, appointed by the Minister for Finance (Ireland) to advise the Minister on the sustainability and future development of the Credit Union Sector. Prior to Afanite, Lorraine had a career in Financial Services that spanned Corporate and Retail banking divisions.
She is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin with a B.A. Mod in Economics and Geography (1992) and a Masters in Literature (1994). In 2012 she completed a Masters in International Relations focused on social enterprise from Dublin City University.
She enjoys sports and is a mum of three young adults who keep her busy with their various sporting and other pursuits.
