Margaret O’Rourke Doherty has been immersed in business her entire life, growing up and living over a public house, restaurant, grocery shop and B&B, Margaret has a deep appreciation of day-to-day issues facing SME’s and family businesses.

With a wide range of experience in many sectors from food and drink, retail, and agriculture. However, Margaret found her true passion and has been deeply engaged in hair and beauty industry for two decades.

Margaret is the CEO of HABIC – the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation. This non-profit industry body’s mission is to represent, support, develop and unite the beauty and hair sector in Ireland. Additionally, Margaret is the Network Manager of Image Skillnet – the dedicated training network for supporting the Irish Beauty and Hair sector with subsided, tailored training

Margaret earned a CIDESCO Diploma in Beauty and Spa Management, in addition to Postgraduate Diplomas in Management, Leadership, and Strategy & Innovation. Margaret holds a Masters is Business Practices and a Masters in Organic Farming.

In addition to her work with ISME, Image Skillnet and HABIC, Margaret is the Chair of the Consortium Steering Group for the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship. And that’s just her work life…

Margaret is the founding member of many a local festival and charity venture in her adopted homeland of Leitrim where she lives with her husband Trevor and two teenage daughters.