Geraldine Hanna has been the Chief Executive of Victim Support NI since 2015. Victim Support NI is the lead charity providing support to victims and witnesses of all types of crime across Northern Ireland. Geraldine has over 20 years of experience in the victims’ sector and has been the driving force in establishing Victim Support NI’s Witness Service in all criminal courts across Northern Ireland and introducing the role of Independent Sexual Violence Advocates to the region. She has been integral in the development of key initiatives to improve services for victims and witnesses of crime including the Victim and Witness Charters, Achievement of Best Practice Guidance and the introduction of Registered Intermediaries and Sexual Offence Legal Advisers. She is passionate about the rights of victims of witnesses and believes that Northern Ireland has the opportunity to be the leading light for best practices in this field. Geraldine has presented widely on the impact of crime and the criminal justice system on victims and has been a member of advisory panels to numerous reviews of the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland including the Gillen review of sexual violence and the Hate Crime Review led by HHJ Marrinan. Geraldine has also worked for several years at a European level and was appointed to the role of President of Victim Support Europe in 2021. She holds a BSc in Sociology and Masters in Business Administration.