Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ambition Magazine

MARTIN DOHERTY APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF ENERGY TRANSITION AT ENCIRC Encirc has announced the appointment of Martin

some things wrong along the way. Northern Ireland has natural resources, entrepreneurial heritage, and a skilled workforce. The ingredients are there to deliver real change if we harness them.” Vidrala sees Northern Ireland as an important testing ground for scalable solutions, with the potential to export successful approaches in renewable energy, efficiency, and circularity to its wider network of plants in Spain, Portugal, the UK and Brazil. On whether we are moving fast enough, Martin remains pragmatic. “We won’t know until we untether the boat. Local legislation is reasonably forward-thinking, and despite global discord, customers are increasingly demanding greener products. “Companies that don’t adapt risk being left behind. While affordability is a challenge, the cost of inaction today would be far greater.” understanding and collective action. “The best place to start is with education. People need to know not just the challenges but also the opportunities. We will inevitably get some things wrong, but the key is to adapt quickly and keep moving forward as a team.” “We must also ensure the rewards of transition are felt by everyone in society. As Plato observed, procrastination isn’t about lack of knowledge but because desire or passion overcomes reason. Now is the time to act with reason,” he concluded. Martin’s appointment strengthens Vidrala’s Group-wide drive to accelerate decarbonisation and to remain at the forefront of sustainable packaging across Europe and Latin America. Building Momentum Together For Martin, the path forward must begin with public

Doherty as its new Director of Energy Transition, a role that will spearhead the company’s journey towards decarbonisation and a fully circular manufacturing model. As part of the Vidrala Group, Encirc’s progress in energy transition forms a key pillar of the Group’s strategy to deliver on its net-zero roadmap and circular economy commitments across all markets. With a career that has taken him from chemical and environmental engineering through to public policy, EU funded projects, and most

Martin Doherty.

recently energy resource management, Martin brings a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic insight to the role. “Moving from chemical to environmental engineering while studying really set the direction of travel for my career,” he explains. “Working in local government taught me that engineering solutions are often the easy part; the real challenge is bringing people with you. That experience sparked my interest in behaviour change, policy, and regulation.” His work on European projects provided valuable exposure to leading sustainability practices, while the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed him to pivot into energy resource management. “That shift helped me complete the loop in my understanding of the circular economy,” he adds. “Encirc is the perfect opportunity to bring all these skills together.” Martin says he was particularly drawn to Encirc, a Vidrala Group company, because of its proven commitment to sustainability. “After an amazing learning opportunity with CASE, the chance to put theory into practice was the major appeal. I’ve had a long association with Encirc and know their dedication to sustainability isn’t just words on a page. “It’s demonstrated through years of tangible action to reduce their footprint. To be given the opportunity to assist in perhaps the greatest challenge yet, moving away from fossil fuels while driving circularity, was impossible to resist.” This appointment also reflects Vidrala’s determination to embed decarbonisation

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expertise at the highest level of its operations, ensuring that learnings at Encirc support innovation and energy transition initiatives across the Group’s entire global footprint. Northern Ireland’s Challenge When asked about how Northern Ireland is positioned to meet the twin challenges of climate change and economic resilience, Martin is candid. “This reminds me of my old school reports; ‘with greater application… could do much better’! There’s real frustration across industry and academia at the lack of action and the slow pace of change. There’s more jeopardy in inaction than in getting

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