Francess McDonnell has been appointed to the newly created post of Northern Ireland Business Correspondent. Based in Belfast, she will provide enhanced coverage of the indigenous and international business sectors in the North and the growing links between businesses on the island of Ireland.

A native of Tyrone, she was previously Irish business editor of the Sunday Times. She has also held the post of business editor of the Belfast Telegraph and before that was senior business correspondent of the Irish News in Belfast. She is a graduate of DeMontford Univeristy, Leicester and Cardiff University.