Hazel was appointed to the Christian Aid board in 2016. She recently retired from a career in health and social care in Northern Ireland, in which she practiced as a nurse, midwife and health visitor before moving into management in 1991.
For 16 years, Hazel held senior management posts with responsibility for developing and implementing systems for integrated governance in large, complex organisations.
From 1995 to 2005, she was Executive Director of a large Community Health and Social Care trust, with board-level responsibility for governance and quality. In 2004, Hazel was appointed as a professional Non-Executive Director to the Northern Ireland Practice Education Council for Nurses and Midwives (NIPEC). She served for the maximum period of eight years, and during the last four years was made chair of the Audit and Finance Committee.
Hazel is a member of the Methodist Church in Ireland and serves as Lay Secretary of the Church's Council on Social Responsibility. She is married with three adult children and three grandchildren.