Tina McKenzie (born 1973) is a business executive and former politician from Belfast in Northern Ireland. Early life After graduating from the University of Ulster, McKenzie started her career co-ordinating job-skills programmes for the rehabilitation of ex-offenders, working with NIACRO, Extern, and the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI). McKenzie undertook further studies at the Tilburg University Business School and IESE Business School at the University of Navarra. McKenzie also undertook further study at the William J. Clinton Leadership Institute at Queen's University Belfast, completing the 'Leading Effective Boards' Programme in 2015. Political life McKenzie returned to her native Northern Ireland in 2013 to set up Staffline Group (Ireland). Shortly after her return she joined newly formed political party NI21 and was appointed its first chair. McKenzie described herself as believing in the maintenance of the union of Britain and Northern Ireland, principally for economic reasons. NI21 selected McKenzie as their candidate for the European election of 2014, proposing to support the region in Europe and promote jobs and economic growth. She also stood for Belfast City Council in Balmoral. She received more than 10,500 first-preference votes in the European election, however did not meet the threshold for election. On the night of the election, some figures within the party resigned, including McKenzie, following allegations of misconduct made against party leader Basil McCrea. Shortly after, McKenzie announced she was leaving politics on the grounds that she was disillusioned. Business life In 2018 McKenzie was appointed the chair of the NI Policy Forum for the Federation of Small Businesses in Northern Ireland. McKenzie's appointment to the role ensured that Northern Ireland's four key business lobby groups- the Institute of Directors, the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of British Industry and the FSB- were all headed by women. In January 2018, McKenzie gave evidence to the House of Lords European Union Select Committee on the impact of Brexit on businesses in Northern Ireland. More recently, as chair of the FSB, McKenzie has led the debate on Northern Ireland becoming the 'Singapore of the Western Hemisphere' by introducing tariff free trade between the EU and the UK. In September 2018, McKenzie and the FSB published a proposal to make Northern Ireland an 'Enhanced Economic Zone' after Brexit In June 2021, McKenzie was announced as a visiting professor in Ulster University's Business School, based in Belfast. McKenzie previously held the position of