John O'Dowd

John O'Dowd is an Irish Sinn Féin politician serving as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann since 2003. He currently holds the position of Minister for Finance, having assumed the role in February 2025. Throughout his career, O'Dowd has served in various ministerial capacities, including Minister for Education from 2011 to 2016 and Minister for Infrastructure during multiple terms. He also briefly performed the duties of deputy First Minister in 2011. Before entering politics, he trained as a chef and served as a councillor on the Craigavon Borough Council.