A Chartered Accountant, Gavin has held numerous senior leadership roles in both the Private and Public sectors, including CEO of the Northern Ireland Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), and CEO of the Southern and Belfast Education and Library Boards.
He led the planning for and creation of the Education Authority, merging 5 major organisations and creating a regional authority with 43,000 staff and an annual budget of £2bn, retiring in 2019 after 4 years as first CEO of Education Authority.
Gavin played Gaelic Football for club, school, and university, captained the school athletics squad, and played squash and rugby after leaving school. He has refereed Gaelic football at a senior level, including a number of County Finals. He has been a member of Balmoral Golf Club for over 40 years and is a season ticket holder at Ulster Rugby. Gavin is a Trustee of an Educational Charity, a Governor of two schools and a member of the Board of NI Opera.