Business Eye November December 2021 by Buckley Publications

Issue 210 Nov/Dec 2021 £2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

HSBC UK Ready To Fuel Post-Covid Recovery Features:

Fibrus - Taking Broadband To Rural Northern Ireland

David Roberts Looking Ahead to NI’s Tourism Recovery

The AIB Business Eye Awards 2021 20-Page Picture Special

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Contents

Nov/Dec 2021 ISSUE 210

Northern Ireland To Host 12 Tour Operators Event

Henderson Foodservice 33 Investing In Hospitality

When Henderson Foodservice opened its £16M warehouse facility in the summer, the company was making a statement that they will be part of the rebuilding of the hospitality industry which has been so devastated by the COVID pandemic.

Titanic Distillery Plan 14 Gets The Green Light

Looking Ahead to NI’s 36 Tourism Recovery

Plans have been approved for the conversion of the historic Titanic Pump-House into a new whiskey distillery and world class tourist attraction, the latest addition to the range of attractions in the Titanic Quarter area of the city.

David Roberts, Tourism NI’s new Director of Strategic Development, talks to Business Eye about the industry’s recovery from Covid and how a solid staycation season last summer has helped to put the industry on track for further growth.

Fibrus - Delivering Hyperfast Broadband To NI’s Rural Communities

Establishing a new company just before Covid and starting to grow it during the pandemic might sound like something of a corporate nightmare but it’s a bit less difficult when your end product is high-speed broadband and broadband has never been more important. Business Eye talks to Shane Haslem of Fibrus about broadband and exceeding delivery targets.

HSBC UK - Ready To Fuel Post-Covid Recovery

Businesses here, says HSBC’s Head of Northern Ireland Gillian Morris, have plenty of challenges to cope with at the moment. And banks have a crucial role to play by staying close to, and supporting, their business customers. She looks back over the Covid era and at what’s needed going forward.

Tech Eye

The latest technology news from around the UK and the rest of the world, including DNA for data storage, how broadband varies around the country and the lessons we can learn from how technology has been adapted by healthcare.

Translink 51 The Road From Cop26 Translink Chief Executive Chris Conway on how the organisation shared its hopes for a decarbonised public transport network in Northern Ireland with a global audience at Cop26 in Glasgow.

The AIB Business Eye Awards 2021

Northern Ireland’s leading business awards made a welcome postCovid return to the ICC Belfast with just over 600 guests celebrating the very best of business and individual business achievement.

Staying Online Has 30 Never Been So Vital Garret Kavanagh talks about his new role as Director of Openreach here in Northern Ireland, and about the new importance of broadband and ensuring that a Covid-hit population is kept in touch.

The Macro Impact Of Micro Businesses

Enterprise Northern Ireland hosted an Enterprise Symposium at Belfast’s Titanic Hotel looking at the importance of encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation if Northern Ireland is to achieve its heading 10x ambition over the coming years.

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The NI Executive, it could be argued, hasn’t shown itself to be terribly skilled at anything very much. But there’s one thing that it has been remarkably good at since devolution returned to these parts. Our political leaders are very adept at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Comment

“The latest to talk up the protocol was the Financial Times which noted that Northern Ireland’s economy was recovering and growing faster than others around the UK as a direct result of the uniqueness of our position.”

rom a business standpoint, there are a number of obvious examples. Cast your minds back a couple of years to when we had the opportunity to set our own corporation tax level and, as a result, make economic hay while the sun shone brightly down on us. But, with an open goal right in front of them, our politicians managed not only to miss the goal...but to miss the ball completely. These days, apart from the challenges of Covid, we have the Northern Ireland Protocol. Back in the early days of Brexit, the protocol was looked upon as a golden opportunity for this part of the world. Even one Arlene Foster liked the idea before she started to back pedal. It’s still viewed as a golden opportunity, at least a potential one, by some. Some politicians, that is, but an awful lot of business people. But a couple of our leading political parties have set their hearts against the protocol and nothing, it seems, will change their minds. Therefore, it’s a bit like the days of corporation tax. It might well do the economic trick, but we’re not allowed to have it. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and the DUP don’t want it, Doug Beattie and the Ulster Unionists don’t want it and Jim Allister and the TUV most definitely don’t want it. And it doesn’t matter to any of them what adjustments or tweaks can be made. They don’t want it and that’s that. More is the pity. A series of commentators, economists and observers have pointed out that the protocol gives Northern Ireland a pretty unique and potentially powerful trading position, the kind of position that Nicola Sturgeon over in Scotland would give her right arm for. The latest to talk up the protocol was the Financial Times which noted that Northern Ireland’s economy was recovering and growing faster than others around the UK as a direct result of the uniqueness of our position. It’s easy to criticise Donaldson, Beattie

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

et al with a broad brush. But their constitutional objections to the protocol are genuine and they must be respected. But is it not possible to continue to strive towards a compromise solution that can still work for business and the economy here rather than the blunt instrument seemingly favoured by Lord Frost and others? _____________________________________ It hasn’t gone away, you know! Yes, while we might have dared to dream that the Covid pandemic would be on the retreat by now, it’s not quite the case, is it? That said, and despite the views of the many pessimists out there and an alarmist media, we’re in a much better place than we were on the run-up to Christmas this time last year, despite the arrival of the Omicron variant... possibly the last thing we all needed. To be fair to the NI Executive, it’s been measured in its response to the Covid threat this time around. Sensible restrictions are in place, and we’ve been assured that no more will be introduced for the Christmas period, unless Omicron proves to be a bigger threat. But spare a thought for the beleaguered and long-suffering hospitality sector. All the talk of scary new variants was enough to prompt a rash of cancellations for the festive period, and that’s definitely the last thing that sector needed. For those of you who prefer not to cower behind the sofa, it’s important to get out there over the coming weeks and (hopefully) months and support hospitality here. For the government, it’s even more important to come up with a decent level of support. Otherwise, we could have a decimated hospitality sector to enjoy when Covid is eventually done and dusted. And before the next virus arrives. Have a great Christmas.

Survive, revive,

Thrive

Is your business in the tourism and hospitality sector? Then the Tourism Enterprise Development (TED) programme is here to accelerate its post-Covid recovery.

Support and advice The TED programme will provide you with professional support and advice at this critical time. It includes a range of webinars plus toolkits, instructional videos, top tips, tools, tactics and action plans. Expert mentors will be on hand to guide and advise you at whatever stage your business is at. The latest research from Tourism NI will also be available, helping to inform any key business decisions you need to make. The focus of the TED programme will be on Performance and Competitiveness; Market Retention and Diversification; People Skills and Capability; Digital skills and Innovation; Sustainable Tourism.

To be the first to hear about all the programme’s events and features, sign up now to our mailing list at tourismni.com/ted

Helping Northern Ireland grow again danskebank.co.uk/business

Eye on News

Talent and Acquisition Consultant at Allstate NI Shannon Ellis and Vice President and Managing Director of Allstate NI John Healy pictured with recent recruits to graduate roles within the company.

Allstate NI invests in future talent with 100 student and graduate opportunities this year One of Northern Ireland’s largest employers, Allstate NI, has responded to the digital transformation of the economy by creating 100 roles for students and graduates since the summer of 2021.

he technology giant, which employs over 2,500 people in Northern Ireland, is currently bringing on 100 individuals for early career opportunities, including graduate roles, placements, internships and apprenticeships. The drive follows a report by public policy forum Pivotal in August that found that over two-thirds of students who study outside Northern Ireland continue to live away from home after graduation. To address this educational migration and create a digitally competent workforce, Allstate included a

landmark number of student and graduate opportunities in 2021. Investing in areas where significant growth is expected, the company is creating roles in edge technologies, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and cybersecurity. Allstate is also recruiting for entry-level positions, internships and yearlong placements in data science and business analytics. This focus on student recruitment builds on Allstate’s work throughout the past number of years, including recruiting over 300 individuals since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Over 20% of employees have also been promoted in 2021. Winner of Digital DNA’s Workplace of the Year 2020, Allstate operates a flexible, employee-led working policy that allows individuals to design their arrangements around their personal lives. Staff at Allstate NI also get 15 hours of volunteering time per year, to enable them to give back to their community. Vice President and Managing Director of Allstate Northern Ireland John Healy said: “At Allstate, investing in the technological engineers of the future is something we have been passionate about for a long time. As we continue our steady emergence from the pandemic, business is not standing still. Modern technology is fast moving, and the demand for a digitally competent workforce is growing. With significant aspirations for the future, we’re investing in learning

and are delighted to accelerate our student recruitment.” Bronagh Doherty, ENT Application Developer at Allstate NI added: “I was determined to find a role in which I could advance my skills and knowledge from university while still maintaining a work-life balance. At Allstate, challenge, opportunity, and progression are a part of the experience and I am encouraged to build my working life around what’s important to me.”

To find out more about current opportunities at Allstate, visit: www.allstateni.com/careers

Helping Northern Ireland grow again danskebank.co.uk/business

Eye on News

McKEES IS AWARDED BRONZE ACCREDITATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

CKEES has been awarded a Bronze Medal by EcoVadis in recognition of its business Sustainability Rating and is the only law firm in Ireland to hold the accreditation. EcoVadis is the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, intelligence and collaborative performance improvement tools for global supply chains. EcoVadis’ actionable sustainability scorecards provide detailed insight into environmental, social and ethical risks across 200 purchasing categories and 160 countries. The Belfast based law firm is in the top 24% of companies rated by EcoVadis in the Legal and accounting activities industry and in the top 9% of companies rated in Ethics. Chris Ross, Managing Partner of McKees said: “We are proud to have been awarded a Bronze Medal by EcoVadis in recognition of the work we have carried out to reduce risk, drive performance and improve environmental and social outcomes. As

a firm, sustainability and playing our role in helping the environment has been central to our ethos for many years. The EcoVadis methodology framework assesses companies’ policies and actions as well as their published reporting related to the environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. This accreditation demonstrates our commitment to act responsibly by integrating social and environmental concerns into our business operations.” “McKees now has a Corrective Action Plan in place which will help support our ongoing performance improvement. We are committed to building on our systems in place and on improving our sustainability management system in the months and years ahead. And we would encourage other businesses in Northern Ireland to have a look at their own sustainability plans and procedures to see how they too can improve their own environmental and social performance,” Chris concluded.

McKees has been awarded a Bronze Medal by EcoVadis in recognition of its business Sustainability Rating and is the only law firm in Ireland to hold the accreditation. Pictured with the law firm’s Managing Partner, Chris Ross (left) are Jill Annett, Senior Associate and Kieron Kent, Business Development Consultant.

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Eye on News

NEW ENOKSEN WATCH SHOWROOM OPENS IN BELFAST

Watchmaker Hans Enoksen has opened his first retail space in Belfast following a £75k investment.

he showroom and workshop where customers can view the entire range and configure their own watch, are housed in the modernist Aisling House in Stranmillis. The space includes a specially equipped atelier where each Enoksen watch is calibrated by horologist David McKane. The showroom represents the second stage of Enoksen’s growth strategy following three successful years operating online. “Despite the general trend to increased internet shopping we strongly believe there is much scope for a fuller retail experience,” says Mr Enoksen. “The showroom is not just about selling watches. It’s also a space we intend to use for fun, cultural events, art exhibitions, concerts and audiences with people from the sports, business and arts worlds. As retailers, we have to enhance the shopping experience by offering related events which simply cannot be hosted online.” Enoksen has grown its range of high-quality mechanical watches

in the last three years and offers two-year guarantees. “These are watches which reflect an era of precision mechanics and classic designs. We have reinterpreted these designs and retained the old school quality expected from high-end automatic watches. But the difference is that while the Enoksen watch range

manages to achieve the highest levels of quality, we are able to sell them at surprisingly reasonable prices,” he says. Prices start at £185 rising to £550. The showroom is also intended to work as a prototype, providing data and feedback on local market performance and to determine how best to roll out other Enoksen showrooms

across Europe and North America. “Our calibration service is unique and we are delighted that horologist David McKane has joined us to provide his expertise. His fine tuning using the latest audio technology alters the performance of all mechanical movements so as to achieve plus or minus two seconds per day accuracy,” says Mr Enoksen. “Each watch will have its own David McKane calibration certificate and, because the movements are mechanical and therefore will eventually require retuning, we will provide recalibration free of charge for the lifetime of the watch.” “We sell watches now in 60 countries and have built a reputation for excellent customer care. Our Trustpilot rating tells the story. But now we want to get closer to our customers by creating a physical presence which will enhance our relationship with our buyers by giving them a little bit more through engagements and events which we will host in the showrooms,” says Mr Enoksen. The Enoksen range of watches which includes divers, pilots, drivers and sports watches has been supplemented by two new series of “Tour” and “Deco” timepieces. All the watches are waterproof to 200m (the Deep Dive is waterproof to 1,000m) and feature super-strength and scratch-proof sapphire glass. “Our watches are made from ultra-reliable Seiko movements” says Mr Enoksen. “My ultimate aim is that the final assembly will soon be transferred to Belfast.” The branding is deliberately low key and reflects a new attitude towards consumerism and materialism, according to Mr Enoksen. “I believe the time has come to move away from the louder, statement watches to something more utilitarian and of modest appearance but of a quality which will match any of the best brands in the world. Our watches reflect a lessis-more approach and the reaction from buyers has exceeded all our hopes,” he says. “We like the beauty of utility and modesty so you will not see a noisy badge on an Enoksen watch dial.”

Eye on Accountancy

A Day in the Working Life Sarah McIvor, ASM Chartered Accountants, Magherafelt talks to Business Eye about her day to day role.

am a Senior Manager at ASM Chartered Accountants and work full time in the Magherafelt office. I graduated from Queen’s University, Belfast with a BSc Honours Degree in Finance and I completed my training with Corrigan CA Limited in Antrim. It was with them that I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2014 and became a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland (ICAI). During my training I built up a wide range of knowledge within accounts preparation, solicitor and charity audits, VAT, payroll, personal tax and corporation tax compliance. I joined ASM Magherafelt in 2018 as a senior accountant and over the last 3.5 years I quickly progressed to my current position of Senior Manager. I firmly believe that the broad knowledge gained

while training has played a big role in my progression in ASM. With ASM I have further expanded my knowledge and experience in all business areas that affect owner managed businesses (OMB’s). My current role involves managing a large client portfolio consisting of corporate groups and standalone limited companies, across a variety of sectors including manufacturing, engineering, construction, property development, hospitality and retail. We have 40 staff working in our Magherafelt office and my role includes assisting with the training of junior staff, ensuring the flow of work through the Firm happens on a timely basis, meeting clients’ expectations and demands on the timely delivery of work. This is one of the more challenging aspects of what I do!

My daily role Due to the nature of my work and my role in ASM no two days are the same. The work is both enjoyable and challenging, and every day I come across new things. As a senior manager I have a lot of close contact with our clients, and am responsible for delivering work to them, whether compliance work or advisory work. When working with OMB’s I have to field a lot of questions from clients, from accounting and tax compliance questions, to specific tax planning and corporate finance queries. Whilst this may seem daunting to some the knowledge I have gained over the past 11 years has equipped me well to deal with such matters, but if there is something I need support or help with then the Firms directors will gladly spend the time to make sure we are giving the best advice to our clients. The challenges, demands and pressures

of my role have provided me with a very rewarding and fulfilling career. I have gained extensive experience in a variety of areas including audit, accounts preparation, taxation and management information systems. My main area of expertise is managing and controlling the audits of large corporate groups. I am also involved in managing the preparation of financial statements for smaller limited companies. These areas of my work enable me to have an in depth knowledge of my clients which in turn ensures I can give them the best possible advice, identify opportunities for efficiencies, and be pro-active in ensuring our firm provides them with the help and assistance they require. Being proactive and adding value to clients is important to me, and something I try to focus on in every piece of work I do. I also try to instil this ethos in all our staff. This helps define goals and establish the structures, processes and relationships that enable our clients to achieve success. Developing staff and helping train them to be rounded accountants is also a very important aspect of my role. Having been a trainee accountant (not too long ago!), I remember what it was like to start off in a firm and learn from others around me. I was very fortunate that I had some great mentors when I was training and I would like to think that I can provide similar advice and guidance to our current and future trainees. I work along aside an excellent team and because of this the work life in ASM is very enjoyable. Yes, we are a very busy office which can be quite hectic at times, but I get a great sense of satisfaction from delivering work on a timely basis. We are all very passionate about our work and team working brings out the best in each of us. Our work environment means we can bounce ideas off each other to ensure we are getting the right result for our clients. Looking back over the last 11 years it fills me with a sense of pride in what I have achieved to date and how I have grown with my career. I am playing a key role in helping to ensure ASM maintains its reputation and position as a leading firm of accountants and business advisors. I am still very ambitious and look forward to continuing to develop myself, and those around me, and achieving more from my career with ASM. I would hope that in another 5 years I will be able to look back and think that I have continued to provide the same high levels of service and continued to provide a real value added service to our clients.

Eye on News

MKB Law Appoints Three New Associate Directors

Gordon McElroy, Managing Director of MKB Law, alongside the new Associate Directors, Emma Smyth, Lynsey Henderson and Aine Toner.

MKB Law, one of Northern Ireland’s leading indigenous, full-service law firms, has announced the promotion of three of its solicitors to the position of Associate Directors.

esidential property specialist Emma Smyth, Family Law solicitor Aine Toner, and corporate and commercial property expert Lynsey Henderson have now become Associate Directors. These appointments reflect the ongoing expansion of the Belfast-based firm which provides legal guidance to corporate, commercial and individual clients. The team of 40 staff is adept in all areas of law with a particular focus on property, corporate, debt recovery and insolvency, dispute resolution, private client, matrimonial and employment matters. Emma Smyth joined MKB Law as a trainee and qualified as a solicitor in 2018. Highly experienced in property law, she has been instrumental in

growing the residential property side of the firm’s services, particularly residential property developments. Emma said: “I am delighted to become an Associate Director with such a respected law firm. MKB Law has invested in me and helped me develop my career in property law. I look forward to building further strong relationships with our clients and finding solutions to their legal needs.” A specialist in Family Law, Aine Toner joined MKB Law in 2018. Aine has considerable experience in advising clients in relation to divorce and financial settlements. She has particular expertise in international agreements and those involving company interests and family businesses. Aine is also a

member of the specialist Children Order Panel which means she can represent parents in both private and public law proceedings. Aine also welcomed her new appointment, saying: “My focus is understanding client’s needs and producing the best possible outcomes for all concerned. I welcome the opportunity to bring my experience and expertise to this role.” Lynsey Henderson joined the firm six years ago as PA to the managing director. She went on to train as a solicitor and qualified in 2019. Lynsey now specialises in corporate law and commercial property transactions, acting for some of the leading property investors in Northern Ireland. Lynsey said: “I am absolutely thrilled to begin this new chapter of my career as an Associate Director specialising in corporate law and commercial property. I believe the skills and experience that I have gained in my practice areas will help MKB Law continue on their exceptional growth trajectory by

continuing to attract new clients within the commercial sector”. Now employing over 40 specialist staff, MKB Law, despite the challenges of the pandemic, has enjoyed significant growth across all sectors over the last 18 months. Welcoming the appointments, Managing Director Gordon McElroy attributes MKB Law’s strong performance to the firm’s investment in experts and its continuing expansion of legal services. Mr McElroy said: “Our firm is only as strong as its people, and these are exceptional people. These appointments are a clear sign of MKB Law’s confidence in its staff and our commitment to our clients. Our enviable reputation for quality and our expertise in providing a full services solution means demand for our services is growing as more and more clients seek us out. “Our three talented and motivated new Associate Partners will further strengthen our senior management team at a time of confident expansion.”

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Eye on News

Northern Ireland to Host Annual Meeting for Inbound Tour Operators

his annual meeting brings together the members of the association, who are Ireland based tour operators who package and promote to over 4,000 global travel trade partners and customers. This will be their first face to face AGM since 2020 and the bid to host this event has been made possible through the Tourism Recovery Action Plan. Tourism NI work closely with ITOA to promote additional programming of Northern Ireland on the members’ itineraries and this year has already seen a range of sales and marketing activities designed to bring together

ITOA members and local tourism businesses. Today (17 November) will see 104 tourism businesses from Northern Ireland engage in 2000 virtual appointments to promote their experience or property to ITOA members. Tourism NI’s Business Solutions Executive Officer, Dawn Corrigan said: “In 2019, ITOA members delivered over £500 million of business and 704,500 promotable visitors to the island of Ireland, making the association’s members a vital part of the growth of the tourism industry in Northern Ireland. International

Tourism NI has successfully bid to host the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for ITOA (Incoming Tour Operators Association) Council Members in January 2022 at the Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort. Pictured outside the Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort (L-r) are Beth Greenan, Group Sales Manager at Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort, Nuala Saul, ITOA Executive Member, Dawn Corrigan, Tourism NI’s Business Solutions Executive Officer and Maurice Johnston, Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort.

tourism business is a vital part of our tourism economy as it generates regional spread and encourages mid-week year-round spend which is highly valued by industry partners.” She added: “We want to continue to provide this platform for our tourism providers so they can tap into a global distribution which allows them to promote and sell their business as well as Northern Ireland to key oversea markets. This will be the third time that the prestigious AGM has been held in Northern Ireland and we look forward to welcoming ITOA council members in the new year.” ITOA President, Rob Rankin said: “We are really delighted to have our first in person AGM meeting and members gathering in Northern Ireland

and Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort to look forward to in January 2022. Our AGM is an important event in ITOA’s calendar as it provides the opportunity for members to spend time meeting and experiencing the destination that we are located. Tourism Northern Ireland’s ongoing support and engagement with ITOA and our members, in providing important networking opportunities like our workshops has been really important. It ensures that Northern Ireland remains high on our members radar to promote to our existing overseas partners and positions the destination to capitalise on expected recovery in 2022”.

Thrive

To be the first to hear about all the programme’s events and features, sign up now to our mailing list at www.tourismni.com/ted

21/10/2021 15:15

Eye on News

Cairnryan Port move delivers record volumes for Stena Line

his month, Stena Line will mark the 10th anniversary of the opening of its Loch Ryan Port facility at Cairnryan and the introduction of two new Superfast vessels which heralded the start of its then new Belfast to Cairnryan service back in 2011. Over the last decade, the service between Belfast and Cairnryan has continued to grow and this year, despite the combined challenges of Brexit and Covid, will see the route deliver record breaking car and freight volumes in 2021. “The sea link between Northern Ireland and Scotland has always been a vital tourism and trade gateway,” said Stena Line’s Trade Director Paul Grant. “Our decision to move from our old port at Stranraer in 2011 was based on a number of factors including the ability to introduce significantly larger vessels to service the growing demand between both countries. “So not only did we invest in building a brand-new port at Cairnryan, but we

also introduced two new Superfast vessels, the largest vessels ever to service the route, in a £250m investment programme,” he added. “Ten years on I’m delighted to say that our commitment to the route has been justified with record volumes in what has been an extremely tough Brexit and Covid impacted trading year. Our Superfast vessels have an excellent reliability and punctuality record which has provided a solid platform for us to grow our business over the last decade.” Paul Grant concluded: “The success we have delivered over the last decade has been achieved despite the lack of government investment in the roads system servicing Loch Ryan. The A75 and A77 are vitally important arterial routes which still are not fit for purpose for one of the UK’s largest gateways. Northern Ireland’s connectivity to its main market is being hampered so we would urge the Governments on both sides for investment in these muchneeded infrastructure upgrades.

Stena Line Superfast VIII OSS crew Caitlan Nicholl (left) and Morgan Cowan (right) joined Paul Grant (Trade Director) and Senior Master Steve Millar onboard the Bridge of Superfast VIII to mark the 10th anniversary of Stena Line’s move to Cairnryan Port

“Looking forward we are optimistic about the future but the reliable and high-quality ferry service we have provided needs to be supported and enhanced by a 21st century road network that

well enabling better connectivity between both countries.” Over the last 10 years, the Belfast-Cairnryan service has delivered a series of impressive performance statistics including:

11.1 million passengers

2.6 million cars

1.9 million freight units

40,747 number of sailings

1.6 million nautical miles travelled

98% of sailings on time

Business Leaders examine opportunity for post-pandemic growth in Northern Ireland

ocal business leaders have been looking beyond the current COVID-19 health crisis to examine the opportunities for growth for Northern Ireland. The Countdown to Growth Hybrid Conference, organised by Chartered Accountants Ulster Society in partnership with Danske Bank, considered the key factors for growth as business adapts to a post-pandemic future. The conference featured leading international and local speakers in areas such as digital transformation, sustainability, as well as a panel of local business leaders outlining how disruption has changed their strategic approach. Delivering a keynote speech at the hybrid event was Terence Mauri, author and Mentor in Residence at MIT and London Business School. Regarded as an influential and outspoken expert on the future of leadership, he outlined that businesses are looking

for a future that is “growth-led, resilient, sustainable and should aim to harness disruption as a tailwind for renewal and re-imagination.” Other speakers at the event, running at ICC Belfast and simultaneously online included leadership and communication expert Andrew Toogood; sustainability expert Dr Cera Slevin; and tax expert Alan Gourley. The event drew on the experiences and forward plans of local companies including Veriteer, Finnebrogue, Galgorm Collection and Danske Bank. Speaking at the Countdown to Growth Conference, Maeve Hunt, Chairperson of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society said: “It’s been a really testing couple of years for local businesses. We’ve heard a lot about recovery over the last number of months, and in the meantime, businesses have been getting on with it. “Today we looked beyond the pandemic and past the immediate recovery. We

Pictured at the Countdown to Growth Conference in Belfast are (from left) Vicky Davies of Danske Bank; Maeve Hunt of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society and Zara Duffy of Chartered Accountants Ireland.

found some genuine reasons to be positive about growth in the postpandemic future. The Conference examined how the world of business is set to change, the increasing pace of that change and the key factors for growth for local business.

“I would like to thank Danske Bank for their sponsorship of this Conference. I believe that together we’ve been able to highlight some of the positive factors in our post-pandemic future that can provide some real growth, jobs and prosperity for everyone in our community.”

Eye on News

Titanic Distillery Plans Given Green Light

Plans have been approved for the conversion of the historic Titanic Pump-House into a new whiskey distillery and world class tourist attraction.

listed building in the heart of Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, the Pump-House, along with its neighbouring dry dock, first opened in 1911 and is the world’s only authentic Titanic landmark. Now, Belfast drinks company Titanic Distillers has been given the green light by Belfast City Council to convert the Pumphouse into a working distillery with associated visitor tour. Included in the plans are the installation of three large stills on a mezzanine floor overlooking the original pumping engines which are situated deep in the pump-well. All the original pump equipment and associated internal historic features of the building will be retained and available to view as part of a visitor tour, with tourists also able to relax in the adjacent tourism centre, which will include an on-site ‘speakeasy’ bar and café with free wi-fi, gift shop, exhibition space and an enlarged mezzanine floor with tasting rooms. Aside from restoration requirements, the exterior of the pump house would remain largely untouched under the plan but will be open for tourists to view the famous Thompson dry dock, which

was built in 1911 to accommodate the massive White Star transatlantic liners Olympic and Titanic. “We are very excited that our planning application has been approved,” said Titanic Distillers Director Richard Irwin. “Titanic Distillers is inspired by the people who worked in Belfast’s shipyard more than a century ago - and now tourists will be able to walk in their footsteps in the very pump-house and dry dock that represent such an authentic part of the Titanic story and indeed the history of Belfast. “At Titanic Distillers, we are very aware that we have a big responsibility as custodians of a hugely historic and global brand, and it is crucially important that we preserve the historical integrity of this building and its surrounds. “The Pump-house has survived remarkably well for more than 100 years in a very harsh environment but it is in much need of repair and any further decline would represent a major risk to its future – so our first priority is to restore the building and bring it back to its former glory while maintaining and securing its long-term future,” he added. “As a listed building and such an

important piece of our history, all care and attention will be devoted to preserving the building’s features and ensuring that they meet modern-day standards. “All distillery equipment and new internal mezzanine floors will be supported by a steel structure within the pump-house to avoid any harmful intrusive works to the fabric of the building. “Whilst today represents a major milestone for us, we know that the hard work really starts here and we are now collaborating with stakeholders and funders, including Invest NI, to bring these exciting plans to life. Hopefully, we will be in a position to make a further announcement on this in the not-toodistant future,” concluded Richard. Once completed, visitors to the Pump-House will ‘clock in’, as workers did a century ago, to view the workings of the distillery and hear the story of Belfast’s whiskey tradition, why it disappeared and how it has returned with the city’s first working whiskey distillery in more than 100 years. “In the days before Prohibition, Belfast was once the largest producer of Irish Whiskey on the island of Ireland,” said Titanic

Distillers Director Peter Lavery. “Whiskey has played an important part in the history of our city. We want to revive this great distilling tradition and bring Belfast back to the forefront of Irish Whiskey production, while at the same time telling the story of a glorious past when Belfast led the way globally - not just in shipbuilding but across many areas of industry, manufacturing and innovation. “We are excited to tell this story through our whiskey and our vision to develop the PumpHouse to create a truly authentic experience that will allow visitors to feel they were really there.” The Titanic Pump-House is within walking distance of Titanic Belfast, the world’s biggest Titanic exhibition centre and Northern Ireland’s number one tourist attraction, clocking up more than 800,000 visitors per annum in the days before Covid-19. Also resident in the Titanic Quarter is the SS Nomadic tender ship which ferried passengers to the ill-fated liner, and HMS Caroline, a decommissioned C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy that saw combat service in the First World War and served as an administrative centre in the Second World War.

Eye on PublicRelations

Flexing PR’s Muscle When the need to communicate effectively has never been greater, PR is making gains.

s 2021 draws to a close, the PR industry is in great shape. According to the PRCA, the world’s largest and most influential PR professional industry, the industry has grown by 6.1 per cent since 2020, contributing “a record £16.7bn” to the economy. Esteemed PR practitioners are hailing the industry’s bounce back from its greatest ever challenge in facing the Covid-19 pandemic. Teams are growing again, salaries are on the rise and the industry’s confidence in a prosperous outlook for the year ahead is rising. We as an industry can take a collective breath and celebrate how we navigated both our clients and our own organisations through the most challenging period in recent history. There’s no denying the gains that the PR industry has made locally over the last 22 months has been impressive, but we shouldn’t be surprised. Rather than viewing the pandemic as PR’s ‘greatest challenge’, we should look at it as PR’s ‘greatest opportunity’ to flex its muscle and show its strength and power in times of crises. The pandemic didn’t so much present a challenge to PR practitioners, but rather provided the environment to prove the value that it can bring to business. It’s time to shine, so to speak. One of the world’s top global PR agencies Edelman recently published a report on the future of the industry and found that the role of PR and communications has become more materially important to CEOs, boards, and the C-suite as a result of the pandemic. 77 per cent said perceptions of the role of communications as a strategic business driver changed within their organisation during

2020. Today, 46 per cent of in-house practitioners report directly to the CEO. In fact, recognising the power communications has on business success, Galgorm Collection Managing Director Colin Johnston moved his office to sit alongside the communications team during the pandemic with great success – and he’s there to stay. Gone are the days of communications operating in a silo, or being limited to its basic function of generating positive media coverage for example. Its remit is broader – and bolder. For many organisations, PR’s value has rocketed all the way into the board room with communicators now having a seat at the table to contest social issues, reputational risk prevention, value propositions and strategic direction. The role of communications is morphing from a singular function delivering on a dedicated agenda to being an indispensable voice at the top table, generating measurable business value and informing strategic direction. For the PR professional, this has meant a broadening of skill set to balance traditional skills like writing, storytelling and media engagement

with expertise in new areas like environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), underpinned by data-driven research and set against measurable outcomes. These layers all form the foundation of strong, strategic business planning and activity. On top of this, communicators are increasingly acting as change agents, enabling ongoing business transformation. When asked what the key growth areas are for the year ahead, Edelman’s report showed that PR practitioners agree corporate reputation, purpose and corporate social responsibility and strategic consulting all top the list. As one of the island of Ireland’s leading integrated communications agencies, LK Communications has been providing expert services across these focused areas for more than 16 years and it’s no surprise that they will continue to dominate in 2022. As more and more organisations switch on to the power of PR as a transformative business function, we should expect to see this upwards growth across all sectors, but particularly within IT & technology, healthcare and

financial and professional services. For all organisations, ESG will play an increasingly important role in the year ahead. As stakeholder expectations become more complex and demanding, compounded by social issues on a local and global scale, as well as the ‘always on’ news cycle, organisations can find themselves navigating unchartered territory and in need of expert, specialist support. PR’s strength to deliver across a wide scope of areas for organisations to move their business forward and keep abreast of the ever-challenging external environment has been proven – and for many organisations, it’s bulking up. As the industry looks to the future, it’s entering the new year in its best shape yet.

Geri Wright is Senior Client Director and Board Director at leading integrated communications agency LK Communications, which specialises in corporate and consumer PR and political affairs. www.lkcommunications.co.uk

Eye on Broadband

Fibrus

One Year of Delivering Hyperfast Broadband To Northern Ireland’s Rural Communities

Establishing a new company just before Covid and starting to grow it during the pandemic might sound like something of a corporate nightmare but it’s a bit less difficult when your end product is high-speed broadband at a time when broadband has never been so important.

ibrus came into being as the latest player in the Northern Ireland broadband scene in 2019. Established by entrepreneurs Conal Henry and Dominic Kearns and backed by Infracapital (M&G Investments), it hit the market with a small team but had big ambitions and surprised more than a few observers when it beat some of the big names of

the telecommunications world to land the Department of the Economy’s £165 million Project Stratum contract, aimed at delivering superfast broadband provision to Northern Ireland’s underserved rural areas. As this landmark project marks its first anniversary we spoke to Shane Haslem, Programme & Commercial Director at Fibrus.

“We’ve grown up during the Covid era but Covid has meant that broadband took on a whole new importance. Almost overnight, everyone needed top quality broadband not just in their offices, but in their homes as well. “It’s been a big challenge for us as a new company but it’s a challenge that we haven’t just risen to, we’ve also exceeded all of our targets along the way.” Shane Haslem is a telecoms industry career man. A computing graduate from the University of Ulster, he started his career as a telecoms engineer working for the old Nevada Tele.com then Energis and Cable &

Wireless before a lengthy spell at Eir, where he left engineering roles behind to rise through the ranks and become General Manager for Northern Ireland. At Fibrus, he’s responsible for all of the programmes and active network architecture, including Project Stratum, Project Stratum, the government’s response to premises with less than 30Mb broadband availability in rural areas here, swung into action last November and is due to run until March 2024. “We’re talking about hyperfast full fibre broadband delivering speeds of up to 1Gb,” says Shane Haslem, “and we’re talking about just about

Eye on Broadband every part of Northern Ireland. So this is no small undertaking.” But it’s a project which will make a big difference to Northern Ireland’s rural communities, many of whom have struggled with poor broadband, or a complete lack of broadband, for many years. “Once Project Stratum is finished, Northern Ireland, including its rural areas, will have hyperfast broadband equal to and better than many big cities around the UK.” Fibrus hit the ground running from Day 1 of its contract with the Department for the Economy. In what Shane Haslem describes as a ‘vertical take off’ approach, the company effectively started engineering work before the ink was dry on the contract. “It would be quite normal under these contracts for others to spend six or nine months before doing anything. We just get on with it and ramp up delivery machine as we go. We were building on our first day as the supplier. It was one of the promises we made when we won the contract. “And we haven’t stopped since,” he smiles. “In the past 365 days or so, we’ve built a network to connect thousands of homes and premises, we’ve installed 5,000 kilometres of cable, and we’ve created 380 jobs, 100 of them with Fibrus directly and the rest through our contractor network. “We’re on target to pass (meaning bring broadband availability to) 19,600 premises by the end of the calendar year. That puts us ahead of our targets.” But there’s a long way to go. In total, Project Stratum should deliver broadband availability to over 76,000 premises. “We bring hyperfast broadband to just outside the premises, in effect. Whether the customer wants to connect or not is up to them,” he explains. Fibrus is building what’s called an open access network. That means that customers don’t even have to choose Fibrus as their supplier. Under Project Stratum, the company is delivering a wholesale broadband network, access to which is available to any other third party suppliers interested in a slice of the Northern Ireland marketplace. But, with the relatively low

numbers involved, a headlong rush by the big UK broadband providers seems unlikely in the early stages of the project. The government, through the Department of the Economy’s Telecoms Branch, works closely with Fibrus on the delivery of the contract. The emphasis is always on rural broadband provision, something that has won the company acclaim at the Independent Networks Cooperative Association Awards last month for best public sector project. “When we talk about delivering broadband to an area like Maghera or Newry, what that means in practice isn’t the town itself but its wider hinterland. That’s the whole point of Project Stratum and what it sets out to do,” adds Shane Haslem. Fibrus teams could find themselves working anywhere in Northern Ireland. “We’ve finished work in Coalisland and moved to Killyleagh, then to Newry and South Armagh and, at the moment, we’ve a lot of work going on outside Enniskillen. “It’s important to us that we stay on track, that we stay ahead

of the Project Stratum targets,” he says. “It means that we’re delivering for the population of rural Northern Ireland, but it also means that we’re building a strong reputation as a trusted broadband provider.” The very fact that Fibrus, at corporate level, is already building on its experience here by moving into the North of England marketplace is a clear sign that this is a Northern Ireland company which won’t let the grass grow under its feet. It’s no surprise given the entrepreneurial pedigree of its founders. Dominic Kearns is a serial telecoms entrepreneur having founded several other successful local companies such as b4b group and Viberoptix, while Conal Henry is a former Commercial Director at Ryanair, CEO of Enet and Chairman of the £500 million, Treasury-backed National Digital Infrastructure Fund based in London. “We’re definitely ambitious as a company,” says Shane Haslem. “It’s something that’s built into the organisation and that feeds down from Conal and Dominic. But

we also know that we can’t just be ambitious. We’ve also got to prove ourselves, and that’s what we’re doing on the ground here in Northern Ireland at the moment. “Our number one ambition is to make sure that we deliver Project Stratum on target and on time, and we’re definitely on schedule to do that. Outside of Stratum, we’ve got to grow our reach, grow our coverage, our market share and the visibility of Fibrus as a company and a product. “Partnerships are key to our success. We do have a strong working partnership with the Department of the Economy, but most importantly we also have strong and effective partnership with the companies we work with on the design, delivery and engineering front. On top of all that is our relationship with local people in the areas where we operate. Fibrus has quickly become woven into the community of Northern Ireland, we partner local organisations, we have established a Community Fund to support local causes and organisations and we are committed to making life better for everyone we serve.”

Eye on Cover Story

HSBC UK

Ready To Fuel Post-Covid Recovery

Businesses in Northern Ireland, says Gillian Morris, have plenty of challenges to cope with at the moment. And banks have a crucial role to play by staying close to, and supporting, their business customers.

“E

very business, across the board, is still dealing with the unique challenges of the pandemic,” says HSBC UK’s Head of Northern Ireland. “But they’re also dealing with the out workings of Brexit, and with specific challenges around staff shortage and rising costs across the board, particularly on the energy front. “For us, it’s been a case of staying with our customer base right through the pandemic and its different phases, and working with them around the other key challenges. We’ve had to be flexible, responsive and quick on our feet to do that.” Her senior colleague Dan Wilson agrees, but adds that the landscape is changing. “Recovery is definitely underway,” he says. “Top line revenue is on the increase, but there are definitely supply chain issues, labour shortages and clear challenges around transport and logistics. That said, there is a lot of optimism out there at the moment.” Dan is settling into his new role as Deputy Head of Northern Ireland for HSBC UK. Currently Yorkshire-based, he’s a seasoned

banker with 25 years under his belt most recently as a Corporate Relationship Director and fills the gap left by the long-serving Chris McQuay, who retired at the end of September. HSBC UK has a long established reputation as one of the key challenger banks serving the Northern Ireland business marketplace. It has developed key specialist areas of expertise in the likes of manufacturing, food & drink and technology, in addition to a long established farming and agri food book. But this is a bank that, in global terms, is anything but a challenger bank. It lies sixth in the S&P World Rankings for 2020, behind four huge Chinese banks and JP Morgan Chase. “Our global expertise and global strength gives us the kind of resources that can really come into play for local companies here in Northern Ireland who want to look outside their domestic markets,” adds Gillian Morris. HSBC UK, she says, has been able to apply its comprehensive range of products and solutions to help business customers through the pandemic and the post-Brexit environment. “We’ve got a range

of strong trade finance products, we have invoice finance, and we have a lot more that we’re able to offer our business customers. “It’s certainly not a one size fits all approach. That just does’t work for businesses who need an individual and tailored approach to banking and financing.” Dan Wilson reckons that HSBC UK will be financing a higher level of innovation and investment in the coming months as companies here move towards a post-Covid footing. “There’s no doubt that some investments have been delayed while the pandemic has been with us, but there’s a clear appetite now to move forward with investment decisions and to press on with innovation. There’s just no need to delay any longer. That can only be good for the economy.” As a banker working with businesses on a day to day basis, he’s all too aware of the current challenges. “Finding staff in certain sectors is really difficult and that has a knock on effect,” he says. “On another side of the business, there are considerably longer lead times for some raw materials and components.” Gillian Morris says that providing

“Our global expertise and global strength gives us the kind of resources that can really come into play for local companies here in Northern Ireland who want to look outside their domestic markets.”

Eye on Cover Story

affordable loans has been one of the keys to the bank’s service to its customers over the pandemic period. “Affordability is the key,” she says. “There was always a fear that many businesses would come out of Covid burdened by high levels of debt and that isn’t how it has turned out.”

As an employer, HSBC UK continues to have most of its staff working from home in line with government advice, but intends to work towards a hybrid working model going forward. “We’ll use our offices in a more intelligent way in the future,” Gillian adds. “But I have to say that home working has

delivery of solutions for customers. “We’re in the fortunate position of being right at the leading edge when it comes to the development of world class digital banking solutions,” says Dan Wilson. “Digital banking applies here in Northern Ireland as much as it does across our global network.”

“There was always a fear that many businesses would come out of Covid burdened by high levels of debt and that isn’t how it has turned out.”

been a very productive and positive experience for us as an employer.” HSBC UK also sees a clear role for itself working alongside business customers on their sustainability agendas, something that the bank itself takes very seriously on a global corporate level. “The UK consumers are ahead of our government on the sustainability agenda,” Dan Wilson adds. “But it’s crucial that our businesses are part of the solution.” Another key priority area for HSBC UK is digital banking, and the digital

Meanwhile, the bank continues to grow its presence here in Northern Ireland, according to Gillian Morris. “We’re continuing to add new customers, and we’re acquiring those customers because we’ve got the solutions that they need to keep their own business growing. “We’re looking forward to working in partnership with existing and new customers to work through the current challenges and the future challenges that Northern Ireland businesses will face.”

Eye on Finance

Managing late payments with invoice finance Late payments can have a catastrophic impact on SMEs, but they remain a challenge to many smaller businesses.

egardless of how organised a company’s finances are, or whether they raise invoices on time, it is likely that at least some of their bills will be settled outside of agreed terms – something that the coronavirus pandemic has arguably made worse. These delays are currently causing problems for more than two-fifths of businesses in the UK and Ireland, according to our latest survey of 900 senior decision makers. What’s more, half of those affected say that the problem is worse than it was a year ago, and a further 45 per cent report that there has been no improvement. Late payment challenges SMEs are key contributors to the Irish economy, but late payments can make it difficult – if not impossible – for them to operate as usual. Businesses report a range of problems including spending vital staff-hours chasing late

payments, having their ability to trade significantly impacted and finding it challenging to manage cash flow. Our research also revealed the extent of the strain the issue can put on SME’s working capital. Two fifths of those impacted reported that they were owed between £21,000 and £40,000 and a third said they were owed more than £40,000 in late payments. Cash flow solutions Managing cash flow is vital for business success and, as a result, many are turning to solutions like invoice finance to ensure they have access to the capital they need. It’s simple. Companies receive a percentage value of their unpaid customer invoices from a lender in advance. Then, when the invoice has been settled, they are paid the remaining amount minus an agreed fee. With invoice finance, businesses

can rely on planned dates and, once approved, have cash from their invoices as soon as they raised, reducing the impact late payments have on cash flow and enabling businesses to operate normally. Another key benefit of invoice discounting is that SMEs retain control of invoice collections. This means the service is completely confidential and businesses continue to liaise with customers themselves, strengthening relationships while reducing the need to chase late payments.

Our funding experts will work closely with your business to find an invoice finance structure which supports your needs. Contact us today on 02890996808 or visit closecommercialfinance.ie to find out more.

Close Brothers Close Brothers are a leading modern merchant bank, recognised as a FTSE250 company and listed on the London Stock Exchange. We provide lending to a range of companies, with a core purpose of helping the people and businesses of Ireland and Britain thrive over the long term. To achieve this, all of our diverse, specialist businesses have a deep industry knowledge, so they can understand the challenges and opportunities that our customers and clients face. We support the unique needs of our customers and clients to ensure that they thrive, rather than simply survive, whatever the market conditions.

Eye on Retail

Brian Donaldson & Maxol- Evolution &

The Pandemic

Brian Donaldson isn’t short of challenges at the moment. In fact, he’s not likely to be run short of challenges in the foreseeable future.

axol’s Chief Executive has just steered his all-Ireland operation through the worst of the Covid pandemic. Looking to the future, continued investment in forecourt sites isn’t the only thing on the agenda. There’s also the small matter of the future of vehicles and the continued move away from fossil fuels. Add in uncertainty over oil prices and it’s easy to see why Donaldson’s in tray is far from empty. But the Maxol chief is resolutely optimistic. He talks about Maxol’s ongoing evolution as a retailer, about how it’s always adapting to the fast changing market around it and about its various plans for the future. “Covid has been tough for us just as it’s been tough for everyone,” he says. “We had no option but to keep going throughout but it wasn’t easy, especially in the very early days when everyone was scared of what might happen. “Like others in retail, our immediate challenges were around looking after our front line staff and making sure all the safety measures were in place at all of our sites.” Maxol’s sites took an immediate hit in terms of footfall. “We saw a 70 to 80% drop in volume right across the business in that early period. Fuel sales fell away dramatically, as did our coffee business, while shop sales – depending on the site – went in the opposite direction. Consumers didn’t need much fuel, but they did need the essentials and we had a strong neighbourhood retailing role to play. “In ways, we’re in a privileged position. We’re here to serve our local communities, and we made changes to our ranges to make sure we were

Eye on Retail doing exactly that,” says Brian Donaldson. “We also kept in daily contact with all of our retailers to make sure that they knew about current rules and restrictions and we knew about any problems.” As an Irish company, Maxol faced the added challenge of running retail sites both north and south of the border with different rules applied in each jurisdiction. “What was also crucial was that we worked hand in glove with the Henderson Group, our retail partners here in the North, and BWG Foods in the South, taking a collective collaborative approach to the crisis.” Maxol might have seen a slump in volume during the first part of the pandemic, but it’s didn’t put the brakes on continued investment. In Northern Ireland, investment in forecourts has continued apace. The group re-opened a new forecourt in Portrush in time for a busy summer season there. “Sites like Portrush have been trading very well, whereas city centre forecourts have been struggling. That’s a fairly obvious by product of Covid,” he adds. Curiously (although not when you think about it), Maxol’s forecourt car washes saw a marked uptick in volume during the Covid period. The company plans to spent £17 million on its Ireland network of 115 sites over the coming months, although here in Northern Ireland, delays in the planning process aren’t helping. “We could get a lot more done a lot quicker if it wasn’t for delays in the planning system. There is no doubt that the whole system is crying out for a complete overhaul,” says the Maxol Chief Executive. The group’s Kinnegar site on the edge of Holywood is a good example. Maxol has plans to extend it to a state of the art facility on a much larger site taking in some neighbouring vacant land, but it’s being held up by planning process delays. Elsewhere in the north, Maxol has major upgrades planned at Downpatrick, at Edenderry on Belfast’s Crumlin Road as well as at Braid River, Ballymena. The company’s NI and ROI operations differ from each other in a number of ways. Down south, Maxol has developed a

Maxol A26 Tanngahmore Services and Maxol Portrush - two of the sites that Maxol has invested in in 2021 and both of which secured wins at the recent Forecourt Trader Awards 2021. A26 Tannaghmore Services in Antrim took the title in Northern Ireland for best site over 4 million litres per annum while Portrush won for best Forecourt Innovation.

range of own label offerings from coffee through to pre-packed sandwiches and snacks. It also operates a number of drive thru Burger King outlets and has unveiled its first similar venture alongside Apache Pizza. Brian Donaldson says that he’s love to see similar developments coming north of the border. “It’s all part of our evolution as a retail network and as a brand and we’ll certainly be looking at how we can develop here in the north.” The company is prepared for a wholesale change in fuel types over the coming years, although Brian Donaldson is quick to add that he doesn’t see the demise of the forecourt and its fuel dispensing pumps any time soon. “We will undoubtedly see new fuels like hydrogen and bio fuels

coming on stream, and we’re already planning to add ultra-fast charging stations to a number of our sites. Kinnegar in Holywood will be the first to have a number of them on site for our customers. “When Maxol started trading in Ireland just over 100 years ago, 100% of our revenues came from fuel sales. Nowadays, 60% of our revenues come from non fuel sales. That shows how much things have changed and will continue to change,” he says. “As a management team, we’ll not be sitting back and watching. We’ll be managing change.” The company, both north and south, has developed some impressive green credentials, running through from clean fuels to compostable packaging used for products like coffee. “We’re audited

by KPMG who tell us how well we’re doing on the sustainability front,” adds Brian Donaldson. “We could tell ourselves, but it’s much better coming from independent experts.” Turning to recent fuel shortages in England, and rising prices, the Maxol CEO points out that Ireland, both north and south, was unaffected by the recent supply issues and resultant panic buying across the Irish Sea. As for price rises, he reckons that these are an inevitable by-product of a crash in consumer demand during the height of the pandemic, increasing consumer demand now and a lag between demand and supply. “Things are probably going to get worse before they get better,” he says. “We could be looking at an all-time high in forecourt prices.”

Eye on News

Connectivity among most important household features for buyers in Northern Ireland

Fibrus Managing Director David Armstrong

Strong digital connectivity is fast becoming one of the most important features home hunters are looking for in Northern Ireland.

ccording to a recent survey conducted by PropertyPal, almost a quarter of first-time buyers regard high internet speed and mobile connectivity as a top feature of a property when looking for a new home. Now, hyperfast broadband supplier Fibrus is teaming up with PropertyPal to make it easy to find which homes have the best connection. In their most recent ‘Home Buyers Survey’, Northern Ireland’s leading property portal and mortgage broker, PropertyPal identified that 23% of first-time buyers consider high internet speed and mobile connectivity as important to them when considering purchasing a property.

The findings have inspired a new partnership between PropertyPal and emerging broadband provider, Fibrus, to inform house hunters of property access to their hyperfast full fibre network. Managing Director at PropertyPal, Errol Maxwell said: “We are living in the digital age and access to broadband, mobile connectivity and particularly high internet speeds plays a key role in people’s daily lives. Our reliance on well-performing internet access has been highlighted over the past 18 months and will continue into the future with it now being considered a necessity alongside heat, electricity and water. “It is no surprise that a well connected property is attractive to

buyers as it helps support a high quality of life - both personal and professional. For vendors, this is good news too as enhancing your broadband services can increase the value of your property in the same way a new kitchen or well kept garden can, as potential buyers know that they are getting an important feature. That’s why we’ve joined forces with the team at Fibrus to provide additional data for searchers and estate agents, so they know when a property has that higher level of connectivity.” David Armstrong, Managing Director at Fibrus added: “Providing digital solutions which ensure people and communities stay connected is at the heart of what we do at Fibrus. We know how crucial connectivity is for a thriving local economy and for individuals who not only want to relax at home, but those who work and learn remotely as well.

“When viewing a property, buyers are now looking at connectivity and the ability to work from home effectively as key considerations. It is no longer an option to be without strong broadband, so it is important that you know if your new home will have access to the best full fibre services. For sellers, that also means ensuring high connectivity is ticked on the specification of your property should be a priority, as it will add substantial value on your asking price. “That’s where we come in. We are excited to be reaching more and more homes and business premises every day, connecting them to the fastest ever broadband service available in regional and rural parts of Northern Ireland. Many of these areas have been digitally disadvantaged until now, so our new network should help make them a more attractive place to live and work.”

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Eye on Environmental

No Time to Waste... Colin O’Hanlon, Commercial Manager, Indaver UK

In 2019/20 NI councils sent over 240,000 tonnes of household waste (24%) to landfill with a similar amount exported abroad.

The recent COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow spelled out the scale of the environmental challenge we all face. Among the headline agreements made was a plan to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030 which was agreed by over 100 countries.

e know that methane emissions make a significant contribution to current global warming and COP26 delegates heard that by reducing methane in the short-tomedium term we can buy the world extra time to tackle climate change. The reason why is clear. Research shows that over a 20-year period, this potent greenhouse gas is around 84 times more powerful in global warming terms compared to carbon dioxide (CO2). The recent UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Methane Assessment stated that the waste sector has the most significant mitigation potential for reducing

methane emissions in Europe. As one of the main sources of methane release, we simply must reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill. Despite this, according to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the volume of household waste which Northern Ireland councils sent to landfill in 2019/20 was 240,000 tonnes or 24% of waste collected. This doesn’t include additional commercial and industrial waste. As well as landfilling huge volumes of waste last year we also exported over 235,000 tonnes of NI household waste overseas, much of which fuelled Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities abroad.

In Northern Ireland, we must play our part in tacking climate change and taking responsibility for our own waste is critical. That’s why the £240m arc21 residual waste treatment project, has been proposed as a key part of the solution. The project is entirely consistent with the current Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy and is in response to the requirements identified by the public waste body which represents six Northern Ireland councils and manages the waste of 1.1million people. The project, which is currently awaiting a final planning decision by the Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon, would consist of a pre-treatment facility which will increase recycling levels, and an EfW plant to create a valuable energy source from the remaining non-recyclable waste. The facility will contribute to local greenhouse gas emissions targets by the reduction of approximately 57,500 tonnes CO2 equivalent per year, compared to sending waste to landfill. It will also help end the need to export our waste, a practice which is increasingly environmentally and economically unsustainable. One of the additional project benefits is that it will also contribute to renewable energy targets. It

will generate enough electricity to power 30,000 homes - so we get the benefit of the energy contained within our waste locally rather than exporting that benefit overseas for others to realise. This will help Northern Ireland become less reliant on imported fossil fuels and increase our local security of energy supply through continuous generation that complements intermittent renewables. Such projects are also now enabling other decarbonisation technologies such as hydrogen production and district heating schemes. Indaver are already exploring additional decarbonisation benefits the project can help unlock, further enhancing its climate change contribution. The Project has now spent over seven years in the NI planning system, during which it has been recommended for approval by three sets of professional planners, including by the independent Planning Appeals Commission. Given the growing climate emergency, its role in helping meet Northern Ireland environmental targets is now even greater… we have no time to waste.

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Broadband – The Good, The Bad & The Ugly A street in Swansea has been crowned as having the fastest broadband in the UK. Residents of Haul Fryn in Birchgrove can, according to website U-switch, download a two hour film in 47 seconds.

he slowest street in the UK, in Cheshire, meanwhile, would take 48 hours for that same download. According to Ofcom’s latest internet speeds report, the average home broadband download speed in March 2021 was 79.1Mbps. This is despite the fact that most people can still only access a maximum speed of about 70Mbps. The number has largely been driven by the increasing rollout of ultrafast broadband and full fibre across the country, which provide internet speeds of 100Mbps and much higher. 24% of the UK can now access these connections, so this would explain why the average is faster than what most properties can get. The good news for Northern Ireland consumers is that we live in the only devolved nation not to feature in the UK’s top ten slowest streets. In fact, we’re up there with the leaders. In Northern Ireland, the slowest road for broadband is Ringhaddy Road in Killinchy, Co. Down. Old Ballynahinch Road in Lisburn tops the charts.

NI’s Fastest Roads 1.

Old Ballynahinch Road, Lisburn

Springfarm Terrace, Antrim

Donegall Quay, Belfast

Oldpark Road, Belfast

Derramore Heights, Magherafelt

Edith Helen Road, Newtownards

Scotch Street, Downpatrick

Mosside Gardens, Ballymoney

Culmore Point, Derry

10. Castle Park, Limvady The Uswitch broadband speed test measures the current internet speed your connected device is receiving. In order to accurately measure your home broadband speed, you need to be connected to your Wi-Fi router and ideally have a clear view of it before running the test.

It also requires a postcode to be entered before speeds are measured. We do this so you can see the average speed other people in your postcode usually get — which you can use to decide whether you should be on a faster connection or not. If you think you should be, you can learn how to switch broadband providers with our guide. The postcode data also lets us compare the average speed street-by-street across the UK, and that information is what gives us our fastest and slowest streets. Over 275,000 Uswitch speed tests were run in the last 12 months. That’s not quite the number we saw in 2020, when people started spending a lot more time at home, and broadband speed became a lot more important for working. But it’s still more than double the number we saw in 2019, which was just 122,000. Which makes sense, as many people still regularly work from home and TV streaming is more popular than ever. But despite the fact that superfast broadband (downloads speeds of 30Mbps or more) is available to over 96% of the country, a recent Uswitch survey found that 40% didn’t know that they could access those speeds in their local area.

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DNA FOR DATA STORAGE – The Future Is Almost Here Scientists say they have made a dramatic step forward in efforts to store information as molecules of DNA, according to the BBC’s Technology Unit.

he magnetic hard drives we currently use to store computer data can take up lots of space and also have to be replaced as they age. Using life’s preferred storage medium to back up our precious data would allow vast amounts of information to be archived in tiny molecules. The data would also last thousands of years, according to scientists. A team in Atlanta, US, has now developed a chip that they say could improve on existing forms of DNA storage by a factor of 100. “The density of features on our new chip is [approximately] 100x higher than current commercial devices,” Nicholas Guise, senior research scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), told BBC News. “So once we add all the control electronics - which is what we’re doing over the next year of the program - we expect something like a 100x improvement over existing technology for DNA data storage.” The technology works by growing unique strands of DNA one building block at a time. These building blocks are known as bases - four distinct chemical units that make up the DNA molecule. The bases, sometimes known as DNA letters, can then be used to encode information, in a way that’s analogous to the strings of ones and zeroes (binary code) that carry data in traditional computing. There are different potential ways to store this information in DNA - for example, a zero in binary code could be represented by the bases adenine or cytosine and the one represented by guanine or thymine. Alternatively, a one and zero could be mapped to just two of the four bases. It’s all part of a project between GTRI and other partners that’s called SMASH (Scalable Molecular Archival Software and Hardware). It has been said that, if formatted in DNA, every movie ever made could fit inside a volume smaller than a sugar cube. Given how compact and reliable it is, it’s not surprising there is now broad interest in DNA as the next medium for archiving data that needs to be kept indefinitely. The structures on the chip used to grow the DNA are called microwells and are a few hundred nanometres deep - less than the thickness of a sheet of paper. The current prototype microchip is about 2.5cm (one-inch) square and includes multiple microwells,

allowing several DNA strands to be synthesised in parallel. This will allow larger amounts of DNA to be grown in a shorter space of time. Once the sequence of chemical bases that stores data has been completed, the DNA strands will be stripped off the surface and dried for long-term storage. Because it’s a prototype, not all the microwells are wired up yet. This means the total amount of DNA data that can be written with this particular chip is currently less than what leading synthesis companies can produce on commercial chips. However, Dr Guise explained, when everything’s up and running, that will change. “For comparison purposes, the largest published demonstration of DNA digital data storage is [around] 200MB (megabytes), by a group at University of Washington and Microsoft (Organick et al., 2018). Writing all the DNA for that demonstration required multiple runs on commercial synthesis chips,” he told BBC News. “A single synthesis run for data storage purposes usually takes about 24 hours - which just depends on the length of DNA strands you are writing, not the number of strands you are writing in parallel. With our new chips, in principle we will be able to write ~100x more DNA data than the current record, in the same amount of time.” One challenge experts have been working to overcome has been the high cost of DNA storage. Thus far, this has restricted the technology to “boutique customers”, such as those seeking to archive information in time capsules. The team at GTRI believes their work could help reshape the cost curve. It has partnered with two California biotech companies to make a commerciallyviable demonstration of the technology. San

Francisco-based Twist Bioscience are working on the techniques for “writing” or synthesising the DNA. San Diego-based Roswell Biotechnologies will provide the technology for “reading” the DNA. DNA data storage won’t initially replace server farms for information that must be accessed quickly and often. Because of the time required for reading the sequence, the technique would be most useful for information that must be kept available for a long time, but accessed infrequently. This type of data is currently stored on magnetic tapes which should be replaced around every 10 years. With DNA, however, “as long as you keep the temperature low enough, the data will survive for thousands of years, so the cost of ownership drops to almost zero”, Dr Guise explained. “It only costs much money to write the DNA once at the beginning and then to read the DNA at the end. If we can get the cost of this technology competitive with the cost of writing data magnetically, the cost of storing and maintaining information in DNA over many years should be lower.” Another disadvantage of storing data in DNA is a higher error rate - considerably higher than what computer engineers would tolerate with conventional hard drive storage. In collaboration with the University of Washington, GTRI researchers have come up with a way of identifying and correcting those errors to protect the data.. The work has been backed by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), which supports science that overcomes challenges relevant to the US intelligence community.

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Music From Netflix Made Easy Music streaming platform Spotify has introduced a new hub where listeners can find content related to Netflix.

ans can listen to all the official soundtracks, playlists and podcasts for shows like Bridgerton, Money Heist and Squid Game. The Netflix Hub can be accessed by both free and premium listeners. The hub also contains Netflix-tied podcasts including ‘Okay’, ‘Netflix

Is A Daily Joke’ and ‘The Crown: The Official Podcast’, the Swedish company said in a blog post. ‘Today’s trending shows and movies aren’t just inspiring fandoms, they’re also fueling internet-wide obsessions,’ the company wrote. ‘So much so that within two weeks of Squid Game’s debut on Netflix,

Spotify listeners had created more than 22,500 unique themed playlists to keep the experience going. ‘It’s clear that after the credits roll, viewers are left wanting even more— and they come to Spotify to hear it.’ Spotify, which saw a rise in premium subscribers in the third quarter, has benefited from the

pandemic as people turned to its music platform to stay entertained. This isn’t the first time it’s created a themed hub, in 2019 it collaborated with Disney to make the Disney Hub. Spotify said subscribers across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and India will have access to the hub.

In The Name Of The Father Although the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted all our work and living arrangements, one thing particularly stood out for dads. During the nationwide lockdowns, fathers ditched the office and came home in their millions.

he UK Fatherhood Institute, a thinktank, realised this was a unique social experiment and conducted research into “lockdown fathers” in spring 2020 to investigate its consequences. The study, which surveyed 2,045 UK fathers, found that many reported spending more time than usual on childcare and education during the lockdown. Dads also predominantly indicated that they emerged from this experience more confident as parents and in better

relationships with their children. Now new research, published in the journals Child Development and Social Neuroscience, unveils just how deeply this confidence can be traced. It found that dads who have more positive attitudes about their parenting abilities, and about fatherhood in general, show differences in their brains to those who don’t. The findings are timely. In many societies, dads’ involvement in parenting has dramatically increased.

And as the UK Fatherhood Institute’s study revealed, this has a wide range of effects – including fathers gaining insights into their partners’ caring roles and growing more aware of the importance of dads spending time with their children. Many of the fathers in that study reported wanting to keep some of the changes, such as more flexible working hours and the opportunity to work more from home once the pandemic was over. That said, separated fathers saw their children less during the lockdown, and only a minority of these dads reported to have left lockdown feeling more confident in their ability to help with their children’s schoolwork. This demonstrates the importance of supporting dads by giving them more time and space to bond with their kids – regardless of their relationship status.

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TECH IN HEALTHCARE – Lessons For Every Sector There’s nothing more personal than health, but healthcare doesn’t always reflect that. Diagnosis, monitoring and treatment usually happen where clinicians work, not where patients live.

he rise of technologies such as sensors, robotics and digital therapeutics is changing that, opening up a world of care focused on the individual that improves outcomes throughout life. By shifting routine medical treatments to the home, patients can receive the same level of care without having to travel to a medical centre, reducing journey times, removing the chance of exposure to disease, lowering anxiety – and basically giving them more of their regular life back. But making that change is not as simple as it sounds. “Moving care out of a medicalised environment requires deep human insights – understanding people’s preferences, behaviours, cultures and experiences, and how they interact with technologies designed to support them,” says Stephen Morehouse, a life sciences expert at PA. “Only by intensely studying the individual, and taking that insight into design, can the technologies create outcomes that are truly life-changing.” New technologies have enabled us to improve care by bringing it closer to the patient. A flagship project for PA’s chief innovation officer Frazer Bennett, was with Monica Healthcare, now part of GE Healthcare, where the team combined human-factor insights with smart-sensor tech to create wearables that monitor the health of babies, even before they were born,

while the Owlet Smartsock, created by design experts in the same team, watches over sleeping infants in the home, tracking vital signs using pulse oximetry that was previously restricted to hospital use. “Value in these innovations scales in all directions; babies are protected, mothers are reassured, and this safer and better experience also frees up precious resources like much-needed hospital beds and staff, creating efficiencies for the healthcare system as a whole,” explains Frazer. “Making it personal, thinking about where activity happens can not only personalise the experience for users, patients and customers, but also have profound commercial, economic and societal advantages”. The good news is that it’s increasingly possible to have a personalised experience, at scale and pace. At the onset of Covid-19, British local authorities

needed to check in on clinically vulnerable citizens who were shielding at home. In one local authority alone, that number totalled 53,000 people. Given Covid-19 restrictions, it was impossible to hire enough people to individually call – or physically visit – all affected individuals. The authority needed a solution, fast, and contacted PA’s team. Within a matter of days, the PA team conceived, designed and implemented a new system – the Wellbeing Automated Call Service. Using their deep insights of patient behaviours, the team created a humanreplicating experience, and used Amazon Web Services’ Connect platform to make outbound bot calls to 200,000 people. “If they needed help, the bot triaged the request and patched the individual through to a human call-handler,” explains Nick Wake, an agile delivery expert at PA. The real surprise?

How warm the response was from patients, who talked to the bot like a human being and fed back that – in a really worrying time – the call made them feel valued and cared for. “The really exciting thing about the approach is that the core technique – quickly repurposing existing technologies and combining them with deep behavioural insight – is applicable across any industry,” says Steve Carefull, an operational improvement expert at PA. “The same technology could, for example, be used for ‘back to work’ readiness calls to tens of thousands of employees post-Covid-19,” he says, “or in any situation where information needs to be quickly and consistently shared, be it to customers, employees or patients.”

Eye on News

LOWDEN GUITARS CELEBRATES QUEEN’S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE Founder of premium County Down-based guitar maker Lowden Guitars, George Lowden, celebrates the company’s International Trade awards win at the Queens Awards for Enterprise royal reception with HRH The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace recently.

owden began hand-crafting guitars in Northern Ireland in 1974 and the brand has strengthened over time as acclaimed guitarists including Paul Brady, Jon Gomm, Pierre Bensusan, Alex De Grassi, Gary Lightbody, Damien Rice, Ed Sheeran, and Eric Clapton have played and endorsed George’s creations. Lowden’s Queen’s Award for Enterprise recognised George’s work to design a high-quality yet accessible guitar for up-and-coming players in partnership with Ed Sheeran. Utilising innovations from the aerospace industry and drawing on his own traditional methods of guitar making, George created a unique manufacturing system to enable the guitars to be made in Northern Ireland. Sheeran by Lowden launched in January 2019 to wide industry acclaim and has enjoyed tremendous continued success in the nearly 3 years since the brand’s launch.

KPMG Announces Northern Ireland Team Appointments KPMG in Northern Ireland has made a number of senior promotions and appointments over recent months to help meet growing client demand across the firm.

ohnny Hanna, Partner-in-Charge, said: “We’re delighted to have had so many promotions throughout 2021 and, in particular, a number at Director level. Each have proven excellence within their specialisms and have helped the firm continue on our strong growth trajectory across the region as we increase our client base and expand our service offering”. Pictured, from left, are: Claire Browne, Director, Audit; Alan Lavery, Director, Applied Intelligence; Roger Campbell, Director, Tax; Emma Anderson, Director, Tax; Johnny Hanna, Partner-in-Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland; Chris Brown, Partner, Strategy; Harriet Porter, Director, Tax; Connor Walsh, Managing Director, Digital Consulting and William Taylor, Director, Strategy. Not in photo is Matthew King, Director, Director, Deal Advisory.

Eye on Energy

Power NI pledges support to help protect NI’s peatlands with Ulster Wildlife

On World Habitat Day, William Steele, Power NI’s Director of Customer Solutions, marked the launch of the energy supplier’s new two-year partnership with Ulster Wildlife, alongside the charity’s Chief Executive, Jennifer Fulton. Power NI has pledged its support to help Ulster Wildlife restore and protect peatlands sites across Northern Ireland, helping reduce peatland carbon emissions, improve the habitat, and boost their biodiversity.

Last month, on World Habitat Day, Ulster Wildlife announced its new partnership with Power NI, Northern Ireland’s leading energy supplier.

or decades, Ulster Wildlife has been working on the ground, across Northern Ireland, to champion nature and protect the environment. The local charity protects and restores important habitats that lock carbon safely away and help combat the effects of climate change. Power NI has pledged its support to Ulster Wildlife’s peatlands protection projects through a two-year partnership, lending not only financial support but also helping the charity raise public awareness about environmental sustainability. Jennifer Fulton, CEO Ulster Wildlife, says: “In response to the climate crisis, Ulster Wildlife is stepping up its work to restore vital habitats using nature based solutions at a landscape scale, including developing

and implementing restoration and management plans for a range of peatland sites across Northern Ireland. “Peatlands cover about 18% of Northern Ireland, more than double the area under trees, and store huge amounts of carbon. Healthy bogs not only help us address climate change, they contribute to clean and drinkable water and help alleviate flood risk too. “Ulster Wildlife believes that wildlife and wild places are not only valuable for their own sake - a healthy, wildlife-rich, natural world is vital for our well-being and survival too. The challenges of climate change and the accelerated decline of nature mean that we must work together to restore our natural world before it’s too late. “We are thrilled to be working in partnership with Power NI over the next two years and together we will be restoring these precious habitats to help us reduce peatland carbon emissions, improve the habitat and boost their biodiversity. We are excited to be working together for a greener future! William Steele, Power NI’s Director of Customer Solutions comments: “We’re delighted to partner with Ulster Wildlife and support the fantastic

work they are doing to protect Northern Ireland’s peatlands and mitigate climate change. “As Northern Ireland’s leading energy supplier, and a proud Business Action on Climate champion, we are committed to powering NI’s homes, farms and businesses for generations to come. At Power NI, and at Energia Group, we are generating sustainable energy that is better for our planet and innovating with the latest green products and technologies, transforming the way our customers choose and use energy to have a positive impact on the environment. “The theme for this year’s World Habitat Day was ‘Accelerating urban action for a carbon-free world’ and the future of our planet depends on governments, organisations, communities and the business sector all working together to create sustainable, carbon-neutral, inclusive regions. We urge other businesses to get involved by switching to 100% renewable electricity, supporting carbon-offsetting projects and signing the Climate Action Pledge with Business in the Community NI so together we can take action on the climate emergency.

For more information on this partnership, visit powerni.co.uk/ulsterwildlife. Businesses interested in working in partnership for wildlife should visit ulsterwildlife.org

Eye on Transport

Translink- the Road from COP26

It was a privilege for Translink to participate in the recent UN COP26 summit in Glasgow, where we updated a global stakeholder audience on the theme ‘Translink’s Transformative Journey to Decarbonise Public Transport in Northern Ireland’.

e joined businesses, academics and civil society organisations from across the world to contribute to the most important discussion facing our society today. COP26 has focused attention on the need to take climate action now to avoid the devastating impacts on people’s lives and while debate may continue on the final outcomes of the summit, there is no question that we all – individuals, businesses and governments alike – need to get to Net Zero as soon as possible. COP26 has proven that Translink’s #LetsChangeTogether message is timely, and the statistics back this up - in 2019, transport produced 27% of the UK’s total emissions – the large majority of this (91%) came from road transport. We want to

play our part in the Race to Zero. It must also be remembered that the significant worldwide improvements in global air quality during the various lockdowns in 2020 took place while bus and rail services continued to operate, providing much-needed services to keep our society moving during an unprecedented period. It is clear that public transport is key to any Net Zero strategy, and Translink wants to work with stakeholders across Northern Ireland to deliver the necessary changes to achieve Net Zero. Our own Climate Positive Strategy outlines our plans to achieve a fully Net Zero bus and rail fleet across our network by 2040. Going further, we aim to be a Climate Positive business by 2050. We are already making strong progress – in late 2020, we introduced

the first double deck hydrogen buses in Ireland, with more to follow in the coming months. We recently announced a £30m investment in Zero Emission battery-electric buses in Derry~Londonderry, which will make the Foyle Metro fleet fully Net Zero during 2023. A further 100 batteryelectric and hydrogen buses will enter service with Metro in Belfast in the coming months, making Translink the operator of the UK’s fourth-largest Zero Emission fleet by summer 2022. The entirety of the Belfast Metro fleet will be Zero Emission by 2030. On the railways, our first intermediate Class 4000 carriages have entered service, reducing emissions and allowing us to introduce seven new walkthrough six-car sets. These will be operational on the NI Railways network by the end of summer 2022, providing an additional 1,600 seats every day. We are also participating in the All-Island Strategic Railway Review, looking at potential expansion and enhancement of the network, including examining the option of electrification. Enhanced use of public transport will not only deliver environmental benefits; ending our reliance on the

car will promote active travel and healthier lifestyles, as well as reducing social and environmental inequality and improving our economy. A greater focus and investment in public transport will also reduce the number of cars on our roads, leading to a reduction in congestion and the rebirth of town and city centres as welcoming, environmentally friendly, active travel zones. COP26 has been an incentive for businesses and organisations to come together and inspire others to climate action. Taking public transport or other sustainable forms, such as walking or cycling, is an easy and effective way to make a difference as an individual, while also freeing up space in urban areas for people and active travel. Climate change is everyone’s business, not just Government. It’s time everyone took individual action as our legacy for future generations.

Find out more at www.translink.co.uk/ letschangetogether

Eye on Gifts

Wish Your Staff A Very Musgrave Christmas

The season of giving is fast approaching, and after another challenging year for organisations, both big and small across Northern Ireland, Musgrave MarketPlace has unveiled its extensive selection of luxury hampers and gifting options that are the perfect way to say ‘thank you’ this festive season.

he corporate landscape changed dramatically last year -businesses adopted a work from home approach as a result of the pandemic, and more gifting and less gathering became a key trend. Christmas parties were cancelled, which led to an increased demand in employers searching for appropriate gifts that would suitably demonstrate their gratitude towards their colleagues in place of a traditional social event. This Christmas, Musgrave MarketPlace is once again making Christmas gifting an easy and stress-free task for organisations. Building on what became a sell-out range of hampers from 2020, the wholesale arm of Musgrave retail group has comprised a delectable offering of luxury food and drink hampers, perfect for all those corporate gifting needs. Ranging from £18 to £90, there are options to suit all budgets. Beautifully presented and packed using bio-degradable pellets, these gifts are guaranteed to delight colleagues, family and friends.

The ‘Titanic Hamper’, presented in a luxury lined gift basket is the ultimate showstopper. Available from £90 (inc. vat), it features a mouth-watering assortment of biscuits and chocolates, including Thorntons Classic and Fox’s Fabulously Assorted biscuits, all complemented by a selection of speciality wines and a bottle of locally distilled Bushmills Whiskey. From £40 (inc. vat), customers

can opt for ‘The Lough Hamper’, a luxury gift box filled with a collection of biscuits, chocolates and 750ml bottles of red and white wine. Additionally, the ‘Prosecco/Wine & Chocolate’ gift sets start from just £18 (inc. vat) and are presented in a gift bag, complete with premium chocolates, while the ‘Gin & Goodies’ gift set includes a 70cl bottle of Ninth Wave Gin, sourced locally from Hinch Distillery in County Down. There is also a nonalcoholic hamper option that is filled with delicious biscuits and chocolates. Speaking of this year’s enhanced hamper range, Richard Mayne, Wholesale Director of Musgrave, said: “We experienced a significant influx of orders for corporate hampers last year as businesses searched for alternative ways to thank their staff

in a safe and responsible way. Our luxury hamper range has always been popular for organisations, but following the heightened demand in 2020, we set out to further expand on our offering, ensuring that customers had an excellent variety to choose from. “The Christmas period is typically an exceptionally busy time for everyone – especially businesses who are trying to finish up for the year, and Musgrave MarketPlace is on hand to take the stress out of the festive gifting season and instead, give our customers the confidence in knowing they can successfully show their appreciation to colleagues in a hassle-free way.” For added convenience, Musgrave MarketPlace also offers customers a delivery service to ensure the safe arrival of all corporate hampers and once again, take the stress out of the Christmas gifting period. Corporate hampers can be purchased at the brand’s Belfast branch, located at Duncrue, which is also open to the public and offers unbeatable value for bulk-buying food, alcohol, cookware, decorations and gifts.

For further information on Musgrave MarketPlace’s delivery service and offering, please contact the team on 028 9078 4800, or email via BCS@musgrave.ie.

The perfect Christmas gift We’re there when you need us this Christmas for hassle-free gifts. Discover our fantastic range of hampers to suit all budgets, with great value gifting options from only £18. Beautifully presented, our hampers will show your gratitude to colleagues, staff, friends and family in style. Delivery service also available from our Belfast branch for a real hassle-free gifting experience.

See our full hampers and gifting range:

www.musgavemarketplace.co.uk

Eye on News

Belfast design firm recognised for key role in delivering Children’s code design guidance

Pictured at Big Motive’s office in the Flat Iron building in Belfast are the team who worked on the ICO project (L-R):Maíra Rahme, Jonathan Willis, Carol McHugh, Rebecca Walsh, Rachel Orr & Stephen Shaw.

A Belfast design company has been recognised for the key role it has played in helping designers and product teams understand new rules aimed at making sure apps and internet services keep children safe online.

ig Motive has won two awards in the Irish Design Institute (IDI) Awards 2021 for its work creating design guidance for a new statutory code of practice launched by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) called the Children’s code, which sets out how apps, and online services likely to be accessed by children should protect them in the digital world. The Children’s code has already led to changes from Google, Facebook and TikTok. The ICO is the independent UK authority that upholds information rights and data privacy for individuals. Its code says that children’s personal data should be given special treatment when using apps, games, social media platforms, marketplaces and websites and applies to any firm that processes the personal data of children in the UK. It sets out

15 standards organisations must meet to ensure children’s data is protected, such as providing high privacy settings by default, switching off geo-location services and not using nudge techniques or notifications that encourage children to share personal data. The ICO engaged Big Motive to develop resources that would show how to apply the standards in practice and design services with children’s privacy in mind. After collaborating with designers, data privacy experts and technology advisors, Big Motive realised every team creates distinct experiences for children in different genres in different ways. Working with the ICO, its response was to create a ‘design guidance service’ with a comprehensive toolkit, comprising do’s and don’ts, checklists, videos and tools that any digital team can use in their design process. Its

resources focus on transparency, a common challenge for online services and a key standard within the Children’s code. The Children’s code design guidance was shared with designers and product teams working on products and services used by children at the ICO’s first design and data protection conference. The event included panellists from a number of the biggest global digital brands, including Google, Facebook and TikTok. Big Motive was recognised for its work with two awards from the IDI, the first for Service Design and the second in the Design for Good category. Ali Shah, Head of Technology Policy at the ICO, said: “Big Motive has worked seamlessly with the ICO’s team to deliver the Children’s code UX guidance and we’re delighted that the value of the work has been recognised by the design community. It is gratifying that the judges acknowledged that the work will deliver lasting change that will serve the public interest by creating an open, transparent and safe place for children online.” Rebecca Walsh, director of Big

Motive, said: “One in five people who use the internet is a child but the internet was never designed with them in mind. Product teams now have an opportunity to reset how they design online services placing children’s privacy at the centre. The Big Motive team who worked with the ICO are really proud to have created resources that will support those responsible for designing better apps and services.” Stephen Shaw, director of Big Motive, added: “Designers make important decisions that shape children’s interactions with online services. Applying the code opens up opportunities to design better experiences for children and create safe spaces for children to learn and grow in the digital world. With so much of life now lived online, it is important those who create apps and digital services approach this with an appropriate mindset.” The Children’s code is viewed as a transformative code of practice that aims to better protect children in the digital world. Technology companies that don’t design services for children in line with new code can face enforcement action from the ICO.

AIB Business Eye AWARDS 2021

AWARDS 2021

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

FinTrU Claims Second Top Company Title at AIB Business Eye Awards Brian Gillan, Head of Retail & NI, AIB and Brenda Buckley, Commercial Director, Business Eye are pictured presenting Emma Pollock, Chief Technology Officer, FinTrU (centre) with Company of the Year Award at the AIB Business Eye Awards 2021.

Belfast and LondonderryDerry based FinTrU has claimed the coveted ‘Company of the Year’ title at the 2021 AIB Business Eye Awards, the second time the firm has won the award.

fter a year’s absence, Northern Ireland’s largest and longest running business awards made a welcome return to ICC Belfast with an audience of more than 600 people. The AIB Business Eye Awards recognise outstanding business and individual achievements across 16 different categories. Sam Anderson, the US-based founder of IceMOS Technology – a high performance technology group with an operation on the outskirts of West Belfast - was named as this year’s ‘Business Personality of the Year’. There was also a special Lifetime Achievement

Award for local businessman and entrepreneur, Dr Terry Cross. The former Managing Director of Delta Print & Packaging, Terry is now the driving force and investor behind County Down’s Hinch Distillery. In other key award categories, the Q Radio Group was named as ‘Small Business of the Year’ while Belfast-based telecomms company Barclay Communications landed the ‘Family Business of the Year’ title. AES Global, the Cookstown designer and manufacturer of remote access systems, took the ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ category, while FD Technologies, one of our largest technology employers, was presented with the ‘Employer of the Year’ trophy. This year’s event also included a number of awards aimed specifically at corporate and individual achievement and contribution during the Covid pandemic. The Covid Response and Covid Innovation Awards on the night went to medical equipment specialists Hospital Services Ltd and Belfast audio visual firm NIAVAC respectively while Glyn Roberts, Chief Executive of Retail NI, was honoured for his role in championing the

retail cause throughout the pandemic. “We were delighted to be able to bring the AIB Business Eye Awards back live to ICC Belfast after so many months of uncertainty, online awards ceremonies and a complete absence of any live business events for 18 months,” said Business Eye’s Brenda Buckley. “We were particularly pleased to have a record-breaking number entries and to be able to welcome more than 600 guests to the venue, where we honoured some of the real high achievers and pace setters in the world of business here in Northern Ireland.” AIB, a key supporter of the Northern Ireland business community, has partnered Business Eye on the awards for the past four years and was thrilled to celebrate local success. Brian Gillan, Head of Retail & NI, AIB said; “These awards act as a fantastic showcase of best-practice, leadership and innovation and given the challenges of the last year and more, it is quite inspirational to see the quality of work on display. We applaud all those shortlisted and of course the winners who through their success, will help encourage more organisations to develop, innovate and grow.”

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Highly Commended

Full List of Winners Business Personality of the Year

Executive Support Professional

Sponsor: Ardmore

Sponsor: Honeycomb

Sam Anderson, IceMos Technology

Kerri Masterson Highroads

Company of the Year

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Sponsor: AIB Bank

Community (CSR) Award

FinTrU

Sponsor: Community Foundation NI

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

M&M Contractors

Lidl NI

Sponsor: AIB Bank

Medium / Mid-Sized Business

Lidl Northern Ireland

Sponsor: TLT

Foods Connected Family Business of the Year Sponsor: Harbinson Mullholland Barclay Communications HIGHLY COMMENDED:

M&M Contractors

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

SDG

Covid Era Innovative Company of the Year

Version 1 HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Viberoptix

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Foods Connected

Covid Era Response Company of the Year Sponsor: IQ&Co Hospital Services Ltd Covid Business Hero Sponsor: U105 Glyn Roberts, Retail NI

Sponsor: NIE Networks

Professional Services Firm of the Year

NIAVAC

Sponsor: Davy

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Obbi Solutions

A&L Goodbody Pinnacle Growth Group

Employer of the Year

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Sponsor: Lockton

Manufacturer of the Year

FD Technologies

Sponsor: RSM

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Version 1

AES Global BLOC

Tourism & Hospitality Award

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Sponsor: Visit Belfast

Small Business of the Year

Titanic Hotel

Sponsor: AIB Bank

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Hinch Distillery

Young Business Personality of the Year Sponsor: Ulster University Roger McCracken, Foods Connected Brian Gillan, Head of Retail & NI, AIB and Business Eye’s Brenda Buckley are pictured presenting Conor Boyle, Regional Director, Lidl Northern Ireland Ltd (centre) with Retail Company of the Year Award.

Musgrave & Action Cancer

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Sponsor: Business Eye

Retail Company Of The Year

Hagan Homes

Retail Company of the Year

R&D Project of the Year

Gareth Loye, CEO M&M Contractors (centre) receives a highly commended award in the Company of the Year category from Brian Gillan, Head of Retail & NI, AIB and Brenda Buckley, Commercial Director, Business Eye.

Karen Conway Gildernew & Co

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Ian Megahey, Workpal

Q Radio HIGHLY COMMENDED:

SDG

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Obbi Solutions

Lifetime Achievement Award Sponsor: RSM Dr Terry Cross

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Research & Development Project of the Year Foods Connected

Ciara Donnelly, Business Development Manager, Business Eye Magazine presents the Research & Development Award to Andrew McCracken, Finance & People Director, Foods Connected.

Gordon Lyons MLA, Minister for the Economy

Guests from Version 1 pictured at the Business Eye Awards

Dr Bonny Armstrong and David Martin

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Family Business of the Year Award Barclay Communications

Angela Craig, Partner, Harbinson Mulholland (sponsors), presents the Family Business of the Year Award to Susie Megahey, HR Manager, Barclay Communications.

Highly Commended

Gareth Loye, CEO M&M Contractors receives a highly commended award in the Family Business of the Year category from sponsor Angela Craig, Harbinson Mulholland.

Brook Scullion from The Voice performs.

Highly Commended

Angela Craig, Partner, Harbinson Mulholland (sponsors), presents a highly commended award in the Family Business of the Year category to Louise Skeath, CEO of SDG.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Covid Era Innovative Company of the Year

Highly Commended

NIAVAC

Orla Martin, Future Networks Engineer from NIE Networks (sponsor) presents the Covid Era Innovative Company of The Year to Steve Corr, Events Manager at Niavac.

Chris McAtackney (CTO), Obbi Solutions receives a highly commended award in the Covid Era Innovative Company of The Year from sponsor Orla Martin, NIE Networks.

Staff from Mascott Construction and M&M Contractors; Fergal McConvey, Scott Montgomery, Tori Murray, Denise Braithwaite, Sean Watters, Ronan Byrne, Mateusz Staron.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Employer of the Year

Highly Commended

FD Technologies

Gary Ennis, Partner & Head of Office, Lockton presents the Employer of The Year Award to Fiona McGilly, Global Head of HR Operations, FD Technologies.

Monica Johnston Senior Business Analyst & Community First Lead, Version 1, receives a highly commended award in the Employer of The Year category from sponsor, Gary Ennis, Lockton.

John Doherty, Claudia Celovsky, Brendan McIlhennon, Shauna Torbitt, Emily Milligan and Matt Teeney of Selazar.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Tourism & Hospitality Award

Highly Commended

Titanic Hotel

Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive, Visit Belfast (left) presents the Tourism & Hospitality Award to Adrian McLaughlin, Titanic Hotel.

Terry Cross, Hinch Distillery (right), receives a highly commended award in the Tourism & Hospitality category from Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive, Visit Belfast.

Stephen Spence, Susie Megahey, Donna Annesley, Chris Stanfield, Pete Curran, Claire Finlay, Ian Megahey, Ashleigh Black, John Roulston and Pam Glass.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Young Business Personality of the Year

Highly Commended

Roger McCracken, Foods Connected

Mark Durkin, Executive Dean, Ulster University Business School (right) presents the Young Business Personality of the Year Award to Roger McCracken, Managing Director, Foods Connected.

Ian Megahey, Sales Director, Workpal (right), receives a highly commended award in the Young Business Personality of the Year category from Mark Durkin, Executive Dean, Ulster University Business School.

Guests from James Brown & Sons pictured at the Business Eye Awards

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Executive Support Professional

Highly Commended

Kerri Masterson Highroads

Mairead Scott, Managing Director, Honeycomb (sponsor) presents the Executive Support Professional of the Year Award to Kerri Masterson, Highroads.

Clare Kearney, Laura Healy, Mairead Scott, Dylan Burke, Niamh Hutchinson and Erin Butler.

Karen Conway, Gildernew & Co collects a highly commended award in the Executive Support Professional of the Year category from sponsor, Mairead Scott, Honeycomb.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Community (CSR) Award

Highly Commended

Hagan Homes

Siofra Healy, The Community Foundation, presents the Community (CSR) Award to James Hagan, Hagan Homes.

Trevor Magill, Managing Director, Musgrave NI receives a highly commended award in the Community (CSR) category from Siofra Healy, Community Foundation.

Liath Dajani, Adelya Gatarova, Siofra Healy, Sue Burns and Joe Burns.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Medium / Mid-Sized Business Version 1

Lorna McAdoo, Head of Operations, Version 1 receives the Medium/Mid-sized Business of the Year Award from sponsor Andrew Ryan, Partner, TLT.

Highly Commended

Andrew McCracken (left) from Foods Connected receives a highly commended award in the Medium/Mid-sized Business of the Year category from Andrew Ryan, Partner, TLT.

Peter Corry Productions Perform.

Highly Commended

Andrew Ryan, Partner, TLT (left) presents Naomhan McCrory, Managing Director Viberoptix with a highly commended award in the Medium/Mid-sized Business of the Year category.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Covid Business Hero Glyn Roberts, Retail NI

Glyn Roberts, Chief Executive, Retail NI (left) receives the Covid Business Hero Award from Peter McVerry, Station Manager, U105.

Covid Business Hero Award winner Glyn Roberts, Chief Executive, Retail NI.

Covid Era Response Company of the Year Hospital Services Ltd

Janine Cunningham, Operations Director, IQ & Co, presents the Covid Era Response Company of The Year to Dominic Walsh, Chief Executive, HSL.

Compere Mark Simpson, BBC Journalist & Broadcaster.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Professional Services Firm of the Year

Highly Commended

A&L Goodbody

ABOVE Pinnacle Growth Group, receives a highly commended award in the Professional Services Firm of the Year category from sponsor Chris Power, Director of UK Wealth at Davy.

LEFT Chris Power, Director of UK Wealth at Davy (left) presents Professional Services Firm of the Year Award to Michael Neill, Head of Office at A&L Goodbody.

James Pringle, Glenda McStravick, Tracey Schofield, Heidi Campbell, Megan O’Neill, Michael Neill.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Manufacturer of the Year

Highly Commended

AES Global

Richard Gardiner, Managing Partner, RSM (left) presents the Manufacturer of the year Award to Paul Creighton, CEO, AES Global.

Andy Kerr, Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Bloc receives a highly commended award in the Manufacturer of The Year category from sponsor, Richard Gardiner, RSM.

The Greatest Showman by Peter Corry Productions.

Richard Buckley & Brenda Buckley with Gordon Lyons MLA, Minister for the Economy.

Janine Baldie, Mark Weatherall, Alastair Hall, Jay Price, Mark Spiers, Elizabeth Caughey, Janine Cunningham

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Small Business of the Year

Highly Commended

Q Radio

Gareth Macklin, Obbi Solutions, receives a highly commended award in the Small Business of the Year category from Seamus McGuckin, AIB.

Highly Commended Seamus McGuckin, Head of Business Banking NI, AIB, presents the Small Business of the Year Award to Q Radio to Sinead Cavanagh, Group Sales Operations Manager, Q Radio.

Errol Doherty, Yasmin Zamoura, Annette Small, Sinead Cavanagh, Claire McGrath & Declan Wilson from Q Radio.

Louise Skeath, CEO, SDG receives a highly commended award in the Small Business of the Year category from Seamus McGuckin, AIB.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr Terry Cross

Brian Gillan, Head of Retail & NI, AIB (left) and Business Eye’s Brenda Buckley are pictured presenting Dr Terry Cross with Lifetime Achievement Award.

Richard Buckley, Business Eye.

Business Personality of the Year Sam Anderson, IceMos Technology

Hugh Griffin, Chief Sales Officer, Icemos Technology receives the Business Personality of The Year Award on behalf of Sam Anderson, CEO Icemos Technology from sponsor Mark Irwin, Managing Director, Ardmore Advertising.

The greatest Showman, Peter Corry Productions.

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Vincent McIvor, Ashley Murphy and Jonathan Irvine

Megan O’Neill, Brenda Buckley and Ciara Donnelly

Guests from Gildernew & Co

Gareth Robinson, Janet McKay, Sonya Cassidy, Nicola Bothwell and Ian Bothwell

AIB guests

Guests from PAC Group

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Sarah Stewart, Lesley Ann Diffin, Ryan Smith and Linda Jane Doherty

Dave and Katie Cordner

Leigh Osborne, Lucy McCusker, Terry Cross and Sonya Cassidy

Andrew Kelly

Janine Baldie, Elizabeth Caughey, Janine Cunningham

Mark Weatherall, Alastair Hall, Jay Price, Mark Spiers

Katrina Schnell, Colette Donnelly and Elaine Scally

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Brenda Buckley and Ciara Donnelly

Sam Buckley, Megan O’Neill, Brenda Buckley and Richard Buckley

Seamus McGuckin, Richard Buckley and Shane Megahey

Adrian Harvey, Christine Stitt, Paula McElroy and Dominic Walsh

Lesley Delaney, India McNellis & David McNellis.

Nathan Wardlow and Jonathan Sinclair

Eye on Awards AWARDS 2021

Brooke Scullion

Cheryl McCook and Lindsey Abbott

Mark and Richard Hutchinson

Julian Hodgkinson

Anna and Johnny Kayes

Seamus McGuckin, Danny Hutchinson and Pat McGarry

Megan O’Neill and Sam Buckley

Ciaran McKinley and Andy Kerr

CASHFLOW SOLUTIONS TAILORED TO YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS Vicki O’Toole: Managing Director JJ O’Toole Ltd.

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Eye on News

Retail NI launches first-of-its-kind Wellbeing Plan for shopworkers Retail NI has launched the first ever local Wellbeing Plan which aims at supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Northern Ireland’s retail workers at an event in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings.

he first-of-its-kind Wellbeing Plan seeks to offer employers practical solutions to the growing wellbeing and mental health issues posed by the pandemic. It was produced under the guidance of mental health experts including Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, Inspire Wellbeing, and the Association of Convenience Stores. A new Minister of Wellbeing in the Executive is one of five recommendations included within the Plan which seeks to promote an economic and wellbeing recovery in Northern Ireland postpandemic. It seeks to increase involvement of the private sector in the next 10-year Mental Health Strategy and calls on the 2021 Programme for Government to have wellbeing at its heart. Sponsored by Pivotal, the event featured a keynote address from Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA. Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts, Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, and Economy Committee Chair Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA also spoke at the event. Minister for the Economy, Gordon Lyons MLA said: “Our local retailers have been among those hardest hit by the effects of the pandemic and as we begin to rebuild our economy the wellbeing of staff is now more important than ever. The Retail NI Wellbeing Plan is a very

Retail NI President, Peter McBride; Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA; Northern Ireland Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill; Retail NI CEO Glyn Roberts

welcome resource for the sector, and I am pleased to see key stakeholders coming together to establish a resource that can be used for all employees and businesses in Northern Ireland. “Our journey to recovery is gathering momentum and I have been told by businesses, chambers of commerce and trade representatives from all parts of Northern Ireland how important Spend Local has been in helping them recover from the severest impacts of the pandemic. “As the 14 December deadline to spend the card approaches, I would urge everyone who has yet to do so to activate and use their Spend Local card. It is important that every card holder spends every penny in order to maximise the benefit. Spend it now, spend it all and spend it local.” Northern Ireland Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill said: “It is vital that all employers support positive mental health and wellbeing in their workforce

and ensure that their employees feel valued and protected. “Employers should create working environments where people feel safe and able to express their feelings. I would encourage retail employers and workers to have more open discussions about how together they can protect and improve the wellbeing of everyone working in retail. “The Wellbeing Plan is a welcome stepping-stone in starting these conversations and helping people get the support that they need. This guide is very timely, the Department of Health’s 10-Year Mental Health Strategy is currently being implemented, it is a strong plan to transform services, and to focus on early intervention and the prevention of mental illness. I am calling for the political parties in the Executive to commit to providing the 34% increase in funding for mental health services so that the Strategy can be delivered in full and on schedule.” Retail NI Chief Executive, Glyn Roberts said:

“We are proud to be the first local business organisation to launch a plan supporting the wellbeing of retail workers. Retail is the largest sector in Northern Ireland’s private sector economy; therefore, it is essential the retail workforce is supported appropriately. “The wellbeing of staff is vital in the workplace and research continues to show that businesses benefit when their staff are happy at work. By placing more of an emphasis on employees’ wellbeing, businesses create a better relationship with their workforce. “We have not seen the true impact of the pandemic on the population’s mental health; however, statistics have shown 91% of managers noticed an increase in wellbeing concerns among colleagues during the pandemic. This is a shocking figure and highlights the need for the Executive to carefully consider the recommendations in the Wellbeing Plan and recognise their role in providing resources for increased workforce wellbeing.”

Eye on Corporate Gifts

Give the Gift of Choice this Christmas with the Belfast City Centre Gift Card #GiftTheCity

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift idea for staff or corporate clients? Then, look no further than the Belfast City Centre Gift Card.

his hassle free solution gives the gift of choice to spend at over 160 Belfast City Centre businesses. The Belfast City Centre Gift Card is the perfect, versatile gift offering a variety of experiences including retail, health and beauty, bars, restaurants, and hotels. Cards are valid for a year and can be used, in store, at participating businesses. Every £1000 purchased will receive entry into a prize draw to be in with a chance of winning one of 3 prizes, £1000,

£300 and £200 in gift cards. Details of participating businesses and full terms and conditions visit: https:// townandcitygiftcards.com/product/belfast-gift-card/ Purchasing a Belfast City Centre Gift Card not only means that you #GiftTheCity to the lucky recipient but you have the comfort of knowing that you are driving local spend and supporting our local jobs this Christmas. To order the Belfast City Centre Gift card contact Karen on karen@belfastone.co.uk or call 07747235688. Last orders for cards is 17th December. The Belfast City Centre Gift Card initiative is a partnership funded by the Belfast Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) Belfast One, Linen Quarter BID and Destination CQ and features businesses from across the BIDs locations.

@belfastcitycentregiftcard @belfastcitycentregiftcard @BelfastCard

Eye on Office Space

VenYou Delivers Enviable Serviced Office Space Minutes from Belfast City Centre Ascot House on Shaftesbury Square Available for Lease VenYou Client Services Director, Donna Linehan writes…. “A real treasure in terms of serviced offices, Ascot House, powered by VenYou, comes along with all the space, flexibility and modern facilities any company, regardless of sector, could ever want.”

was recently speaking with a colleague who described exactly what Ascot House offers – a phenomenal VenYou serviced office space that can be fully tailored to suit the requirements and needs of any company. It truly is a gem situated in a prime location! The three floors of generous office space, just minutes from Belfast city centre, recently became available for lease after the building’s previous tenant moved out due to a company restructure following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now we are searching for a new tenant or tenants to fill this enviable office space, which I am sure will only be on the market for a limited amount of time. Located on Shaftesbury Square with a prestigious BT2 address, Ascot House offers businesses a prime city centre position that is close to car parks, major transport links including bus and train stations, with a short walk to city centre cafes, coffee shops and restaurants. In terms of the building itself, Ascot House is clean, bright and airy and

comes with all the benefits of the VenYou renowned service including lease flexibility, space, modern facilities, and a number of meeting rooms and break out rooms - plus the bespoke housekeeping team. Each floor boasts a vast amount of open plan space, and the building can comfortably accommodate over 210 people; up to 43 staff on the third floor, 60 staff on the second floor and 113 on the first floor. The layout and fit-out of each office floor mean that there is ample space between workstations so staff can easily exercise social distancing. In addition, each floor also has meeting rooms, comfortable break out areas which are perfect for taking some time out from the working day or hosting impromptu meetings and there are acoustic phone booths where staff can take phone calls in private. The layout of the building could equally suit one company or two or three companies - it entirely depends on the size of the company. Ascot House will allow companies to have their own

dedicated floor if needed and they will not share their space with any other company, which is essential for both productivity and keeping staff members safe throughout the ongoing pandemic. With furniture provided by VenYou, our team can also decorate the space exactly to a company’s specification and can erect logos and signage without any interruption to the working day. In true VenYou fashion, any company that wishes to lease a space in Ascot House will not be tied down to a lengthy lease which is often associated with conventional office spaces. We believe in delivering flexibility for our tenants which is essential in this current ever changing business market. In addition, we also know that having a secure building is a top priority for many business owners. The safety of our tenants is of vital importance to us and as such, Ascot House is equipped with VenYou’s bespoke security system and the building is only accessible via a registered key fob. The building also has secure bicycle storage for those who choose to cycle to and from work alongside shower rooms with lockers for staff to safely store their clothing and other possessions. In summary, Ascot House is the perfect location for any company that wishes to establish itself within a VenYou serviced office building that is spacious, modern with excellent

Donna Linehan

facilities and situated close to the heart of Belfast city centre. With all that the building offers, I don’t expect it to be available for very long and speaking from experience, serviced office space gems like Ascot House, powered by VenYou, don’t tend to come around too often. Having said that, I would urge any companies or business owners who may be interested to get in touch with myself to organise a viewing as soon as possible to avoid missing out on one of the best serviced office spaces Belfast has to offer!

For more information, contact the VenYou team by calling: 028 9091 8500 or visit the website: www.venyou.co.uk. To take a virtual tour of Ascot House, scan the QR code below.

Eye on Enterprise

The Macro Impact of Micro Business

Michael McQuillan, Chief Executive of Enterprise NI, with economist Maureen O’Reilly and discussion panel chairman Richard Buckley, Business Eye.

Enterprise Northern Ireland hosted the Enterprise Symposium on 19th November addressing the critical importance of encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation if Northern Ireland is to have a chance of achieving its 10x ambition over the next decade. 80

Eye on Enterprise

he ambition, set out by government in the economic vision, is for a ‘10X Economy’. The collective aim is that a ‘10X Economy’ will be generated through a transformational mind-set centred on what can be achieved with the right levels of ambition, embracing innovation to deliver a ten times better economy with benefits for all our people. The NI Enterprise Symposium addressed the importance of balancing the provision of support and encouragement for entrepreneurial activity across all sectors and all geographies whilst identifying and focussing on priority clusters. During the Enterprise Symposium, the findings of the 2021 NI Enterprise Barometer were disseminated (click here to access this year’s findings). As the largest survey of the ‘state of NI business’ covering all geographies and all sectors, the findings inform the necessary actions that will need addressed as our business owners and leaders navigate their uncertain paths ahead, in what continues to be a volatile operating environment. Focussed primarily on Northern Ireland’s small, micro, and self-employed businesses, the findings provide deep, timely insights into business attitudes and opinions on performance outlook and confidence; types of advice and support needed and sought; awareness of and access to finance; challenges and opportunities trading into and out of NI; skills and capability gaps; and how recovery from Covid impact is being operationalised. The Enterprise Symposium, at Titanic Hotel, Belfast was opened by the economy minister – Gordon Lyons, MLA. One of the first planned in-person events as the economy steps cautiously beyond Covid restrictions was attended by key economic development stakeholders, including central government, local government, arms-

length bodies, colleges, universities, and the enterprise network. One of the mornings sessions, addressed the nature of our economy and the need for a true partnership approach to economic development, was informed by an economic outlook from Danske Bank economist Conor Lambe and addressed by a panel of Chair’s from Invest NI, Intertrade Ireland, SOLACE NI and Enterprise NI. The symposium spotlighted the critical issues faced by economic development stakeholders which combined create an unprecedented challenging planning and delivery environment. These factors include the impending cliff-edge for EU funding - the mainstay of economic development monies; a fast-moving geo-political landscape affecting global energy costs and costly complexity around the global movement of goods; and local political uncertainty – the seemingly constant backdrop to doing business in Northern Ireland. Supporting this year’s event, Danske Bank are keen to support Enterprise NI in highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation right across Northern Ireland. “We have been helping personal and business customers thrive for around 200 years here in Northern Ireland. We are passionate about helping Northern Ireland grow again and collaborating with other organisations such as Enterprise NI’’ Danske have a team of local Business Advisers based right across Northern Ireland in constant contact with businesses, supporting micro and small businesses at a local level and across a wide range of sectors and industries. Also, supporting the Enterprise Symposium was the British Business Bank. The Bank is a governmentowned business development bank, dedicated to making finance markets work better for smaller businesses.

Enterprise NI works with the Bank on several initiatives to develop awareness of and improve access to finance for local start-ups and established micro and small businesses. The Banks senior manager for Northern Ireland, Susan Nightingale joined a symposium panel to discuss this year’s Barometers findings – “We are delighted to collaborate with Enterprise NI to ensure Northern Irelands new and growing entrepreneurial businesses get access to the right finance at the right time” The symposium reminded attendees that NI economy is indisputably a predominantly micro business economy. Micro, small, and medium enterprises (existing for both commercial and social purpose) account for 99.9% of all businesses in Northern Ireland. Acknowledging the need for a blended and balanced economic development strategy we must ensure that a primary focus of economic development must be on increasing the number of welloperated local micro/small businesses that start-up, survive, grow. This will subsequently generate a strong pipeline of high growth potential exporters and strong supply-chain businesses to our Foreign Direct Investors and indigenous large businesses. Getting local economic development right not only strengthens the economy. Ensuring enterprise and entrepreneurship is effectively supported will increase the number of welloperated local micro/small businesses that start-up, survive and grow. This, however, will not only enable the

creation of local community prosperity, but will also propel the sustainable generation of critical local societal benefits such as: aiding local community health and well-being; generating social cohesion; building civic pride; and encouraging an inclination towards continuous improvement/education. Enterprise Northern Ireland have designed an innovative impactful solution that will provide the right support and guidance at the right time to local businesses. In the design phase this is being referred to as a Business Primary Care Network (PCN). It will harness the 45 ENI sites across NI as a highly visible and easy to access ‘Primary Care Network’ for pre-start, start-ups, and local micro and small businesses seeking growth support. Michael McQuillan from Enterprise NI highlighted at the Symposium the importance of getting start-up, micro and small business support effectively designed and in place – “Supporting start-ups, micro and small businesses across all sectors and all geographies is fundamental, if we are to reach a 10x ambition. These are our greenhouse businesses where we will see our future high potential start-ups blossom and where the backbone of our economy and the lifeblood of our local communities are nurtured” So, in conclusion, the Symposium pointed towards the fact there is lots of work to be done and that key stakeholders must work in true partnership if Northern Ireland is to achieve its 10X ambition.

Eye on News

NIHF Hospitality Exchange Ball Raises £3,670 for Age NI T

The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) Hospitality Exchange Ball, which was held in Belfast in October 2021, has raised has raised £3,670 for Age NI. L-R NIHF Chief Executive Janice Gault; NIHF President Stephen Meldrum and Rosalind Cole, Fundraising Manager for Age NI.

he Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) Hospitality Exchange Ball, which was held in Belfast in October 2021, has raised £3,670 for Age NI. Age NI is the leading charity and voice of older people in Northern Ireland. Their work is centred around enabling older people to make the very best of their lives and to create a society that truly values, supports and welcomes them. Discussing the donation NIHF President Stephen Meldrum says: “We’re thrilled that our guests gave so generously to support Age NI. This charity relies on local donations to enable it to provide the vital support that it does to local people throughout Northern Ireland. This donation will make a genuine difference to people’s lives. The services offer a lifeline, friendship and, most importantly, the team put a purpose back in the lives of the older people who connect with Age NI”.

Thanking the NIHF Hospitality Exchange Ball patrons Rosalind Cole, Fundraising Manager for Age NI, adds: “We would like to express our sincere thanks to NI Hotels Federation for choosing us as their charity at this year’s gala event. We were thrilled with the total raised and thank everyone for their generosity. This donation will make such a difference as we continue to support older people to remain independent and connected to their communities.” Age NI services include a free telephone Advice and Advocacy helpline that provides support on housing, welfare and health and social care issues. Meanwhile, First Connect provides intensive emotional and practical support during difficult life transitions. Most recently, the charity has offered a Check in and Chat telephone service, developed in response to the extreme isolation and loneliness caused by the pandemic.

BelFastForward Conference Spotlights Future Of The City Belfast Chamber’s BelFastForward conference will return in 2022 with global professional services firm EY the event’s principal sponsor.

uilding on the success of BelFastForward in 2020, the 2022 event will take place on Thursday 24 March in the ICC and will focus will on the post-pandemic city and what the experience of the last 2 years means for places like Belfast. The conference agenda will be centred around the examination of three major questions – what is the state of the city, what is the state of our city and what should the future of our city be? A range of local, national and international speakers will help to examine issues like the future of work, what we need to do to win the race for talent, how can we create a more people centred city and ensuring growth is inclusive and sustainable. Commenting on the announcement of BelFastForward 2022, Belfast Chamber Chief Executive Simon Hamilton said, “Belfast – like cities around the world – is beginning to emerge from the

unprecedented challenge presented by the coronavirus pandemic. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, fundamental questions have been posed about the future of cities such as Belfast. Questions about what work will look like, will sectors such as retail and hospitality survive and even questions about the demise of cities themselves. Thankfully, we are slowly but surely seeing Belfast come back to life but big challenges remain. Belfast Chamber is delighted to announce that on 24 March 2022, our BelFastForward conference will return and build on the huge success of our energetic and inspiring 2020 event. Through a mix of expert keynote speakers, informative presentations and exciting discussions, BelFastForward 2022 will be all about addressing and, hopefully, answering some of those major questions confronting cities like Belfast. Belfast is in the midst of an

Simon Hamilton, Chief Executive of Belfast Chamber, Michael Hall, Managing Partner EY Northern Ireland, and Judith Savage, Director, Business Consulting, EY.

unbelievable regeneration journey. Belfast Chamber – as the voice of the city’s business community – wants to see Belfast become the best possible place to live, work and enjoy leisure time. BelFastForward2022 will examine and explain how Belfast can fulfil its obvious potential as we seek to emerge stronger and build back better from the challenges presented by COVID-19”. Simon Hamilton concluded, “BelFastForward will be the perfect opportunity for everyone who shares

Belfast Chamber’s desire to see our city bounce back and become the brilliant city we believe it can become. Belfast Chamber and EY want BelFastForward to bring together our business community, the city’s community and voluntary sector and stakeholders from across government to capture the enthusiasm and energy that we all possess and contribute to the creation of the vision of the post-pandemic Belfast that our citizens, communities, companies and entire region needs”.

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NEW MEETING SPACE OPENS IN THE HEART OF BELFAST

From left: Rowan White, President, Law Society of Northern Ireland; Minister for Justice, Naomi Long MLA; Lady Chief Justice, The Right Honourable Dame Siobhan Keegan and David A Lavery CB, Chief Executive, Law Society of Northern Ireland at the official opening of The Meeting Space.

A new state of the art multi-function meeting venue is now available in the heart of Belfast’s Legal Quarter.

he Meeting Space at Law Society House marks a major investment by the Law Society of Northern Ireland in support of its members in their delivery of legal services to clients and key stakeholders. Located in Belfast city centre the new meeting facilities are ideal for members of the legal profession given their proximity to the courts. Whilst the new facilities are primarily aimed at supporting solicitors, they are also available for hire to other professional bodies and organisations.

The Meeting Space facilities can be configured to accommodate meetings, mediations, seminars and negotiations. With communication at its heart and offering every user an exceptional experience it is guaranteed to meet the needs of all users. The formal meeting rooms are supported with break out areas and equipped with high specification audio visual facilities, wifi and internet access. All of the facilities are disability accessible with a loop system and wheelchair access provided.

The new facilities were officially opened by the Justice Minister, Naomi Long MLA, on Wednesday 29th September 2021 at an event attended by Northern Ireland’s new Lady Chief Justice and invited guests. Justice Minster, Naomi Long, MLA said: “I welcome the opening of these state of the art facilities and the additional capacity the space will provide for mediations which, in appropriate cases, can enhance access to justice and improve outcomes.”

For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On 1 Eoin Reynolds has been appointed as Prestige General Manager for Ireland and Executive Director at Prestige Underwriting Services Ireland Ltd. As Director of Operations and Director of Sales and Development for Patrona Underwriting for seven years, and most recently as Divisional Director for Shepherd Compello, Eoin has gained a wealth of experience and market knowledge. He will work closely with the Executive Management teams to increase the Groups market share through both organic growth and M&A activity with new and existing relationships.

1. Eoin Reynolds

4. Donna Loughran

2. Jenny Pyper

5. Margaret Hearty

3. Suzanne Willmott

6. Lisa Stewart

Firmus Energy has announced the appointment of the former Interim Head of the Northern Ireland 2 Civil Service, Jenny Pyper, to its Board as a nonexecutive member. Mrs Pyper previously served as Chief Executive of the Utility Regulator for NI for seven years before being seconded out of early retirement to take up the role as the Interim Head of the Civil Service and Secretary to the NI Executive in December 2020. Mrs Pyper formally stood down from her secondment to the NI Civil Service in September 2021 on the appointment of her permanent successor. Before being appointed Chief Executive of the Utility Regulator, Jenny had served in a number of roles in the Senior Civil Service, including as Director of Energy Policy. Leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM 3 has announced the promotion of Suzanne Willmott to director in Belfast as part of its largest ever cohort of new directors. Suzanne is a prominent shared services professional with over 20 years’ experience implementing and managing shared services centres for leading financial and professional services organisations including Allen and Overy; and consulting on large scale technological change programmes within roles at PwC and Helm Corporation. 4 Donna Loughran is appointed as a Talent Acquisition Specialist at Bloc Group in Magherafelt. Previously a Senior Recruitment Consultant at Staffline Recruitment, Donna worked within various roles across the business for 18 years, contributing to the success of the brand. Also at Bloc, Edward Bell becomes Creative Marketing Executive, joining from the Enoksen Watch Company, while Shay McGuinness is appointed as Lead Product Design Engineer at Bloc Labs. He formerly worked for the Keystone Group.

7. Orry Robinson

8. Jonathan Graham

9. Tirna Sweeney

5 Margaret Hearty has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of InterTradeIreland (ITI). In her role as CEO, the County Armagh native has overall responsibility for leading the organisation’s strategy and services. 6 Visit Belfast has appointed Lisa Stewart to its business events team in a strategic move to further enhance its position as a destination of choice in the GB MICE market. With more than 20 years’ experience promoting long and short haul destinations in the UK market.

10. Aimee Moore

PR and content agency JComms has made three new 7 appointments and a promotion. Orry Robinson has been promoted to Senior Consultant at JComms. Orry has more than six years of experience in PR 8 and has worked for JComms since 2017. Jonathan Graham joins JComms as videographer, specialising in producing high quality and authentic video content and commercial advertising for a range of local, national and international clients. Before coming to JComms he worked for both Smarts 9 Communicate and Speedmotion films. Tirna Sweeney joins JComms as a Junior Consultant. Tirna comes from a creative background and has experience in social media and marketing. And 10 Aimee Moore also joins JComms as a Junior Consultant. Aimee graduated from Ulster University with a first-class honours degree in marketing.

For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On 11 Nicola Finlay has been appointed as the new Regional Manager for M&S in Northern Ireland. Nicola succeeds Philip Conlon who takes up the role of Head of Division for Ireland. Nicola who lives in Lisburn, brings a breadth of experience with an extensive track record in retail spanning over 15 years.

11. Nicola Finlay

12. David Warnock

13. Stephen Cave

14. Sherena Deveney

15. Victoria Jackson

16. Nicola McGeehan

17. Michele Bryans

18. Sian McLaughlin

19. Gareth Herron

12 David Warnock has been appointed to the position of Advisory Director at Grant Thornton in Belfast. David joins the firm having spent the last 14 years working on a significant number of high-profile advisory and insolvency related assignments. 13 Also at Grant Thornton, Stephen Cave has been appointed to the position of Head of Restructuring within the Advisory team at Grant Thornton. Stephen has over 25 years’ experience working within the specialist restructuring, recovery and insolvency space. Stephen will enhance Grant Thornton’s current offering within this area, focusing on the provision of timely advice and solutions to distressed businesses, financial institutions and wider stakeholders. 14 Meanwhile, Sherena Deveney becomes Tax Director. With extensive experience in private practice, Sherena has specialised in providing tax compliance and advisory solutions to a wide range of clients, including UK and non-UK high net worth individuals and families, entrepreneurs, investors, professional practices and trustees. 15 At MCG Investments, Victoria Jackson becomes Marketing Manager. She has more than 10 years experience and most recently worked for global 16 manufacturing company. Nicola McGeehan is appointed as Business Development Manager. She has worked in a variety of roles including as a sales executive for a luxury coach hire and tours company. 17 Michele Bryans has been appointed Chief Executive of EastSide Partnership, an urban regeneration charity based in east Belfast. She joined EastSide Partnership in 2015 leading on the strategic direction for Connswater Community Greenway. 18 Sian McLaughlin has been appointed to role of investment manager at Clarendon Fund Managers. Sian joined CFM in 2021 following a year with Survitec Group Financial Planning & Analysis team. Prior to this, Sian spent 5 years with BDO where she specialised in Corporate Finance. 19 Also at Clarendon, Gareth Herron has been appointed to the role of portfolio manager at Clarendon Fund Managers. He graduated with a BSc in Accounting from Queens University Belfast, during which time he also interned with BT Plc. He started his career training in audit and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG. He then worked in EY as an Audit Senior. 20 Decision Time has appointed David Corry to the role of sales executive, specialising in the housing association sector. The company’s customer base currently includes more than 75 housing associations across the UK and Ireland. Before joining Decision Time, David spent 17 years working in the sales industry for organisations in the financial and self-build sector. 21 Andrew Dickinson has been appointed Head of Marketing at Donnelly Group. Andrew has extensive experience within the automotive industry and has worked with Wilsons at Rathkenny, MercedesBenz Truck and Van, and Wilsons Auctions.

20. David Corry

21. Andrew Dickinson

22. Shauna Murray

22 Shauna Murray has been appointed Membership Support Officer at St Vincent de Paul. Shauna provides a point of contact for members within the region and assists with volunteer recruitment, training and associated processes, including Access NI checks. Shauna has a Business Studies degree with a Diploma in Professional Practice. She has held various administrative roles and previously worked in USA.

Eye on News

Liberty IT Announces New Managing Director

LIBERTY IT has announced that Willie Hamilton (right) is retiring in April after 16 years at the helm and Tony Marron has been appointed the new Managing Director. Tony, who joined Liberty IT in 2001 as an Engineer, is currently

Senior Director, Emerging Business & Technology and is responsible for positioning the company within the wider Liberty Mutual organisation, leveraging his network of business and IT leaders, internally and externally, to explore emerging technologies,

capabilities and relationships. Willie Hamilton said: “I’m proud to be leaving Liberty IT in the position that it is – the industry leader in digital innovation. I’m also proud of the longevity of the organisation and the growth we have achieved over the last 24 years. I would like to pay tribute to my incredibly talented colleagues and acknowledge the vital role that they’ve played in helping to position the company as a global epicenter for engineering and innovation excellence across Liberty Mutual. I’ve worked side-by-side with Tony Marron for 20 years and I’m thrilled to be passing the baton on to him and I am confident that under his leadership Liberty IT will continue to strengthen and grow its deep engineering heritage and emerging business and technology capabilities. We can demonstrate that we’ve built exceptional talent, we reimagine insurance, carry out world-class work

that is second to none and we can show the impact of our work. And now instead of having the responsibility for driving the company on, I look forward to watching from the sidelines as Liberty IT continues to grow, evolve and showcase groundbreaking innovation,” Willie added. Tony Marron said: “I am delighted to have been appointed the new Managing Director of Liberty IT. Willie and I have worked together for the last two decades and have watched the company evolve and grow. I would like to thank him for his leadership over the last 16 years and on behalf of my colleagues, we wish him the very best in his retirement.” “There’s something very special about Liberty IT – it’s our people, the culture and what we do together. We don’t do technology for the sake of it, we do it for businesses and for good. The things we are doing help people live safer, more secure lives. When things go wrong, we help people build their lives back together.”

Ballyclare homebuilder responds to singlelevel housing demand Simpson Developments has gone live with a brand new housing development in Ballyclare.

etticrew Park, which was released to the market on December 4th, is a development made up of 43 units, 10 of which are bungalows. The site will also include two, three, and four-bedroom detached and semi-detached houses. Petticrew Park is the only new housing project in the Ballyclare area to accommodate a long-standing appetite for the one-level properties. There are currently 30 staff working on the site, led by Site Manager Gary Gordon, while a further 30 other roles have been funded by the creation of Petticrew Park. Several virtual show homes have been launched to allow prospective buyers to navigate the properties, engage with interactive brochures and browse virtual furnishings thanks to Simpson Developments Computer Generated Illustration (CGI) software and VR tech that is the only home viewing tech of its kind in the NI housing market right now. Smart viewings are not the only state-of-the-art aspect of Petticrew

Park. The homes here have the latest in energy efficient provisions. One of the site’s most unique aspects is the inclusion of the chalet bungalow property type, a sought-after unit that has fallen out of favour with builders over the years. These units are often a preferential choice among retirees who want to downsize and those who want the ease of a one-level setting. Nigel Simpson, Managing Director of Simpson Developments, said: “We are delighted to put Petticrew Park on the market and we believe it responds to many demands from the Northern Ireland new homebuyer. “Over the years the construction of bungalows has dwindled creating a big gap in the market and that’s simply because the same space can be used to add additional units with multiple storeys. Despite that, demand is still there, in fact there is a shortage. We’re delighted to make a start at filling this void. “Petticrew Park is everything that

Nigel Simpson, Managing Director of Simpson Developments.

Simpson Developments stands for. It’s a collection of beautifully styled homes that use the best technology, the kind of provisions that make these homes not only future proof but play a role in the decarbonisation of society. “Everyone has a duty in the drive to net zero emissions and that includes house builders. COP26 has highlighted the need for all of us to stand up and be counted in that drive and by ensuring our homes are climate-change friendly, we are not only playing our part but helping homeowners keep their own emissions down and ultimately reduce their energy costs. “We are certain demand will be high for

this site and look forward to launching our virtual home options online.” Property prices at Petticrew Park range from £180,000. The site is within walking distance of Ballyclare town centre and benefits from the new relief road accessing the M2 Motorway. The project is one of several live and upcoming Simpson Developments sites across Northern Ireland including a new phase at its very popular Dunadry scheme, Dunadry Gate. The homebuilder will also announce new sites in the coming months including another development made up entirely of bungalows in Bangor as well as 90 units in Antrim town centre.

E V E S LI LIN ON N I O CT U A

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

Puma with attitude

Practical cars aren’t all soft and cuddly, some can be downright mean, writes James Stinson.

he shift to bigger cars over the last decade looks irreversible. SUVs – large and small – are all the rage, wooing buyers with their size, height and practicality. But larger cars are also usually a good bit duller to drive. One of the very few exceptions is this Puma ST. Ford has taken two already good cars – the ever so sensible Puma and the feisty Fiesta ST – and merged them to make a performance mini SUV… and one that doesn’t cost the earth. The standard Puma has had its suspension firmed up and steering tweaked to be a little lighter. There are bigger brakes and lots of neat styling touches inside and out to set it apart from lesser models. Best of all, Ford has lifted the super little 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine from the Fiesta ST and popped it under the bonnet. In the Fiesta ST the combination was utterly enthralling, delivering seat of the pants performance in a pint-sized pocket rocket. The Puma version

isn’t far off in performance terms but a heck of a lot more practical. Think of it as a Fiesta ST for the man (or woman) who now has kids. The meat of the car is that deceptively powerful 1.5-litre engine, which generates 197bhp and a generous 320Nm of torque. Mated to a snappy six-speed manual gearbox, it delivers the Puma to 62mph from a standing start in 6.7 seconds. Equally impressive is how the bigger Puma manages to put that power onto the road. It feels incredibly planted, involving and responsive especially when cornering. It’s equally composed under hard acceleration, providing none of the skittishness you might expect from such a powerful front-wheel driven car. The optional Performance Pack (£950) steps things up another gear with the addition of launch control, super sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres and a Quaife limited-slip differential, which works with a torque-vectoring system to help the car tuck more

tightly into corners and haul itself out of them more aggressively. But while the ST is a good bit firmer than the standard Puma, it is a car you can live with for day-to-day motoring too, coping well with uneven surfaces. The exhaust note has been detuned to be less raucous than its smaller sibling, so it sounds a little more grown-up too. It’s also fairly family friendly, with a decent-sized cabin and a huge 456-litre boot, complete with a hose-down 80-litre ‘Mega Box’ underfloor cubby. There are snug Recaro sports seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel with ST badging, some alloy sports pedals and gearknob. Wireless charging for smartphone devices, parking sensors all round, and a 12.3-inch digital driver’s

display are all standard, too. Outside there are similar bumper designs to the existing ST-Line trim, but selective use of black paint and different mesh patterns for the grille give the ST a tougher look. A front splitter adds 80 per cent more downforce than the standard car, too, along with a big rear wing and diffuser. A contrasting black finish is applied to the roof, the rear spoiler, the door mirrors and the window trim, while the standard 19-inch alloy wheels are offered in two different finishes. With prices starting from £28,760, it’s not exactly cheap but good value when set against other performance mini SUVs. But most of all, the Puma ST is proof that SUVs needn’t just be practical, they can be pretty exciting too.

“The meat of the car is that deceptively powerful 1.5-litre engine, which generates 197bhp and a generous 320Nm of torque. Mated to a snappy six-speed manual gearbox, it delivers the Puma to 62mph from a standing start in 6.7 seconds.”

L CA S SI N Y TIO PH UC A

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

Dacia’s game changer

Seven-seat cars are very handy if you’ve a big family but they can be pricey. The cheapest VW Touran will set you back nearly £30,000 but what if you could pick up something similar for half that?

hat’s what Dacia is promising with this new Jogger. Dacia says it combines the space and practicality of an MPV / estate with the looks of an SUV. It’s certainly distinctive and there’s no doubting the practicality and sheer value for money served up here. It comes in either five or sevenseater versions. The five-seat

POLO POWER Hard to believe the VW Polo has been around since the mid-1970s, selling more than 18 million over that time.

version offers a simply enormous boot – potentially more than 1,800 litres - for those who have plenty to lug around. But the sevenseater is where all the action is. The rear most row of seats is accessed by sliding the middle seats forward and clambering in the back, a process aided by extralong rear doors. Even with all three

his latest version – the mid-life enhancement of its sixth iteration – rationalises the model’s trim line-up into the familiar Y-structure of other Volkswagen models; the range starting at £17,885 with the Polo Life, and moving up into a twopronged structure of comfort-focused Style and sportily-designed R-Line specifications, both priced from £20,785. The highperformance Polo GTI will arrive at a later date. Four engine and gearbox configurations are available across the standard Polo line-up – all 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engines, ranging in power output from 80 bhp to 110 bhp. The 95 bhp engine in ‘Life’ trim will make up the lion’s share of sales and is available with both 5-speed manual and 7-seed DSG transmissions. With fuel economy of 54.3 mpg and CO2 emissions of 118 g/ km, the Polo Life, with the 95 bhp engine variant and 5-speed manual gearbox, also boasts the lowest emissions and greatest fuel economy across the Polo range. Long gone are the days when VW could sell sparsely equipped cars by dint of its rocksolid reputation. So, the latest Polo comes with a long list of standard equipment. The

rows in place, there’s still some 200 litres of usable boot space. When you don’t need them, the third row can be folded or removed entirely. Indeed, Dacia says there are some 60 different storage / seating configurations, so we know it’s going to be practical. It’s also going to be cheap, with Dacia claiming entry level prices will start at a meagre €15,000. We shouldn’t expect anything less from the Romanian car maker, which has cornered the market for making the best value cars around. They’re also rather good, with models like the Sandero and Duster stacking up well against established and pricier rivals. The Jogger, like those cars, is built with bang up-to-date parts from sister company Renault, which means it should be modern and reliable. The line-up is relatively simple at launch, with just two engines on offer – a TCe 110 bhp petrol or a bi-fuel version, which allows for running on cheaper LPG. In 2023, a hybrid – Dacia’s first – will join the range. The “Extreme” version (pictured) is a launch special. With rugged styling cues it will cost a little more than other variants but it looks great and will likely appeal to outdoorsy, active types. Orders are being taken now for deliveries early in 2022.

entry-level Polo Life features Travel Assist as standard for 95 bhp Life models and above – making the Polo one of the first models in its segment to offer partly automated driving. LED headlights, Adaptive Cruise Control and an 8.0-inch Digital Cockpit are also among the enhanced Polo’s factory-fit equipment, with handy features such as two front and two rear USB sockets, power-folding, adjustable and heated door mirrors, and automatic rainsensing wipers also included as standard. A raft of personalisation options includes: the new-to-Volkswagen paint shade Vibrant Violet (£595) and new-to-Polo Kings Red (£695); a selection of 16- and 17-inch alternative alloy wheels; assistance systems including a rear-view camera (£250) and a pack bundling together Park Assist, Proactive Passenger Protection and other assistance features (£840 / £485 depending on specification); and a Sports Suspension Pack (£360), which incorporates more dynamic suspension, the XDS electronic differential lock first introduced on the Golf GTI, and Driving Profile Selection. The GTI will arrive at a later date as the flagship of the Polo range.

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Business Eye November December 2021

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