Business Eye January 2020

Issue 194 January 2020 £2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

144pp layout = 9mm spine 136pp layout = 8mm spine 112pp layout = 6mm spine 96pp layout = 5mm spine

Business Outlook Increasingly Optimistic Insight From Arthur Cox Features:

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IQ & Co… Fast-Growing Force In Financial Services

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TOP

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Northern Ireland’s Top Business Personalities 2020

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Diversity… A Whole Lot More Than Lip Service

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Contents

January 2020 ISSUE 192

Cover Story

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Arthur Cox…Opportunities Ahead As Uncertainty Lifts

Specials

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Rising To The Broadband Challenge Faster broadband is available to more people than ever before in Northern Ireland but some rural areas are still behind towns and cities for coverage, says Ofcom Northern Ireland Director Jonathan Rose.

As the business outlook for 2020 becomes less uncertain, and more optimistic, Lynsey Mallon, a Corporate and Commercial Partner at leading law firm Arthur Cox casts her eyes forward to the opportunities that lie ahead and emphases the importance of good business advice.

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Evolution Not Revolution…Driving A Digital Approach

Wealth Management

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IQ & Co…Fast-Growing Force In Financial Services

As part of a wider digital transformation within the organisation, the Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall venues, alongside sister conferencing brand, ICC Belfast, made the decision to completely overhaul their marketing function to adopt a digital-first approach.

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Identity…The Next Frontier

2019 was a landmark year for Tanya Martina and Angela Forsythe as well as as the rapidly growing team at Holywood-based IQ & Co, now part of the St. James’s Place Wealth Management family and one of Northern Ireland’s fastest growing firms in the financial services sector.

IT and computers are a sphere of industry that is exceptionally dynamic, so we should all expect change.

In fact, it is the one constant in computing, especially given the “us versus them” hacking arms race we are all part of, says Gavin Woods of IT specialists NITEC.

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McKendry’s Bar Opens At Galgorm

Business Personalities

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Business Eye Top 25 Business Eye presents its Top 25 Business Personalities for the past 12 months along with our annual listings of the top corporate lawyers and leading accountancy firms as we head into another calendar year for business and the economy here in Northern Ireland.

Drumbo Park is back on winning form after being re-opened by a former employee. John Connor was one of 44 staff who lost his job when the Lisburn track closed its gates earlier this year but his passion for racing prompted him to work tirelessly over the last few months to get the business back on track.

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Diversity…A Whole Lot More Than Lip Service Christine White is all too aware of the potential shortfall when it comes to encouraging companies here to take the diversity and inclusion agenda seriously. The Head of Business at Diversity Mark NI talks about diversity in advance of a Diversity Summit at Titanic Belfast on 20th February.

Regulars

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Business Leaders Forum With the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly back in place, Business Eye asked a selection of business leaders and commentators what should its priorities be and does its return improve the prospects for Northern Ireland business and the economy for 2020 and beyond?

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4C UR Future Builds On Success For 2020 A series of regional events this summer will set out to expand the 4C UR Future concept around Northern Ireland, enabling as many 13-year olds as possible to gain insight into their future opportunities. We talk to founder Rose Mary Stalker.

Eye on CSR

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Eye on Moving On

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Eye on Finance

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Eye on Charity

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Eye on Communications

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Eye on Motoring

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Buckley Publications 20 Kings Road Belfast, BT5 6JJ Tel: (028) 9047 4490 Fax: (028) 9047 4495 www.businesseye.co.uk

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Drumbo Park Back On Track

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Diversity & Inclusivity

Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort has opened the very latest addition to its facilities, the newly refurbished and refreshed McKendry’s Lounge & Bar, a tribute to an old Ballymena establishment and an impressive new venue at the resort.

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley

Business Development Manager Ciara Donnelly

Eye on Events

Design Hexagon Tel: (028) 9047 2210 www.hexagondesign.com

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Photography Press Eye 45 Stockmans Way Belfast, BT9 7ET Tel: (028) 9066 9229 www.presseye.com

Brexit Day, after a couple of false starts, came to pass at the very end of January and the UK – including a distinctly reluctant Northern Ireland and Scotland – has officially left the European Union.

Comment

“On the plus side, and it’s a big plus, Northern Ireland has a form of special status and that could be hugely important in the short, medium and long terms.”

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hat said, as we’re all now well aware, there is a whole lot of water to go under this particular bridge before the whole thing is finally settled. It’s a bit like a real life divorce.

The painful parting (or not so painful parting) takes place first. Then comes the wrangling, negotiating and eventually the final settlement.

But the signs are that the Northern Ireland business community, ever since Christmas and Boris Johnson’s decisive victory at the polls, has decided to move on. There is nothing any of us can do now about Brexit so moving on is the only option.

The lifting of uncertainty led to an almost audible sigh of relief from business here in Northern Ireland. The uncertainty over many long months had led to deferred decisions, it had led to nervousness, it had led to fear. It had certainly led to a stagnant local economy.

Boris Johnson’s General Election landslide and the removal of uncertainty over Brexit were quickly followed this January by the restoration of the Executive, Assembly and devolved government at Stormont. It was something few of us would have predicted back in the dark days of the autumn and the political and electoral reasons behind the local parties’ sudden change of heart have been well documented.

Suffice to say that there’s nothing like a bit of kicking at the polls, a sudden loss of influence elsewhere and a healthy dose of self-interest to get politicians back on to the right track.

The return of the Stormont institutions has been welcomed by all, and it’s a return that – if we had our own financial markets – would have had them soaring. A bit like the audible sigh that greeted the ending of Brexit uncertainty, there’s been an almost palpable sense of optimism since local ministers were appointed once again.

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

We’re all aware, of course, that this is Northern Ireland. Things can go wrong, and often do.

So no one is taking the return of devolved government for granted, at least not yet. What’s more, London has made it very clear that the government has to stand on its own two feet.

It has to raise revenue, and it has to make the tough decisions, the kind of decisions that make governments very unpopular with the electorate.

That’s when things are going to get tough, and that’s when the strength of the power-sharing administration is going to be tested for real.

The early signs have been good. There’s co-operation in the air, even the scent of harmony, dare we suggest it. But, to borrow another marriage-related analogy, both are symptomatic of the honeymoon period.

The bedding in of devolved government here, and the tough choices it is going to have to make, will all be taking place against the background of a post-Brexit GB and a post-Brexit Northern Ireland.

Right up until Brexit Day itself and beyond, there remained a lack of clarity over potential barriers to East/West trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

On the plus side, and it’s a big plus, Northern Ireland has a form of special status and that could be hugely important in the short, medium and long terms. We will remain aligned to the Single Market for manufacturing and agri-food. For all practical purposes, we’ll be staying in the Customs Union. EU Peace Funding stays in place for another seven years and there will be no hard border.

Challenges lie ahead, but the signs are a whole lot more optimistic than they have been for some time.

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Eye on News

Women in Business Welcome Belfast Met as Educational Partner Roseann Kelly of Women In Business with Marie-Therese McGivern of Belfast Met

Women in Business, Northern Ireland’s largest and fastest growing business network for female entrepreneurs and business leaders, is delighted to welcome Belfast Met as its third Educational partner, joining Queens University Belfast and Ulster University Business School.

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elfast Met is the largest further and Higher Education College in Northern Ireland and one of the largest in the UK, providing a unique breadth of education and training at every level to students from Northern Ireland and further afield.

This two-year partnership demonstrates that both Belfast Met and Women in Business are committed to working in collaboration to support and grow a diverse new economy based on maximising all potential, through inclusive growth.

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Roseann Kelly, Chief Executive of Women in Business is confident about the new educational partnership and the impact it can make: “We are delighted to announce the new partnership and I am excited about the shared opportunities and learnings it will deliver.

“Belfast Met has a very clear vision and commitment to make a valuable impact on the economic and social success of the city of Belfast and beyond, this resonates with Women in Business. We will effectively work together to

equip our members and students with the education and skills for employment and work closely to enhance the opportunities for female entrepreneurs and business leaders in Northern Ireland.”

This mutually beneficial partnership will enable Women in Business to work with this leading educational institute to encourage and develop the Women in Business Young Women’s Network, providing Belfast Met with the opportunity to connect and engage with 3,500 Women in Business members.

Commenting on the new partnership, Marie - Thérèse McGivern, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met said, “Belfast Met is delighted to become an Educational partner of Women in Business. The College delivers a wide range of programmes and initiatives to support the development and competitiveness

of businesses and membership of this network will enable us to outreach, engage and promote our services to over 3000 businesses. This membership will also provide our own staff with valuable professional and personal development opportunities through engagement with the wide variety of programmes and events offered by Women in Business.”

Women in Business has over 3,500 members across all sectors from sole traders to Chief Executives, from senior managers to business owners. The organisation hosts 70+ events per year, three conferences, a Chairs Lunch and the annual Gala Awards. To find out more visit www.womeninbusinessni.com

Eye on News

Businesses and third sector organisations have vital role to play in meeting challenges ahead The skills and expertise of businesses and third sector organisations can play an vital role in helping the newly formed NI Executive meet the myriad of challenges it faces in the coming years.

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hat was the message this morning as the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s ‘Your Assembly and You’ event which saw businesses, charities, social enterprises and local government organisations gather to discuss the return of the NI Executive and Assembly.

Chaired by NI Chamber’s President, John Healy, the event heard from former government Special Advisor and current Managing Partner of MW Advocate

Brendan Mulgrew along with former UUP MLA and Deputy Leader John McCallister.

Speaking at the event, Brendan Mulgrew said: “Brexit, the crisis in the Health Service, the climate emergency, our poor water infrastructure, the need for more housing, more education funding and more police funding are just some of the myriad of challenges facing the incoming Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly as they begin work. The fact is that on many of these issues, the expertise and experience of those working in business and the third sector mean that it’s people outside of government and the civil service who can provide the solutions and project management skills to help solve problems.”

“All of us here today are committed to making Northern Ireland a better place to live and work and there’s a new energy and focus to ensure that happens. It’s clear from the number of people here today and the discussion, that experts are willing and able to engage with

government and it is vital that they’re given a meaningful opportunity to do so through effective engagement,” he added.

John Healy, who chaired this morning’s event said: “The numbers attending today’s event and the depth of the debate shows that for organisations from the private and third sector, the return of the NI Executive and Assembly is a vital first step in addressing the range of problems that we currently face. A proactive team of Ministers, who listen and engage with experts, can deliver first class services for the people who live here. That means a strong economy, improved prosperity, and a better society.”

Former UUP MLA and deputy Leader John McCallister also spoke at the event and gave his insight into the Assembly and Executive and his views on the future.

Today’s event was attended by over 40 organisations from across Northern Ireland from business, third sector and local government organisations.

Eye on News

Irish FA Agrees To New Partnership With Travel Solutions Northern Ireland company Travel Solutions has become the official Northern Ireland Supporters Travel Partner.

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nd the Belfast-based tour operator is also now an official patron of the Irish Football Association’s Education and Heritage Centre, which is an integral part of the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park.

The partnership with the Irish FA means Travel Solutions will be able to support fans of Northern Ireland’s international teams by providing travel options for away trips, from flights and hotels to transfers or full travel packages.

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Chris Clingan of Travel Solutions (left) joins Jemma Thornbury from the Irish Football Association’s Education and Heritage Centre and Stephen Bogle, the Irish FA’s Head of Sales and Marketing, to announce the new partnership between Travel Solutions and the association.

Chris Clingan, Travel Solutions Sports Manager, said: “Travel Solutions are pleased to be working alongside the Irish FA in ensuring Northern Ireland fans have readily available travel arrangements for away fixtures.

“With reaching the Euro finals still a great possibility and the UEFA Nations League draw coming shortly, it is an exciting time for local football fans and an exciting time for Travel Solutions to be part of it.”

On their appointment as an official patron of the Irish FA’s Education and Heritage Centre, Chris said: “As a Northern Ireland company it is pleasing that we can support the Irish FA at the Education and Heritage Centre.”

Stephen Bogle, the Irish FA’s Head of Sales and Marketing, said: “It’s great

to have Travel Solutions onboard.

“Travel Solutions have been delivering tailored and affordable packages to local football fans for many years now and we’re delighted to be working with them to offer a range of travel options for our supporters, kicking off with our upcoming Euro 2020 play-off in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 26 March.

“We also welcome their support as an official patron of our Education and Heritage Centre, which helps to tell the unique story of football in Northern Ireland.”

The allocation of match tickets for away fixtures will not be affected and will continue to be allocated by the Irish FA. Travel Solutions packages will not include tickets for away fixtures.

Eye on News

Titanic Belfast Launches Recruitment Drive for 80 Roles To start the new year, Titanic Belfast is recruiting for 80 frontline staff as it looks forward to 2020.

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he world-class exhibition is recruiting for fixedterm contracts across the front line at Titanic Belfast and on-board SS Nomadic, including Visitor Experience, Ticketing, Hospitality Outlets and Retail to join its over 300 strong team.

Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast, Judith Owens, “From the very beginning in 2012, we have valued our staff as one of our key assets and reasons for success.

This year, we are recruiting for 80 roles and we want staff

who are truly passionate about communicating Titanic’s story and showcasing the best of Belfast and Northern Ireland to local, national and international tourists – if this is you, you could be part of our award-winning crew.”

To ensure our world-class standards are met and maintained, Titanic Belfast has a robust training programme, including on the job customer service training and an attractive benefits package.

Described by The Guardian as “an inspiring testament to the Titanic

Titanic Belfast front of house team, Mairead Sweeney, Deirdra Wade, Geoff Fulton and Conor Clarke, are pictured as the visitor attarction announces they are recruiting for 80 roles ahead of high season.

and the city that built it”, almost 6 million people from around the world have already visited Titanic

Belfast since opening in 2012. Full details of the posts are available at www.titanicbelfast.com/careers.

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Eye on News

Medical Company Secures Major Export Partners

A Belfast company that invented a groundbreaking new non-contact thermometer for use in hospitals is set to create five new jobs after securing major export partners in 11 new countries.

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edical technology experts TriMedika™, located at the Innovation Factory in West Belfast, has created TRITEMP™ a new hi-tech, non-contact infrared thermometer – that drastically reduces the potential for infection and eliminates the use of millions of plastic disposable probe covers every year.

The reaction to the product has been so positive that the company is creating five new jobs in 2020.

TRITEMP™ is already being used in 16 countries and following attendance of the major international trade show Medica in Dusseldorf, the company has identified additional channel partners in new territories including Brazil, Mexico, all four Scandinavian countries, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Poland and Croatia.

Dr Roisin Molloy and Julie Brien formed TriMedika™ in 2016 after carrying out extensive research into state-of-the-art equipment to

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meet the changing requirements of medical staff and organisations.

“The main aim of the NHS is to reduce infection, save costs and reduce waste. A 900-bed hospital takes around one to two million temperature readings per year, which means one to two million plastic caps for disposal and one to two million unnecessary contact points with patients. In TRITEMP™ we have created something that does away with this, reducing the potential for infection and eliminating tons of plastic waste,” Dr Molloy said.

Within 18 months the TriMedika™ team developed and brought to market a fully certified, tested infrared thermometer, gaining approval both in Northern Ireland and England on the NHS purchasing framework and now sold in countries around the world.

The company’s next step is to create a new system of connectivity that automatically records the patients’ temperature in a digital record.

Majella Barkley, Centre Director at Innovation Factory (second from left) is pictured with the TriMedika team International Sales Manager Judith Kee, CEO Dr Roisin Molloy and COO Julie Brien.

“Everything in a hospital is currently written down on a chart then transferred later to digital records by the nursing staff, wasting nurses’ time. We are working to develop a system that will do this instantly,” said Dr Molloy.

The company moved into Innovation Factory on the Springfield Road in September as it plans to expand quickly in 2020 and the site offered the flexibility to upscale easily as well as access 24-7 and secure parking.

“Another unexpected benefit of being at Innovation Factory is the relationships we are developing with other tech companies based here. We’re speaking to a number of companies in this building that we may be able to partner with,” Dr Molloy added.

Majella Barkley, Centre Director at Innovation Factory said TriMedika™ was an exciting example of Northern Ireland entrepreneurs developing new technology that would potentially

save the health service millions.

She said: “TriMedika™ is making a significant contribution to the future of the National Health Service. It is incredible that a small team of Northern Ireland innovators and medical professionals are creating products that could affect the lives of NHS patients for years to come.”

Innovation Factory is owned by Belfast City Council and operated on their behalf by Oxford Innovation.

The £9.1m business hub was funded

by Belfast City Council and Invest NI with support from the European Regional Development Fund.

Customers include a range of start-ups and growing businesses in a variety of sectors including digital services, creative industries, business services, financial services and research and development.

For more information on the Innovation Factory visit: www.innovationfactoryni.com

Eye on News

MAJOR REVAMP OF CIM IRELAND MARKETING AWARDS UNVEILED

Pictured at the launch CIM Volunteer Partnerships Manager Philip Preston, CIM Ireland Chair Eileen Curry and Board member Peter Craven.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing in Ireland has announced the launch of its 2020 awards with a new format and a renewed focus on ensuring the event delivers a valuable learning opportunity for the marketing community in Ireland.

that it not only recognised the excellent work being done by organisations and agencies across Ireland but also provided delegates with an opportunity to learn more about what a winning campaign looks like,” explains Chair of CIM Ireland, Eileen Curry.

The new event will see a host of changes from previous CIM Ireland Awards events.

This year will see eight award categories available to enter: Best Use of Digital Marketing Best Integrated Campaign Best Brand Building Campaign Best Use of Data & Insight

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he new event called ‘Marketing Live’ will take place in May 2020 at a venue to be confirmed in the New Year.

The new format sees a move away from the conventional black-tie awards dinner and instead includes a one-day conference divided into eight sessions. Each session will focus on a different ‘awards category’ with a keynote speaker and award-winning case studies.

“The CIM Ireland Awards has always been the main event in our calendar and we felt it was time that we reviewed the format of the event to ensure

Best Use of Social Media & Influencer Marketing Best Customer Experience

The event will also feature a ‘Learning Zone’ where delegates can meet with representatives from the four accredited CIM study centres in Ireland - North West School of Marketing, Belfast Academy of Marketing, Belfast Met and Sand Marketing Academy.

“In the fast-moving world that we now inhabit, a focus on lifelong learning is essential in order that we continue to deliver the best results for the organisations that we work for,” says Marian Norwood, Founder of North West School of Marketing and a member of the CIM Ireland Board. “This new event format not only gives winning campaigns the recognition that they deserve, it also ensures that the wider marketing community benefits from the huge learning opportunity that Marketing Live 2020 provides.”

Best Corporate Social Responsibility Best Partnership Marketing Campaign The Marketing Live 2020 delegates will have the opportunity to learn more about the other shortlisted campaigns in a new ‘Inspiration Zone’, where all shortlisted entries will be available to view on interactive screens.

The deadline for entry to the CIM Ireland Awards is Friday 7th February 2020. The awards website is at: https://www.cim.co. uk/events/ireland-marketing-awards/

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Eye on Communications

Rising To The Broadband Challenge Faster broadband is available to more people than ever before in Northern Ireland but some rural areas are still behind towns and cities for coverage, according to new data from Ofcom.

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fcom’s annual Connected Nations report analyses the availability of broadband and mobile services across the UK and its nations.

This year’s Northern Ireland report highlights further progress from industry in rolling out their networks, with more than 232,000 homes (31%) in Northern Ireland now having access to full fibre connections – which offers download speeds of up to one gigabit per second (1 G bit/s).

This has increased sharply from last year’s figure (12%), with 160,000 extra homes now able to access the latest broadband technology, with the expansion largely due to onging commercial deployment from Openreach and Virgin Media.

The report shows the average download speed delivered to premises in Northern Ireland has increased from 43 Mbit/s in 2018 to 55 Mbit/s, reflecting increasing availability of faster broadband services.

Demand for getting online has also increased, with average monthly broadband data use in Northern Ireland going up from 240 GB per connection in 2018, to 322 GB in 2019 – the equivalent of watching up to four hours of HD video content a day.

But the report also reveals more work is needed to improve services in rural areas, where some customers experience slower speeds than those in towns and cities.

The vast majority of homes (89%) in Northern Ireland can now access superfast broadband, which offers download speeds of at least 30 Mbit/s – sufficient for most households’ current needs. However, availability of superfast broadband in rural areas, at 66%, is lower.

Ofcom expects superfast broadband

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coverage to increase as a number of UK-wide and Northern Ireland specific public sector initiatives are currently underway or about to commence, most notably Project Stratum.

Through this project, which is aimed at those unable to get superfast speeds, the Department for the Economy has identified 97,000 premises in Northern Ireland that will be eligible for a broadband boost.

The procurement for the £165m project was launched in July 2019 and contract award is anticipated in mid-2020.

In today’s smartphone society, being able to make calls and get online on the move is crucial to people’s personal and working lives. Ofcom’s figures show 75% of the Northern Ireland’s land area is covered by good 4G reception from all four networks.

And 97% of the country can get reliable 4G from at least one operator.

But there are stark differences

in the level of choice available to customers in urban and rural areas.

Ninety per cent of urban areas can get 4G coverage from all four operators, compared to 74% of rural areas.

However, rural mobile coverage is set to increase as a result of an industry project announced in October.

Mobile operators have worked with Government and Ofcom on a plan to introduce a ‘shared rural network’.

This will see high-quality 4G coverage reach 95% of the UK by 2025, as mobile companies share their existing

masts and invest in new sites.

Meanwhile 5G – the fifth generation of mobile technology – launched in the UK in the last year, with all four mobile networks rolling out 5G across a total of 40 UK towns and cities.

Initially, 5G will be an enhanced version of 4G – offering faster speeds, more capacity and far fewer connection delays. But in the longer term it can support a host of innovative new services for mobile users and businesses, from farming to factories.

Jonathan Rose, Director at Ofcom Northern Ireland, said: “This year we’ve seen full fibre broadband grow at its fastest ever rate, and the first 5G services launched in Northern Ireland.

“But despite this good progress, there is more to do to bring all parts of the country up to speed– particularly rural areas. So we’re working with industry and the Government to help bring better services to people who need them.”

An interactive version of Ofcom’s Connected Nations Northern Ireland report, offering data at nation, local authority and parliamentary constituency level is available at www.ofcom.org.uk

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Eye on Venues

Evolution Not Revolution:

Driving a digitalfirst approach As part of a wider digital transformation within the organisation, the Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall venues, alongside sister conferencing brand, ICC Belfast, made the decision to completely overhaul their marketing function to adopt a digital-first approach.

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his digital strategy was set out to help the organisation achieve ambitious financial targets, as well as fulfil its compelling value proposition of delivering for Belfast and Northern Ireland socially, culturally and economically by showcasing the city and beyond as a unique, vibrant and flourishing business tourism and live entertainment hotspot. Business EYE took the opportunity to speak to Ashleigh Davidson, Head of Entertainments and Exhibitions for Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall about how redesigning the online customer experience have has had a massive impact on the iconic venues.

“Entertainment KPIs; occupancy rates and ticket sales were in decline and the potential of the e-commerce website,

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a healthy social media community and targeted email marketing database were overlooked in campaign planning in favour of traditional marketing platforms.” explains Ashleigh.

“A printed entertainments brochure, Front Row events guide, was traditionally produced three times a year representing a significant marketing cost for print, production and distribution. As part of the digital overhaul, production of Front Row was upgraded to a weekly e-zine that is supplemented by a condensed flyer, which lists a smaller number of upcoming events in both venues over the next eight to ten weeks.

This measured response to market demand and trends was a sizeable shift for the business, but one that

was necessary to enable a divergence of budget to digital campaigns.”

“Furthermore, our previous ticketing system presented several challenges.

It was imperative that we had a system in place that supported our goals and allowed us to maximise existing and additional revenue streams while supporting efficiencies throughout the sales process.”

The online purchase path was one of the primary areas that Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall wanted to improve, which lead eventually led them to appoint Tessitura as the new ticketing provider and Dawson Andrews as the appointed agency for the design and build of the new Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall e-commerce websites.

“Collaboration with partners has been a crucial part of our success.” explains Ashleigh.

“Having a network of suppliers that understand our objectives and inherit our KPIs as their own has helped us to grow our conversion rate by 15% when compared with the same period last year as well as an almost 20% increase in overall e-commerce revenue.”

So what’s next for the venues that form part of the fabric of Belfast’s live entertainment scene? “We’re delighted to announce that we’ve been shortlisted in the ‘Best Use of Data and Insight’ category at the Chartered Institute of Marketing awards, which validates everything the team have been working so hard on for the past few months.”

The winners are to be announced at the awards ceremony in April.

Ashleigh concluded, “We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our customer offering and by adopting an approach of continuous improvement, we’re confident that we’ll be able to better serve the needs of customers whose next great live entertainment experience starts the moment they decide to purchase a ticket.”

Visit waterfront.co.uk or ulsterhall. co.uk to find out what’s on and book tickets in the Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall venues.

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Eye on CSR

Davy UK Corporate Social Responsibility

By Conor McCann, Head of Business Development at Davy UK

At Davy, relationships matter to us. We care about our employees, our clients and the world we do business in.

Davy UK staff with one of the CCUC children, Henry who starred in the CCUC #SaveaseatforHenry Christmas campaign which Davy UK staff took part in.

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uided by our core values of one team, clients first and always growing, we work together with one ambition, supporting our colleagues across Davy while striving to make a meaningful impact in our clients’ worlds, whether they are individuals, businesses or institutions.

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Workplace Within Davy UK, we aim to provide a great workplace, helping employees to reach their full potential. We recognise our responsibility as an employer to foster an inclusive working environment, where all employees are supported

and enabled to succeed.

We also recognise the importance of continuous learning. To this end, we encourage our staff to pursue self-development opportunities through the acquisition of professional qualifications once applicable to their role, formal training and active on-the-job

coaching. We believe that continuous development not only widens employee’s skills and knowledge base but also equips them to perform their role more effectively and to reach their full potential.

Community Davy UK’s partnership with the Children’s Cancer Unit Charity

Eye on CSR

Source: Davy UK

(CCUC) is a key element of their CSR strategy, designed to enable staff make a positive impact in their community and to enable the company to do more to support local community causes.

The CCUC’s primary focus is ensuring the frontline service, which provides the vital care for children affected by cancer, is supported through provision for essential equipment, improved infrastructure and additional staffing where necessary. Another equally important role of the Charity is to support families affected by childhood cancer from right across Northern Ireland.

So far, the partnership has been a huge success, creating new opportunities and boosting the potential for family events throughout the year. One of them was an event held at Davy UK offices in November, to coincide with the switching on of the Belfast Christmas lights.

By opening their doors and hosting a Winter Wonderland

experience for CCUC families, Davy UK demonstrated that this partnership is about more than just raising funds. Families were provided with an opportunity to enjoy something they would not normally have been able to do.

Speaking about the partnership, Anna McDonald from the Children’s Cancer Unit Charity said: “To carry out our work in supporting children and families affected by cancer, we depend on partnerships like the one we have with Davy UK. As well as the important funds they raise to help us provide equipment, staffing and other tools that the medical team needs, they also give us the capacity to support families directly by becoming an extension of our team. Not only have they welcomed every opportunity to get involved, but their enthusiasm and willingness to help is infectious and for that we are hugely grateful. It has been a pleasure to have the Davy team join the CCUC family.”

If you haven’t yet selected a CSR partner, please visit https:// childrenscancerunit.com/ to find out how you can support them.

J&E Davy (UK) Limited and J&E Davy are part of the Davy Group of companies. Davy Private Clients UK and Davy UK are the trading names of J&E Davy (UK) Limited. J&E Davy (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. J&E Davy, trading as Davy, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. In the UK, Davy is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and authorised and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority. Details about the extent of Davy’s authorisation and regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request.

Conor McCann is Head of Business Development at Davy UK. You can contact Conor directly on 028 9072 8143 or email him at conor.mccann@davy.ie.

Eye on Cover Story

Economic outlook points to a positive year for businesses As the business outlook for 2020 becomes increasingly certain, and more optimistic, Lynsey Mallon, a Corporate and Commercial Partner at leading law firm Arthur Cox casts her eyes forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.

I

n recent years, the business landscape in Northern Ireland has been overshadowed by uncertainty. Whether due to the lack of local political leadership at Stormont or concerns around the UK’s departure from the European Union, the clouds have been all too evident.

It is a climate with which Arthur Cox Corporate and Commercial Partner Lynsey Mallon is very familiar, as a senior leader at the leading law firm with a track record for expertise in the mergers and acquisitions market, operating at the very heart of the local economy.

But just a few weeks into a new year, with the recently formed Northern Ireland Executive and the UK moving into a transition period ahead of its changed relationship with the EU, she sees a new era of business certainty beckoning.

Lynsey joined Arthur Cox in 2007, becoming Partner two years later, as she quickly gained a reputation for being equally at ease advising on domestic and cross-border transactions.

It is the strength of the M&A market, coupled with improving economic data that points to a brighter economic future in 2020, Lynsey said.

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“I think it is fair to say that for many businesses in Northern Ireland, recent years have been difficult due to a myriad of factors, not least the lack of local government and wider political uncertainty,” she commented.

“However, there is a clear sense in the marketplace that things are changing.”

A senior member of Arthur Cox’s highlyrespected Corporate and Commercial team in Belfast, Lynsey is afforded an intimate insight into the strength of the Northern Ireland economic landscape.

Confidence It gives her grounds for confidence for the months ahead, buoyed by taking a fresh look at some of the most recent financial statistics, such as the latest Ulster Bank Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), considered a strong barometer for the state of the economy.

It recorded a tenth successive month of declining activity in December, but positive indicators remained, as Lynsey explained: “Certainly, some of the data published over recent months has made for challenging reading.

“But the Ulster Bank PMI also found that companies increased their staffing levels in December for the first time in a year

“Although in the early part of the year, we have already been advising on some significant transactions and see a positive deal flow ahead.�

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Eye on Cover Story

and they have a more optimistic outlook for the next 12 months.

“It is an indicator of an upturn in sentiment that is mirrored in other reports, including the latest Northern Ireland Construction Bulletin which has recorded a strong rise in activity, particularly in the infrastructure sector.”

With this new positive outlook, will it mean more M&A activity and investment in Northern Ireland this year?

Many analysts believe so and for Arthur Cox, 2020 has already proved busy in the M&A market.

Lynsey commented: “Although still in the early part of the year, we have already been advising on some significant transactions and see a positive deal flow ahead.

“As a result, we expect 2020 to be another busy 12 months, following on from a year in which our team advised on some of the most high-profile deals in Northern Ireland.”

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The Corporate and Commercial group at Arthur Cox is headed

by Alan Taylor, one of the bestknown and highly regarded corporate lawyers in Northern Ireland, while Paul McBride, who

most highly accomplished in the sector, clients trust us for advice, drawn by our expertise that has seen us work on some of the most significant deals to take place in the local landscape.”

“We expect 2020 to be another busy 12 months, following on from a year in which our team advised on some of the most highprofile deals in Northern Ireland.”

was formerly Head of Office for a Top 100 international law firm is also among the Partners.

Trusted by a broad clientele, the team advises a wide spectrum of organisations, both overseas and indigenous firms, from large multinationals to fledgling start-ups, on a range of corporate law concerns.

Lynsey said: “With a strong leadership team, bolstered by a group of associate solicitors who are among the

Working across a range of industries, and jurisdictions, the Arthur Cox Corporate and Commercial team advised on a wide variety of deals, including among the highest value transactions to take place in Northern Ireland during the last twelve months.

With a rich vein of deals anticipated throughout 2020, Lynsey cautioned that special considerations should be made, in

light of UK’s exit from the EU, for those involved in M&A activity.

“There is no doubt that Northern Ireland remains an attractive place in which to do business and to invest,” she said.

“However, investors from outside the jurisdiction will need to be cognisant of factors relating to the UK’s departure from the EU when embarking on the purchase of or merger with a local entity.

“With offices in Dublin, Belfast, London, and the United States – and experts grounded in each location – we are well placed to provide locally focused advice from a global perspective.”

The wide range of advisory teams at Arthur Cox are well positioned to advise on all legal requirements.

Call +44 28 9023 0007 for further information from Lynsey, or your regular Arthur Cox contact.

Eye on Finance

New Decade, New Approach… it’s not just for the Politicians!

Judith Totten Founder and Managing Director, and Alan Wardlow Sales Director at Upstream Working Capital discuss entering a new decade with optimism and ambition.

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ho remembers 2019?

Wasn’t great, was it?

We would turn on our TV’s every night to hear Laura Kuenssberg or Mark Davenport tell us how we were about to fall into the abyss created by a ‘no deal’ Brexit and a dysfunctional Stormont Executive.

Whilst, at least for now, these ‘terrible twins’ of doom seem to have been dealt with, it’s time to focus on the positives in this New Decade - let’s optimistically call this the ‘Roaring Twenties !’.

At Upstream, we have also undergone a major transformation which will allow us to provide funding using a ‘New Approach’.

Having spent eight years building a solid platform and providing much needed working capital into the SME sector at a time when Bank funding became harder to source, we realised last year that it was time to spread our wings and do even more.

Upstream has now secured the support of an ambitious new funding partner who has provided us with access to major capital that simply wasn’t available to us previously. This has already allowed us to fund proposals that we would have had to pass on, only a matter of months ago.

In December alone, we have funded a major NI client in the Food sector allowing him to take

on a major new contract. This opportunity came as a result of open and practical debate between the owner, his prime Bank and us and we structured a solution which optimised the outcome for all parties. This kind of collaborative funding is the way forward as we see it – with a ‘Win:Win’ for all.

We have also just taken a stake in a G.B. based Commercial Finance provider and we are providing their prime funding line. This will allow them to expand and diversify their portfolio in the Midlands and expands Upstream’s footprint across the UK. However this is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg as we see it opportunities abound across the U.K. and Ireland and we are now seeking to support Companies requiring funding of up to £10M (and potentially beyond) providing innovative and tailored working capital solutions to free up cash

to really grow your business, not just fund a short term cashflow requirement. Imagine how your business or, if you are an adviser, your client’s business, could be transformed if you had – to use that famous word – “unfettered” access to cash freed up by Upstream.

One method of doing this which has been availed of successfully by many of our clients is by using our funding to pay your supply chain, thereby allowing you the capital and the time to significantly increase your sales. Just think about the negotiating position you would be in if you were settling your suppliers up front rather than seeking credit terms.

Many of our clients are securing prices from their suppliers that readily off-sets the cost of funding.

Importantly, this funding does not impact on your relationship with you with your existing Bank as we do not seek additional Corporate security. In fact, we are now complementing local Banks, in support of non-standard transactions which fall outside their normal suite of products.

We have reinvented the Upstream brand, to reflect the needs of growing businesses into the Roaring Twenties. We recognise that BREXIT and global growth brings unique challenges, but our new partners are themselves global funders with an appetite to tailor working capital products to match the full working capital cycle of a transaction – from idea to execution.

We’d be delighted to hear how your business plans to grow rapidly into the New Decade without the financial constraints you’ve previously experienced. Give us a call or contact us by e-mail.

What do you have to lose - except maybe, a great opportunity?

Tel 028 9099 9450 www.upstreampositive.co.uk

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Eye on Communications

Think digital in 2020 or risk getting left behind

By Stuart Carson, Rainbow Communications SMEs in Northern Ireland are a resilient bunch. Despite the regular economic, political and global curve balls, Northern Ireland Plc has remained relatively strong.

Most businesses here have a clear understanding of the importance of innovating, creativity, training and focusing on the right areas for improvement.

Indeed, the consumer-driven digital revolution has touched almost every business in some way, with the majority of these already incorporating a variety of new technology forms that fits their needs or which are building in additional cloud capacity to provide the future room to grow.

However, as 2020 gets under way, speed is of the essence, and the pace of consumer-driven change is continuing to take many companies by complete surprise.

Technology is already changing our lives, our jobs and how our businesses are run. Most companies will have a social media presence, a website, already be using the cloud, selling or promoting online or leveraging data analytics for better commercial gain.

But is it enough?

There is already broad consensus that digital transformation is much more than simply enhancing your communications and technology platforms. Forwardthinking organisations are now urgently developing digital business strategies that include modernising the culture, redefining operating models, innovating product and service strategies and developing and honing the skills necessary to serve today’s digitally savvy customers.

Without question, whatever industry you’re in, your organisation must transform for a digital world.

According to the recent PwC Global CEO Survey, 81 percent of respondents agreed that technological progress will fundamentally change their organisation, with the pressure to move faster seen

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The time is now to harness the power of digital transformation.

Stuart Carson is Sales and Marketing Director at Rainbow Communications, Northern Ireland’s largest independent telecom provider. For more information on its full range of services, including bespoke solutions, visit www.rainbowcomms.com

as unrelenting. It also revealed that over a third of the UK’s largest companies had appointed a dedicated digital leader to drive advantage in this area.

When I talk about digital transformation, I’m referring to the process of adapting or overhauling current business processes to incorporate digital strategies and technology into a company. This could be anything from ensuring employees can access files remotely and securely, bringing in new devices so employees can work from wherever they are, creating a mobile app to improve internal communication, ensuring your communications network is fit for the future.

‘Digital transformation’ may be one of the buzzwords of our time, but even though most companies know it’s something they should be doing, many are still unsure what it actually means, let alone where to start.

Put simply, it’s about changing the way a business interacts with its

customers and how they provide their customers with a consistent experience whenever and wherever they need it.

So, what should you consider when formulating a Digital Transformation Strategy?

HEAD FOR THE CLOUD If you haven’t moved already, it’s really time you did. From greater efficiencies, enhanced security, flexibility and the capacity to expand, it’s a no-brainer to get things going.

ASSESS THE CURRENT REALITY To find

out where you are on the journey, take a look at where you are on the journey now. Where are the gaps, in what areas could we be better and where are our successes? This should give you a good idea of the technology and digital capacity you need.

CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS COME FIRST

It’s not companies driving change. It’s consumers. Today, customers expect

relevant content in relation to what they’re doing anytime, anywhere and in the format and on the device of their choosing. Make sure you put them first.

MAKE IT INTEGRATED Make sure all your activity can work seamlessly together.

Bring your business communications together – from phone, mobile to messaging – in a fully managed cloud service that provides outstanding flexibility and value for money.

BE SECURITY CONSCIOUS The risk of cyberattacks, malware and the impact of GDPR rules means security concerns are ever present. Address this as a priority with the many solutions available.

BE CLEAR The key is to understand what you’re trying to achieve and then get the right technology and culture in place to deliver this. Finding a provider that has the right expertise in delivering successful digital transformation projects has never been more vital.

Innovate to Advance

Join the hundreds of Northern Irish businesses innovating

TRITEMP

by TriMedika

Find out how at: Visit InnovateNI.com

Eye on Finance

IQ & Co

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Fast Growing Force In Financial Services

Eye on Finance

2019 was quite a year for partners Tanya Martin & Angela Forsythe and the rapidly growing team at Holywood-based wealth management specialists IQ & Co.

T

he company didn’t just take a major step forward by becoming an appointed representative of St. James’s Place Wealth Management, but it also continued on a growth trajectory which has seen the firm expand to a team of 35 professionals and quadrupling the amount of funds managed on behalf of clients. That makes IQ & Co one of the largest firm of its kind in Northern Ireland for issued business. It’s an achievement that’s made even more impressive by the fact that it’s been achieved from a standing start since joining St. James’s Place in March of last year. Since March, the Northern Ireland firm has climbed rapidly through the St. James’s Place ranks. The duo of Tanya Martin and Angela Forsythe tend to deflect credit away from themselves and on to the efforts of their team, but there’s little doubt that the pair’s dynamism, hard work and market knowledge has been instrumental in the firm’s growth. They have also been quick to see the value of marketing, working on social media and launching a unique billboard campaign as part of a strategic programme. It’s a level of growth which has made the

financial services marketplace, and plenty of clients and potential clients, sit up and take notice. The very fact that IQ & Co was invited to join St. James’s Place stands testament to that. “We’re delighted to be part of St. James’s Place,” says Tanya Martin.

“It is a really big and experienced organisation with in excess of £100 billion under management, and, as well as the advice and expertise we offer our clients, they can now benefit from the expertise available from one of the UK’s leading wealth management firms.” IQ & Co now has an experienced team of 22 professional advisers, including a number of former bank and building society managers, backed up by a dedicated support staff. That makes the firm a major player in a Northern Ireland financial services marketplace which is dominated by much smaller wealth management advisory firms, many of them one or two-person operations. “We might be a fast-growing firm, but old school financial advice is right at the heart of what we do,” adds Angela Forsythe.

“Personal service, personal contact and personal advice is what this business is all about and we haven’t changed the way we do things from our very early days. We keep close

to our clients and we’ll work really hard to achieve the right results for them. “If that means working after hours or breaking into our weekends or holidays, so be it. That’s what customer service is all about.” It’s a bold mantra in an industry that isn’t always well known for its level of customer service. How many clients through the years have been sold a product by a Financial Adviser and then rarely contacted again? IQ & Co is a sister company of Mortgage IQ, a mortgage specialist company with a network of 11 offices around Northern Ireland and some 8,000

clients. “There are clear synergies between the two companies. Our mortgage clients don’t always need wider financial advice, but often they do and we’ve also been able to provide mortgage solutions to those who’ve come to us for wealth management advice,” adds Angela. Recent changes to pensions legislation have helped to boost the number of enquiries coming in IQ & Co’s direction, and the company has opened its first High Street branch in Ballymena in response to increased demand. In 2019, to support with strategy and structure, Tanya and Angela recruited Janine Davis from Ulster Bank as Operations Manager. Tanya said that “There has been a lot going on over the last year or so and Janine has been crucial in building a professional structure around ourselves, our advisers and everything we do.

This business is about people and it will always be about people... our people, our advisers and our clients. We’re passionate about what we do, and the comments we receive from our clients, as well as our Google reviews, reflect that passion.” IQ & Co’s achievements have also been noticed by the wider marketplace. The firm was a finalist in this year’s Women In Business Awards,has also reached the final of the NatWest Local Hero Awards and has been awarded the Northern Ireland Diversity Charter Mark.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

IQ & CO is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s websitewww.sjp.co.uk/products. Mortgage IQ is a trading name of IQ & Co Ltd.

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Eye on Finance

The IQ & Co Senior Team Ian Milligan

I

an is based in the Holywood office and holds a Certificate in Mortgage Advice & Practice, a Diploma in Financial Advice, a BA (Hons) in Business & Finance as well as several management and leadership qualifications. Ian has been in financial services for 30 years having moved to IQ&Co from Nationwide Building Society. Ian added that “Helping clients find personal financial solutions is important to me and I enjoy assisting customers with personal, face to face advice. I am passionate about great customer service and building long term relationships”.

Neal Caldwell

N

eal joined IQ&Co in 2019 and has 16 years’ experience in the financial services industry having most recently worked as an Investment Manager (UK Expats, SW France) and a Discretionary Fund Manager (Multi-Asset, Edinburgh). Neal holds a BA(Hons.) in Accounting & Economics, a MSc. Finance and is a CFA (Level 7) Charter holder. Neal told us “I am passionate about helping clients achieve their financial goals by providing personal face to face advice.” Neal specialises in Inheritance Tax Solutions, Pension Planning & Trusts and told us that he truly believes in the mantra” Be the person today that your future self will be proud of.” Neal said he applies this across all aspects of his life including how he serves and supports customers.

Trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Gillian Walsh

G

illian joined IQ&Co 2 years ago from having worked in Halifax and Lloyds banking group, she has been in Financial Services for 35 years and holds her Certificate in Mortgage Advice & Practice and her Diploma in Financial Advice. Gillian is based in our Holywood office and told us; “I believe strongly that everyone should have a financial plan. This helps you focus the way you manage your money so it’s easier to stay on track and be able to do the things you want - both now and in the future. Life can often throw unexpected events in our direction but if you have a well-prepared financial plan you will have more peace of mind whatever happens. “

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Eye on Finance

Janine Davis

J

anine is the Operations Manger in IQ&Co and sister company Mortgage IQ. Although based primarily in Holywood, Janine supports all branches across Northern Ireland with operational procedures and processes. Janine also supports with the implementation of overall business strategy and changes. Janine moved to IQ&Co in May 2019 having spent her previous career with Ulster Bank as an Area Quality Development Manger for mortgages and, most recently, a Risk Manager. Janine told us, “Having spent my whole career in Ulster Bank it was big step to move companies but after speaking with Tanya and Angela I was blown away by the companies values, positive attitude and the outstanding focus on customers.”

Tennielle McIlroy

T

ennielle McIlroy is based in the Antrim and Ballymena areas and holds her Certificate in Mortgage Advice & Practice and her Diploma in Financial Advice. Tennielle has been in Financial Services for 21 years and previously spent time as a Branch Manager in both Halifax & Santander before joining IQ&Co 5 years ago. Tennielle told us that “my advice covers all areas of mortgages and protection and wealth management, including, retirement planning, wealth, protection, savings and investment planning.

I believe in everyone having access to financial planning to help them plan for a better future and that they should have that along with great service and an adviser they can trust and depend on.”

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

Matthew Higgins

M

atthew is the most recent Financial Adviser to join IQ&Co, moving from Santander having had a very successful career as one of their top Advisers nationally. Matthew is based in Holywood and holds his Diploma in financial advice, Certificate in Mortgage advice and his Certificate in Equity release.

Matthew specialises in holistic financial planning and told us; “I am truly passionate about helping my clients define their financial goals and the path to getting there. I have an extremely strong work ethic and a passion for helping others which means I am truly dedicated to my clients and helping them achieve their financial goals, as a population we need to be smarter with our finances and I am here to support my customers with that.”

IQ & CO is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s websitewww.sjp.co.uk/products.

Mortgage IQ is a trading name of IQ & Co Ltd.

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Eye on Tax

Passing The Baton reluctance to give up control and financial security, and a natural tendency to avoid the potentially emotional issues of transferring the business to the next generation.

Management Transition There may be a natural family successor who will become the new owner-manager, but if not, this can give clarity at an early stage that a third-party sale or management buy-out could be the best option to realise the value of the business.

Where the right successor has been identified, the management transition may take several years so early implementation is crucial. The owner-manager may want to leave altogether or still contribute to the business.

Ownership Transition

Caroline Keenan, ASM Director

Family-owned and ownermanaged businesses are a key part of the Northern Ireland economy. However, empirical evidence indicates that many family businesses do not survive beyond the first generation, highlighting the importance of succession planning.

Develop a plan Adapting to change is a key attribute of successful family businesses. As part of the process of embracing change and evolution, it is important to put a succession plan in place.

Frequently owner-managers avoid addressing the succession issue. The reasons for this are understandable –

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When the time is right to transfer the business to the next generation, shares may be passed on as lifetime transfers or on death. Trusts can potentially be used where children are considered too young to have direct ownership, and also to protect the shares in the event of marriage breakdown, bankruptcy or incapacity of family members.

The outgoing owner-manager will also want to secure financial independence from the company for their retirement. A healthy pension and adequate savings should assist the process of surrendering control. It may also be possible to release capital with a purchase of own shares, or charge rent where property is held outside the trading company.

will only become chargeable if the transferor dies within 7 years of the transfer, however if the transferee still owns the business at the date of death, 100% Business Relief will be available.

Business Relief is also available where ‘relevant business property’ is still owned by the original ownermanager as part of the death estate.

3. ENTREPRENEURS’ RELIEF

For disposals of shares that qualify for Entrepreneurs’ Relief the rate of Capital Gains Tax is just 10%. Shares must be in a trading company (or holding company of a trading group), be held for 2 years up to the date of sale and the seller must be an employee or office holder of the company.

Start Planning Early and Take Advice It is important to start the succession planning process early and put a clear strategy in place. ASM’s core client base is local family-owned businesses, providing them with sound professional advice to complement commercial strategies.

ASM are running a Succession Planning Breakfast Event in conjunction with MKB Law on Wednesday 11th March 2020 at The Merchant Hotel. To reserve your place, please contact linda.arbuthnot@asmbelfast.com / 028 9024 9222

Tax Planning Tax planning should follow once the plans and wishes of the ownermanager have been communicated.

The key tax reliefs available are as follows: 1. GIFT HOLD-OVER RELIEF

Where qualifying assets (for example, shares in a personal company) are given away, a joint claim for Gift Hold-Over Relief results in Capital Gains Tax payable by the transferor with the transferee inheriting the base cost of the transferor.

2. BUSINESS RELIEF

The transfer of a trading business during the transferor’s lifetime represents a Potentially Exempt Transfer (PET) for Inheritance Tax (IHT) purposes. A PET

The content of this article is for information purposes only and advice particular to your circumstances should be sought from a professional adviser.

ASM Chartered Accountants has six offices – Belfast, Dublin, Dundalk, Dungannon, Magherafelt and Newry. The 120 strong team specialises in a range of accountancy disciplines including Audit and Accounting, Business Consultancy, Corporate Finance, Forensic Accounting, Hotel and Tourism Consultancy, Internal Audit and Taxation Services.

This is an empty space.

It’s our least favourite thing.

Northern Ireland’s leading independent transaction and restructuring advisors.

10th Floor, Victoria House, 15/27 Gloucester Street, Belfast BT1 4LS. T: 028 9023 3023 E: info@keenancf.com W: keenancf.com

Eye on Technology

Identity: The Next Frontier

By Gavin Woods Business Development Director at Nitec

IT and computers are a sphere of industry that is exceptionally dynamic, so we should all expect change. In fact, it is the one constant in computing, especially given the “us versus them” hacking arms race we are all part of.

F

ive years ago, most of us did our work in the office and, as such, most of the protection was focused on the firewall to keep what was outside, out and keep what was inside, in.

If only life was so simple today. Half of a company’s staff are outside, working remotely, and they expect every function of their job to be available as if they were inside. In addition, half your servers are outside too. Maybe servers is the wrong word but as companies use more services like Monday.com, OneDrive or Dropbox these services are on servers outside your firewall.

When you think about it the only way to sleep happy in this modern environment is to be absolutely certain that whoever is logging in is who they say they are.

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Security is more important than you think This is hardly a new problem though.

This is the same issue the banks have had for the last decade and, as we know, if you really want to be sure that a person is who they say they are, you give them a password and then you give them a little dongle that generates the right 4 or 6 digit code on queue.

If you are on Office 365 (and let’s face it, who isn’t?) you can have access to this for nothing. Despite this bargain price however, less than 1 in 10 people have enabled this. In summary, it’s simple, it’s free, it’s absolutely critical and on balance of probability you haven’t done it yet.

I think at least part of the problem is that IT people are prone to hyperbole - we get very hot and bothered about stuff that Average Joe couldn’t care less about. I myself had a minor breakdown last week when presented with a client computer without a Solid-State Drive. The thing is though, this isn’t one of those occasions. Hyperbole be damned, this is 10 million times more important than the next security item on your list.

Getting hurt by hacks In the first nine months in 2019 over 27 million accounts had been hacked on Office 365 and every time a person gets hacked it has a different personal story behind it. Many are stories of real pain and hurt. People are losing serious money through hackers getting access to email, for example, then using that access to tell all your customers that your bank account details have changed or something similar. Some of these are very targeted and very convincing, given that they can follow up on legitimate emails YOU already sent. Mark my words, if you don’t get ahead of this you WILL have a real personal story of loss and hurt all your own.

Some of you may think the answer is to avoid Office 365/Cloud Services. This sort of logic can get a fella into trouble. It’s sort of like deciding to live on the street because you heard people can get into your house if you don’t lock the door. Genius!

The real question for 2020 is: will you be bothered to take responsibility for your own security, fix this and lock your own door? At Nitec, helping you get your head around stuff like this is the reason we get up in the morning, so if you need a hand we would love to help.

TOP

25 Business people, Lawyers and Accountants Sponsored By

Executive search TOP

Eye on Top25

25 Patrick McAliskey Strategic Advisor to Novosco

McAliskey, alongside long-time business partner John Lennon, was at the centre of one of relatively few big M&A’s around these parts in the past year or so, the £70 million acquisition of Belfast-based IT services group Novosco

by German IT giants Cancom. Novosco’s 300 or so employees provide services to range of clients, including some of the UK’s leading NHS trusts.

Nick Whelan

Group Chief Executive, Dale Farm Nick Whelan is a relative newcomer to business here in Northern Ireland, but he’s made quite an impact since he took over as Group CEO at our largest dairy processing company, Dale Farm (owned by the dairy farmers who produce its raw material). A native of County Wexford, Whelan cut his industry teeth witk Glanbia and Kerry Group before heading northwards.

Pete Boyle CEO, Argento

Pete Boyle’s back story as a market trader turned entrepreneur has been well documented. But the continued success of his Argento jewellery business has confounded more than one or two doubters.

The jewellery chain continues to invest in its high street and shopping centre stores but has steadily built up its online business at the same time.

Rajesh Rana

President of Belfast Chamber, Director Andras Hotels An effective business lobbyist in his role as President of Belfast Chamber of Trade, Rana is also one of the leaders of the hotel surge serving both Belfast’s growth and Northern Ireland’s place as a fast-emering tourist destination. Recent highlights include the opening of the city’s first Hampton By Hilton property in the city centre.

Rose Mary Stalker Invest NI

A mechanical engineer, Rose Mary Stalker went on to operate at a senior level in some of the world’s biggest engineering operations, including Ford, Boeing and Rolls-Royce, before returning to her native Northern Ireland. A board member at Invest NI for several years, she was announced late last year as the successor to outgoing Chairman Mark Ennis.

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Uncovering the best talent TOP

Eye on Top25

25 Darragh McCarthy CEO & Founder FinTrU

The Cork man came north a few years ago with a vision for a software business serving some of the world’s biggest merchant banks. Today’s FinTrU employs 450 people across its two bases in Belfast and Derry/ Londonderry, and that figure is set to grow at a steady rate. FinTrU has firmly established itself as one of the success stories of the local tech sector.

Dr Terry Cross OBE Hinch Distillery

A serial entrepreneur by any measure, Terry Cross built up the Delta Packaging business in Belfast over many years into a company which counted the globe’s fast food giants amongst its key custoners. After selling the Delta business to Huhtamaki a few years ago, Cross has moved on. His latest venture is a multi-million whiskey and gin distillery and visitor centre in County Down.

Joe O’Neill

Chief Executive, Belfast Harbour Belfast Harbour remains at the very heart of the Northern Ireland economy.

Not just as one of the island’s and the UK’s busiest ports but also for its more recent achievements. Under O’Neill’s leadership and that of Roy Adair before him, Belfast Harbour has invested in property development around the city’s riverside and developed a fast-expanding cruise ship business.

Tracy Hamilton Director, Mash Direct

When Tracy Hamilton and his husband Martin first introduced home-produced convenience food products from their Comber farm, few would have thought that they’d end up producing and distributing a fast-growing range of vegetable product lines to supermarkers all over Ireland, Great Britain and beyond.

John Healy

Managing Director, Allstate John Healy has been at the helm of not one but two of the groundbreaking US-owned businesses which have helped to transform the economy, and employment, here. The former head of Citi’s operations in Northern Ireland, he’s now in charge at Allstate, the US insurance giant employing 2,300+ across its three bases here.

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25 Adrian Doran

Head of Barclays Bank & Chair of CBI NI Canny banker becomes business group leader. Widely respected for his achievements at the helm of the Barclays Bank Northern Ireland operation, a key player in the local business and corporate finance marketplace, Adrian Doran is in the early days of his tenure as Chairman of CBI Northern Ireland and has the potential to be one of our more effective business spokesmen.

Kieran Hegarty President, Terex

Much has been written about the quarrying/materials handings ‘cluster’ around County Tyrone and the US-owned Terex operation, with Hegarty at the head of its operations here, is at the very forefront of large-scale heavy manufacturing, and not just in Tyrone. The company ranks as one of the world’s leaders in the production of material handling equipment.

Alan Armstrong Chairman & CEO Almac

Almac has some 5,600 employees across its 18 global sites and is a world leader in pharmaceutical development and associated areas, but the company’s beating heart is in Craigavon’s Seagoe Industrial Estate from where the organisation is led by Group CEO Alan Armstrong. Armstrong heads up a highly experienced management team leading the company forward in global markets.

Brian McConville Chairman, MJM Group

The 2019 AIB Business Eye Business Personality of the Year, Brian McConville’s journey has taken him from joiner to Chairman of a fast-growing cruise ship refurbishment and interior fit-out companies operating worldwide from its base in Newry, as well as the saviour of Antrim-based Mivan.

Chris Kirke

President, Moy Park Kirke is a relatively new name to business here, he’s been in the top job at Moy Park for less than two years since Janet McCollum’s departure. Moy Park might be US-owned now (it’s part of American giant Pilgrim’s) but it’s home grown and ranks as Northern Ireland’s largest private sector employer by quite some distance.

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25 Sean Coyle

Chairman, Keystone Group There’s more than a few entrepreneurs around Northern Ireland who’ve built their companies up from one man operations to multi-million pound operations, but Sean Coyle has done it in style. Cookstown-based Keystone Group, a designer and manufacturer of roofing and construction products, has grown from a single shed firm to a £170 million group with 23 sites across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

Suzanne Wylie

Chief Executive, Belfast City Council It’s not that often that a local council chief executive gets recognised as a key busines leader, but Suzanne Wylie has consistently been mentioned in dispatches since she took on the Chief Executive’s role at Belfast City Hall. During the years of non-government at Stormont, the Council regularly puts its hand up to lead economic development in Belfast.

Chris Conway Translink

With the Glider project hailed as a major success, a new Derry/ Londonderry Transport Hub and Belfast’s big Weavers Cross project about the kick off, Translink CEO Chris Conway might not be booking too many holidays for the next couple of years. Under his leadership, public transport here continues to be transformed for the better.

Michael Graham

Group Executive Chairman, Graham Group It hasn’t been all that easy for our construction companies over recent years, what with a distinct lack of investment in major capital projects around these parts. But GRAHAM has continued to develop and grow, with recent projects as diverse as a cruise ship terminal in Southampton and new building for London’s Kew Gardens.

Jackie Henry

Senior Partner, Deloitte Jackie Henry’s Deloitte is due to move into new offices in Belfast’s Bedford Street (currently under construction), the latest step forward for an accountancy and business advisory group which is also one of the key players in technology here through its dedicated tech operation at the Gasworks.

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25 Simon Hamilton

CEO Belfast Chamber of Commerce It’s always worth a story or two when a former Economy Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive hangs up his rosette, resigns his party membership and returns to the world of business. But that’s exactly what Simon Hamilton has done, and he’s off to an impressive start as Chief Executive of Belfast Chamber of Trade.

Paul Terrington

Regional Chairman PWC Northern Ireland PwC’s Belfast base, led by Terrington, ranks as PwC UK’s fastest-growing region and its largest regional office outside of London. In fact, Belfast is the firm’s recognised global centre for technology, digital advisory services and research and is a major exporter of tech and regulatory advisory services.

John McGrillen

Chief Executive, Tourism NI 2019 was a momentous year for the continued growth of tourism in Northern Ireland, a year dominated by the staging of the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush. The event is estimated to have delivered £100 million worth of economic benefit for the region. And, away from the fairways, tourism here continues to grow at a pace with new records set for hotel stays and cruise ship visits amongst other key indicators.

Martin Agnew

Joint Chairman & MD, Henderson Group Henderson Group continues to set the pace in the retail space in Northern Ireland with sustained investment in its network, particularly the fast-growing Eurospar brand. The company is a key contributor to the Northern Ireland economy, not just as one of our largest private sector employers, but as a retailer with a firm commitment to working with local suppliers and the agri-food sector here. The Agnew family continues to lead a highly experienced management team steering the fortunes of the group.

Brian Murphy

Managing Partner, BDO Northern Ireland The second accountancy firm chief in this Top 25, Brian Murphy has long been one of our more effective business community representatives and he heads up a strong senior team at BDO’s Belfast office. But he came into his own more recently when, alongside Michael Jennings as administrators, he helped save historic Harland & Wolff and its 79 jobs by negotiating a £6 million deal with London energy industry specialists InfraStrata.

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Chris Conway Translink

Driving The Public Transport Revolution T he very fact that the Northern Ireland public took 84.5 million journeys on public transport last year, the highest level in 20 years, says a lot about the continued achievement of Translink.

Translink’s Group Chief Executive Chris Conway describes it as a modal shift towards public transport and it’s driven in part by the group’s continued investment in new train carriages, in hybrid fuel buses and in hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles.

At the same time, Belfast’s Glider has completed an extremely successful first year of service, and Translink has completed and opened major new facilities including the North West Transport Hub in Derry/Londonderry and Portrush Train Station ahead of the 148th Open.

Planning permission has also been secured for the biggest transport project here for many years, the transformational Belfast Transport Hub & Weavers Cross project on the existing Great Victoria Street site.

“Our core business objectives are to deliver excellent bus and rail services, outstanding customer satisfaction, value for money and passenger growth as we work hard to be everyone’s First Choice

for Travel,” says Chris Conway. “Sustained investment in high quality public transport is critical for future economic, social and environmental wellbeing, supporting the Draft Programme for Government.

“But tackling climate change is a key priority for our business, not just in terms of a modal shift to public transport but also ensuring we invest in low emission fleet and technologies.”

Chris Conway reckons thart 2020 will be a critical year for the business. “We’re looking forward to progressing a wide range of key projects including the Belfast Transport Hub, our Future Ticketing System roll-out, rail infrastructure improvements, investment in low emission fleet, Glider Phase 2, reinforcing our corporate responsibility commitment and securing the funding required to deliver these projects.

“We’re also busy finalising our 10-year business strategy that we’ll be launching later this year to guide our transformation of public transport throughout the decade.”

Like almost every business leader, he warmly welcomes the return of devolved government and the fact that important decisions can be made to address

climate change and crucial funding is made available to progress important public transport enhancements.

“We’re working closely with the Department for Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon on sustainable transport priorities for NI and look forward to working closely with all Assembly members to secure a brighter future for the country’s economic, environmental and social wellbeing.”

“Over the past few years we’ve been working with key strategic partners to prepare for Brexit with robust plans now in place to ensure our customer experience is not impacted. Our post-Brexit measures are based on advice from the UK and Irish Government and the Department for Infrastructure. For example, a major concern was on cross-border bus and rail services, but we do not envisage any difficulties following careful planning with Bus Éireann, Irish Rail and government agencies.” www.translink.co.uk

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25

Darragh McCarthy CEO, FinTrU

Financial Services Firm Plots Continued Growth A ward-winning Financial Services firm FinTrU has continued to grow at pace during the past 12 months, reaching 450 employeers across its offices by 2019’s year end and significantly expanding its client footprint from five to 12 leading global investment banks.

The past year or so has also seen FinTrU successfully opening its second North West base at the City Factory in Derry/ Londonderry, adding extra space at The Gasworks in Belfast and unveiling a US subsidiary, FinTrU Inc, with a base in New York due to open its doors later in 2020.

“FinTrU is a people business and the employees are a critical driver in achieving the company’s business objectives,” says Founder & CEO Darragh McCarthy. “FinTrU attracts new business by providing a local, significantly cost-effective solution, whilst maintaining the highest levels of quality, service management and risk control in comparison to services offered in London and New York.

“This is down to the local talent that we employ in our Belfast and North West Offices.

We continue to focus on our excellence in quality, CSR, brand raising activities, disruptive innovation and employee engagement. We are always striving to be the employer of choice to attract and retain the best talent.

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“We see the development of our staff as a key driver to grow the business further. Numerous employees are currently undertaking professional and academic qualifications that are sponsored by FinTrU. Members of our Executive Leadership team also took part in Invest NI’s Ambition To Scale Programme to help us work on the business as we look to build the foundations that allow us to continue to grow.”

The company has made a number of key appointments at management level. Steven Murtland has joined as Chief Financial Officer, Roli Shaw as General Counsel and Head of FinTrU Legal and the promotion of Sinead Carville to Chief Human Resources Officer.

“We’re also delighted to have won numerous business awards including ‘Best Place to Work’, ‘Right Place to Work’ and the AIB Business Eye ‘Fast Growth Business of the Year’. These really affirm the quality of work that FinTrU employees put into making this company a success.

“Something that I take great pride in is the £60,000 that FinTrU employees raised for PIPS during 2019, all of it raised through employee led initiatives.”

Darragh McCarthy says that the much talked about war for talent is as challenging as ever. “But FinTrU is committed to being the employer of choice going into 2020. It is very important for us that FinTrU remains a progressive employer and maintain our social purpose as creating high quality employment right here in Northern Ireland.

“We have placed a great deal of emphasis on the development of all our people with many bespoke programmes established as part of our learning and development strategy. FinTrU has heavily invested in many initiatives to facilitate further growth through employee hires and retention.”

“A clear career progression pathway is a high

priority for our employees and this year we introduced a new corporate title, Senior Vice President, to allow us to provide further clarity on progression throughout the organisation”.

Another highlight of 2019 has been the expansion of FinTrU in the North West. “To do this we launched four North West Financial Services Academies along with lateral recruitment which included people returning from Belfast, Dublin, Paris, and London to join FinTrU. This was a particular highlight as all these people have brought great experience of different working environments with them.”

Looking into 2020, he says that FinTrU’s objectives are multi-faceted. “We want to retain our focus on client penetration and look to increase our footprint within our existing clients as well as new opportunities.

“As ever FinTrU wants to remain the employer of choice in the market place.

We care deeply about our company values and it is imperative to us that we maintain our commitment to this along with being a progressive employer that reflects the fantastic people that work with us here at FinTrU. “Our development of technology products is a big objective in 2020 with exciting plans for the year ahead. Our Technology team is undergoing a period of rapid expansion and will play a key role in the long term vision for FinTrU. “With our recruitment plans as fast paced as ever we are looking to continue to invest in infrastructure and real estate both in Belfast and the North West and are looking to continue expanding our market leading Executive Leadership team.”

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Dr. Terry Cross Hinch Distillery

Raising A Glass To A Bright Future W hat influenced his decision to invest in the Hinch Distillery project?

Dr Terry Cross OBE is a serial entrepreneur and after selling his very successful and long-established business, Delta Print & Packaging Limited, had a keen interest in seeking out new and challenging investment opportunities.

Already having a background in the drinks industry, with his French estate producing Château de La Ligne wines, Terry saw that the growth in the Irish whiskey and gin sectors could provide such a challenge. This was also another opportunity for Dr Cross to re-invest in the Northern Ireland economy, particularly in an export led category and ultimately to bring much needed and sustainable employment to his local community.

“Several years of research and development have been undertaken prior to the launch of both the Hinch Whiskey and Ninth Wave Gin brands,” says Dr. Cross. “For the whiskey brand this included blending, tasting and developing the style of Irish whiskies that would comprise the range with the purpose of establishing Hinch Distillery as one of the most innovative whiskey distilleries on the island of Ireland.

With a range of premium quality whiskies this also required the parallel development of high quality and bespoke packaging which would attract the ever-increasing numbers of Irish Whiskey consumers worldwide. The Ninth Wave Gin development process was similar to that of Hinch Whiskey, again focusing on the creation of a stunning brand presentation, in a unique bespoke bottle design, while at the same time developing

a recipe that would ultimately prove to be award winning.

“Both Hinch Whiskey and Ninth Wave Gin are targeting the evergrowing number of consumers who are attracted to premium spirits which deliver in both quality taste and high-level brand values.

These consumers are also attracted to brands which deliver authenticity in their story and a provenance which can only be delivered from distillation at a real working, craft distillery.

“Hinch Distillery is targeting the international spirits market for distribution and while it will be important to establish excellent penetration into the local Irish and GB markets, their success will ultimately be measured against securing sales in over 50 other countries within the first three years.

“To date the response to both Hinch Whiskey and Ninth Wave Gin has been phenomenal with distributors having been signed up in over half the target countries including the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, USA, Japan, Russia, Germany, France, Australia and New Zealand,” he adds.

The craft gin and Irish Whiskey marketplace is an increasingly competitive one and shows no sign of slowing down in terms of growth. Dr Terry Cross OBE has invested heavily in his brands but also very importantly in a distillery which is state of the art, yet retains all of the important elements of craft production at its core.

The distillery and visitors’ centre on the site between Temple and Ballynahinch are both nearing completion with much of the distilling

equipment, including three hand crafted copper whiskey stills and one equally magnificent gin still, already in situ. The countdown to test distilling can now begin, to be measured in multiples of weeks rather than months. The final fit out of the spacious and bespoke visitors’ centre will commence in the next couple of weeks. The month of May has always been the target date to open to the public and with lots of late nights and long working weeks this is still very much achievable.

Terry always believed from his earliest interest in developing an Irish Whiskey and Gin Distillery that attracting local visitors and tourists needed to be a fundamental part of the business plan. To that effect he has invested heavily in a visitors’ centre which will offer facilities that will be the envy of many and a tour experience that will be both unique and totally memorable for everyone.

His ambition is simple - that every visitor who experiences the home of Hinch Distillery will leave as fully fledged ambassadors for their brands and spread the word to friends and family alike.

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25

Simon Hamilton CEO Belfast Chamber of Commerce

A Confidence Boost For 2020 S

imon Hamilton has inhabited both sides of the politics/ business equation but it’s in his role as Chief Executive of Belfast Chamber of Trade that he’s looking forward to the future with an increased degree of confidence.

“The combination of the General Election, certainty around Brexit and the restoration of the Executive has, regardless of anyone’s views on the issues themselves, instilled a greater sense of confidence amongst many business leaders in Belfast than has perhaps been there over the last few years,” he says.

“There is also a growing feeling that investment decisions that have been delayed because of the uncertainty and the absence of our own administration may not start to be taken with a resultant boost in this city’s economic fortunes. Despite the challenges of the last while, Belfast has continued to grow with businesses in the city showing their customary resilience. Belfast is enjoying an increasingly good reputation as a great place to do business.”

But Hamilton is well aware that there challenges on and over the horizon. He singles out the issue of skills and the future vision for Belfast.

“Much of Belfast’s recent economic success has been built upon the city’s ability to produce the kind of talent that companies are looking for. That supply of skilled workers has helped to turn Belfast into a global leader in sectors like financial technology and cyber security. Maintaining that pipeline of talent produced by our education system is essential for

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Belfast’s ongoing success, but so too is continuing to develop a city that is a great place to live, work, study, visit, socialise and invest.

“Belfast Chamber is very much focused on working with our partners in Belfast City Council, Government and other city stakeholders to ensure that the ingredients like more city living, a well-functioning public transport system, better cycling infrastructure, more open and green space and a diverse and international outlook that attract and retain talent are in place.

“A lot of Belfast Chamber’s concentration, including our BelFastForward Conference, is centred on ensuring that our city maximises the opportunities presented by the unprecedented phase of growth that we are in so that Belfast can reach its full potential.”

As a former Northern Ireland Executive Minister, Simon Hamilton appreciates the links between government and business. He’s been quick to welcome the return of the Executive and Assembly at Stormont.

“The almost total transformation of Belfast over the last 20 years is something that we shouldn’t take for granted and needs to be built upon by the new Executive. Belfast Chamber members completely understand and support the need to generate growth in other parts of Northern Ireland, but that goal shouldn’t detract from the fact that Belfast is and will remain the driver of the entire region’s economy. Belfast accounts for ¼ of the region’s rates take and is where 30% of NI’s jobs are located.

“In December, Belfast Chamber published its ‘Belfast Manifesto’ which sets out our 7 priorities for a better Belfast. Our focus on continuing to build Belfast’s economy isn’t just about the city itself. It’s about helping the whole of the region do better. Put simply, when Belfast succeeds, Northern Ireland succeeds. The new Executive can illustrate its confidence in Belfast as the engine room of the region’s economy by investing in infrastructure like the York Street Interchange and phase 2 of the Glider and empowering the city so that the level of investment and regeneration we need can be achieved”

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25

John McGrillen Chief Executive, Tourism NI

Tourism...

Building On The Achievements Of 2019 2019 was a landmark year for tourism in Northern Ireland, a year built around the success of the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush, the biggest and most successful sporting event in the history of the region.

But, as Tourism Northern Ireland Chief Executive John McGrillen points out, Northern Ireland has been reaping the benefits of the Open being hosted here since the official announcement back in 2015.

“Since then we have seen the number of golfers visiting our shores rise significantly and expenditure rise to over £40 million in 2018. That is twice the size of the entire annual cruise market for Northern Ireland,” he says. “Golfers coming to Northern Ireland are now staying longer, playing more courses and spending more as a result. That growth I set to continue into the future and will continue to fuel demand for additional accommodation along the North Coast.”

Tourism NI’s challenge is to build on the short-term legacy of the Open. A delegation has just returned from a major PGA Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, where thirteen companies and golf clubs from Northern Ireland secured plenty of business on the back of the outstanding coverage which Northern Ireland enjoyed across the globe during the four days of the event.

But 2019 also saw significant progress in other areas of tourism here.

November saw the successful launch of the new tourism brand “Northern

Ireland – Embrace Giant Spirit” which was showcased to global tour operators at the World Travel Market in London.

Meanwhile, the importance of the investment in the new hotel stock cannot be underestimated, says John McGrillen.

“The new investment has created a level of supply which will enable growth to continue into the future. It is also very encouraging to see investment in new properties outside of Belfast and Derry~Londonderry such as the Salthouse in Ballycastle and Killeavy Castle in South Armagh as this will enable our strategy of spreading the benefits of tourism beyond the usual destinations.

“The vast majority of visitors who come here still return because they want to explore our culture, landscape and heritage, however there are some new and very important audiences. We estimate that one in every six visitors in 2019 came specifically to visit Game of Thrones filming locations.

Golf visitors have grown enormously and of course there has been an exponential growth in cruise ships visiting Belfast.

“The investment in creating the conference facilities at ICC Belfast has resulted in a step change in Belfast’s ability to attract conference business which is very important for mid-week business in the hotel and hospitality sectors. We have also seen incentive travel, particularly from US corporations grow dramatically over the past few years with new properties like the Grand Central Hotel, Killeavy Castle and

Bishops Gate Hotel in Derry~Londonderry allowing us to compete for business which has typically gone to Dublin and Kerry.

How does Tourism NI’s Chief Executive view the key priorities for tourism here?

“The first is successful role out of the new experience brand “Northern Ireland – Embrace a Giant Spirit” across the industry in Northern Ireland and across the globe, in partnership with Tourism Ireland,” he says.

“The new brand has the potential to help Northern Ireland stand out in the international market place. This will be important as I think we are facing into a few headwinds in 2020.

“The outbreak of the coronavirus has already led to large scale cancellations from the Chinese market and the relentless focus on the environmental impact of air travel is a major risk to an island destination like Northern Ireland.

“Our focus needs to be on securing more business from visitors to the island of Ireland by giving them compelling reasons to travel here directly or across the border. Bringing the Open Championship back will also feature highly on our list of longer term objectives.”

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25

Rose Mary Stalker Chair at Invest Northern Ireland

New Invest NI Chair Charts Future Plans R

ose Mary Stalker is clear about her short-term priorities as the new Chair at Invest Northern Ireland.

“My immediate priority is to ensure the successful delivery of Invest NI’s current 2017-21 Business Strategy against which good progress is being made. We are also beginning to develop our aims and ambitions for the next period.

Over the past five years, businesses we support have increased their employment by 21% and have grown their sales to GB by 47% and to wider export markets by 29%.

Currently, every £1 of support we offer results in £6 of investment in our economy. We should look at how we can multiply this impact working collaboratively with our partners.

Invest NI, she adds, is uniquely placed to provide a convening role with Councils, Universities, Colleges, Business Organisations and Businesses to facilitate efforts in order to provide a coordinated focus as we work collaboratively to overcome challenges and seize opportunities that will promote economic growth in the region.

It’s not surprising that she welcomes to return of devolved governmet here.

“We look forward to supporting Minister Dodds and the wider NI Executive as it develops the next Programme for Government and associated Industrial Strategy. We

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recognise there are big challenges for our economy and wider society but hopefully the clear commitment to closer partnerships evident in the “New Decade, New Approach” will flow into the Programme for Government and the Outcomes it aims to deliver.

If we can support the Executive to increase our balance of trade and drive economic growth, we will help put more people in better jobs. And that’s important because, in turn, it will generate more revenue which can support the Executive to address the wider challenges we face in Health, in Education and in wider society.”

“As a region we are small and currently unsustainable without significant additional funding.

Whilst it is unrealistic to think this can be reversed in the short term, if we can focus on actions that build capability, stimulate innovation and increase exports, we will improve our global competitiveness and create better value jobs.

“With an unprecedented UK focus on trade and the potential for Northern Ireland to have a unique trading position, albeit with uncertain administrative burdens, we should be supporting and encouraging, particularly, our indigenous businesses to seize this as an opportunity and focus on export.”

Can Northern Ireland re-establish itself as a location for foreign direct investment?

“We actually haven’t seen any drop-off in our attraction as an investment location. Indeed, it has grown, based on our strong proposition of talent and value.

“Figures from the Financial Times’ fDiMarkets.com show that over the past five years, Belfast has attracted more FDI jobs per head of population than any other city in the UK, with Northern Ireland performing equally as well on a UK regional basis. In particular, we have become an international location of choice for Financial Services technology, in software development and in cybersecurity.

“Over the past ten years, we have helped bring 161 brand new overseas investors to Northern Ireland with the promise of almost 10,000 new jobs. The vast majority of these are well paid, high quality jobs.

“We have also seen interest from Republic of Ireland companies who are interested in the unique trading position of NI to establish a UK presence in order to protect, or grow, their interests in that market.”

“Of course, we are competing with many other regions and countries for internationally mobile investment so are constantly refining our proposition to keep us ahead.”

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Legal Eagles - Northern Ireland’s Top Corporate Lawyers Based on The Legal 500 Rankings 2019

Alastair Keith A&L Goodbody

Alastair Keith is Head of A&L Goodbody’s Corporate and M&A practice in Belfast. Alastair advises clients on corporate transactions, both in the domestic market and on international deals with a Northern Irish dimension. He

specialises in acquisitions, venture capital, group reorganisations, joint ventures and initial public offers. In addition to transaction focused work, Alastair also advises on company law compliance and corporate governance.

Mark Thompson A&L Goodbody

Mark Thompson is a Corporate and M&A partner in A&L Goodbody’s Belfast office.

Mark is widely experienced in company/ commercial law, with particular sectoral experience in the areas of energy and natural

resources, healthcare, media, intellectual property and technology law. Mark’s corporate practice focuses on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and management buyouts and strategic advice.

Peter Strafford A&L Goodbody

Peter Stafford is a partner in A&L Goodbody’s Corporate and M&A practice.

He specialises in corporate finance work including company acquisitions and disposals, management buy outs, private

equity transactions, inward investment and partnership and strategic advisory work.

Peter served as Chairman of A&L Goodbody’s Belfast office from 2012 to 2019 and was previously Head of the Belfast office.

Chris Guy Mills Selig

Chris is head of the corporate team. He joined Mills Selig in 2000 and has also been a member of the private equity team of leading Australian law firm Clayton Utz in Sydney, working on large private equity transactions.

Chris specialises in acquisitions, MBOs/MBIs, mergers and venture capital transactions. He also has significant experience in other corporate matters such as shareholder arrangements, joint ventures and corporate restructuring.

Chris is a visiting lecturer in company law at the institute for professional legal studies.

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25 Hilary Griffith Cleaver Fulton Rankin

Hilary is Head of Cleaver Fulton Rankin’s corporate team. Hilary has extensive experience in all types of corporate finance, transactional and commercial work. This includes mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture

Alan Taylor Arthur Cox

Alan deals with a broad range of corporate finance, corporate and commercial work on behalf of international and domestic clients. He leads on extensive due diligence reviews on multi-million pound transactions involving Northern Ireland targets and has

capital investment, corporate governance, reorganisations and restructurings, joint ventures and collaborations and commercial contracts.

co-ordinated the cross-jurisdictional aspects of transaction processes. Alan has extensive experience in negotiating and concluding transaction deals including, for example, as supervising partner on the Northern Ireland Network Services Tender, the acquisition of technology on an international basis as part of a negotiating team, telecommunications contract for a number of PLCs and dealing with legal risk analysis and quantification.

Lynsey Mallon Arthur Cox

Lynsey worked for a large award winning national firm in England before joining Arthur Cox in 2007 and specialises in corporate and commercial work. She has considerable experience across the full range of company/commercial law

Paul Mc Bride Arthur Cox

Paul is a partner in the Arthur Cox corporate group and Head of the Belfast office. He has advised in numerous significant mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, venture capital investments and project financings in

areas including sales and acquisitions (including MBOs and MBIs), joint ventures, investment and shareholders agreements, private equity work and general commercial contract work which includes IP and information technology expertise.

Northern Ireland. Paul is named as a leading lawyer (band one) for corporate/mergers and acquisitions by ‘Chambers UK’ and ‘Chambers Europe Guide to the Legal Profession’.

‘Chambers’ comments that ‘Paul always provides clarity in any legal discussion and is “a super negotiator”’. ‘Chambers UK’ also ranks Paul as a lead partnership lawyer (band one) and with a growing profile in the energy sector.

Damian McParland Millar McCall Wylie

Damian heads up a corporate team at Millar McCall Wylie advising on a wide range of corporate and commercial transactions across a broad range of sectors including ICT, energy, manufacturing, construction and service

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industries and regularly acts in multi-jurisdictional projects. He has impressed clients with his ability to ‘focus on the issues that matter whilst maintaining an eye for the detail’ and is also praised for his ‘very strong commercial acumen’.

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25 Kevin McVeigh Elliott Duffy Garret

Kevin McVeigh is Head of Elliott Duffy Garrett’s Corporate & Commercial practice. Kevin advises clients on corporate transactions in Northern Ireland and on international deals with a Northern Ireland connection.

He specialises in the sale and purchase of businesses. Kevin also advises on commercial contracts including investment and shareholder agreements and corporate governance.

John-George Willis Tughans

Also a consultant, John-George specialises in acting for corporate clients on corporate finance and M&A transactions, both in Northern Ireland and overseas. He also advises clients generally on day-to-day

mergers and takeovers, private acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, restructuring and demergers. He has particular experience of M&A transactions in the technology, food and engineering sectors in Northern Ireland.

Neasa Quigley Carson McDowell

Neasa is Senior Partner and joint head of Carson McDowell’s corporate team. She specialises in mergers and acquisitions and also has considerable experience in management buyouts and buy-ins, private equity transactions,

company reorganisations and corporate governance matters. She works across a range of sectors with particular experience in technology and renewable energy fields.

Neasa also heads up the firm’s energy team.

Michael Johnston Carson McDowell

Now a Consultant at Carson McDowell having been Managing Partner for eight years, Michael’s experience includes: advising Evermore on the setting up of the £80m combined heat and power plant in Derry/Londonderry, general legal advice at a senior level to Belfast

Harbour Commissioners team, advice to the shareholders on the sale of Foyleside and associated shopping centres, advising Fivemiletown Co-op on the sale to Glanbia, advising PFC on the sale to Davy and advising on the sale of Diamond Recruitment to Staffline.

Richard Gray Carson McDowell

Richard is a partner and heads Carson McDowell’s corporate team. His main areas of practice are in corporate and finance work. He has more than 20 years experience in mergers and acquisitions and corporate

finance work. He has advised on numerous high value transactions in recent years both in Northern Ireland and Britain and has been recognised as a leading figure in corporate law in Northern Ireland.

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25

Top 10 UK Accountancy Firms

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1

FEE INCOME - £4233m

UK PARTNERS - 913

2

FEE INCOME - £3970m

UK PARTNERS - 1059

3

FEE INCOME - £2410m

UK PARTNERS - 702

4

FEE INCOME - £2321m

UK PARTNERS - 635

5

FEE INCOME - £575m

UK PARTNERS - 250

6

FEE INCOME - £491m

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FEE INCOME - £335m

UK PARTNERS - 128

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FEE INCOME - £278m

UK PARTNERS - 101

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FEE INCOME - £197m

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UK PARTNERS – 158

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Eye on Law

Talking Talent:

Will new immigration laws affect NI’s burgeoning start-up scene?

By Rob Tubman, solicitor at UK law firm TLT

N

orthern Ireland has a longestablished public and private support framework for start-ups.

Increased activity by angel investors has complimented the backing already provided by Invest NI, and this support likely plays a significant part in the region having above average proportions of start-ups achieving £1m+ in revenue after three years, when compared to the rest of the UK. In 2018 the Enterprise Research centre found that Belfast had the highest proportion in the UK at 3.3%.

According to Tech City UK, 17.5% of Digital Tech businesses in Northern Ireland are classified as ‘high growth’, meaning they are in the top 10% of all companies nationally in terms of growth.

Talent supply

The number of tech startups being established in Northern Ireland has increased greatly in recent years, yet while that trend continues as we move into 2020, impending new immigration laws could impact NI’s position as a hub for growth in the sector.

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In a 2017 survey of Belfast startups by Tech Nation, 42% of respondents cited talent supply as their biggest challenge to growth.

Despite an annual pool of graduates from Queens and Ulster universities, Northern Ireland’s relative small scale often requires local businesses to think globally in terms of attracting talent.

Employers who obtain a sponsor licence from the Home Office can employ skilled non-EEA nationals. However, the process is subject to strict rules, and successful sponsorship is not guaranteed.

In October 2019, the Government added a number of jobs to the Shortage Occupation List that sets out jobs where there is a recognised shortage of skills in the existing workforce. Jobs on the list receive preferential treatment when a UK company is trying to sponsor a non-EEA migrant to fill a corresponding vacancy. Web design, systems design, programming and software development roles have been added to the list, alongside IT business analyst roles. In addition, the ‘qualifying company’ criteria has been relaxed in many cases, allowing new businesses greater freedom when hiring for tech and IT roles.

Thinking ahead As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, it will be important for entrepreneurs looking to start or grow their business in NI to have access to highly skilled staff from the EU and beyond. While the exact arrangements for Brexit are unclear, currently Non-EEA nationals who wish to work in the UK have to be sponsored by their employer in order to obtain a visa. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals will be subject to a new immigration system from January 2021 onwards.

However Brexit is implemented, Northern Ireland will be the only part of the UK that shares a land border with the EU. The Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangement, whereby British and Irish citizens can move freely between the islands will remain, however EU/ EEA/Swiss nationals will be subject to greater restrictions. This may present challenges for NI businesses, who are currently able to draw on EU/ EEA/Swiss nationals who live here or travel from the Republic of Ireland.

It remains to be seen if NI’s burgeoning start-ups are disadvantaged by the less restricted employment opportunities offered by the Republic of Ireland as an EU member state. Meanwhile, we would encourage start-ups to be mindful of how the new immigration processes will impact on their recruitment strategies post-Brexit and consider applying for an appropriate sponsor licence in order to attract qualified candidates from outside the EU/EEA.

For further information contact Rob Tubman +44 (0) 333 006 1593 Rob.Tubman@TLTsolicitors.com www.tltsolicitors.com

Eye on Events

Galgorm Toasts Opening of New Whiskey Lounge Bar Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort has officially opened its doors to the Resort’s newly refurbished and refreshed entertainment offering, McKendry’s Lounge/Bar.

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ormerly known as Gillies Bar & Grill, McKendry’s is now a whiskey lover’s haven, boasting an encyclopedic whiskey collection of over 300 blends from 21 countries, including a coveted limited-edition bottle of the most expensive Irish whiskey ever produced, “The Chosen”.

The new whiskey lounge/bar reflects the warm ambience and atmosphere of an eclectic Irish pub and draws on its local heritage, harking back to the muchloved McKendry’s bar of a bygone era, which served the local community from its premises in Broughshane Street, Ballymena before closing its doors.

Welcoming Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort’s newest hospitality investment, Colin Johnston, Galgorm Collection Managing Director, said;

Richard Buckley, Heidi McAlpin from In Your Pocket and Angela Campbell from Bloom magazine, Brenda Buckley

Chris Turkington (Dish You Were Here) and Inga Norvilyte (Love Belfast)

“We are delighted to welcome guests to our brand new lounge bar, McKendry’s and showcase our extensive whiskey collection which we are proud to say is one of the most comprehensive in the island of Ireland.

The launch of McKendry’s represents the latest investment by Galgorm into its Resort offering and reflects our ambition to continually innovate and push boundaries to affirm our position as a world-leading spa and golf resort. We look forward to welcoming guests, locals and visitors alike to experience the warm hospitality of McKendry’s.”

Offering guests the warm welcome synonymous with Galgorm, the new name perfectly connects the Resort with its strong local heritage. Much of the décor consists of historical items from the original McKendry’s bar and provides guests with an authentic Irish bar experience.

As well as boasting some rare whiskies and stocking the finest mixers, Galgorm has devised a new signature whiskey cocktail list to complement its existing range of premium cocktails, wines, beers and spirits.

Chris Suitor (Suitor Brothers Tailoring) and wife Nichola

Annette Kelly, from Little Penny Thoughts and Nicola Boyle

For a truly authentic taste, guests can also sample the Resort’s first premium own-label ‘Galgorm Estate Gin’, developed in partnership with Northern Ireland’s newest artisan gin producer, Copeland Distillery, and drink in the fantastic new line up of live entertainment.

McKendry’s Lounge/Bar is open 12:00pm – 01:00am Sunday to Friday and 12:00pm – late on Saturdays, with live entertainment every evening, including traditional Irish music every Tuesday and Thursday night.

For more information on McKendry’s Lounge I Bar please visit www.galgorm.com

Catherine Moore, Kathryn O’Brien, and Emily Hancock

Former Miss Northern Ireland and model, Rebecca Maguire

Elanna (Elle Pearls) and husband Patrick McGowan

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Eye on Diversity

Diversity & Inclusion...

A Whole Lot More Than Lip Service

“T

he danger is obvious. That they see diversity is a box-ticking exercise. Once they sign up, they can move on,” she says. “But that’s not what embracing diversity is all about. It is about culture and the Charter must be supported and signed by the very top of the organisation which is very important to the awarding of the Charter Mark. It means hard work and it means real commitment. But it also bring real rewards.”

Christine is Head of Business at Diversity Mark NI, an independent not for profit organisation spun out of Women In Business and now in its third year of operation as the awarding body for the Diversity charter mark.

Christine White is all too aware of the potential shortfall when it comes to encouraging companies here to take the diversity and inclusion agenda seriously.

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Eye on Diversity It’s also the driving force behind Northern Ireland’s inaugural Diversity And Inclusion Summit taken place at Titanic Belfast on Thursday, 20th February (9.00 am to 2.00 pm). The summit, with backing from Allstate, Danske Bank, Denroy and GilbertAsh, will be the first of its kind on these shores and has attracted a formidable line-up of speakers.

Lord Davies of Abersoch, a long time champion of diversity at UK level, will be the keynote speaker. As Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, Lord Davies spearheaded The Davies Review, which presented practical recommendations to address the gender imbalance on the boards of leading UK businesses.

Joining Lord Davies at Titanic Belfast will be Laura Bates, Founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and writer for The Guardian and New York Times as well as Ruth Sealy, Associate Professor of Management and Director of Impact at the University of Exeter Business School.

“The theme for our inaugural summit is ‘Beyond A Tick Box’ and we’re setting out to encourage, educate and empower attendees to make a real difference when it comes to diversity and workplace culture,” says Christine White.

Diversity Mark NI has worked with private and public sector organisations of all shapes and sizes since it was established. The organisation concentrates to a large degree on the issue of gender diversity, although its remit extends to all forms of diversity and inclusion as they impact on the workplace...including the other important areas such as Age Diversity, LGBTQ representation, Disabilities and BAME inclusivity.

The fact that it’s not offering a ‘tick box’ exercise to local companies and others is reflected in the fact that 65-70% are awarded the Charter Mark at the first assessment. It’s important for the rigour of the Charter that the targets are challenging.

“We have a very professional and prestigious group of independent assessors working on our behalf and they make sure that gaining a Charter Mark is something that has to be achieved, worked for and earned. It’s not a difficult process, but it is an exacting one and it calls for real commitment.”

But there are clear benefits. “When an organisation’s culture feels fair and inclusive, women and underrepresented groups are happier and much more likely to thrive,” Christine adds. “The

Emma Lyttle (left) and Christine White (right) of Diversity Mark NI with independent assessor Fergal McFerran, vice-chair Dr. Bryan Keating, CBE and independent assessor Judith Gillespie, CBE.

business case for diversity has been clearly made and is backed up by numerous academic studies which have shown that companies with greater diversity perform much better and have significantly lower staff turnover rates.”

Christine joined Diversity Mark NI as

Bank of Ireland awarded the Charter Mark

Deloitte receive the Charter Mark

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks with their Charter Mark

Learning Pool awarded the Charter Mark

its new Head of Business in August 2018 when the organisation has a group of 15 corporate members. Since then, that total has risen to 70 members and includes some of the biggest names in Northern Ireland business as well as big public sector organisations and a growing number of schools.

More recently, Christine has been joined by Emma Lyttle as Membership Engagement Manager, working on communication with members as well as a range of events.

Diversity Mark NI’s board, meanwhile, reads like a Who’s Who of Northern Ireland corporate life. Chaired by Nichola Robinson of Bombardier Belfast (now Spirit Aerospace) and with Dr. Bryan Keating as vice-chairman, its membership includes Roseann Kelly MBE of Women in Business, David Gavaghan, Ray Hutchinson from Gilbert-Ash, Queen’s University’s Isabel Jennings, Caroline Van Der Feltz, Director of HR at Danske Bank, Lesley Miller fromn Allstate and Angela Byrne of STATSports.

Christine is hoping that 250 business, public and voluntary sector representatives will make up the audience at Titanic Belfast on 20th February to hear the keynote speakers as well as panel discussions and to round off the morning with a gala lunch.

Limited spaces are still available.

For information and tickets, visit Eventbrite or email admin@ diversity-mark-ni.co.uk

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Eye on News

Celebrating the Career of 4c Executive’s Ian Rainey

At the end of last year, leading executive search firm 4c Executive invited the family, friends and former colleagues of its non-executive director Ian Rainey to celebrate his long and successful career, during which he worked both locally and globally, to officially mark his retirement.

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I

an is best known to many in Northern Ireland as being the managing director of MSL Executive Search & Selection, a role in which he held for over 23 years until 2017.

In 2017, following the acquisition of MSL Executive Search & Selection by 4c Executive, Ian joined the company as a nonexecutive director, where he sat on the board and played a pivotal role in developing the firm’s ambitious growth strategy.

Ian Rainey explained that the acquisition enabled him to pursue other business opportunities and gradually move towards his retirement, whilst also ensuring that the MSL business and clients remained in “safe hands”.

Gordon Carson, 4c Executive’s Managing

Director, said that it had been a privilege knowing and working with Ian throughout his career in Northern Ireland.

He added: “Having grown an extensive and loyal client base of some of Northern Ireland’s leading organisations, particularly during his time at MSL, Ian’s unrivalled knowledge and experience of the private, public and third sectors brought an additional level of expertise to 4c Executive at a crucial time in our business growth and development.

“Beyond that, Ian has been a great mentor to me and many others throughout his career in Northern Ireland and further afield, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish him every success going forward in his retirement.”

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Eye on News

Drumbo Park Up And Running Again Drumbo Park is back on winning form after being re-opened by a former employee.

J

ohn Connor was one of 44 staff who lost his job when the Lisburn track closed its gates earlier this year but his passion for racing prompted him to work tirelessly over the last few months to get the business back on track.

The venue has been rebranded as a conference and events venue, as well as a racetrack, creating more than 30 jobs in the process.

After John was informed in January of last year that the business would be closing, he got together with new commercial director Nick Rose and they formed a company called Run with Passion Ltd to make a deal with the liquidators to buy all the assets.

The previous directors had said at the time that there were a number of factors behind their closure including the rise of online betting, a lack of government funding and restrictive licensing laws here, as well as a decline in the number of customers and racing dogs but John is confident that the business can return to its former glory days.

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He said: “Our location alone gives us a competitive advantage. We are halfway between Lisburn and Belfast and just minutes from the M1 motorway making us perfect for all sorts of events – from business breakfasts and functions, to weddings and civil ceremonies.

“We’ve a bar and restaurant plus our carpark can facilitate over 200 cars and we are very competitively priced compared to the city centre.”

In addition to fully utilising the high-spec facility Greyhound Racing has been re-introduced on Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

“This site has been a racetrack for more than four decades.

Amid all that has gone on over the years in Northern Ireland, for many communities, dog racing was the one thing that brought people together,” he explained.

“Other than Drumbo, there is now just one other greyhound course left in Northern Ireland and I’d like to make ours is a venue where people of all ages can come and enjoy themselves whether that be at one of our family friendly race meetings or a private function.

“We’ve taken our time to find our feet and invest in staff because we want to do things right but now it’s time to put Drumbo Park back on the map - there is definitely a lot of life left in the old dog yet!”

John Connor of Run with Passion Ltd

Business Leaders Forum 2020

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Eye on Business Leaders Forum

2020

With the NI Assembly & Executive back in place, Business Eye asked a selection of business leaders and commentators what should its priorities be and does its return improve the prospects for Northern Ireland business and the economy for 2020 and beyond?

Gavin Woods Business Development Director at Nitec

2020 Technology Forecast: A Growing Industry In a Turbulent Time

W

hen we listen to the news it’s obvious that various sectors in Northern Ireland are having issues and there seems to be a push from Westminster to reduce the size of the public sector here. Despite this, IT in general is a burgeoning area and there a few easy-to-understand reasons for this.

Aside from the seemingly ever-increasing inward investment which has been bolstering the sector, computing, websites and apps are pervasive now. Five years ago, you could ask a person to reboot their server during the day; now it would be easier to ask the CEO to give up their firstborn child than reboot their server.

All this is an indication of how important IT has become to every aspect of life.

Security analysts have explained to us that globally there is a shortage of 300,000

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Gavin Woods Director at Nitec Business Development

security specialists. As the servers, apps and websites we use become more critical, they become a bigger target for hackers.

Hence the arms race on IT security and the need for many more trained security professionals. This issue is global and won’t be solved any time soon.

While I can’t tell you anything with certainty about your specific business I would say on balance you will end 2020 spending more on IT than you did in 2019. One example of many: there is a general move toward better recovery solutions to reduce the downtime. There is a dawning realisation, even among SME’s that outages or data loss can do real reputational damage.

So, enterprise solutions are being used more by SME’s. The Enterprises, for their part, are moving from these solutions to more complex systems to try to ensure that downtime never happens, ever.

The security situation is similar, and I think many companies will find that the solutions they have used in the past are not quite up to the security challenges of 2020. An example might be management of data stored on mobile devices. If you are not doing this already, you will be or should be soon.

In summary, to the extent that IT drives the economy I am optimistic that 2020 will be a good year. However, a rising tide floats all boats and vice versa so on the general economy, who knows?

With the potential of war with Iran, global trade wars, Brexit etc, it would be a brave individual to try to call it.

Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Darren McDowell Senior Partner, Harbinson Mulholland

A

t long last our Assembly is back in place. The list of priorities for our local politicians is daunting: health, education, agriculture, infrastructure, the list goes on and on and whilst complex enough at the best of times these matters will no doubt be intensified by Brexit. Speaking with my finance hat on, in the midst of such complexity we need clear sighted leadership that positions NI on the world stage as a place to do business and creates an environment to foster and grow our indigenous enterprises.

At HM we have long recognised the importance to the NI economy of homegrown businesses, including family businesses. That’s why we set out to listen to and to raise the profile of such a vital sector, celebrating their importance and lending them a

collective voice. These companies make up our client base and their sector flies under the radar but contributes powerfully to the local economy and to the communities in which they are located. These businesses have been working hard in spite of the Assembly’s absence and hopefully the Executive’s reinstatement will create opportunities for 2020. Though it is disappointing to note that the Finance Minister has already announced that the corporation tax rate cut for NI will not be pursued. I think radical ideas and actions are required so we don’t end up with more of the same in the years to come. I don’t believe that the welfare of future generations will be protected by taking a short term approach to long term issues.

Darren McDowell, Seni or Partner Harbinson Mulholland

Michael Neill Head of Office, A&L Goodbody Belfast

A

t ALG, we were hugely encouraged to see the newly reformed NI Assembly and Executive get back to business. We are optimistic that this will bring about a marked improvement in prospects for local business and we await with interest to see what opportunities will emerge from the New Decade, New Approach – including creating the right conditions to attract FDI into Northern Ireland. We also welcome the desire of the Executive to work collaboratively with the private sector in order to maximise return for all stakeholders in Northern Ireland.

Over the past twelve months at ALG we continued to advise on a steady flow of transactions, but we readily understood why some clients preferred to adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach. However, with the Assembly now restored,

there are already signs of renewed energy around deals. Replacing uncertainty with certainty and pessimism with optimism can be a powerful stimulant in itself.

A priority for our elected representatives must be to lead us through the challenges that leaving the EU will bring, post 31st January.

At ALG, we’re particularly busy assisting clients on preparing for the legal changes and business issues that will arise in the months ahead.

Evolving on an almost daily basis, these will affect a range of areas in Northern Ireland, including regulated finance, energy, procurement, employment law and many others.

Michael Neill, Head of Office, A&L Go od

body Belfast

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Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Richard Kennedy Group CEO, Devenish

A

fter three years of a local political vacuum, it is positive that we begin this year, and this decade, with the NI Executive back in business. It has been a frustrating period for industry and society in Northern Ireland, with no Ministers in place to take decisions necessary to improve our economy, against a backdrop of uncertainty regarding Brexit.

Things are clearer now on Brexit than they were, which should provide a degree of stability. As the UK Government and the EU move to the next phase of negotiating our future arrangements, ensuring frictionless trade remains paramount.

While Brexit will still loom large, there are other pressing issues facing Northern Ireland business

that our newly appointed Ministers will have to address. Climate change for instance will be a priority focus for a number of Departments, and for our part at Devenish, we want to demonstrate how the agri-food sector can be part of the solution to the environmental challenges we face.

One silver lining to emerge from the past three years without Stormont has been the demonstration of the tenacity and talent within the Northern Ireland business community, with representatives from all sectors coming together to speak with one voice. That collective determination to succeed in the face of adversity, working together for a brighter future for all, is something our local political leaders can learn a great deal from.

p CEO, Devenish

Richard Kennedy, Grou

Dr Joanne Stuart OBE CEO Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance

I

t has been a positive start to 2020 with our local institutions back up and running. Now it is time for the Executive to grasp the nettle and bring leadership and collaborative working to set the course for Northern Ireland as we navigate a future in a UK outside of the EU. Our region faces real budgetary constraints and it vital that the economy and business, which generate the taxes to support our public services, is a key priority.

Tourism is one of the most resilient and successful parts of the local economy surpassing returns on investment made in other industrial sectors and outpacing the average in job creation. Leisure and business visitors spend in excess of ÂŁ1bn, which supports over 65,000 jobs. With 60% of spend and 70% of jobs outside of Belfast, Tourism benefits rural, coastal and urban communities across the region.

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We are in an environment where access to skills is increasingly competitive, the negativity and confusion regarding Brexit is impacting on our attraction as a holiday and business destination and we have seen a decline in air connectivity to GB and Europe.

Addressing the challenges and creating the environment for Tourism to meet its shared ambition of doubling economic impact and creating 25,000 new jobs will require a joined up strategy, led by Minister for Economy.

Increased funding for promotion, a plan to increase air connectivity, infrastructure investment and addressing the skills gap are key priorities.

The Tourism economy has been gaining momentum and now is the time, to Embrace our Giant Spirit, to make courageous decisions and maximise the transformational opportunity that Tourism presents in Northern Ireland.

Dr Joanne Stuart OBE CEO, Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance

Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Andrew Ryan Partner at UK law firm TLT

A

clear priority for the Executive should be to promote clean energy as part of the wider challenge to limit and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The grid operator, SONI, has already issued its ‘Strategy 2020-25’ to pave the way for further decarbonisation, and this must dovetail with new government strategy to increase uptake of renewable generation at both the large and small scale.

“The Strategic Energy Framework published in 2010 was in many ways a success as its target of reaching 40% renewable generation by 2020 has been met. However this was achieved predominantly through the subsidies provided under the NI Renewables Obligation which closed to new generation in 2017. In the

absence of further subsidies and with ongoing constraints on grid connection, the installation of new renewable generation has all but flatlined. Subsidy free generation is becoming economically viable but as yet only in limited circumstances.

“However, with clear policy direction the potential for clean energy in Northern Ireland is huge – we only have to look across to Scotland to see what can be achieved. We look forward to the release of the next Strategic Energy Framework which is expected to propose renewable generation of up to 70% by 2030. A decision must be made on the NorthSouth Interconnector as a priority in order to reduce constraints on the electricity network and unlock the uptake of energy storage.

Andrew Ryan, partner

at UK law firm TLT

Adrian Doran CBI Northern Ireland Chair

2

020 marks the start of a promising new decade for Northern Ireland.

With powersharing restored, it’s time to reaffirm Northern Ireland’s reputation as a great place to do business.

“In these earliest of days for the Stormont Executive & Assembly, the CBI is clear. Lasting, positive change will only be possible if government and business renews its partnership.

Focused on delivering ambitious solutions to the challenges that we face.

“There are three clear priorities. First is the development of a new NI Economic Strategy. While its sights must be firmly fixed on improving our fiscal balance, the new Strategy must also deliver on improving people’s living standards, creating well paid jobs and attracting international investment. Politicians must consider the creeping costs of running a

business in Northern Ireland. And there must be an honest debate about how we appropriately fund our public services.

“Second is pressing on with infrastructure investment and developing our energy strategy – ensuring that Northern Ireland becomes net-zero by 2050. And third is access to skills. Ensuring we’re able to access the talent we need at all skill levels, as well as having the training in place to up-skill and re-skill employees as technology rapidly transforms the workplace. But ultimately, we must not forget that all three of these priorities have to be underpinned by a collective and united regional voice feeding into the Future UK/EU Trade Agreement negotiations.

“Northern Ireland now stands at a crossroads. Let’s make 2020 the decade of progress and create the conditions for NI companies to prosper.

Adrian Doran, CBI Nort

hern Ireland Chair

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Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Gareth Latimer Ulster Chair, ACCA

T

he restoration of Stormont has undoubtedly provided much needed and soughtafter impetus for ACCA members and the wider business community regarding civic cohesion and the potential to build economic prosperity.

The newly formed Executive and a clearer Brexit picture will provide a level of certainty, something which has been missing for three years.

In the last quarter of 2019, an Ulster Bank survey indicated business activity fell to its lowest level since 2012, however, Stormont now has the opportunity to instil a new sense of confidence. To do this, new ideas are needed on how Northern Ireland will strengthen the bond between our education system and business community to create successful business clusters of employment to retain our young talent and provide the skillset necessary for inward investment.

A central element to all of this is setting out clear parameters as to how Northern Ireland will adapt its offering to reflect the changing nature of the world of work. In accountancy, ACCA have already identified key sectors of the workplace that will change in the coming years and established ways in which we can move to mitigate any negative impacts they could cause.

To support this, the Assembly must work in tandem with business to develop a new strategy for careers and education so that they are aligned, with new funding and support necessary to increase the level of workplace training and apprenticeships on offer to reflect the changing environment.

Decision-makers must concentrate on curbing the brain drain in Northern Ireland with the last census indicating 10% of those aged 15-24 born in NI are now leaving for Britain. The

Gareth Latimer, Ulster Chair, ACCA future success of the economy will rely on making Northern Ireland an attractive proposition for our young, highly skilled, graduate labour to stay.

Stormont can now provide the leadership required to drive

the economy forward, through supporting business and the future workforce. This will only be achieved through creating a supportive environment for our SMEs and all other enterprises to thrive.

Brian Murphy Managing Partner, BDO Northern Ireland

T

he Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive have a critical role to play in the development of the economy here in Northern Ireland.

During their absence over the last three years, a considerable number of critical issues have accumulated and now require immediate attention.

They include; the health service, education, infrastructure, and reform within the public sector. In respect of these internal issues, focus must be given to applying the available funds to get maximum impact and to alleviate the stress that each of these areas is experiencing. At this stage we are beyond “papering over the cracks� and

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so consideration must also be given to the medium to long term solutions that need to be implemented. From an external perspective the First and Deputy First Ministers must return to their role as representatives of Northern Ireland on the global stage.

After the uncertainty and instability of the last three to four years, it is essential that our politicians are out there showing potential investors that Northern Ireland is a great place to live, work and invest in. The Executive must now show leadership and decisiveness in order to restore the confidence of the business community and the wider population of Northern Ireland.

g Partner, Brian Murphy, Managin BDO Northern Ireland

Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Joe O’Neill Chair, Belfast at MIPIM Taskforce

A

mong the many priorities the restored NI Assembly and Executive should strive to deliver over the next two years is a renewed focus and collaborative approach to attracting inward investment into Northern Ireland.

We have already seen the success that such collaboration can deliver through Belfast’s attendance at MIPIM – the world’s largest real estate investment conference, attended by a 28,000-strong audience of international investors, developers and occupiers.

Over the past five years, a diverse group of private sector organisations have joined with Belfast City Council and, since last year, the five partner Belfast Region City Deal Councils and their respective elected

members, to highlight the region’s investor attractiveness at MIPIM. In March this year, a delegation will once again deliver a busy programme of events at the conference, aimed at showcasing the Belfast region as an outstanding location in which to live, work, learn, visit and invest.

This is truly collaboration at its best and the long-term benefits are far reaching – not least in terms of the job creation and economic growth that the resultant investment can bring.

If the same collaborative approach is replicated between our political leaders at Stormont and the local business community, I think we can be hopeful about the prospects for Northern Ireland business and the wider economy in 2020 and beyond.

Joe O’Neill, Chair, Belfa

st at MIPIM Taskforce

Anne Donaghy Chief Executive, Mid & East Antrim Borough Council

I

f during the term of the Executive we have clear evidence of people living more fulfilled, healthier and longer lives, with greater education opportunities and improved job prospects, that, to me, will be true success.

I am excited about the new Programme for Government and the opportunities for Northern Ireland to set out the delivery mechanism for its future.

The partnership approach of local government and central government provides a strong delivery model for the Executive and the ministers, with us all delivering together on a joined-up agenda through the new Programme for Government.

We that serve in public service have a deep-down commitment to see our communities flourish and I believe the Executive will be ambitious enough

to set aside individual party-political views when needed to get the right solutions for our economic growth.

Who would have thought that, by working together, Northern Ireland would have two sites in the final stages of the bid for a Heathrow Logistics Hub, out of an initial 121 applications from across the UK? A strong vision, bravery and unbending commitment and belief from our politicians, business leaders and the public sector sees us in the final stages of the competition.

Securing a Heathrow Hub for Northern Ireland would be worth around £5billion of investment to the local economy and create approximately 5,000 jobs.

That is why I believe the Executive, with all of our support, will deliver a better economy for 2020, underpinned by a clear ambition and courage to take the difficult decisions.

Anne Donaghy, Chief Ex ecutive, Mid & East Antrim Bo rough Council

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Eye on Business Leaders Forum

Paddy Larkin Chief Executive Officer, Mutual Energy

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e are delighted to see the Assembly up and running and welcome the ‘New Decade, New Approach’ agreement which aims to tackle some of the issues that have been keeping business leaders up at night.

For us, the most pertinent matter is tackling climate change. We are tasked with an ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050.

However, as a region we have some unique characteristics. Nearly 30% of our greenhouse gas emissions are from agriculture compared to 10% in the rest of the UK, energy policy is devolved here and we need to factor in energy connectivity with the RoI. We also have lower forest coverage and higher degrading peatland adding to emissions.

Currently, not counting agriculture (or the overseas emissions due to our imported goods), NI emits about 15 million tonnes of CO2 per year which is about 25% more per head of population

compared to the UK. CO2 equivalent emissions in the UK dropped by 42% since 1990, but only 18% in NI. So there are major challenges and a long way to go for us, even just to catch up.

Having recently delivered the ‘Gas to the West’ pipeline, we recognise the vital role natural gas can play in reaching these critical targets. A switch to natural gas itself brings major cost-effective environmental benefits due to it being the lowest carbon content fossil fuel and the ability to improve heating efficiencies. In the future the network can also be used to transport the growing quantities of renewable gases to allow for further progress on decarbonisation.

Delivering the Gas to the West project required vision, leadership and partnership to make it happen and we hope to get the same focus and collaboration from the Executive and the Assembly when it comes to tackling decarbonisation.

ecutive Officer,

Paddy Larkin, Chief Ex Mutual Energy

Sinead Carville Joins ExCo At Fintru

FinTrU has announced that Sinead Carville, the company’s head of Human Resources has been promoted to Managing Director – Chief Human Resources Officer (“CHRO”).

S

Sinead Carville with Darragh McCarthy

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inead has also become a member of the FinTrU ExCo (“Executive Committee”) and will continue to be responsible for leading all aspects of the human resources function and crafting the people strategy to support the ever-evolving business needs.

FinTrU Founder & CEO, Darragh McCarthy, said “This promotion recognises the contribution Sinead has made to FinTrU, her dedication, teamwork and personal development. She has a wealth of experience and has contributed greatly to the FinTrU journey during her three and a half years with us.”

A Chartered Member of CIPD, Sinead has over 15 years’ experience in operational and senior HR leadership roles within retail, technology and financial services organisations.

Sinead holds an MSc in Human Resource Management, awarded

by Ulster University. She is also a qualified trainer with vast experience in traditional and digital training design and delivery.

Eye on News

Electric Ireland Tops Supplier Survey The results of a new survey from independent consumer body, Which? have ranked energy suppliers in Northern Ireland based on criteria including bill accuracy, customer service and importantly, value for money.

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he Which? Annual Energy Company Customer Satisfaction Survey aims to provide unbiased and independent advice to consumers across a number of consumer markets and today’s results put Electric Ireland, who have been operating in the energy market in Northern Ireland since 2001 at the top of the list based on Value for Money and the availability of Digital Tools.

Electric Ireland, who were also voted joint first in the 2019 survey, is part of the ESB Group which has supplied energy to households across the island of Ireland for 90 years and has been operating in the energy market in Northern Ireland since 2001.

Clare McAllister, NI Residential Manager for Electric Ireland, commented: “We are delighted

“With a dedicated switch team, switching has never been easier and we have a clear goal to stay at the top of the table for many years to come.”

with the result of Which?’s annual Northern Ireland energy survey. The fact this result comes from conversations with real customers reinforces the customer-first approach we have taken in the market since joining.

“The number of people switching to Electric Ireland in recent years has been considerable and the survey results showcase that people are happy with the offering we provide once they have moved.

With a dedicated switch team, switching has never been easier and we have a clear goal to stay at the top of the table for many years to come.”

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Eye on News

A&L Goodbody Tops Deal Value Rankings Corporate law firm A&L Goodbody (ALG) has, for the sixth consecutive year, been ranked as the leading legal advisor by value of total M&A deals transacted in Northern Ireland in 2019. The firm’s Belfast office has advised on deals totalling over £6 billion from 2014-2019.

Alastair Keith, Head of Corporate at ALG in Belfast

I

n a report published by global information services company Experian, ALG’s Belfast office is listed as having advised on the most significant deals by value in Northern Ireland, having acted on over 45 transactions across 2019 with a combined deal value of £1.1billion.

Commenting on the report, Alastair Keith, Head of Corporate at ALG in Belfast said: “We were struck by the variety of transactions on which we advised in 2019 which included a large number of intra-group reorganisations and energy focussed transactions. We also saw an increase in small and midmarket transactions, such as East #1’s investment in Glentoran Football Club.

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“Encouragingly, we also saw continued provision of significant growth capital into the market, including significant investments in BrainWaveBank and Neurovalens.”

Mr Keith explained that 2019 was “an outstanding year” for ALG’s 23-strong Corporate practice in Belfast, which saw the promotion of two new partners and four new solicitors.

“Following another record year, we are thrilled to be named once again as the leading legal advisor by value of deals transacted.

“This accolade is testament to the expertise and commercial focus of our industry-leading team of corporate lawyers – led by partners Peter Stafford, Mark Thompson, David

Rowan, Mark Stockdale and myself, and supported by our wider team of over 120 people in our Belfast office.”

Commenting on the market outlook for 2020, he continued: “Whilst it is difficult to accurately predict corporate activity for the year ahead, the restoration of the NI Assembly in recent weeks has been a welcome development.

“Having come into 2020 with a strong pipeline of local and international deal activity, we remain cautiously optimistic about the M&D landscape for Northern Ireland over the next 12 months.”

Eye on News

Danske Bank Announces Charity Partnership With Extern NI Danske Bank has announced that it will be supporting Extern NI as its new charity partner, with a focus on helping to transform the lives of some of the most vulnerable and socially deprived young people in Northern Ireland.

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xtern helps 20,000 local people each year to change their lives through a wide range of services.

Danske Bank’s support in 2020 will specifically support the charity’s work with children and young people, through fundraising, volunteering time and skills, mentoring and other joint initiatives.

Announcing the new partnership, Danske Bank’s Chief Executive Kevin Kingston, said: “As a responsible business we want to play our part in helping to address the biggest societal issues facing Northern Ireland. Social deprivation is a very real and alarming issue here. As many as one in four children are living in poverty, and many young people simply don’t have a hand at their back – getting

Pictured are (L-R) Kevin Kingston, Chief Executive at Danske Bank UK; young people Alex and Ben and Danny McQuillan, Director of Services at Extern. Alex and Ben have successfully participated in and benefitted from Extern projects, with Alex now employed by Extern in a peer mentoring role for young people.

another chance can change a life.

“By raising awareness of the issues, engaging with colleagues, customers and partners in fundraising activities and by sharing our time, skills, and professional expertise, we hope to help create those chances. In turn, we look forward to learning from Extern’s 40 years of experience in this area and to use that knowledge to improve how we support our own colleagues and customers who are in vulnerable circumstances.”

Extern’s Director of Services, Danny McQuillan, added: “We are absolutely thrilled that Danske Bank has chosen our work with young people to be the focus of this new charity partnership. Not only will Danske Bank’s fundraising enable us

to deliver additional and much-needed support for the young people we work with, the partnership will also provide them with access to a whole new array of vital opportunities for mentoring and life-skills development through Danske’s fantastic team of staff volunteers. We are incredibly excited by this partnership and the potential it has to make more possible for marginalised children and young people right across Northern Ireland.”

Amongst their many services, Extern NI supports people living with mental health issues and the impact of suicide, people who are homeless, people living with problematic drug and alcohol use, people with an offending background, and minority communities.

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Eye on Business & Education

4C UR FUTURE BUILDS ON SUCCESS FOR 2020 A series of regional events this summer will set out to expand the 4C UR Future concept around Northern Ireland, enabling as many 13-year olds as possible to gain insight into their future opportunities.

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he 4C UR Future ‘Live’ Events follow on from a hugely successful pilot event that was held in 2019 with more than 1,200 young people from eight local schools gathering at Ulster University’s Jordanstown campus for a day of sector-related skills and challenges.

The pilot was supported by over 30 local companies from across a diverse range of sectors and aimed to highligh young people’s talents and potential career choices.

4C UR Future, established and run as a not-for-profit enterprise by one of Northern Ireland’s leading business figures Rose Mary Stalker, sets out to do much as its name suggests...enable young people to foresee their own future.

“That’s the very purpose of what we do,” says Rose Mary, an experienced engineer, former senior manager at the Ford Motor Company and recently appointed as the new Chair of Invest Northern Ireland.

“We want to help young people to become the best versions of themselves as they possibly can.

“We exist to inspire, inform and enable young people to make the most of their opportunities, to take the path that’s

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right for them and to contribute to the economy as well as to society as a whole.

“Our approach is specifically designed to enhance equality of opportunity. We try to enable each individual to explore their own unique combination of positive attributes, talents and learning styles, and to align them with emerging work trends and employability criteria.”

Once there, 4C UR Future Live is not a dry and boring information-based event. Instead, the young people take part in a range of interactive games and work-based simulations, specifically designed to draw out and identify their key strengths, all with a view to helping them to make better-informed subject choices and career planning.

4C UR Future sets out to work alongside key employers, companies and the main sector groups within the Northern Ireland economy to inform young people about the skill sets that are desirable both now and in the future.. An industry-led steering committee has already been established to finalise the plans, and to make the all-important connections with the business sector. The committee will be working with Business in the Community to ensure strong links are forged between business and education.

4C UR Future aims to run 5-8 live events on a regional basis in Northern Ireland this summer, working alongside local councils.

“A good series of well-attended events means that we can impact on the education and career planning of thousands of young people in the region,” says Rose Mary Stalker.

“Looking further down the line, it’s not inconceivable that we could touch on the lives of just about every 13-year old here in Northern Ireland, all 22,000 or so of them.”

The regional events are being planned for the month of June and that’s a deliberate choice. June is the month when 13-year old have to make their all-important subject choices for GCSE study.

“And that’s when these young people really need to start thinking ahead to their careers,” Rose Mary adds. “The world of work has changed beyond all recognition in recent years and it continues to change at a rapid pace. Traditional subject choices and traditional career aspirations simply aren’t as relevant or straightforward as they used to be, there is a huge range of new options and it’s vital that we get that message across to both

schoolchildren and their parents.”

“We aim to demystify the confusion over careers. The world of work is changing fast and it can be difficult to keep up to date. It’s an area where, understandably, some teachers struggle and some schools admit that they don’t do very well. This year we want to expand our programme for teachers with relevant sector briefings..”

Each regional live event will be supported by follow-on mentoring opportunities and the young people attending stand to gain a much clearer understanding of their own abilities and strengths.

Rose Mary Stalker tells the story of one young person attending last summer’s 4C UR Future event held in Belfast.

“One of the industry experts attending the event and watching the young people go through their paces noticed that this young man had an unusually high level of manual dexterity. And, when he was told this, it was clear that he’d never received that kind of praise before.

“But does his manual dexterity mean that he’d make a great butcher, a great mechanic or a great surgeon?

That’s the kind of question that we’d love to help him to answer.”

Eye on News

Jet 2 Launches Iceland Programme Jet2.com is launching a programme of trips trips to Iceland from Belfast International Airport for the very first time for Winter 20/21.

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ustomers in Northern Ireland can select from a choice two four-night trips in either October 2020 or mid-April 2021, the best times of the year to experience this incredible destination and the spectacular Northern Lights.

This brand-new programme of dedicated trips gives holidaymakers in the region great choice and flexibility for those wanting to experience everything this Nordic island has to offer. Whether it is the cityscape of Reykjavik, the spectacular Northern Lights, or the stunning Golden Circle and its geothermal lagoons, spas and waterfalls, Iceland provides an

incredible variety of things for customers to experience and see.

Customers can pick from flightonly or package holiday options, with package options with Jet2CityBreaks available for a low £60 per person deposit. Package options with Jet2CityBreaks include a guided Northern Lights Tour, flights with Jet2.com including 22kg hold luggage, transfers to and from the airport, as well as a choice of 3 and 4-star hotels in central Reykjavik which provide the perfect base from which to explore and experience authentic Icelandic cuisine. In addition, excursions to the Golden Circle and Blue Lagoon

are also available to purchase.

All flights to Keflavík International Airport near Reykjavik will be operated by award-winning Jet2. com on Boeing 737-800 aircraft, and the full programme from Belfast International Airport is as follows:

For further information and to book, visit www.jet2.com or www.jet2CityBreaks.com

NORTHERN IRELAND SHOWCASED TO NORDIC TOUR OPERATORS Tourism NI in partnership with Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland have collaborated to sell the island of Ireland as a premium tourist and golf destination at the flagship Nordic Trade Workshop 2020.

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his year the workshop has been extended to a two day event, incorporating both Stockholm and Copenhagen. Key industry partners from the island of Ireland will meet with tour operators and media from Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

Industry representatives from Northern Ireland including Killeavy Castle Estate, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Visit Derry and City Hotel joined forces with Tourism NI at the trade show to help promote Northern Ireland as a world class tourist and golf destination to Nordic tour operators.

Leanne Rice, Tourism NI’s Golf Marketing Manager commented; “We are dedicated to supporting the local golf tourism industry to reach key overseas markets, like the Nordics. During an extremely busy 2019, Northern Ireland has seen an unprecedented golf tourism boost with The Open Championship returning to Royal Portrush Golf Club which contributed £106m to the economy, with a total of 237,750 spectators attending. Promoting our superb golf product and wider tourism product to the international market is extremely important alongside working with international golf tour operators.”

Pictured at the workshop (L to R) are Linda Lynch from City Hotel Derry, Karen Henderson from Visit Derry, Becca Kerr from Tourism NI, Terry Kelly from Killeavy Castle and Alexandra Mehaffy of Giants Causeway.

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For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On 1 Jo-Anne Dobson from Co. Armagh joins the board of AgriSearch as an independent farmer trustee. Jo-Anne Dobson is a former MLA who served on the NI Assembly agriculture committee. She is a partner in the family’s beef and cereal farm in Co. Armagh. Jo-Anne, who is a living kidney donor, is Northern Ireland Charity Ambassador for Kidney Care UK and also a member of the Queens University Simulation Centre User and Patient Safety Reference Group.

2 Martyn Blair takes up a position on the board of Agrisearch as a UFU nominated farmer trustee. Martyn Blair brings a wealth of relevant expertise to the board.

He is a poultry farmer from Co. Antrim and holds a Master’s Degree in Agri-Marketing. He is a former President of the YFCU and a Board member of UFU.

1 Jo-Anne Dobson

2 Martyn Blair

3 Eoghan Fee

4 Rachel McCurry

5 Caroline Treacy

6 John Ardill

White Ink Architects have made three new appointments: 3 Eoghan Fee is an Architectural Technologist who has gained 12 years’ experience working with architectural practices to deliver significant projects throughout the UK and Ireland. Eoghan is a motivated professional and brings his experience in Revit and BIM to the White Ink team, resulting in fully coordinated, efficient and viable design solutions for our clients.

4 Rachel McCurry joins the White Ink team as an Architect.

Prior to qualifying as an architect in 2017, Rachel explored her passion for Sustainable Design and completed a Masters in this from Queen’s University Belfast. Rachel has embraced technological changes in the industry and is highly skilled in Revit, BIM, 3D visualisations and Virtual Reality having delivered significant major projects.

5 Caroline Treacy joins the team as Office Administrator - bringing 10 years’ experience and excellent organisational skills to the busy White Ink office. As a 1st class BA Hons graduate in Film & Television, Caroline brings added value to the team by helping us promote our staff and work through film.

Wilsons Auctions have made three key appointments.

6 John Ardill becomes Northern Ireland General Manager.

John started with the company in 2001, starting in the car department he progressed to auctioneer in 2006 before taking on the position of Car Auction manager in 2010. John was promoted to General Manager of Belfast Head Office in 2015, managing all departments and 100 members of 7 staff. Laura Streight has been appointed Government Contracts Manager, where she will be responsible for managing all Government Contracts. Laura joined the company in 2007 as a Receptionist for the Portadown branch, moving to the Belfast Head Office in 2017 she was appointed Online Auction Executive before being promoted 8 to Operations Supervisor in September 2018. Amber McCullough has been promoted by Wilsons Auctions to Auction Support Supervisor at its Belfast Head Office.

Amber joined the company in 2016 as Auction Support.

7 Laura Streight

8 Amber McCullough

9 Jamie Cairnduff

9 Jamie Cairnduff has been appointed Investment Analyst at Whiterock Finance. Jamie achieved a First Class Honours degree in Accounting at Queens University Belfast, before joining BDO Northern Ireland in 2012. In her new role she will be responsible for due diligence on potential investments and analysis on investment transactions.

10 Rainbow Communications has appointed Peter McConville as Financial Director. He joined Rainbow in 2015 as Finance Manager from the Graham Group and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Accountants.

11 Claire McElduff has been promoted to Director of Accounts and Audit Services at Gildernew & Co. Chartered Accountants. Claire has 15 years’ experience advising owner managed business across Northern Ireland and has been central to the practice’s growth to date.

10 Peter McConville

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11 Claire McElduff

12 David Tighe

12 David Tighe has been appointed Managing Director, Bauer Radio Northern Ireland, responsible for the future development of the award-winning Cool FM, Downtown and Downtown Country portfolio. David’s previous roles include Regional Managing Director, South East UK at Global Media and Entertainment where he managed 8 commercial teams. He was also Chief Executive and Programme Director at Limerick Live 95FM and Programme Director for TFM Radio.

For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On 13 Also at Rainbow, Charles-Oisin Caswell becomes Business Development Manager, joining from London-based technology firm 14 Sharp-AX Computer Systems while Damien Russell joins the team as Business Development Specialist, moving from the voluntary sector.

13 Charles-Oisin Caswell

14 Damien Russell

15 Martin Stewart

The former Director of Banks, Building Societies and Credit Unions at the Bank of England, 15 Martin Stewart, has joined the Board of Northern Bank Ltd (Danske Bank UK) as a nonexecutive director. During his executive career Mr Stewart held senior positions at the Bank of England Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). He was a key influencer of global financial services policy development post the financial crisis and while at the PRA his remit included being the lead regulator overseeing Northern Irish banks, building societies and credit unions.

16 Neil O’Prey has been appointed Financial Director for Re-Gen Waste Ltd. Prior to joining Re-Gen Waste, he spent 17 years at PWC, advising executive committees of major businesses in the UK, US, South Africa and Ireland, on financial planning, change strategy, growth, productivity and cost efficiency.

16 Neil O’Prey

17 Arlene McPhillips

18 Keith Logan

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) in Northern Ireland has elected 17 Arlene McPhillips, incoming Head of Marketing, Research and Communication for the Controlled Schools Support Council, as the organisation’s new Committee Chair for Northern Ireland for 2020. Brittany Breslin, Account Director at Impact Communications, has been elected as Vice Chair.

18 Charles Hurst has appointed Keith Logan as General Manager of Charles Hurst Van Centre.

With over 10 years’ experience of the motoring industry, Keith has a wealth of experience with brands including Peugeot, Vauxhall and Ford.

19 Neil Hughes has been appointed Associate Director, People and Change Consulting at Grant Thornton in Belfast. Neil has extensive experience in human resources, having held a number of senior HR roles previously at Ulster Bank and as HR Director at the Herbert Group.

19 Neil Hughes

20 Angela Keery

21 Graeme Bennett

20 Angela Keery has been appointed Tax Director at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore. Specialising in helping family businesses plan for the future, Angela brings over 25 years’ experience to the firm. She will work with a wide variety of corporate tax clients, including family owned businesses, growing businesses and entrepreneurs.

21 Graeme Bennett has been appointed as a director of IPC Mouldings. Graeme will drive the strategy for growth within IPC, implementing change where necessary and developing the team. He previously held a number of senior management business positions across manufacturing, packaging, beverage and construction sectors before joining IPC Mouldings as general manager in early 2019.

22 Cathy Scott

23 Lynsey Carroll

24 Patrice McGurk

Hastings Hotels has made three senior appointments.

22 Cathy Scott and Lynsey Carroll become Revenue 23 Managers. Cathy is a former Reservations Manager of the Culloden Estate & Spa, Events & Revenue Manager Ballygally Castle and Deputy General Manager of Stormont Hotel. Lynsey joined Hastings Hotels in 2007 and has held a number of roles within the company including PA to the General Manager and Marketing Executive for the Europa Hotel before developing her role within the hotel focusing on Group Room Control, 24 Yield and Revenue Maximisation. Patrice McGurk is appointed as Business Development Manager for the Grand Central and Europa Hotels. Patrice has almost 20 years’ experience working within Sales & Business Development and prior to joining Hastings Hotels she worked in rrivate healthcare for 10 years.

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Eye on Charity

Action Cancer Keith Duffy Gala Ball

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Local charity Action Cancer teamed up with the Keith Duffy Foundation to stage a black tie gala charity event at Titanic Belfast, raising thousands of pounds for cancer research here in Northern Ireland.

Keith Duffy, who set up his own charity foundation several years ago, performed at the Belfast event alongside his good friend and former Westlife star Brian McFadden.

Lisa and Keith Duffy with Sarra Slimane, Cole Page, Danny Parkinson and Brian McFadden

The Fund Raising committee for the Christmas Ball

The Action Cancer Fundraising Team with head of Fund Raising and Communications Dougie King

Geraldine Kerr Action Cancer, Gareth Kirk CEO Action Cancer, James Hagan of Hagan Homes sponsor of the Christmas Ball and Dougie King Action Cancer

Keith Duffy and family

Gareth Kirk CEO of Action Cancer and Keith Duffy with staff from Marks and Spencer

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

Can The Stylish Ds3 Crossback Cut It As A Premium SUV? They are billing DS as a stand-alone brand these days but those letters are so evocative of the glorious big Citroen DS saloon which graced our roads back in the 1960s.W e can hardly blame them for reprising such a wonderful heritage.

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odern DS offerings are rather more mundane and the DS3 Crossback is more closely in tune with the modern cross-over trend. Having been rescued by the Peugeot group, which now also owns Vauxhall, reality now dictates what they are making.

They are targeting where the hot money is today - the burgeoning premium SUV sector headed by the Range Rover Evoque. That means it is up against the Volkswagen T-Roc and a handful of other very competent machines.

Yes, the going is going to be tough.

An all-electric model is on its way but I have been sampling a 1.2-litre turbo petrol car with 131ps on offer through its automatic gearbox. This gives a good surge of acceleration when needed with a bit of a whoosh but is otherwise well-behaved.

On the road it is light to drive but a bit roly-poly yet not as comfortable as you expect from a French car.

Economy is rated in the mid 40s with emissions from 117g/km putting it in the 27% company car tax band. There is a 1.6 diesel with less power (102ps) and more economy (62mpg combined) but

it is penalised with 28% company car tax despite emissions of just 102g/km.

With a big honeycomb grill and chic lines, you can tell that it is French. The interior styling is quite confusing with an abundance of diamond shaped switches that take a bit of getting used to. There’s a central touch screen that works many functions.

Inside feels a bit dark and cosy though there is enough front-seat room for

six footers. The back isn’t so spacious, neither is the boot which has a high lip and a low down release button that collects road grime at this time of year.

Other gimmicks include door handles that sink flush into the bodywork and come out when you press the remote lock button.

A triumph of style over everything else, perhaps, the DS3 Crossback is priced from £22K.

Ranger Pick-Up Puts On The Style And Is More Comfy Than Expected!

As pick-ups are treated as commercial vehicles by the tax man, they stack up well financially as a company ‘car’. In the past they have tended to be a bit unrefined and lacking in style and comfort.

They were not the kind of machine you would fancy driving everyday.

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ll that is changing I discovered after spending a week with the latest Ford Ranger Wildtrak. Finished in bright golden yellow, this pickup had a butch presence on or off the road. Indeed, it grew on me day by day and I found it had usable performance and was more comfortable than I expected.

Of course. it did not have the refinement of an SUV but neither

could it be described as crude. It would be little hardship to drive this Ranger on a daily basis.

Much of the latest technology such as sat nav, cruise control and smart phone syncing is available on the better models.

I was driving the top line twin turbo 2.0-litre diesel with 213PS on tap. This gave a useful surge of acceleration when needed, enough to confuse some car drivers. This was mated to a very good new 10-speed automatic gearbox and had low and high four-wheel drive options.

Together with the Ranger’s high ground clearance, this gives an ability to go practically anywhere.

There is also a 3,500kg towing ability - tow bar is standard - making this a seriously practical vehicle.

Other versions include a 130PS with two-wheel drive which

would be a bit weak knee’d and a 170PS version providing a decent compromise. This engine is a big improvement on the previous 2.2 and 3.2-litre units in that it is more subdued and more economical.

There are myriad variations

on the Ranger depending on whether you want a single or double car and other configuration.

Excluding VAT as it is classed as a commercial, prices start from around £20K with my fully togged test car topping £31K.

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

Toyota Tames The Taxman With Hybrid Power On Its RAV4!

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The Toyota RAV4 first appeared as a funky, fun car way back in the 90s when life was simpler than today.

Over the decades it has evolved into a very capable SUV.

his latest version has a stiffer body cage and comes as a tax-friendly hybrid which immediately puts it on the short list for company buyers!

Combining a 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motoring makes for beefy performance. The RAV4 can hit 62mph from rest in 8.4 seconds and has a surge of power available for overtaking. Most models come with two-wheel drive bit there are four-wheel drive versions using an electric power at the rear.

Driving the RAV4 at the SMMT driving day in Yorkshire, I noticed that the CVT transmission on the hybrid system has become less fussy and the engine does not rev as excessively as before unless you are heavy with the right foot. It is still not as satisfying to drive as a manual or twin-clutch automatic.

Like most of the larger SUVs, this is not a driver’s car. But the controls are light and easy to use and it feels well built. It will not go around corners

like a sports hatch and the springing is on the firm side. Also the drive train can be noisy when pushed.

All those batteries tend to numb the driving feel of the hybrid. But all that does not negate the strong business case presented by the RAV4 hybrid. Economy is rated at 51mpg combined on the official tables. Due to the short distance you can drive on pure electric power, the petrol engine does the lion’s share do it is doubtful if real life returns would be as good.

The emissions calculation is where the RAV4 shines with a rating of 105g/ km putting it into the 24% Company Car tax band! That is remarkable for the size and performance of this vehicle.

Prices start from around 30K and rise to 37K for the top trim and specification!!

This is competitive for a SUV which comes with things like a reversing camera, LED headlights, and infotainment screen as standard on all models.

Suzuki Covers A Niche With Hybrid All-Wheel Drive Swift!

If you live up a hill, approached by a long muddy lane, and have a tinge of green conscience, then Suzuki have come up with car just for you.

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his version of the likeable Swift hatchback comes with the unlikely combina-tion of allwheel drive and a mild hybrid engine.

Why is Suzuki offering this counterintuitive mix? The only explanation I can offer is that they are doing it ‘because they can’! They have long developed their Allgrip system that automatically cuts in when needed and, more recently, devised a mild hybrid system.

This consists of a starter motor cum generator which can harvest normally wasted braking energy and store it in an extra lithium battery under the passenger seat. The saved power is used to help the petrol engine with acceleration.

People more cynical that I might see this as a token gesture to the new green god but it is a step in the right direction.

Suzuki offers their SHVS hybrid with both their evergreen 1.2 and their newer Boosterjet 1.0 petrol engines. My car came with the more modestly powered 1.2 engine which offers 90ps. It felt a little sluggish, perhaps because of the all-wheel drive, than other versions I have sampled of the same power unit.

Acceleration to 62mph takes 12.6 seconds - a couple of seconds slower than Swifts with the turbo 1.0-litre engine without Allgrip. When it comes to economy and emissions the

difference between the two engines is marginal with the 1.0 slipping into the 23% company car tax bracket and the 1.2 hybrid into the 24% band.

The Swift comes in its most modest form in 1.2-litre SZT trim with a list price of around £13K before haggling with the more drivable 1.0 Boosterjet starting from £15K in the same trim.

Adding hybrid and Allgrip to the 1.2

SZ5 brings the tag up to £17k - ouch!

You do get quite a bit of kit with six airbags, air conditioning, DAB Radio, pri-vacy glass, daytime running lights and Bluetooth as standard.

The top SZ5 trim has auto air conditioning, navigation, LED headlamps, pol-ished 16-inch alloy wheels, rear electric windows, Brake Support and Adap-tive Cruise Control.

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Auction Calendar February 2020 Mon 3rd

Tues 4th

Thurs 6th

Fri 7th

Mon 10th

Tues 11th

Fri 14th

Mon 17th

City Auction Group Belfast Corporate Fleet & Finance at 9.30am 35 Corporate Vendors 300 Corporate Vehicles

Commercial, Plant & Machinery, HGV and Vans at 12 Noon Magnificent Monday Car Auctions at 6.00pm

JACK REID CARS Ltd WHITEHEAD, CARRICKFERGUS

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Eye on News

AIB Marks Rebrand AIB has launched a series of celebration events to mark its recent rebrand from First Trust Bank with a special networking breakfast at its flagship Donegall Square North branch in Belfast City Centre – the first branch to showcase the new brand.

Angela McGowan, Director of the CBI Northern Ireland and Adrian Moynihan, Head of AIB NI are pictured at the first in a series of special customer events to celebrate AIB’s recent rebrand from First Trust Bank

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he event marked the first in a month-long series of in-branch events AIB will be hosting for customers and the local community across its network. Over 70 local business leaders, organisations and customers joined AIB in Belfast to celebrate its new storefront signage and to hear the latest economic update from CBI Northern Ireland.

Speaking at the event Adrian Moynihan, Head of AIB NI said; “We have started the new year and new decade with a new name, new branding but the same great team! The rebrand further strengthens our commitment to our customers and the broader Northern Ireland economy, ensuring we can continue to improve our offering and services for our customers.

“It’s clear that it isn’t just our politicians that are embracing a new vision and purpose, our business leaders - who have helped keep the economy moving forward over the past three years - are preparing their own growth plans for the year ahead.

We too have that same sense of purpose and by tapping even more into the AIB Group’s wider expertise and specialisms, we will be able to bring our customers even greater insight and tailored support.”

Guest speaker Angela McGowan, Director of the CBI Northern Ireland said; “2020 has got off to an optimistic start for both our politicians and businesses through the vision and purpose brought about by the ‘New

Decade, New Approach’ agreement.

AIB is one of a number of member companies that are investing in the City Centre and supporting economic development elsewhere, and we hope that with additional fiscal stimulus and smart trade agreements, consumer and business confidence will continue to grow – unleashing further growth opportunities.”

All branches across AIB’s network in Northern Ireland will be hosting a celebration for customers and the local community with entertainment from local artists and giveaways. To find out more, customers can get in in touch with their local branch.

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Celebrating life, every day, everywhere

DRINK RESPONSIBLY The BAILEYS, GORDON’S, CAPTAIN MORGAN, SMIRNOFF, GUINNESS, SMITHWICKS, CARLSBERG and HARP words and associated logos are trade marks © Diageo 2015.

Eye on Events

Hellbent Wins First Major Retail Listing the business With Henderson Group Hellbent, formed by rugby stars Louis Ludik and Schalk Van der Merwe has won its first major retail listing, which will see their locally made beef products on the shelves of 27 SPAR stores and EUROSPAR supermarkets at the end of the month.

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he three unique products – ‘Boerewors’ coiled beef sausages, burgers and meatballs – are made at Carnbrooke Meats in Lisburn, with beef sourced from local farmers, combining the best NI beef with distinctively rich seasonings and cooking techniques from their South African homeland.

The deal comes just months after Henderson Group announced their commitment to local artisanal food producers, which saw 13 smaller producers from across NI supply their products to EUROSPAR community supermarkets here.

Ulster star Louis Ludik (right) is pictured with Steven Kennedy, Fresh Trading Manager at Henderson Group.

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Celebrating life, every day, everywhere

DRINK RESPONSIBLY The BAILEYS, GORDON’S, CAPTAIN MORGAN, SMIRNOFF, GUINNESS, SMITHWICKS, CARLSBERG and HARP words and associated logos are trade marks © Diageo 2015.

Eye on Events

Covernet MD Lee Stuart and Business Development Manager Jim Campbell.

Covernet To More Than Double Its Workforce

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North Coast software company is planning to more than double its workforce after investing £500,000 to upgrade its IT infrastructure to industry-leading levels.

Covernet, which has been developing specialist software for the insurance industry for 25 years, has a client list which includes global leaders in this sector such as Axa, Allianz and RSA. To date, the home grown company has built over 200 bespoke insurance products on its industry-leading Software-as-a-Service platform ISMIS, with annual premiums in excess of £300m being processed, and predicts an even brighter future.

Covernet currently employs 20 people at its Coleraine headquarters.

However, the workforce is set to grow significantly as Covernet seeks to fill over 20 more positions. The new jobs are aimed at attracting highly skilled graduates who are seeking to embark on an exciting and rewarding career, with roles in software development, quality assurance, business development and sales.

US global private equity firm Capital Z Partners Management LLC will support the company in its ambitious growth plans for the coming years, as Covernet aim to expand in the UK before entering new markets in the US and Canada.

Slieve Russell Upgrade Delivers Instant Return

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lieve Russell’s recent investment in its golf, lifestyle and business facilities has paid immediate dividends with Co. Cavan’s premier resort reporting a significant rise in bookings across all sectors in 2019.

The popular Ballyconnell venue is reaping the rewards for its decision to invest – with bookings in its hotel, golf, leisure, spa, wedding and conference markets all up over the last 12 months compared to in 2018.

Slieve Russell has implemented a major improvement programme over the last few years, with the opening of its state-of-the-art Cranaghan Suite and the rebranding of its golf club as PGA National

Ireland Slieve Russell among the significant changes taking place.

The launch last February of the Cranaghan Suite – which can accommodate up to 1,000 people – helped the resort register an increase of more than 20 per cent in the number of residential conference bed nights booked in 2019.

Slieve Russell also reported an eight per cent rise in wedding bookings and seven per cent increase in the amount of rounds played on its 18-hole championship golf course, while a successful Christmas – the hotel was fully booked from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day – resulted in the total number of room nights booked.

Soda & Starch In Top 100

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erry’s Soda & Starch Pantry and Grill has been recognised

by The Sunday Times Ireland in its 100 Best Restaurants. Only eight Northern Ireland businesses made it onto the coveted list which was published by John and Sally McKenna.

This is the second consecutive year that Soda & Starch has made it onto the prestigious list. A partnership between top chef Raymond Moran and local entrepreneur Ciaran O’Neill, Managing Director of the award-winning Bishop’s Gate Hotel, the eatery, which is nestled inside Derry’s Walls in the heart of the Craft Village, is open Wednesday to

Saturday and serves lunch and dinner.

Describing the culinary artistry of Soda & Starch’s Chef and Patron, Raymond Moran, in their recommendation John and Sally McKenna said: “Look at the way he riffs on old warhorses like steak and onion rings, or seafood cocktail, or chocolate pudding, or a plate of pork belly and fillet. These are all Irish staples, standards of the kitchen. But Moran takes them on a dance of culinary delight by rebirthing, refining, and adding depth to their potential. He understands these dishes, and he understands how to make them better.”

Soda & Starch’s Chef and Patron, Raymond Moran, is pictured with Ciaran O’Neill, Entrepreneur and Managing Director of the boutique Bishop’s Gate Hotel.

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Eye on News

Agnew Group Marks Charity Milestone Agnew Group, one of Northern Ireland’s top car retailers, has raised £300,000 for the province’s biggest cancer charity for children as it rounds off a three-year partnership with the third sector organisation.

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he money raised exceeded the car sales firm’s target of £200,000 that it set back in 2017 when it made a pledge with Cancer Fund for Children to help support its services which include everything from residential group support to therapeutic short breaks for young people and their families living with cancer.

The 1150-strong team at Agnew Group generated the money through a range of initiatives including payroll giving, cake sales, golf days and a Mourne Mountain Challenge.

It also further assisted the charity by hosting a volunteers’

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event at its Audi Belfast dealership where Cancer Fund for Children celebrated the work carried out by its many supporters as well as showcasing its future plans.

Phil Alexander, CEO at Cancer Fund for Children said: “On behalf of the young people and families at Cancer Fund for Children, we are extremely grateful to the Agnew Group for their incredible energy and enthusiasm over the past three years in helping raise vital funds and build awareness of childhood cancer.

“The dedication of each member of staff from the Agnew Group has been incredible. The Agnew

Yuile Magee, Managing Director at Agnew Group is pictured with Phil Alexander, CEO at Cancer Fund for Children.

Group has also very generously matched all of their staff’s donations which has brought them to their phenomenal final total of £300,000.

“Our services help to empower, connect and strengthen young people and their families so they feel better equipped to deal with the impact cancer has on their lives. Providing these services would not be possible without the support of companies such as the Agnew Group.”

Yuile Magee, Managing Director at Agnew Group added: “Working to raise funds for Cancer Fund for Children has been a true labour of love for our entire team. The work that Cancer Fund for Children does helps ease what is the most challenging time in many families’ lives here and we are grateful for that service and are honoured to have played a small role in enabling that amazing work to go further.”

Mr Magee said the company looks forward to entering into a new charitable partnership with mental health charity MindWise this year: “As our partnership comes to an end with Cancer Fund for Children, the team at Agnew Group look forward to working with a new organisation that is also making a difference to those who need it most.

“The funds we now raise will help roll out MindWise’s Family Wellness Project to the Belfast Trust and enable the charity to provide dedicated support.

“The Family Wellness Project aims to enhance the emotional health and wellbeing of children aged 5-12 who are at risk of developing significant mental health difficulties.

Currently it is only available through the Southern and Western Health Trusts and we are honoured to help play a role in extending that service beyond those confines.”

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