Business Eye February/March 2020

Issue 195 February/ March 2020 £2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

Building On The Past...

Designing For The Future

Features:

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Rebecca Wilson…

Quiet Revolution At Wilsons Auctions

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Donna Linehan…

Key Role At Scottish Provident

From one to many, find out how we can help your business at fleetfinancial.co.uk

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Balmoral Furniture…

100-Year Milestone & New Horizons

So, you have a big idea, a vision; but need expertise and funding to help get your idea off the ground

You have the idea. We have the funding.

They have the know-how.

co-innovateprogramme.eu/LEAP

LOOKING for EXPERT help & a new APPROACH to your PROJECT challenges?

Expertise and funding to bring your idea to life.

You’re bursting to develop this new product, service, or process to take your business to the next level. What you need to make the leap is specialist expertise and an employee who’ll help make your vision a reality. Co-Innovate’s LEAP initiative can help support your project needs.

Spearheaded by the Co-Innovate Programme, supported by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, LEAP provides funding and support to identify an academic partner and attract a talented project specialist to execute your innovation project.

It’s this simple. LEAP will match exactly the right academic expertise for your project. Added to that, we will help recruit a high calibre applicant to work within your business for 12 months. You will choose and employ them, but LEAP pays half of their salary.

Find out if LEAP can help your business visit: co-innovateprogramme.eu/LEAP

Or

So if you have an innovative idea in agri food or tech, life and health sciences, renewables, manufacturing or even tradable services, take the first step with LEAP today.

Register now: co-innovateprogramme.eu/LEAP And let’s see how far we go together.

A project supported by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Or contact Carolyne Murphy: E: Carolyne.Murphy@co-innovateprogramme.eu T: +44 (0) 28 3083 4195

Contents

Feb/Mar 2020 ISSUE 195

Cover Story

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TODD…Building On The Past, Designing For The Future

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Applied Systems Europe Appoints New CEO Applied Systems has named Andy Fairchild as the Chief Executive Officer of Applied Systems Europe. Fairchild will lead Applied’s European business to support significant growth and the expansion of digital broker technologies in the market.

Richard Buckley catches up with Peter Minnis of Belfastbased TODD Architects, best known as the architects behind the iconic Titanic Belfast building, but also the creative forces behind a plethora of high profile projects here in Northern Ireland and right across the British Isles.

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Investment Outlook… A Tale Of Three Cycles

Sales & Auctions

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Rebecca Wilson… Leading A Quiet Revolution At Wilsons Auctions

Donough Kilmurray, Davy’s newly appointed Chief Investment Officer, takes a detailed look at the prospects for investors as 202 unfolds.

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Dr Anita Sands Delivers Key Lecture At Queen’s Global technology and business leader Dr Anita Sands recently delivered the Queen’s Management School Mary McAleese Diversity Lecture, in association with the Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s.

Rebecca Wilson has seen the look and feel of the Wilsons Auctions business change for the better since she started working full-time some 14 years ago. From a handful of female employees, the firm now has a very different gender balance. 40% of its total staff are women and they fill a wide variety of key roles at the UK and Ireland operation.

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Standing Out From The Crowd A closer look at how A&L Goodbody’s Belfast office leverages expertise from the all-island firm and its dedicated team to offer clients a unique proposition.

Business Personalities

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Family Business & The Importance Of Success Planning Business Eye joined forces with leading Belfast law firm Elliott Duffy Garrett to stage a Round Table Discussion on the key issues for family business owners and managers here in Northern Ireland touches on financial planning, wills and probate, matrimonial law and a wide range of other potential problem areas.

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Prestigious UK Honour For Belfast Met Belfast Metropolitan College has been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize – a UK-wide award recognising excellence, innovation and public benefit in work carried out by UK colleges and universities.

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Magic Beans… A Partnership Approach To Accounting In the rather predictable world of accountancy, the name of Clare Galloway and Sharon Brown’s company leaps out from the crowd. A nod to the old bean counter nickname, it’s a name that says a lot about the business and its founders.

Business Centres

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Donna Linehan…Key Role At Scottish Provident Donna Linehan says that customer service and dealing with people are the passions of her working life. That won’t come as any surprise to anyone who meets her around the corridors of Belfast’s Scottish Provident Building or elsewhere..

Regulars

Specials

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Allianz Arts & Business Awards 2020 Belfast’s Lyric Theatre once again played host to over 250 guests recently for the Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards 2020, spotlighting local organisations who’ve supported the vitality of the arts sector here.

Eye on Wealth Management

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Eye on Manufacturing

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Eye on Moving On

Eye on Communications

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Eye on Economics

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Eye on Motoring

73

Eye on Public Relations

45

Eye on Awards

66

Eye on Events

79

Eye on Technology Special

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Eye on Marketing

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

Editor Richard Buckley Commercial Director Brenda Buckley

Business Development Manager Ciara Donnelly

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

Just when we thought that we were entering a period of relative calm, a spell of positivity even, the coronavirus outbreak is heaping a whole lot more uncertainty on to the economy here.

Comment

“The coronavirus outbreak might have been blamed for hammering the final nail into Flybe’s coffin.

But, as we’re all aware, the airline was in serious financial trouble before anyone had ever heard of Wuhan.”

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dd that to the fact that Brexit is by no means done and dusted and you have an outlook that’s a little shady at best, possibly a good lot worse than that.

There’s little doubt that hysterical and sensationalist media coverage is doing nothing to get us through a difficult situation.

That said, the facts and future prognosis don’t look particularly cheering.

The pace of events in Italy has taken us all by surprise. So it’s perhaps no shock that we’re seeing reports over recent days and weeks of UK towns and villages having to be cut off, giant morgues, troops on the streets. All of this, of course, is speculation over what might happen.

It’s not reporting on what is happening.

At the time of writing, the crisis has had relatively little effect here in Northern Ireland.

Pubs and restaurants are still fairly busy, apart from one exception at the time of writing few large employers have had to send staff home to work, and all is as normal as could be expected.

It’s almost inevitable that this will change.

There will be many more cases of coronavirus and, as this progresses, public events will be cancelled and the hospitality and tourism industries will take a hit. That’s not good news as we work our way through March and the start of the tourist season proper in April.

The fact is that the virus is here and that things are likely to get a whole lot worse before they get better. But there’s a real likelihood that it’ll not last that long.

Meanwhile, the collapse of Flybe was a major blow for Northern Ireland in real terms. The coronavirus outbreak might have been blamed for hammering the final nail into Flybe’s coffin. But, as we’re all aware, the airline was in serious financial trouble before anyone had ever heard of Wuhan.

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

The airline’s failure, at a stroke, took away the major operator from Belfast City Airport.

One glance at the airport’s departures or arrivals boards tells a very sad story. The airport has been left with its BA/Aer Lingus Heathrow flights and just a handful of others. Whilst Loganair might have stepped in on a couple of smaller services to and from Scotland, there’s unlikely to be a queue in the present climate to snap up the others.

Other airlines are bound to start feeling the pain of this crisis as people cancel or delay travel plans until the situation improves. Let’s hope that the likes of easyJet are financially strong and resilient enough to survive what should be a temporary downturn in bookings.

Meanwhile, life goes on. There are plenty of worried business owners out there, concerned about a situation that none of us can do anything about.

The best course of action is to carry on as normal. Get out to those meetings, attend business events, go to the pub, and keep on eating at your favourite restaurants. There’s really no need, and certainly no point, in hiding under the stairs with your baked beans and bog rolls.

To be fair to our oft-criticised politicians, they’ve tried to set a bit of an example.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds has been out in the US of A, and she was due to have been followed by the Arlene Foster & Michelle O’Neill double act for St. Patrick’s Day. But they took the decision not to make the trip.

It’s not going to be easy, particularly for some businesses. But keep the faith. It will pass.

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•DESIGN •BUILD • C R E AT E

Eye on News

Young Enterprise Launches Young Money Brand

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oung Enterprise NI has launched its ‘Young Money’ brand. In partnership with Bank of Ireland, this partnership initiative provides young people and educators with the opportunity to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence in money matters to increase financial wellbeing and help them thrive in society. Key Bank of Ireland representatives will engage directly with both primary and secondary schools throughout Northern Ireland tackling a wide range of financial subjects, including debt, budgeting, insurance and solving money problems.

Speaking about ‘Young Money’, CEO of Young Enterprise NI, Carol Fitzsimons MBE said: “We are delighted to be working with Bank of Ireland on this very exciting initiative in both Primary and Post Primary education.

I know as a parent and employer, that personal confidence in money

management is a really important skill for young people to develop, and our saving & spending behaviours are developed from a young age.

As an integral part of our programme offering in Young Enterprise, this will support the development of financial confidence in young people.

In NI, we witness the socio-economic challenges that living in poverty can have, which we need to work together to address, and financial wellbeing is a key part of this”.

Bank of Ireland’s Ian Sheppard said: “At Bank of Ireland we are passionate about promoting responsible money management and are delighted to be involved in a scheme that will help young people develop these skills from an early age.

“Developed with Young Enterprise NI, the ‘Young Money’ programme is all about helping to build financial

Holly Steenson St Joseph’s Primary School and Michael Toal, Ballydown Primary School with Carol Fitzsimons Young Enterprise CEO and Bank of Ireland’s Ian Sheppard

confidence for young people. We will help to do this by sharing our knowledge on key financial issues, engaging our staff directly in schools and providing support for a number of financial capability programmes throughout Northern Ireland.

“We hope this will be a highly engaging, rewarding and fun programme and look forward to helping young people in Northern Ireland develop the key financial skills that will serve them throughout the rest of their life.”

Football Legend To Star At FTA Northern Ireland Logistics Lunch Former Premier League footballer Andy Cole will be speaking at FTA’s annual Northern Ireland Logistics Lunch, to be held at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast on Friday 5 June 2020.

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amed for his role in helping Manchester United secure a treble victory in 1999 – the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles – the ex-England striker will inspire the audience with his tales of success, failure and resilience as post-lunch entertainment.

Seamus Leheny, Policy Manager for Northern Ireland at FTA, the only business group that represents all of logistics, comments: “We are thrilled to have secured Andy Cole as post-lunch entertainment at this annual event. His illustrious career as a professional footballer – which has seen him go down in history as one of English football’s most talented players – will make for an insightful and inspirational talk for sports fans and non-sports fans alike. I am looking forward to celebrating another successful

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year for the logistics sector with the industry’s finest; do not miss your chance to join us!

“The annual lunch is the perfect forum at which to recognise industry achievements, network with peers, enjoy a delicious three course lunch and informally debate the key issues and opportunities facing the logistics with logistics experts from across the province.”

The event also serves as a fundraiser for PIPS Charity, a Belfast-based organisation providing suicide prevention and bereavement support services, counselling and therapies throughout Northern Ireland.

A table of 10 places is available to book for £1,100 +VAT or a table of five for is £550 +VAT. For more information or to book a place, please visit fta.co.uk/PRnillunch

Eye on News

IoD Launches HR Leaders Forum With HNH Human Capital

Institute of Directors Northern Ireland (IoD NI) Chairman Gordon Milligan joins HNH Human Capital Managing Partner Sarah Orange to launch a new HR Leaders Forum.

The Institute of Directors Northern Ireland (IoD NI) has launched a new HR Leaders Forum in partnership with specialist recruitment agency HNH Human Capital.

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imed at providing a platform for HR leaders to learn best practice and attain new skills for the boardroom, the forum was launched at a special event at The Merchant Hotel, Belfast.

IoD NI Chairman Gordon Milligan said: “Without exception, the priority issues raised with us by members are a lack of access to skills and labour shortages, whether it is concerns about being unable to attract talent

locally or how to recruit from outside Northern Ireland in the face of changing immigration laws.

“There has therefore never been a better time to ensure HR professionals are occupying senior positions in our businesses and taking up leadership roles on our boards.

“Our new HR Leaders Forum presents a real opportunity for those operating in HR and personnel roles to meet, learn from each other and gain new skills.

“This will empower them to interface with the boardroom and influence conversations happening at that level.”

Sarah Orange, Managing Partner, HNH Human Capital added: “In business, we often talk about investment in physical capital, buildings, equipment and infrastructure, all of which are vitally important in supporting growth – but people make the greatest impact.

“This is obvious to us as we work to place executives at companies in a diverse range of sectors across Northern Ireland.

“Given the nature of their positions, with insight across all departments in organisations, we see a tremendous role for HR professionals in helping to grow our business and in turn, the economy.

“We are delighted to champion

their work and support them in their continued development through the HR Leaders Forum.”

The Forum will meet regularly, with a dinner planned this August to be addressed by Jackie Henry Deloitte UK Consulting People & Purpose Lead and Northern Ireland Office Senior.

For further details about the HR Leaders Forum, contact IoD NI Business Development Manager Heather White on heather.white@iod.com

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Eye on News

Firmus Energy Links With Air Ambulance NI Natural gas company firmus energy has chosen Air Ambulance NI as its nominated ‘Charity of the Year’.

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ver the next year the company will run a series of corporate and staff events to raise vital funds for the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) charity.

Air Ambulance NI provides prehospital critical care to patients across Northern Ireland whose lives are at serious risk following significant injury or trauma. The charity, along with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, provides the HEMS and the helicopter can get anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately 25 minutes, with interventions at scene that can dramatically increase chances of patient survival.

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firmus energy has chosen Air Ambulance NI as its nominated ‘Charity of the Year’. Pictured (L-R): Denise Curran, Financial Director, firmus energy, Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising, Air Ambulance NI and Rochelle Magee, firmus energy’s charity ambassador and Caroline Kelly, Marketing Officer, firmus energy.

Fundraising of £5,500 a day is required to keep this lifesaving service operational. To date, since its launch in July 2017, Air Ambulance NI has been called out to over 1,254 incidents.

Delighted to have the support of firmus energy for 2020, AANI’s Head of Fundraising Kerry Anderson said: “Serious or life-threatening situations can and do happen regularly and, on average every day in Northern Ireland, one or two individuals find themselves in desperate need of the Air Ambulance NI service. To ensure the service is sustained, we need to raise £2 million each year, so support from corporate partners like firmus energy is crucial.

We are really looking forward to seeing the partnership develop and working with staff to raise funds.”

Rochelle Magee, firmus energy’s charity ambassador, added:

“Each year firmus energy searches for a charity to support that really means something to our staff. Over the next year we give our time and our expertise to fundraise and make a lasting difference to the work of these organisations. Air Ambulance NI is a fantastic organisation that has a real impact to the lives of people who live in Northern Ireland. We are delighted to be working with them in 2020.”

If you would like to donate, organise an event or could spare some time volunteering, please contact Air Ambulance NI by email at info@airambulanceni.org or call 028 9262 2677.

Sponsored by

LOCAL COMPANIES LOCAL COMMUNITY LOCAL CHARITY To find out how to get involved, contact Action Cancer’s retail department on

028 9080 3344 retail@actioncancer.org www.actioncancer.org

Eye on News

Food Suppliers Urged To Enter Flagship Fresh Innovation Awards Henderson Wholesale has launched its 2020 Fresh Innovation Awards programme with winners set to be announced on May 15 at this year’s Balmoral Show.

Gordon McAtamney (left) from butchery company K&G McAtamney and Neal Kelly, Henderson Group Fresh Food Director launch Henderson’s 2020 Fresh Innovation Awards.

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he awards, now in their eighth year, honour local farmers, growers and suppliers who work with Henderson Wholesale’s Fresh Team to further improve customer product ranges in SPAR and EUROSPAR supermarkets throughout Northern Ireland.

The initiative features seven categories including Own Brand Supplier of the Year which rewards food companies who help improve and revamp the ‘enjoy local’ and The Kitchen brands, the Product Innovation Award highlighting those who shake up how we use local ingredients to produce homemade and entirely local ranges and the CSR focussed Tomorrow Matters Award.

New for 2020 is Fresh Produce Supplier of the Year which seeks to recognise dynamic farmers, growers and wholesale suppliers who produce and/or distribute innovative and convenient great tasting product ranges.

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Other retained categories are Excellence in Regional Delivery and Overall Supplier of the Year whilst criteria for the Young Food Innovator award has been tweaked to include talented individuals aged up to 35.

Television news presenter and co-host of BBC’s Home Ground programme, Jo Scott is MC of the awards breakfast at Balmoral and awards programme judges are; food writer, Sam Butler, Irish News Business Editor, Gary McDonald, DAERA Head of Future Food Policy, Joy Alexander, Food NI’s Michele Shirlow and Ulster University’s Dr Lynsey Hollywood. Chair of the panel is Henderson Wholesale’s Fresh Food Trading Controller, Nigel Dugan.

Neal Kelly, Henderson Group Fresh Food Director launched the 2020 awards alongside Gordon McAtamney from butchery company K&G McAtamney who last year picked up the top award, Overall Supplier of the Year. Urging suppliers to enter this year’s awards programme Neal said: “Our local suppliers are essential to the growth of our wholesale business and the Fresh Innovation Awards recognises and honours the pioneering work they undertake to push the boundaries in fresh food production and how they wow our customers with new and superb quality product ranges.

Local suppliers to Henderson Group can enter the Fresh Innovation Awards via www.freshinnovationawards.com.

SPAR Northern Ireland owned by the Henderson Group will once again support the Balmoral Show as a Platinum sponsor, offering visitors an extensive programme of family fun with taste testing from local suppliers alongside performances and entertainment in the SPAR Arena.

Patrick Doody, Henderson Group Sales & Marketing Director added, “We’re thrilled to once again be part of the largest show in the agricalendar and are looking forward to showcasing our brand and our passion for local produce.”

Eye on News

Applied Systems Europe Appoints New CEO

Andy Fairchild (left) with David McKnight, Regional Director of Applied Systems Europe

Applied Systems has named Andy Fairchild as the Chief Executive Officer of Applied Systems Europe. Fairchild will lead Applied’s European business to support significant growth and the expansion of digital broker technologies in the market.

“I

am delighted to be joining Applied during this exciting and fastpaced time of digitally-driven change in our industry,” said Fairchild. “I look forward to working with the talented members of Team Applied and expanding operations to further support our growing customer base with industryleading technology and services.”

Fairchild joins Applied with more than 30 years of insurance and customer service leadership experience. Most recently, he served as retail managing director for Jentsen Group. Prior, he was chief executive officer of Broker Network, the largest and longest-established General Insurance Broker Network in the UK, where he delivered an expansive strategy built around members, partner acquisitions and products. Fairchild also previously held senior positions at Footman James, Axa and First Direct.

“We are excited to welcome Andy as Applied’s European CEO as we further scale our European operations,” said Taylor Rhodes, chief executive officer, Applied Systems. “His extensive industry expertise and commitment to customer experience will be instrumental in

furthering Applied’s mission to provide innovative technologies that enable brokers, insurers and customers to interact in ways that are more productive, simple, intelligent and valuable.”

Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance.

Recognised as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

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Eye on Tax Advertising Feature

Make 2020 a Less Taxing Year The run-up to the end of the tax year provides ‘use it or lose it’ opportunities to help secure your financial future and pay less tax on the inheritance you leave your loved ones.

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ell over a decade since the financial crisis, the world is still a very uncertain place.

Despite this, investors have enjoyed the benefits of a strong run by stock markets around the world, coupled with continuing low volatility1.

However, it would be wrong to believe that market shocks are a thing of the past. From uncertainty over Brexit to trade wars, there are many risks that pose a challenge to investors now; and any number of unforeseen factors in the years to come.

But these are beyond our control; they cannot be allowed to prevent us from planning our financial futures. Indeed, we will give ourselves the best chance of achieving our financial goals if we focus on what we can control: how and where we invest our money, how much tax we pay, the size of our retirement fund, and how much of our estate passes to our family free of Inheritance Tax (IHT).

Effective financial planning should be a year-round activity. Valuable reliefs and allowances can help to create long-term financial security for ourselves and our family.

ISAs ISAs have become one of the most popular ways to save, principally because they are simple and readily accessible.

The substantial increase in the ISA allowance to £20,000 was a very welcome step in encouraging individuals to invest for their future. However, as interest rates in the UK remain near

record lows, money being held in Cash ISAs is failing to achieve the very basic objective of keeping pace with inflation.

The result is real losses for savers.

Those who are investing their ISA allowance for the long term – in assets offering the scope for attractive levels of income and capital growth – are giving themselves a better chance of maximising the tax-saving opportunities on offer.

Individuals yet to use their ISA allowance, or with accumulated ISA savings, need to carefully consider their options to ensure that they are maximising this valuable opportunity to generate tax-efficient capital and income for the future.

Pensions Saving into a pension is an even more attractive prospect than it was a few years ago. This is because there is much greater freedom for taking benefits; and pension savings can now be more easily left as part of a tax-free inheritance. However, the advantages extend further than just drawing benefits and passing money on to loved ones: the government still rewards savers by giving them tax relief on their eligible pension contributions.

For every 80p you contribute to a pension, the government automatically adds 20p in tax relief. Higher earners can claim extra tax relief through their annual tax return, meaning that a £1 pension contribution can effectively cost just 60p.

While tax relief is seen as a means to encourage pension saving, the annual

cost to the Exchequer of providing it is around £38 billion2. With the government under increasing pressure to reduce public spending, there’s no guarantee that the higher rates of tax relief will be maintained into the future.

Those wishing to make their retirement plans a reality should consider fully utilising their annual allowance for this tax year to make the most of the tax breaks on offer. Unused allowances can be carried forward, but only from the three previous tax years. This financial year is the final chance for pension savers to use the allowance for 2016/17: if it is not used by 5 April 2020, it will be lost forever.

Inheritance Tax There are few more confusing – or unpopular – taxes than IHT. But continued confusion and inertia means that the Office for Budget Responsibility expects to see a 19% increase in IHT revenues over the next four years3.

However, there are a number of exemptions that allow individuals to reduce future bills. Perhaps the best known is the annual gifting allowance, which gives individuals the opportunity to remove £3,000 of assets from their estate immediately (£6,000 if they use the previous year’s allowance as well).

Taking steps to reduce your taxable estate by topping up a child’s pension or

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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Junior ISA could go a long way to providing them with an invaluable head start in life. Make this year’s £3,000 gifting allowance count – and carry forward last year’s, if you haven’t used it already.

It’s a time of the year when individuals and couples are given an opportunity to put their long-term plans back on track by using reliefs and allowances that would otherwise be lost. Nevertheless, this requires some knowledge and expertise.

That’s why you should speak with a financial adviser to better understand how you can gain maximum advantage for this year and the years to come.

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount invested.

The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances.

1 CBOE Volatility Index (‘VIX’), accessed 5 September 2019 2 HM Revenue and Customs, ‘Personal Pensions Statistics’, April 2019 3 Office for Budget Responsibility, Economic and fiscal outlook – March 2019

To receive a complimentary guide covering wealth management, retirement planning or Inheritance Tax planning, contact IQ & Co Ltd. on 02890 428000 or email IQ and Co iqandco@sjpp.co.uk.

Eye on News

Glenarm Castle Glamping Pods Awarded Four Stars

by Tourism NI

FURTHER.SPACE at Glenarm Castle glamping pods is the first pod site to be awarded Guest Accommodation Certification and a four star grading by Tourism NI.

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lenarm Castle pods are located in the grounds of the 17th Century Castle, with spectacular views along the Causeway Coastal Route. The pods are situated near some of Northern Ireland’s best known tourist spots such as Dunluce Castle, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, the Giant’s Causeway and several Game of Thrones filming locations.

Guests at Glenarm Castle pods can enhance their stay with a stroll around the historic Walled Gardens, a visit to the Tea Room and Byre Shop, a short walk to picturesque village of Glenarm, or a campfire experience from the team at Glenarm Castle.

Samantha Corr, Quality & Standards Manager at Tourism NI

commented on the four star grading: “Over 4.7 million bed spaces were sold across the accommodation sector in Northern Ireland in 2019. Our visitors are looking for high quality accommodation and memorable experiences. Further.space at Glenarm Castle pods are in an ideal position to meet that demand as they offer well-designed, comfortable accommodation in a unique setting, where visitors can relax as well as explore all that Northern Ireland has to offer.

Samantha added; “Achieving four stars from their first grading assessment demonstrates the team’s dedication and hard work, and their ability to go above and beyond for their guests. The

Further.space at Glenarm Castle glamping pods is the first pod site to be awarded Guest Accommodation Certification and a four star grading by Tourism NI. Pictured at the grading announcement is (L to R) Peter Farquharson, further.space with Samantha Corr from Tourism NI.

whole team at further.space and Glenarm Castle Estate have put in an enormous amount of work to achieve this award and I applaud their efforts.”

Launched in November 2018 further.Space operates a range of sites across the island of Ireland. Peter Farquharson, Further.Space CEO said; “We are so proud to have our pod site recognised with this grading as our vision is to go beyond the ordinary and let customers stay somewhere exclusive, cosy and stylish with nature on our doorstep.

We work closely with our partners to provide a great experience for our customers and Glenarm Castle is doing a great job of maintaining luxury levels of service. We have had over 100 amazing reviews already from customers, not only loving the pod accommodation, but the overall experience”.

This has been a long-time dream for the team at Glenarm Castle, with direct overview from Lord and Lady Dunluce who had been looking for the right fit solution to allow the public to enjoy the Estate in an overnight setting.

Lady Dunluce, of Glenarm Castle, who personally oversaw the pod interiors and landscaping said; “Achieving 4-star grading is an important milestone for us as it reflects the pride in our Estate, plus the luxury and the comforts we want our customers to experience.

We have had many people from the Island of Ireland travel and stay with us, but we have also received visitors from all over the world, such as USA, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Germany, Spain, France, to name a few who are looking for this level of comfort, but giving them the option of something a little different.”

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Eye on News

DANSKE BANK SUPPORTS £3M INVESTMENT In Local Housing Developments

Belfast and Moira are set to benefit from two new housing developments following a £3m investment by Mayfair Homes NI. The investment has been supported by Danske Bank.

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ayfair Homes NI was established in 2012 and the company has completed several developments in Belfast, Ballyclare, Dundonald and Holywood.

The new Northview Lane development will consist of 18 new houses on the Antrim Road, Belfast.

Construction of the detached and semi-detached houses is underway with work set to last 18 months.

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A separate development known as The Linen Field in Moira has been under construction for four years. The development will boast 75 new houses when complete, with 30 units still to be built, with support from Danske Bank.

Victoria Patterson, Director at Mayfair Homes NI, said: “We’re investing £1m in the Northview Lane development on the Antrim Road. These four bed

Pictured (L-R) are Fiona King, Corporate Finance at HNH; Michelle Wilson, Business Manager at Danske Bank and Victoria Patterson, Director at Mayfair Homes NI.

properties will be finished to a luxury turnkey specification with video entry systems and chrome finishes throughout.

“Our Linen Fields development has proved very popular and this next phase will offer a wide range of two, three and four bed properties. Ranging from 863 sq. ft right up to 1,520 sq. ft, we feel these houses will appeal to a wide range of buyers.”

She added: “We are an ambitious company and we want to continue to expand our portfolio. We’re actively looking for new sites and look forward to bringing more developments to market.”

Michelle Wilson, Business Manager at Danske Bank, said:

“Mayfair Homes NI is in a period of sustained growth with the company’s developments selling well to date. The number of new homes coming to market in Northern Ireland has been in decline for the last three months, so this is welcome news for prospective home buyers.

“Each property is completed to a high standard and these new developments will continue to help meet the demand for new housing.”

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Eye on Investment

2020 Investment Outlook A tale of 3 cycles

Donough Kilmurray, Davy’s newly appointed Chief Investment Officer.

In my new role as Chief Investment Officer for Davy, I was delighted to share our Outlook for 2020 with a packed audience at our recent event at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast, along with a panel of speakers from Davy UK and our guest Angela McGowan, Chief Economist from Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

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Eye on Investment 2019 will go down in history as an exceptionally strong year for global stock markets, as major indices in the United States reached new record highs. This may well have come as a surprise to investors who exited the markets in the fourth quarter of 2018 when these same indices fell by almost 20%. European markets similarly rebounded strongly from 2018 losses.

Considering that these returns happened during a deterioration of the US/China trade war, continued political dysfunction across the UK and Europe, and a slowdown in China makes them even more remarkable.

A significant driver was the change in direction from central banks, in particular the US Federal Reserve (The Fed). While interest rates were on a steady hiking trajectory throughout 2018 and were expected to continue rising into 2019, the sharp sell-off in stocks caused the Fed to reverse course and cut rates instead. Now that stocks and bonds have enjoyed the benefits of these easier conditions, the natural question is where do we go from here?

After over a decade of expansion, there is a growing feeling that this cycle must be almost over. In fact, some forecasting models suggest that a US recession, and with it a bear market for global risk assets, may be upon us within a year or two. While we’re encouraged to think long term as investors, it’s difficult not to be distracted by cyclical concerns. Although cycle models are built by looking at the past, and the world economy has evolved, we still study them to see what we can learn about the current investment environment.

The first thing we question is whether it is realistic to think that we can capture everything in one model. In fact, we prefer to think along three different lines – the business cycle, the credit cycle and the market cycle.

By the business cycle, we mean the economy itself. The job market, wages and inflation are classic measures, along

Panel speakers at the Davy UK Outlook 2020 conference in the Merchant Hotel.

with business profitability and investment. The good news is that despite the negative news flow and political tensions, unemployment is very low, wages are rising and the consumer in the US and Europe is still going strong. At the same time, inflation remains stubbornly below target levels, allowing central banks to maintain their accommodative policies. Manufacturing data, which weakened last year, has returned to an uptrend. Overall the chances of recession, and a bear market, are still low.

Another important measure of economic health is the credit cycle. The size and growth of private debt don’t predict the timing of a recession, but as we learned in 2008, they do tell us how severe a downturn can be. Again, there is good news – household and bank debt ratios have declined since the global financial crisis. Particularly in the US, as well as in badly hit European economies like Spain and Ireland. In the UK, household debt ratios did decline for several years, before stabilising at current levels. So if we are wrong about the business cycle, a recession will not be as damaging as before. The exception to this benign credit outlook is in China, where corporate debt has risen at an enormous pace.

If neither the business nor the credit cycle are flashing red, does this mean a green light for investors? Unfortunately, the market cycle has moved ahead of the economy and equity valuations are already at advanced levels, in the US and also in Europe. This doesn’t predict when a bear market will happen, but it does tell us that return prospects from these levels are lower than usual. Importantly, this is not sufficient reason to sell stocks, especially with cash and bond yields even less attractive. It may mean though that we are more vulnerable to panicky sell-offs, and so we remain vigilant should opportunities arise. For example, looking back at the SARS outbreak, and considering China’s larger role in today’s world economy, we would have expected a larger market impact from the corona virus. For now though, we maintain our positions and wait.

We acknowledge that there are always risks to our positive view, and we position our portfolios with these in mind. If a global slowdown does happen, we still have our allocation to fixed income, and our higher quality equity allocation should be relatively resilient. If inflation does surprise to the upside, we have real assets such as infrastructure and inflation-linked bonds. As always, investment success depends on diversification,

selectivity, and, most importantly, formulating and sticking with a clear financial plan.

If you want to discuss any of the above topics in more detail, why not get in touch with one of our advisers on 02890 310655 or belfast@davy.ie and request a no-obligation conversation.

Warning: Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns and future returns are not guaranteed. The value of investments and of any income derived from them may go down as well as up. You may not get back all of your original investment. Returns on investments may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations.

Warning: Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future performance.

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 and Davy Private Clients, 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.

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Eye on Cover Story

TODD...

Building On The Past...

Designing For The Future When he set up his architectural practice back in 1976 in a Belfast already devastated by the Troubles, Barrie Todd couldn’t have known that it would become the best known architectural firm in Northern Ireland.

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orty four years on, the firm that still bears his name is double the size of any other architectural practice in the province with a team of over 80 people, studios in Belfast, Dublin and London, and a diverse mix of public and private sector projects under its belt right across the British Isles.

“We’re always led by design, but as a firm, we’re very commercially aware.

We have to be,” says Peter Minnis who, alongside partner Paul Crowe, bought over the firm from Barrie Todd back in 2000. Since then, the pair have added six other directors, with three, Andrew Murray, Jim Mulholland and Daragh Coleman becoming equity directors in 2019, as part of the company’s succession planning.

As a firm, TODD’s credentials and its expertise ranges across just about every sector – civic, education, healthcare, leisure, retail and so the list goes on. On these shores, Minnis & Crowe and their team are perhaps best known for one landmark building.

TODD’s were the architects for the iconic Titanic Belfast and they’ve got the awards to prove it. Their contribution to the wider Titanic Quarter development includes the likes of Belfast Metropolitan College, The Public Records Office for N.I. and Citi’s HQ. The firm is also based in the historic Titanic House, the old Harland & Wolff offices next door to the Titanic Hotel.

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And just across the river, they’re also responsible for the building now known as ICC Belfast, the international conference and events space on Belfast’s Waterfront, once disparagingly referred to as both ‘The Box On The Docks’ and “The Wagon on the Lagan”.

Peter Minnis laughs off these kinds of descriptions. “It’s something we’re well used to as architects. There are always plenty of critics out there,” he smiles.

TODD’s experience and expertise goes a whole lot further than what might be described as grandstand projects and Minnis is at pains to point out that it’s buildings can bring a wider societal benefit. In the world of education, new schools like that at Ashfield Girls High in East Belfast have made a real difference to the pupil’s academic performance and behaviour. And, in health, facilities like the six primary care centres they completed across Belfast and the new Omagh Hospital & Primary Care Complex that have transformed local healthcare provision.

The practice’s broad reach and its record of innovation is still a source of pride for Barrie Todd, long retired but still an interested observer of all things architectural. If the firm’s work has helped to revolutionise Belfast, so did some of its early commercial decisions.

Barrie moved his firm into Hill Street in Cathedral Quarter when the area was largely deserted,

letting the first floor of the new building to restaurateur Nick Price...and the rest is history.

TODD Architects remained based there until five years ago when it moved across the river to its Titanic base.

The company has developed a number of niches along the way. On the office front, it designed Invest NI’s headquarters (one of a number of its buildings used as a location for Line Of Duty) and, more recently, was the creative force behind and the newly-opened Erskine House on Chichester Street, HMRC’s HQ in the province. And since acquiring aviation specialist architects MAP in 2013 has worked on a number of airport projects at George Best Belfast City, and Bristol International, where the practice has become increasingly aware of its environmental responsibilities in the sector.

Peter Minnis adds a warning on the office front, though. “We’re hearing about a lot of plans involving large-scale office space – the likes of Tribeca, Belfast Waterside and City Quays. But frustratingly it seems there are few occupier requirements out there for buildings of this scale.

“That’s despite the fact that rental levels here represent really good value at £20/sqft, compared to maybe £30/sqft in Leeds and £35/sqft in Manchester. In Dublin, you’ll pay €60 or €70/sqft for Grade A office space.”

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Eye on Cover Story Looking forward, the TODD team is involved in a number of key projects around Belfast and beyond. It’s working on the transformation of the old King’s Hall complex at Balmoral which is to be turned into a £100 million healthcare park by developers Benmore & Octopus Healthcare.

The old ‘Thrupenny Bit’ next door to the main hall was demolished recently as part of that project, and the first phase of redevelopment is due to finish in late 2020.

Then there’s the planned Mercantile offices next door to Bank of Ireland on Donegall Square South and the long-awaited largescale mixed use revamp of Queens Parade on Bangor’s seafront.

But, just as work has taken many of Northern Ireland’s leading construction companies over to GB in recent years, the same goes – at least to some extent – for architects.

TODD has a seven-man office in London’s Fitzrovia but today’s technology-driven architecture means that projects anywhere can be designed and managed from Belfast. Current GB projects include the high-rise City Square House in the centre of Leeds, 340 apartments as part of the Battersea Power Station redevelopment in London and another major residential development called Goodluck Hope, being developed

by Ballymore on the site of an old shipbuilding yard on the banks of Thames close to the O2 Arena – a scheme of some 840 units and a £250m contract value!

Residential developments of this type in London must be brought forward with a social and affordable component built into them, something that Belfast City Council is looking to introduce in their drive to bring people back

Goodluck Hope, London

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“All you’ve got to do is to look around Belfast to see what has been achieved over more recent years. It’s been remarkable and we’re proud to have played our part. But business isn’t about looking back at achievements.

It’s about looking forward.”

to live in the city....an approach very much supported by Minnis.

Back on this side of the Irish Sea. Current TODD varied projects include a new headquarters building for Woodside Logistics in Ballynure, Build to Rent apartments on the site of UTV’s old Havelock House in Belfast, and a major mixed use development at the junction of Bruce Street and Great Victoria Street.

“That’s close to the site for the new Belfast Transport Hub, which is out for tender at the moment, a project that really could be a game changer for that part of the city centre,” adds Minnis.

The firm is also working on Olympic House, another addition to Titanic Quarter. It’s due to start on site shortly on the vacant land between the Public Records Office and Belfast Met’s Titanic Campus.

“It’s great to see development

moving forward again in Titanic Quarter and hopefully there will be much more to come in the years ahead” he adds.

“In fact, all you’ve got to do is to look around Belfast to see what has been achieved over more recent years. It’s been remarkable and we’re proud to have played our part.”

“But business isn’t about looking back at achievements. It’s about looking forward,” he says. “We are targeting increasing our turnover in the province in the next few years, with the Assembly hopefully releasing capital for new education and healthcare facilities.

We are also planning to considerably expand our commission base in Great Britain and Ireland, and with offices in the three ‘jurisdictions’, we are uniquely placed to hopefully benefit from the new post Brexit trading conditions”.

Queens Parade,Bangor seafront

Battersea Power Station redevelopment, London

The Inaugural

Rich Beem

Ireland Invitational 19th – 27th of July 2020

Portmarnock Golf Club

The European Golf Club

Royal County Down Golf Club

Royal Portrush Golf Club

The ‘Rich Beem Ireland Invitational’ takes place between the 19th – 27th of July and we are offering you the opportunity to join the former USPGA Champion to play some of the finest courses in Ireland. The perfect event for client hospitality or simply to play with friends, this is a unique opportunity to play alongside, and spend time with, one of the true characters of the game. Choose from one of the following two packages:

PACKAGE A:

PACKAGE B:

Sunday 19th July: Play Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, overnight at Mount Juliet

Thursday 23rd July: Play Royal Co. Down Golf Club, overnight Slieve Donard Resort & Spa

Monday 20th: Play Mount Juliet – 2020 Irish Open venue, overnight Mount Juliet

Friday 24th: Play Ardglass Golf Club, overnight at The Bushmills Inn

Tuesday 21st: Play The European Club, overnight Iveagh Gardens Hotel, Dublin

Saturday 25th: Play Portstewart Golf Club, overnight The Bushmills Inn

Wednesday 22nd: Play Co. Louth Golf Club (Baltray). Depart.

Sunday 26th: Play Royal Portrush Golf Club, overnight The Bushmills Inn

(Optional Rnd: Thursday 23rd Play Royal Co. Down Golf Club, overnight Slieve Donard Resort & Spa)

Price: €1,699 / £1,499 per person sharing

Price: €2,299 / £1,999 per person sharing

(excl. Royal Co. Down & overnight on July 22nd) Terms and Conditions: Packages include: Twin bedded standard rooms on a bed and breakfast basis, luxury coach transfers daily (excluding airport transfers), one golf clinic hosted by Rich Beem, gift pack, golf prizes. Single rooms available for a supplement, room upgrades available. Nightly dinner events will be organised with the host and can be added to the itinerary at a cost. A supplement of €400/£410pp will be applied to add Royal Co. Down and one night’s accommodation to Package A. Guests taking Package A must be at Portmarnock Golf Links for a 12noon tee time on the 19th and for Package B at Royal Co. Down for 08.30am on the 23rd July. Rich Beem will join the group on the evening of the 19th of July. Prices exclude: airfares, airport transfers, other meals, caddie fees and gratuities.

Contact us at travel@theconsummatepro.com or call +44 7818 000 703 for further information

Limited tee times available.

Eye on Women In Business

Rebecca Wilson...

Leading A Quiet Revolution At Wilsons Auctions

Rebecca Wilson isn’t just part of the senior leadership team at Wilsons Auctions, she also heads up something of a revolution that’s been changing the face of the company right across its UK and Ireland operations.

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rom the days when only a handful of its staff was female, the family-owned auction house has grown that proportion to an impressive 40% of the company’s total staff and it’s not finished yet according to Rebecca, one of the company’s Directors.

“I’ve been part of the business for 14 years now and I can really see the difference in the gender balance,” she says. “When I first started, I noticed right away that there were very few females.

The female staff we had tended

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to work in administrative roles or as clerks to the auctioneers, all of whom were male.

“But this is historically a maledominated industry. People still look a bit surprised when they see me up on the rostrum at an auction,” says Rebecca, who has been auctioneering as part of her working life for several years.

What’s particularly important to Rebecca and to the Wilsons Auctions group as a whole is that the progress on gender balance has been achieved right

across the business, and this is a wide and varied operation.

“We have women in every department; working on our offsite auctions and out in the yard with our plant and machinery customers, we have women as vehicle appraisers and drivers, and we have women working in the property department, marketing and accounts. And that’s just to mention a few of the roles right across our locations.”

Wilsons Auctions has its headquarters at Mallusk but also has auction complexes in England in Newcastle Upon Tyne, Telford and Kent, an auction site in Scotland, two in Wales and operations in both Portadown and Dublin.

“It’s wonderful to see some of our women heading out to customer sites in their hard hats and working boots. The means that the days have long gone when the only women in this business were behind a desk in the office,” Rebecca comments enthusiastically.

“The gender balance across the company has happened organically. The jobs have gone to the best people...and those people just happen to be women.”

Her own role has developed through the years. Nowadays, she concentrates on leading the company’s work with insolvency practitioners and corporate clients across many spectrums and that has meant travelling all over the UK and Ireland. But she can and does turn her hand to auctioneering and she’s keen to encourage more women to follow suit.

“There is no reason why women can’t stand on the rostrum. There used to be this misapprehension that you needed a big strong voice for the job, but modern sound equipment has taken care of that,” she says. “So I am really keen to get more of our women in this business up onto the rostrum. Once they’re up there, they’ll instantly love the thrill of auctioneering.”

She’s particularly proud of the fact that Wilsons Auctions has a number of female employees who’ve been with the business for upwards of 30 years and who have served in a variety of roles within the organisation, many of whom have had to juggle raising a family while working their way up the ladder.

On the other side of the coin, she loves to see young people, both male and female, coming into a thriving auction business.

“The auction industry is a lot more attractive and a lot more varied now than it used to be,” she says.

“Our business was built through the years on car and commercial vehicle auctions at our various sites, and vehicles are still an important part of our business.

“But we’ve diversified and we’ve grown, particularly over recent years. We hold an increasing number of government asset auctions across our network, and we sell off the proceeds of crime on behalf of the government and a number of the UK’s police forces.

“That can mean anything from expensive watches and jewellery through to supercars, yachts, villas on the Mediterranean, even horses,” Rebecca explains.

“We’ve also extended our activities in the property market, where auctions as a means of sale are becoming more popular again, and we’ve developed into brand new areas. We were the first independently owned auction house in the world to stage an auction of bitcoin recently.”

Meanwhile, a female-dominated digital department looks after the day to day running of Wilsons Auctions’ all important online auction activities, very much an integral part of the auction business these days.

“So there is a lot in this industry and in this business to appeal to young people coming into the world of work – whether they’re female or male.”

Eye on Diversity

Dr Anita Sands delivers the Mary McAleese Diversity Lecture at Queen’s Global technology and business leader Dr Anita Sands recently delivered the Queen’s Management School Mary McAleese Diversity Lecture, in association with the Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s.

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Eye on Diversity

Pictured (L-R) are: Robbie McGreer, Business Engagement and Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s; Denise Falls, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Queen’s Management School’s William J. Clinton Leadership Institute; Dr Anita Sands; Dr Renee Prendergast, Reader at Queen’s Management School; Wendy Galbraith, Director of Finance at Queen’s; and Professor Adrienne Scullion, Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s.

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graduate of the University, Dr Sands completed her undergraduate degree in Physics and Applied Mathematics, and PhD in Atomic and Molecular Physics from the School of Mathematics and Physics.

Her career path has taken her from Wall Street to Silicon Valley, and from an operating role into the boardroom. She currently sits on the boards of two public global technology companies including ServiceNow, a SaaS service management firm; and Pure Storage, innovative storage space business; and two private companies, Thoughtworks and AppBus. Dr Sands has long been an advocate of greater diversity in the workplace, particularly with regard to the role of women.

Speaking during her lecture entitled, ‘The Future of Work and Women’, Dr Sands said: “Diversity and gender equality are a fundamental business and social imperative and our success as leaders in business, not to

mention our future prosperity as a country, depends on it.

“For us as women, this is literally the opportunity of a lifetime; the chance for us to not just step up and lean-in but to be resoundingly unapologetic for asserting our presence and raising our voices in every sphere of life and work.”

The lecture and Q&A session were chaired by Professor Adrienne Scullion, Pro Vice-

Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast.

The Queen’s Management School Mary McAleese Diversity Lecture was officially inaugurated by former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, in June 2019.

The lecture series is part of the School’s mission to promote greater equality and diversity in the workplace, particularly with

regards to ensuring equality of opportunity and respect for diversity across the University and the wider community.

For more information and details on entering the awards, go to www.irishnews.com/WEA

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Eye on News

Topglass Wins Retail Sector Boost

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ocal glass and glazing specialist Topglass, has been making a real impact in the retail sector completing landmark jobs for several contractors for leading household name retailers. Projects completed this month include glazing for Primark in Cork and for Next in The Telford Centre in England. This brings the total number of recent retail projects to 50.

The Toomebridge based company was acquired in 2018 by the McConville family, MJM Group and has been going from strength to strength.

Best known for its specialist glass capabilities, the company has been working on driving growth in its other capabilities including multistorey structural glass facades.

Gary Lennon, General Manager, Topglass said, “We are seeing a real

push towards high quality glass facades and finishings in the retail sector. There is a lot of noise about the difficulties facing the retail sector so we are finding the players in that market who are continuing to make an impact are investing in the visual aesthetics of their stores. There is no better ‘shop window’ that a high quality glazing system. This is similar in other sectors, including the car show room market.

We recently worked with in a delivery team for the Donnelly Group on their stunning Jaguar Land Rover showroom where the glass is almost the most important material in the project.”

These retail projects have taken Topglass all over the UK and Ireland and as a far afield as mainland Europe.

Gary Lennon added, “Our team are highly experienced at delivering

Topglass General Manager Gary Lennon

these major glazing packages and we already have several more in the pipeline for the remainder of 2020. It is fantastic to work repeatedly on high profile projects where end clients are household names such as Primark,

First NI Tourism Chief Appointed to National Industry Council Northern Ireland tourism has received a major boost with news that one of its leading figures has been appointed to a UK-wide board which advises Government policy on the industry.

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D

r Joanne Stuart, CEO of the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance will represent the industry here on the UK Tourism Industry Council.

The Council was set up two years ago to act as a sounding board and point of dialogue between Westminster and the industry.

Joanne Stuart, one of our most highly experienced and well-regarded business leaders, says she will use the

post to represent local economic needs to influence national tourism policy. ”Our priority as the NI Tourism Alliance is to ensure that UK policy makers understand the complexities of the tourism economy in Northern Ireland, particularly in regard to regional connectivity, air passenger duty and the impact of the UK Immigration Policy which has just been published.”

The UK Tourism Industry Council worked with the UK government

Next, Dunnes and indeed the Donnelly Group. We look forward to working on many more retail projects in the future.”

Topglass is based in Toomebridge Co. Antrim. It is part of MJM Group, which also includes MJM Marine and Mivan.

to develop the Tourism Sector Deal framework, a government led initiative launched last June which is set to be a game-changer for tourism making it one of the UK’s major industries for future economic planning.

Commenting on this Joanne said, “Being on the Council provides the ideal opportunity to see how this framework can be utilized t develop a Tourism Sector Deal for Northern Ireland. Of particular interest are the development of Tourism Zones to support the growth of tourism in rural and coastal communities, being recognized as accessible destinations and having a data hub to provide better information on visitor trends.”

Completing the sphere of influence for our local tourism industry, Joanne is also a member of the Brexit Task Force and Central Marketing Group which are operated by Tourism Ireland, ensuring we have a total approach to global marketing.

Dr Stuart will be Northern Ireland’s sole voice on the board which is made up of leading figureheads drawn from across the tourism industry throughout the UK. She adds: “This appointment puts us front and centre as a UK tourism economic voice and we will influence UK tourism policy and its impact on Northern Ireland.”

Eye on News

Belfast Businesses Invited to ‘Engage for Success’ with David Meade Are you a businessperson with a thirst for doing better business? Do you manage a team and would love to delve more into the psychology of leadership and empowerment? Or perhaps you are looking for a unique networking event that will enhance your relationship building.

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hatever the motivation, Belfast Chamber, welcomes you to “Engage For Success” - a highly educational, entertaining and ‘mind-blowing’ event, by world-leading Mentalist, David Meade, sponsored by Belfast One and Destination CQ. Held at The MAC on Wednesday 25 March 2020, “Engage For Success” will be a 2-hour interactive workshop, introducing delegates to a range of disciplines within the psychology of business. These include leadership, management and motivation techniques, and communication strategies for working across the generational divide and ways to enhance new and existing relationships.

Belfast One and Destination CQ are the City Centre’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) with a remit to drive footfall in the city centre through a range of marketing initiatives.

Speaking at the launch of the event, Clare Maguire, Managing Director of Belfast One said: “We are delighted to be sponsoring this hugely informative, engaging and fun event.

Martina Connolly, Belfast Chamber, Rajesh Rana, President, Belfast Chamber, David Meade, Mentalist, Gareth Neill, Destination CQ, Clare Maguire, Belfast One

“Last year’s event was attended by over 150 business leaders, owners and staff and the feedback was amazing.

“This year David will build on last year’s agenda and will cover a whole range of useful tips including how to build longlasting and fruitful business and work relationships as well as how to empower staff for maximum return on investment.

“David will also outline how to create high performing faceto-face or remote teams.

Clare concluded: “This will be a fantastic event to share this knowledge with a group of like-minded individuals to build your skills base.”

Gareth Neill, Managing Director, Destination CQ concluded: “This event is a real highlight in our annual events calendar

and dovetails perfectly with our five-year business plan to help businesses network and develop connections across sectors in the City.

“We aim to give business owners and their staff the tools to be better communicators, managers and ambassadors for our city; we are committed to playing our part in helping to the growth of local economy.”

Belfast Chamber is the voice of the business community in Belfast with over 400 members; A lobbying and business support organisation working on behalf of members for the good of the entire city. They have a yearlong calendar of events aimed at helping businesses do better.

Rajesh Rana, President of Belfast Chamber added: “We are delighted to once again bring world class

speaker and mentalist David Meade to the local business community.

“This event really packs a punch and will be a real eye opener for most people.

“The event is open to both members and non-members and will educate on how to communicate better – not only in professional relationships, but in all walks of life.”

The event will be held at The MAC, on Wednesday 25th March 2020 from 8.30am to 10.30am and is open to both members and non-Belfast Chamber members.

To register visit www.belfastchamber.com

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Eye on Law

Standing Out From The Crowd How A&L Goodbody’s Belfast office leverages expertise from the all-island firm and its dedicated team to offer clients a unique proposition.

T

he unique selling point for some law firms can be difficult to pin down.

Not so for A&L Goodbody (ALG).

Over the years its Belfast office has established itself as the leading law firm in Northern Ireland. It has built a substantial business, bringing its deep commercial experience to bear on a range of sectors for clients in the

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private, public and third sectors.

Chief among its many USPs is the fact ALG is fully integrated across the island of Ireland and beyond.

Full integration means it is an integral part of the wider all-island firm. Clients can take advantage of the resources which accompany a 900-person corporate law firm, tapping into

its skills and sectoral knowledge, as well as its international reach and close ties with the world of inward investment.

It is this truly all-island service which means ALG is renowned for working on high profile international legal matters, as well as the work it carries out on a day-to-day basis with Northern Ireland companies, both large and small. Strategically, its allisland capability neatly aligns to the all-island economy and its footprint in Dublin, Belfast and London perfectly positions it to advise on the implications and permutations flowing from Brexit.

The ALG Belfast office is built around the foundations of the four principal corporate law disciplines - Corporate, Litigation, Banking & Finance and Commercial Property – in all of which the firm consistently tops the rankings in the leading law directories. This is unsurprising as, in 2019, it advised on all four of the largest commercial property developments currently active in Northern Ireland, all headline restructurings and concluded the year by topping, for the sixth consecutive year, Experian’s M&A Legal Advisory 2019 rankings by deal value.

Eye on Law

And while the more traditional disciplines are at the crux of the firm’s business, emerging specialisms are coming more and more to the fore. They include Media, IP and Disputes; Financial Regulation and Fintech; Energy; Immigration and Alternative Dispute Resolution, amongst many others.

Headcount has risen from a standing start to over 120 lawyers and business support professionals. They’re led by a partnership of 15, one which has welcomed three new Partners and a Consultant in 2019 alone. It’s a Partner team

which stands out for its energy, strategic thinking and approach.

“We have developed a team of 15 talented partners who are focused on ensuring the firm thrives, not just in terms of growth, but in excellence,” Michael Neill said. “While we’ve consistently grown every year, our focus is on the quality, as opposed to the quantity, of our people.

The ALG way The ALG leadership team is demonstrably one of some merit, given the rapid growth in the firm over that time has

seen the standard and expertise of its work retain a level of excellence envied by others.

That success comes down to a relentless focus on recruiting the right people, recruits who can live up to the consistently high ALG standards. By standards read not just academic or commercial benchmarks – that is a given - but also those able to embrace the ALG culture, one which embeds respect for all stakeholders, both within the firm and externally.

“Respect for others – whether that’s clients, colleagues or others – is central to everything we do at ALG and we’ve been careful to maintain that culture as we’ve grown the firm. As a result, we have a team of people with growth mindsets who enjoy working hard every day to do the best possible job for our clients.”

That culture is one which has ensured churn at the firm remains particularly low, as has the fact there is a strong focus on investing in talent at ALG. “We’re committed to providing the right environment and platform for every individual in this firm to improve their capabilities. We have a carefully designed talent management program, an award winning ALG school of law in collaboration with the Smurfit Business School in Dublin, and a number of other bespoke initiatives which do that, at every level.”

There is also considerable focus on creating a progressive culture and work environment where every employee feels valued and included. The firm is careful to ensure it can evidence its progress towards achieving this objective which has already paid dividends, with ALG awarded the Diversity Mark NI. In addition, there is a strong focus on employee health and wellbeing such as yoga at lunchtimes and art workshops.

The firm’s initiatives towards enhancing its social purpose have equally attracted both attention and recognition. Its collaborations with Belfast Lyric and Belfast Exposed earned it the blue ribbon award at last month’s Arts & Business Awards where it was named

“Business of the Year”.

Such initiatives are key in creating an environment which not only attracts some of the best legal minds, but also allows them to thrive.

Combined with the draw of working for a fully integrated, all-island firm, ALG has ensured it remains a draw for the best legal minds and, in so doing, maintains its place as the go-to corporate law firm throughout the island of Ireland.

ALG Awards Legal Business Awards 2019 – Winner of International Firm of the Year Chambers – Band 1 Banking & Finance, Band 1 Competition Law, Band 1 Construction, Band 1 Corporate/M&A, Band 1 Employment, Band 1 Information Technology, Band 1 Litigation, Band 1 Public Procurement, Band 1 Real Estate, Band 1 Real Estate Litigation, Band 1 Restructuring/Insolvency Legal 500 – Tier 1 for Dispute Resolution, Tier 1 for Corporate and M&A, Tier 1 for Banking & Finance, Tier 1 for Insolvency and Corporate Recovery, Tier 1 for Employment, Tier 1 for Energy, Tier 1 for Commercial Property, Tier 1 for Construction, Tier 1 for Intellectual Property Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards - Winner of Business of the Year 2020 Financial Times – Innovative Lawyers Award International Financial Law Review 1000 – Tier 1 ranking in all 11 practise areas 2020

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Eye on News

Programme Launched To Tap Into North West’s Talent Base

Catalyst is inviting applications for an exciting new programme in DerryLondonderry that aims to tap into the North West’s talent base and encourage more people to get involved in start-up ventures.

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ased at Catalyst Innovation Centre at Fort George in Derry, Co-Founders is a part-time programme for first time entrepreneurs and early stage start-ups that takes place one night a week for 10 weeks.

The programme brings together talented, skilled and ambitious individuals from technical and commercial backgrounds, to meet like-minded people interested in developing new product ideas focused on technology, engineering and science.

Since launching in Belfast in 2017, Co-Founders has delivered four cohorts involving 170 people who formed more than 50 teams - over 20

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of whom are still working together.

Twenty teams have received Proof of Concept funding, and eight teams have progressed to the full-time Propel pre-accelerator programme.

Co-Founders has attracted software engineers, data scientists, sales and marketing experts, medical professionals, mechanical engineers, researchers, undergraduates and PhDs as well as people who have experienced a problem in a certain industry or from everyday life and want to develop a product to solve it.

Participants in the new North West programme will have the added incentive of being in the running to win one of five £10,000 proof of concept grants from Innovate

Pictured launching the Co-Founders North West programme in the Innovation Centre in Derry are Catalyst Community Manager Natasha O’Dea with Elemental co-founders Leeann Monk-Ozgul and Jennifer Neff.

UK, the government’s innovation agency, which will be awarded to 5 teams with the best developed ideas at the end of the programme.

Sonya Kerr, Programme Manager of Co-Founders, said Catalyst is hoping to attract 80 to 100 people from Derry, Letterkenny and across the North West to sign up.

“We know there is a wealth of talent in the North West and a lot of people who have great ideas or are restless to try something new, who will really benefit from meeting others with different skills needed to build a start-up that they wouldn’t normally have a chance to meet,” she said.

“Teams on Co-Founders are willing to try something different, meet new people and stretch themselves. We certainly don’t expect everyone to leave their jobs immediately and create a start-up but by helping people validate their ideas and build teams, it

becomes a real option for many.”

For example, of the nine teams who completed Catalyst’s first Co-Founders programme, three are still together and two have received over £100,000 in funding to build and launch their products.

Lorraine Acheson from Innovate UK added: “We hope Co-Founders will help encourage more people in the region to consider becoming founders of the new ventures needed to grow Northern Ireland’s knowledge economy. We look forward to seeing more exciting start-ups emerge from the first programme in the North West and we’re delighted to provide a seed funding prize for the best of the new ventures.”

Applications are now open for the programme at: co-founders.co

Eye on Communications

Will Brexit Impact Telecoms And The Way We Do Business?

By Stuart Carson, Rainbow Communications

So, the UK has finally won the separation it wanted from the EU...

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hile we’ve still at least nine months of transition left – where the usual EU rules and regulations will continue to apply – is it time to start worrying about what comes next for the telecommunications sector?

I think the answer lies somewhere between yes and no, for now.

In the absence of any new policy direction from the UK government, the industry is already expecting to be part of its bag of bargaining chips in what is already gearing to be a difficult round of negotiations.

The ‘deal or no deal’ threat is very much alive and will probably run us up until the end of December.

Setting its stall out early after its formal EU departure, the UK is already insisting that there will be ‘no alignment’ on regulations with the EU after Brexit. It’s a big red line and a predictable warning to the EU, as talks get underway.

For four decades, EU policy has dominated the UK telecoms industry, driving technological change and ensuring the delivery of a competitive marketplace which gives choice and value for consumers and businesses alike.

And whether we like it or not, change is on the way. Brexit is reality and we are leaving.

There can be few guarantees.

Take roaming for example - the EU roaming regulations that were introduced in 2017, effectively capping call, text and SMS charges at ‘home’ rates, will no longer apply. Could sky-high roaming charges come back? Yes, but in the absence of a universal agreement, it will be left to individual carriers to make agreements with their EU counterparts.

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

There are also worries about data sharing – and I’m not just talking about security intelligence.

While goods, services and people are currently the focus of negotiations, data and its ‘free movement’ has not had the airtime it deserves.

As a ‘third country’ outside the EU, the GDPR rules introduced in 2018 which protects a wide range of personal data including orders, payment terms, customer names and addresses, and their movement across the EU, will no longer apply, creating potential difficulties for organisations in the EU and the UK – unless there is an agreement.

In the meantime, the UK’s digital secretary Nicky Morgan has this preparatory advice for businesses: “If you receive personal data from the EU, you may need to update your contracts with European suppliers or partners to continue

receiving this data legally after Brexit. There are simple safeguards you can put in place by following the guidance available.”

You should get ahead of this and act now to avoid any unnecessary disruption.

Northern Ireland’s Department for Economy is pragmatic in its approach but thin on practical advice.

While it says that “the telecom services are not expected to be significantly affected in the event of leaving the EU”, the signposting and guidance provided is often difficult to ascertain and realistically applied.

The DfE warns of the return of “inadvertent roaming”. It advises that to “help address the issue, the government has passed legislation that in the event of no deal, UK law will retain the EU Roaming Regulation provisions that operators must make information available to their customers on how to avoid it . It also

advises that “operators must take reasonable steps to protect their customers from paying ‘inadvertent’ roaming charges accrued.”

The practicalities, however, remain unknown.

Looking over the next few months, there’s no doubt that most industries, from fishing to financial services, will all be used as UK bargaining chips in the current round of EU negotiations to keep alive the UK’s hopes of securing a Free Trade Agreement.

But regardless of the UK’s early red lines – specifically, that there will be ‘no alignment’ with EU rules after Brexit – it’s hard to see how many, if not most EU rules, will not continue to apply in order to protect much of the benefits gained already, not least our ability to continue trading with our EU partners.

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Eye on Events

PRESTIGIOUS UK HONOUR FOR BELFAST MET

Dr Jonathan Heggarty M.B.E, Director of Curriculum, Marie-Therese McGivern, Principal and Chief Executive; Beverley Harrison, Director of Further Education Division, Department for the Economy; Kathleen O’Hare, member of Belfast Met’s Board of Governors, and Board of Governor Chair Frank Bryan.

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elfast Metropolitan College was delighted to be awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize – a UK-wide award recognising excellence, innovation and public benefit in work carried out by UK colleges and universities.

Representatives from the College attended Buckingham Palace for the award ceremony, presented by The Prince

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of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes have been running for over 25 years and are considered one of the most prestigious awards in the education sector. The scheme runs on a two-year cycle and are managed by The Royal Anniversary Trust.

This is the first time Belfast Met has received a Queen’s Anniversary Prize,

receiving the honour for developing the Digital IT curriculum in Northern Ireland. It is only one of four Further Education Colleges to have received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize on this occasion, and the only Further Education College in Northern Ireland to receive it. The award is in recognition of its excellence in Further Education training in Information and Communications

Technology ICT. The College was the designated Curriculum Hub for the Digital ICT sector in Northern Ireland in 2017, and continues to make a vital contribution to ‘leading the city to work’ and delivering Employability Skills as part of the Belfast City Deal, as well as working together to meet regional skills development needs aligned to the Belfast City Region Deal.

Eye on Events Marie Therese McGivern, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met said: “Belfast Met are honoured to receive our first Queen’s Anniversary Prize for our work in developing a world class IT talent pipeline in Northern Ireland.

We look forward to continue working in partnership with businesses in developing skills that will support economic growth in Belfast and beyond.”

Damian Duffy, Director of Development in Belfast Met confirmed, “The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is testament to the quality of delivery and innovative approaches adopted by the College in developing new solutions to meet the needs of employers across the Digital ICT sector.

“This accolade comes on the back of Belfast Met winning a number of national awards for employer engagement in recent years. There has not been a more exciting time to be working in the Further Education Sector in Northern Ireland, and Belfast Met continues to lead the way in terms of national standing in the digital ICT space.”

John Healy, Vice President and Managing Director of Allstate Northern Ireland said, “It’s wonderful to see Belfast Metropolitan College being awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in recognition of their work in developing and progressing the Digital IT curriculum in Northern Ireland.

I would like to commend the College in responding to the digital skills shortage the province is experiencing by helping companies, such as Allstate, nurture the next generation of talented IT students

and develop the skills that are needed now and in the future. Collaboration between industry, government and education will help address the skills gap and create a competitive workforce that will support the NI economy.”

The College is responding to business needs by providing a talent pipe line to the IT sector and beyond, through the development of new curriculum and qualification routes at Apprenticeship, Foundation Degree and post graduate level. The digital skills investment includes digital innovation capital programmes such as Regional Data Centres, Digital Test Beds, a SMART Digital Strategy Innovators Network led by the College.

Belfast Met leads the Regional ICT Employers Forum which brings a range of IT companies together with schools and higher and further education sectors, as well as Government Departments.

The College has been able to build relationships with the IT industry by having conversations with employers and design training programmes that address skills gaps in the workforce.

In terms of high end jobs in the ICT sector, Belfast Met has through the Department for Economy Assured Skills Programme delivered significant success in moving graduates into technology roles with top professional services companies. These academies equip graduates with the skills required in the job market, thereby benefitting the individual students and the wider economy. This uniquely innovative programme works with non-technical

(L-R) Belfast Met representatives and students (L-R) Paul Dornan HLA apprentice with Fujitsu; Dr Jonathan Hegarty, Director of Curriculum; Marie-Therese McGivern, Principal and Chief Executive; Sophie Kelly employed by Novosco; Frank Bryan, Chair of the Board of Governors; Stephanie Blair HLA apprentice with Rapid 7; Aisling O’Neill employed by Deloitte; Michael Sage, employed by Allsop; Damian Duffy, Director of Development and Kathleen O’Hare, member of the Board of Governors.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall presenting the Queen’s Anniversary Prize to the Principal and Chief Executive Marie-Therese McGivern and Dr Jonathan Heggarty Director of Curriculum at Belfast Met.

graduates of any discipline to prepare them for highly paid technology related job, by training on programmes such as as data analytics, cybersecurity and robotic software development.

The programme has, in turn, facilitated large scale investment and the establishment of a range of IT Technical Support Centres in Northern Ireland for large multinational companies, supporting the creation of over 1,000 high value jobs. And by changing the profile of those coming into the industry, we are increasing the numbers coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and women participating on the programmes.

Jackie Henry, Office Senior Partner at Deloitte said, “We have been partnering with the Department for the Economy and Belfast Met since 2014 on the Assured Skills programme. The programme has allowed us to develop the skills of over 300 talent individuals who have joined our teams in areas such as robotics, cloud engineering and data analytics, which are becoming increasingly important to the changing world of work. It’s fantastic that Belfast Met has been recognised for their contribution in supporting students gain the skills needed for the changing market and supporting the wider economic growth of Northern Ireland.”

In the higher education space, working with Open University, Belfast Met was one of the first FE Colleges in the UK to develop a Higher Level Apprenticeships in cybersecurity. These apprenticeships offer the opportunity for young people leaving school to choose alternative

pathways to success – working full time and earning a good wage whilst studying for higher level qualifications.

With the projected growth in the technology and professional services sectors over the next 10 years, Belfast Met is also working to reach out across secondary schools to encourage young people to consider the career options in the Digital ICT sector.

The College also recognises its role in developing ICT skills across the wider community from all backgrounds by providing a range of entry level ICT courses, and a range of outreach programmes.

With the projected growth in the technology and professional services sectors over the next 10 years, Belfast Met is also working to reach out across secondary schools to encourage young people to consider the career options in the Digital ICT sector. The Digital ICT Sector Skills Body approached Belfast Met to lead on the Bring IT On programme which reaches out to over 150 schools and 70,000 young people to encourage them to consider a career in the Digital ICT sector.

Belfast Metropolitan College is the largest Further and Higher Education College in Northern Ireland, providing education, training and skills to enhance individual, community and economic success. www.belfastmet.ac.uk

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Eye on Round Table

Family Businesses & The Importance Of Succession Planning The Participants

Eric Reid, Former Director of Moy Park & Retail Entrepreneur

Maybeth Shaw, Tax Partner, BDO Northern Ireland

Chris English, Chartered Wealth Planner, Davy Northern Ireland

Richard Moorehead, Director of Corporate Finance, HNH Group

Kevin McVeigh, Partner (Corporate), Elliott Duffy Garrett

Cathy Murphy, Partner (Corporate), Elliott Duffy Garrett

Neil Mulholland, Partner (Private Client), Elliott Duffy Garrett

Marie-Louise Lowry, Partner (Matrimonial & Litigation), Elliott Duffy Garrett

Ian McFarland, Partner (Employment), Elliott Duffy Garrett

Richard Buckley, Business Eye – Chairman

Business Eye joined forces with leading Belfast law firm Elliott Duffy Garrett to stage a Round Table Discussion in the boardroom at EDG’s Belfast offices, spotlighting the importance of succession planning for Northern Ireland’s many family businesses as well as the challenges around effective succession planning.

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RB – Succession planning is crucial to the wellbeing of any family business.

Do we agree with that statement?

MS – Yes, it is critical, especially from the tax point of view. We come across many instances where the tax setup isn’t quite right and can be fixed.

But the other common problem is a lack of communication. From both perspectives, good planning is essential.

KM – I think a lot of assumptions are made in families and that brings us back to the communication point. Also, sometimes the best solutions can be found outside the family and that can cause issues. And there is a flip side when it comes to incentivising and retaining outside talent.

IM – I agree with Kevin that bringing in non-family members can present a number of challenges. But with the right structures in place, a lot of potential problems can be avoided. One of the big challenges that family businesses can face is in showing people that there is a future and a path in those businesses.

MLL – What never ceases to amaze me is that the effect which a divorce can have on a family business often comes as a surprise to those involved. Divorce can have a huge impact not just on the running of the business but also on what happens succession-wise.

CE – Business owners can spend a lifetime building up their businesses and then a death or divorce comes in and they can wreak havoc. People don’t really want to talk about issues like these, but the message has to be that it is essential to plan ahead and talk.

RM – We work with a lot of business owners who are moving towards an exit from their business. Some have a plan, some don’t. Some think that talking about succession is akin to hoisting the white flag. It’s a sign of weakness. I’d argue that the reverse is true. Having a plan and communicating that plan to the workforce can be reassuring and can be a real strength. Real obstacles and challenges can come out of the blue and that’s when the lack of a plan will be felt and a business can struggle.

ER – Succession planning is very important and people should talk about it. Our farming industry is a good example of how traditional succession doesn’t work. In the past 40 or 50 years, the changes have been dramatic because of the ingrained habit of handing down the farm through the generations. We should question whether children should be allowed to automatically inherit the running of a business.

At the very least, they should have to work outside to gain real world experience before coming back.

CM – In any business, family or otherwise, planning is essential right across the board and a business will run smoothly as a result. If issues are discussed when times are good, it can avoid problems and conflict further down the line.

RB – A theme that comes through is that companies tend to avoid the subject or at least put it on the back burner. Is that how we see it?

RM – There’s no doubt about it. A fear factor exists and some people do shy away from talking about these issues.

MS – That’s true but I think there is a fear that talking about succession could cause friction within the family. I had one client who put off succession planning for years because he was worried about the impact it would have on children outside of the business.

And, with founding members, there can often be a fear of giving up control and

that’s understandable. But once the big issues are addressed and everyone gets round the table, the fear can fade.

KM – The consequences of not discussing it can be a lot worse. If the planning isn’t in place and a crisis occurs, you’re making big decisions with your back against the wall. Most would wish then that they had done the planning.

RM – We had a client some years ago where there was an autocratic father who ran the business and didn’t let anyone do anything. Three siblings inherited it with equal shares, one became MD and the other two didn’t have clear roles and didn’t contribute much. It all festered and it took a long time to sort out.

ER – Wills should be reviewed regularly.

The speed of change today is so dramatic that it makes it even more essential. Did I think ten years ago that I’d build a retail development at the age of 70? Not at

NM – Succession planning is my bread and butter and I’ve no doubt that a robust succession plan is essential to ensure the future of a business.

Collaboration between legal, tax and finance is required because nothing should be seen in isolation.

Good succession planning enables you to identify opportunities but equally areas of potential dispute or concern, and you can mitigate before it becomes a crisis. There should be a plan that everyone involved in the business can buy into and accept.

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Eye on Round Table MS – A family constitution might not be very common but it can be very constructive. It’s a rulebook for the running of a family business, and it can help to set a strategy for the future as well as set out the relevant roles and responsibilities clearly. An agreement like that is a form of insurance, and no one in their right mind would leave their business uninsured.

RM – That’s even more important when non family members become involved. Maybe decisions continue to be made around the kitchen table at the weekends rather than in the boardroom.

MS – Senior non family members must be involved in the process or they’ll leave. It’s as simple as that.

And most good family businesses have to look outside the family for the right expertise eventually. all. If you speak to my children they’ll tell you that I’m probably a bit demanding, but I give them the responsibility.

They built the retail business.

MLL – Yes, reviewing is very important and not just when it comes to wills.

Pre-nuptial agreements need to be reviewed too as the circumstances of a marriage can change just as they can in any other scenario.

RB – We’ve mentioned communication.

It the lack of communication a problem?

IM – I’ve a personal example. My dad owns a small-scale beef farm, I’m the youngest of four boys and, for us, it was as simple as Dad having a cup of tea with all of us and chatting about it.

It’s a small example but it shows that simple communication can work.

KM – I think it’s a complex situation.

The communications between family members in a business aren’t always easy. Dysfunctionality can creep in very easily.

ER – I’ve challenged my children to come up with the right ideas and we’ll support them in those ideas. That’s the best way, I think, that I can support both of my children but also my five grandchildren. It’s not a family business exactly, but I do think it’s an example of setting out the thinking clearly.

IM – You can’t plan for every eventuality but it is important to have as much clarity as possible. I’ve mentioned our family farm and how we talked about succession but I’ve heard plenty of stories about how these things have gone wrong and how family members have ended up at loggerheads.

CM – Communication within families is vital, but so is communication with professional advisers. Often those advisers will see different routes and options open to companies.

RM – I think that’s a very good point. I suppose we would say this, but advisers can often have a clear and dispassionate view and that can be very valuable.

NM – It is worth repeating the importance of having and reviewing a will. People put blood, sweat and tears into running and building their business, sign all sorts of commercial documents but put off signing the most important document of all.

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Die without a will and you would die intestate so that the law will determine how your estate will be distributed rather than you deciding exactly what should happen. Your will should be made early and as Eric said, reviewed regularly.

MLL – It’s very important, too, that the professional advisers work together with the best interests of the client in mind. That way, there can be relatively seamless resolutions to the issues.

RB – I’d like to move on to the various specialist areas represented around the table and how each area impacts on succession planning and family businesses. Can we start with tax.

What are the key issues? And how useful is a family constitution?

CE – Good inheritance tax planning is also essential, and there are ways for family businesses to mitigate their potential inheritance tax. Generous relief is available if you get it right, but there are plenty of pitfalls around as well.

MS – It’s been said that inheritance tax is a voluntary tax and maybe that’s stretching it. But, with the right planning in place, it can be avoided.

Proposed tax changes could also make it imperative that business owners try to ensure that as much of their business as possible is trading.

That’s where the tax advantages lie around Business Property Relief. But one of my first pieces of advice to business owners is to step back and make sure that they get the basics

Eye on Round Table right around their own finances and tax affairs before they start to look at succession planning in detail.

RB – Kevin, Cathy, what are the key issues as you see them around the area of corporate law?

KM – We have issues of ownership, directors, shareholders and employees.

Family members can fit into various roles, including that of shareholders with no active involvement in the business. It all comes back to having proper agreements in place around roles and what might happen in the event of a future sale. There have been situations where one or maybe two non-active family members have frustrated the sale of a family business.

That’s particularly important is you have a larger group of shareholders.

CM – Having the right structure and agreements in place is vital. Proper planning can help to clarify roles and responsibilities within a business and can also serve to incentivise employees”.

RB – Ian, on the employment front, what are the issues for family businesses?

IM – I think that when most family businesses start out, there isn’t a lot of thought given to employment matters. It should come into play down the road, particularly as you bring people in from outside the family. A conversation and a handshake isn’t sufficient. Simple things to address are the employee’s exact role, how they’re remunerated and incentivised, notice periods, etc, and more complicated things include restrictive covenants and confidentiality. The other challenge

for any family business, though, is recruitment and retention of non family members and that’s where some real thought has to go into the details of any contract and remuneration package. It’s a competitive market these days and retention goes well beyond the simple matter of pay.

KM – One thing I’ve seen is verbal promises being made to non family members that haven’t been followed through. Really good people have a sense of their own worth, so it’s crucial to put the planning into recruitment and retention.

MS – One of the big advantages of a family business can be staff loyalty.

It tends to run to higher levels. But change the business, or sell the business, and that can be affected.

ER – It underlines just how important communicating with your staff is, whether you’re running a large business or a much smaller family enterprise. It really is all about effectively communicating with staff, with customers and with suppliers.

RB – Marie-Louise, you touched on divorce and pre-nuptial agreements earlier, but what are the key issues on the thorny question of matrimonial law?

MLL – When people are skipping down the aisle in a haze of optimism, they don’t tend to think about this kind of thing. It’s a really difficult conversation to have. There are a lot of pre-nuptial agreements in Northern Ireland but very few of them have been challenged in the courts. In fact, I can only think of one pre-nup and one post-nup being challenged legally. These documents aren’t always enforceable, but having an agreement does help to clarify matters. Another good way to protect family assets is by way of trust, and these can be very effective.

nature of the family has changed. We’re no longer talking about a husband, wife and 2.4 children. Claims against an estate can come from a lot of different directions. Succession planning isn’t just about death, it brings into play not only wills but trusts and enduring powers of attorney. It’s a package and a process that needs to be reviewed often.

RB – To wrap things up, can I ask you for a short answer to this question. If you had one single piece of advice that you would pass on to a family business owner or principal, what would it be?

MS – Plan early.

KM – Talk.

IM – Think about it, talk about it, plan for it.

MLL – Keep a paper trail.

CE - Be aware, educate yourself and don’t be apathetic.

RM – Prepare for the unexpected.

NM – Succession planning isn’t just about a will. It’s a process. It’s about mitigating disputes at an early stage.

So it’s really important to take the right advice across the board, to get back to basics and to get the agreements in place. Collaboration between the various professional advisers is key. I see this process from the other end. When disputes and poorly written wills end up in court the financial and emotional impact on the family can be devastating.

We also need to remember that the

ER – Prepare and discuss with professionals, not just yourself and your family.

NM – Start early and review often.

CM – Take time to prepare and consider, learn from your experiences and review regularly.

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Eye on News

La Mon Signals New Conference And Events Strength After £2M Investment

La Mon Hotel & Country Club has completed a £2 million multiphase investment across all its banqueting, conference and events facilities with a major telecommunications and unlimited superfast fibre broadband upgrade.

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he award-winning fourstar hotel, conference venue and Country Club already boasts one of the largest Conferencing and Events Suites in Northern Ireland and this latest investment brings a new, premium and unlimited digital provision to ensure all its visitors, delegates and hotel guests are best connected.

The work was undertaken

by Northern Ireland’s largest independent telecoms provider, Rainbow Communications.

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La Mon Hotel & Country Club Managing Director, Geoffrey Weir, said the latest investment complemented a wider transformation which has propelled demand in all areas.

“Located only 15 minutes from Belfast, La Mon is a compelling visitor destination which boasts four-star facilities in a unique and beautiful environment.

“With a significant business, events and banqueting provision that accommodates thousands of guests every year, digital

Pictured (L-R): Geoffrey Weir (Managing Director at La Mon), Stuart Carson (Sales and Marketing Director at Rainbow Communications) and Megan Beverland (Sales Director at La Mon).

connectivity is vital for our success.

“Having worked closely and collaboratively with Rainbow over the past decade, we’re delighted with the technology solutions they’ve brought and with the transformation which this investment has achieved.”

The popular business and leisure destination, which features 120 bedrooms and suites, an award-winning Country Club, restaurant, bistro and lounge, employs almost 190 staff.

Stuart Carson, Sales and Marketing Director, Rainbow Communications, said: “La Mon Hotel and Country Club is an outstanding venue with a new, best-in-class technology provision which will underpin its continued attractiveness and appeal for

local, national and international conferences, events and banquets.

“We are delighted to have been appointed to design and install a range of wireless technology solutions which means guests can confidently connect, communicate and present across a range of platforms in traditional or new, interactive ways. Our work complements and completes a stellar refurbishment programme which already makes La Mon an unrivalled destination for everyone to enjoy.”

As part of the technology upgrade, the venue now also benefits from a hosted phone system, dedicated leased line and a new, expanded network of Wi-Fi points to ensure consistent reliable connectivity.”

Eye on Tax

Tax Action

Getting your tax affairs in order before 5 April

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he UK tax system offers many different tax reliefs and allowances for individuals.

Reviewing your tax affairs to ensure that available reliefs and exemptions have been utilised, together with future planning, can help to reduce a potential tax bill.

Identifying any tax planning opportunities Personal circumstances differ, so if you have any questions or if there is a particular area you are interested in, you should speak to your Accountant/Financial Adviser. It is important to ensure that you take the time to carry out a review of your tax and financial affairs to identify any tax planning opportunities and take action before it’s too late.

Tips to help you get ahead on managing your tax affairs INCOME TAX – if your income is nearing the different tax thresholds, you could reduce your tax liabilities by reducing your taxable income. There are a variety of ways this can be achieved, from changing income into non-taxable forms, making pension contributions, making tax-incentivised investments and making donations to charity.

William Edgar – Consultant (ASM Financial Planning)

This time of year is your last chance to get your tax affairs in order before the end of the 2019/20 tax year. We’ve provided a summary of some key tax and financial planning areas which may be appropriate to certain taxpayers and should be considered prior to the end of the tax year, 5 April 2020.

TRANSFER INCOME-PRODUCING ASSETS – consider transferring income-producing assets between your spouse or registered civil partner in order to use the Income Tax personal allowance and lower Income Tax bands of the transferee.

INDIVIDUAL SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (ISAS) – fully utilise your tax-efficient ISA allowance.

The allowance for 2019/20 is £20,000 per person, whilst the Junior ISA allowance is now £4,368 for children under 18.

earn over £150,000) or the value of your whole earnings – whichever is lower. Unused annual allowances may also be carried forward from the previous three tax years.

PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SPOUSES AND CHILDREN – consider contributing up to £2,880 towards a pension for your non-earning spouse or children. The Government will add £720 on top – for free.

REMUNERATION STRATEGY – if you run your own company, it’s a good idea to determine your pay and benefits strategy sooner rather than later. For 2019/20, the dividend nil-rate band is only £2,000 – it’s really important to consider the tax implications of your chosen approach to salary, benefits, pensions and dividends.

GIFTING – you can act at any time to help reduce a potential Inheritance Tax (IHT) bill when you’re no longer around. Make use of the IHT annual exemption that allows you to give away £3,000 worth of gifts which will immediately fall outside of your estate. If unused, the exemption can only be carried forward one year.

Let’s talk tax Tax planning is a perpetual process. However, our tips are especially relevant to consider just before the end of the financial tax year.

The tips we have provided are general in nature and should not be relied upon without seeking specific professional financial advice.

William Edgar – Consultant (ASM Financial Planning) Tel: 02890 996164 E: william.edgar@asmfinancialplanning.com

CAPITAL GAINS – use the capital gains annual exemption of £12,000 (2019/20) to realise gains tax-free. The allowance cannot be transferred between spouses nor carried forward.

INFORMATION IS BASED ON OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF TAXATION LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS. ANY LEVELS AND BASES OF, AND RELIEFS FROM, TAXATION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS – consider additional contributions to increase tax relief. Take full advantage of increasing pension contributions by utilising the annual allowance, which is £40,000 (tapered if you

ASM Financial Planning is a trading name of Fairstone Financial Management Ltd. Fairstone Financial Management is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority – FRN 475973. Registered in England and Wales no: 05574120. Part of the Fairstone Group.

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Woodside Haulage Offices, Ballyclare

HMRC Offices, Belfast

Offices, Belfast

Offices, Belfast

Offices, Titanic Quarter

Queens Parade, Bangor

Offices, Belfast

Offices, Belfast

PBSA, Belfast

Hotel, London

PRS, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Offices, Brighton

DESIGN CONSCIOUS COMMERCIALLY AWARE info@toddarch.co.uk www.toddarch.com

Titanic Belfast

London Luton Airport

PBSA, Sheffield

Bushmills Distillery

Bristol International Airport

Apartments, Battersea, London

Offices, Belfast

Apartments, Goodluck Hope, London

Apartments, Royal Wharf, London

Belfast 2nd Floor, Titanic House, 6 Queen’s Road, Belfast BT3 9DT

F.E. College, Banbridge

London 4th Floor,18 Wells Street, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3PG

Dublin The Old Barracks, 4A Lad Lane, Dublin 2 D02 T997

Fintech, Belfast

DESIGN + DELIVERY

Eye on News

Experts Combine Forces To Help Businesses Successfully ‘Keep It In The Family’

MKB Law, one of Northern Ireland’s leading corporate law firms and multi-award-winning accountancy practice, ASM Chartered Accountants, have joined expert forces to offer an expert event offering advice on succession planning for local businesses.

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he event will take place in The Merchant Hotel on Wednesday 11th March at 8am, and will cover both the legal and financial considerations of future business planning, provide impartial advice on the smooth transition of business management between generations of family members or future leaders.

Gordon McElroy, Director at MKB Law, said: “We have identified a real need in our client pool to provide sound advice and information about how to plan for the future – whether that be keeping in the family or selling to shareholders, associates or investors.

“According to the National Association of Corporate Directors, fewer than one in four private

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company boards say they have a formal succession plan in place.

This is understandable as dealing with current business demands often means the complex issue of organisational succession is pushed down the list of priorities.

“But to not have a proper future plan in place will cause disruption and even conflict, especially when businesses are family-owned or controlled. Naturally, this is when emotions can come into play, and successional planning can seem problematic and overwhelming.”

This event will offer expert advice and an understanding of the complex multidisciplinary approach required for successional planning, companies,

Caroline Keenan, Tax Director, ASM Chartered Accountants is pictured with Gordon McElroy, Director MKB Law with Deborah Archer, Associate Director, MKB Law.

large and small, can benefit both now and especially in the future.

Failure to have an effective strategy in place can be costly. Statistic reveal, in the case of family-owned businesses, only 30 per cent survive into the second generation, 12 per cent survive into the third, and only about 3 per cent operate into the fourth generation and beyond.

And, with so many familyowned businesses in Northern Ireland, successional planning is crucial for the stability of the local economy in the coming decades.

“There are many benefits for companies and owners who plan properly and strategically for an orderly transition of management and ownership,” Caroline Keenan, Tax Director, ASM Chartered Accountants continued.

“It’s an opportunity to consider how to protect wealth and growth, plan for realistic retirement goals, and keep harmony in the organization. Current benefits

include confidence for employees, customers and shareholders and clarity about future direction.

“During the first of what we hope will be a number of events and seminars, in combination with MKB Law, we will be offering advice to businesses across a range of topics which are the foundations for successional planning. These include how to choose successors, business protection, retirement planning, compensation packages, business protection, understanding value and gift and tax planning.

“This advice is simple - a plan for succession is a plan for success and the combined expertise of MKB Law and ASM Chartered Accountants will help make that process much easier,” Caroline concluded.

Visit www.mkblaw.co.uk and www.asmcharteredaccountants.co.uk for information on the event.

Eye on PR

Pulse PR Celebrates 10 years

Pulse PR is celebrating 10 years in the Northern Ireland communications industry. Owner, Grainne McGarvey discusses how PR can be as a useful marketing channel and how to make it cost effective.

How has the industry changed since you started the business?

What would your top tips be for a company considering PR?

When I started it was very traditional PR, mostly newspapers and magazines.

Now, it’s grown further into the digital sphere with online PR, blogging and video testimonials. I’ve seen a big shift in how my time is spent from when I started 10 years ago. There is definitely a demand to create engaging campaigns for social media. I’ve had to diversify as well, it’s about being flexible and realising the developing trends, and trying to adapt.

1. Invest in a photographer or videographer as they know how to get the best angles. It’s not as expensive as you think and images can say a thousand words. 2. Use your website, social media and network to promote your news/ events – don’t be afraid to ask, business contacts are generally accommodating.

3. Hire a communications professional.

You’re probably thinking I would say that, but it will save time and cost down the line if you make a hash of it yourself. There is no point doing something on the cheap if it doesn’t get the end result you want.

Many organisations believe they can do their own PR, do you agree?

PR is a specialism that can’t be taught overnight. I’ve spent years building up media contacts and relationships and that’s why companies hire me. I usually don’t take on a project unless I believe I can get results, I always ask “What’s the news value”. Companies often confuse PR and paid advertising.

How can a company get bang for their buck when they are thinking about a campaign?

The key is to make sure you have an integrated campaign that covers off all angles. I often suggest a press release, press photo, video for social media, business profiles and then pulling out

the interesting parts for more in-depth features or interview – but this depends on the budget and ultimately the audience you are trying to target.

If a company is considering a PR campaign, how can they evaluate success?

Every company measures success differently – it can be a certain number of attendees at an event; an increase in web traffic, or press articles that feature your company prominently. It’s important to be clear from the start and write down what you want to achieve, if you don’t, then no matter what is achieve during the campaign you will feel it was a flop. Measurement is a key requirement that allows you to evaluate success. Remember that PR isn’t just a numbers game, nor is it just about media coverage – you need to evaluate factors such as developing positive relationships with the media and awareness both internally, and within

the wider business community. The connection between PR and a customer may not always be direct, and remember that PR by its nature is a slow process.

If you achieve positive coverage and an increase in exposure, you’ll likely see an upswing in activity at some point.

What does the next 6-months look like for your company?

Working with existing clients and expanding my new client base. I’m based at Catalyst’s Innovation Centre so have naturally fallen into the tech space, but I work with all types of business and consumer companies and even clients within the agri sector.

The secret of staying relevant is to diversify. Ten years on and I’m still as passionate and motivated as ever!

Contact Pulse PR on www.pulseprni.com

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Eye on Media

There Has Been A Revolution Have you Noticed?

By Tim McKane

When do you get old enough and experienced enough to say your bit and risk offending just about everyone involved in marketing? Well, I think 62, with 40+ years experience is the moment. Have a look at my profile and you’ll see I’ve earned my spurs, so I am not going to pussyfoot about.

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f you are open-minded, then you may take this on board, if you are in a closed loop of thinking, then you may well take what I say, bin it and never consider it again.

We have been through nothing less than a revolution in the past ten years. A worldwide revolution that has had more impact than the Russian Revolution in 1917.

A communications revolution.

Ten years ago, we were at the beginning. Mobile phones were becoming smartphones. Early adopters were being joined by more and more people who were quickly adapting their lives to the digital age of handheld internet fed by wifi and then in 2013, 4G. A smartphone was no longer a luxury, it was a necessity.

You need one to keep in contact with your friends and to do your

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work. Texting became messaging and YouTube was joined by Netflix and then Amazon Prime. The television became a smart tv, with numerous choices on the remote.

Newspapers are in terminal decline, with young people not developing the reading habit.

Radio has held its own but is facing competition from the arrival of Amazon Echo technology in cars, and the Google Home Mini joining the Echo in the home.

And this is happening all around the world.

The revolution in communication has resulted in a revolution in behavioural change. People are doing things differently because they have complete control over what media they use, where they use it, and when.

So has there been a marketing revolution to match the change in communications and behaviour?

No. Of course, there has been a change. But I still see marketing communications based around ads. I see ads put on the digital channels, but too often they are ads that should be used on TV, not on social media or games. I see ads that should be in newspapers being put onto Facebook or Twitter, getting in the way of my feed. I then click through to the most boring content that is written as if it is for an ad in a trade magazine.

And usually overwritten at that.

Are companies that need good marketing changing to meet this revolutionary change?

No. I know for a fact. I spoke to a potential client, and he talked to their marketing team. He got back, they are not interested, they are doing it all right, they don’t need any more input. Yet when I look at their marketing, it is, well to be honest, as boring as a really boring thing, and will do nothing to change people’s view of their brand (it is one of the big four accountancy practices in Belfast). Would I go as far as to say that it is bound by conventions,

lacks innovation, and endorses the current view of the brand rather than changing it? What do you think?

So the revolution is being ignored.

Marketing is not adapting to change or opportunities. The revolution means that the individual is at the core of all potential success.

That person on their smartphone on the bus is watching what they want to watch. That child at home is not looking at the same thing as their Mum, Dad, brother or sister.

They are also avoiding the ads.

How do I know, because, given the option, people will avoid ads.

And with Brexit, there are companies that need to look at new markets but are not buying into the revolution. They are thinking they know how the world works, despite all the evidence to the contrary. A closed loop.

Marketing that thinks the individual is interested in you is marketing that will not work.

Marketing that makes the individual think you are interested in them, will.

I hear the words traditional and digital. Forget that, All advertising and marketing in 2020 exists in this new digital world, with a new language, new behaviour, new choices, new retailers, new options to buy, new banks, new taxi companies, new property companies, new clouds. Old fashioned advertising continues from a business that used to be at the forefront of innovation.

So are you going into the 2020s with an open mind to the revolution? Or are you going to stick? Hold your ground. And watch your business fade away.

Eye on News

Countdown Starts To Big Reveal Of NI’s Top 50 Homegrown SME League Leaders 3D printed body armour and sustainable fencing were just two of the innovative business ideas which caught the eye of judges to take a share of the £3k prize pot at the recent ‘What’s the Big Idea?’ competition at QUB.

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he young entrepreneurs’ competition, which was open to students across the university, was supported by Harbinson Mulhollland, who will be naming the HM Homegrown Top 50 SMEs for 2020 in a few weeks’ time.

“We were blown away by the ideas and the passion from the students – the next generation of NI entrepreneurs was in that room,” said Darren McDowell, Senior Partner at Harbinson Mulholland. “It is crucial to encourage our young people to think commercially on how to grow their ideas business realities.

“As long-time supporters of Northern Ireland’s best homegrown businesses, we understand how a small, but great, idea can eventually be grown into a highly successful enterprise with the right advice, support and inspiration.”

Two HM clients who epitomise local success, McKees and Fusion Antibodies were invited to present awards on the day to the winning students.

Commenting on the awards, Chris Ross, Managing Partner of McKees said “We are delighted to be supporting the Big Idea Awards and

Pictured (l-r) at ‘What’s the Big Idea?’ Competition are Chris McKee of McKees Solicitors; James Fair, Fusion Antibodies and Darren McDowell, Harbinson Mulholland.

are very impressed by the calibre of entries received. As a local fourth generation family firm, we have seen very strong and sustained growth and success in the development of homegrown SMEs in Northern Ireland and this is largely due to the quality of the talented people we are producing.

It was familiar ground for James Fair, CFO of Fusion, originally a QUB spin-out which later went public, becoming the third company from NI to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. James was previously employed by Harbinson Mulholland and seconded to Fusion for several years, helping them grow the business from the ground up, before taking the position as CFO in 2016.

“As a homegrown practice ourselves which has spent over 20 years giving other local businesses sound advice to help them grow,

we are uniquely positioned to share the vision and culture of this sector,” Darren continued.

“It is important to recognise and celebrate the pivotal role this ‘bread and butter’ part of the business community plays in the local market. For example, the 2019 Top 50 list was responsible for over 5,700 jobs and £170m of wages.

“What will this year’s list bring? We won’t have to wait long to find out what Ulster University’s Business School have discovered about this year’s league leaders. Whoever they are, we should never forget how much we are indebted to the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels these companies, concludes Darren.”

Harbinson Mulholland will announce the Top 50 Homegrown SMEs during a celebratory lunch at Titanic Belfast on 26th March.

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Eye on News

LOCAL SCHOOLS TURN A NEW LEAF With Phoenix Natural Gas

(l-r) St Finian’s Eco-School Committee members Eva and Ryan with Michael McKinstry, Phoenix Natural Gas Chief Executive, Georgina Black, Eco-Schools Project Officer, Keep NI Beautiful and Londonderry Primary School Eco-School Committee members Sophia and Ellen.

Phoenix Natural Gas is helping two Newtownards schools plant seeds of the future in a new partnership project with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

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he Learning About Forests Programme (LEAF) is an international programme, run by the Foundation of Environmental Education and delivered in 28 countries, engaging 700,000 students worldwide. LEAF, which is delivered by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful in Northern Ireland, advocates outdoor learning and hand-on experiences which result in pupils getting a deeper understanding of the natural world.

Aimed at increasing young people’s awareness of the role that forests play in sustaining life on the

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planet, the pilot LEAF Programme will be delivered at St Finian’s Primary School and Londonderry Primary School in Newtownards, culminating in a tree planting day that will see both schools come together to share their knowledge.

As well as providing an opportunity for environmental education, the new trees planted at the end of the session will result in increased biodiversity for both schools providing a habitat for more than 257 species of insects which are a food source for birds and other small animals.

Launching the initiative Michael McKinstry, Chief Executive at Phoenix Natural Gas said: “We are delighted to establish this new partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful which will help evolve the Eco-Schools programme and continue to inspire young people to care for the environment and learn how to protect it while leaving a lasting legacy through the on-site tree planting.

“Environmental responsibility is a key focus for us as a business, not least because natural gas is a fuel with inherent environmental benefits providing consumers with an energy source that is up to 50% less carbon polluting than other fuel alternatives, but also because we want to deliver real benefit to the communities we serve.”

Carol Forster, Head of Operations

from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful said: “Initiatives like LEAF delivered through our wider Eco-Schools programme are making a real and tangible difference in helping young people understand the environment that surrounds them and the role that tree planting plays for sustainable life on our planet.

“Northern Ireland is the least wooded area in the UK. I very much welcome this collaboration with Phoenix Gas as tree planting initiatives like this are important to address the current climate action agenda, positively contributing to carbon emissions reduction in Northern Ireland. We need to support more projects like this, engaging young people through the EcoSchools programme and more widely with local communities through the Live Here Love Here programme.”

Eye on Travel

Belfast City Airport Named Amongst The Best Airports In The UK The Points Guy UK (TPG UK) has announced today that George Best Belfast City Airport is Northern Ireland’s best airport and the third best airport across the whole of the UK. TPG UK research in its inaugural annual report named Glasgow as the best airport in the UK, followed by London Heathrow and George Best Belfast City Airport. London Stansted Airport was rated the worst, with London Southend, London Luton, Aberdeen and Belfast International also ranking poorly.

TPG UK undertook an extensive review of the largest 20 airports across the UK and gave each a score out of 100. This rating was made up of the following three criteria; amenities, commute and on-time flights, with each criterion given an equal weighting.

Nicky Kelvin, Director of Content at The Points Guy UK said:

“The experience of how you begin and end your journey can make or break a trip. The airport experience is the first part of your journey and can either ensure you’re off on the right foot or it can be a thing of nightmares.

“Every airport has its quirks and nuances, so we took it upon ourselves to experience it all and unpack the data to figure out the best and worst airports that the United Kingdom has to offer.”

Katy Best, Commercial Director at George Best Belfast City Airport said: “We are delighted to be named the best airport in Northern Ireland and ranked within the top three airports in the UK overall.

“At Belfast City Airport, we continually strive to deliver an airport experience that exceeds our customers’ expectations which means we place particular focus on punctuality, convenience and choice for all passengers who travel with us.

“These latest results from The Points Guy UK report solidifies Belfast City Airport’s position as the most convenient gateway to exploring Northern Ireland.”

Nicky Kelvin continued: “With a solid score across both commute and on-time categories, Glasgow Airport comes out as our champion. Heathrow, taking silver, was head and shoulders above the rest when it came to amenities, with the plethora of lounges, spas and restaurants – but this wasn’t enough to carry their particularly low commute score.”

TPG UK says a special mention must go to George Best Belfast City Airport, which came out on top in two categories - commute and on-time flight performance.

Ranking last - with a bottom three result for time and last place for commute - Nicky Kelvin reveals, “the wooden spoon goes to one of the “London” airports, Stansted.”

By branding themselves as a London airport, they were given the same city centre commute point of Trafalgar Square that was also attributed to Heathrow and London City; and so, Stansted, along with the two other “London” airports, Luton and Southend, were all hit with weak commute scores and all three found themselves in the bottom 5 for commutes.

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Eye on Business Services

Donna Linehan...

Key Role At Scottish Provident

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Eye on Business Services Donna Linehan says that customer service and dealing with people are the passions of her working life. That won’t come as any surprise to anyone who meets her around the corridors of Belfast’s Scottish Provident Building or elsewhere.

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onna is Director of Client Services at the city’s most unique serviced business centres, housed in a landmark late Victorian era building overlooking Donegall Square and Belfast City Hall. It’s a monument to the city’s commercial past which has been lovingly transformed into an ultramodern serviced business centre.

“I’m a people person first and foremost,” says Donna. “I came here 10 years ago to look after the reception desk in the early days of the centre and I’ve been here in a variety of roles ever since. I love the vibrancy of this place, the blend of businesses and the different people who work here and come through our doors.”

Before joining the Scottish Provident team, Donna learnt her customer service skills in one of the most customer-led sectors of all, hospitality. She worked as part of the front of house team under both John Toner and James McGinn at Belfast’s Europa Hotel.

The renovation of the once neglected Scottish Provident Building has been something of a labour of love for the team behind the centre, and an expensive one at that. Scottish Provident is a listed building and it’s taken eight or nine years to refurbish and open successive floors one after another to business tenants.

“We were drip fed one floor at

a time to market to prospective tenants,” explains Donna, “and we’re now running at 98% occupancy. But tenant companies do move on, and we’ve usually got a waiting list of prospective tenants waiting in the wings.”

The building currently houses some 60 different businesses with a further 90 organisations using its virtual office services including post and telephone call handling.

Scottish Provident Building has a sister company, VenYou, which services two other office buildings in Belfast – Ascot House in Shaftesbury Square and Northern Court in Gloucester Street – and has firm plans to invest in more office space in the city centre.

they eventually moved out.

“We’ve also worked closely with Invest NI over the years to help provide an immediate serviced base for some of the leading edge inward investment companies coming to Northern Ireland in the cyber security and other key sectors.”

Donna Linehan reckons that there are a number of key reasons why increasing numbers of companies are choosing serviced office accommodation.

“We organise a series of social functions for our tenants on our outdoor terrace. We want to see our tenant companies doing well, and we want to see them enjoying themselves while they do it.”

“Companies tend to come to us as small organisations and grow organically while they are with us,” she adds. “But we also work with larger companies. Deloitte are a key customer of our’s as are Kainos at Ascot House. Axiom grew to 200 people here in this building before

“For a lot of them, it’s a bit of a no-brainer,” she says. “A lot of companies, particularly younger companies, are unwilling to sign a five, ten or 15-year lease for offices. They’d rather have a much shorter-term commitment and they are able to plan ahead because of the finite costs involved.

“What’s more, they want their accommodation to be scaleable and they like the idea that we provide a turnkey service. All their office furniture is already here and they’re good to go.

“In fact, as well as the furniture, there is a housekeeping service, we have fully stocked kitchens, we cater for meetings with tea and coffee and so the list goes on.

We’ve even got an iron and ironing board available to our tenants... and they’ve seen plenty of use.”

Add to that Scottish Provident’s enviable location right in the middle

of the city centre, and the fact that the centre has a range of different meeting and conference rooms, and the appeal isn’t hard to understand.

Outside, Scottish Provident is one of Belfast’s Victorian icons.

Indoors, for those who haven’t been there, plenty of the original touches have been retained, not least the unique tiled corridors. The operating company insists on a no signage rule, meaning that the elegant corridors (as well as the windows fronting on to Donegall Square) aren’t adorned with individual company logos. It’s an inspired decision and one which helps to retain the unique look and feel of the place.

It’s a building that plays host to a wide range of different businesses of varying size and across lots of different sectors. “There’s been quite a lot of cross fertilisation between our businesses over the years, and we like to encourage that,” says Donna. “We organise a series of social functions for our tenants on our outdoor terrace. We want to see our tenant companies doing well, and we want to see them enjoying themselves while they do it.

“We’re positive about Belfast and we’re positive about the city’s economy,” she adds. “And we’re also confident that more and more local companies as well as international ones are seeing the clear benefits of using serviced office accommodation.”

Donna Linehan, Client Services Director at Scottish Provident Building and VenYou, can be contacted via the website: www.venyou.co.uk or by calling: 028 9091 8500.

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Eye on Accounting

Magic Beans...

A Partnership Approach To Company Accounting

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Eye on Accounting

In the predictable world of accountancy, the name of Clare Galloway & Sharon Brown’s company jumps out from the crowd.

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hether Magic Beans is a nod to the old beancounter nickname isn’t clear. But it’s a name which says a lot about the personality of the business and its co-founders.

Clare Galloway is qualified project manager with her background in insolvency and restructuring. Sharon Brown is a chartered accountant and they met up in the Belfast office of RSM a number of years ago. Both were keen to take new customer-focused approach to how accountancy services can be delivered.

Clare takes up the story...

“I was asked to take on a new role covering both Business Development and Compliance and I ended up sharing office space with Sharon. So it was pretty important that we were able to get on with each other.

But we needn’t have worried. A couple of years down the line, we were heading out of the door together to set up Magic Beans.”

Clare trained in insolvency, obtaining her CPI with KPMG and worked for several years in Scotland before returning to Northern Ireland to join Deloitte and latterly RSM. Sharon worked in both Audit and Business Services at RSM before she moved to manage the practice’s internal financial management.

“I was an accountant for a firm of accountants,” she smiles.

The company they set up together almost four years ago, Magic Beans, is billed as a business advisory rather than

an accountancy firm. And, on the face of it, it’s a business with a personality and one which bears little resemblance to the traditional accountancy outfit.

“We recognise the importance of business owners having access to real time information on how their business is performing.

That’s what running a business is all about,” says Clare Galloway.

“Most companies have an accountant who gives advice on their annual performance and tax liabilities, 9 months after the year end. And they maybe have a bookkeeper who looks after the debtor book and payroll.

But we think that business owners need something more.

Someone who can add value to their business and help them to be more efficient, effective and co-ordinated.”

Sharon Brown says that Magic Beans spotted the clear opportunities of cloud accounting while the concept was in its relative infancy. Today, the firm is a key partner and champion of Xero, the revolutionary cloud-based accountancy software for busy SME’s.

“The beauty of Xero is its ease of use and the fact that it can transform the way that a business is run on an everyday basis. Businesses can see exactly what’s happening at any time and the result is that they’re much more in control of their business. It’s as big a revolution as online banking was when it first came along.”

Both Sharon and Clare

emphasise the fact that their clients use Xero with the full backing and support of the Magic Beans team. “We’re always available by phone or online to help them with any questions they might have. We’ll respond quickly and we’re flexible.”

That flexibility and rapid response, they reckon, is where Magic Beans can score against traditional and larger accountancy firms.

“Xero and Magic Beans are ideal for companies who don’t have an in-house accountant or book-keeper, but do want real time financial information,” Sharon says.

Xero also comes with a full suite of add-on functionalities, including facilities managing customer payments by direct debit, staff expenses management, timesheets, and data extraction (like Receipt Bank and Auto-entry) enabling your purchase invoices to be read for you and the collation and management of expense receipts.

“Retail customers can even link both their timesheets and till systems into Xero and be able to access real time sales information rather than weekly or daily reports,” adds Clare Galloway.

“Software like Xero really has been able to change the way we participate and engage with clients. We’ve become advisers as distinct from accountants who do the sums and pop up at a certain time of the year with a tax bill that needs to be paid tomorrow.

“We have also saved our clients

thousands by identifying unpaid sales invoices and overpaid purchase invoices; this should be straightforward to track with a good accounting practices, software connected to your bank and updated regularly.

“Having the right systems and processes in place, and the right advice available, means we can help our clients run their businesses profitably whilst ensuring they have a cashflow strategy that rewards owners working in the business as well as setting aside something for the taxman!

Paying tax generally means you are getting things right!

“Managing cash flow, ensuring strong financial controls, good financial management, efficiency and productivity... they’re all vital to a successful enterprise,” adds Sharon Brown.

“A lack of financial expertise can significantly hamper business growth, lead to poor decisions and potential failure.”

Magic Beans has brought something different to the accountancy marketplace and, in its three and a half years, it has built up a wide and varied list of small and medium-sized business clients spanning just about every sector of the Northern Ireland economy.

What’s even more impressive is the fact that close to 95% of those clients have come to Magic Beans as a direct result of a personal recommendation.

That says a lot about any business.

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Eye on News

Ulster Rugby makes major investment in Kingspan Stadium matchday experience

Following a six-figure investment

by Ulster Rugby, visitors to Kingspan Stadium will now benefit from a range of state-of-the-art facilities.

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he upgrades - which include new digital turnstile scanners, LED floodlights, two High Definition big screens, the latest audio-visual technology in the A&L Goodbody Premium Lounge, along with an improved queuing system and an increased number of contactless terminals for the many on-site bars - are all designed to enhance the matchday experience for spectators at the 18,000 capacity sports arena.

Of the investment, Ulster Rugby Chief Executive, Jonny Petrie said: “We have made a significant investment in improving the matchday experience at Kingspan Stadium because we want to make it the place to be in Belfast on match nights.

“Kingspan Stadium is widely regarded as one of the finest rugby stadia in Europe, with our plans for ongoing investment

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in the months and years ahead demonstrating our commitment to providing a great experience, whether it’s your first time visiting or you’re a seasoned supporter.”

On arrival, visitors to the stadium will be greeted by new ticket scanners at the turnstiles, which have been installed by Ulster Rugby in partnership with Ticketmaster.

Set to bring the latest in digital ticketing technology to Kingspan

Stadium, the machines will improve ease of use and stadium security.

Working with USA company Musco Lighting and Cork-based, Sherry Electrical Ltd, the investment in four new LED floodlights will also be a noticeable difference for spectators and our various media and broadcast partners. With an increase in light intensity of almost 50% to 1200 Lux, the new lights will significantly reduce energy use and increase efficiency.

The installation of two new ScannerVision ‘big screens’ brings further technological upgrades to the stadium with each 8.6m x 5m screen - used to display matchday information, club and partner content, live game footage and score

updates - the equivalent in size to 90 household 42” TV screens.

Visitors to the A&L Goodbody Premium Lounge, both on matchday and for in-stadium conferences and events, will benefit from a new integrated, state-of-the-art audio-visual system installed by Ballymenabased, Absolute Technologies.

To complete the upgrades, venue partner Mount Charles has introduced floor graphics, along with an increased number of contactless terminals for payment, within the many on-site bars to improve efficient customer queuing – which has already reduced waiting times on match nights by an average of 40%.

TechEye

Sponsored By

Eye on TechEye

Technology & Climate Change...

Making A Real Difference

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early half of the tasks currently undertaken by humans could already be automated, even at current levels of technology. Within the next decade it is likely large sections of society will be looking for new jobs.

People are calling it the fourth industrial revolution or “industry 4.0”. The first industrial revolution used steam power to mechanise production. The second used electric power to mass produce products while the third introduced computers to automate production. The fourth revolution is happening now, disruptive technologies including the internet of things, virtual reality, robotics and artificial intelligence are changing the way we interact, work and live. Highly automated, intelligent systems promise to transform people’s lives and even question the very role of humans.

What will all this mean for climate change? The answer is complicated. These innovations have the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide unprecedented levels of insight and data to mitigate climate change. But without proper consideration mass automation could be bad news, increasing

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consumption and emissions.

To consider what mass automation might mean for our environmental impact, I want to look at two sectors where human work has already been largely replaced by machinery: agriculture and cars.

At the beginning of the 20th century cars were a plaything of the rich, out of the reach of the average person. But that was before Henry Ford perfected the assembly line concept, and rapidly came to dominate nearly half of the American automobile market.

Before Ford, cars were an artisan product, individually built by hand by teams of skilled craftsmen.

Once one car was completed the team could start work on the next.

Ford reconfigured this process, with multiple stations working on specific assembly processes, with each car moving from one manufacturing process to the next in order of assembly.

Today, car manufacturing is largely fully automated, with human teams replaced by robotic workers.

Robots and other technologies of industry 4.0 enable more efficient energy management in factories.

And better data means better managed supply chains. This has

allowed manufacturers to reduce waste and emissions across the entire lifecycle of products such as cars – from the initial metals and minerals, through to the energy used to transport products to market.

Much like Ford’s cars, developments in mechanisation – tractors, combine harvesters and so on – have allowed more food to be produced with less labour. Despite this, with the world population and demand for food rapidly rising, agriculture is responsible for increasing greenhouse gas emissions and an enormous share of environmental degredation.

It is vital we find ways to further improve efficiency and reduce the emissions from our food production.

But, as with cars, agriculture will fundamentally change with the advent of mass automation and smart technologies. Robots are already replacing human labour across a range of agricultural tasks from watering to pest control or harvesting. Even tractors could eventually become autonomous.

Fully automated, vertical farms are being built, maximising space and production efficiency. These and various other innovations and emerging technologies including

off-grid renewable energy systems all promise to produce food more efficiently, reducing emissions.

These developments might suggest that these tech developments will reduce emissions and help the environment. After all, robots can build cars and grow food more efficiently than humans, right?

The issue is while there has been a significant improvement in energy and resource efficiency, there has not been an absolute reduction in environmental impact. In fact, overall environmental impact is generally increasing. Some commentators even argue that improvements in technology have actually driven an increase in consumption, a phenomenon commonly referred to as the “rebound effect”.

With cars for example, the efficiency savings made by robots have meant more people can afford to buy a new vehicle, increasing the numbers on the roads and the overall emissions from our roads.

Even if many of these vehicles were replaced with zero-emission electric cars, there are still emissions associated with production and disposal and electricity supply.

Similarly, automated processes and huge industrial farms have meant more food can be produced more efficiently. However, cheaper food and increasing average wealth are increasing consumption of high impact foods such as red meat, which is likely to have significant consequences for climate change and biodiversity.

So, yes, increasing automation and smart technologies do promise sweeping changes to society, with the potential to liberate human populations from the mundane. If managed carefully this technological revolution has the potential to provide significant environmental benefit. But that is a big if. Automation will not necessarily deliver a positive outcome for sustainability – we need to manage our consumption, even as the latest technological revolution races ahead of us.

Eye on TechEye

Huawei Steps Up The Pace With Folding Smartphone

Huawei is launching a new version of its folding smartphone, the Mate Xs, alongside revamped tablets and laptops.

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espite Mobile World Congress being cancelled owing to fears over the coronavirus, the embattled Chinese firm Huawei launched a series of high-end updates to its most ambitious products at a virtual press conference instead.

The headline product is a reworked version of Huawei’s smartphone that unfolds into a tablet, which directly competes with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold rather than the South Korean firm’s newer, smaller Galaxy Z Flip folding phone.

The new Mate Xs has the same design as its predecessor, the Mate X, which was unveiled at last year’s MWC but only launched in China in November. Beyond the wider release, which is expected to see the Mate Xs go on sale in Europe, the updated smartphone has a new, more robust hinge design and upgraded cameras.

The Mate Xs will also have Huawei’s new Kirin 990 processor with 5G connectivity. But one thing the new folding smartphone won’t have is Google’s version of Android or its apps, services or the Play Store, because Huawei is still on the US trade blacklist.

Instead the Mate Xs will ship with Huawei’s EMUI 10, based on the open source version of Android, with the Chinese

firm’s own mobile services as a replacement for Google’s. It is the same approach as that used with its recent Mate 30 Pro handset, which Huawei is pushing in the UK bundled with wireless earbuds and smartwatches at aggressive prices.

“Despite Huawei’s optimism, offering Android smartphones without Google’s applications and services is a tough sell,” said Ben Wood, chief of research for CCS Insight. “The big test will be whether consumers who sign up to Huawei’s deals persevere with the device or ultimately give up and return it.

“There is little question things will get tougher for Huawei as 2020 progresses as rival players unveil new Android smartphones with a full suite of Google services and apps.”

Alongside the Mate Xs, Huawei is also launching revamped models of its MatePad tablet and MateBook laptop range, plus a new smart speaker.

The new MatePad Pro 5G is a premium, work-focused Google-free Android tablet,

with a strong resemblance to its rival Apple’s iPad Pro. It has a high-resolution 10.8in screen with tiny bezels, the firm’s Kirin 990 5G chip, quad-speakers and advanced multitasking and split-screen functionality.

Huawei also has a new M-Pencil stylus, which magnetically attaches to the top of the tablet to store and charge, plus a Smart Magnetic Keyboard.

The Chinese firm’s well-received MateBook Pro X and MateBook D Windows 10 laptops also received updates, featuring Intel’s latest 10th-generation Core i7 chips. The MateBook D will be available in 14in and 15in versions, with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor option, following moves made by Microsoft and others to expand beyond Intel’s chips.

Huawei also partnered with the French high-end audio firm Devialet to create an Apple HomePod rival called the Sound X. The wifi-connected speaker has two woofers and an array of six tweeters to create 360-degree sound.

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Eye on TechEye

The Online Lives Of Our Children

More than one in 10 children aged eight to 13 are spending the equivalent of 61 days a year online, new figures show.

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survey by CyberSafeIreland, a children’s internet safety charity, found that 12 per cent of eight-year-olds are spending more than four hours online each day and this rises to 15 per cent among 12-year-olds.

It also found that of 3,867 children surveyed over the last academic year, 92 per cent owned their own smart device.

The report also highlighted that 43 per cent of children accessing the internet are speaking to strangers online, with a third speaking to strangers every day or at least once a week.

And a high proportion of boys, including 36 per cent of eight-year-old boys and 43 per cent of 10-year-old boys, are playing over-18s games and being exposed to violent and sexual content that is not appropriate for their age.

Some 60 per cent of children were signed up to social media sites,

including 48 per cent of eight-yearolds and 68 per cent of 11-year-olds.

Almost all of the children surveyed were under the age of 13, which is the minimum age restriction on all of the most popular social media and messaging apps, with the exception of WhatsApp, which has an age restriction of 16.

Snapchat remains the most popular social media app with this age group, followed by WhatsApp, Instagram and Tiktok.

Philip Arneill, CyberSafeIreland’s head of education and innovation, described the findings as astonishing.

Thai In The Sky...

Food By Drone Europe’s first fast food delivery service by drone will start in a matter of weeks and will be in big demand, according to Manna Aero founder Bobby Healy.

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he public service is due to be launched in a south Dublin suburb with 30,000 people in March.

The three-minute service would deliver food from several chains. Camile Thai, a chain with a branch in Belfast, has already signed up and another major food name is due to be announced shortly.

Founder Bobby Healy said that “major online food player’s” delivery service app

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would have a new drone symbol.

“You’ll open the app and, in the case of Camile Thai, it will offer for the food to be picked up by drone. If you order by drone it will be delivered in less than three minutes,” Mr Healy said.

Earlier this month, Camile Thai chief executive Brody Sweeney told a conference that the Manna Aero drone delivery system would allow customers to pick a landing area around their home, such as a patio or driveway.

Mr Healy, the former chief technology officer of CarTrawler, said the Irish Aviation Authority had been supportive of the initiative.

“We’re going to open it up to about 30,000

“While technology undoubtedly brings social and educational benefits, it is vital that screen time is monitored and that it is balanced appropriately with all the other aspects that contribute to a healthy lifestyle,” Mr Arneill said.

“It is imperative that parents and teachers are able to equip children with all the relevant skills to keep themselves safe given the many risks that they face.”

The charity has called on the Government to establish a long-term strategy that includes strong and effective measures on education, public awareness and regulation to ensure children are protected online.

people to begin with,” he said.

“What we expect to happen is that there’ll be too much demand and so we’ll have to restrict it in some way. But anyone who wants to see it can just come along and see it happening. It will be in a public place.”

Mr Healy recently said he hoped to scale to 50,000 delivery drones for the Irish and UK markets.

“We want to literally transform marketplaces, economies and communities all over the world in a way that not just reduces our carbon footprint, but saves lives and creates jobs while doing so.”

According to the company, the airborne logistics platform ‘in-a-box’ will provide online meal ordering platforms, restaurant chains and dark kitchens with a three-minute delivery promise to their local communities for “a fraction” of the cost of road-based deliveries.

Manna Aero uses “custom-designed aviationgrade drones” built in Europe and the US. The drone fleet is operated directly from the restaurant or ‘dark kitchen’ premises and is accessible to food tech providers and online food platforms in a “channel-agnostic manner”, the company says.

It recently received €4.7m in funding from Dynamo Ventures, a company that specialises in supply chain and logistics firms.

Eye on TechEye Most parents find talking to their children about sex less awkward than discussing technology because of their lack of knowledge when it comes to computers, apps and memes, research suggests.

Tech Talk...

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study revealed 56 per cent of mothers and fathers found it easier to talk about sex and puberty with their children than the latest online trends.

Almost six in 10 parents even said they turned to their children for help with tech and gadgets, rather than it being the other way around.

The survey of 1,000 parents, commissioned by BT Skills for Tomorrow, also found that while many are familiar with classic acronyms like LOL, BTW and ATM, only seven per cent were aware that PAW means “parents are watching”. And 10 per cent did not understand any online vernacular at all.

More than one-quarter have no idea what Tik Tok is, with another 48 per cent aware of it, but admitting they have no idea how to use it.

Professor Kerensa Jennings, digital impact director at BT, said: “Children are extremely bright and are often ahead of

Down With The Kids the game when it comes to understanding the capabilities of the internet - safety is paramount and it’s vital parents have these important conversations with their kids at an early age.

“New technology is constantly changing family life, so we want to help parents feel more confident about helping their children to navigate the online world.”

The survey, which also polled 1,000 children aged six to 14, revealed that when it comes to advice, one in five youngsters wouldn’t ask parents a tech question because they “rarely

know the answer”.And 35 per cent say their mums and dads aren’t familiar with the websites or apps they use.

As a result, four in 10 kids firmly believe they’re more educated on technology than their parents.

It also emerged that as children get older, they also become less likely to go to their parents for tech advice and look to their friends.

Almost a quarter of children aged six to eight will go to their pals for help with their gadgets compared to 53 per cent of 13- and 14-year-olds.

And a quarter will turn to YouTube for advice, according to the OnePoll survey.

Despite this, nine in 10 parents understand the importance of being clued up when it comes to educating children on the internet.

To do this, parents will search online, speak to friends or look to take an online training course to further educate themselves when it comes to online and tech.

Almost six in 10 children also claim they would be more likely to go to their parents if they bettered their online knowledge.

Amazon Reveals The Shop Of The Future Amazon has unveiled its latest physical retail concept a cashier-free Amazon Go store that sells fresh groceries.

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he Amazon Go Grocery store, which opened in downtown Seattle recently, allows shoppers to buy groceries without running items through a checkout or even swiping a card.

This “just walk out” technology, as Amazon has dubbed it, first appeared in 2016 with the launch of Amazon Go -- a cashierless convenience store selling fast-moving items like snacks, drinks and ready-made meals. Amazon has rolled out 25 of these Go stores in metro locations across the US, but now the retailer wants to bring the concept closer to the ‘burbs. That means new products like fresh produce, bread and baked goods, meat and liquor -- the kinds of things you’d buy in your weekly grocery shop.

The basic technology behind Amazon Go hasn’t changed with the launch of the grocery concept. Cameras in the ceiling work with sensors underneath shelves to track shoppers as they walk through the store, detecting when items are taken off shelves. Once an item is removed, it goes into a virtual cart and shoppers can walk out without going through a traditional check out -- the bill is paid via credit card through the Go app.

But while the concept is similar, things have changed with the addition of fresh produce.

Amazon says it had to update the machine learning driving its system to account for things like multiple customers grabbing different fresh food items, or fridge doors fogging up after being left open.

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Eye on News

Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards 2020

(L-R) Seán McGrath, CEO, Allianz joins Tracy Meharg, Permanent Secretary, Department for Communities, Karen Reynolds, JTI, Ciaran Scullion, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Mary Nagele, CEO and Martin Bradley MBE, Chair, Arts & Business NI at the annual Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards.

The Lyric, Belfast once again played host to over 250 guests recently for the Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards 2020.

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r Wendy Austin, MBE compered the ceremony during which Awards were announced across ten categories. Those shortlisted and winning arts-business partnership Awards are a spectacular reflection of how rich creative collaborations can deliver meaningful benefits for both sectors. Among the speakers on the evening was Tracy Meharg, the Permanent Secretary, Department for Communities and Ciaran Scullion from the Arts Council of NI. The Allianz Arts & Business NI Business of the Year Award 2020 and the Allianz Arts & Business NI Arts Organisation of the Year Award 2020 were among the leading awards presented on the evening.

The Allianz Arts & Business NI Business of the Year Award 2020 went to A & L Goodbody for excelling in integrating arts and culture through its business working in partnership with the Lyric Theatre and Belfast Exposed. The Allianz Arts & Business NI Arts Organisation

of the Year Award 2020 was won by Book Trust NI. The Arts Award comes with a cheque from Allianz for £3,000.

Susan Picken from Cathedral Quarter Trust won the Allianz Arts & Business NI Arts Innovator of the Year Award 2020 for her leadership on Culture Night which has become a hugely successful and inclusive event, growing to include Culture Day and working with new partners.

The Allianz Community Art Award is chosen by Allianz NI staff and funds an arts initiative within a local community. Holy Evangelists’ Primary School was the 2020 recipient of the

Seán McGrath, CEO, Allianz and Martin Bradley, MBE, Chair, Arts & Business NI present the Allianz Arts & Business NI Business of the Year Award to Michael Neill, A&L Goodbody alongside Mary Nagele, CEO, Arts & Business NI.

Allianz Community Art Award and the associated cheque of £2,000.

In addition to financial support for the Arts, business people who are giving their time and advice to support the Arts were also acknowledged.

Jim McKeever, Queen Street Studios received the Allianz Arts & Business NI Inspirational Trustee Award 2020, whilst Barry Desmond from Alexander Boyd Displays was the recipient of the Allianz Arts & Business NI Business Individual of the Year Award 2020 for driving a strong collaboration with Belfast Photo Festival since 2017, including

providing in kind support and attending key events with the Festival team.

Other Awards presented on the evening included the Allianz Arts & Business NI Creative Community Engagement (Winners: Big Telly Theatre Company & Enniskillen BID), Allianz Arts & Business NI Cultural Branding Award (Winners: Belfast Photo Festival & Alexander Boyd Displays); Allianz Arts & Business NI Creative Workplace Award (Winners: Tinderbox & Citi), and the Allianz Arts & Business NI New Sponsor Award (Winners: Cathedral Quarter Trust & Power NI).

Seán McGrath, CEO, Allianz and Martin Bradley, MBE, Chair, Arts & Business NI present the Allianz Arts & Business NI Arts Organisation of the Year Award to Liz Canning, Book Trust NI alongside Mary Nagele, CEO, Arts & Business NI.

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Eye on Manufacturing

100 Year Milestone & New Horizons For Balmoral Furniture

Joint Managing Directors of Balmoral Furniture, Paul Moffett & Stephen Shaw.

Celebrating an unbroken 100 years in business is remarkable enough. But when those 100 years include the worst of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, two devastating bomb attacks and a couple of recessions, it’s an achievement worth celebrating.

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Eye on Manufacturing

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ut the team at Balmoral Furniture won’t be popping too many champagne corks or organising high profile events. Instead, they’ll do as they’ve always done. Get on with the job of manufacturing and distributing a range of contract and domestic furniture and bedding to its customers all over the British Isles.

Established by John Moffett back in 1920 as a small upholstery business, the company has remained in the Moffett family ever since and is now led by the third generation including two of John’s grandsons, Laurence and Paul with four members of the fourth generation now actively employed in the Business.

Set up in what was then the village of Dunmurry outside Belfast, it’s roots have remained there. Today’s Balmoral Furniture has its headquarters and manufacturing complex at Seymour Hill and sister company Balmoral Textiles is based nearby.

“The company started out all those years ago as an upholstery firm, making the kind of three-piece suites and fireside chairs that almost everyone had in their living rooms back then,” says Paul Moffett. “During the war years, it had to make a very specific type of chair which was the only kind available at the time.”

But the company developed and diversified quickly. It wasn’t long before it had developed its own brand of bedding. The Slumbernight mattress became a favourite with local consumers, and Balmoral still manufactures mattresses and bedding at its plant in Dunmurry, many of them sold to the public through the big bedding retail chains.

“At one stage, we were also sending container loads of ready-made kitchen units over to England on a daily basis for

“Set up in what was then the village of Dunmurry outside Belfast, it’s roots have remained there.”

installation on Wimpey building sites all over the country in the 50’s and 60’s,” adds Paul Moffett.

Two devastating bomb attacks in the 70’s on their retail showrooms convinced Balmoral to move away from retail and concentrate on their manufacturing and import business and move to wholesaling domestic furniture to the retail shops and the ever expanding contract sector.

These days, Balmoral Furniture continues to supply retail outlets and the domestic marketplace, but also has a fast-growing contract division.

“We can and do make a wide range of furniture for our direct contract customers,” says Paul Moffett. “Those customers and their sites are spread right across the whole of the UK and Ireland.”

One key sector for Balmoral is hotels. It supplies beds, tables and chairs and bedroom furniture casegoods as well as public area furniture to the UK’s leading hotel chains, including Doubletree by Hilton, Marriott, Clayton, Maldron, Leonardo, Jury’s as well as local companies such as the McKeever Hotel Group.

But it’s also active in education, helping to fit out primary schools, secondary & grammar schools, colleges and universities, and the healthcare sector, where many hospitals, surgeries and waiting rooms are equipped with Dunmurry-made furniture.

“Not too many years ago, the domestic sector would have accounted for a large proportion of our business. But that’s changed.

Our Contract trade has grown and we’re now working on close to a 70:30 split,” explains Paul Moffett.

The company employs just over 120 people across its operations in Dunmurry and operates its own transport fleet, delivering furniture all over the island of Ireland directly from the Dunmurry base. Lorries also regularly leave the plant bound for the ports and contracts in England, Scotland and Wales. They are currently on site in eight different hotels in London, Southampton, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, Belfast and Dublin with a phased work schedule covering 1400 hotel bedrooms.

In common with other furniture manufacturers and suppliers, Balmoral Furniture has been adding a strong emphasis on sustainability, using sustainable raw materials where possible and adapting its manufacturing processes accordingly.

“The environmental challenge is just one of the key challenges that we have to face as a company going forward,” says Paul Moffett. “But we think that we’re in a good position to grow from here. Solid financial management saw us through the most recent recession and we’re looking to the future now.”

“Our priority will be lead by design. Furniture, whether it’s in schools, health centres or hotels, is design-led. It’s a fashion business but the products have to be durable, practical and affordable at the same time”.

“But the biggest challenge is to look after our staff. This is a family business to its core, and the people who work here are part of the wider family. We’ll be taking them with us as we move into the future.”

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Eye on News

Belfast Chamber Encourages Minister To ‘Think Big’ To Make Belfast Move Better cycling lanes across the city, new cycle parks and the continued development of greenways; and t UIF DSFBUJPO PG NPSF HSFFO BOE open space – improvement to offer places for citizens of all ages to enjoy life in the city.

Belfast Chamber has encouraged the new Minister for Infrastructure to “think big” about connectivity in and to the capital city.

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he organisation which represents over 600 businesses in Belfast has encouraged the Minister and her Executive colleagues to work with Belfast City Council and the city’s business community to embark on an ambitious investment programme aimed at transforming the city’s economy and improving the quality of life for its citizens.

In a new policy paper entitled “Making Belfast Move Better”, Belfast Chamber outlines a blueprint for making Belfast a more vibrant, accessible and sustainable city. As well as encouraging the Infrastructure Minister to invest in

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public transportation, the cycling network and roads improvements in the city, Belfast Chamber have also encouraged the Minister to follow the UK Government’s example of backing HS2 and examine the feasibility of developing a high speed rail connection between Belfast and Dublin.

Other proposals made by Belfast Chamber include: t B TUFQ DIBOHF JO QVCMJD transportation with rapid deployment of phase 2 of the Glider, improved bus lanes, better park and ride facilities and more investment on zero emission, zero carbon public transport;

t B NPSF QFEFTUSJBO GSJFOEMZ DJUZ XJUI more high quality, shared streets which prioritise pedestrians, cyclists, public transport and taxis t UIF A#PVMFWBSEJOH PG NBKPS SPBET around Belfast city centre to make them more attractive with ATVQFS DSPTTJOHT BOE NPSF CSJEHFT across the Lagan to better connect new developments and existing communities to the city centre t TUJNVMBUJOH NPSF DJUZ MJWJOH UP FOTVSF UIBU UIF $PVODJM T A#FMGBTU Agenda’ target to increase Belfast’s population by 66,000 people by 2035 with more residential accommodation in central Belfast a sustainable way to grow the city t JOWFTUNFOU JO NBKPS SPBE infrastructure projects that will boost the economy like the York Street Interchange and at Titanic Quarter t JNQSPWFE DZDMJOH JOGSBTUSVDUVSF with more safe and separated

Commenting at the launch of the policy paper, Belfast Chamber Chief Executive Simon Hamilton said, “Improving how people get into, out of and around our city is crucial to achieving Belfast Chamber’s vision of an economically strong city which is the best possible place to live, work, study, socialise, visit and invest.

There is virtually no aspect of the life of a successful city that isn’t impacted positively by a first-class connectivity and transportation network.Belfast needs an efficient transportation system not just for getting workers to and from their place of employment, but also to improve our sustainability, encourage healthier lifestyles and connect communities.Streets that are vibrant, safe and attractive are the foundation of urban life, encouraging people to visit and stay, enabling businesses to flourish and creating a liveable environment, and connections are part of what attractsbusinesses to invest in cities and act as a magnet for talent and help us realise our regeneration ambitions.

With an Executive back in place, Belfast Chamber encourages Ministers to ’think big’ and see investing in the full range of Belfast’s transport infrastructure as essential for the future growth of the city and the economic success of the whole region. Whether it’s public transport, pedestrian friendly streets, an improved cycling network or better roads, building up Belfast’s infrastructure will improve our economy and make life better for cities and communities across the city”.

Eye on Law

Arthur Cox Enjoys Privileged Insight Into Strength Of Northern Ireland Economy As the leader of the Belfast office of one of Ireland’s foremost corporate law firms Arthur Cox, Managing Partner Catriona Gibson offers her unique insight into the continuing strength and resilience of the Northern Ireland economy.

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uring almost 15 years at Arthur Cox, I have witnessed the economic landscape changing dramatically from the heights of the mid2000s, to the financial crash and recovery, and the UK’s exit from the European Union.

Throughout that time however, many of our most successful businesses have continued to grow, taking advantage of market conditions by expanding not just locally but also overseas, while we have also seen burgeoning sectors such as film and television, advanced manufacturing, and the knowledge economy flourish.

Working with organisations ranging from family-owned businesses and indigenous firms, to multinationals that have established bases in Northern Ireland – and across a wide spectrum of sectors – we are privileged to enjoy a unique insight into the fortunes of the local economy.

As the trusted legal adviser to leading organisations across the region, we have seen their success stories play out, providing first-hand experience of the resilience and excellence in leadership and innovation required to prosper commercially.

It would be too optimistic to say that there are not significant economic challenges currently in play, but there is also much evidence Northern Ireland remains an attractive place to do business.

This is borne out in the level of mergers and acquisitions activity reported in 2019, as the combined value of transactions involving Northern Ireland assets reached £1.6bn, above the 10-year average of £1.47bn.

While the UK as a whole experienced a falling number of deals, the volume grew significantly in Northern Ireland, by 11% to 252 - the highest figure ever recorded for the region.

As one of the main operators providing legal advice to buyers and sellers, Arthur Cox was involved in many of the most high-profile deals to take place locally over the year, with recent M&A clients including two with multi-billionpound market capitalisations.

Given their global reach and sophistication, such clients are indicative of the very high calibre of inward investor that we’re seeing now active in the province.

As might be expected, these transactions can be highly complex, and I am extremely proud of our unique ability at Arthur Cox to lead the legal advice.

In a similar vein, we continue to

advise on equally demanding transactions for clients across all sectors including manufacturing, aerospace, agri-food, energy, retail, technology, and healthcare as well as acting for private equity funds and venture capitalists.

These organisations, and others, come to us for our proven professional skills, our thorough understanding of their requirements, and our practical commercial approach.

Drawing on specialist and industry specific expertise from within the Belfast practice and our offices in Dublin, London, New York, and Silicon Valley, Arthur Cox is in a unique position to provide a full-service offering to our growing client base.

We look forward to joining with them, and others, in the months and years ahead as we continue to share in the success stories of Northern Ireland’s leading businesses.

Arthur Cox is well positioned to advise businesses on the full range of their legal requirements. Please call +44 28 9023 0007 for further information from Catriona or your regular Arthur Cox contact.

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Eye on News

€100 million investment underway on the site of the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin

- doubling its size and bringing footfall of half a million guests through the hotel.

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very significant investment and extension is taking place at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin, with an extensive refurbishment, a new eight-storey extension and development of the new Dublin Royal Convention Centre, an attractive new venue that will host up to 800 delegates in the main plenary room. That final phase of the development also includes the creation of Le Pole Square, linking Chancery Lane to Ship Street and connecting the iconic Dublin Castle to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Christchurch Cathedral. Le Pole Square will also have a landscaped heritage site, gallery, café and direct access to the hotel’s new spa and gym.

The existing busy 150-bedroom hotel will now have an additional 84

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spacious new bedrooms, doubling its existing footprint, including an impressive new two-bedroom Presidential Suite with outdoor and living areas, with an open fire-pit and hot tub overlooking Dublin Castle.

Velvære Spa will comprise of three floors, offering six treatment rooms and a dedicated medi area. The Spa will have a relaxation area and thermal suite with a hydrotherapy pool, sauna and steam room.

The stylish Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin, first opened its doors at the crossroads of Golden Lane and Chancery Lane adjacent to Dublin Castle in 2007, a deluxe four-star hotel with contemporary elements throughout, right in the historic heart of the city. The same team involved in the initial development

Reddy A+U and Graven Images is once again charged with the design of the new extension.

Refurbishment has taken place of the entire ground floor, including the lobby area and both the restaurant and bar. The newly opened Chancery Grill restaurant and The Dyflin Bar have had a lavish refit with the addition of a new asador grill to the restaurant. The main hotel banqueting suite, the elegantly renovated Goldsmiths Hall, has a fresh new theme, carried through into the 1st floor mezzanine and dedicated meeting area. With meetings and events playing an important role in the hotel, the Sky Suite will also undergo an impressive expansion.

A unique venue on the 7th floor, with a private bar and wraparound balconies, based on a combination of client feedback and demand, the venue will re-open with a capacity of up to 220 guests, extending its indoor and outdoor areas.

With the new investment delivering an increase in the hotel’s bedroom capacity from 150 to 234 bedrooms, the hotel will be in a strong position to target larger residential conferences for both the hotel and convention centre facilities, as well as responding to the demand for more bedrooms for leisure guests into the city. The predicted footfall through the hotel in 2022 is estimated to be over 500,000 guests and visitors.

“Over a decade since our opening and believing so much in this part of the capital, it is a great news story to have our fully Irish-owned and Irish-operated hotel invest further in the area and in our local community, who have supported us since we opened.,” says the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin’s General Manager, Madeline Riley. “Our new development is happening against a backdrop of great dynamism and energy in the area, with the growing success of this part of the city — stretching from what is possibly Ireland’s most significant historical building, Dublin Castle, to the wealth of exciting new bars, restaurants, coffee shops and designfocused businesses along the axis of George’s Street and its tributaries all the way to the Royal Canal.

Our current and future developments will also mean more local employment. Along with our investment in bricks and mortar, this reinforces the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin’s long-term commitment to this vibrant part of the city. We are also delighted to expand our presence in the deeply historic heart of Dublin and look forward to telling some of the fascinating stories we have unearthed from the past while we are continuing to create an exciting new chapter in the story of this hotel.”

www.radissonblu.com/ royalhotel-dublin

Eye on Economics

BANK OF ENGLAND SEES ENCOURAGING SIGNS FOR THE UK ECONOMY

By Frances Hill, Bank of England Agent for Northern Ireland

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met in January to decide on the appropriate level of Bank Rate—the official base rate of interest in the UK.

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he MPC also updated its forecasts for economic growth and inflation.

The latest forecasts show UK economic growth picking up steadily over the next few years, after a sluggish 2019.

That pickup chimes with the early signs of a rise in business confidence we’ve seen in surveys and in the conversations I and my fellow agents have had with contacts at businesses in Northern Ireland and across the UK in recent weeks Our contacts report they are more likely to make positive decisions on investment, now that their Brexit-related uncertainty has fallen.

Some survey indicators of output have also increased recently, likely reflecting this fall in uncertainty, as well as signalling a pickup in growth.

The MPC expects Brexit-related uncertainty to fall further, driving an increase in investment and output, as more detail on the UK’s future trading relationships comes out.

Lower uncertainty also appears to have been boosting activity in the housing market.

And with unemployment at its lowest level in over 40 years, households are generally confident about their own finances and the wider economy.

The outlook for the UK also reflects encouraging signs in the world economy.

Helped by some easing of trade tensions

and the loosening of monetary policy by many central banks, world growth looks to have stabilised and is forecast to strengthen, supporting economic activity in the UK. As the UK economy recovers and the impact of falls in energy and utilities prices fades, inflation is forecast to rise to the MPC’s 2% target by the end of next year.

In light of these encouraging developments, and what they mean for growth and inflation, a majority of the MPC decided that it was appropriate to keep Bank Rate at 0.75%.

But the MPC noted a number of risks around its forecasts.

The world economy is not guaranteed to strengthen: a renewal of trade tensions, or the emergence of other threats, such as that posed by the coronavirus, could cause growth to weaken.

In the UK, too, the forecast economic pickup is not a sure thing.

Uncertainty is still higher than usual; and if it takes a long time for more detail about the UK’s future trading relationships to come out, it could increase again.

In the near term, the MPC may need to loosen its monetary policy if the UK economy does not pick up as expected or if inflation does not rise.

Looking further ahead, if the economy does recover as the MPC expects, some modest tightening of policy may be needed over the coming few years to keep inflation from rising above target.

No matter what happens, the MPC—chaired from March by incoming Governor Andrew Bailey—will continue to set policy to keep inflation stable and support jobs and growth for the good of all the people of the UK.

Frances Hill.

Frances Hill is Agent for Northern Ireland. https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/ monetary-policy-report/2020/ january-2020 @BoENIreland

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Eye on Awards

Skills in the Spotlight as 14th Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards Launches

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Eye on Awards Businesses in Northern Ireland need access to highly skilled people to help further boost the economy, new Department for Economy minister Diane Dodds said recently.

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he was speaking at Hickson’s Point at the formal launch of the Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards, which have grown into the single most important business awards initiative in the north.

“We need to capitalise on our ambition and innovation by creating a pipeline of talent which will help grow a globally-competitive economy in Northern Ireland that works for everyone,” she said.

“Achieving this is a key priority for me, and there is a great opportunity for government, business and education to work in partnership to deliver on this common objective.”

Minister Dodds said “good progress” has been made on delivering a new skills strategy, and she looked forward to further consultation between now and the summer.

The Workplace & Employment Awards, now in their 14th year and which focus on businesses’ people asset, take place in Titanic Belfast on Thursday June 11.

The launch reception was attended by a range of business organisations as well as representatives of the initiative’s

key business partners Carson McDowell, Progressive Building Society, Queen’s University, Ulster University Business School, KPMG, First Derivatives, Glandore and venue partner Titanic Belfast, as well as new wellbeing partner the Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort.

Guest speaker at the launch was Patrick McAliskey, who founded IT services provider Novosco more than 20 years ago, and which now employs 300 people.

He played an active role in the commercial, leadership, PR and talent-management areas of Novosco before it was acquired by

German group Cancom last October in a £70 million deal. He continues to be an adviser to Cancom.

He spoke about company culture, which he said is “what you do when nobody is looking”.

Patrick said: “It should be the role of every chief executive to make sure everyone in the company clearly understands what the “north star” of the company is and very importantly it forms a big part of the induction process.

“In fact, you can usually get a very good feel for the culture of a company when you look at that process.

“It should be something you talk about a lot and should be a big focus in all company communications. It should be something you are proud of and want all your customers to know about. It should be something you want all your team members talking about, especially when they go outside the office.”

He added: “Company culture has always kept the directors at Novosco up at night and that will always be the case because developing positive culture is the race that never finishes.”

Irish News editor Noel Doran said: “Everyone who enters the Workplace & Employment Awards is recognising the importance of working closely with their staff at all levels, regardless of the size of the organisation, and how vital it is to have proper strategies in place for developing the huge talents which are out there in the field of employment.

“We will be setting out to salute all the key players in front of what will be another sell out audience in Titanic Belfast just under four months from now and we will also be providing a wonderful night’s entertainment as well.”

For the third year running, the judging panel will be chaired

by Ellvena Graham, chair of the Electricity Supply Board, a former head of Ulster Bank and chair of the Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall board.

Sitting alongside longestablished and popular categories this year will be a special “Strive to Zero” sustainability award, encouraging companies to set expectations and work towards reducing their carbon footprint.

For more information and details on entering the awards, go to www.irishnews.com/WEA

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For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On 1 Greg Henry has been promoted to director of agency at Lambert Smith Hampton. Having worked for over 11 years in commercial estate agency in Northern Ireland, Greg now specialises in office acquisitions and disposals.

2 Also at Lambert Smith Hampton, Louise Strange has been promoted to director of property management.

Louise has specialised in property management for the last 13 years with particular expertise in shopping 3 centre management. Meanwhile, Tom Brann has been promoted to director. He works as a chartered surveyor within the property management team, managing a mixed portfolio of assets throughout the UK and Ireland.

1 Greg Henry

2 Louise Strange

3 Tom Brann

4 Asset finance company Simply has appointed Ross Ferguson as Area Sales Manager. He has 15 years’ experience working in Northern Ireland’s financial sector – working at Evolution Funding, Dawson White, Quinn Direct Insurance and Bavarian Garages.

5 Also at Simply, Grainne Williamson takes on the same role. She moves from the banking sector where she worked with both Danske and AIB. 6 Tomás Corrigan has been appointed Litigation and Dispute Resolution Associate at Arthur Cox in Belfast. Tomás joins the practice from Arthur Cox’s Dublin office, where he has been working across a wide spectrum of legal disciplines. Also at Arthur 7 Cox, Kristina Cunningham has been appointed Litigation and Dispute Resolution Associate. An alumnus of Queen’s University, Belfast, Kristina graduated in 2012. She has extensive experience as a litigation specialist having previously worked for a high-profile personal injury practice.

4 Ross Ferguson

5 Grainne Williamson

6 Tomás Corrigan

8 Alana McGovern has been appointed as HR Business Partner for Applied Systems. Predominantly focused on supporting the Ireland business and the European HR practice at large, she will also be working with the Corporate HR team on broader initiatives and driving them at the local level. Alana has a wealth of experience within the HR function spanning across several countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and various industries.

9 Also at Applied Systems, Victoria Milhench has been appointed as Marketing Manager.. With extensive marketing and business development experience across the software, services, engineering and construction sectors, Victoria brings valuable insight and experience to the role. Responsible for Applied’s marketing strategy in Ireland, Victoria will also work with the European and US teams to support broader campaigns.

7 Kristina Cunningham

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8 Alana McGovern

9 Victoria Milhench

For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On Holywood-based creative communications agency, Clearbox, has appointed two new Account Managers 10 on promotion. Charlotte O’Neill joined Clearbox in 2017 as a Junior PR Account Executive after 11 graduating from Ulster University while Alex Symington joined Clearbox in 2018 as a Senior Account Executive after working in London as a Campaign Manager for brands across the country.

12 Sophie McNeice has been promoted to Financial Controller at Harbinson Mulholland.

Sophie joined in 2016 and is now responsible for the financial management of the firm.

She is currently working towards a qualification from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

10 Charlotte O’Neill

11 Alex Symington

12 Sophie McNeice

13 Leo Donaghy has been appointed as Corporate and Community Fundraising Officer to Self Help Africa, Northern Ireland. With 20 years’ experience in professional fundraising, Leo is responsible for building relationships and collaborating with local companies, schools, organisations and communities to raise funds for Self Help Africa’s work throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

DWF, the global legal business, has announced the 14 appointment of David McNeice as Director. He will head up the construction and infrastructure team at DWF in Northern Ireland, working across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Specialising in both contentious and non-contentious matters, David will be working for some of the UK and Ireland’s largest contractors, engineers and public sector clients.

13 Leo Donaghy

14 David McNeice

15 Adrian Maney

15 Adrian Maney has been promoted to Director - Logistics, Customers & Operational Support at Ulster Carpets. Adrian has been with the company for almost 33 years and this expanded role is part of Ulster’s targeted growth strategy.

Joyce McIvor has been appointed as Contract Sales Director for the UK and Ireland at Ulster Carpets. Joyce has over 30 years’ experience and this appointment reflects Ulster’s continued focus on these markets.

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Eye on News

Kingsbridge Healthcare Group is a Top Contender in UK’s Leading Healthcare Awards 2020 after making ‘historical strides’ in NI healthcare in past year

Kingsbridge Healthcare Group (KHG) are delighted to be shortlisted for one of the UK’s most prestigious health and social care accolades, the Health Investor Awards 2020.

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HG, formerly 3fivetwo Group, are finalists in the hard-fought Private Hospital Group of the Year category, alongside industry leaders like Nuffield Health and Spire Healthcare.

They are the only Northern Ireland finalist in this year’s awards, which had more than 250 submissions involving 400 companies vying for a place in 24 categories.

Ashok Songra, Group Joint CEO said: “Kingsbridge Healthcare Group is Northern Ireland’s largest

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private healthcare provider. The Group made huge strides forward in 2019 cementing its place as the market leader in Northern Ireland, delivering a full range of medical and surgical services across the whole island of Ireland Mark Regan, The Hospitals CEO was keen to emphasise the importance of the patient journey. “Our focus is very much on delivering a 5-star private healthcare experience to all our patients. Last year, we were placed in 8th position

in the UK nationwide table for hip replacements and 13th for knee replacements. This was a major achievement confirming our status as one of the most clinically safe and efficient hospitals in the UK. KHG has grown over the last decade to have nearly 340 employees with a turnover of £36M. Suresh Tharma, Group Joint CEO reaffirmed the Groups aspiration and commitment to working with the NHS and the HSE to reduce waiting lists in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland through partnership working for the long-term benefit of the population in Ireland.

“Ultimately, our vision is to make Northern Ireland a centre of excellence by providing

world-class healthcare solutions encompassing a wide range of diagnostic, education and treatment services delivered through our hospitals in Belfast and Sligo” Competition for the top title is fierce, with this year’s judges looking for organisations which have made an outstanding contribution to the diverse and burgeoning healthcare market in 2019.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on 10th June in front of an audience of over 1,200 guests and industry leaders.

www.cityauctiongroup.com 73

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

CRISP NEW CLIO INJECTS MORE GUTSY PERFORMANCE! There is something rather different about this Clio but it took me a while to figure it out. The engine has more guts than any Clio that I have driven before.

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little research is needed to find the answer in the shape of a Mercedes connection!

The curiously sized 1.33-litre turbo petrol unit is the product of co-operation between the French giant and the Daimler Group of Germany. This gives the Clio a much better pedigree. It just feels so crisp and even.

The TCe engine gets both direct injection and turbo-charging giving it an output of 130PS. That’s enough to give the little hatchback the urge to hit 62mph from rest in 8.8 seconds and a top speed of 124mph. Renault has long talked about improving the quality of their cars: now they are actually doing it!

Okay, this was the top model in RS trim with a seven-speed twin-clutch auto box and a lot of kit with a 20k price tag. It sits on a new platform which gives tidy handling that should apply across the range of models that start with 1.0 litre lower spec jobs priced from 14k.

Renault has taken a leaf from VW’s book with evolutionary styling - it looks sharp and modern but is quickly recognisable from the shape of the previous Clio generation. Fun to drive, the

interior has also got a quality lift with a deep iPad style of screen on the better models.

That brings us to the elephant in the room - emissions. There are only petrol models with the 1.0 litre emitting from 99g/ km and sitting in the 23% BIK belt. My 1.3 does 118g/km and gets a 27% rating.

But calvary are coming shortly in the shape of a hybrid, followed by a full electric Clio of the future.

MG3 IS A BARGAIN HATCH - NO FRILLS BUT THE PRICE IS RIGHT! If the idea of a yesterday car at yesterday prices appeals to you then the MG3 fills the bill.

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ehind the sharp, modern styling this compact hatchback lacks the mechanical refinement of the class of 2020. There is no turbo charger on the engine and just five gears to play with.

You get what you pay for and at prices starting from under £10K, I suppose we should not grumble. The 1.5-litre petrol engine is quite powerful for this size of car with 106PS, more than most in this class. Yet just does not feel as eager as some.

I have nothing against five-speed gearboxes - they are great around town and on country roads. This one is a tad vague but gets you

there just the same. In terms of roadholding and handling the MG3 feels competent and easy to control.

Ride is firm and it drives better than other budget cars. It steers well and the firm suspension stays in control.

Inside is pretty roomy for this size of car with simple instruments and a large and responsive touch screen on higher level models.

There are control buttons on the steering wheel and the overall impression is modern.

It may be cheap to buy but the MG3 costs more than average to run with an optimistic 47mpg rating.

Emissions are a bit on the high side at 140g/kg, so the BIK rating is 37%.

These are be counted against the remarkably low purchase price.

I drove the top Exclusive trim model which has part leather seats, the 8-inch touch screen and other perks bringing the price

up to over £12K. Even this is well below other compact hatches - and even some city cars.

So is this a worthwhile company runabout? You need to weigh up the low, low price and cheap insurance against the prospect of

higher than average depreciation.

On the plus side the MG3 is better placed in the reliability surveys than expected and comes with a seven year or 80,000-mile warranty.

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Nationwide Defleet & Vehicle Delivery Centres www.cityauctiongroup.com 76

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with Derek Black dbmotoring@btinternet.com

MITSUBISHI ADDS MORE STYLE TO ITS PICK-UP OF SUBSTANCE! T

Mitsubishi has long had a niche in the four-wheel drive market dating back to the Shogun but its L200 pick-up is equally respected in the commercial segment.

he latest styling makeover gives it added presence on the road and a hint of the SUV in looks at least.

Inside it gets more technology and comfort than before. But, make no mistake about it, this is a serious off-road machine with high and low range gearing to cope with all conditions on and off the road. The 2.3-litre turbo diesel engine is well geared to any task and won’t cost a fortune to feed with fuel.

The L200 can tow up to 3.5 tonne (braked) and you can load up to a tonne in to the cargo area which has a roller blind cover for security. Driving a pickup takes a bit of adjustment from a car or SUV - you do feel the bumps more and the turning circle is wider.

Despite this the Mitzy is relatively quiet and, dare I say it, comfortable?

You need to adjust to more laidback progress on the road as there is no point in rushing a pickup. The engine pulls well and is relaxed at motorway cruising speed. It lets you

know when it is working hard but there isn’t much to grumble about there.

As on the top SUVs, the top L200 pickups now have a selectable driving modes which you can dial up to suit the conditions. This can adjust the how the gearbox, throttle and stability control behave. The optional six-speed auto gearbox makes smooth changes for easier driving.

The interior is more sophisticated than you might expect in a workhorse.

There is a central screen though sat nav is an option, and the usual flurry of control buttons on the steering wheel. Economy is rated at a realistic 37mpg and, as a commercial, it does better on BIK than would a car or SUV. There is a smaller Life cab on the starter models which are keenly priced. The Warrior spec adds alloy wheels, privacy glass, power mirrors, auto headlamps and dual zone air conditioning. Prices run from just over £19k up to almost £29K.

KIA NIRO - A STEP TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF MOTORING! While the electric car revolution is under way, the range of the cars and the number of public charging points are still short of the level that would inspire confidence in business users.

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ybrids still use petrol or diesel engines but offer certainty that you will get to your destination and back in a working day.

Kia is playing clever by offering its Niro compact SUV with three choices of propulsion - hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric. It undercuts the

Toyota Prius by a considerable margin and has Kia’s unique seven-year warranty as a badge of confidence.

The plug-in or PHEV version that I have been driving has a 30-mile electric range and is aimed at those with a short commute or who have congestion charges to contend with. It is powered by a 1.5 GDI petrol engine partnered with an electric motor to produce a combined 139PS. The official figures are kind to the PHEV recording an optimistic 76mpg with emissions of 29g/km putting it in the 16% BIK bracket.

In grade 3 trim it has a strong safety spec including auto city braking and lane warnings. The interior is of a high standard with a wide touch-screen for sat nav and the rest. Unfortunately, all the kit pushes the price to about £30K, pricey for a fleet car.

*G ZPV BSF DPOUFOU XJUI UIF AOPSNBM hybrid version that has emissions from 86g/km and is in the 23% BIK band, then the car becomes more of a business proposition. List prices start from £24K or so which will embarrass the competition.

The Niro feels competent to drive and the six-speed twin-clutch automatic

gearbox smooths out the changes. Very quiet as you glide off from rest, the petrol engine cuts in with a subdued roar when you put the foot down.

This will get you onto the motorway but would not be good for mpg.

The all-electric e-Niro ticks all the boxes for a green future. It is faster, has a decent range and a price-tag of £35K.

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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 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

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.

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.

In last month’s edition of Business Eye, we inadvertently published a story about Belfast firm CMI being recognised as a Top 50 Managed IT Company alongside a photograph relating to Danske Bank and the Action Mental Health charity. We apologise to both parties.

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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

Slieve Donard Resort Unveils Permanent Tribute To Percy French

The centenary of the death of one of Ireland’s greatest artists, composers and entertainers, Percy French, has been commemorated by the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa in Newcastle with the unveiling of an installation in his honour.

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rench is best known as a writer of humorous songs such as Phil The Fluther’s Ball, Slattery’s Mounted Foot, Are You Right There Michael, Come Back Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff and, most famously, The Mountains of Mourne.

The sculpture, which is set on the grounds of the Slieve Donard Resort with the Mountains of Mourne and Irish Sea as a stunning backdrop, consists of the words of the latter song interwoven in three metal panels and was unveiled by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, a renowned French fan.

Commissioned by Hastings Hotels, the installation was designed by Andrew Todd from Holywood based Tandem Design and produced by a team of highly talented local, specialists including landscape architects, lighting designers, interpretation designers, paving experts and engineers and represents a £200,000 investment.

The sculpture is bordered by four locally-sourced granite seats dedicated to French’s second wife and daughters with way markers to famous French locations such as his birthplace in Roscommon, Ballyjamesduff, Drumcolligher in Co Limerick, Formby where he died and London.

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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

L-R Lauren Young, Ciaran Johnston, Rowan White, President of Law Society of Northern Ireland, Alanna Patterson and Frederick Reilly

Law Society Welcomes Newly Qualified Solicitors

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aw Society President Rowan White welcomed newly qualified solicitors to the legal profession at the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s Admission Ceremony which took place recently at the Whitla Hall at Queen’s University.

Eighty six newly qualified solicitors joined their supervisors, family and friends for this important event in the legal calendar. As part of the ceremony the Registrar of Solicitors, David A. Lavery CB presented the newly admitted solicitors to the Society’s President and to the Lord Chief Justice

for Northern Ireland, Sir Declan Morgan.

During the ceremony a number of awards were presented including the Thomasena McKinney Prize which was awarded to Hannah Megarry who attained first place in the Solicitors’ Apprenticeship Course at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies. Leah Crooks was presented with her award for first place in the Solicitors Accounts Course and joint first place awards were presented to Jennine Mary Buchanan and Leah Crooks for their success in the Professional Conduct Course.

Olympic Investment At Clayton Hotel Belfast

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layton Hotel Belfast, part of Dalata Hotel Group plc, Irelands largest & UK’s fastest-growing hotel operator, has unveiled the next stage of a £6m investment refurbishment programme. The relaunch of its Olympic Suite, one of the largest conference and banqueting facilities in Belfast City Centre which caters for up to 550 guests.

The new look Olympic Suite features high definition AV equipment, LED lights, a private reception space and

access to a dedicated operations team with over 15 years’ experience.

The refurbishment programme, which started in 2018, has included: a brandnew state of the art Meeting and Events Centre which features 10 meeting spaces, upgrading of 170 bedrooms and the refurbishment of the Avenue 22 restaurant and bar. The investment roll out will continue into 2020 with the refurbishment of the Club Vitae gym and changing area which features the city centre’s only 15m swimming pool.

Schoolkids Line Out With Ulster Rugby & Phoenix Natural Gas

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upils at St Vincent De Paul Primary School in North Belfast got to give SVHCZ B AUSZ JO B TQFDJBM UBTUFS TFTTJPO organised through the Ulster Rugby and Phoenix Natural Gas LineOut programme.

Led by Ulster Rugby’s Community Development Coach Callum Smith, more than 30 Year 5 pupils from St Vincent De Paul Primary School took part in fun drills and games alongside Ulster Rugby professional players Andrew Warwick, Kieran Treadwell and Nick Timoney.

Designed to encourage children to get active and try something new, the pupils at St Vincent De Paul Primary School got fully involved and immersed in the activity despite many of them having never played any form of rugby before.

Ulster Rugby’s Callum Smith is pictured alongside Ulster players Andrew Warwick, Kieran Treadwell and Nick Timoney, St. Vincent De Paul pupils Oisin Corbett & Eve Quinn and Gillian Orr, Phoenix Natural Gas.

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Eye on News

McKees Announce £250K Investment And Creation Of 15 New Jobs Joining Managing Partner, Chris Ross (third left) at the announcement are Partners Andrea McCann, Don Thompson, Avril McCammon (Consultant), Philip McBride and Leonard Edgar.

One of Northern Ireland’s leading law firms has unveiled a new visual identity and completed a renovation of its Belfast office following a £250,000 investment and the creation of 15 new jobs in recent months.

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he substantial investment by McKees, formally John McKee Solicitors, has included a state-of-the-art technology upgrade, implementation of an energy efficient lighting system that will help reduce energy consumption, a complete office reconfiguration with increased meeting rooms, new kitchen and breakout room for employees.

Managing Partner, Chris Ross, whose Great Step Grandfather started the firm over 130 years ago said: “We are

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delighted to launch our new brand and complete the renovation programme of our Linenhall Street office. McKees has enjoyed considerable growth over the last three years, in what has been a turbulent market, with a 20% growth in revenue and a 25% increase in employees, including 15 new appointments in the last nine months, now employing 64 staff.

For many years we were known as a firm specialising in financial services and dispute resolution, but in recent years we have really made our mark in other sectors by adding corporate and commercial, energy and renewables and real estate to our specialisms. We continue to complete major deals on behalf of our clients, including Northern Ireland’s largest corporate deal in 2019 when Kilroot and Ballylumford power stations were sold as part of a deal that netted AES a reported £163m.”

“Our focus over the last number of years has been on building a strong, experienced firm and along with the addition in the last 18 months of two new partners, both leaders in their specialisms, Alan Bissett (corporate and energy) and Donald Thompson (banking and real estate), I have never been more confident in the capabilities of the teams we have in place at McKees and the exceptional service we can provide to our current and future clients.

We firmly believe that businesses are built on the strength of their people and their ability to deliver excellent service in partnership with clients.

And with the right team in place and ambitious plans for further growth in the coming months, it’s an exciting time for McKees,” Chris concluded.

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