Ambition Issue 15 (Mar/Apr 2016)

MAGAZINE OF NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

MARCH/APRIL 2016 ISSUE 15

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FOCUS ON THE X FACTOR IN EXPORTS

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contents

NI CHAMBER COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER

March/April 2016 Issue 15

Editor: Adrienne McGill Publisher: Chris Sherry Advertising Manager: Catherine Patton Editorial Assistant: Ashleigh Addis Email addresses: adrienne.mcgill@northernirelandchamber.com c.patton@ambitionni.co.uk Websites: www.northernirelandchamber.com www.ulstertatler.com

66

Addresses: Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 4-5 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT15JA Tel: 028 9024 4113

Interview with

CPL’s Áine Brolly On

Targeting top talent

Publisher: Ulster Tatler Group, 39 Boucher Road, Belfast, BT12 6UT Tel: 028 9066 3311 Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim

NEWS 08 EOS Systems wins top award 10 ASG and Loud Mouth link up 12 Magellan continues to soar 14 Legal elite to address conference

Front cover image: Taken by Khara Pringle

NI CHAMBER PATRONS

Columnists 16 TREVOR ANNON 60 NATALIE GRAY 64 MAUREEN O’REILLY 78 Clair Gheel 96 Jim Fitzpatrick Special Focus 45 The X Factor in Exports FEATURES 24 EY search for the best of the best 80 Stepping up stock market speed LIFESTYLE 86 The super sleek Jaguar XE 92 Air travel – we still have a way to go

Cover story - Page 34

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editorial

B

driving ambition CHALLENGING TIMES

y the time you read this, NI Chamber and Wrights Group will have hosted a much anticipated event at Hillsborough Castle at which London Mayor Boris Johnson detailed his reasons for wanting the UK to leave the EU and his staunch support of the Brexit campaign.

When he announced his decision to back Brexit several weeks ago – markets shook prompting the value of the pound to plunge to a near seven year low.

Many of Mr Johnson’s closest allies are shocked that he made the decision to campaign for ‘out’. It has been all the more galling for Prime Minister David Cameron because it has been said Mr Johnson had privately given him his assurance that he would back the ‘remain’ campaign.

But whether you agree with the side he has taken or not, there’s no doubt that the Mayor’s personality and flamboyance is intoxicating and he leaves an indelible impression wherever he goes.

A ‘yes’ vote in the EU referendum on June 23 would have a major impact on the UK economy.

Currently almost half of UK exports go to the EU with the proportion of total UK imports from the EU sitting at around 55 per cent – so there is much to consider.

Meanwhile, the prospect of 1,000 jobs losses at Bombardier Aerospace in Northern Ireland is a devastating blow to the local economy and the manufacturing sector as a whole. The

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company, which is Northern Ireland’s largest manufacturing employer with a workforce of 6,000, accounts for 10 per cent of exports from the province. It also supports hundreds more jobs through its supply chains.

The Canadian aerospace giant, which is making 7,000 redundancies across its global workforce, said its decision was as a result of inescapable global economic factors.

However, the impact is very real for those affected and for the wider Northern Ireland economy.

On the subject of global trading, in this issue our special focus ‘the x factor in exports’ looks at a range of elements which are all strategically important in helping companies operate successfully in overseas markets – from logistics to social media and from navigating a way through turbulent economic conditions to sourcing reliable distributors.

In lifestyle James Stinson puts the super sleek Jaguar XE through its paces while Mukesh Sharma casts his eyes to the skies to assess Northern Ireland’s air travel connectivity and David Scott Head Chef at Hadski’s whets appetites with two tasty recipes for spring.

Overall, it is a compelling read for NI Chamber members and the wider business community with something for everyone. We hope you enjoy it!

Adrienne McGill Editor, Ambition

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editorial

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Debate on Brexit must be informed

S

ometimes we are inclined to make snap judgments, to let our gut instinct take over and reach almost immediate conclusions on big issues. The sensible thing to do of course is to research an issue, weigh up an argument from all sides and then decide on the wisest course of actions, strategically, financially and tactically.

The UK is now heading towards a crucial referendum on the future relationship with the European Union. Prime Minister David Cameron has been engaged in renegotiating the standing of the UK in the EU and that may bring some change to the context in which a vote is taken. However, in the ballot box all of us will face one question with only two options: are we ‘In’ or ‘Out’?

There has already been much hyperbole about the apparent dramatic impact of either a Yes or No vote. Those within

06 NI Chamber

Northern Ireland who are firmly wedded to the EU have said that Brexit will leave us stranded outside the EU, and coping with the re-emergence of a land border with the Republic of Ireland. We are told that trade with the EU nations will be difficult, even prohibitive, that our farmers will suffer huge financial losses with the withdrawal of EU farm subsidies. Our roads infrastructure programme will apparently be set back if not supported by Structural Funds and PEACE monies.

On the other side of the argument there are claims that the amount of money the UK will save in EU contributions will yield a financial bonanza for all regions, including Northern Ireland. £3 billion is a figure which has been flagged up already.

It is not only helpful for individuals, businesses and indeed business representative bodies to ensure they are fully informed of such major issues, there is actually a responsibility on us to seek out the full facts and potential scenarios.

You can be sure that there will be an onslaught of advertising, hustings events and communications campaigns in the months before a referendum. We are not in that position yet and so far the ‘debate’ around our EU membership has been driven by political interest, conflicting headlines and indeed emotional reaction to the status of the UK and the EU. Emotion has a part in all decision making and it will do so here, but there is a duty to ensure decisions are as well informed as they can be.

We need informed debate, hopefully it is on the way.

Stephen McCully, President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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news

ARTHUR COX APPOINTS NEW MANAGING PARTNER

Catriona Gibson, newly appointed Managing Partner of Arthur Cox with Alan Taylor who has become Chairman of the firm’s Belfast office.

Leading law firm Arthur Cox has appointed Catriona Gibson as Managing Partner of its Northern Ireland practice.

Catriona becomes the first female to assume leadership of a top-tier law firm in Northern Ireland and will lead a practice of 90, whilst continuing to head the Dispute Resolution team.

She takes over the Managing Partner role from Alan Taylor who becomes Chairman of Arthur Cox’s Belfast office.

Speaking of her new role, Catriona, who joined the firm 10 years ago, said: “Looking forwards, we are committed to the local marketplace and committed to providing trusted and innovative advice to an ever-growing national and international client base.”

Alan Taylor said Catriona was a major driver of Arthur Cox’s success and had been heavily involved in a number of genuinely pioneering legal developments in recent years.

“I look forward to working closely with Catriona in her new role, in which I know she will be a huge success,” he added.

Spotlight on Electric Ireland’s new offices Electric Ireland has opened new offices in Belfast.

The offices at Cromac Quay houses the energy supplier’s dedicated Northern Ireland Customer Service Centre and marketing and business development functions.

Electric Ireland is part of the ESB Group which employs around 1,400 people in Northern Ireland and owns and operates NIE Networks and Coolkeeragh ESB powerplant in the North West along with five windfarms across the province.

Electric Ireland has been operating in the business energy market in Northern Ireland since 2001 but last year announced an expansion into the residential market.

Pat O’Doherty, Chief Executive ESB, said the new offices would bring the company’s residential and business teams together under one roof from which it would provide competitive products and simple ways to make life better for businesses and homes alike.

Officially opening the offices Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell said: “Increased choice and competition at supply level is good news for consumers and the company’s investment of some £5 million is also good news for the economy.”

Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell with Ellvena Graham, NonExecutive Chairman ESB and Pat O’Doherty, Chief Executive ESB.

08 NI Chamber

Peter Brown, EOS Systems Technical Director.

EOS Systems wins top award EOS Systems has received the Dell Network Security award for Best Hospitality/Public Wi-Fi Solution in Ireland.

The Belfast based IT solutions company won the award in recognition of the firm’s 2015 Wi-Fi installation project with the Hastings Hotel Group in Northern Ireland. In the face of tough competition from other Ireland-wide installers, Dell acknowledged that EOS Systems stood out in terms of the innovation and creativity they brought to this challenging project.

As a result of EOS Systems’

work, the hotel chain’s new high-end free Wi-Fi system now delivers over 450 access points across the six hotels in the Hastings Group.

Peter Brown, EOS Systems Technical Director, said: “The award has not only given EOS Systems great satisfaction but has vindicated all of the hard work our employees put into this monumental project. With a marked increase in cyber security, businesses need to be even more aware of the dangers lurking within their own computer networks.”

news Kirk Moffatt, ASG Director of Creative Services; Valerie Ludlow, ASG Director of Strategy; Mark Haslam, Managing Director of Loud Mouth Media and Aedin O’Neill, Performance Marketing Director of Loud Mouth Media.

Energy efficiency is the way forward

David Jones of Globe Energy

Energy technology company Globe Energy has welcomed the Government’s decision to support energy efficiency as the subsidy free option for the UK’s Energy Policy in 2016 and beyond.

With 10 per cent of all energy being consumed in heating homes and 35 per cent consumed in heating industrial buildings and processes – energy in buildings is the single largest energyuse sector.

The Government has said its vision is for an energy system that puts consumers first, delivers more competition, reduces the burden on bill-payers and ensures enough electricity generation to power the nation.

Commenting on the Government’s decision David Jones of Globe Energy said: “Energy efficiency is the way forward. This is only achieved by embracing new energy saving technologies – high efficiency technologies that can be shown to substantially reduce energy consumption and provide cost savings will lead to lower CO2 emissions and allow planet earth time to recover.”

ASG and Loud Mouth link up Two leading advertising agencies, ASG and Loud Mouth Media, have formed a new digital partnership to meet the growing need for integrated strategic advertising and promotion on-line and off-line.

ASG based in Belfast has been behind many integrated marketing campaigns for local and international clients in the private, public and voluntary sectors while Loud Mouth Media which has offices in Belfast and Dublin specialises in strategic digital pay per click advertising (PPC).

In the final quarter of last year alone, Loud Mouth grossed Google

advertising sales of over $1million USD, making it one of Google’s biggest spending agencies.

Valerie Ludlow, ASG’s Director of Strategy said: “Digital PPC advertising, and particularly performance search, is a fast–moving and highly specialist area. We are extremely pleased to announce this strategic partnership with the top specialist in Northern Ireland, Loud Mouth Media.”

Mark Haslam, Managing Director of Loud Mouth Media said ASG’s campaigns were strong on design and highly creative. “They really understand what’s needed in the digital space,” he added.

Willis IRM ‘Court’ Favour With New Reading Office Leading risk management consultancy, Willis Insurance and Risk Management (Willis IRM), has announced the opening of its third office with the business expanding into Reading, South East England.

It has also led to a player sponsorship agreement with former Ulster Rugby favourite Tom Court, who spent eight years in the Province winning 32 full Ireland caps and a British & Irish Lions tour in 2013. Tom now plies his trade with Premiership rugby club London Irish, who play their home games in Reading.

Willis IRM, which primarily

10 NI Chamber

focuses on insurances for commercial and corporate clients, currently has premises in Belfast and Coleraine with over 60 staff specialising in Construction, Transportation, Hospitality & Leisure, Retail and Property Management.

Commenting on the move into the GB market, Managing Director Richard Willis said: “It is a natural progression for us as part of our plans to grow the business further.

The office in Reading will act as a hub for activity in the South East of England providing all insurance, claims management, HR, health & safety and financial planning needs.”

Willis IRM Managing Director Richard Willis and former Ulster Rugby favourite Tom Court.

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news

Magellan continues to soar Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell has praised Greyabbey-based Magellan Aerospace for its innovation.

Magellan Aerospace Corporation is one of the world’s top Tier 2 aerospace component providers and currently supplies products and services to customers around the world.

The firm is regarded as one of the leading precision machining companies, supplying high precision aerospace components directly to Airbus and its supply chain.

On a visit to the Greyabbey operation Minister Bell described Magellan as “an excellent example of an innovative and dynamic company.”

He added that since establishing a presence in Northern Ireland in 2012, the company has continued to enhance its core engineering capabilities and expand its manufacturing footprint.

Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell with Neil Taggart, Operations Manager at Magellan Aerospace.

Kathryn Thomson, the new Chief Executive at National Museums Northern Ireland.

NEW CHIEF takes up post Switch on to electricity price cut Power NI’s price cut of 10.3 per cent which was announced earlier this year will come into effect at the start of next month.

From April 1 electricity bills will reduce by more than £50 a year on average for the 528,000 homes supplied by Power NI, while 31,000 regulated business customers could be set for a saving of around £200.

Stephen McCully, Managing Director of Power NI, said: “This is the third year in a row we have been able to reward our customers’ loyalty by cutting or freezing prices.

“We announced a similar sized price cut this time last year and we will continue to put all our energy into delivering for our customers on price and service.”

The reduction has been spurred by lower priced wholesale gas, the main fuel used in electricity generation.

12 NI Chamber

Kathryn Thomson has taken up the post as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director of National Museums Northern Ireland.

She is the former Chief Operating Officer at Tourism NI, previously known as the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and prior to that held the post of Director of Finance and Business Planning at the organisation. Before that Kathryn worked in the senior finance team within NHS Greater Glasgow, primarily involved in business and financial planning.

Kathryn holds a BCom (Hons) degree in Business Studies from the University of Edinburgh, completed her accountancy training at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and has a professional qualification as a Chartered Accountant with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). In addition, Kathryn holds a public appointment as a Director of the Strategic Investment Board.

Power NI Managing Director Stephen McCully and Head of Marketing Kerstie Forsyth.

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news Belfast Harbour

Michael Humphreys QC and Brett Lockhart QC, both from the Bar of Northern Ireland, Jonathan Forrester, Director, Cleaver Fulton Rankin and Laura Gillespie, Partner, Pinsent Mason.

Legal elite to address conference The UK’s most senior judge will be among a number of highpowered legal professionals who will address a top law conference in Belfast next month.

Lord Neuberger, President of The Supreme Court, will be one of those speaking at the flagship event hosted by the British Irish Commercial Bar Association (BICBA), which takes place for the first time in Belfast.

The 2 day conference which starts on April 21 and takes place at the Bar Library will be themed around the impact of technology on the court process and the development of substantive rights. It has been organised by the NI member representatives of BICBA from the Bar Library and law firms Cleaver Fulton Rankin and Pinsent Masons.

Lord Kerr, Justice of the Supreme Court and Former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland will also address the event.

Chairman of the Commercial Bar Association in Northern Ireland, Michael Humphreys QC, said: “As lawyers, we need to be offering the most innovative solutions to our business clients whilst embracing the latest technology to ensure the courts are as efficient and effective as possible.”

Jonathan Forrester, Director, Cleaver Rankin Fulton, added: “Developments in technology are clearly having a significant impact upon both the substantive law and the litigation process, and the conference will focus on commercial law and practice in the digital age.”

Mixed picture on cargo front at Belfast Harbour Belfast Harbour handled 23 million tonnes of cargo during 2015 with commodities linked to the energy and consumer sectors growing and the agri-food sector declining.

The number of freight vehicles handled increased by 5,000, surpassing 480,000 for the first time. Imports of home heating oil grew by 13 per cent to 843,000 tonnes as oil prices fell, driving liquid bulk imports to a five-year high of 2.3 million tonnes.

Northern Ireland firms exporting construction materials also had a good year with stone exports rising by 6 per cent to a record 1.5 million tonnes. Exports of cement products were up 84 per cent to 199,000 tonnes, the highest level for seven years.

Animal feed imports, however, fell back by 9 per cent as the local agri-food sector reacted to difficult international trading circumstances during 2015. These included Russian economic sanctions on EU food products and falling demand from Chinese and Middle East markets.

Roy Adair, Belfast Harbour’s CEO said while it was a mixed picture, overall tonnages were more than seven million tonnes higher than the recession’s low point.

FOOD HEARTLAND OF NORTHERN IRELAND The new borough of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon has launched a vibrant campaign to market the area as ‘The Food Heartland of Northern Ireland.’

The borough is home to some of Northern Ireland’s best known and largest food processors such as Tayto, Moy Park, Irwin’s, Bakery, Cottage Catering, Linwoods, Fane Valley, White’s and Wilson’s Country and also to a number of up and coming artisan producers including the Armagh Cider Company and Quails Fine Foods. Local firms continue to raise the bar by securing Great Taste and Irish Food Awards – the Oscars of the food industry. The Food Heartland campaign will harness this talent, encouraging expansion into new markets and supporting new ventures.

Helen Troughton from the Armagh Cider Company said: “The area has many advantages for business in that it is centrally located within Northern Ireland as well as having easy access to the south and, in our case, it is the home of the Armagh Bramley Apple Protected Geographical

14 NI Chamber

The Armagh Cider Company’s Helen Troughton

Indication which provides provenance for our cider.”

With a Food Heartland Forum already in place, there are plans to roll-out a new Export Support programme and workshops to specifically support food and drink firms.

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columnist

Broadening horizons While Northern Ireland is home to a wealth of high quality products and innovation, companies must consider new markets to realise their full potential, says Trevor Annon, Chairman of the Mount Charles Group.

F

or a relatively small country, Northern Ireland has a growing footprint within the international business community.

In recent months a number of global companies have opened offices on our shores, including the American firm Cayan, which created 50 new jobs with the launch of their Belfast office, and another US business, OneSource Virtual which will recruit 289 new employees in Derry by 2017.

As a country we are starting to receive the recognition we deserve for our talent pool and the facilities that we can offer businesses, and it’s clear that our homegrown firms have an important role to play in building our reputation.

Moy Park for example, based in Craigavon, is one of our most successful exporters, processing poultry products which are distributed across the UK and Ireland, while Ballymena

NI Chamber 16

bus manufacturer Wrightbus supplies vehicles as far afield as Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as supplying the iconic new Routemaster buses for London.

They are two Northern Irish companies that have become market leaders in their respective fields thanks to major contracts overseas and have helped place Northern Ireland firmly on the commercial map.

However, while there are a number of successful exporters in Northern Ireland enjoying similar success, these large scale exporters remain a distinct minority. The statistics show that there are currently around 1,500 local companies who export in some shape or form, which might seem like a lot, but in reality 60 per cent of our total exports are delivered by just 10 companies.* By comparison, 4,000 companies in Wales took their first steps towards

exporting in 2015 alone.** Of course neither set of data includes those companies, such as the Mount Charles Group who operate outside of Northern Ireland but don’t, strictly speaking, export any goods, and there’s no doubt that if these firms were factored in it would have an impact on the overall figures, but the underlying point remains valid.

There are significant opportunities for local businesses to expand and take their offering into new markets.

That doesn’t necessarily mean a substantial new contract to supply your products and services to China or an export deal to New Zealand however, it can be on a smaller scale than that.

It may simply be a case of considering how you could be marketing your business in the Republic of Ireland or developing your e-commerce capabilities.

The Republic of Ireland is, after all,

columnist

our main trading partner and depending on the type of business, it is likely to be the most accessible and financially viable option.

It certainly was for the Mount Charles Group. When we were considering the options to expand our business into new markets in 2015, we recognised from the outset that there was a clear gap in the Irish market for a quality local foodservice and business outsourcing company.

We saw that by expanding into the Republic of Ireland we would not only be able to tap into a whole new region, but we could still have access to our existing network of local suppliers and resources, which is an integral part of our service and a core principle for our business. We pride ourselves on being a locally owned business using local produce and it was key that we could carry that elsewhere.

Consequently, we laid out a strategic

plan and in the latter part of 2015 recruited an Operations Manager for Ireland, our first full time senior employee in the South. We are now applying our tried and tested approach to business there and have aspirations for steady growth in that market throughout 2016.

As a business, our target now is to continue our expansion right across the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain, as well as providing the highest standard of service to our core market and our existing clients in Northern Ireland, and with a workforce of almost 2,000 people, servicing over 250 clients, we are well positioned to make it a reality.

Of course, it’s never an easy task, as there are challenges to any expansion, not least the financial and logistical costs, but as we have seen first-hand Northern Ireland businesses have so much potential and many could easily compete in the international

marketplace.

When we look at Wales as a comparison again, its annual exports are worth more than £3 billion every year, and that is a substantial figure being generated for the economy by the firms looking beyond their home territory.

There’s no doubt that the same opportunity exists for Northern Irish firms, we just need to take the steps to find them. We can’t afford to miss out. *2015 Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry **2015, Stephen Crabb, Secretary of State for Wales

NI Chamber 17

news

At the controls

IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh (left) in conversation with Professor Marie McHugh, Dean of Ulster University Business School and Professor Feargal McCormack before the PKFFPM Annual Leadership Talk.

Willie Walsh has soared from being a cadet pilot to becoming boss of a giant airlines group. He gave an insight into his high-flying career at the recent PKF-FPM Annual Leadership Talk.

“I’m the last person you should model yourself on or seek advice from.”

“

My leadership style is simple, open, honest and visible. It’s all about standing up in front of people and telling them things as they are.”

These were just some of the thoughts shared with business leaders by IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh as keynote speaker at the PKF-FPM Annual Leadership Talk, Management Month initiative, in association with the Ulster University Business School, at the Belfast Campus.

Originally from Dublin, and now based in London, Willie Walsh began his career as a cadet pilot with Aer Lingus in 1979. Gaining a Master’s Degree from Trinity College Dublin, he became an aircraft Captain before joining the airline’s management team. In 1998 he was appointed Chief Executive of Futura, a Spanish charter airline owned by

18 NI Chamber

Aer Lingus.

Two years later Willie Walsh returned to Dublin as Chief Operating Officer of Aer Lingus subsequently becoming its Chief Executive in October 2001, just as the full impact of the 9/11 terror attacks on the aviation industry was being felt. At the age of 43, in 2005, he joined British Airways as Chief Executive Officer.

International Airlines Group (IAG) was formed in 2011 with Willie Walsh as Chief Executive when British Airways merged with Spanish carrier Iberia. Since then it has acquired bmi, which was integrated into British Airways, Spanish airline Vueling and Aer Lingus. IAG is one of the world’s largest airline groups with 525 aircraft flying to 255 destinations and carrying more than 96 million passengers each year.

During the one hour conversation with broadcaster Gerry Kelly, Willie’s ambition for IAG, his passion for the sector and his relentless work ethic was evident as

he traced his career often through very challenging circumstances. Despite his success Willie’s characteristic modesty was also evident. “I’m the last person you should model yourself on or seek advice from. I just don’t do it the way others have done it. I’ve never planned my career.”

Speaking at the event, which attracted a capacity audience, PKF-FPM Accountant’s Managing Director, Feargal McCormack, said that Willie’s approach to leadership, his personal drive and his professional ambition which was shared during the in-depth discussion, was inspiring. “Willie Walsh is one of the most well-known figures in the business sector. His personal experience of the aviation industry at every level combined with an innate business acumen has created a modern day leader from whom we can learn a great deal,” he added.

Professor Marie McHugh, Dean of the Ulster University Business School, said: “We were delighted to work with Professor Feargal McCormack and his team at PKF-FPM in organising this now well-established Annual Leadership Talk.

As a Business School that is committed to providing a professional education to prepare our students for a professional life, it was inspirational to host such a successful businessman as Willie Walsh who really does walk the talk.”

Prince’s Trust Young Ambassadors Emma Louise Stuart, Ryan Morris, Ellie Morgan and Peter Mogey join Prince’s Trust Director Mark Dougan to call on the new Assembly to eradicate long-term youth unemployment by 2020.

Youth unemployment has reached ‘crisis point’

Y

outh charity The Prince’s Trust is calling on the new Assembly to eradicate long-term youth unemployment by 2020, as it launches its manifesto ahead of the Northern Ireland Assembly elections.

The manifesto highlights that the number of unemployed young people in Northern Ireland has reached crisis point.

This year marks 10 years since the publication of the Ten Year Strategy for Children and Young People in 2006, which set out a series of aims to help children and young people in Northern Ireland achieve their potential.

However, youth unemployment has more than doubled to 21,000 in that time, long-term unemployment has nearly tripled and the number of young people in employment has fallen by 16 per cent to

89,000.

Mark Dougan, Acting Prince’s Trust Northern Ireland Director, said: “Right now, if you are aged 18-24 and living in Northern Ireland, you are three times more likely to be unemployed than anyone else and 40 per cent more likely to be unemployed than someone your age living in another part of the UK.” The Prince’s Trust is calling on the New Assembly to consider the following actions: • Establish a joint ministerial working group to address long-term youth unemployment.

• Urgently commission a comprehensive study to understand the full extent of the problem locally.

• Place investment in boosting ‘soft’ employability skills of young people with complex needs.

• Improve the transition-to-work process for young

people at the greatest risk of falling through the net at the age of 16.

• Stimulate demand for Youth Employment by providing bigger financial incentives for employers.

Orla Major, Prince’s Trust Public Sector Partnerships Manager, said: “It’s a real tragedy that so many young people in Northern Ireland are struggling to find work. These young people are not lost – they are undiscovered, and it is our duty to give them the chance to succeed. Therefore, it’s vital that the new Executive takes bold, decisive action to address long-term youth unemployment with robust commitments from all political parties to secure a more stable future for the next generation.”

Equality – working for small businesses

Want to stay on the right side of the law?

If you have 11 or more employees working 16 hours or more per week you need to register with the Equality Commission. This is part of the 6 key duties employers must comply with under the Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998.

We support businesses and help them to promote good practice. We are here to help you understand equality issues which may apply to your business. We can provide you with advice, support and guidance on some of the common challenges you may face, and help keep you on the right side of the law.

Find out more at: www.equalityni.org, enquiry line 028 90 890888 or edenquiries@equalityni.org

Equality… it makes good business sense

NI Chamber 19

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mums with power

Edel Creery is the Connections Manager at NIE Networks. She is married to Kevin and the couple have three children Christopher (12), Finn (10) and James (2).

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escribe your job Busy! I manage NIE Networks’ Connections business with a team of over 300 people. Every year we connect around 8,000 properties to the electricity network and make adjustments to other electricity supplies. We work in all parts of Northern Ireland and although I’m based in Belfast, I could be visiting customers in Kilrea, Katesbridge or Kesh.

We’ve been connecting homes and businesses to the electricity network for a century. You’d think we’d have seen it all by now but believe it or not every day is still different. Today it’s not only homes or businesses that are being connected to the grid but wind turbines and solar panels. We have a really experienced team of people – that experience proves vital when we need to consider how a network mostly built back in the 1950s and 1960s can deliver what today’s customer wants.

What is your favourite part of the day?

I tend to spend much of my day in meetings so it’s good to get home and hear about everyone else’s day – there’s always a lot going on. We all take delight with our baby James. He welcomes me home with leg hugs and baby babble and creates a hive of excitement. It’s lovely to see how the older boys engage with James and they enjoy being involved in his bedtime routine. It’s a great few hours for us all.

What do you do to ensure a work/life balance?

Electricity is a 24/7 business and everyone in our company has a ‘storm role’ to reenforce our fault & emergency efforts during severe weather so sometimes it can be tricky

20 NI Chamber

to completely switch off. Particularly when you hear the wind howling outside!

However, I try not to lose sight of what’s important. Sometimes I need to be at home and sometimes I need to focus on my work.

There are always ups and downs – they are part of life – but having that clarity helps me to keep things in perspective.

How does having a child impact your personal and working life?

Having children has definitely had an impact but in a very positive way. I’ve had to become more efficient, I’ve learned to adapt quickly and parenthood has made me recognise the importance of real team work.

It’s all a juggle but manageable as I work with a great team and for a supportive manager. I also have a strong family network around me which helps.

Are working mums in greater need of state support than stay-at-home mums?

There are lots of pressures on people – mums, dads, those caring for elderly parents,

etc. Everyone’s circumstances are different.

I’m really fortunate to have a flexible employer. That flexibility really helps me to make time for my home and work life. For example, I might have to respond to emails after the children go to bed but I balance this by working from home occasionally or in an office close to home.

Do you think you will always remain in employment?

Yes, I hope so. My children see how hard we work to “keep the lights on” and that sets a positive example. I also love the dynamic nature of work. For example we are undertaking a business transformation project to ensure that we are delivering the service our customers want. I’m constantly learning and trying to evolve our customer service with better design techniques, IT and digital strategies. It’s great to be challenged!

PUBLICATIONS With a distribution of 5,000 printed copies and an online version issued to 15,000 email addresses, share your news via Ambition magazine.

Alongside a monthly newsletter, NI Chamber’s monthly business page in the Daily Mirror also provides the perfect platform for promoting your business.

MEMBERS SECTION OF NI CHAMBER WEBSITE The members section of the NI Chamber website allows members to upload press releases, promote events and provide offers to fellow members.

You can also create your own company profile and access the full NI Chamber Membership Directory.

PAID FOR ADVERTISING

CHAMBER AWARDS

Target 15,000 members of the local business community via a dedicated

Share your company’s success by entering the annual Chamber Awards.

mail out to the NI Chamber database.

With over 18,000 viewers per month,

With a chamber of commerce in every major town and city across the world,

you can also target visitors to the NI Chamber website via

a Chamber Award is widely recognised and regarded within the industry.

banner advertising.

For further information on any of the above contact: Christopher Morrow, Communications Manager at NI Chamber by emailing Christopher.Morrow@northernirelandchamber.com or telephone 02890 244113

BY USING NI CHAMBER’S RANGE OF CHANNELS

GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE.

columnist

Paid social pays off As social media channels grow so too will connection to brands says Siobhan Lavery, Director (NI) of integrated marketing company ICAN.

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he growth of paid social media is phenomenal, with most brands asking to be on some social channel and reach their audience at the cheapest cost possible. This growth for the industry is a huge opportunity to reach interested people. However, as our audience newsfeeds get more and more cluttered with advertising, do we risk our audience turning off completely and looking elsewhere to keep in touch with friends?

It is no longer just about Facebook and Twitter, but also looking to new platforms which people are now logging into in their droves including Tinder, Snapchat, Instagram, Pinterest, Periscope and messaging platform WhatsApp amongst a lot of others.

Each of these channels are developing payment strategies to entice brands to spend, but we shouldn’t be dazzled by the allure of these new social platforms without determining what value they can actually add to their brand, audience and overall strategy.

A key challenge to the growing spend in social media is influencer outreach which will become an increasing focus throughout 2016. Amplification of content through relevant key influencers presents a credible challenge to paid promotion strategies, but it’s essential that the influencer is in line with the brand and the way it wants to present itself to its audience. This will allow

22 NI Chamber

brands to act more authentically to their audience and will also stop the daily newsfeed real estate battle.

As an advertiser we couldn’t wait until Instagram advertising launched in the UK. But with all avid Instagram users sceptical about brands disturbing their down time, they only want to discover beautiful images that are relevant to their interests.

For brands, Instagram advertising has huge potential as it is able to use the existing Facebook ad platform to target and reach a young audience where they are actually engaging, actively searching and consuming content they are interested in. Brands need to consider the users and create content specific to Instagram so that when it appears in their audience timeline, it enhances their experience and encourages them to engage. Brands like Nike, Victoria’s Secret and GoPro are concentrating on video specifically for Instagram so that when they put advertising spend behind the content it engages and resonates with the people it reaches.

Live broadcasting on social media is arguably the biggest trend this year.

There has been an increasing fascination in live streaming and up-to-the minute applications such as Snapchat and Periscope. This looks set to continue and increase in 2016 with more applications seeking to get as close to in-the-moment reality as possible.

Fear of missing out (“FOMO”) has become a common phrase with millennials. Brands are tapping into this sentiment, giving their audience a limited time offer to consume relevant real time content. Burberry launched their 2016 Spring Collection on a variety of live broadcasting channels, tapping into people’s desire to get a sneak peek of behind the scenes in real time.

But you don’t have to be Burberry to make live streaming on social media engage your audience. Brands are jumping all over this trend by hosting real time Q&A sessions, behind the scenes footage of a company at work or live feedback about a product or service from the general public. ICAN’s client permanent tsb, one of the largest banks in Ireland, recently offered their Twitter followers live property viewings via Periscope. House hunters were able tune in and view a live property tour on their mobile phone, tablet or desktop during the peak search hours of lunch time.

While it seems social media is changing every week, what it really all boils down to is providing value to the viewer, fan or follower that will allow them to build a connection to your brand.

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what’s in it for me?

HOW NI CHAMBER HAS HELPED MY BUSINESS WITH…JUDITH MAGEE, ACCOUNT MANAGER (NI) WITH BHSF.

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escribe your Business BHSF is a not-for-profit healthcare insurer, employee benefits, HR support and occupational health provider.

Established in 1873, BHSF covers more than 400,000 people through its health insurance policies, and serves many more through employee benefits programmes, HR support products and Occupational Health services.

BHSF Occupational Health (OH) offers occupational health support for businesses of all sizes. Working closely in partnership with employers through a nationwide network of consultants, advisers and specialists, BHSF OH assists businesses to boost the health and wellbeing of employees, and to create a positive and productive workplace culture. It opens up access to a full spectrum of services, including contracted OH provision based on impartial, independent advice and support, an OH helpline, sickness absence referrals and workplace assessments.

What makes your Business stand out?

BHSF was built on the premise of offering benefits ethically. This approach remains the same today as we offer a market-leading service, tailored to modern businesses and the changing needs of their employees.

Committed to listening to our customers and understanding what really makes a difference to them, BHSF is constantly reviewing and evolving its offering. From sickness absence levels, concerns around the health and wellbeing of employees,

the motivation and engagement of staff or staff turnover, BHSF works closely with organisations to understand the challenges they face, and to help implement a programme that can help them directly achieve their business aims.

This progressive, customer-focused approach led to the launch of BHSF Connect – a pioneering healthcare and benefits web app designed to increase engagement with benefits and wellbeing programmes, by ensuring ease of access for employees at the point of need.

How has NI Chamber helped your company achieve its goals?

BHSF has been a member of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry for several years and, during this time, the Chamber has provided us with a highly effective platform for awareness raising – particularly in and around Greater Belfast.

Through the website and other communication channels, BHSF has reached many potential customers and other stakeholders, and we have taken advantage of many opportunities to promote our distinctive ethos, as well as our products and services, to many like-minded professionals.

What would your advice be to other NI Chamber members to help get the most from their membership?

To really get the most out of NI Chamber membership it is important to utilise the

expertise of the people around you, but also to be prepared to ensure this works both ways.

All Chamber members will want to benefit from their involvement with the organisation – whether they are looking to improve the operational success of their business, increase sales or customer numbers, or benefit from the knowledge of credible professionals. It is therefore vital to offer your own expertise in return for the help and advice you receive.

Helping fellow members where you can and getting to know their businesses is essential – after all, this gives you a great opportunity to be a brand ambassador for your business too.

How has Chamber membership helped you and your staff develop a professional skillset?

Being in the NI Chamber has helped the local BHSF team gain confidence, and our involvement in specific events has presented a number of really good networking opportunities; but ultimately it has reinforced our belief that working collaboratively to support others is essential. Success is not achieved by simply thinking ‘what’s in it for me’, but it is far more important to look at building long-term relationships, focusing on how you can help and support fellow members to achieve their goals.

NI Chamber 23

feature

THE BEST OF THE BEST

Search is on to find the top entrepreneurs in ireland.

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he names of the 24 businessmen and women from across Ireland who have made it as finalists to the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) 2016 programme will be announced in April.

Recognised as one of the most prestigious business award programmes in the world, they are seen as being at the forefront of identifying game-changing business leaders with past winners recognised for transforming the face of industries.

The launch of nominations from Northern Ireland for the awards opened at the start of last month kicking off this year’s nationwide search for Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs.

In Ireland alone EOY, which operates in more than 60 countries worldwide, has evolved over the past 18 years into a ten month development programme connecting the best entrepreneurs across the island of Ireland.

Sean Duffy, EOY Programme Director said: “Findings from our recent EOY Survey indicated that one of the main challenges currently facing our EOY alumni community is ‘scaling their business’. Taking this insight into consideration, we tailored this year’s programme around a central question ‘what legacy are you creating?’ EY will be helping finalists develop their vision for the future of their business, looking at what resources (e.g. talent, funding), tools and knowledge they will need to grow successfully.”

The programme is open to entrepreneurs across all sectors and growth stages, from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The awards programme is divided into three categories - Emerging, Industry and International – with 8 finalists chosen per category. The 24 finalists will be selected by an independent panel of judges, comprising former EOY winners and chaired by Anne Heraty of Cpl Resources plc. Nominations closed on 29 February with individuals either putting themselves forward or being nominated (with their consent).

24 NI Chamber

Last year saw finalists from 8 different sectors compete for the title, with online payments company Stripe emerge as overall winners. Meat production company Dunbia took top prize in the Industry category, while mobile marketing and engagement specialists Brandtone won top prize in the Emerging category.

Rob Heron, Tax Partner, EY Belfast said: “Last year’s programme saw a fantastic level of contribution from Northern Ireland, with 5 of the 24 finalists coming from the region – including Industry category winner, Dunbia.”

As part of the programme, this year’s 24 finalists will join a group of 120 entrepreneurs, all previous finalists and winners of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, for a week-long CEO Retreat to Boston in the summer. The intensive week will include an executive education series in major US universities, as well as workshops with the CEOs from Boston’s successful start-ups and globally renowned indigenous companies.

Jeremy Fitch, Executive Director at Invest Northern Ireland said: “We are delighted to be supporting the EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme again this year. This is an exceptional programme that helps promote the vitally important role that entrepreneurs play in our economy – it also has a proven track record of benefitting those that

participate in the programme. The decision

by UTV to broadcast the associated TV series has raised the profile of the competition dramatically in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland has been well represented in the recent past and we were delighted that Jack Dobson from Dunbia was recognised as the 2015 Industry Category Entrepreneur of the Year.”

In addition to being a great opportunity to celebrate business success stories from Northern Ireland, this is also a chance for entrepreneurs to benefit from networking with an experienced community of peers.

To date, 55 per cent of the EOY community have conducted business with one another – demonstrating the advantage of being part of this supportive and prolific professional network.

“We are looking forward to welcoming a new cohort of entrepreneurs into the programme this year.” added Rob Heron.

Jeremy Fitch (Invest Northern Ireland), Sean Duffy (Programme Director EOY), Rob Heron (Tax Partner, EY Ireland, Northern Ireland) and Jack Dobson (Dunbia, and winner of the 2015 EOY Industry Category) at the launch of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016 programme.

ABOUT EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme is a global recognition initiative run in 145 cities in over 60 countries. Currently in its 19th year, the EOY Ireland programme works to recognise, promote and build a supportive community around Ireland’s highgrowth entrepreneurs and is considered one of the strongest programmes globally.

This year’s finalists will be announced in April 2016. The 24 selected finalists will engage in a strategic programme of activities geared towards accelerating their professional growth and development. This year’s line-up includes the CEO Retreat, executive education and a peer-to-peer mentoring forum Entrepreneurs Anonymous.

The winner will be announced at the prestigious Awards Gala held in Dublin in October 2016.

The country winners of the EY Entrepreneur Of the Year programme from across the globe will go on to compete for the coveted title of EY World Entrepreneur Of the Year at the global awards ceremony to be held in Monte Carlo in June 2017. The 2015 winners of the Irish EY Entrepreneur Of the Year programme, John & Patrick Collison (Stripe) will be representing Ireland at the World Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in June 2016.

Read more about EOY on Twitter: @EOYIreland Facebook: facebook.com/EOYIreland Youtube: youtube.com/EOYIreland

Chamber chief’s

From networking events to meetings with government ministers and in-camera dinners with leaders in business, the hectic round of activity spearheaded by NI Chamber for the benefit of members never stops. NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor gives a taste of what’s taken place recently with a picture gallery over the following pages.

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I Chamber is always at the heart of issues, policies and developments – whether that be on a Regional, National or European level – which have an impact on our members and we raise views and concerns on their behalf at the highest of levels. It was therefore very timely that we co-hosted a reception with Wrights Group at Hillsborough Castle at which the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, on a visit to Northern Ireland, spoke about why he had decided to join the Brexit campaign and why his suggestion that a “leave” vote could win better terms for the UK to undertake a new relationship with the European Union (EU).

Furthermore, 84 per cent of Northern Ireland businesses also say that there has been no impact on businesses’ sales and orders as of yet due to the uncertainty of Britain’s future within the EU. The event with Boris Johnson was very engaging and pictures from it will feature in the next issue.

Staying with prominent politicians….and at her first business event since becoming First Minister Arlene Foster delivered the keynote address at the Growing Something

First Minister Arlene Foster.

Boris Johnson.

NI Chamber maintains that against the backdrop of claims and counter-claims around whether leaving the EU is in the best interests of the UK, and of course Northern Ireland, informed debate needs to take place.

I said the Lord Mayor’s visit was timely because it followed a survey by NI Chamber and the British Chambers of Commerce which found that 81 per cent of business people in Northern Ireland will vote for the UK to remain in the EU with just 11 per cent supporting a British exit (Brexit).

26 NI Chamber

Brilliant Leadership event hosted by the NI Chamber and Electric Ireland which took place in Belfast.

More than 200 guests heard the First Minister speak about true leadership being about service not power.

She gave an inspired speech about growing the Northern Ireland economy which she said remains the number one priority of the Executive. She said this requires leadership not just from politicians but from everyone with entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.

The First Minister together with Finance Minister Mervyn Storey also attended the latest event in the Minister on the Move initiative with new series partner SSE Airtricity, which took place at Ballymoney’s

Finance Minister Mervyn Storey.

McAuley Engineering.

The initiative provides businesses with an opportunity to speak directly with Ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive at a number of locations across the province – whilst also providing them with an opportunity to hear the inspirational success story of a local company.

Employing 150 skilled engineers, McAuley Engineering currently consists of two companies McAuley Precision and McAuley Fabrication and together they service the transport, oil and gas, material handling and aerospace sectors.

Attendees at the event were provided with an overview of the McAuley Engineering success story by Managing Director Jonathan McAuley, before embarking on a tour of the 74,000 sq ft facilities.

Jonathan McAuley.

chamber chief’s update

For those keen to learn more about taking the plunge into business networking, the first event in NI Chamber’s regional networking series 2016, supported by First Trust Bank, took place at Bangor’s Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex.

The networking breakfast, which was addressed by Kerry McIlwaine, Bangor Branch Manager, First Trust Bank, was as

NEW MEMBERS Banks & Building society Osborne King Construction Spaciotempo

John Mellon.

Kerry McIlwaine.

ever a huge success with delegates having the opportunity to meet, engage and participate in networking activities designed to create new business relationships.

We travelled to another inspirational business – this time to electronics firm Nitronica in Ballynahinch as part of the NI Chamber and Ulster Bank Connections programme which provides direct support to growing companies within Northern Ireland, creating a network of local businesses who share common goals and challenges.

The event was attended by 30 members of the local business community who heard Managing Director of Nitronica, John Mellon, share the company’s success story and provided advice on how to grow a business through diversification.

Turning to policy matters and NI Chamber has responded to a number of key consultations including the business review of rates and has consulted members in response

to the Energy and Manufacturing Advisory Group set up by Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell.

In other news, we are delighted that Moy Park has renewed its patronage of NI Chamber and look forward to assisting the company in linking it to further opportunities in its sector.

And finally… you often save the best to last and this is no exception. NI Chamber is thrilled to be hosting the first event in Belfast’s brand new Waterfront Conference and Exhibition Centre for the ‘Champions Dinner’ on May 4. More than 800 guests will attend the event at which they will hear Irish Rugby Legend Paul O’Connell speak about his unforgettable career on the field. The event is a celebration of sporting and business champions and is sure to be a sensational night! • See page 33

Green Sectors Gaelectric Developments Ltd RiverRidge Recycling Hospitality and Tourism Crumlin Road Gaol The Merchant Hotel Belfast Manufacturing McAuley Engineering Marketing & Public Relations Belfast Calling Professional Services RiskEye Online Reputation Protection Training The Winning Mindset Academy Transport Data Dispatch * To become a member of NI Chamber join online at www. northernirelandchamber.com or phone the membership team on 02890 244113

Paul O’Connell.

NI Chamber 27

GROWING SOMETHING BRILLIANT LEADERSHIP EVENT

2.

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1. Arlene Foster addressed over 200 members of the business community in her first major business engagement as First Minister. 2. Conor Devlin and Ross Graham from Charles Hurst. 3. Moy Park’s Janet McCollum and Ulster Bank’s Richard Donnan with First Minister Arlene Foster. 4. David Henry from the Henry Brothers Magherafelt with First Minister Arlene Foster. 5. Ellvena Graham and First Minister Arlene Foster.

6. NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor and Jim Dollard Executive Director at Electric Ireland pictutred with First Minister Arlene Foster.

28 NI Chamber

6.

5.

MINISTER ON THE MOVE

1.

1. Finance Minister Mervyn Storey addresses the latest NI Chamber & SSE Airtrcity Minister on the Move event. 2. Guests embark on a tour of McAuley Engineering’s 74,000 sq ft facility. 3. Ann McGregor (NI Chamber); Finance Minister Mervyn Storey; Jonathan McAuley (McAuley Engineering); First Minister Arlene Foster and Stephen Gallagher (SSE Airtricity).4. Delta’s Terry Cross poses a question to the speakers.

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5. First Minister Arlene Foster joined her party colleague Mervyn Storey at the event in Ballymoney.

6. Finance Minister Mervyn Storey and First Minister Arlene Foster with Dalreen Buchanan from Ulster Carpets.

6.

NI Chamber 29

REGIONAL NETWORKING SERIES

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2.

1. Chris Kelly (Bangor Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex); Darren Oldroyd (NI Chamber) and Kerry McIlwaine (First Trust Bank). 2. Chris Kelly from Bangor Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex welcomes guests to the centre. 3. Desmond Wilson (Wilson Group); Kevin McCaffrey (Conversion Rate Services) and Dave McClune (McClune Financial Services). 4. Eleanor Forrest (Dixons Contactors); Ian Stuart (PwC) and Paddy McGrath (First Trust Bank). 5. Colleen Walsh (Kantar Media) and Patrick McCullough from the Henry Group at a structured networking session.

6. Jennifer Cairns (Webrecruit Ireland); Odhran Burke (Cyphra); Christopher Williams (John McKee Solicitors) and Nicola Adamson (Morrow Communications).

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30 NI Chamber

6.

Employment and Learning Minister Dr Stephen Farry, NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor, NI Chamber Business Growth and Trade Director Sandra Scannell and Mark Huddleston NI Commissioner for Employment and Skills with NI Chamber’s Investors in People Gold award.

NI Chamber strikes gold

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I Chamber has achieved one of the UK’s most prestigious awards in recognition of its commitment to high performance through good people management – Investors in People (IiP) Gold status.

Investors in People is the UK’s leading people management standard. Launched by the Government in 1991, it is a business improvement framework designed to help all kinds of organisations develop performance through their people.

It is awarded to well-run organisations that meet demanding set criteria, including learning and development, leadership skills and recognition and reward of employees.

NI Chamber, which employs a staff of sixteen based in offices in Belfast’s Donegall Square South, underwent rigorous assessment by IiP and had to demonstrate commitment from senior management to team members in terms of communication, development and engagement and also provide compelling evidence that all employees are fully engaged in the vision, values and development of the business organisation.

IiP Gold is awarded to companies who meet at least 165 evidence requirements out of 187 compared to 39 for the Investors in People Standard. Platinum and Gold status are the two highest levels of accreditation that can be achieved and sees NI Chamber join the top seven per cent of accredited organisations across the UK who have achieved Gold by demonstrating their commitment to high performance through good people management.

Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Investors in People accreditation is the sign of a great employer, an

outperforming place to work and a clear commitment to success. NI Chamber should be extremely proud of their achievement.”

NI Chamber has previously achieved IiP’s Bronze and Silver awards.

Commenting on the award, NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor said to achieve Gold after such a rigorous assessment was an indication of the excellence of the personnel and management practices and procedures within the organisation.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded Investors in People Gold which only a small percentage of organisations achieve.

Our quality as a top and supremely efficient business organisation is reflected in the high quality of our staff who are committed to NI Chamber’s aim which is to help our members grow their businesses.

“Investors in People has helped us to further develop our processes, procedures and people management programmes which has allowed us to be recognised as the network for businesses in Northern Ireland, enabling members to grow their organisations which in turn drives the development of the local economy.”

NI Chamber is an award winning, quality assured, customer focused membership organisation with over 230 years commitment to the Northern Ireland economy. It is a well-known network for business with a membership of 1,200 businesses representing over 100,000 employees.

It includes corporates, SMEs and micro businesses with membership coming across all sectors of business from manufacturing to agri-foods, services to high-tech and the professions.

NI Chamber is committed to customer service, the commercial success of its members and helping businesses grow locally and internationally.

NI Chamber 31

N Kirsty McManus and Paul Fox with NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor.

NI Chamber grows team

I Chamber has announced two senior appointments from academia and banking to its Business Development and Membership team.

Kirsty McManus becomes Head of Business Development while Paul Fox takes on the role of Business Development Executive.

Kirsty is the former Director of the Centre for SME Development at Ulster University Business School which focuses on helping SMEs achieve their business goals in Northern Ireland. Her responsibilities covered working with many SMEs, allowing them to move projects forward quickly by accessing expertise at the Business School.

Previous to this, she was Assistant Director at CBI (NI) responsible for a diverse portfolio of members and lobbying responsibilities for employment law, skills, education and energy policy in Northern Ireland.

She is an Information Management graduate of Queen’s University Belfast, and holds an MBA from Ulster University. Kirsty has over 12 years of industry experience and has worked in both the US and UK in IT Project Management.

Meanwhile Paul Fox joins NI Chamber following a career spanning almost 20 years with Ulster Bank working across a number of divisions. Previous to this he worked in retail and hospitality before joining Ulster Bank in 1995 where he held the position most

recently as Business Development Manager Commercial and SME Banking. He also held roles as Head of Direct Sales and Service, Area Manager and Branch Manager. Paul has a Bachelor of Financial Services Honours Degree from University College, Dublin.

He is also Vice-Chair, volunteer Director and Board Member with Stepping Stones NI, an organisation which provides adults with learning difficulties/disabilities the opportunity to attain their full employment potential through access to accredited training, employment service and a number of social enterprises.

Paul and Kirsty join Darren Oldroyd and Andrew Smythe who are Executives within the Business Development and Membership team. NI Chamber’s membership continues to grow through the active involvement of members and the benefits offered to them.

The organisation has 1,200 members ranging from sole traders to major corporates.

Commenting on the new appointments, NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor said: “We are delighted to welcome Kirsty and Paul to NI Chamber where they will join our highly professional staff who are ready, willing and able to assist our members in any way possible to make their businesses even more successful. We are constantly striving to deliver greater value to our membership and have at our core a desire to assist members take their companies to the next level.”

New appointments to NI Chamber’s Business Development and Membership team Kirsty McManus and Paul Fox (r) with current members of the team Darren Oldroyd and Andrew Smyth.

32 NI Chamber

Gary Irvine (Managing Director of 4c Executive Search); Andrew Greer (General Manager Northern Ireland at SSE Airtricity); Lynsey Lamont (Sales Executive at Emirates); Ann McGregor (Chief Executive of NI Chamber) and Paul Convery (Head of BT Business in Northern Ireland) look forward to the ‘Champions Dinner’.

Champions ‘line out’ for NI Chamber dinner

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orthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) is set to hold the first event at the newly extended Waterfront Conference and Exhibition centre in Belfast on 4 May 2016 when it hosts the dazzling ‘Champions Dinner’.

More than 800 guests are expected to attend the gala event which celebrates champions of business and sport.

The guest speaker will be Irish Rugby Legend Paul O’Connell, who captained the British and Irish Lions, Ireland and Munster winning three 6 Nations including a Grand Slam, two European Cups and three Celtic Leagues.

The ‘Champions Dinner’ is supported

by Headline Sponsor, BT, and supporting sponsors: Emirates, 4c Executive Search and SSE Airtricity.

• For more information and to book visit northernirelandchamber.com/events

Paul O’Connell

NI Chamber 33

cover story

34 NI Chamber

NI Chamber 69

cover story

Emirates believes passengers should ‘wake up to flying as it should be’ the airline’s Country Manager in Ireland Enda Corneille tells Adrienne McGill.

A

s the new face of Emirates’ global

with huge demand and in 2014 it added a

campaign, Hollywood star Jennifer

second daily flight on the route carrying over

Aniston can expect to fly in luxury on

5,000 passengers every week.

board any of its A380 planes. But imagine

The airline connects up to 22,000

her horror on a flight when she rushes out of

customers from Ireland to Dubai and

the bathroom in her dressing gown in search

onwards every month.

of the shower only to be told by the flight

Emirates employs over 30 people in

attendants that there is no shower. It gets

Ireland and almost 500 globally, the majority

worse….there is no bar. It becomes clear

of whom are based in Dubai.

that she isn’t on an Emirates plane, but in a nightmare.

include Dubai, Australia, New Zealand, South

However, after waking up in First Class on

Africa, Hong Kong, Seychelles and Mauritius.

the A380 with decadence in abundance, she

Country Manager for Emirates in Ireland,

sips a cocktail at the luxurious bar and tells the

Enda Corneille says the Northern Ireland

barman about her dream. “Is there someone

market is a very important part of the airline’s

we could talk to about flying this around a

business portfolio.

little longer? Just say an hour?” she asks.

“Last year we created the new role of Sales

But don’t worry – this didn’t really happen to Jennifer. It’s an advert which is part of a

Executive for Northern Ireland in response to a marked increase in demand and bookings.

$20 million deal which sees the ‘Friends’ star

“Lynsey Lamont, who was appointed, is

become the face of Emirates’ ‘Wake Up To

based in Belfast, the first time that Emirates

Flying As It Should Be’ TV campaign.

has had a permanent presence in Northern

With a fleet of more than 247 aircraft, Emirates

currently

flies

to

over

Ireland.

It demonstrates the airline’s

150

confidence in and commitment to both

destinations in more than 80 countries

corporate clients and the travel trade in the

around the world and its network is

region.

expanding constantly. Over 1,500 Emirates

36 NI Chamber

Popular destinations from Northern Ireland

“Emirates

offers

Northern

Ireland

flights depart Dubai each week on their way

consumers a vast choice of global destinations

to destinations on six continents.

with two flights daily from Dublin. We believe

The airline’s reach has seen an increasing

Emirates has played a significant role in

number of Northern Ireland passengers fly

helping to drive the Northern Ireland market,

with the airline from Dublin to Dubai and on

so establishing a presence in the region was a

to destinations across the world.

natural next step for us.

Emirates launched a daily service between

“A significant amount of people originating

Dublin and Dubai in 2012 which was met

in Northern Ireland are flying with Emirates

cover story from Dublin to Dubai for business or leisure.

Around 80 per cent of departures from Dublin connect over Dubai and onward to cities in Australia including Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney and also to China, India, Hong Kong and Africa.

“We are the only carrier flying out of Dublin with a three class service – First Class, Business Class and Economy Class.”

The UAE is one of the world’s fastest developing markets and a growing number of companies in Northern Ireland are winning

“A significant amount of people originating in Northern Ireland are flying with Emirates from Dublin to Dubai for business or leisure.”

business in the region making direct flights to Dubai International Airport – the dedicated

While the A380 is not flown on the Dublin

home of Emirates’ A380 fleet – all the more

to Dubai route – instead Emirates uses the

convenient.

Boeing 777 – it is hoped that it will do so in

“We have a lot of passengers travelling to

the future.

the UAE and also on to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain

“We probably have some way to go until

and Qatar – and other areas of the wider

the A380 comes in – one of the issues we

Gulf,” says Mr Corneille.

have is logistical. Dublin Airport is currently

Emirates has 73 A380 aircraft in its fleet each carrying 530 passengers and a further 67 on order, making it, by far, the largest operator of the Airbus superjumbo.

It also uses Boeing 777s and is set to double its fleet with an additional 189 on order.

not capable of handling the A380,” says Mr Corneille.

“Where routes are growing and need extra capacity – the A380 is deployed on those routes. Customers love the aircraft.”

Emirates carries 45 million passengers a

The Gulf carrier unveiled its first A380 in

year across all its routes but the airline also

July 2008 and it now flies the superjumbo

does significant business on the Dublin to

to over 35 destinations including London

Dubai route with cargo.

Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester,

“Each of the aircraft has 25 tonnes of space

Frankfurt, Rome, Hong Kong, Bangkok,

for cargo in the hold and we carry quite a range

Mumbai, Kuwait, Auckland and Sydney.

including fresh seafood, technology products,

From private suites and shower spas in First

pharmaceuticals and even Botox. We also

Class to flat-bed seats in Business Class to

transport live animals such as racehorses,

extra room and custom lighting in Economy

falcons and live crabs from Donegal.

Class, and inflight Wi-Fi throughout the

“The schedule is finely tuned around flights

aircraft, the Emirates A380 is sheer high-flying

arriving into Dubai and departing flights from

luxury.

Dubai. It is a 24 hour operation.”

“The secret of Emirates is to do with

Emirates currently operates from Dubai

offering a level of comfort and service in a

International Airport but will move to the

modern aircraft which no other carrier offers

new Al Maktoum International Airport,

and at a price people can afford,” says Mr

which will be capable of handling 260 million

Corneille.

passengers, after 2020.

“We are carrying a healthy amount of First

“Our model is based on connecting traffic

Class and Business Class passengers and that

through Dubai – long haul to long haul,

enables us to offer cheap fares in economy.

efficient aircraft and a very efficient transfer

We have 11 languages on any one flight

hub,” says Mr Corneille.

spoken by the crew – our customers are

“People do business globally – Emirates

international and the cuisine served on board

have capitalised on that by providing the

also has an international flavour. It all adds up

bridges in the sky to make sure that through

to having a great experience – people get off

the products being carried in cargo and

the plane and say they really enjoyed their

passengers in the cabin – business can

flight and they will fly with Emirates again.”

connect. “

NI Chamber 37

face to face with...

Green light for car scheme Agnew Corporate is driving ahead with an attractive and efficient employee benefit car scheme as Adrienne McGill hears from General Manager Graham Thompson and Business Development Manager David McEwen.

A

n innovative salary sacrifice scheme that allows employees a low cost way of driving a brand new car has just been launched by one of Northern Ireland’s leading companies.

Agnew Corporate, the contract hire and leasing specialist, has developed the scheme – the first of its kind in Northern Ireland – which allows businesses to offer their employees the option to give up part of their salary in return for a gleaming new fully maintained and insured car. Accident management and breakdown cover are also included in the cost.

As salary is sacrificed before tax and National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are calculated, it means employees save money as does the employer who saves on NICs based on the reduced salary.

Graham Thompson, Agnew Corporate General Manager says: “We have developed the salary sacrifice scheme over the last 6 months for companies in Northern Ireland and part of it has involved creating an on-line quotation system. This has been done by our in-house software developers.

“The terms and fleet discounts for all of the makes and manufacturers of cars are loaded onto the system. The quotation system will then produce a rental cost for the employee of the company and calculate how much is deducted from his/her gross wage. It will also take into account the saving from tax

38 NI Chamber

and NICs and what the net effect is on his/ her pay.”

Not surprisingly, a car salary sacrifice scheme, as part of an employee’s overall remuneration, is increasing in popularity.

Not only does it help companies increase the perceived value of their staff’s total reward offering with a tangible benefit, but it also enables individuals to package their remuneration in a form best suited to their chosen lifestyle.

David McEwen, Business Development Manager at Agnew Corporate says: “The scheme will appeal to staff members who want to have a fixed monthly payment structure and all they need to do is to fuel the car for three years – everything else is covered by the contact including servicing, insurance and maintenance. However, they will only get the car through their employer’s willingness to offer the scheme.

“Clearly picking the right car is critical so the website allows drivers to select the one which best suits their particular needs and budget.”

So far the scheme, which is in its early stages, has been very well received by companies across Northern Ireland. It is open to firms with 100 employees or more.

However, salary sacrifice is not necessarily for everyone. It needs careful consideration by employers who have to ensure that their schemes are HMRC compliant and don’t create costs that cannot be borne in the longer term. It also needs careful

consideration for employees, as in certain circumstances – such as employees earning at or near to the national minimum wage or those on a final salary pension scheme who may be thinking of retiring – salary sacrifice simply would not be viable.

“Because salary sacrifice has an element of taxation and HMRC rules associated with it, we have partnered with business advisers BDO Northern Ireland to operate the scheme. BDO Northern Ireland hand-holds the customer through the process,” says Graham.

“Salary sacrifice is a government approved scheme but companies who offer it have to gain approval from HMRC. “However, overall it makes sense. The employer benefits in terms of retention, recruitment and motivation of staff. As well as helping to reduce staff turnover and increasing engagement, it can position a business as an employer of choice.

“Meanwhile for employees, they get to own a brand new car at an affordable cost with the benefit of hassle-free motoring and benefit from Income tax and NICs savings.

“Newer vehicles produce lower CO2 emissions and are more fuel efficient than the cars they replace. Therefore, employees will benefit from driving ‘greener’ cars and reduce emissions whilst on the road. Fuel efficient vehicles can also be much more cost effective saving money for both employers and employees. It really is worth the sacrifice.”

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NI Chamber 39

columnist

Planning for change It’s a challenging time for planning and judicial reviews says Brian Roulston, Solicitor, Hewitt & Gilpin.

40 NI Chamber

J

udicial Review (“JR”) is a specific type of proceeding brought only in the High Court which challenges decision or action of government departments and other bodies performing public functions. The Court will examine whether the body has acted lawfully in making its decision but it is not a challenge as to the merits of the decision.

There have been a number of high profile JRs brought in respect of planning decisions and policies, for example John Lewis, draft PPS5 and the recent Newry Chamber of Commerce challenge to proposed development at Carnbane.

As the law currently stands, in order to commence JR proceedings in Court, they must be brought “promptly and in any event within three months” of the date of the disputed decision, provided that any internal appeal process has been exhausted.

As you would expect, there is some debate over what “promptly” means, but it is generally held that it means “as soon as possible”. This period is considered long enough for a disaffected party to find out about a decision and seek the appropriate redress before commencing JR proceedings.

In May 2015, the Department of Justice (DoJ) proposed a change to the time limit for bringing a JR, with a view to removing the word “promptly” and so avoiding possible ambiguity. After a public consultation, in December 2015 the DoJ published its findings, with a clear majority of responses favouring the DoJ’s proposal. This would leave in place the three month time limit for bringing a JR, whilst permitting the Court to retain its discretion to extend this limit in certain cases.

In the context of the DoJ consultation there were differing views as to whether the three month period itself should be shortened. There exists a body of opinion that considers that three months is too long and may frustrate developers wishing to commence development immediately.

The counter-argument is that planning decisions made in relation to controversial applications will generate a lot of interest from many parties, all of whom are entitled to protect their position. This means that it can

be difficult for these parties to seek appropriate advice and properly review the decision and its impact in what is a relatively short period of time. The concern would be that, in shortening the time period, there may be a rash of protective and possibly premature applications brought which may have the result of “clogging up” the Courts and so delaying development.

Of significant note in this debate is, of course, the transfer of planning powers in April 2015 to the local councils. All of us will be aware that whilst a large number of planning service staff have moved across to work for councils, the ultimate decision-makers will be the councillors, the majority of whom have no experience in planning.

Hence, the legal and planning professions are predicting an increase in the number of planning decisions being challenged by JR. Having said that, to date there have been relatively few planning decisions made by Councils which have been challenged.

It is perhaps no surprise, then, that two local councils have been the main proponents in seeking a reduction in

the three month time limit for bringing JR proceedings. Indeed, the rationale, in part, for seeking this amendment is to specifically reduce potential JR challenges to their decisions.

The DoJ’s proposal will now be considered by the Northern Ireland Executive (‘the Executive’) before being sent to the Court of Judicature Rules Committee to consider further. As of February 2016 however there is no indication of when this will be presented to the Executive.

For the time being, therefore, the law is unchanged and JR proceedings must be commenced “promptly” and certainly within the three month time period.

The key advice on both sides of a JR challenge remains the same: developers, be cautious about starting any works before the JR time limit expires as the grant of planning permission may not be the final word on the matter; and objectors, waste no time in looking at the reasons for the application and getting your challenge in motion.

feature

I

have always been an outgoing and effective team player and during my time at school, mathematics and technology were my favourite subjects in which I achieved my best grades. During my time with various clubs and societies I have always shown initiative and fallen into the role of leader, for example, within the Girl Guides I became a young leader who enjoyed mentoring the other girls. Due to these strengths when it came to picking a subject to study at university, Engineering was the obvious choice.

I decided to study at Queen’s University, Belfast and chose Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, as I felt it would have the widest career opportunities best suited for my skills after I graduated.

During my first year at university, a lecturer was explaining the various career paths within engineering and he advised that environmental and renewables was an expanding sector and would be a sensible career path for a new engineer. When applying to companies for a placement year, this advice always stayed with me, therefore when Williams Industrial Services Group (WIS) offered me the opportunity to complete my placement year with them in their environmental department, I accepted.

During my placement year I assisted the Project Managers with the development of Wastewater Treatment Works by helping with design development, completing operation and maintenance manuals and presenting operating and chemical analysis reports. After my placement year, WIS offered me the chance to return as a Project Manager in the environmental division

My Ambition is to...

Christine Wilson, Project Manager with Williams Industrial Services.

and I have not looked back since. WIS are Northern Ireland’s largest provider of process control, automation, instrumentation and environmental/renewable engineering solutions and so in accepting their job offer I knew I would be given the chance for a rewarding and successful career.

As a Project Manager within WIS I am involved in every aspect of the contract, from the tender stage to the completion of the project, which means every day is varied and brings new challenges. Some of my main managerial responsibilities are design development, procurement, financial planning, H & S documentation, organising site personnel and producing reports for both WIS and the client. In a normal week I can find myself travelling between the head office in Newtownabbey, construction sites and attending meetings.

I have been in this role for 8 years and throughout this time I have progressed from minor to larger and more complex projects.

Initially I started working on small municipal

pumping stations which progressed to larger multi-million pound wastewater treatment plants. Then, over a year ago I was tasked with managing the company’s first project in the mainland UK, which involved an industrial wastewater plant for a creamery. Our main objective on this project is to treat the wastewater from cheese production through treatment processes and filtration stages, ultimately returning this treated water back to factory for reuse.

With the support of WIS I have been given the opportunity to become a Chartered Engineer which will help further my career.

In recent years the WIS Group has grown considerably and I hope that I can continue to grow with the company. My ambition is to continue progressing up through the ranks of the environmental department and one day be involved in the running of the division.

NI Chamber 41

columnist

M&A can be the path to export success There has been a hectic round of M&A activity in Northern Ireland and it’s set to continue says Aaron Ennis, Head of Corporate Acquisition at Danske Bank.

42 NI Chamber

I

n the drive to encourage more of Northern Ireland’s businesses to export, much of the focus has rightly been on how they can achieve organic growth by selling in new markets.

There has been less talk in recent years about growth through acquisition.

But we are seeing increasing evidence that companies are once again looking at opportunities. Already in 2016 several deals have gone through and we are aware of a number of significant transactions which are in the pipeline and likely to complete in the first quarter.

M&A activity in Northern Ireland has been biased in recent years towards large international firms buying up local assets. Examples include Moy Park’s acquisition by JBS, Liberty Mutual’s purchase of Hughes Insurance, global firm McKesson buying UDG Healthcare/Sangers, UTV’s sale to ITV, Brunswick Corp taking over Whale Pumps, HeartSine’s sale to PhysioControl and Diamond Recruitment being bought by listed recruiter Staffline.

But what we are now seeing is Northern Ireland companies who consolidated during the economic downturn looking to grow again, and many are targeting acquisitions in external markets – particularly Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Local businesses like Eakin Healthcare, 3fivetwoGroup, Lowe Refrigeration, Kainos Software and First Derivatives have all been active.

The benefits of a good acquisition are clear for the buyer: the gaining of an existing customer base, a recognised brand, an established sales network

and infrastructure, experience staff and goodwill that takes new market entrants time to build up.

So what makes conditions right for acquisition now? It is a sophisticated marketplace and many factors undoubtedly come into play, but one thing that is essential, and which we’ve started to see in the market is an appetite to do deals from both buyers and sellers.

Most companies have been fairly conservative in M&A terms over the past six or seven years. Now, with the economy stable, CEOs have cash on their balance sheets and more appetite for risk. At the same time, business owners who had been holding off on selling feel market valuations are now high enough to give them an acceptable exit.

Secondly – and you’d expect a bank to say it – there is bank funding available. Danske Bank has continued to increase lending to businesses and our peers are also coming back into the market. Added to that, there is now mezzanine finance available from a number of sources to complement bank debt and help companies get deals across the line.

It helps too that general business confidence is, if not buoyant, then at least stable. The ongoing uncertainty around the Eurozone, China and the US stance on interest rates have potential for volatility, but for now the picture is positive.

M&A activity is heating up across the board, but we at Danske Bank have seen particular activity in the retail, manufacturing and food sectors.

At the end of last year Dungannonbased Westland Horticulture chose to expand its already successful business in Great Britain with the multi-million pound acquisition of William Sinclair – a business that represented a strong strategic fit and helped it accelerate its plans for growth.

Just recently we have been involved in the merger of Town of Monaghan Co-op with Ballyrashane Creamery to create LacPatrick – a deal which is designed to give the dairies great capability to compete in both home and export markets.

At our recent Danske Advantage event on the Food and Drink sector, we heard from SHS Group, a business which has made many successful acquisitions, including Shloer, WKD and Bottle Green. SHS Finance Director Arthur Richmond confirmed it had identified a “major international opportunity” to expand through organic growth but said the company was also keen to bolt on acquisitions of other successful food and drink brands to complement its existing portfolio.

Typically, export success is achieved through a mix of organic growth, partnerships and acquisitions.

With conditions improving, expect acquisitions to feature much more prominently in 2016.

msc_cargo 210x210.pdf

msc_cargo 210x210.pdf

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Ambition focus on THE X FACTOR IN EXPORTS The road to exports can be a fast lane to growth for most businesses but it can also be a challenging journey.

In this section we look at a range of different components from logistics to social media which are key to trading overseas successfully.

the x factor in exports

STAYING AFLOAT The economy will continue to hit choppy waters this year but there will be some welcome waves says Alan Bridle, UK Economist, Bank of Ireland UK.

“Business conditions are likely to remain tough and volatile for exporters in 2016 but the year ahead is not without encouragement.”

T

he world economy returned from its New Year break to something of a “growth scare”.

The wisdom of the Fed’s interest rate rise before Christmas came under closer scrutiny as the Bank of Japan joined the negative interest rate club while the Bank of England Governor Mark Carney referred to “an unforgiving global environment and sustained financial market turbulence”, only a few weeks after Chancellor George Osborne warned us of a “dangerous cocktail” of risks.

Such is the backdrop for Northern Ireland’s exporters in what is already shaping up to be a messy 2016, when at least 3 big global trends may well overshadow everything else: 1. Capital is likely to continue flowing out of Emerging Markets – after 15 years of rapid growth and inflows, the process went into reverse in 2015 in response to slower growth, falling commodity prices and the prospects of higher US interest rates.

2. Monetary policy divergence is very likely to stoke increased currency volatility – economies with large deficits, reliant on commodity exports or pegged to the Dollar, thus at risk of losing competitiveness, will all be vulnerable to further depreciations.

3. Financial markets are likely to remain volatile as investors may now demand higher compensation to hold perceived riskier assets.

Some of Northern Ireland’s manufacturers began to feel the chill of the global downshift during 2015 and the early data and survey evidence of 2016 suggests the environment for generating new orders and sustaining

business margins remains quite tough.

However, while the global headwinds seem very prominent, local exporters may draw some encouragement from the following: • Sterling has come off the boil, depreciating by around 7 per cent since mid-November – signs of an economy losing some momentum, yet another more dovish reassessment of UK rate prospects and EU referendum uncertainties have combined to reduce the pound’s attractiveness, dipping to a 7 year low of almost $1.40 and a 1 year low just around €1.30. The decline of the dollar may be the more significant for some of our larger businesses with the US our second largest export market (worth over £1 billion in 2014-15 and growing) and with over 50 per cent of Northern Ireland’s total £6 billion of manufacturing exports destined for North America and the RoW, much of it transacted in dollars.

• The recovery in the Irish economy is increasingly broader-based – unlike the largely consumer-driven UK narrative, the ROI recovery story has been one of healthy exports and solid investment with stronger consumer spending only coming through more recently. Bank of Ireland forecasts consumer spending growth of over 3 per cent in 2016, GDP growth of almost 5 per cent and Investment of 8.5 per cent, a context which should be supportive of opportunities for the region’s SMEs to expand further in a market that is already worth around £1.5 billion p.a. in manufacturing sales. The credit agency Fitch recently contributed to the improving sentiment with an upgrade to Ireland’s sovereign ratings, reflecting greater stability in public finances.

• The prospects for domestic demand in our largest external market (GB) remain solid – while growth in the UK economy remains unbalanced, heavily dependent on the service sector and net trade remains a drag on GDP, overall, the UK is likely to grow this year at a rate of around 2 per cent. Record employment levels, tepid inflationary pressures, steady wage growth and rapidly diminishing prospects of an

early rise in borrowing costs are all part of the story. At over £8 billion p.a. the GB market is nearly 6 times larger for Northern Ireland manufacturing sales than our largest export market, the ROI. • Contrary to some commentary, the global economy is not contracting – while commodity price falls have, in large part, driven Russia and Brazil into recession and China is struggling to transition to a lower growth path, other emerging economies continue to grow (albeit at a slower pace), augmenting growth in the US and, to a lesser extent the EU, where unemployment is now at its lowest since 2009. Even the most pessimistic of forecasts envisage the global economy growing at between 2.5 and 3.0 per cent in 2016 and while caution is warranted, an upside surprise cannot be ruled out. History suggests that low oil prices, while clearly negative for oil producing economies, is a net positive for the global economy as the large net importers, including China, India, Japan, parts of Europe and the US, are of greater significance in world GDP terms.

• There’s still a lot of headroom to grow – the “experimental” data series released

by NISRA in December indicated that external sales (including GB) from Northern Ireland accounted for 30 per cent of final demand in 2012, part of a bigger picture showing the region with a net trade deficit of £6.5 billion or over 17 per cent of GDP. While direct comparisons are limited, as a measure of “openness” on some calculations, exports account for around 100 per cent of ROI’s GDP. Strategically, Northern Ireland’s growth potential remains crucially dependent on being able to sell more goods and services outside the region’s boundaries and the cyclical gyrations in the global economy do not change this.

Business conditions are likely to remain tough and volatile for exporters in 2016 but the year ahead is not without encouragement. As most exporters will testify, even in calmer seas, it is rarely all plain sailing.

NI Chamber 47

the x factor in exports

A head in the cloud A bright future is forecast for businesses to grow their enterprises using the cloud as Adrienne McGill explains.

Y

ou don’t have to be a giant company to sell overseas.

Because digital technology makes it easier to reach customers around the world, it means ambitious companies with their eyes on exports can embrace a huge opportunity for growth. Whether you are selling on-line services, setting up on-line, or taking advantage of on-line marketing tools, technology opens a world of opportunity.

Information technology underpins successful businesses, to the extent that in many cases it has become crucial to survival. Technology offers businesses scalable solutions, enabling them to expand.

A vital element in expansion is in the growth of export markets, which is why mobile technology and cloud computing are so

48 NI Chamber

important.

Cloud technology offers the chance of improved productivity to businesses because it can be time-saving and offers more workplace flexibility.

Studies show that more than 90 per cent of companies are using some form of cloud computing, a clear indication that the cloud has quickly become an essential ingredient of modern business, innovation, and information technology.

The cloud is undoubtedly making for a more dynamic entrepreneurial culture.

Communications channels and marketing models are flexible and cheaper than ever before, thanks to the internet.

Cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the internet instead of on a computer’s hard drive. The cloud is just a metaphor for the internet,

which works by making information available from a central web-based hub.

When you update your Facebook status, you’re using cloud computing. Checking your bank balance on your phone? You’re in the cloud again. If you are in business you’ll be firing off emails on the move or using an array of apps to help you manage your workload.

In short, cloud is fast becoming the new normal.

Graeme Waring, Operations Director at P2V Systems, based in Lisburn, says: “Cloud services can benefit everyone but they may not be for everybody. Some companies may run a certain application or have an older database that does not function particularly well in the cloud. However, a lot of companies are going to the cloud because the ability to do it is now there. For years it was talked about but we are now seeing the

implementation of it and what it can do.”

Whether the business challenge is expanding into new markets, attracting and retaining new customers, executing M&A strategy or speeding up time-to-market for new products and services, the cloud allows organisations to rapidly and easily scale up their operations to support business goals.

Exporters in particular have benefited from adopting cloud technology. Cloud based platforms are really well suited to the export business because they combine the immediacy of access with robust data protection and business continuity over all time zones and regions.

“Within the cloud there is a raft of different things that can collate a huge amount of information in one place. For a company, it is one depository,” adds Graeme.

However, despite its openness and

adaptability, the cloud has brought with it certain challenges.

Exporters recognise that they are operating in areas where data security and client confidentiality are paramount. It means that cloud providers and, particularly, cloud users must pay close attention to how export control laws affect cloud computing. For instance, US export control laws do not only apply to shipments of physical products out of America, they also apply to technology and software.

More and more businesses are saying they want to move to the cloud. There is no limit on the amount of information or data that can be stored. In the cloud environment, users can access all types of files, use applications as though they were in the office, and even collaborate remotely while working on the same project or presentation on their device

as someone on the other side of the globe.

Even if you’re away from work or your office server is inaccessible, data in the cloud is always up-to-date and always available.

“In our personal and business lives, we use cloud services on a daily basis across all sorts of devices – such as smartphones and tablets,” says Graeme.

“When you interact with the cloud on a personal level you see the benefit – so why would you not use it in business?”

NI Chamber 49

the x factor in exports

FINDING A DISTRIBUTOR YOU CAN DEPEND ON Distributors play a critical role in the supply chain as Sharon Curran, International Business Director with Devenish Nutrition, explains.

50 NI Chamber

W

ith over 60 years’ experience in the agriindustry, Devenish is a market leader in developing and offering advanced nutritional solutions to pig, poultry, ruminant, companion animal and equine sectors.

Headquartered in Belfast, Devenish now has 4 manufacturing sites throughout the UK (Belfast, Widnes, Killamarsh and Thirsk) and two in North America (Minnesota and Iowa).

The business which sells products into more than 20 international markets across four continents is the leading independent provider of speciality products in animal feed markets.

The company has a track record of producing a range of products that deliver improved efficiencies and profitability for our customers and we are continually working on developing our product offering. We must ensure that whatever distributor we choose to work with in a market, they understand the importance of what we offer and our values.

We ensure that the distributors we use are confident, knowledgeable and passionate about our products.

Devenish know who the end users of our products are and like to sell direct to customers where possible which means our

international team handle every aspect of the exporting process from market research and planning to distribution and payment collections. However, in certain markets the only way to sell a product is using a distributor. This can save time and cost.

When choosing a distributor we must remember that this person/company will effectively be representing the Devenish brand in the market. As well as choosing the right customers to sell directly to, choosing the right distributor is possibly the most important decision we will make when exporting.

In certain markets using a distributor can usually lead to higher levels of sales – even if we need to sacrifice margin to bring them on board. Good distributors have well established contacts and local knowledge of the customer requirements. They can open doors quite easily as they have an insight and understanding of the market. They are able to help us with complex product registration and import permit procedures and navigate complicated bureaucratic procedures, or simply provide guidance on the local business culture.

They also help us to reach customers to enable us to expand our market in line with becoming a major player in the international nutrition market. By using a distributor in a market, it means we have only one customer to sell to but our products can reach several customers.

As the distributor is buying our product to sell on to customers they accept the credit risk of buyers. However, it is important that the credit and payment terms established between Devenish and the distributor are without risk and that they are financially sound. We must be aware of certain international banking regulations which can impact on payment but these can be

overcome when a good relationship is established with us and our partner.

A distributor will promote and market our products and build the relationships with customers on our behalf. Our commercial nutritionists then provide training where necessary and technical support to these customers and the distributor. This is an important part of the relationship.

Choosing the right distributor is therefore vital to Devenish and we take into consideration a number of crucial elements.

For instance, it is of the utmost importance that we agree commercial terms in advance and these are stated clearly in any contract or formal agreement. If things go wrong then it is difficult to get out of the contract and this may end up being costly. Also, our team of dedicated commercial nutritionists may have to visit a potential distributor up to 5 times to agree terms and prices and also to visit customers in the market. This is key to building trust and a good relationship.

Following agreement of terms and a contract, it is important to spend as much time as possible with that distributor (perhaps four times a year).

Another thing to consider when selling your products using a distributor is that you must protect your IP (intellectual property).

Distributors who are trustworthy will sell our products without having to disclose our IP. This should be covered in any contracts or terms agreed. A good distributor will look out for people trying to infringe on our IP or imitating our products in their market.

There is a lot to consider when choosing a distributor. Get it right and it can be very beneficial to your customers. It may not always work out but when it does it is rewarding and is key to growing your international business.

NI Chamber 51

the x factor in exports

Socially and Visually serving export markets Social media and the use of video to enhance your business profile is a great asset to any company providing access to export markets, customers and target audiences 24/7 says Jamie Steele, Managing Director of Belfast-based Pale Blue Dot Creative.

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et’s face it, if people aren’t listening then you aren’t really marketing anything. If you aren’t marketing then you aren’t selling and if you aren’t selling, well then you aren’t really doing business. Since Web 2.0 broke onto the scene back in 2004 the world has been flooded with instantaneous information. It has broken down global and regional barriers, creating a faster, slicker and smoother highway for information.

Web 2.0 has transformed business as we know it. Possibilities are endless, and new connections are merely a click away.

Interactive sites brought to life many of the social sites that we know and love today: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. An internet sub-culture was born and digital spaces created as a meeting point for socially driven people from all corners of the world.

In 2005 there were 1.024 billion internet users. Over a decade later this has risen to 3.174 billion users and continues to grow daily. During the 1st quarter of 2015, 44.7 million adults in the UK (85%) had used the

52 NI Chamber

internet within the last three months1. Major social platform Facebook alone has 1,550 million active users. Statistics aside, ‘tweeting’ and other phrases are now common in vocabulary enforcing the level that social media has become fully integrated. We have social community managers, social strategists and head of social roles, solely created for the purpose of leveraging the potential that social has for business.

While social media is an excellent asset it can be a drain on time, especially for SMEs. It is important to develop a clear strategy.

Social media platforms are multi-faceted. They can be utilised individually or integrated with each other to deliver information seamlessly.

As a creative agency, Pale Blue Dot operates within a plethora of social channels specifically selected and optimised depending on the nature of our client’s business. Crucial to long-term success in the export of goods and services via social media is the introduction of a number of phases: 1. Research – Before any business ventures into the digital world of social media, time must be spent in the research phase. In this initial phase we conduct a deep analysis of our client’s brand, defining tone of voice, target audience, product/service etc.

Understanding these key metrics allows us to create and curate our on-line presence.

In order to build trust and further reach, it is important to identify potential key audience members who have significant weight and influence within our target market and seek to build relationships. These relationships should be mutually beneficial through reviews, link backs, retweets, shares and endorsements.

2. Content Development – Social media

is a constant stream of content, both reproduced and original. In order for a brand to gain recognition and traction with its desired target audience, it needs to create engaging content. Our number one rule to content generation is ‘would I look at it?’ If you yourself wouldn’t stop to look at it in a newsfeed, then pause and rework it. Your content must speak to your audience; it should create a response.

3. Brand Values – It is important to maintain brand values across multiple social channels. This is integral to any successful business but especially important within export markets. Your consumer can switch between on-line content in different countries with a few keystrokes. Any discrepancies in how the business operates will be glaringly obvious and plant seeds of mistrust. Trust is a business’s greatest strength and once lost is incredibly difficult to regain.

Finally, before we begin any social media campaign for a client, we devise a roadmap to plot the customer engagement journey.

Marking specific goals and checkpoints to evaluate and track each posts performance is vital and allows for adjustment as the campaign progresses.

Businesses get moving with video on the web 2016 has been heralded as the year of ‘video’ but recently most years are heralded as the year of ‘video’. That’s probably because video is big. It’s very big. If we were to take a poll on how many people would have preferred to watch this article rather than read it the answer might not shock us. A total of 59 per cent of senior business

executives said they would prefer to watch over reading according to research by Forbes Insight2.

At the end of 2015, 78 per cent of people were watching videos weekly and 55 per cent of people were watching videos daily3.

Now half of all mobile traffic comes from online video content. Based on these numbers experts believe that in 2 years’ time video will make up 79 per cent of consumer interaction on-line4.

Having read and looked at a number of the recent whitepaper releases from the likes of Nielsen, Statista, ReelSEO and other leading insight sites, it is hard to ignore the numbers.

Cisco’s ‘Visual Networking Index’ developed for 2015 released the staggering calculation that a single individual would need 5 million years to watch the amount of video content that will be on-line by 2019.

Video is so accessible now and smart phones and social media apps like Vine, Periscope and YouTube have reduced the cost and time constrictions previously associated with it.

As a result, we have stats such as every minute 300 hours of video is uploaded straight to YouTube5. Viewable content is now feasible for any business or individual armed with a smart phone or tablet device to produce. Technology advancements ensure that video is and will continue to be the major player in on-line content. Video cuts out much of the work for average consumers, they love it for its accessibility, whenever and wherever. Bite sized, shareable, engaging and easy.

Video in business is no different. Statista’s recent studies showed that 75 per cent of business executives watch content that directly correlates to their work on a weekly

basis. Already 93 per cent of marketers make use of video in a sales, communications and on-line marketing function, with 96 per cent of B2B businesses planning to include more video in their content marketing6.

That’s a lot of impressive percentages and numbers, but what does it really mean?

How can you really use video to help raise awareness and create interest?

For a start, all content created for a business should be relevant. In order for a brand to continue to track with consumers, it needs to speak to them and engage with them. Video remains the clearest and most concise way to deliver information. A recent whitepaper from YouTube in 2015 surveyed its viewer base to see what they expected from video content. The answers were simple: to be entertained, informed and inspired.

Also, while content might be king, timing is everything. You might have created the most engaging piece but if it is released too early or too late then it won’t matter. It is important for your video content to meet your audience at the moments that matter most. People are searching for information on-line all the time using the two biggest search engines Google and YouTube. One in 4 shoppers state they watched a YouTube video before making a purchase7. Ultimately if your content and strategy is centred on the user’s experience then the results will reflect this.

Sources: 1– Office for National Statistics; 2 – Video Brewery; 3 – Statista; 4 – Statista; 5 – Cedar Consulting; 6 – Statista; 7 – Invodo.

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the x factor in exports

In ship shape

Logistics involves the well-orchestrated coordination of each step of a journey on the road to market for a product.

Adrienne McGill talks to Paul McKeown, Managing Director of TR Logistics Group, whose companies deal with the complexities and discusses how they are addressed and overcome.

“To ship freight overseas is virtually impossible to do without the expertise and advice of an experienced and trusted logistics partner.”

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s the global economy has expanded, logistics has become increasingly important with companies across the world needing to export and import goods and products from one country to another in an efficient and timely manner.

Leading this field in Northern Ireland is independent supply chain specialists, TR Logistics Group.

From its headquarters on Edgewater Road with a commanding view of Belfast Lough, TR Logistics Group had built its reputation originally as a highly efficient international freight forwarder dedicated to making sea, air and road processes easier and quicker for its customers. Fast forward to today and the landscape has changed dramatically. TR Logistics Group has evolved and diversified to become one of Northern Ireland’s leading autonomous forces in total supply chain solutions.

TR Logistics Group, which directly employs 52 people, started as a Customs Clearance business operating from small premises in Belfast’s High Street more than 35 years ago.

With state of the art facilities, together with its highly experienced team in Belfast, Craigavon and Rotterdam, the Group today has a worldwide reach.

The Group, which specialises in moving cargo to and from foreign destinations at the request of customers, acts as an intermediary between those customers and the transport companies carrying their goods and handles everything related to that process.

There are a number of separate and distinct divisions within TR Logistics Group, all complementary to each other and covering all modes of transport inclusive of general forwarding, warehousing and bespoke logistics.

The warehousing facilities consist of over

500,000 sq ft of space in Northern Ireland and the Port of Rotterdam and are customs compliant for bonded warehousing with many diverse products held within.

The Group transports a huge diverse range of goods worldwide and its market, whether it be by land, sea or air, extends throughout Ireland and the UK, across mainland Europe to the rest of the world.

TR Logistics Managing Director Paul McKeown says: “As a logistics provider we connect manufacturers and suppliers onto customers.

They will all have thoughts and ideas on their shipping requirements and ultimately their preferred mode of transport. We are the architects for that transport.

“For clients, the main advantage of collaborating with a professional Logistics Provider is their extensive knowledge of all aspects of moving and storing product. TR Logistics Group prides itself in ensuring its familiarity with the ever-changing laws, rules, regulations and mandatory requirements relevant to each individual country.

“The world has changed now and we have had to grow and diversify from the freight forwarder of old to the current logistics provider we are today. No longer do we just move product from A to B, we now provide added value services such as quality checks, engineering processes and are even involved in a manufacturing process for our clients.”

Paul says logistics is very much about being aware of what customers are trying to achieve, listening to their own specific needs and tailoring the best bespoke solution to their requirements. He stresses that customer care is paramount and is what has helped TR Logistics Group retain and gain customer confidence year after year.

“To ship freight overseas is virtually impossible to do without the expertise and advice of an experienced and trusted logistics

partner. We are exactly that, we partner with exporters, importers, large corporations, SMEs and individuals with everything related to the shipping process specific to the agreed Incoterms. For a client to try and navigate through this without consulting the logistics experts on the compliances which need to be addressed, will lead to ultimately setting themselves up for disappointment and dissatisfaction, perhaps leading to loss of business which could easily be avoided. We know what those compliances are and our strategy is to take the complications away and make sure the logistics transaction is seamless for the client.”

Paul says communication and education are the most important principles within logistics.

It is about constant communication with the customer, keeping them informed of where their shipment is at any time and keeping them up to date with progress.

“We have invested heavily in IT, however our main asset that drives this dynamic is the person in front of the screen and keyboard.

Our vastly experienced employees are the back bone of our business and their expert knowledge is paramount in providing the customer with the best solution at a competitive rate.”

Paul also points to the fact that customer care is the ethos of TR Logistics Group.

He says the most important thing is about forming a trusting relationship and partnership with the customer.

He adds: “They can depend on us and be confident that we will deliver and not just promise. We help them on their export or import journey from start to finish and that takes a lot of the strain away for the client. We are the experts in this field. This is our profession and by taking control of the logistics, we allow the client to concentrate on what they do best, selling their product and keeping their own customers fulfilled.”

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the x factor in exports

Navigating new rules Misdeclared container weight can be a significant risk to container shipping but new regulations which are set to come into force in July will do much to ensure the safety of cargo and personnel as TR Logistics Group Director Shauneen McConville tells Adrienne McGill.

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hippers and the container shipping sector must comply with new container weight regulations when they come into force on July 1 this year.

In a bid to improve maritime safety, the new mandatory international regulations will require every packed container due for export by sea to have a verified container weight as a condition for vessel loading.

The regulations were originally signed off by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in November 2014 with the adoption of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) which is mandatory global law.

Over the years, the maritime industry has witnessed many incidents reportedly as the direct result of inaccurate container weights.

In 2008 the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) published a report into MSC Napoli which was deliberately grounded a mile off Sidmouth in Devon the previous year to stop her sinking. She shed some

56 NI Chamber

200 containers, carrying everything from disposable nappies to luxury motor-cycles, before being beached.

The MAIB report found that the ship broke her back as she hit big seas because she was laden with overloaded containers and steaming too fast. The total weight of 137 overweight containers was 312 tonnes heavier than the cargo manifest.

Another incident involved the container ship Deneb, which in 2011 listed and capsized at the port of Algeciras in Spain. A review of the catastrophe found that out of 168 containers, 1 in 10 had weights far exceeding those declared.

Some industry experts suggest that a third of the 130 million containers shipped every year have misdeclared weights.

Overweight and underweight containers cause poor weight distribution within a container and can create major instability problems, causing damage to ship and cargo, as well as the ship’s overall stability. The new regulations are intended to make shippers

IMO – The International Maritime Organisation (IMO): The IMO’s primary purpose is to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.

SOLAS – Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime safety treaty. It ensures that ships flagged by signatory States comply with minimum safety standards in construction, equipment and operation.

The current SOLAS Convention includes articles setting out general obligations, which are divided into 12 Chapters.

The amendment regarding the weight regulations refers specifically to Chapter VI – Carriage of Cargoes.

responsible for obtaining container weight and reduce the loss of containers from vessels, provide assurance to those involved within the supply chain and improve the overall safety of the workforce, the vessel and equipment.

Shauneen McConville, TR Logistics Group Director who is also Chair (Northern Ireland) of the British International Freight Association (BIFA), says the new rules have major implications for Northern Ireland.

“The effect of this amendment will be felt globally and from our perspective in Northern Ireland, it will have an effect on exports and imports being transported by containers via sea. In this instance containers include standard seafreight containers, tank containers, flat racks, bulk containers and all containers to which the International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC) applies.

“The regulations place a requirement on the shipper of a packed container, regardless of who packed the container, to provide

the container’s gross verified weight to the sea carrier and port terminal representative sufficiently in advance of vessel loading. This will be used in the preparation of the ship’s stowage plan.

“A verified container weight will be a mandatory condition for loading a packed container aboard a vessel for export.

“It means therefore that before a container can be loaded onto a ship, its weight must be determined through weighing. In the absence of a shipper providing a verified gross mass of a packed container, that container ‘shall not be loaded on to the ship’.

“Where the shipper can provide a verified gross mass, this must be done either by one of two methods: weighing the packed container using calibrated and certified equipment or weighing all packages and cargo items using a certified method approved by the authority of the State in which packing of the container was completed.

“Misdeclared weights will result in penalties and inevitable delays and associated costs.

This being the case, it’s vital that everyone who loads and ships containers gets in place procedures and authorisations before the deadline date of July 1.”

Shauneen stresses that the new verified container weight regulation will affect the entire ocean freight industry.

“Parties that are involved in containerised shipping must prepare themselves for the new situation.”

• Ahead of the introduction of the new regulations, BIFA and NI Chamber recently held an information seminar at the offices of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners to inform those within the shipping and container transport sector about the implications. Presentations were also given by HMRC and are available by contacting Sandra Scannell, Business Growth & Trade Director, NI Chamber (Sandra.scannell@ northernirelandchamber.com).

NI Chamber 57

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news

business bites from brussels Northern Ireland Task Force to continue

Clampdown on corporate tax avoidance

The special Commission Task Force for Northern Ireland (NITF), originally set up by former Commission President José Manuel Barroso in 2007 to help the region participate more actively in the EU policy process and maximise the benefit from EU funding programmes, is set to continue.

The Task Force is unique within the European Commission in terms of the formation of a close partnership specifically with one region covering several key policy fields. Chaired by the Directorate-General for Regional Policy, membership of the NITF is composed of representatives from 17 European Commission Directorates-General.

President Juncker, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, said: “The peace process in Northern Ireland requires continuing efforts and the Commission has a special role to play in this, as it also does in contributing to reinforce the region’s European engagement.”

The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister has overall responsibility for the NITF in Northern Ireland.

The European Commission has presented new proposals to tackle corporate tax avoidance. The new rules are needed to align the tax laws in all 28 EU Member States in order to fight aggressive tax practices by large companies efficiently and effectively. The Anti-Tax Avoidance Package calls on EU countries to take a stronger and more coordinated stance against companies that seek to avoid paying their fair share of tax and to implement the international standards against base erosion and profit shifting. Key features of the new proposals include a proposal for Member States to share tax-related information on multinationals operating in the EU and a new EU process for listing third countries that refuse to play fair.

Collectively, these measures will hamper aggressive tax planning, boost transparency between Member States and ensure fairer competition for all businesses in the Single Market. The proposals will now be submitted to the European Parliament for consultation and to the Council for adoption.

Tackling high cross-border postal charges

Investment Plan for Europe

According to a recent study for the European Commission, cross-border parcel prices for national postal operators are almost five times higher than their domestic equivalents. The high costs, coupled with problems consumers and retailers face with parcel deliveries between EU Member States, are why the European Commission will set out plans to improve price transparency and regulatory oversight of the cross-border parcel markets in spring 2016. High prices and inefficiency of cross-border parcel delivery deter people from selling to or buying from other EU countries which means e-commerce is not being used to its full potential. EU consumers could save over €11 billion each year, if they could choose from the full range of goods and services when shopping online. Currently, 44 per cent of consumers buy online in their own country, but only 15 per cent order online from another EU Member State.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and www.iwoca.co.uk have signed their first COSME agreement in the UK to help a greater number of SMEs gain access to finance. The initiative benefits from the support of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) through which the Investment Plan for Europe is being deployed by the European Commission and the EIB Group. The guarantee scheme will allow iwoca to lend £40 million (€60 million) to over 3,000 small businesses in the UK. The loans will be provided as a result of a guarantee from the EIF under the COSME programme with financial backing from the European Commission. A small business can apply for financing under the programme at www.iwoca.co.uk.

This deal reflects the EIB Group’s commitment to respond swiftly to calls from Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament for a rapid launch of concrete initiatives under EFSI, accelerating lending and guaranteeing transactions capable of boosting jobs and growth in the EU.

NI Chamber 59

columnist

Tech Scene Round up A RANGE OF DYNAMIC PROGRAMMES FOR FLEDGLING FIRMS ARE LINED UP FOR THIS YEAR. NATALIE GRAY, MARKETING EXECUTIVE AT SYNCNI PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON THEM. Accelerator and Incubator programmes are designed to help kick start the early stage of start-up businesses to help them expand and blossom.

They can encourage rapid growth, while helping budding entrepreneurs think about the operational and strategic challenges they will face now and in the future.

So who needs ‘Google for Entrepreneurs’ when we have a variety of programmes here in Northern Ireland that tech start-ups can avail of?

The latest is StartPlanetNI, the only private equity based start-up accelerator. This programme opened its doors back in November 2015, and is located in Belfast’s trendy Cathedral Quarter. It provided the chance for 10 participating start-up companies to benefit from mentors, have co-working space and tap into a wider global network. All these elements mixed with a bunch of activities will aid the development of the participants’ business models and increase their potential to gain funding.

The ‘Demo Day’ at Hillsborough Castle this March will see participants present their findings so far.

Or take for example Invest NI’s Propel Programme. Propel alumni have raved about the programme, saying that its reputation exceeds itself.

Now in its 6th year, Propel is an intensive 12-month programme which helps participants to fast-track their business ideas, develop ambitious growth plans and explore global markets. It is designed to support innovative entrepreneurs who have the greatest potential to scale up. To date the programme is credited with creating nearly 120 companies, between them having accessed more than £14.5 million of external investment and creating 270 jobs. Not bad!

The 2016 programme is no exception. With over 130 applications coming through, approximately 20

INVENT is another programme available in Northern Ireland and launched recently as five previous winners returned from a Tech Mission to California where they made the most of the amazing opportunity to pitch to investors and prospective customers in the US. The competition is a commercial educational experience designed to encourage entrepreneurs to act on their talents, ideas and energy to produce tomorrow’s leading commercial opportunities.

It is a reflection of Northern Ireland’s booming tech sector. Last year’s Knowledge Economy Index (KEI) reported that nearly 300 tech start-ups were formed in 2014 alone with around 22 of these new companies raising a combined investment of £32 million in the last 12 months.

INVENT has 6 different categories: Engineering, Creative Media & Consumer Internet, Electronics, Life & Health, Enterprise Software and Agri-science.

Last year’s INVENT had a catchy ‘Back to the Future’ theme – timed nicely with the ‘Back to the Future’ date of course. The overall 2015 INVENT awards winner was a Queen’s University spin-out company, PicoPUF. They pitched their way to success for their internet security application that makes using the internet for everyday tasks more secure. New apps and surfboard technology also featured in 2015 finalists.

participants will embark on a ten-month process beginning this March. This will present them with the opportunity to work on their development plan, experience one-to-one mentoring and attend workshops aimed at making their business idea investor ready.

These programmes can be a great way to raise your profile, grow your network and gain validation on your business plan. Naturally they are open to various categories but the more tech focused the applicants the better. If there is any Northern Ireland tech start-ups looking to create a buzz about their business venture then please get in touch with Sync NI to learn more about how we can help.

Want to be the first to find out what’s happening in Northern Ireland’s tech scene?

Stay up to date with www.syncni.com or follow us on Twitter @syncni Email: natalie@syncni.com

60 NI Chamber

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news

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ew grant funding aimed at locally based projects for young people, older people and people with disabilities has been announced by The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI) as it opens the Telecommunity Fund for a new round of applications.

The fund which was established in 1989 sees BT, the Communication Worker’s Union (CWU) and CFNI working together as a grant-making partnership which has distributed over £1 million to grassroots community organisations across Northern Ireland over the past 26 years.

Grants range from £500 to £1500, with priority given to groups dealing with additional disadvantage such as rural isolation, low income and reduced access to services. Types of projects which can be supported through the fund include: local initiatives to improve resources and community facilities, community education and training opportunities, arts and sports activities, out of school projects for young people and inclusion and involvement of disadvantaged communities.

Recent recipients of the grant include the Dungannon-based Buddy Bear Trust for children with Cerebral Palsy and Aqua Psychotherapy in Belfast.

Alex Crossan, Managing Director BT Networks Northern Ireland, said being a visible advocate and supporter of responsible business practice was important for BT. “We are committed to making a difference to the communities in which we operate through our corporate responsibility programme.

“We have been involved with the Telecommunity Fund since its beginning and have seen the huge difference the fund has made to so many grassroots organisations right across Northern Ireland.”

Speaking about the Telecommunity Fund, Andrew McCracken, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be entering our 27th year working with BT and the CWU to deliver vital funds to groups throughout Northern Ireland.

“The fact that this fund has been making an impact in communities here for almost three decades shows what can be achieved when a Community Foundation and a local company work together to ensure that charitable giving is directed where it is most needed using our indepth knowledge, experience and expertise.”

David Kennedy, Branch Secretary, NI Telecoms branch, CWU said: “The Northern Ireland branch of the CWU have been involved with the fund since its inception and we are committed to helping those less fortunate in our society. Our local community groups are dependent on funding through the CFNI and we are delighted to be able to support them.”

62 NI Chamber

BT welcomes new round of Telecommunity grants

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columnist

Paying Down The Debt!

Consumer debt continues to rise which has implications for the economy warns NI CHAMBER ECONOMIST, Maureen O’Reilly.

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ometimes it is easy to forget that the biggest driver of spending in the economy is the humble consumer. What we spend as households accounts for around 60 per cent of total spend in the UK economy, more than government spending, business investment and net exports combined.

It is increased consumer spending that has largely driven the UK’s economic recovery. Over the last few years consumer spending has grown by around 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent per annum while most other parts of the economy have recorded minimal or negative growth. Part of this spending growth is undoubtedly down to the fact that we have more money in our pockets. In spite of very limited pay increases, low interest rates and negligible inflation (driven in large part by falling oil prices) has meant that things have been costing less, particularly big cost items such as mortgages and heating our homes/running our cars. Consumer confidence has been given a significant boost and it is consumers who, for the most part, have been keeping this rather uncertain recovery going.

64 NI Chamber

A less positive feature of this consumer led recovery has been the extent to which spending has been driven by household borrowing or debt. This is certainly the view of the British Chamber of Commerce whose Director General, John Longworth, commented only recently that the recovery remained too reliant on ‘debt-fuelled consumer spending’.

Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, has been quick to dismiss this but has acknowledged that the extent of debt is an ‘indirect threat’ to the economy and something which needs to be watched. However, despite Mark Carney’s assurances it is hard to avoid the fact that household debt is at historically high levels and is expected to rise even further. The Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) forecasts that UK household debt will continue to grow reaching around 165 per cent of household income by the start of 2020.

That is not to say that all debt is bad. Debt is fine as long as it is manageable and there is evidence that until recently good progress had been made in paying down some of the very significant debt accumulated

pre-crisis. The problem is when debt becomes unmanageable.

The negative impacts can then be wide-ranging and include health impacts (particularly mental health), worklessness, crime and family breakdown. All of these impacts can ultimately cost the government money.

There are also some very worrying trends in how the nature of debt is changing. Bank of England statistics show that the value of unsecured debt (loans, overdrafts, credit cards) is rising faster than secured debt (primarily mortgages) and is growing at its fastest rate since before the financial crisis. In the year to November 2015 the value of unsecured debt in the UK grew by over 8 per cent, its highest growth rate since February 2006.

Consumer advice organisations also provide invaluable insights into the changing nature of debt. They point to a strong surge in demand for high cost credit, for example, payday loans (although new rules are now in place), catalogue debt and guarantor loans. The generational issue is also particularly concerning. The evidence

suggests that debt and particularly unsecured debt is increasingly prevalent among younger people.

Citizen’s Advice Bureau research1 suggests that young people in the UK had the highest average unsecured debt to income ratio of any age group in 2010-12. Debt was the equivalent of 70 per cent of income among 17 to 24-year-olds in 2012, twice as high compared to the next age group of 25 to 29-year-olds (34%).

So is Northern Ireland any different? Official statistics tend only to be available for the English regions, Scotland and Wales and it is generally difficult to source data on personal debt for Northern Ireland. There is some evidence from advice organisations to suggest that Northern Ireland households are more likely to be vulnerable financially. Mortgage debt is a

particular issue here. StepChange, a national debt advice charity, suggests that personal debt in Northern Ireland is 20 per cent higher than the UK as a whole.2 None of this is surprising really given that Northern Ireland consumers already have less to spend to start with. The region has the lowest disposable income per head across the 12 UK regions – at just over 80 per cent of UK average.

Poverty rates also appear to be increasing here with 1 in 5 people in Northern Ireland living in relative poverty.

The debt burden among consumers has serious implications for the economy not only directly in terms of spending but also indirectly because of the costs associated for government in helping people cope with the fall-out from dealing with too much debt. In researching this article

I found the lack of comprehensive information on personal debt concerning, particularly from a Northern Ireland perspective. A much clearer understanding of the extent and nature of personal and household debt would be a very good starting point.

Finally, the evidence suggests that we are going to end up living with a lot more debt for much longer than previous generations. Research suggests that currently the average age to celebrate a ‘debt free’ birthday is 69, 12 years later than we expect.3 A bit to go yet I’m afraid!!

1 ‘Unsecured and Insecure?’, Citizens Advice Bureau, 2015 2 ‘Debt in Northern Ireland 2014’, StepChange 3 Zopa, 2016

Is currency volatility affecting your profit margin?

By Henry Cleary, Senior Manager, Global Markets at Bank of Ireland.

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nternational trade underpins the success of many local businesses as they pursue ambitious growth plans. In seeking to expand their customer base and secure the long-term sustainability and profitability of their business they are as likely to consider trade across continents as they are across neighbouring borders.

Along with the many advantages to trading overseas there are inherent risks including not being paid, loss of goods, customs issues and potentially losing money on the foreign exchanges. So, before entering new markets businesses need to consider the risks and the steps needed to mitigate them.

Questions to consider: Is the business comfortable dealing with foreign currencies and international trade? Is it equipped to handle foreign currency payments and does it have

suitable bank accounts?

Preparation is paramount and it is important that businesses have easy access to the expertise needed to export safely. Expertise is available through a variety of channels including accountants, trade and business organisations such as the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry and our locally based Global Markets team at Bank of Ireland.

One of the main considerations for any would-be exporter is recognising Foreign Exchange risk and how it could affect their profit margin. Volatility of the Euro during 2015 demonstrated how currency fluctuations affect exporting businesses and highlights the need to proactively manage this risk.

Take a local company, contracting to sell products to a Dutch company for €500,000.

Whilst the price is agreed at the outset, the payment won’t be received for 6 months and

the exchange rate may change adversely during that time. The company risks not receiving the required amount of pounds sterling if nothing is done to manage this.

A Forward Contract booked with the Northern Ireland company’s bank at the outset would have guaranteed the rate of exchange as it locks in the currency conversion at a date in the future at an agreed rate. By locking in the rate you have certainty of income. Meaning you limit your potential losses but you also limit any potential gains where the rates move favourably. At Bank of Ireland we provide insights with our Market Outlook to help you decide the best way to manage your FX risks.

For businesses pursuing overseas opportunities, this is one example to help manage risk and other areas to consider would be Interest Rate Management and Trade Finance.

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Targeting Top Talent With a dynamic career in international business development and recruitment, à ine Brolly, Chief executive officer of CPL in Northern Ireland, tells Adrienne McGill about her role in driving the company’s expansion.

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orthern California with its heavy fog and steep hills may seem a world away from the lush verdant pastures and soft undulating landscape of Northern Ireland but there is a connection and that is through leading international business recruitment consultant Áine Brolly. Áine, a native of Dungiven in Co. Derry, returned home to Northern Ireland 6 months ago to take up a new appointment after spending almost 4 years in San Francisco as Senior Vice President (SVP) with Invest NI having played a leading role with the agency’s successful foreign direct investment and international trade and export campaigns in the US. Now based in Belfast, she is Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Ireland division of Cpl, which is the only indigenous recruitment company on the island of Ireland to be listed on both the Dublin and London stock exchanges. Áine oversees recruitment, talent, outsourcing needs, brand development and growth of the company and is also Founder and Director of another newly established Cpl company, Ardlinn Executive Search.

Cpl which includes giants such as Google and Facebook on its client list is headquartered in Dublin. It has a total of 36 offices across 9 counties employing 450 staff of which 26 are based in Belfast, Newry and Derry but under Áine’s leadership aggressive expansion is on the cards.

“We have expanded the Belfast team to 13 recruiters and moved into new offices in the city centre which gives us the capacity to recruit an additional 35 people,” she says.

“We are also expanding in Derry to service the North West area. Two months ago the company announced plans to recruit a further 200 staff for our offices in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, and Limerick. This is an indication of the strength of the market.”

In her role as Invest NI SVP in San Francisco, Áine supported the positioning in Northern Ireland of successful operations and R&D facilities of many US-based companies particularly in the financial and technology sectors. This, she says, has given her a thorough insight into the priorities of businesses when considering Northern Ireland as an investment location…and that involves sourcing talent.

“I have gained a deep understanding about what drives the decisions of company

executives, what motivates them, what their priorities are and how they make decisions.

Understanding the talent market in Northern Ireland and in the rest of the UK was very important because one of the biggest drivers in the key hubs in which I worked such as Silicon Valley, Austin in Texas, Portland in Oregon and Seattle in Washington State was where can we find talent?

“There was a real need for talent and that involved understanding what types of companies – if we could get them into Belfast – would have a strong enough brand to be able to build out a team in Northern Ireland.

“With Invest NI, my focus was to bring US technology firms into Northern Ireland to help build the sector and the economy but I also worked with Northern Ireland companies who were keen to establish operations and build business partnerships in the US.” Finding the right talent is therefore crucial to fulfilling the needs of a client – but Áine is all too aware that the most talented professionals are not necessarily sitting at home reading job ads – they can be currently out in the workforce.

“Cpl reacts to the needs of employers and matches those with candidates on the one hand and, on the other, places relevant candidates with employers who have a job to fill.

“We have to be very aggressive in terms of finding the right people on behalf of our clients because the market is currently so buoyant. Increasingly, we are trying to attract people back home who left to find jobs overseas or we will proactively approach candidates who are not currently on the job market and try to encourage them to consider the opportunities we are working on.

“Cpl works with some of the big life science firms in Northern Ireland who have a huge demand for specialist skills. The market in Northern Ireland is very tight which means that employers are having to go to recruitment firms to source specialist staff.

“Also, it has become very tough to find people for more technical roles.

“There are a lot more international companies here now than previously – it has taken a very strong partnership approach between government, universities and business to raise awareness about the shortage of people graduating from STEM related subjects in particular with engineering skills.”

Over the last six years, the Cpl Group – headed by Anne Heraty, a former EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner who founded the company in 1990 – has been on a steady acquisition trail snapping up at least 12 recruitment companies.

This has included many who have retained their brands such as Servisource and Techskills. The Group’s most recent acquisition was Clinical Professionals Limited, the UK Pharmaceutical and Life Science Recruitment Company and there are indications that Cpl is set to acquire another large recruitment company with a strong presence in Ireland north and south.

Cpl recruits on behalf of clients across all sectors including technology, technical engineering, finance and accountancy, sales and retail, life sciences, construction and administration.

“We are seeing now that it is a candidate’s market. Candidates very often have 3 or 4 other opportunities they are considering when we are speaking with them. They are sought after especially if they have strong technical skills or are at a senior level within a company,” says Áine.

Prior to joining Invest NI, Áine spent 10 years as a Director with London-based Penna plc, a global HR services company where she led their executive recruitment practice in Ireland.

“This involved recruiting c-level executives across the public and private sector in Ireland.

Coincidentally, when I went to San Francisco I had a ready-made network there because of the executives I had recruited into US companies in Dublin and Belfast who had then relocated to Silicon Valley and were working for the likes of Google, Twitter and Microsoft.” Áine Brolly says she is driven by passion and commitment when it comes to sourcing the right people for the right job…and she is fiercely competitive.

“I managed and built a team for Invest NI on the west coast of the US. I have gone from recruiting executives to recruiting companies and back to recruiting people again – the whole way along my career has been about talent and talent acquisition. That is what our clients want and Cpl to deliver it.”

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columnist

Warm return to Chile From the depths of economic ruin, Chile has bounced back to become an industrial powerhouse in South America, as Ian Rainey, former international banker, discovers.

Picture: Pablo Rogat/Shutterstock.

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y wife and I had the dual pleasure of escaping the rains and snow of January in Belfast to visit our daughter in Santiago Chile.

She is spending her year out from her Modern Languages degree course at Southampton University, working in the British Chamber of Commerce in Santiago. She has a most rewarding job in the Chamber but describes learning Spanish in Chile as not unlike sending someone to Ahoghill to learn perfect English. However, she has already had the chance to visit Argentina and

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particularly Colombia where they speak perfect Spanish and the business aspects of her role in the Chamber in Santiago more than makes up for the less than perfect Spanish spoken by the locals.

My daughter had us well warned to make sure we got a window seat on the plane as we flew over the Andes Mountains as we approached Santiago on our Air France flight from Dublin and Paris. I can honestly say this is one of the most spectacular airline experiences as the mountains are amazing and even in the middle of summer some of

the highest ranges are snow covered.

It stands out in contention with the approach into Hong Kong, as you weave your way among the apartment blocks so close that you can see the washing drying out on the balconies of the apartments.

Like Hong Kong, Santiago is a very modern city where the four lane highway into the city passes underneath the business district and reappears in the suburbs beyond. The city is also well served with a modern metro which provides a transport system

which can equate to any modern European or American city. In truth Santiago needs all of this infrastructure for a city whose population has burgeoned to almost 7 million from some 3 million when I was last in Chile, in 1985, to do a political and financial update on the country for the American bank which I worked for at that stage.

At that time General Pinochet was in charge of a military government which had rescued the country from the ravages of Marxism under the Allende government which had driven a very

successful country into wrack and ruin in a very short space of time. Whether Allende was a Marxist-Leninist by conviction or convenience, he was for three very difficult years at the heart of a regime which posed the most sinister threat to Chile in that country’s history and which nearly managed to achieve Castro’s dream of communist domination of the South American continent. At the time of the military coup on 11th September 1973 inflation was running at 500 per cent with money supply having reached 120 per cent in 1971 and 172 per cent in 1972. The Dollar when Allende took over was exchanged at a rate of 20 Escudos, while at his downfall the rate was 2500 escudos which represented a fall in the currency of some 12,000 per cent. Agricultural production had fallen by more than 23 per cent while mining, which Allende had nationalised, had fallen by over 30 per cent. It was to rescue Chile from this state of affairs that the army under General Pinochet, the navy under Admiral Merino, the air force under General Leigh and the Carabiners (or police) under General Mendoza jointly united to overthrow the Allende regime. General Pinochet was to remain in power until 1990 by which time the economy was on a sure footing and the American and European banks were prepared to lend money to the country again.

Today Chile is the 5th largest economy in South America and ranks 7th globally in the Index of Economic Freedom and in other rankings such as Ease of Doing Business, Word Competitiveness and Business Environment is ranked either first or second in Latin America. It is an economy with minimal national debt with imports and exports worth 92 per cent of GNP. Today it is the world’s largest supplier of copper and the second largest supplier of salmon.

Spending on education has doubled since 1990 and the percentage of students taking further education has doubled in the last decade. The highly respected English school, The Grange, was for many years run by a former teacher from Rainey Endowed in Magherafelt, Jimmy Cowan, who was a well-known Dungannon 1stXV rugby player, before emigrating to Santiago. We had the pleasure of being

entertained on the veranda of the Prince of Wales Golf Club which abuts on to The Grange School. Jimmy and his wife Elizabeth, also from Magherafelt and a Trinity languages graduate, have retired and live in Chile as had our hosts Victor and Ellen Hawkins, who were with me when I lived in the Philippines and retired to Chile where Victor had run the Coates thread plant in Santiago. It is a measure of the quality of the economy, the life style and undoubtedly the weather that so many ex-patriates have chosen to live in this beautiful country. The country extends from the Atacama Desert in the north, bordering Peru and Bolivia, to virtually Cape Horn and the South Pole (some 2,666 miles) and has average width of 176 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the west to its boundary with Argentina in the east.

It is unquestionably an economy which warrants serious consideration by every aspiring Northern Ireland business which is a serious exporter.

My daughter in the British Chamber of Commerce would be only too willing to make business introductions.

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bright young business brains Education Minister John O’Dowd with Edward Gaffney, Cathal Rice and Ryan McKee from St Patrick’s High School in Keady.

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Young Scientists find formula for success

t Patrick’s High School in Keady scooped two top awards at the prestigious BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (#BTYSTE) which took place at the RDS in Dublin recently.

Beating off stiff competition from a total of 26 Northern Ireland finalists, St Patrick’s picked up the award for ‘Best Northern Ireland School’ and they also received the accolade for ‘BT Northern Ireland Best Project’. The project, entitled ‘Power Down to Power Up’, was entered in the Social & Behavioural Sciences category at junior level and the group also received 2nd place in the Social & Behavioural Junior Group for their entry. A second project entered by the school entitled ‘An investigation into how foam reduces spillages in liquids’ in the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences category at junior level was also highly commended.

Meanwhile St Catherine’s College in Armagh received the ‘BT Best Project in Irish’ Award for their project ‘Eiseapláinéid a Fhiosrú’. They were also highly commended for the same project in the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences category at intermediate level. A second project

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from St Catherine’s College was also highly commended – ‘Irish dancing is a sport, not just a hobby’ in the Biological and Ecological category at junior level.

Further awards were presented to Northern Ireland schools at the awards ceremony: • St Killian’s College, Carnlough picked up 3rd Place in the ‘Technology Junior Group’ for their project ‘Speed Alert Shamer’ and they were also highly commended for their project ‘Distance Diagnostics’ in the Technology category at junior level.

• Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast were highly commended for their project ‘Dry Your Eyes’ which was entered into the Biological & Ecological category at intermediate level.

• Ballymena Academy were highly commended for their project ‘Apollo 10D’ which was entered into the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences category at intermediate level.

• South Eastern Regional College-Bangor Campus were highly commended for their project ‘Investigating the antibacterial effects of honey’ in the Biological & Ecological category at senior level.

• St Mary’s College in Derry were highly

commended for two projects in the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences category for their projects ‘Investigating the effect of reheating pasta on the rate of digestion of its starch by amylase’ at intermediate level and ‘Investigating the effect of various dietary supplements on the activity of lipase in digesting fat’ at junior level.

Alex Crossan, Managing Director Networks, BT Northern Ireland, said: “We are proud that the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition continues to act as a springboard for future entrepreneurs, academics, scientists and technologists and we have countless past winners who are proof of that.”

Education Minister John O’Dowd, who was among the thousands of visitors to the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, said he was hugely impressed by the large representation of Northern Schools at the prestigious event.

Congratulating the prize winners, he said: “I have been very impressed with the standard of the entries and also by the enthusiasm and depth of knowledge shown by all students who have taken part in the Exhibition. You should all be proud of what you’ve achieved.”

Colette Wilson, Marketing Manager, Irwin’s Bakery and Professor Mark Durkin, Ulster University, along with final year students Lyndsey Niblock, Emma Kernohan, Catherine Isted, Selina Lewis and Gintare Lenkeviciute.

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Students Use Their Loaf for Digital Success

lster University’s Business School BSc Marketing final year students have teamed up with Northern Ireland’s leading bakery, Irwin’s, in a new ‘academia meets industry’ partnership, focused on digital marketing.

Irwin’s Marketing Manager, Colette Wilson, alumni from the Business School’s post-graduate marketing programme, explained the student challenge: “Irwin’s was delighted to work with UUBS marketing students on this project.

The top graded team will have the chance to present their ideas to our senior management team. For over 100 years our family owned business has prided itself on staying close to our consumers – responding to shopper trends and changing lifestyles with innovation. As consumers become increasingly digitally savvy, we want to explore how best to add value and engage with shoppers in the digital age.”

Professor Mark Durkin who developed the digital marketing module at Ulster

University in 2010 added: “Irwin’s Bakery joins a list of prestigious Northern Ireland brands who have worked with the digital marketing students over the years in capitalizing on emerging digital opportunities. Last year it was Derry-based BubbleBum and the year before that James Street South – both companies that are exemplars of innovation, effective digital engagement and commercial success.”

One of the students on the module, Fiona Anderson, who spent last year as a marketing executive with pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods manufacturer Johnson and Johnson said: “The opportunity which Irwin’s Bakery has presented is a really exciting one. This challenge will give students the opportunity to work in a role that a lot of us will aspire to as graduates. To be allowed to act as a marketing consultant, rather than a student doing an assignment, gives so much weight to the task. It is very encouraging that Irwin’s recognises what we can bring to the project as marketing educated digital natives.”

Professor Durkin added: “Businesses out there in Northern Ireland and beyond must stay alert if they wish to quickly secure one of these outstanding students once they graduate.”

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Pupils Get Set for Inaugural Almac Challenge

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harmaceutical company Almac has taken a unique approach to student work placements with an all-day assessment and workshop programme facilitated by education consultancy, Eye4Education.

Almost 70 year 13 and 14 chemistry students from the Craigavon area recently took part in the inaugural ‘Almac Challenge’ which will select up to 24 pupils for placement positions in the local company for Spring 2016.

Niamh Kinsella, Almac Recruitment Specialist, said: “Like many companies across Northern Ireland, we receive hundreds of requests for work placements throughout the year. We recognise the value of this experience both for the pupils and for industries looking for future employees, but also recognise that it is impossible to facilitate every request.

“In order to make placement mutually beneficial and to ensure that the most suitable pupils are given the opportunity, we have partnered with Eye4Education to roll out the ‘Almac Challenge’, initially in the Craigavon area. Through this intensive one day programme we hope to identify the pupils who will benefit most from their time at Almac, and in turn will be most rewarding for their mentors in the company.”

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Hosted by Portadown College, the ‘Almac Challenge’ involved aptitude testing, group assessments with tasks, individual interviews and the creation of mock applications for a Lab Assistant role. The pupils from Lismore Comprehensive, Lurgan College, Portadown College and St. Ronan’s College were guided by ten business advisors from Almac and overseen by three facilitators from Eye4Education.

Darren Nixon, Founding Partner of Eye4Education, said: “We are delighted to partner with such a reputable company as Almac in this unique employability event offered to four schools. As we now live in an ever evolving labour market it is important to keep our potential labour pool up to date with current recruitment and selection trends. The protocol of selection via an individual interview is not as robust compared to that of a full assessment day.

An assessment style process also really highlights those that are willing and able to fill positions. The four stages of the Almac Challenge will be monitored using qualitative and quantitative data and then a final report completed highlighting the top 24 pupils who will then be offered an opportunity for work experience in Almac.”

Darren Nixon, Eye4Education and Niamh Kinsella, Almac with students (from right) Adam McShane, Lismore Comprehensive; Evie Symington, Portadown College; Ethan Haddock, St Ronan’s and Serena Hamilton, Lurgan College who get on their marks for the ‘Almac Challenge.’

Dr Sandy McKinnon, Investment Director at Techstart NI; Daniel Crawford, Founder of Axial 3D, and Caroline McGoran, Head of Investment and Enterprise at Ulster University.

Graduate set to revolutionise global medical industry

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n Ulster University biomedical engineering graduate has secured a £300,000 investment to expand his new 3D medical printing company into European and US markets.

Daniel Crawford set up Axial 3D in 2014 and has already revolutionised the UK market by manufacturing orthopaedic models for the medical industry.

Using 3D printing technology, Axial 3D uses patients’ CT and MRI scans to manufacture individual scaled 3D models of injuries. Surgeons use these patient-specific models to practise and plan procedures, which saves valuable time in the operating theatre, while also giving their patients a much more comprehensive insight into injuries.

The £300,000 funding boost has been offered by Ulster University’s technology and knowledge transfer company, Innovation Ulster in association with

TechStart NI and a number of private angel investors from the Halo network run by the Northern Ireland Science Park.

The funding will be used to expand Axial 3D’s customer base in the private and public healthcare sectors outside UK and Ireland, initially focusing on Scandinavia and Germany followed by the United States.

Daniel Crawford, Founder of Axial 3D, said: “My biomedical engineering degree and previous experience working for an Ulster University spin-out specialising in medical technology has given me a great understanding of what it takes to bring a medical product from research lab to market.

“With healthcare budgets under increasing pressure, Axial 3D can help surgeons to minimise time spent in surgery. This can decrease the risk of complications and reduce the time a patient spends in hospital, saving healthcare providers up to £5,000 on postoperative care for each patient.

“This substantial investment will help develop my export expansion strategy for Axial 3D, providing the start-up with the necessary capital to expand its customer base outside the UK and Ireland, and

to diversify services into other areas of medicine.”

Caroline McGoran, Head of Investment and Enterprise at Ulster University, said: “Axial 3D is already working with surgeons in the Belfast and South Eastern Trust, as well in local private hospitals, who are championing the benefits of the technology.

The University is committed to driving innovation and developing start-ups with both practical advice and financial support.

This investment will be the launching pad the company needs to drive its growth in global markets.”

Mr Jim Ballard, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, said there are significant benefits of having a scale model of a patient’s injury.

“It provides a much better insight into how to treat patients as well as allowing us to prepare the equipment before going into surgery, greatly improving the efficacy and reducing the risk of complications.”

Dr Sandy McKinnon, Investment Director at Techstart NI, added: “Daniel and his team have built a collaboration platform that surgeons can use with minimal disruption to their current work practices and crucially have developed it to allow easy integration into current NHS IT systems so that access to the benefits of these sorts of models should soon be available to everyone.”

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The changing landscape of agriculture Innovative ICT is breaking ground in helping the agri-food industry achieve its full potential says Mark Maguire, Fujitsu Chief Technology Officer in Northern Ireland.

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his year is Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink 2016 – a celebration of the traditions, products and the people that make our food heritage so unique. Northern Ireland’s agri-food industry is well deserving of this celebration – it is our largest indigenous industry, our biggest manufacturing industry, our largest single employer and a significant exporter.

As well as looking to its history and recent successes, the Year of Food and Drink is about helping one of our best preforming industries reach its true growth potential by promoting its offering to other markets, tourists and to audiences who could invest in it further. With food security and supply issues prominent on a global scale given growing populations and increased urbanisation, Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink also gives our local agri-food businesses added incentive to address these global challenges.

Innovation will be a key ingredient to achieving growth and maximising this opportunity. The Agri-Food Strategy Board’s ‘Going For Growth’ report – a strategic action plan in support of the industry – outlines that investment in Research & Development (R&D) and innovation is critical to achieve greater economic growth. Our local producers, growers and retailers are developing innovative flavours and textures combinations through new product development; they are hiring

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skilled talent from our local universities and colleges including CAFRE – our bespoke College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise. They are also looking at how to make their facilities more efficient by adopting modern, energy saving equipment and how to increase productivity right across the supply chain – from farm to fork.

Innovative ICT can play a crucial role in helping the agri-food industry achieve its full potential. At its core, agriculture is still largely a traditional industry where people carry out work based on their knowledge, skill sets and intuition. Small changes such as enhanced on-site utilisation of simple but clever IT can be a great starting point for businesses as information technology services can better connect suppliers, distributors and customers through enhanced value chains.

As well as everyday IT system changes, the agri-food sector here can also learn from and adopt some of the larger scale, ground breaking deployments of ICT technology. Fujitsu in recent years has been challenging itself to see how ICT could be best utilised within the agriculture industry.

Many of our pilot schemes and projects are tackling important issues such as food security and safety with ICT able to improve horticulture and streamline animal husbandry.

In Vietnam, Fujitsu has created two production facilities that are trialling cutting-edge greenhouse and vegetable

cultivation techniques. Environmental information – temperature, humidity, CO2, sunlight, rain, and wind direction and speed – all gathered in real time by a variety of sensors installed in the greenhouse and used to autonomously control factory settings such as curtains, light levels and fans. Plants benefit from continuous optimal growing conditions which results in vegetables with a higher nutritional value. ICT controlled technology has also allowed specialised facilities to develop low-potassium lettuce making it suitable for patients with kidney problems, who would otherwise have to avoid the salad.

With over 250,000 cows in Northern Ireland, our Gyujo or ‘cow step’ technology is also an innovative ICT system that could be of interest to our farmers. This piece of technology involves attaching a pedometer to the leg of a cow which allows farmers to figure out exactly when is the best time to inseminate a cow. The information from the pedometer is combined with cloud based services which capture, interpret and communicate the relevant data through mobile devices. Another device showcased at a recent EU Commission ‘Smart Farming’ workshop in Brussels, developed by a Dublin based company attaches to a pregnant cow’s tail and notifies the farmer when the cow is ready to calf, so farmers spend less time checking on their livestock.

Northern Ireland companies certainly have the ability to be innovative in the agri-food sector. At the most recent Northern Ireland Science Park (NISP), INVENT 2015 Awards we saw NextGen Biopesticides, a company which uses selective breeding approaches to develop effective and safe biopesticides for the control of crop pest insects, win the Fujitsu sponsored Agri-Food Invention of the Year Award.

By coupling creative thinking with an innovative mind-set, food companies here can look to apply ICT solutions to the issues they face, helping to achieve growth and even to become leaders in the arena. Our own work in this area demonstrates that ICT innovation has the power to tackle many of the wider issues facing the food industry and we hope local farmers and companies will also harness that power.

APPETITE FOR GROWTH

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s the Year of Food & Drink progresses, one thing is obvious – it’s all about appetite. Not just appetite for quality produce, but a sense that businesses now have more of an appetite to proudly and publically talk about their credentials.

Fundamentally, I believe that’s what this year should be about – a celebration of our local producers, farmers, exporting businesses and local restaurants as part of the Year of Food & Drink.

This isn’t about being positive for the sake of it. The Year of Food & Drink provides an opportunity for the sector to take a serious look at what we’re good at, in order to seek to further develop our comparative advantage on a global scale.

I think there are some excellent attributes to be proud of. Many local companies are

By Nigel Walsh, Director, Commercial Banking, Ulster Bank nimble enough to adapt to fast-changing consumer preferences, as well as possessing a reputation that stands us in good stead locally and internationally. With grassfed animals, a high quality food chain, a well-developed food sector eco-system, and the commitment of our processors to innovation, we have strong cards to play.

So where do we at Ulster Bank fit in to this? Our ambition as a bank is to be the number one bank for customer service, trust and advocacy. Building trust means that we need to double our efforts to understand the concerns of the sector, to build relationships and bring solutions and add value – not just to sell products. That trust makes it easier for both parties whenever someone decides to break into a new market, or launch a new product, or buy new equipment. All business contains elements of risk but it’s a lot easier to take on-board and properly assess risk

when there’s trust and understanding between both parties.

One of the highlights of the coming year will be the Balmoral Show, which provides a unique opportunity for the agri-food industry to canvass so much opinion, share many examples of best practice, and strengthen the bonds of community between farmers, producers, suppliers and all levels of the supply chain, who might not otherwise meet.

There are a number of significant challenges for the agri-industry in Northern Ireland – but our farmers have proven themselves resilient in the past, giving rise to strong prospects for the long-term. I look forward to seeing new innovation and sustainable plans across the industry – from farm to fork.

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appointments

new appointments

Osborne King has made several new appointments and promotions: Thomas Osborne has been promoted to Senior Surveyor ( Licensed and Leisure & Auction divisions); Harry Crosby has been appointed Senior Surveyor (Professional/Advisory Departments); Gail Prentice-Jackson assumes the position of Associate Director (Property and Asset Management Department); Michael Potter has been appointed Associate Director (Advisory division); Richard McCaig assumes the position of Associate Director (Transactional Department); and Chris Sweeney has been promoted to Associate Director (General Agency division).

Deborah Archer has been appointed as Director in the Company Commercial Department of Cleaver Fulton Rankin.

Kathryn Laverty has been appointed as a Solicitor in the Corporate, Banking and Finance Department of Cleaver Fulton Rankin.

Peter Lockhart has been appointed as a Solicitor in the Dispute Resolution Department of Cleaver Fulton Rankin.

Fran Barlet has been appointed as Marketing and Sales Support Executive for CDE Global.

PARTNERSHIP.EXPERIENCE.IMPACT. 32 years connecting talent and opportunity

Banking & Finance | Technology | Engineering | HR | Sales & Marketing www.graftonrecruitment.com ambition strip ad May 2015.indd 1

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17/08/2015 12:22:29

HR Skills in Demand

By Richard McFarland, Recruitment Manager – Human Resources Specialist, Grafton Recruitment.

2016 is already shaping up to be a great year for all those involved in the HR Industry with a steady increase in demand for skills and further diversity in terms of how HR skills are utilised within organisations.

Over the past 12 months there has been a steady requirement for HR Generalists of all levels across Northern Ireland with the demand looking like it will increase in 2016 as organisations understand the benefit of having strong all-rounders, capable of providing a multi-skilled HR service to their workforce.

On the flip side, with the increase in HR hires, particularly within larger organisations, more emphasis is being placed on the diversification of HR skills across recruitment, training, employee relations and organisational development, as well as more specialised functions, such as reward and mobility, which is providing HR Professionals with new HR related opportunities that were less frequently available 2-3 years ago.

In 2016, this trend in specialising will continue and many HR professionals are now actively seeking this option as it provides a chance to carve out a more niche skillset and place them in a more favourable hiring position with future employers.

Another trend which shows no sign of curtailing is the continued adoption of the

Sorcha Simpson has been promoted to Marketing and Sales Support Manager for CDEnviro.

business partnering model which tends to place more strategic emphasis on HR and encourages an interlinking with other organisational leaders.

What truly defines a business partner is the million dollar question with some organisations using the term to define what would ordinarily be a HR Generalist and this has led to a wide differentiator in terms of salary offered for this particular job title.

The HR professionals who are commercially minded and clearly demonstrate the ability to support a business strategy, with a strategically-aligned people strategy, are often the ones who will command the higher salaries.

What has really become evident is the increased demand for HR related qualifications, as employers look for industry educated employees to further enhance their workforce. Observations over the past 12-18 months have indicated that those with industry specific training and continued CPD tend to progress into senior management roles more quickly which shows the importance employers place upon these qualifications. For those considering a career in Human Resources, it’s now essential to possess some sort of industry qualification, as the competition for jobs at this end of the market is fierce.

Finally, the demand for HR Contractors

Gareth Latimer has been appointed as Director at Grant Thornton Northern Ireland.

continues to show no sign of reducing, as they provide a highly valuable service to organisations to include project cover, sickness cover and maternity cover, particularly relevant within a female dominated industry (approx. 75 per cent of the HR population).

Many HR professionals are now more open to considering employment on a temporary and fixed term contract basis as it provides a number of alternatives to that of permanent employment. For example, for HR graduates, it’s a great way to get a foot in the market and for those that wish to avail of more flexible working options, temporary employment can often meet these needs, as well as normally offering enhanced rates of pay for those with particularly sought after skillsets.

The benefit to an organisation of considering a flexible workforce is that they can avail of employees with different industry experiences. The benefit for the employee in a temporary role, is they get to encounter new experiences and challenges and often helps produce a more rounded HR professional, which ultimately also benefits the organisation as well.

Ian Davison has been appointed as Assistant Manager at Grant Thornton Northern Ireland.

Cherith Titterington has been appointed Marketing Manager at Betterhomes Group.

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NI Chamber 77

columnist

Addressing the gender gap in IT Statistics on who is contributing to the tech sector show that women are a hugely untapped source of talent as Clair Gheel, Director, IT3Sixty explains.

A

lphabet, the parent company of Google, just became the world’s largest company by market capitalisation. And it recently hired Ruth Porat as a Chief Financial Officer, paying her a reported $70million per annum.

You might consider this one important sign that the gender imbalance in the tech sector has been solved?

Not so fast.

According to BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, just 17 percent of tech specialists working in the UK are women. And last year, just over 300 girls sat the Computing A-Level in the UK (8 per cent of all entrants).

In the US, the percentage of computing jobs held by women has actually fallen over the past 23 years, according to the American Association of University Women. And in that time, the number of women earning computing degrees declined.

In STEM occupations as a whole, figures from WISE show that women make up 14.4 per cent of all people working in STEM in the UK –17.5 per cent of IT professionals are women, and 18.2 per cent of IT technicians. This compares with a figure of 47 per cent for the workforce as a whole.

In Northern Ireland, 18 per cent of IT specialists are women according to

BCS, compared to 48 per cent for the workforce as a whole.

Indeed, female representation in the IT professions has changed little in the past 10 years, despite significant growth in the number of women working in IT roles (up 19 per cent between 2004 and 2014).

In terms of graduates, slightly fewer women graduated from UK universities in Computer Science in 2015 compared to 2014 (a 0.5 per cent drop).

These figures illustrate the scale of the challenge involved in addressing the IT gender imbalance. But it’s definitely not all bad news. For instance, there was a 35 per cent increase in women ICT professionals in the UK between 2014 and 2015.

There is also lots happening to engage girls in IT. Locally, initiatives like Django Girls – a not-for-profit group that organises free workshops for women who want to get into programming and web development – are active. There’s also a Belfast chapter of the international organisation Women Who Code, organising tech talks, training, hack nights and more.

At IT3Sixty, a big part of our focus is helping address the gender gap in

IT. IT3Sixty is a government-backed community of leading companies working to ensure Northern Ireland has the IT skills it needs now and into the future. Our members include Citi, Liberty IT, Allstate, Deloitte, Equiniti ICS, TotalMobile, and others.

There are five key areas to the work that IT3Sixty will be spearheading in 2016 and beyond to help deal with the challenge: • Attracting Europe’s best IT professionals to Northern Ireland.

• Supporting apprenticeships, which includes providing opportunities for learners and giving companies access to a pool of emerging talent.

• Supporting talented professionals from other sectors to transfer their skills and retrain for careers in IT. • Working to build the pipeline of IT skills for the future.

• Upskilling the existing IT sector workforce.

Addressing the gender imbalance in IT, and therefore accessing a huge untapped pool of talent for the sector, will run through all of this activity.

Solving the problem won’t be easy, but we’re up for the challenge, and the benefits to the Northern Ireland sector of doing so will be huge.

Picture: Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock.

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feature

SUPER SIX The things I’ve learned in business

Martin McAuley is Managing Director of United Wine Merchants Ltd. The Lurganbased drinks distributor is a one-stop shop for both the on-trade and independent off-trade across the island of Ireland. Martin has been with the company for more than 31 years, taking over the reins as MD in 2008, and has led his team in nourishing the success of brands such as McGuigan Wines – for whom Northern Ireland is the biggest market outside of Australia – and the company’s diversification into coffee distribution.

1. Have a Vision It’s crucial to have a clear picture of what success will look like. By having a clearly articulated vision for your company which is strategically sound, you won’t change course every time the market shifts and will stand a much stronger chance of success.

2. Believe in your own ability Even if you take some knocks along the way, and most people do, have faith and confidence in your own talents and skills and learn from the bumps along the way to do things better next time.

3. Listen to your customers and understand their needs The old adage, ‘if you don’t look after your customers someone else will’ is very true!

4. Don’t try and do everything yourself Build a strong team, delegate, trust in the team’s ability to deliver and monitor progress as you go.

5. Treat others as you would expect to be treated yourself Never ask anyone to undertake something you would not be prepared to do.

6. Celebrate and enjoy success By involving staff and customers alike in celebrations you allow them to have ownership of success, which in turn both motivates and builds loyalty.

NI Chamber 79

feature

Today’s stock markets move faster than ever before and one of those creating the rapid rate is SR Labs, whose Chief Operating Officer in Europe Ian McIntyre tells Adrienne McGill about the need for speed and SR Labs’ operation in Belfast.

Stepping up stock market speed

Picture: Kuruneko/Shutterstock.

T

he world of financial software and its development spins at a frenetic pace.

But Ian McIntyre manages to stay steady.

As Chief Operating Officer in Europe of financial technology firm SR Labs he is responsible for overseeing the provision of high speed electronic trading technology for clients around the world from the firm’s offices in Belfast.

The company, which employs 107 people in Belfast and 75 across New York, Manila, Pune and Chicago, develops software and services for the investment banking sector.

The company’s flagship products connect investment banks and hedge funds to different stock markets and trading venues around the world. Their technology is focused around electronic trading and the use of high-end software to process orders, along with a range of services to reduce complexity and costs for its user base.

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SR Labs, which is headquartered in New York in offices just off Wall Street, has around 150 clients counting the biggest global names in finance among them. The operation in Belfast deals with at least 250 different markets including equities, derivatives, foreign exchange and fixed income, along with all functions of the company from sales through to software development.

“Over the last 15 years, much of financial trading has moved away from having hundreds of buyers and sellers on the floor of a stock market. Large percentages of trading is now completed electronically, with that trend continuing with recent regulation seeking to drive more trading onto electronic platforms. These changes have brought all types of technology advancements and opportunities for firms such as ours,” says Ian. SR Labs is part of a growing industry dedicated to providing software and services to facilitate outsourcing of trading

infrastructure for financial firms. Stock exchanges can now execute trades in less than a millionth of a second - more than a million times faster than the human mind can make a decision. Many financial firms deploy sophisticated software to battle for millions of small fractions of profit. The programs exploit minute movements and patterns in the markets, often replicating their behaviour millions of times to generate a return.

“For some clients, trading in certain asset classes is now about the amount of microseconds it takes to get stock bought and sold,” says Ian. “Each stock exchange sends out ‘market data’ which contains all of the prices and surrounding information for the tens of thousands of stock being traded, along with all of the various other more sophisticated tradable products available in other asset classes. These prices are moving constantly, driven by all of the activity in the market

between buyers and sellers. The amount of data which is sent out is vast – many millions of updates per second. The software we develop not only has to be highly performant to process all of that information but it has to do it in as fast a way as possible, using as little hardware as possible. It is not surprising that many firms choose to outsource this kind of technical challenge.”

SR Labs began life as a small start-up firm in New York, but has grown substantially over the last 5 years. The company established itself in Belfast two years ago following its acquisition of the ‘Wombat’ business, which spun out of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which had a major presence in Belfast up until late 2014. The current SR Labs operation in Belfast initially grew out of the local success story Wombat Financial Software – where Ian had started his career – which NYSE bought in 2008 for around $200 million USD.

“Wombat was a massive success story and I am proud to have been a part of it,” says Ian. The experience gave me a platform to build my career, and importantly has been pioneering for the local economy with the likes of Fidessa, CME, Hanweck, and numerous other companies in our industry setting up similar operations in Belfast.

“It was quite a change back then in 2008 to go from being part of a successful small company, to being consumed into a monster organisation like the NYSE. Spinning the Wombat business back out of the NYSE has been liberating in many ways, and it certainly feels more natural to be back in a small company with an entrepreneurial mindset.”

With the upcoming changes in regulation along with the continued trend for clients in financial services to outsource trading infrastructure, Ian says he expects over the next 5 years for SR Labs to continue its growth.

“Our aim for SR Labs is to move to the next phase of our growth in 2016. We have expanded our headcount significantly in the past 12 months as we seek to capitalise on opportunities to expand our product lines and enter some new markets. We have ambitious investors and a great team – 2016 should be an exciting year to be part of SR Labs in Belfast.”

NI Chamber 81

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Building the Northern Ireland Powerhouse

By Robin McCormick, General Manager, SONI. Northern Ireland has a lot to offer potential investors. It’s a great place to live and work, it’s well connected with GB and the rest of Europe, and our local workforce is among the most talented anywhere in the UK and Ireland. Add to this a reduced rate of Corporation Tax to be introduced in 2018 and it will become very attractive to businesses and blue chip companies around the world.

When it comes to foreign direct investment; favourable business conditions and robust infrastructure go hand-in-hand. For those investors who are large energy users they will choose locations where the transmission network is strongest electricity is stable and secure. Ireland has seen an influx of well-known international companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Intel; all creating high-end and well-paid jobs.

They have been attracted by competitive energy costs and good electricity and telecommunications infrastructure. In Northern Ireland, business conditions

are improving, but we need a solid and dependable electricity infrastructure to enable levels of investment and job creation similar to those being enjoyed in Ireland.

At SONI our key-focus on a day-to-day basis is ‘keeping the lights on’ across Northern Ireland; this means matching generation with demand every minute of every day. We also identify future needs and plan the development of the highvoltage transmission network.

We are currently progressing major transmission projects that will strengthen our network throughout Northern Ireland, including the Curraghamulkin and Brockaghboy 110kV projects, which will both enhance local infrastructure and will also allow the connection of additional wind energy onto the grid, enhancing supply levels and reducing wholesale electricity costs in the process.

However, in terms of giving potential investors the confidence they need regarding security of electricity supply, the proposed 400kV North South Interconnector is a game-changer. It

will strengthen the backbone of our allisland transmission network and provide the capacity and reliable secure supply absolutely fundamental to capitalise on future investment and job creation opportunities.

On all our current and future projects, we rely on the widespread support of the business community – those whose businesses derive the economic benefits of a strong and reliable transmission network. We need the leadership from political representatives at all levels.

We have an on-going commitment to constantly improving the effectiveness of our community engagement. We work on each project to balance the local impact with strategic regional benefit.

In undertaking this work now and in the future, SONI is determined to play a key role in driving economic progress throughout the region in helping to attract job creation and foreign direct investment – providing the strategic transmission infrastructure required to build and grow the ‘Northern Ireland Powerhouse’.

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ULSTER TATLER GROUP

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Locating your Organisation will empower your Organisation

By Philip McLaughlin, Customer Success Manager, Esri Ireland.

Since the launch of the iPhone, almost ten years ago, the way that we interact with technology has changed greatly. From phones to tablets, Kindles to smart watches, never before have we been able to share information or gather knowledge, as quickly and as easily.

Most of us know that our phones have access to maps which help us get from A to B, but, do you know how to view the location of where all your colleagues are? Do you know how to assign tasks to people based on their current location? Do you know what your colleague is going to do next, where it will take place and how long it will take to get there?

Smart phones can be used for much more than emails, directions and social media. By using the GPS and Data capabilities of a phone; tracking the location of staff and assets is possible, paper based forms and processes can be replaced, sharing and publishing information to secure applications is provided to all staff. By using location and technology, your organisation could achieve better efficiencies for its daily operations.

For more information about becoming empowered by Location, visit www.esri-ireland.ie/workforce

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Northern Ireland Commercial Oil & Fuel Storage Regulations are now in place From Kingspan Titan began raising awareness of the new fuel regulations for Northern Ireland businesses – Regional Sales Manager Abbey Scott has been inundated with requests for Kingspan’s free site assessments .

“We understand business owners don’t have time to spare so when it comes to regulations it can often be difficult to be sure whether it affects your business and if it does what action to take.”

“Here at Kingspan Titan we have been engaged in an awareness campaign to ensure businesses across Northern Ireland are not caught out by the new fuel regulations. If you store more than 200 litres of fuel on your commercial premises, now is the time to act to ensure your organisation is compliant.

If your company is not using a ‘bunded’ fuel or oil tank you could be hit with a non-compliance fine as high as £20,000.

Kingspan Titan has hosted events and talked to businesses across Northern

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Ireland to help increase awareness of these regulations. We are still offering free site assessments to businesses who feel they may be at risk”.

To speak with their experts and / or schedule your site assessment, contact the Portadown office today on 0333 456 4455 or email nifuelregs@kingspan.com

BUSINESS CLASS MOTORING

By James Stinson

18 Boucher Way, Belfast, BT12 6RE W: agnewcorporate.com

Business Class Motoring by James Stinson AD.V2.indd 1

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19/05/2015 14:26

lifestyle

Super Sleek As far as new cars go the XE is quite an important (and good) one for Jaguar, writes James Stinson.

F

ew could have predicted what a success Jaguar Land Rover would become when Indian-owned Tata bought it from Ford back in 2008. Tata, as it turns out, has been a much better owner, investing massively in both, resulting in soaring prestige and sales right around the world.

Of the two brands though, Jaguar probably needed the most work. Up against BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, the model line-up was limited and, crucially, missing a volume selling rival to the 3-Series, C-Class, and Audi A4.

Therefore, the expectations for the new Jaguar XE were huge. You could say the future of Jaguar itself depended on it…. and if that is the case, Jaguar does indeed have a rosy one!

Jaguar has been here before with the old X-Type, which was discontinued in 2009. It died a death because it was very average. It was based on the Ford

86 NI Chamber

Mondeo and everybody knew it and was unlikely to favour it over more upmarket alternatives.

That’s not the case this time round.

The XE is nearly all Jaguar, with a new platform that’s 75 per cent aluminium, new and impressive diesel engines, and a design that’s different, up-to-date and part of a cohesive Jaguar look that extends through the larger XF and XJ models.

It’s not perfect. In some areas, like interior space, it’s not as strong as rivals but in others, such as handling and looks, it’s better with a very striking low slung coupe appearance. And for many that’s a small price worth paying.

The engine line-up is limited too, with two 2.0 diesel and three petrol motors to choose from, including a V6. But the diesels really are very good with the 161 bhp version registering just 99g/km CO2 emissions, which means there’s no road tax to pay.

However, you will need to spec a manual gearbox for that. Best to opt for the more powerful 178 bp version mated to the excellent eight speed automatic box, which is in any case far better suited to a car of this size and stature.

It’s the same basic engine but it has significantly more torque so it has noticeably more grunt. With the auto box, you also get the extra bonus of the

elegant drive selection disc/knob that rises out of the centre console when you fire it up.

This motor is capable of pushing the XE to 60mph in around seven and a half seconds with a combined MPG figure in the high sixties, which will probably translate into a still impressive low 50s in the real world.

Prices start from £26,990 with the meatier 178bhp diesel-engined models starting at £30,275.

On the road, the rear-wheel drive XE feels well planted and involving while the suspension does a good job of soaking up the ripples on our all too bumpy roads.

On the inside, it features a wraparound fascia similar to the XJ’s.

The cabin looks remarkably uncluttered by today’s standards and some credit must go to Jaguar for the easy-to-use touch screen controlled infotainment system, which controls the climate control, audio and sat nav.

Other standard equipment includes cruise control, climate control, 17-inch alloys, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth and DAB radio, which is enough to give the XE a genuine quality feel.

All in all, the XE is a hugely accomplished motor. In a market dominated by German kit, it’s also different and desirable, which will boost Jaguar’s sales and standing still further.

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lifestyle

This Ford has the Edge over rivals This is the new Ford Edge, an upmarket SUV that goes on sale in the UK in spring.

Sitting above the Kuga and the Ecosport in Ford’s SUV range, it’ll be the first time the model, a top seller in the US, has come to the UK. And if you want a roomy car, this could be for you. Ford claims the five-seat Edge has class-leading headroom and legroom. The boot’s large too, with easy access, a flat floor, and a whopping 1788 litres of space with the rear seats folded.

It goes head to head with the likes of BMW’s X3 and Audi’s Q5 but, crucially, says Ford, will be considerably cheaper than those two.

Prices start at £29,995 for the entry-level Zetec version with the 177bhp 2.0-litre TDCI engine.

The car will also be offered in Sport and Titanium trim levels.

Ford predicts the range-topping Titanium will be the best seller, with prices starting at £32,245 for the less powerful 177bhp engine, and rising to £34,495 for the 207bhp unit.

Pick up the keys to a Kia Soon we’ll all be driving one of these SUV-type motors.

Seriously though, they are becoming ridiculously popular and Kia’s dashing Sportage has been among the biggest sellers in recent years.

This all-new fourth-generation Sportage has just gone on sale with prices starting from £17,995. The previous Sportage didn’t feel that dated but Kia obviously thought so and is boasting major advances in fuel efficiency, comfort, connectivity, convenience and safety.

Worth noting that the new car is slightly longer and better packaged, with increased leg and headroom as well as a bigger boot. Kia say allround visibility has also improved.

The Sportage is available in two and four-wheel drive, and with a sizable number of engine, trim, and transmission options. There really is something for everyone. Prices start from £17,995 for the entry level 1.6 diesel engined version.

Mercedes’ little roadster is still head turner Mercedes has taken the wraps off its refreshed baby roadster – the SLK. Only, it’s now called the SLC. Styling changes over the old model include a new front bumper with larger air ducts, an updated grille and revised headlights with integrated LED daytime running lights. Also updated is the SLC’s hard-top folding roof, which can now be opened or closed at speeds of up to 25mph.

The SLC comes with a choice of four engines – three petrol and one diesel. The entry level model only comes with a six speed manual box with the rest featuring a nine speed automatic as standard. The most fuel-efficient model in the range is the SLC 250 d which comes with a 2.1-litre diesel engine (204 bhp), with CO2 emissions of just 114 g/km.

It comes in two model lines: Sport and AMG Line. Sport models come with 17-inch fivespoke alloy wheels (18-inch five-twin spoke alloy wheels are optionally available for £995), while AMG Line offers 18-inch AMG multi-spoke alloys.

Prices start at £30,495 for the entry-level SLC200 Sport, rising to £34,495 for the AMG Line trim.

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Introducing the new GLC. From £392* a month with an Advance Payment of just £2,352.*

The numbers work.

The dynamic SUV comes with an abundance of intelligent technology as standard. AGILITY CONTROL ensures a well-balanced ride, while DYNAMIC SELECT allows you to adapt the character of your drive.

With an impressive CO2 figure of 129g/km, the new GLC demands serious consideration.

Contact us today to find out more.

Mercedes-Benz of Belfast on 02890 689000 6 Boucher Crescent, Belfast, BT12 6HU www.mercedes-benzofbelfast.co.uk Mercedes-Benz of Portadown on 02838 337373 Carn Court Road, Portadown, BT63 5YX www.mercedes-benzofportadown.co.uk

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the new GLC range: urban 51.4(5.5), extra urban 60.1(4.7), combined 56.5(5.0). CO2 emissions 143-129. Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors. Whilst this offer is only available through Mercedes-Benz Finance, we do arrange finance on behalf of other finance

companies as well. *Business Users only. Advance Payment applies. All payments subject to VAT at 20%. No ownership option. Finance based on 36-month Contract Hire agreements, 10,000 miles per annum on a new GLC 220 d 4MATIC SE (Advance Payment £2,352). Vehicle condition, excess mileage and other charges may apply. Rental includes Road Fund Licence for the contract duration. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. Orders/credit approvals on selected new GLC models only between 1 October and 31 December 2015, registered by 31 March 2016. Subject to availability, offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Please contact your Mercedes-Benz Retailer for availability. Credit provided subject to status by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK Limited, MK15 8BA. Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 2448457 and has its registered address at Tongwell, Milton Keynes, MK15 8BA. Prices, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions correct at time of going to print.

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equality in the workplace If you have 11 or more employees working 16 hours or more per week you need to register with the Equality Commission. As an employer, this duty is required to meet your responsibilities under Fair Employment equality legislation. The Commission can assist you with this process or you can register online at www.equalityni.org/registration

The Equality Commission also offers a range of advisory and support services to meet your needs and help keep you on the right side of the law. They provide free expert training on many aspects of equality law as it relates to employment and running a business. The sessions provide good practice advice and guidance on a range of issues including fair recruitment, managing harassment and bullying in the workplace, equality training for line managers and the reasonable steps defence.

The Advisory Services Team can provide free and confidential advice over the phone, by email, by post or in person.

They advised well over 3,000 callers from businesses and organisations on equality issues last year.

To learn more about how you can manage the equality implications of employing and managing staff and providing services to the public, contact the Advisory Services Team on 028 90 890 888.

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strength to strength GORDON THOMPSON COMMERCIAL MANAGER NESPRESSO BUSINESS SOLUTIONS IRELAND Q: Why are premium venues happy to provide their customers with Nespresso?

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lifestyle

With his eyes on the skies, Mukesh Sharma, Managing Director of World Travel, looks at Northern Ireland’s air travel connectivity.

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I

UP, UP … AND WE STILL HAVE A WAY TO GO

t seems that the only way is up for Northern Ireland’s two major airports.

At the George Best City Airport the arrival last year of KLM cemented a record year in which overall passenger numbers rose by more than 5.4 per cent to 2.7 million. The airport is now looking forward to the arrival of Brussels Airlines which will be operating a fivetimes weekly service to Brussels from March – a new airline and a completely new route for the Province.

Positive vibes too at Belfast

route brings us economic advantage.

Ryanair’s decision to base three aircraft at Belfast International to begin its four times daily service to Gatwick in February has, for example, immediately created some 300 new jobs locally.

Welcome as more flights into the hub of Gatwick may be, full-blooded connectivity requires more than a service connecting Belfast with another final point. Further growth in our economy demands the level of air connectivity which offers seamless

with some confidence, based on our stronger air connectivity into the key hubs of London and Schiphol. There is also the potential for some positive support for the air connectivity concept from Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Jonathan Bell who is shortly due to share his thoughts on supporting air route development.

Time to rest on our laurels?

Decidedly not. Much more needs to be done and penetration into the rapidly expanding and increasingly

International Airport which last year recorded close to 4.4 million passengers, followed by a 20 per cent surge in January, launching a year which, significantly, will see the return of Ryanair.

Ryanair’s services are exclusively operated on large (189 seat) jets, so the prospect of value-for-money fares and cheapie holiday deals is as clear as it is attractive. Less obvious, but no less important, is the potential which Ryanair has to connect Northern Ireland more strongly to mainland Europe – as the largest airline in Europe, with almost 80 bases, Ryanair is a key player.

And, when it comes to delivering real, lasting benefits to the Northern Ireland economy, I believe that connectivity is crucial. Indeed, internationally it is accepted that air connectivity is the key to unlocking a country’s economic growth potential, in general business terms as well as tourism growth.

Don’t get me wrong. Every new

transfers and connections to relevant global markets. International hub airports are our gateway to the world … and they allow the world easy access to Northern Ireland.

Effective air connectivity allows us to do business with the rest of the world and it is what’s needed to make our tourism industry take flight. At its most simplistic, most overseas passengers heading our way are forced to use Dublin or Shannon as their gateway airport so it’s not altogether surprising that the areas within easy reach of those points of entry are this island’s key tourism hotspots. Travelling from Shannon or Dublin to check out Northern Ireland requires more time, more money and, frankly, more effort than most holidaymakers are prepared to invest. Why push on North, they argue, when there’s a great Irish experience close to where we landed?

We need to make it easy for them.

Although we all know that ‘we can always do better’, we launch into 2016

influential major cities of the East and Middle East must now be an economic priority, allowing us to reflect changing intercontinental travel patterns and create access to the world’s emerging markets.

It is far from easy to attract new airlines or open new routes – and I think both our major airports are to be congratulated for the considerable successes they have chalked up for NI plc. The next steps may be harder still.

Northern Ireland is not large enough to sustain multiple medium or long haul routes, however what we absolutely do need is a service to link us to the world through another major hub - European or Middle Eastern. If we can achieve this, we can do more business in the global marketplace and incoming visitors will provide a substantial boost to our developing tourism sector.

Improved air connectivity is Northern Ireland’s only route to the world of opportunity.

lifestyle

CULINARY DELIGHTS Crab Tart Pre heat the oven to 180c.

To make the pastry base, sift the flour and salt together, add in the butter and loosely mix together.

Add the lemon juice to the iced water and pour into flour mix and combine using a metal spoon. Roll out onto parchment paper and place in fridge to rest for a minimum of one hour.

When ready to use, peel parchment off one side, turn over onto lightly greased pastry tin and mould into tin, taking the remaining parchment off.

Serves four 4 plum tomatoes peeled 2 garlic cloves 1 bay leaf 1 sprig thyme Salt and pepper 300ml double cream 4 egg yolks 300g white meat and 100g brown crab meat For the pastry 225g strong plain flour Pinch of salt 225g cold unsalted butter, chopped into small cubes 1/2 lemon, juiced 150ml iced water.

Place cooking beans on parchment on top and place in oven to cook for 15mins then remove beans and place back in oven for 5 mins. Remove and wash with egg yolk and place back in oven for 1 minute. Let it cool and trim off any excess pastry.

With spring fast approaching, David Scott, Head Chef at Hadski’s in Belfast and part of the city’s acclaimed James Street South group, brings us two tasty tart recipes to enjoy in the new season.

Chop the garlic and place in pot with tomatoes and herbs and season with salt and pepper. Reduce until a thickish sauce.

Remove from heat and cool, remove herbs and spread the sauce across the bottom of the pastry case.

Beat together the egg yolks and cream and season, fold the crab into the custard mix and pour over the tomato sauce in the pastry case. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until set and a pale golden colour. Serve warm with fresh mixed salad leaves.

Lemon curd tart 1cm dice. Beat the egg yolk and ice water together.

Sieve the flour and place butter, flour, caster sugar and salt into a food processor and work until the mix is crumb-like.

Add in the egg and water mix and once the pastry starts to ball together, stop processing. Wrap in cling film and place in fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes, but overnight is good.

When ready to make the pastry case, preheat the oven to 190c. Remove the pasty from cling film and roll out onto a floured surface until it will cover a 20cm tart tin. If the pastry breaks just mould it back together using your hands and the trimmings from the pastry case.

Serves six Ingredients for sweet pastry 100 g unsalted butter 1 egg yolk 3 tablespoon ice cold water 225g plain flour 30g caster sugar Pinch of salt For the lemon filling 6 lemons average size, more if small 6 eggs 170g caster sugar 30g unsalted butter To prepare the pastry, cut the butter (from the fridge) into

Prick the bottom of the case with a fork and line with foil and cover with dried beans to weigh it down while in the oven.

Bake for 15-20minutes until golden brown. Remove beans and foil and ensure that the entire base is cooked and dry. If not, bake for a couple minutes more, but do keep an eye on it as it can burn.

For the lemon curd filling, grate the lemons slightly to remove the zest and put to one side. Juice the lemons, then whisk in the eggs and sugar to combine.

Place the butter and lemon zest in a pan on a low heat and add in the eggs and sugar mix and cook, stirring until you have a custard-like consistency. This should take 15 minutes and once cooked the mix should be cooled before placing it into the pastry case. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

NI Chamber 93

lifestyle

spring style Make life simple for yourself and visit The OUTLET, Banbridge for all the latest trends for him and her. Home to more than 50 of the world’s best-known retail brands, it is a shopping and leisure destination like no other. This issue, Ashleigh Addis, women’s editor at the Ulster tatler takes a looks at the latest menswear trends this spring. from chic suits to savvy sportswear, you will find everything you need to look stylish and sophisticated for work and play, at The Outlet, Banbridge.

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94 NI Chamber

Savoy Taylors Guild.

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Jaeger Outlet Dress Shirt, £40 (£65 RRP).

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Jaeger Outlet Flower Spot Tie, £35 (£60 RRP).

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All items available from The OUTLET, Banbridge

NI Chamber 95

columnist

sign off...

THE PRINTED WORD There’s something ‘retro’ about the medium of print says independant broadcaster Jim Fitzpatrick.

96 NI Chamber

I

n the last issue I admitted my digital addiction. But let me also confess to another. I’m a slave to print too.

Much as I love delving into Twitter for the latest opinions, news and links to long form articles that I wouldn’t otherwise see, sometimes there’s nothing to beat the old school experience of perusing a newspaper or magazine. Let’s call it the joy of “reading unplugged”.

You’re doing it now probably with the latest copy of Ambition. You may have a cup of tea or coffee in hand, and you’ve got a quiet moment that has allowed you the time to catch up on all the latest from the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

At times, it can feel almost selfconsciously retro. Especially when we see big news brands like The Independent abandoning print altogether. It’s hard not to think that the medium will disappear as we become ever more wedded to our electronic devices.

But I don’t believe that will happen.

Because the printed word still has significant and unique benefits that digital simply doesn’t offer.

First, it doesn’t require a battery or

a nearby power source from which to charge. Have you ever dared to take a flight without a printed boarding card?

I recently watched a fellow traveller march all the way back to check-in after their damaged iPhone wouldn’t scan at security while I headed straight on through. I even like to ensure I print my boarding card at the airport whenever possible so I usually get something that feels right and fits in my pocket, rather than the home print folded A4 option.

A good read should not be ended abruptly by power failure. Nor should it be interrupted by pings and notifications shouting at you.

Technology has no manners.

Then there’s the layout and design.

Tabloid newspapers used to look small when compared to broadsheet. But compared to a smartphone screen they have epic scale and potential. Internet memes may make us laugh or share a moment, but a dramatic front page can stop us in our tracks.

A well designed newspaper or magazine is a thing of beauty that digital versions, due to the design limitations of differing screen sizes, cannot match.

And print is so portable and forgiving

– scrunched under your arm or thrown into your bag, always ready to use and abuse. You can rip out articles you want to keep, write notes and underline the key lines and you never have to search the cloud for your missing copy – it will always be there somewhere under the pile that grows inexorably on your desk.

Perhaps it’s the print journalist in me, but I just don’t think I’ll ever shake the habit. And I’m not alone.

Waterstones no longer sells Kindles.

They were taking up too much space that they’ve given back to books which continue to sell pretty well.

Let’s face it, if it had never existed before and someone just invented paper, they would be the hottest startup on the planet.

So next time you light the fire with a few improvised paper sticks, remember the joy and utility those pages have given you. There’s nothing like a roaring real fire – wood burner, coal or turf – add a good newspaper, magazine or book and the experience only gets better. I don’t care if its retro, it’s simply hard to beat.

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18/02/2016 16:47

MAGAZINE OF NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

MARCH/APRIL 2016 ISSUE 15

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FOCUS ON THE X FACTOR IN EXPORTS

SR LABS STEPS UP STOCK MARKET SPEED Magazine of northern ireland chamber of commerce and industry

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16/02/2016 09:59

IAN RAINEY ENJOYS A WARM RETURN TO CHILE

IN THE LAND OF SAND AND BEYOND WITH EMIRATES’ ENDA CORNEILLE