Ambition Issue 24 (Sept/Oct 2017)

MAGAZINE OF NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

£2.95

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 ISSUE 24

PENINSULA STRETCHES ACROSS ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE

ON THE ROAD TO £50 MILLION THE MOUNT CHARLES GROUP

ONE TO ONE BUSINESS SUPPORT

WITH NI CHAMBER’S TANYA ANDERSON

Americahhhhhh.

With U.S. Preclearance, you can just grab your bags and go when you land.

“encyclopaedic knowledge Chambers UK

Another reason why we are Regional Law Firm of the Year.

carson-mcdowell.com

We do more.

Better.

contents

NI CHAMBER COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER

September/October 2017 Issue 24

Editor: Adrienne McGill Publisher: Chris Sherry Advertising Managers: Lorraine Gill Gerry Waddell Editorial Assistant: Joanne Harkness Email addresses: adrienne.mcgill@northernirelandchamber.com lorraine.gill@ulsterjournals.com gerry.waddell@ulstertatler.com Websites: www.northernirelandchamber.com www.ulstertatler.com

30 ON TARGET TO MEET AMBITIOUS MILESTONE: GAVIN ANNON, MOUNT CHARLES GROUP, TALKS TO ADRIENNE MCGILL

NEWS: 08 UTV GETS READY FOR FIRST CLASS PRODUCTION

12 14

NEW PATENTS FOR FAST

16

RANDOX LAUNCHES NEW

ULSTER UNIVERSITY LEADS £6M PROJECT PRODUCT RANGE

COLUMNISTS: 20 IAN RAINEY 46 RACHEL PENNY 48 DUNCAN TAIT 52 MAUREEN O’REILLY 70 LAURA JACKSON 74 TREVOR ANNON 82 CONALL KEENAN AND

61

NI CHAMBER’S CORPORATE CHAMPIONS

68 73 78 80 86

BRIGHT YOUNG BUSINESS BRAINS WORD FROM BRUSSELS FACE TO FACE WITH…

Front cover image by: Elaine Hill

SUPER SIX

SPECIAL FOCUS: 33 STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

NI CHAMBER PATRONS

LIFESTYLE: 90 MOTORING – SCANDINAVIAN CHIC 93 TRAVEL – INFINITE POSSIBILITIES 94 FASHION - GET READY FOR AUTUMN

SIOBHAN LAVERY JIM FITZPATRICK

FEATURES: 22 WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR STERLING? 32 WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? 50 STRETCHING ACROSS ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE

56 58

SPENDING POWER DIPS MY AMBITION IS TO…

Cover Story

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

MUMS WITH POWER

SUSAN CLELAND

83 96

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

34

Inspiring Memorable Events Gala Dinners Exhibitions Conferences Ride & Drives Team Building Corporate Wellness Incentives 122 Guestrooms 5 Meeting Rooms 2 - 500 Delegate Capacity 4 Restaurants Complimentary Wi-Fi Private Dining Complimentary Parking Relaxation & Wellness Facilities O

O

O

O

O

ENQUIRE TODAY 028 2588 1001 events@galgorm.com

editorial

DRIVING AMBITION INFRASTRUCTURE IN DEEP TROUBLE AT TIMES OF CRISIS

School children have returned to their classrooms, university students are facing the start of the academic year and the leaves are beginning to change colour and float to the ground.

Summer is definitely over…although September does sometimes open with surprisingly balmy weather and blue skies so there is still a chink of hope for sunshine.

However, the flooding disaster which hit Northern Ireland, particularly the north west, in August was an unnerving reminder of the horrendous consequences of a drastic change in the weather.

According to the Met Office 63 per cent of the average August rainfall fell within an eight-to-nine-hour period.

At the time of writing, more than £270,000 in emergency funds had been released to help people affected by the floods after roads, bridges and cars were washed away and homes and businesses were destroyed in storms.

While around 25 of the roads which were closed as result of the disaster were opened after a few days, those that remained impassable were mainly due to collapsed bridges or culverts, land slides, damaged road surfaces or debris washed onto roads.

Questions have been asked about how prepared the authorities were for such a weather event and also about the perceived lack of investment in the north west’s infrastructure.

On a wider front, concerns are raised frequently at Northern Ireland’s lacking infrastructure with roads clogged by cars

and long tailbacks into cities especially when major events are taking place.

Of course, a robust roads network and excellent infrastructure is vital for any economy – but sometimes the unexpected force of mother nature is just too much.

Closing the door on the weather…. the Special Focus section in this issue of Ambition focuses on business support and advice available to all businesses at any stage of growth and covers a wide range of areas from IT issues to mergers and acquisitions.

Our front cover and inside story features NI Chamber’s Tanya Anderson who is leading our “Scaling for Growth’ initiative, part of the Learn Grow Excel programme, which helps firms move to the next level as they gear up for export.

We hope any NI Chamber member who has aspirations to grow their business and explore new markets will grasp the opportunities offered by the initiative.

Finally, we’d like to wish the best of luck to the group of local businesses who’ve been chosen as finalists in the annual Chamber Business Awards. The Northern Ireland winners will be revealed on September 25th and will then go on to compete against the winners from 11 other regions across the UK culminating in a Gala Awards Dinner at the Brewery in London on 30th November 2017.

We look forward to hearing of their success!

Adrienne McGill Editor Ambition

building interiors building relationships 028 9070 1080

|

think@1080.co.uk

|

www.1080.co.uk

1080 IS PART OF THE ALPHA GROUP

04 NI Chamber

Jč « > À«"vwVi

CRANMORE DENTAL IMPLANTS ALLOW ME TO SMILE WITH CONFIDENCE

MULTI AWARD WINNING PRACTICE

4 YEAR GUARANTEE

COMPLIMENTARY

IMPLANT CONSULT*

Accidental tooth loss happens, at Cranmore we have a ďŹ xed solution. We accept nothing less than the best for our patients.

Talk through dental implants as an option, book a complimentary implant consultation today on 028 9038 1822.

15 Windsor Avenue Belfast BT9 6EE T: 028 9038 1822 E: info@cranmoredental.com

www.cranmoredental.com *Non clinical consultation with Patient Care Coordinator.

editorial

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

LET’S REMAIN OPTIMISTIC

A

s we find ourselves at the end of another summer in Northern Ireland, on the surface it is hard to find much to be cheery about as the leaves turn brown at the close of the third quarter of the year.

After all we still have no devolved Government and apparently virtually no prospect of our Executive and Assembly taking shape in the near future. Unless the upcoming talks surprise us all with a positive outcome in a relatively quick timeframe, then we face either a lengthy period of no big decisions being taken and a policy vacuum, or the prospect of direct rule

by Ministers who, while almost certainly well intentioned, will never prioritise Northern Ireland over other regions.

Neither of those is a happy prospect and as challenges remain in our health services, our schools, and in our infrastructure there really is an onus on local parties to resolve their differences and place all of our needs at the top of all of their agendas.

However, in the midst of that political vacuum there is still cause for optimism and even pride at the sometimes small and sometimes significant progress being made on the ground. Did you notice over the last few weeks the international ladies teams in rugby and soccer, walking the streets of Belfast and other cities, wearing their nations colours with pride? Our own stadia, from the National Stadium at Windsor, the Kingspan stadium and the splendid pavilion at Queen’s University all hosted what are major international events professionally, with pride and distinction.

06 NI Chamber

While we all crave certainty around Brexit, the future of the border and yes our politics, business continued to grow during the summer and there were some very welcome announcements of expansions, investments and growth. Local Northern Ireland companies continue to grow through securing export orders, and it was confidence boosting to see major investment by successful indigenous companies. In many cases businesses succeed here in spite of and not due to prevailing circumstances.

Recent planning decisions will give the green light to some significant Grade A office development in and around Belfast,

which is demand led while our tourism figures also continue to grow in tandem with the number of hotels being built.

As we head into autumn, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry is choosing to be optimistic about what is achievable. We hope you share that.

Ellvena Graham President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

With our mobile service you can make an appointment at anytime, anywhere.

PREVENTIVE HEALTH PROGRAMMES BROUGHT TO YOU 100% PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL

Download our App, visit our website or contact us now to make a booking: 0800 2545 130 - randoxhealth.com

news

UTV GETS READY FOR FIRST CLASS PRODUCTION WITH MCLAUGHLIN & HARVEY Engineering and construction specialists McLaughlin & Harvey has been appointed to carry out the fit out of UTV’s new broadcast facility at City Quays 2 at Belfast Harbour Estate.

The new facility represents a multi-million pound investment by ITV, since it acquired UTV over a year ago. The work, which has just started, involves the complete fit out of the entire floor from its current shell, and should take 16 weeks to complete.

UTV is taking the entire eighth floor of the building, and when work is complete, it will be home to a modern broadcasting centre, with an HD studio, the latest in editing technology, corporate offices, with administration, finance and sales areas to accommodate all UTV staff.

McLaughlin & Harvey will completely fit out the 11,000 sq feet of prime waterfront office space on the top floor of the building. Over 100 people will work on the project, which will comprise McLaughlin & Harvey staff, as well as other subcontracted specialist Jacqui Bradley (Head of Support Services, ITV News and local firms. Ivan Hutchinson, Contract Manager at McLaughlin & Harvey, said: Regions); Rhianna Jordan (Site Manager, McLaughlin & Harvey “This is a really exciting project for us and the first with UTV. McLaughlin & Ltd); Ivan Hutchinson (Contract Manager, McLaughlin & Harvey Ltd); and Alan Mackey (Operations Manager, UTV).

Harvey pride themselves on delivering high quality fit-outs, and have over 160 years’ experience.”

Terry Brennan, Head of News and Programmes at UTV, said: “We are delighted to have got to this stage with such a well-established local company as McLaughlin & Harvey. We are looking forward to them being on site from the end of August and, by the summer of 2018, UTV will be broadcasting from one of the most modern news centres in Europe.”

GREEN LIGHT FOR ENERGY PROJECT An energy sustainability project led by Belfast Metropolitan College has been given the green light after winning an Interreg North-West Europe funding bid for the €9.39million Gencomm Project.

Belfast Met is the first College of Further and Higher Education in Northern Ireland to secure Interreg North-West Europe Programme funding and this is one of the largest EU projects ever secured by a Northern Ireland led Partnership.

Marie-Thérèse McGivern, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met, said: “Gencomm opens the latest chapter in the Further Education sector; a chapter where FE is recognised as the primary conduit to deliver the technological skills mix required to enable today’s industry to deliver Paul McCormack (Gencomm Project Manager); Peter Smyth (Gencomm Finance Manager); Marie-Thérèse McGivern (Principal and Chief Executive tomorrows energy requirement.” of Belfast Met) ; Glenny Whitley (Gencomm Operations & Communications The College, as Lead Partner, is working in conjunction with 9 Universities Manager); and Damian Duffy (Belfast Met Director of Development). and private companies across Europe to deliver the project.

Gencomm will develop three pilot facilities fuelled by Solar Power, Wind Power and Bioenergy to measure their ability to produce and store hydrogen, together with its viability as a sustainable energy solution for heat, power and fuel for communities across North-West Europe.

Belfast Met Director of Development, Damian Duffy, said: “Belfast Met is delighted to secure funding from the Interreg North-West Europe Programme for this exciting energy sustainability project. Securing this project best demonstrates the contribution which FE Colleges can make to the development of applied innovation solutions working in partnership with researchers and industry.”

CHRISTINA AWARDED KPMG MEMORIAL MEDAL Christina Morales was recently awarded the Chartered Institute of Taxation’s ‘KPMG Pat Cullinan Memorial Medal’ for achieving the highest mark of all Northern Ireland candidates in the Chartered Institute of Taxation final exams. Christina studied Mathematics at the University of Sheffield and works for PwC. Pat Cullinan, a native of Co Tyrone and a tax partner with accountancy firm KPMG, was killed in the tragic air accident, which also claimed five other lives, at Cork Airport on 10 February 2011.

Pictured with Christina are Pat’s brother Aidan Cullinan (L) and Johnny Hanna, Head of Tax at KPMG in Northern Ireland (R).

08 NI Chamber

Novosco, Belfast

Delivery & Installation Service

3D Planning & Expert Advice

wrp

Long Term Guarantees & Excellent After-Sales

Arvalee School

interiors

Belfast City Council

Creating Award Winning Spaces Unit 40, Townsend Enterprise Park, 28 Townsend Street, Belfast BT13 2ES Tel: 0044 28 90 314 303

|

Email: info@workrestplay.net

www.workrestplay.net | www.furnitureshop.net

DIFFERENT STYLE

Down Royal Racecourse

â„¢

DIFFERENT FOOD

DIFFERENT RACING

Down Royal Racecourse

â„¢

Down Royal Festival of Racing Dramatically Different FEATURING THE

JNWine.com Champion Chase Grade 1, Mycarneedsa.com Steeplechase Grade 2, The WKD Hurdle Grade 2, The EBF Lough Construction Mares Hurdle Grade 3.

Victoria Square Best Dressed Lady Saturday 4th November 10 nights in a 4* hotel located close to Copacabana Beach RIO DE JANEIRO including visits to Christ the Redeemer & Sugarloaf Mountain.

Book your Festival Experience now at www.downroyal.com or by telephone on 028 92621256

news

EMPLOYERS URGED TO RE-ENROL EMPLOYEES IN WORKPLACE PENSION SCHEME The Workers Pension Trust is calling on employers to re-enrol any employee who opted out of autoenrolment the first time round.

Catriona Murray, Joan Arndell and Iain Ferguson from Belfast-based Workers Pension Trust.

In 2008 the Pensions Act laid the groundwork for auto-enrolment, which obliges employers, regardless of size, industry or sector to provide a qualifying workplace pension for their employees and to make contributions to it.

The auto-enrolment process began in October 2012 and now more than 7.5 million people across an estimated 230,000 businesses in the UK are saving for their retirement as a result. However, once they have been through the process, an employer’s responsibility doesn’t end there as it is a legal obligation to carry out reenrolment every three years.

Iain Ferguson, Business Development Manager at Workers Pension Trust, says: “Many larger employers have now reached the third anniversary of their auto-enrolment date and as such are required to re-enrol any employee who opted out the first time round. This gives employees the opportunity to re-consider and perhaps avail of the

pension which is available.

“Employees’ circumstances may have changed and just because they opted out the first time round, doesn’t mean they would never want to be a member of their employer’s pension scheme.

“This milestone also provides the opportunity for employers to review their pension arrangements and the service they obtain from their pension provider.”

Iain says the Workers Pension Trust has two main objectives – to make the autoenrolment process as easy as possible for local businesses and as a direct result of that, help thousands of people to start saving towards their retirement.

He adds: “We have been operating a similar multi-employer pension scheme for the local construction industry since 1982 and we were able to draw on that experience to develop a scheme which not only complies fully with the regulations but is also simple and user-friendly for employers.”

GROWING COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MARKET DESPITE BREXIT UNCERTAINTY The value of commercial property transactions in Northern Ireland is expected to reach £300 million this year, according to leading commercial property agents Lisney.

The estimate was revealed as Lisney published the findings of its report into the second quarter of 2017, during which it said the market had sustained a “pausing effect” due to the UK General Election.

However, the report found transaction volumes are expected to increase significantly with the £125 million purchase of Belfast’s CastleCourt Shopping Centre by Wirefox completing in the third quarter. The report also Lisney’s Declan Flynn. found that office take up from April-June improved on the first quarter, reaching 43,000 sq ft, but unsatisfied demand is now between 400,000 and 500,000 sq ft.

In the retail sector, Lisney said the second quarter was marked by more activity with significant new lettings in Enniskillen, Coleraine, Bangor, Ballymena, Newry and Derry.

Lisney said that overall, 2017 is expected to provide greater investment volumes than the £215 million transacted last year, but added that demand could be dampened as consumer spending shows signs of slowing down.

Declan Flynn, Managing Director of Lisney Northern Ireland, said: “Given the levels of demand, there is now a greater emphasis on delivering refurbishment projects swiftly and pushing speculative new build schemes through planning without undue delay.”

He added: “In retail, the effect that Brexit uncertainty is having on consumer confidence is a real worry for retailers but border towns are benefiting from the strengthening of the euro against the pound.”

‘FAST’ PATENTS R&D investment at Antrim based Fast Engineering has led to two new patents being granted to the company. One is for a novel suspension system applied to the FASTANK® range of emergency containment systems. The other is for a new design of safety blanket to prevent a Chairman of Fast Engineering, person at risk of self-harming Seamus Connolly. doing so.

This is sold worldwide under the company’s FASTASLEEP® range of high security bedding. In this case the stitching was removed from the product and new ultra-sonic welding techniques applied to join the

12 NI Chamber

four layers of specialist fabric. Stitching has always been a problem in high risk areas as it could be used to self harm.

The award winning company has an extensive range of Intellectual Property and has invested heavily in R&D over its 37 years’ existence. Much of the motivation has been from the changing needs of customers and a keen interest in developing technologies which can be “cross-pollinated”.

Fast Engineering is a world leader in the design and development of innovative and life-saving portable water tanks which provide aid relief to organisations, fire-fighters, oil and chemical companies following a spill and animal rescue services across the world.

Seamus Connolly, Chairman of Fast Engineering, said: “Research and Development is part of the company’s DNA, it stimulates all concerned and holds us in high regard in the eyes of our customers.”

Make your event truly memorable Hire inspiring spaces at National Museums NI email the team today at events@nmni.com or call 028 9039 5110

news

CITY COUNCIL JOINS NI CHAMBER AS NEW CORPORATE MEMBER Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, the only Council from Northern Ireland to host an annual high-profile business networking event in Westminster, is the latest local authority to become a Corporate member of NI Chamber.

Corporate members represent the leading companies in Northern Ireland who help drive the development of the economy.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council contains 4,530 registered businesses which accounts for 6.5 per cent of all businesses in Northern Ireland.

The Lisburn Castlereagh area is home to world-class manufacturers such as Coca-Cola HBC, Boomer Industries, Spanwall, Smiley Monroe, Assa Abloy and Montupet UK and fast-growing SMEs including Hughes Craft Distillery, McGreevy Engineering and Helios IT. Each year the Council, in partnership with Jeffrey Donaldson MP, hosts a reception at Westminster for local businesses, key business contacts from across the UK, senior politicians and Embassy and investment representatives to champion the City as the growing destination to do business.

Alderman Allan Ewart MBE, Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee, said: “Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has an annual programme of inward investment and business support initiatives and its partnership with the NI Chamber will assist in increasing our existing profile and networking opportunities. The Lisburn Castlereagh area is a business friendly city and we look forward to building relationships with other NI Chamber members to increase the economic benefits of the area.”

Dr Theresa Donaldson, Chief Executive, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, said being a member of the NI Chamber will raise the profile of the council area both regionally and nationally as a prime investment location, which is strategically located on two key transport corridors – North South and East West. She said the Council is delighted to now be working with NI Chamber and looks forward to maximizing joint

Ann McGregor (Chief Executive of NI Chamber); Dr Theresa Donaldson (Chief Executive, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council) and Alderman Allan Ewart MBE (Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee).

opportunities. She added that the partnership is off to a good start with the Council sponsoring this year’s NI Chamber Presidential Banquet.

Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber, said: “Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council boasts some of Northern Ireland’s most successful names in business who are at the forefront of innovation and creativity. NI Chamber is delighted to welcome the Council as a Corporate member in a partnership which will help drive business growth and provide support for business development in the Lisburn Castlereagh area.”

ULSTER UNIVERSITY TO LEAD £6 MILLION RESEARCH PROJECT Ulster University has announced it will be leading on a £6 million research project into low cost technologies for safe drinking water in developing regions.

The SAFEWATER research programme seeks to tackle a global challenge by looking at clean water solutions and the development of smart devices to quickly tell if water is safe to drink.

A total of £4.7 million of the funding will be provided by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Research Councils UK Collective Fund, and the project will see Ulster University join forces with other partners across the globe to conduct the research. This includes academics in South America and NGOs already working in Columbia and Mexico.

Lead researcher, Professor Tony Byrne from Ulster University, said: “This is a very significant project which will play a critical role in helping to address one of the greatest global issues the developing world is facing today.

“In the developed world, we take it for granted that our drinking water is safe yet nearly 25 per cent of the global population drink water that is not safe because of contamination that can cause deadly disease. Clean water saves lives and while we know how to make water safe to drink, the cost of doing so may be too high as nearly half the world’s population live on less than £2 per day.

“Ulster University is a world leader in research which delivers across a number of priority disciplines. This work will further develop our links with international partners and reinforce our ability to deliver research that makes a tangible impact to society, both locally and internationally.”

14 NI Chamber

Lead researcher Professor Tony Byrne from Ulster University.

LIGHTEN YOUR COSTS 20% funding available!*

Get your business up to 20% energy efficiency grant funding now!* New schemes added for 2017/18 grants* Click www.energia.ie/funding Mail energy.efficiency@energia.ie

EFFIC I GY

ME

N

E

FU

DI

CY EN

ENE R

Phone 028 9068 5908

NG SCH

Cash for Kilowatts

Savings for YOUR BUSINESS!

*Terms and conditions apply.

news

LOTS TO ‘SMILE’ ABOUT Lisburn-based Smiley Monroe recently secured international export contracts worth over a quarter of a million pounds following attendance at a major trade show in America.

The manufacturing firm secured the new business in the US and Asia, following its participation at ConExpo – a leading trade show for the construction industry, which takes place every three years in Las Vegas.

With support from Invest NI the company exhibited and secured the two contracts estimated to be worth £265,000.

Smiley Monroe’s core manufactured products are hot spliced ‘Endless Conveyor Belts’ and Custom Rubber Parts, locally produced and exported to over 40 countries for use in equipment sectors as diverse as mobile crushing, screening, recycling and washing, environmental, bulk material handling and road construction.

A family-run business, founded in 1979, it operates from premises in the Knockmore Hill Industrial Park and Lissue Industrial Estate in Lisburn.

It also operates a manufacturing facility in India and has further announced investment to build a new production Chris Monroe (Smiley Monroe) and Alison Gowdy (Invest NI). centre which will provide an additional 1000 sq m of manufacturing space at its Lissue plant.

Global Sales Director Chris Monroe said: “This new business is a direct result of our marketing efforts in North America and is a very encouraging signal as we prepare to expand our presence there. Feedback from the show has only bolstered our confidence in pursuing this strategy.”

Director of trade at Invest NI Alison Gowdy added: “Smiley Monroe has been able to scale quickly and invest in growth in international markets. These new contracts now put the company in a stronger position to secure future export business in these markets and I hope that its success can inspire other Northern Ireland companies to consider exporting to grow globally.”

RANDOX LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCT RANGE AT LEADING MEDICINE EVENT IN USA A group of 30 delegates from global healthcare company Randox Laboratories recently travelled to the US to take part in the world’s largest diagnostics conference in San Diego, California.

The American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo, known as the leading event for laboratory medicine worldwide, is attended by over 20,000 delegates from across the globe.

Chief Scientist at Randox Laboratories, John Lamont, who headed the delegation to the US, said: “Our very significant investment in research and development means that we have more Randox exhibiting at the American Association of Clinical Chemistry Annual Meeting in San Diego.

16 NI Chamber

new tests in development than any other healthcare company in the world. Each year at AACC we are able to bring a wealth of exciting new technologies to the American market, for a range of the world’s pressing health issues in need of the most urgent address.”

Launching at this year’s event were a number of innovative and new products, including a test for Acute Kidney Injury, a revolutionary diagnostic for small, dense low density lipoprotein (sLDL), a subtype of LDL cholesterol which is a vital risk marker for cardiovascular disease, and the latest in laboratory quality assurance software.

Dr Peter FitzGerald, Founder and Managing Director of Randox Laboratories, said the company was committed to developing new health diagnostic technologies in the areas where they are needed most, and to expanding the business in its key markets, such as the US. He added: “The USA is one of our most important markets and we have been exporting our diagnostic products there since the early 1980s. We will continue to nurture our presence there, the expansion of which will be supported by our soon to be opened facility in Kearneysville, West Virginia, which will enable us to strengthen our position in that market.”

%!! "$ $ %# ## % $( "$ " " ' $ " ## & #$ $ ) $ " & "& # # 2987

"! " $ & #$ $ "& # %!! "$ "& # ! ( $ " % , %# ## "

$ & - % $ # " ## " "# !# # " & $ & #$ $ "#

" " $( & #$ $ # 4 $ " #$) 9 6 * 138 9199 3552 * $ $.! $ + '''+! $ +

" " $( & #$ $ # # $" #$( $ " $( $ $ #$ " "$ " " 625443

Top illusionist David Meade at the Mary Peters Track in Belfast with students Mark McMurray (16), Andrew McMurray (15), April Harrison (14), Rachel McMurray (14) and Zara Chapman (16).

THE RACE IS ON AS DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES FOR 2018 BT YOUNG SCIENTIST & TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION FAST APPROACHES Top illusionist and television mentalist David Meade recently joined BT to urge students from across Northern Ireland to get off the starting blocks and submit an entry for the 2018 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE), ahead of the deadline of 25th September 2017.

The exhibition, now in its 54th year, is one of the largest and longest running STEM events in the world. The theme for BTYSTE 2018 is ‘It Starts Here’ signifying the beginning of opportunities for young people at the exhibition, where they can express their interest in STEM and demonstrate creativity by turning their ideas into reality outside of a classroom setting.

Getting involved in the BTYSTE is simple; students have the choice to either enter as an individual or in a group and entries can be made in any one of four categories.

The categories include: technology, social and behavioural science, biological and ecological science, or chemical, physical and mathematical. Students are asked to upload a one-page proposal outlining their idea to www.btyoungscientist.com BT has also reinforced its commitment to support schools across Northern Ireland to enter this year’s exhibition with a free travel and accommodation grant. All schools in Northern Ireland on application can qualify for the BT Travel and Accommodation Grant,

18 NI Chamber

which means that schools which are located over 70km from the RDS in Dublin, where the exhibition is held, are eligible to apply for a grant of up to ÂŁ2,205. The BT grant offers more incentives for the competition and allows an ever increasing number of young people from both rural and urban areas to participate in the exhibition.

David Meade, who is an ofďŹ cial ambassador for BTYSTE, said: “I’ve been involved with the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition for the past three years now and each year I’ve been impressed by the incredible entries submitted by students across Northern Ireland. The exhibition can be the starting point of a bright and brilliant future for many and it allows young people to really develop their imaginations and interest in STEM subjects, which is extremely important. I would strongly urge both students and teachers alike to get involved, and to work together to submit an entry before the deadline of September 25th.â€?

Mari Cahalane, Head of BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition added: “The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition plays a key role in nurturing the wide pool of talent across Northern Ireland and we would encourage all teachers and students to consider entering projects.

Over the years, we’ve seen a wide variety of different and unusual projects being

submitted so no matter what you are interested in, it is worth exploring further and seeing if your idea ďŹ ts the entry criteria.

Each year we get some great entries from Northern Ireland schools and I’m sure that this year will be no different. We’re really looking forward to seeing what students from Northern Ireland come up with!�

The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will take place from the 10th – 13th January 2018 at the RDS in Dublin. The exhibition offers one of the most coveted awards for participants, with a substantial prize fund and the BTYSTE perpetual trophy, as well as over 140 prizes for individuals, groups, and teachers. In addition, the overall winner will take part in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in 2018. t'PS NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO PO UIF FYIJCJUJPO and for details on how to enter, log onto www.btyoungscientist.com or follow #5:45& PO 'BDFCPPL BOE 5XJUUFS

LAUNCHING THIS MONTH NI’s first bespoke alternative dispute resolution facility Choose from nine custom-designed rooms, available for hire individually or in combination. Suitable for small, medium and large mediations, arbitrations, meetings and events.

Our facilities include: •

Modern design

•

Confidential paper disposal

•

High speed secure wifi

•

Breakout spaces

•

Acoustically sealed rooms

•

Reception and tech support services

•

Telephone and video conferencing

•

Central location, car park and transport links

To book or to arrange a tour of our facilities in the Boat Building, Belfast call us on 028 9026 5700 or email contact@theresolutioncentre.co.uk For more information visit www.theresolutioncentre.co.uk

columnist

HONG KONG 20 YEARS LATER WHEN BRITAIN HANDED OVER CONTROL TO CHINA IN 1997, HONG KONG WAS A BEACON OF FREEWHEELING PROSPERITY – BUT IN RECENT YEARS BEIJING’S GRIP HAS TIGHTENED. IAN RAINEY, FORMER INTERNATIONAL BANKER AND CURRENT NONEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT 4C EXECUTIVE SEARCH EXAMINES THE CHANGES.

20 NI Chamber

T

he Treaty of Nanking brought to a conclusion the First Opium War between England and China in 1842 and brought about the cession of the island of Hong Kong to English hegemony. One hundred and fifty years later it was agreed that Hong Kong be transferred back to China on the 1st July 1997.

The hand over party included Prince Charles, Prime Minister Tony Blair and the then Governor of Hong Kong – Chris Patten. The occasion was in many ways spoiled by the horrific rains which are not unusual in the island community.

It rained non-stop through the handover ceremonies. The newly arrived Chinese soldiers were drenched, the grandees attending had to have umbrellas hoisted above them. As Prince Charles mingled with guests invited to the departure of the Britannia a couple of hours later, he made light of it as he stated “I have never given a speech before completely under water.”

While I never lived in Hong Kong, I was a monthly visitor from my bank’s regional office in the Philippines during a three year overseas posting from 1978 to 1981 but I was there when Hong Kong was basically the trading capital of China, in the days before China opened up as a major economic entity. It was the most vibrant city I have had the pleasure of working in and being with a first class American Bank, it was a pleasure to be making money hand over fist mainly from export and import business.

It felt as if everyone was interested in business; even the shoeshine boy outside my hotel could keep you abreast of the ever moving foreign exchange rates and the stock exchange prices.

As Hong Kong marked the 20th anniversary this year of the departure of the British on the 1st July the place had changed considerably. Bullet proof windows were installed in the Chinese leader’s hotel and half of Hong Kong’s new police force were on the alert, as banners calling for democracy and universal suffrage were being pulled down. Some 20 years after the handover, the city is neither at ease with itself or with its Chinese visitor, President XI Jinping, who was making his first official visit to Hong Kong.

The old hands have all but lost faith in the premise that

underpinned the handover in 1997 – that as mainland China grew more prosperous it would allow Hong Kong to liberalise and edge towards democracy. In fact over the past two decades the opposite has happened. The Chinese economy is some 11 times larger than at the time of the handover while Hong Kong has remained static. The Anglo-Chinese agreement promised to retain a measure of autonomy under a concept known as “one nation, two systems”. This was meant to allow for Chinese ownership without inflicting the Chinese Government’s communist political philosophies on the local people. Maybe it is not surprising that it hasn’t worked as planned. Never before had such a freewheeling economy been inserted into a communist state. While Hong Kong has undoubtedly been useful as a service centre for Chinese trade and played a role in the international colonisation of its financial markets, the real story of the past two decades lies in the speed with which mainland Chinese companies swept to the top in this former island state. Some 1,000 mainland based companies are now listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and account for some two thirds of its market capitalisation. Hong Kong Shanghai Bank is no longer the dominant player and has fallen to number three in market capitalisation while number one is Tencent Holdings, a media and tech giant which has a market capitalisation almost twice that of the HSBC Bank. Even the former, very English newspaper, The South China Morning Post is owned by Jack Ma and his internet trading company Alibaba. The old men who originally formed Hong Kong’s tycoon circle have been pushed aside. Cathy Pacific Airways, formerly the leading airline in Asia, has just announced 600 job cuts at its head office in Hong Kong.

The high degree of autonomy promised in the 1997 Agreement is daily being whittled away. Lu Kong, a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing when challenged on this point stated: “The arrangements during the transitional period prescribed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration are now history and of no practical significance.” This sort of statement begs the bigger question – Can any government which has signed an international agreement with China have confidence that the Chinese Government will honour it? My experience in that market does not fill me with any confidence in the integrity of any Chinese Government undertaking.

feature

WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR STERLING? AS THE POUND CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE, BRIAN TELFORD, HEAD OF MARKETS AT DANSKE BANK PREDICTS IT COULD BE SOME TIME BEFORE IT MAKES A REBOUND WRITES ADRIENNE MCGILL.

T

he Governor of the Bank of England (BOE) warned last month that uncertainty over Brexit is already weighing on the economy.

Mark Carney’s comments came as the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to hold rates and the BOE cut growth forecasts.

It edged this year’s growth forecast down to 1.7 per cent from its previous forecast of 1.9 per cent made in May. It also cut its forecast for 2018 from 1.7 per cent to 1.6 per cent.

Sterling dropped to a nine-month low against the euro after the downward revision to the growth forecasts.

The pound fell about just under 1 per cent to 1.1063 euro.

The MPC voted 6-2 to keep interest rates on hold at 0.25 per cent. They have been at that level since August last year.

Mr Carney said that business investment was slower than it would have been expected to be because of Brexit. He added that it was evident in the Bank of England’s discussions across the country with businesses that uncertainties about the eventual relationship were weighing on the decisions of some businesses.

Brian Telford, Head of Markets with Danske Bank says it looks unlikely that sterling is going to rally anytime soon.

“What we are starting to see now are some of the underlying economic effects that some

22 NI Chamber

predicted might happen post the referendum vote on Brexit when sterling weakened. The weakening of sterling is now starting to filter through to the domestic UK economy. The weaker pound means that what we import, which is quite a lot, is getting more expensive.

When we look at import costs going through to consumers, goods are more expensive.

“We have inflation that is driven by a weaker pound and we have the economy growing but not as quickly so that means wage growth is not outstripping inflation growth.

“The UK looks very attractive in export markets which includes tourism. As long as foreign money is coming into our economy whether we sell goods abroad or spend comes in via foreign tourists, it is all an export and that means additional revenue in the Northern Ireland economy.

“What we are currently seeing from the currency perspective is that there is a lot going on which seems to be domestic UK economy driven. We are hearing a lot about whether interest rates will rise, if so, when and if so, by how much. There seems to be quite an internal debate within the Monetary Policy Committee going on about what, when and if. It seems that every time one of the policy makers makes a statement the market reacts to it.

“We are seeing a slide of sterling generally because markets don’t like uncertainty and

particularly as progress on Brexit negotiations seems slow at best. It is challenging to see just now where support for sterling would come from that might produce a short-term rebound.”

Brian says the fall in sterling against the euro is making people think more cautiously about spending levels – especially when it comes to going on holiday.

The pound has dropped by around 15 per cent against the euro and 17 per cent against the dollar since the EU referendum last year.

This means people in the UK are currently getting around 70 less euro for every £500 they change into euros and around 50 fewer dollars for the same amount.

“It’s nearly impossible to predict the best time to exchange your foreign currency,” says Brian.

“Everything that you buy from abroad, including a holiday is costing quite a bit more than this time last year. Of course when you get to your destination, your ability to buy things will be less as well. It’s therefore no wonder that staycations and mini-breaks have become so popular this year.”

You’re Welcome… …It’s what we do Agri-food Sector

£19m

Wholesale Distribution

£31m

In 2016 over £50m of our money supported Agri-foods and Wholesale Distributors.

But that’s not all… Upstream provided over £130m of new money in total into businesses like yours. Just like you, we continue to grow. We are ready to commit our money to fund your growth so if you are looking for funding to take your business to the next level we would love to talk to you.

Invoice Finance Trade Finance Credit Management Services Asset Finance Advisory T 028 9099 9450

www.upstreampositive.co.uk

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 COMING UP AND WHAT’S TAKEN PLACE RECENTLY WITH A PICTURE GALLERY OVER THE FOLLOWING PAGES.

T

he summer seems to have own by and the events calendar is starting to heat up again for autumn. However, before the season closed NI Chamber made sure its members enjoyed some seasonal razzmatazz with our summer social networking event at Belfast’s new Cuban-inspired bar Revolución de Cuba.

It provided the perfect opportunity to network, make new connections or catchup with clients over a cool cocktail.

Guests enjoyed the hospitality of the RevoluciĂłn de Cuba team overseen by Carl Hughes, Sales, Events and Marketing Manager, with a selection of delicious Cuban canapes and a complimentary mojito.

"OO .D(SFHPS BOE $BSM )VHIFT

Looking ahead and more business cards are sure to be exchanged at one of NI Chamber’s agship events, The Annual Networking Conference and Business Showcase which takes place later this month on 12th September at Belfast’s St George’s Market.

The event, sponsored by Dublin Airport and supported by Belfast City Council, will feature over 700 delegates, 120

24 NI Chamber

(PSJ :BIBZB

exhibition stands, structured networking sessions as well as breakout and lounge areas.There’ll be all the usual hustle and bustle of St George’s Market whilst giving local businesses a platform to sell their products and services in Belfast’s original marketplace. The conference will feature an inspirational keynote speech by Gori Yahaya, Head of Training, Digital Garage from Google. Delegates will also have the opportunity to hear from leading Northern Ireland business ďŹ gures speaking at topical panel sessions and interactive seminars throughout the day. It is a hugely popular event not to be missed.

Further ahead‌ and NI Chamber in partnership with First Trust Bank under its Developing Your Growth Potential Programme is holding the second in a series of cutting edge sales training sessions.

The two day Sales Leaders course on 16th & 17th October, facilitated by the prestigious William J Clinton Leadership Institute at Riddel Hall, Belfast, is targeted at director and senior business development executives, and follows highly successful sales performance training held in May. NI Chamber believes that business growth starts with strong leadership,

moves forward with effective sales strategies and is maintained by utilising the right networks. Developing Your Growth Potential seeks to assist SMEs to develop their sales and leadership capacity and to build vital networks for increased business.

The next course will focus on business development strategy, delivered with the right tools and by the right team all of which are central to achieving overall strategic objectives. Participants will learn how to align sales strategies and reďŹ ne processes that deliver success.

The demand for quality tailored sales training that propels businesses to the next level has never been higher and in response, this training had been designed for maximum and immediate impact. t .PSF JOGPSNBUJPO PO XXX OPSUIFSOJSFMBOEDIBNCFS DPN Also coming up in the hectic calendar is our Annual Golf Day and NI Chamber is getting ready to tee off the popular event at the prestigious Royal Belfast Golf Club on 29th September. The Golf Day, which is held in partnership with Forde May Consulting, headed by Gerry May and Beth McMaw, is aimed at providing NI Chamber members and their clients with an opportunity to make new business connections, whilst testing their golf skills.

#FUI .D.BX "OO .D(SFHPS BOE (FSSZ .BZ

chamber chief’s update NEW MEMBERS Prizes to be won include the Forde May Perpetual Challenge Trophy, in memory of the late Forde May who founded his eponymous executive recruitment company in Belfast more than 20 years ago. The trophy will be awarded to the player with the best individual score. We wish the best of luck to everyone on the day.

Meanwhile NI Chamber is delighted to be supporting the ďŹ rst Diplomatic Dinner of its kind to take place in Northern Ireland.

The Consular Corps/Association of Northern Ireland (CA-NI) is bringing representatives from around the world to Belfast for its inaugural Diplomatic Dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on 12th October.

The event, which is being sponsored by the Donnelly Group, will see Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Senior Diplomats from across the globe gather in Northern Ireland.

For anyone who is exporting to international markets or employing staff from overseas, the dinner offers an opportunity to create worldwide business links and celebrate the increasing multiculturalism and diversity of Northern Ireland society.

Co-operation Ireland, as the lead charity for peace and reconciliation on the Island of Ireland, is the chosen beneďŹ ciary of the Diplomatic Dinner and all proceeds raised will go towards the charity’s peace-building work with young people.

Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess of Abercorn, Jerome Mullen (Poland’s Honorary Consul in Northern Ireland), Lord Diljit Rana (India’s Honorary Consul in Northern Ireland) and Peter Sheridan (Chief Executive of Cooperation Ireland) announced details of the forthcoming Diplomatic Dinner when they met at Baronscourt Castle in Co. Tyrone. t %FUBJMT BCPVU UIF FWFOU BOE PO QVSDIBTJOH B UBCMF PS JOEJWJEVBM QMBDFT DBO CF PCUBJOFE GSPN 8JOOJF 0SS $P PQFSBUJPO *SFMBOE o & XPSS!DPPQFSBUJPOJSFMBOE PSH

5BPJTFBDI -FP 7BSBELBS

Staying with high-ranking ďŹ gures, I had the honour of meeting Ireland’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Queen’s University in Belfast recently during his visit to the city. We talked about common interests in business and policy and I look forward to meeting him again on future visits.

Again, keeping in contact with leading political ďŹ gures in the RoI and NI Chamber has just hosted a VIP Breakfast with Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Coveney. At the event in Belfast’s Merchant Hotel, many of the issues around Brexit and the border were discussed and our members had the chance to voice their concerns directly to the Minister.

On to an upcoming initiative and following a very successful trade mission to London earlier this year, NI Chamber is now bound for Birmingham as part of its Near Market Trade Visit programme, in partnership with Ulster Bank. The series aims to help local ďŹ rms extend their networks and exploit possibilities in larger GB cities.

The itinerary over the two day trade visit on 10th-11th October will include tailored brieďŹ ngs, introductions and networking. t 'PS NFNCFST JOUFSFTUFE JO UBLJOH QBSU NBLF ZPVS FYQSFTTJPO PG JOUFSFTU BU XXX OPSUIFSOJSFMBOEDIBNCFS DPN FWFOU OFBS NBSLFU USBEF WJTJU CJSNJOHIBN So with a packed schedule of events coming up, we look forward to welcoming as many members as possible to them all.

You can be sure your business will beneďŹ t.

5IF %VLF BOE %VDIFTT PG "CFSDPSO +FSPNF .VMMFO -PSE %JMKJU 3BOB BOE 1FUFS 4IFSJEBO $IJFG &YFDVUJWF PG $P PQFSBUJPO *SFMBOE

Accounting Optim Payroll Business Services KBS Group Computer & Related Activities CoreChex Tascomi Construction EHA Group Hotels & Restaurants CityNorth Hotel & Conference Centre Maldron Hotel Belfast International Airport Manufacturing SkunkWorks Surf Co. Telecommunications Onecom NI Transport, Storage & Communication Hannon Transport Ltd Wholesale & Retail Trade Coann Ltd (t/a Industrial Safety Services) Core Electrical Distributors (N.I.) Ltd. NI Chamber Members Upgrading To Growth Level Business Services DFC (NI) Ltd. Manufacturing KME Steelworks Ltd Mining and Exploration Dalradian Gold Limited Our Corporate members represent the leading companies in Northern Ireland who help drive the development of the economy.

New Corporate Members Legal Eversheds Sutherland Professional Services Brightwater Public Administration & Defence Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council NI Chamber Members Upgrading To Corporate Level Agri-Food Devenish Nutrition Ltd Legal Cleaver Fulton Rankin Solicitors Tourism Selective Travel Management

* To become a member of NI Chamber join online at www.northernirelandchamber.com or phone the membership team on 02890 244113.

NI Chamber NI Chamber 25

SUMMER SOCIAL NETWORKING EVENT

1.

3.

2.

1. Natasha Jones (Blue Arrow), Darren Lynch (Blue Arrow), Kelly Shannon (Blue Arrow) and Charlie McNally (Blue Arrow).

2. Rhoda Hughes (Soiree Society) and Claire Hughes (Soiree Society).

3. Patrick McVeigh (Traction Finance), Debbie McCloskey (Traction Finance) and Sian Devon (Traction Finance).

4. Tennent Hunter (Capita Business Services), Elaine Neill (Capita Business Services) and Laurence Rogers (Capita Business Services).

5. Elaine Baillie (KBS Group), Mary Anne Heron (GMcG Chartered Accountants) and Helen Allen (GMcG Chartered Accountants).

6. Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) and Carl Hughes (Revoluciรณn de Cuba, Belfast).

7. Stephen Turkington (Brightwater), Philip Clarke (Brightwater) and Andrew Currie (Brightwater).

8. Tracey Geddis (Baker Tilly Mooney Moore) and Kelly Magee (Baker Tilly Mooney Moore).

9. Debbie Cunnigham (Bank of Ireland), Odhran McNeilly (Bank of Ireland) and Clare McKeveney (Bank of Ireland).

10. Karen Newton (MCS Group), Caroline Gaughan (MCS Group) and Alex Leitch (MCS Group).

11. Catherine Paul (A&L Goodbody), Amanda Kennedy (Danske Bank) and Sarah Sistern (A&L Goodbody).

12. Robyn McMurray (Morrow Communications) and Fiona Anderson (Morrow Communications).

4.

5.

26 NI Chamber

6.

8.

7.

10.

9.

11.

12.

NI Chamber 27

5IF KVEHJOH QBOFM o (BSZ .D%POBME *SJTI /FXT -VDZ 4IPUUFS #JCCZ 'JOBODJBM 4IBVO .D"OFF %BOTLF #BOL .BSHBSFU $BOOJOH #FMGBTU 5FMFHSBQI $POBMM ,FFOBO 4ZOD /* 4VTBO $MFMBOE 4ZOD /* (FSSZ .BZ 'PSEF .BZ $ISJT 4IFSSZ 6MTUFS 5BUMFS (SPVQ "ESJFOOF .D(JMM "NCJUJPO BOE .BVSFFO 0 3FJMMZ &DPOPNJTU

CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS TO SHOWCASE BEST OF LOCAL BUSINESS FOR 14TH YEAR RUNNING

N

ine companies from across Northern Ireland are in line to scoop a top accolade at the fourteenth annual Chamber Business Awards, hosted by the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

Finalists were chosen from a shortlist of entrants whose submissions were scrutinised by an independent judging panel comprising ďŹ gures from business, media and economists across nine categories.

The prestigious competition is one of the showpiece events in the business calendar, recognising and promoting the best of Northern Ireland business. The Northern Ireland winners, will be revealed on September 25th. They will then go on to compete against the winners from 11 other regions across the UK, culminating in a Gala Awards Dinner at the Brewery in London on 30 November 2017.

28 NI Chamber

Two new awards have been added for 2017 – ‘Health and Wellbeing’ which recognises a business’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of its workforce and ‘Best use of Social Media’ which recognises a ďŹ rm for maximising social media to communicate with people in new and innovative ways. A full list of categories is as follows: t )JHI (SPXUI #VTJOFTT PG UIF :FBS t &EVDBUJPO BOE #VTJOFTT 1BSUOFSTIJQ t 4NBMM #VTJOFTT PG UIF :FBS t &YQPSU #VTJOFTT PG UIF :FBS t $PNNJUNFOU UP 1FPQMF %FWFMPQNFOU t #FTU VTF PG 5FDIOPMPHZ t &YDFMMFODF JO $VTUPNFS 4FSWJDF t )FBMUI BOE 8FMMCFJOH /&8 t #FTU VTF PG 4PDJBM .FEJB /&8 $ISJTUPQIFS .PSSPX )FBE PG $PNNVOJDBUJPOT BU /PSUIFSO *SFMBOE $IBNCFS PG $PNNFSDF BOE *OEVTUSZ TBJE i5IF $IBNCFS #VTJOFTT "XBSET BJN UP

recognise the very best from businesses across Northern Ireland. Our businesses, whether small, medium or large, all play a fundamental role in driving the local economy forward. These awards celebrate success, excellence in best practice and the contribution Northern Ireland businesses make to the wider community. i5IF $IBNCFS #VTJOFTT "XBSET BSF BO excellent platform for any business wishing to highlight their achievements, benchmark against the competition, reward their teams and gain the recognition they deserve. We look forward to revealing the winners in September.� t 'PMMPX !/*$IBNCFS BOE !DIBNCFS@BXBSET PO 5XJUUFS

Capability.

Traceability.

Dependability.

We’ve got it in one.

When companies of all sizes and from all sectors throughout Northern Ireland choose RiverRidge to manage their waste streams, they are not only assured of an efficient, responsible and competitive service, but also of our commitment to handle their waste legally from the moment we collect it to the point of final disposal. With the capability to provide regular and auditable reports of all waste movements and disposal routes, RiverRidge makes sure that their customers are covered at all times against all environmental inspections.

Call RiverRidge to arrange a free waste audit. Our experienced team will advise you on the benefits of using one company to manage all of your waste management requirements and the peace of mind it brings.

riverridge.co.uk Belfast

Coleraine

Derry - Londonderry

Portadown

T: 028 9060 1384 T: 028 9074 7341

T: 028 7086 8844

T: 028 7134 7788

T: 028 3835 3555

feature

ON TARGET TO ACHIEVE AMBITIOUS MILESTONE THE MOUNT CHARLES GROUP IS SPEEDING AHEAD ON ‘THE ROAD TO £50 MILLION’, GAVIN ANNON, HEAD OF SALES AND MARKETING, TELLS ADRIENNE MCGILL.

F

un, personality and excellence exude from every element of the Mount Charles Group.

It’s even maintained in the company’s headquarters, which opened last year on Belfast’s Ormeau Road, with lively and amusing caricatures of the Mount Charles Founder and Chairman Trevor Annon painted in a timeline on the walls detailing the history of the firm.

Also – a huge bell hangs in the office, which is rung when a tender is submitted and again…even louder…when a tender is won. In relaxation zones there are giant bean bags to sit on and for employees who prefer to test their quick reactions and target skills, Subbuteo football tables command a special place.

Trevor’s son Gavin, Head of Sales and Marketing, was responsible for overseeing the £1.6 million HQ project which involved the purchase and transformation of the former home of the Botanic Inns pub group in south Belfast.

“I felt it was important to do a really good job and future proof the company,” says Gavin.

“It was also very important to mark the success points of my dad in the business and portray them in chronological order.

“When visitors see the timeline they can understand who we are and that we are not another corporate business – we have a deep story to tell about how the company has progressed over the years.

Inevitably there were some dark days in the early stages but my dad always says you have to have them to appreciate the bright ones.”

30 NI Chamber

The Mount Charles Group based in Belfast which Trevor founded 30 years ago, and now led by Chief Executive Cathal Geoghegan, has created a strategy, ‘The Road to £50 million’, which aims to see revenue top £50 million by 2020. So far the company is on track to meet that.

As Northern Ireland’s largest locallyowned business support services firm, a major element of the growth will be derived from further expansion into the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.

Employing over 2,100 people and servicing more than 250 contracts in 150 locations across the UK and Ireland, the family owned firm specialises in catering, cleaning and vending services for business, industry, retail, education, government and healthcare organisations across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.

Its full range of innovative business support services allow customers to get on with their core business.

The company also has several Fed & Watered cafes as well as restaurant, St George’s of the Market, above St George’s Market in Belfast city centre.

Gavin has significant responsibility for achieving the £50 million revenue milestone.

“It is highly achievable and we are making moves very aggressively,” says Gavin.

“Our current turnover is around £35 million so reaching £50 million in 3 years time should not be too difficult.

“We have sought out some of the best and brightest industry talent and we’re

very excited about the experienced and dynamic team we have in place to drive the strategy forward.

“We recently won two new catering and cleaning contracts with the Northern Regional College and CAFRE both across a 5 year period equating to more than £5 million. When we win contracts we win large ones and they are adding to our revenue target very quickly.

“I make sure tenders get in and out on time and are completed to a high calibre.

I keep an eye on the marketplace and competitive channels to see what is out there and start developing the business into new markets.

“We are a multi service support solution company and we are a partner rather than a business providing a service to clients. At the moment we are sticking to our strengths and have excellent core divisions. When we approach a business we try to offer as many services as we can rather than offering just one or two.

“Businesses don’t like to have too many moving parts. They want one point of contact. We have combined services and that means bundling up as many of the packages and services as we can so that our clients get all that they want from one service provider which is us.

“Our UK mainland presence is really starting to grow and that will again help us on ‘The Road to £50 million’.

“Our vision is to be both a business partner and employer of choice throughout Ireland and the UK, based on the delivery of the highest standard of service, focusing on partners, people, planet, product and profit throughout.”

feature

Mount Charles has become a market leader in an extremely competitive marketplace, with a client portfolio which includes many blue chip companies and organisations including Convergys, South Eastern Regional College, Southern Regional College, Belfast International Airport, Allen & Overy, Laganside Court, Belfast Metropolitan College, Catalyst Inc, Firstsource (Derby and Warrington), Titanic Signature Building, NI Civil Service, NI Court Service, NI Water, Exeter International Airport, Ulster University and Translink to name but a few.

The company has won new business totalling ÂŁ21.4 million in the last three years.

While the majority of the ďŹ rm’s business has always been retained in Northern Ireland, over the past three years it has been successful in entering the multinational supplier-dominated GB marketplace, winning signiďŹ cant contracts with organisations such as Exeter Airport

and global contact centre Firstsource.

Also in 2016, the company created a new ‘talent’ division in response to high demand for personnel across its contracts and the requirement for it to mobilise people quickly for new contracts. It therefore made sense to create a recruitment arm rather than rely on outside sources to supply people.

And in a further expansion, the Group’s events division continues to grow, which focuses on developing business in the outside events space, both in terms of bar/beverage services and event catering.

This, says Gavin, is a natural extension of the ďŹ rm’s contract catering services, with contracts in place already with Ulster Rugby, Down Royal Racecourse, the international North West 200 and one of the UK’s biggest tech conferences, Digital DNA. “We are in a competitive business – but there is nothing wrong with competition, it always makes us better,â€? says Gavin. “As long as we are not crunching our

margins too much I think it always gives us a chance to be better and the end user beneďŹ t is always going to be the customer. “We will always strive to improve what we are doing, give a better service and add value where we can. “The targets we set are relative to the business opportunities that are out there. If you set unrealistic sales targets it demotivates people.

If you set targets that are realistic and people get them – it keeps them motivated.�

Gavin says the key to winning new business is showing passion and pride. “You have to demonstrate that you want the business and you want to deliver a top service for a client. It all has to make business sense but the most important thing to show is passion because when we pitch and present to a business they have to know that we are there because we want to be not because we have to be. If they see that translates through, they feel reassured and they will see that we are a genuine company, we are locally based and family owned. We have great pride in our background and have deep values in place – we are not a corporate machine which is rolling contracts in.

Our clients are pieces of our DNA and we will always go the extra mile for them. “Our expansion is a result of our strategic plans for sales growth and taking time to identify the correct partners, diversiďŹ cation opportunities and crucially, talent to add to our team. The results speak for themselves in terms of the level of growth we have achieved over the past three years. We are speeding ahead on ‘The Road to ÂŁ50 million’ and have no intention of slowing down.â€?

So is it hard for Gavin to work for his father in such a hugely successful company which he created? “It is a tall task,� admits Gavin. “I am beyond proud of what he has achieved. He is such a charismatic, friendly and approachable man and this has added to his success. I will do my very best to keep him proud. I always get a second opinion from him – he’s a great wing man to have.� t 5SFWPS "OOPO T DPMVNO QBHF

NI Chamber 31

feature

WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? HOW NI CHAMBER HAS HELPED MY BUSINESS WITH...

MARK SPENCE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AT FLYNN. DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS Flynn, based in Dunmurry, was founded by Maurice Flynn more than 40 years ago and is one of the leading building and maintenance businesses in Ireland.

His son Aidan is the current Managing Director of the firm and from its origins in civil works, the company has grown to encompass major contracts for public sector maintenance of housing, schools and hospitals. By the time I joined the business in 2012, Maurice Flynn & Sons had a turnover of £12 million per annum and a workforce around 150. Today those figures stand at £20 million and a workforce now over 225.

However, more recently, with austerity and particularly with the local political vacuum, Northern Ireland’s public sector contracts have become a much less steady source of work and we have taken great strides to restructure our business and seek out commercial and development opportunities.

WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT? Flynn is and will remain a family business.

With the family name literally above the door, we have worked tirelessly, in difficult and often turbulent economic climates, to ensure that all our supply chain are looked after to the best of our ability. We are a straightforward business, we deal with other businesses as fairly as we can and this is borne out by us having retained most 32 NI Chamber

of our supply chain through the hardest of times and we now look forward to sharing with them the rewards of exciting new times ahead.

HOW HAS NI CHAMBER HELPED YOUR COMPANY ACHIEVE ITS GOALS? If I’m honest, originally I was sceptical that NI Chamber had anything to offer us. We don’t sell consumer goods, we don’t offer advisory services or office supplies. We’re not particularly interested in selling into Dubai or America. What has changed my view and has impressed me is NI Chamber’s understanding of local business issues, pressure points and their ability to lobby effectively and seek change.

Flynn were delighted to support NI Chamber in 2016 during the debate on the forthcoming proposals for the Apprenticeship Levy and the implications for local businesses who, frankly, were already being levied by CITB for similar services, on top of increasingly admin-heavy social clauses. As a business which had led the way on apprenticeships long before they became mandatory, it was important that Flynn speak from the front and join NI Chamber in raising awareness of those issues.

In broadening our target market to commercial as well as public sector contracts, we have invested in building our supply chain behind us and bringing on board those with the bespoke skill sets and aptitude for commercial clients. NI Chamber’s ability to attract the

widest range of top-notch firms to networking events is second to none and we have been delighted by the response at the many ‘Meet the Buyer’ events such as that upcoming again in September at St George’s Market in Belfast.

WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO OTHER NI CHAMBER MEMBERS TO HELP GET THE MOST FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIP? Get involved, ask questions, seek support if you don’t see it immediately. Like all things, you get out what you put in. I hope Flynn have been a good partner to NI Chamber and we certainly enjoy the ability to call upon them to assist us with specific queries or to facilitate introductions. Ultimately it is about finding common values and objectives and striking the right tone for future working relationships.

HOW HAS CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP HELPED YOU AND YOUR STAFF DEVELOP A PROFESSIONAL SKILL SET? A key benefit of our Corporate Chamber Membership is the number and range of events and training solutions offered, meaning that there will be engagement at different levels and in different interests, whether it be formal training, information sessions, networking or topic-specific seminars. Flynn have availed of all NI Chamber’s offerings and a range of staff have benefited so far and will continue to do so.

Overall, I am converted. NI Chamber has proven its worth and Flynn look forward to building further relationships and remaining a key advocate of membership.

AMBITION SPECIAL FOCUS

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

B

usinesses of all sizes need support throughout their various stages of growth and their overall life cycle.

Starting out as a seedling company and growing into a towering global entity requires perseverance but establishing strong roots isn’t easy without advice, support, backing, experience, contacts and networks.

In this section, we look at a range of specialist business support offered by leading advisers in Northern Ireland across a range of fields including M&A activity, technology challenges, dealing with cyber threats,

entrepreneurship and the construction industry. Opening the Special Focus we have the dynamically new ‘Scaling for Growth’ initiative developed by NI Chamber and led by the organisation’s Tanya Anderson. It has been specifically designed to help businesses with ambitions for growth to move to the next level with the ultimate aim of growing their export potential.

The camaraderie of local businesses and advisers pulling together is important – their success plays an increasingly vital role in ensuring growth is sustainable – both for themselves and the wider economy.

CONTENTS: 34 36 38

TAKING YOUR FIRM TO THE NEXT LEVEL - NI CHAMBER ON THE UP - BDO RESOLVING TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGES - DELOITTE

40 42 44

FROM START UP TO GLOBAL LEADER - EY TRACKING THE HACKERS - PWC M&A PIPELINE ANTICIPATES STRONG FLOW OF DEALS - KPMG NI Chamber 33

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

TAKING YOUR FIRM TO THE NEXT LEVEL NI CHAMBER IS FURTHER BOOSTING ITS INNOVATIVE LEARN GROW EXCEL PROGRAMME WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW HEAD OF SME DEVELOPMENT, TANYA ANDERSON, WHO’S LEADING THE DRIVE FOR FIRMS TO SCALE UP, WRITES ADRIENNE MCGILL.

B

usinesses, especially SMEs, have a lot to contend with on a daily basis ranging from production, sales, marketing, invoicing and HR issues to name but a few.

But what if they want to scale-up and take their business to the next level?

Navigating the support and advice system can take time - which for many business owners is a luxury they don’t have.

However…help is at hand. NI Chamber’s dynamic and innovative Learn Grow Excel programme can provide the invaluable support that they need.

Launched last year, it has already been hugely successful in providing support to local companies who are growing and who are at all stages of development with the ultimate aim of encouraging more export activity in Northern Ireland.

A central plank of the programme is the ‘Scaling for Growth’ initiative, funded by Bank of Ireland UK, which provides a package of support including a business assessment, dedicated business professionals mentoring panels and workshops tackling the challenges SMEs face in scaling-up.

NI Chamber’s ‘Scaling for Growth’ was unveiled earlier this year with Gavin Kennedy (pictured right with Tanya), Head of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK who said it would help build confidence within businesses to seize new opportunities for growth and to meet their expansion objectives.

Leading ‘Scaling for Growth’ is Tanya Anderson, who has recently been appointed as Head of SME Development at NI Chamber and who is uniquely responsible for helping firms scale-up and for advising and assisting members to successfully achieve their growth strategy.

Tanya will provide one to one support to companies in the early stages of growth and be at their side as they journey towards export.

She will be an expert set of eyes looking in and act as a sounding board for businesses and will be the central contact for SMEs at NI Chamber.

Her appointment offers local companies the opportunity to tap into unique support as well as becoming part of a group of likeminded business people who can interact to support each other and add scale to their businesses.

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, Tanya’s previous career in banking and corporate finance sectors gives her a thorough knowledge of the challenging issues which SMEs face as they grow but she also possesses in-depth experience in finding swift solutions to them.

34 NI Chamber

Having spent her early career in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Belfast followed by 10 years within Corporate Banking at Danske Bank and four years within Corporate Finance at Grant Thornton her experience stretches across raising finance, strategic reviews, company restructures and credit assessment.

“My role will involve adding value to our members specifically helping them to scaleup,” says Tanya.

“This can mean anything from a simple connection to more hands-on advice in terms of getting into specific geographical markets and looking at business plans. It is about going out to members and providing them with a bespoke one to one service, looking at their business model, their business strategy and aims, identifying what the challenges are to them and finally working out how NI Chamber can help them.

“It depends on the sector, but many businesses have the same challenges – it could be around sales, marketing and branding. If we see themes coming out we will run themed workshops as well as one to one specific assistance.

“My contact with members can range from an initial conversation to ascertain how things are with their business to much more significant contact in terms of offering them advice on funding and strategy.

“For SMEs, it is a combination of having confidence, know-how and having mentors who can help take the business to the next level. The confidence comes when firms are dealing with people who have tried and tested the market.

“We have had members contact NI Chamber looking for advice on doing businesses in a specific country such as Morocco.

They ask ‘How do I do that?’ ‘Who do I contact?’ ‘Can NI Chamber help?’ The answer is of course we can. We look at our contacts and other members and research who we know who can help them effectively enter specific markets.”

Tanya’s role complements that of NI Chamber’s Head of Business Services, Sandra Scannell and Business Services Manager Gabi Burnside who work closely with members and develop and deliver innovative programmes to support companies do more business locally and internationally.

Of course timing is everything and many businesses are wary about growing and exporting with Brexit, and all the uncertainties around it, on the horizon.

Access to skills, trade tariffs and currency fluctuations are just some of the issues which SMEs will have to tackle.

“NI Chamber members are keen to grow despite the economic climate and uncertainties around Brexit,” says Tanya.

“If they see there is an effective way to help them get up the next rung on the ladder, they will take it. If a business sees there is a one to one consultancy, which is going to help them every step of the way on their growth journey – they will be more than happy to avail of the expertise.

“When NI Chamber members tell me what their challenges are – I say to them – let’s see what I can do to help you overcome them.

“First and foremost their ambition to grow has to be there, but also I have to ascertain where a company wants to be. That will tell me everything – is this a member who wants to go to the next level or they are content where they are?

“There are members who aggressively want to grow and see me as a means of assistance to getting there.

“Then there are members who are not sure if they want to grow. It’s then a case of looking at what suits the company’s culture.

“Help means different things to different members – some want connections and to meet a few key players in their market and tap into their information and learn from them.

“Others are looking for banking partners, funding solutions, or growing their geographical markets.

“A member who has an established business may need to reach a critical mass to grow the company and can’t get there. We can put them in contact with someone who can help and take them to the next level.”

Tanya says it’s important early on to establish the dynamic of a company.

“How do they do business? Who are their customers? Who are their suppliers? What is their market? What are their challenges?

Who is their competition? What is their USP? “Once I establish where the company wants to go, I can introduce them to experts or mentors who can help them in either a formal or informal role and who will stay in contact with them and offer advice.

“The whole desire to grow comes from either wanting to expand your business with an existing customer more effectively, increasing near market activities, or going further afield.

“At the end of the day, SMEs are the drivers of the economy – but they need support and inspiration – and NI Chamber is here to help them. We want as many companies in Northern Ireland as possible to Learn Grow Excel. The world is their oyster.”

NI Chamber 35

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

ON THE UP 5)& $0/4536$5*0/ 4&$503 IS ENJOYING A WELCOME 563/"306/% 8*5) *54 (00% '0356/&4 3&7&"-&% */ " /&8 4637&: BRIAN MURPHY, PARTNER BDO NORTHERN IRELAND TELLS ADRIENNE MCGILL "#065 5)& */%6453: 4 '*3. '06/%"5*0/4 .07*/( FORWARD.

T

he woes of Northern Ireland’s construction industry have been much documented in recent times.

In January this year the Construction Employers Federation (CEF) noted that the local construction sector remained in an “incredibly challenging environmentâ€? after ďŹ gures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) showed the industry shrank by 1.9 per cent in the third quarter of 2016. Local contractors and house builders were hit by signiďŹ cant sustainability challenges in the short to medium term tied to low margins, insufďŹ cient pipelines of work, skills shortages and the potential impact of the Apprenticeship Levy.

However, anyone looking at the Belfast skyline currently would see cranes in operation, hundreds of workers in high vis jackets and hard hats engaged in major projects and hear the endless churn of concrete mixer trucks.

The construction sector is looking up.

Statistics show that the total volume of construction output reported in Q1 2017 was the second highest level reported in the last ďŹ ve years.

In Belfast, a number of major construction projects are under way including the new City Quays 2 ofďŹ ce building, the Marriott AC hotel, the Grand Central Hotel and the Maldron Hotel.

There is also a swathe of student accommodation taking shape and ofďŹ ce blocks being both built and redeveloped. “There is a lot more happening than we would have seen in years gone by,â€? says Brian Murphy, Partner at BDO Northern Ireland. “That is because demand has risen. In the hotel sector there is demand for rooms, there is demand for Grade A ofďŹ ce space and there is demand for residential homes. “A positivity and conďŹ dence has come back into the Northern Ireland market place and the construction sector.â€?

It’s against this background that business advisors BDO and the CEF have just released the ďŹ ndings of a major study on the sector

36 NI Chamber

which reveals the industry is in boom mode.

It reveals that: t 5IF DPOTUSVDUJPO TFDUPS TBX TVTUBJOFE growth over the ďŹ rst 6 months of 2017 t 5XP UIJSET PG DPNQBOJFT XPSLFE BU GVMM PS almost full capacity in ďŹ rst 6 months of 2017 t .VDI PG UIJT HSPXUI JT XJUIJO QSJWBUF housing – taking it back to its highest level since 2011 t $PNQBOJFT BSF DBVUJPVTMZ SFBMJTUJD XJUI OFYU NPOUI QFSJPE FYQFDUFE UP TFF IJHIFS costs and squeezed margins t 5IBU CFJOH TBJE UIF DPNQBOJFT TVSWFZFE expect their workloads to be the same as now, if not greater t 'PVS DIBMMFOHFT BSF UIPVHI DMFBSMZ emerging – the impact on workloads from the lack of a Northern Ireland Executive; the impact a potential hard Brexit could have on companies otherwise positive growth expectations; the signiďŹ cant skills shortage across many trades and; how substantial rises in labour, material and plant costs are impacting on margins and ďŹ rms’ capacity to reinvest.

The survey results are based on a sample of 60 CEF members that represent 50 per

cent of Northern Ireland’s construction output, weighted across its constituent parts – general contracting, civil engineering and housebuilding – and company turnover.

Brian Murphy, who advises many clients in the construction sector says: “In a year of Brexit uncertainties and local political stalemate, the construction sector has remained for the most part buoyant. The IBMG ZFBS TVSWFZ JT DIBSBDUFSJTFE CZ DBVUJPVT realism with most companies anticipating higher costs and squeezed margins. “While the construction sector is battling higher input prices and limited public sector contracts, indicators point towards a quiet conďŹ dence and with good cause. Building work on new homes in the ďŹ rst quarter was VQ QFS DFOU ZFBS PO ZFBS NBKPS QMBOT BSF underway for new ofďŹ ce and retail space and there is the prospect of a ÂŁ400 million capital JOWFTUNFOU GSPN UIF 5PSZ %61 EFBM PWFS UIF next two years. “Realism, however, is not pessimism and the majority of ďŹ rms expect to have the same or more work in 12 months’ time than they do currently. The optimists outnumber others by almost three to one on this front.

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT “There is no doubt that wider factors are having an impact. There is acknowledgement that labour, material and plant costs will rise and there is potential for a rise in interest rates, but the sector is beyond the point of merely surviving. Expectations are that order books will remain steady and workloads will be sustained in the main.

“Two-thirds of companies worked at full or almost full capacity in the first half of 2017 and many are prioritising growth. It’s vital that construction companies of all sizes have the right support to grow smartly and sustainably.”

There has been 9 per cent growth in construction businesses in Northern Ireland which, says Brian, given the scale of the projects involved, is impressive.

“Some of the challenges we have had in Northern Ireland have been around the geography of work. A lot of local construction companies in Northern Ireland have moved their work to England or Scotland or RoI – they have had to evolve but where they have done so, they have been very successful.

“There are also very lucrative contracts to be had around the rest of the UK and local construction companies have been fully

occupied with major contracts in the RoI.” While many of the big projects taking shape are being headed by some of Northern Ireland’s largest construction firms, Brian says the tendency is for the work to flow down so smaller firms still benefit.

“There is enough work for everyone. On the commercial side there are quite a number of hotels being built in Belfast at the moment and the residential side is very busy. There are a lot of projects ongoing – the price of land has been rising but the availability of land has been an issue.”

Earlier this year BDO announced a new partnership with the CEF in order to put specialist tax and business planning support within reach of more than 800 building companies.

The tie-up with BDO Northern Ireland has seen CEF’s membership, ranging from microbusinesses to industry heavy hitters, gain access to a series of specialist advice services and tailored workshops.

“Over the last 20 years BDO has benefitted from strong relationships with clients in the construction sector,” says Brian.

“We have worked closely with them and

built up good relationships and an expertise.

“When the downturn came we were there to help them overcome the challenges.

“We wanted to expand on our networks within the sector and to share our expertise.

“We have been very impressed with the CEF and the good work that it does and we have been very keen to lend our services and assistance to enhance what it does.”

However, labour shortages and rising costs remain a concern for the sector meaning that profit margins are likely to be squeezed.

Furthermore, infrastructure workload growth remains weak and below the UK average which is concerning as good infrastructure is essential to the future of the economy – particularly in relation to improving competitiveness and attracting inward investors.

All in all, after years of challenges in the construction sector, its current good fortunes present a positive development.

“For Northern Ireland to be attractive to investors and as a location in which to live and work, it has to be physically a good place,” says Brian.

“I think we are getting there.”

NI Chamber 37

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

RESOLVING TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES FOR BUSINESS 38 NI Chamber

D

eloitte is much more than a giant business advisory practice – it has become a major player in the development, design and build of sophisticated digital technology systems and solutions which help its clients to improve their operations.

Demand for technology-enabled business services has grown as more companies have required help to engage customers at the touch of a button.

Technologies developed in Deloitte’s Studio in Belfast enable clients to harness emerging technologies and techniques through innovative applications and systems.

Services can range from developing an online training platform for one client, to helping another accurately predict their staffing needs for years ahead or creating and implementing a social media strategy for a retail client.

“Technology is massively important to our business,” says Danny McConnell, Technology Partner with Deloitte in Belfast.

“In our consulting practice alone which covers strategies, advice and procurement, 50 per cent of the work involves technology.

Of the 650 people we employ in Belfast, 500 are focused on technology.

“Over the last 3-4 years we have built out a digital practice and we have some really interesting clients there such as Tesco Bank and John Lewis whose technologies have been built in Belfast. In Belfast we also have a testing site where we do all the mobile device and software testing and we have a large team involved in cyber activities, analytics, cloud services and data science which is a growing area.”

Danny explains that Deloitte’s Technology Consulting practice in Belfast brings together a team of experts in solving clients’ business challenges through technology and integration with the technology offerings of the wider firm.

“Our focus is on helping our clients solve complex business problems involving the strategy, procurement, design, delivery and assurance of technology solutions.

“We bring our experience and skills to bear in the most challenging and high profile technology projects. Our people are passionate about technology, whether they are developers with deep technical expertise or more general technology practitioners with keen strategy, management and business acumen.”

Following the success of the Belfast Technology Studio at the Gasworks which Deloitte opened in 2011 – the firm in 2013 announced an initial job expansion plan consisting of 177 jobs. Roughly a year later, Deloitte unveiled plans for an additional 338 new jobs as part of a £30 million investment in the Studio. Such is the demand for its services, the firm expects to see the number of jobs rise to 1,200 by 2020.

The Studio also houses a Deloitte Greenhouse, one of 15 globally, which is designed to nurture business ideas and help bring them to fruition.

“We do a lot of work in the local market in the private and public sector. We help

companies and organisations to become more digitally enabled so they can offer a better service to customers or citizens,” says Danny.

“That can mean the development of a mobile App or a new website. In the Belfast Studio we bring clients in and showcase the best, the brightest and the art of the possible – we can show them how they can use digital and analytics and data to drive their business.

“In the public sector there has been a massive shift in the last number of years around moving citizens online, reducing transaction costs and making services available 24/7. We have been at the heart of that and working with public sector organisations to help them explore more in digital but also help them with data analytics.

If you can understand your customers or citizens better, you can give them better services.”

Recently, Deloitte has been involved in developing technology for use in the legal sector.

Big law firms are pouring money into Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a way of automating tasks traditionally undertaken by junior lawyers. Many believe AI will allow lawyers to focus on complex, higher-value work.

Deloitte is working with one of the Magic Circle law firms to create a service to help banks cope with tough post-financial crisis regulations. This solution aims to codify the law in various jurisdictions and automates drafting of certain documents, leading to a significant reduction in the time taken to review complex legal documents.

Other examples in the market include Linklaters’ Verifi program, which can sift through 14 UK and European regulatory registers to check client names for banks and process thousands of names overnight.

A junior lawyer would take an average of 12 minutes to search each customer name.

But has Deloitte transitioned from a business adviser to a technology developer?

“We are moving from the advisory space to the delivery and innovation space. Belfast is brilliant for that because all of the innovation for Deloitte in the UK generally starts here.

“In the past we were always telling people what they should do in their business – we are still doing that but also doing it for them,” says Danny.

“We now provide a full service which is one of the reasons why we moved into managed services. If we build something, we will stand over it, manage it and keep it running for years to come which means we build long term relationships with clients.

“When a client works with you on digital, they realise there is a huge amount of digital transactions, online transactions and data captured on each customer but they have to figure out what to do with the data and how to secure it.

“We can host the data for them. It means we have gone from one entry point to a situation where we can provide a range of services to the client through one contract.”

With further investment planned for the future, Deloitte is fully aware of the need to engage positively with young people who will

provide the skills and expertise necessary to grow the tech sector in Northern Ireland.

To achieve this, the firm has devoted investment and supported the delivery of signature programmes which include: The Business Class partnership with Hazelwood Integrated College in Newtownabbey, the development of an Employability Skills Initiative, the implementation of the Deloitte Access programme and the ‘Brightstart’ School Leavers scheme.

In Further Education, Deloitte has partnered with Belfast Metropolitan College and the Department for the Economy to deliver the Deloitte Analytics Training Academy which is a nine week course preparing students for a career in analytics.

The course has been a great success for Deloitte resulting in the recruitment of scores of individuals into the business.

“If you don’t have an influx of youth and ideas, you will become quite stale. We see the demand in the marketplace for our services and we see the high calibre of the graduates and college leavers in Northern Ireland,” says Danny, who has a degree in Chemistry from Queen’s University.

He became involved in financial systems and technology after joining Deloitte where he qualified as an accountant. He then joined the technology side of Viridian before moving back to Deloitte where he specialised in data intelligence and became Technology Partner with the firm.

Looking forward, he says there is a gush of new products in the pipeline on the back of several new high powered partnerships which Deloitte has made.

“We have developed our own block chain solution in the US and are looking at rolling that out globally. We are also looking at the use of robots in the workplace and are exploring that with a few clients.”

Deloitte is also collaborating with McLaren Applied Technologies to build data-driven business products. These will draw on McLaren’s engineering, sensor, simulation and analytics experience first developed and proven in the ultra-competitive world of motorsport, coupled with Deloitte’s digital and analytics experience delivering large consulting projects globally. The joint partnership will aim to create products that can provide more than £1 billion in annual benefits for clients by 2022, including savings, growth, productivity and quality improvements.

Looking to address complex, industrywide challenges and improve performance across clients’ businesses – initially focused in healthcare, life sciences, retail and transport – the products will combine specialist hardware and software, with sophisticated algorithms.

These will aim to bridge the “physical-todigital” divide by helping organisations make sense of data.

Meanwhile a partnership between Apple and Deloitte will see Deloitte open a new practice to help corporate clients work with Apple products and services.

“These are early days, but there are some very exciting developments lined up for the future,” says Danny.

NI Chamber 39

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

DELOITTE’S TECHNOLOGY STUDIO IN BELFAST IS TAKING A LEAD IN NEXT GENERATION APPLICATIONS AND SYSTEMS AS ADRIENNE MCGILL HEARS FROM THE FIRM’S TECHNOLOGY PARTNER DANNY MCCONNELL.

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

FROM START-UP TO GLOBAL LEADER EY HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURIAL BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT THEIR GROWTH JOURNEY FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. ADRIENNE MCGILL TALKS TO TWO EY DIRECTORS IN BELFAST, JONATHAN FORDE AND ANDREW DOLLIVER, AND HEARS HOW THE FIRM IS HELPING ENTREPRENEURS TO BECOME THE GLOBAL MARKET LEADERS OF TOMORROW.

S

tarting out in business can be a daunting affair. For many new entrepreneurs, the process of launching and growing a business is new to them. Often they find that the mistakes they have made could have been avoided had they been armed with the sound advice and resources of those with experience of start-ups.

“A lot of people when they are just starting up have a good idea but don’t necessarily have the broad business background to support and grow it,” says Andrew Dolliver, EY Director in Transaction Advisory Services.

“What EY can bring as a full service firm is the help start-ups need to get off the ground. We ensure they have the right structure and support to take advantage of incentives such as talent acquisition, sourcing capital, tax credits etc. This is key to getting things right at the start.

“Capital raising can be critical – a good idea needs capital to get started and being able to access equity and debt capital is also highly important. Often with a good idea you are not able to go straight to a bank and get all of the funding that you need – it requires a different structure and source.”

Jonathan Forde, also an EY Director in Transaction Advisory Services says: “There are funds specifically geared towards each phase of a company’s development from early stage companies to larger more mature businesses. We often help companies review capital structures and seek appropriate funding to support their strategy, whether it is debt or equity funding.

“We have the extraordinary honour of

40 NI Chamber

working with some of Northern Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs and family businesses and throughout their life cycle help them grow by staying with them as their business advisers. Although the challenges facing companies are different at every stage of their life cycle, we seek to support our clients through the provision of a range of services.

From a transaction perspective this can mean providing fundraising, acquisition or business sale advice, which can be critical milestones for a business. Many of our clients qualify for R&D tax credits and some don’t even realise it. Our involvement will depend on the client needs.

“For example, businesses have to face market forces, including uncertainties which are associated with Brexit.

“We have been helping companies with scenario planning around what EU tariffs may or may not look like after Brexit and issues around diversification of new markets, labour and people skills. However, there are plenty

of opportunities for businesses such as being on the right side of the drop in the value of sterling.

“Businesses can’t stand still and entrepreneurs typically don’t.”

When it comes to helping entrepreneurs, EY has an unrivalled pedigree and the firm’s EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) is without doubt the most prized title in the world of business.

EY truly understand that entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of our economy. They create jobs and wealth, bring new innovative products and concepts to the market and encourage creativity and competition.

EY’s EOY programme celebrates those men and women who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses by acknowledging their success, the contribution they’re making to the economy and the legacy they’re building. The global programme stretches across more than 145 cities in over 60 countries.

Jonathan says: “We have entrepreneurs who have founded amazing businesses and approach us for advice. I often think wow…why didn’t I have that idea… because you just know it is going to be a huge success. At the same time you have people coming in with ideas which can be more challenging and we talk to them about the hurdles they may face.

“The companies that make it to the final of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme are those that have got a proven concept.

Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely journey and many of the finalists and 450 plus alumni face similar challenges. The EOY programme allows these entrepreneurs to step out of their business for a period of time and discuss their challenges with their peers. We find a lot of people find merit in having those discussions and that is part of the power and support within the network of Entrepreneur Of The Year.”

Andrew says what really counts is the

entrepreneur’s story and how his/her other achievements will inspire others.

“It is about showing an entrepreneurial spirit, bringing the business from the start to full acceleration and being the driver behind that.”

Earlier this year, the shortlist for the 2017 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Ireland, was announced with 24 companies from across the island selected to compete across three categories.

Representing the full spectrum of industries from across Ireland, this year’s finalists employ more than 5,000 people and generate annual revenues of more than €475 million.

The finalists were selected by a judging panel chaired by 2006 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year, Anne Heraty, who is chief executive of CPL Resources, in three categories – Emerging Entrepreneur, Industry Entrepreneur and International Entrepreneur.

“The categories capture each of the levels

NI Chamber 41

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

that a company will face in its business life,” says Jonathan.

“Emerging is for young start-ups who have shown there is a market opportunity and have started to generate some money. The industrial category captures the more mature businesses who have reached a certain level and international is for those with an export focus.

“The programme is as much about people who have existing businesses that have shown a real ability to innovate and that underlines their entrepreneurship.”

Of the 24 finalists from Ireland, six are from Northern Ireland and include: Patrick McAliskey (Novosco); Gary & Andrew Irwin (Bedeck); Trevor Annon (The Mount Charles Group); Brendan Monaghan (Neueda); Darragh Cullen (Edge Innovate); and Patrick McCann (Simplyfruit (Ire) Ltd).

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year last year who represented Ireland in the world finals was Brendan Mooney, Chief Executive of Belfast tech firm Kainos.

As part of the awards, the finalists take part in a 10-month development programme and in May they joined more than 70 other entrepreneurs for a week-long “CEO Retreat” to San Francisco.

“All 24 flew out to Silicon Valley for a week and had access to experts from Stanford University and Singularity, visited high tech companies and met other thought leaders from around the world – there was a lot of bonding and exchange of ideas,” says Andrew.

“Many finalists say the week away allows them to network with peers and transform their thinking and vision through executive education.”

The theme of this year’s programme is “Leading through Change” in recognition of the significant changes that have occurred within the business community over the past 20 years and of future disruption to come.

As the finalists progress through the programme, the judging panel will determine the winners based on a number of criteria, including innovation, value creation, strategic direction, financial performance, national and global impact and the entrepreneur’s contribution to society and industry.

The category winners and an overall Irish EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 award winner will be announced at a ceremony in Dublin on the 26th October.

The winner will then go on to represent Ireland and compete for the prestigious title of World Entrepreneur of The Year in Monaco in June 2018.

“EY is the go-to firm for entrepreneurs. We get a lot of kudos from the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year programme and people within the firm have developed the expertise to service entrepreneurs so it is a virtuous circle,” says Andrew.

“If you get through to the finals you will meet and befriend 23 other entrepreneurs and be able to share ideas. To be a finalist is a real accolade and a confirmation of your entrepreneurship – you can carry that throughout the rest of your life in business.”

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

TRACKING THE HACKERS CYBERCRIME HAS EXPLODED AND CATCHING THOSE RESPONSIBLE IS REQUIRING EVER MORE HIGH-TECH SKILLS. WILL SEMPLE, HEAD OF PWC’S BELFAST-BASED CYBER THREAT DETECTION AND RESPONSE TEAM, TELLS ADRIENNE MCGILL ABOUT SECURING BUSINESSES AND NETTING CRIMINALS.

T

here was a time when protecting your business meant locking up securely at night and putting the alarm and security lights on. But all that has changed and companies can no longer afford to invest in just physical security strategies. While it can be devastating for intruders to break into business premises, much more damage can be caused by criminals infiltrating technical systems. Once they cross digital barriers, they can access valuable business and user data quickly and silently… resulting sometimes in the collapse of a firm.

Cybercrime is on the rise and with numerous highly publicised attacks on giants such as Sony, Yahoo and TalkTalk, companies are now more aware of cyber threats than ever before. However, many are still not taking the threat seriously enough and are failing to put a strategy in place to combat the fraudsters.

The cost attached to cybercrime is staggering.

The ‘Economic Crime Survey 2016’ compiled by business advisers PwC, singled out the UK as a hotbed for economic crime, and that the threat of cyber offences was now a “board-level issue”. In the last year alone there were 5.8 million cyber attacks and fraud is now costing an estimated £193 billion a year with half of all crimes against people in the UK being committed from abroad.

This is clearly a concerning trend, and there are increasing calls for businesses to do more to protect themselves and their customers. The fact is, though, implementing cyber strategies isn’t easy – they can take time and prove costly.

PwC has carried out a significant amount of research into business cybersecurity approaches and discovered some worrying trends. For example, while UK companies are investing in some cybersecurity methods, there are still many firms that are still naïve to cyber attacks. Around 18 per cent of businesses don’t know how many cyber attacks they’ve had in the past year and, on average, incidents can cost companies up to £2.6 million.

Will Semple is Head of PwC’s Belfast-based Cyber Threat Detection and Response team and travels all over the world as companies seek his expertise on cyber risk issues which

42 NI Chamber

can involve dealing with attacks or setting up the right cybersecurity practices to protect all aspects of their operations.

“Cybercrime is a lot more prevalent than people care to admit. I work globally and have clients from the west coast of the US to Singapore. I see the same story everywhere from SMEs to multinationals. The amount of financial crime is increasing exponentially,” says Will.

“Even in Northern Ireland, it is very apparent that many organisations are having material level impact to their business.

“Over the last year I have dealt with SME clients in Northern Ireland who have lost a total of £8 million because of cybercrime. It was either a cash loss in terms of revenue or through the theft of IP where, as a result, a company lost their market edge or a deal.

“Some companies may think – we don’t have anything anyone else would want – but this is the furthest from the truth. In Northern Ireland we have small businesses who generate some very valuable intellectual property, who have significant manufacturing capability and who export all over the world and what they have is incredibly valuable in the market place.

“As a result of that they are actually more attractive to the cyber criminal than some larger organisations.

“It is easy for the hackers to move funds, to defraud and to steal data and information from businesses in small regions like Northern Ireland.”

Will points to a common financial cyber threat called business e-mail compromise (BEC), where organised crime groups target large and small companies.

At its heart, BEC relies on the oldest trick in the fraudster’s handbook: deception. But the level of sophistication in this multifaceted global fraud is unprecedented, according to law enforcement officials, and professional business people continue to fall victim to the scheme.

Carried out by transnational criminal organisations that employ linguists, hackers, and social engineers, BEC can take a variety of forms. But in just about every case, the scammers target employees with access to company finances and trick them into making wire transfers to bank accounts thought to belong to trusted partners – except the money ends up in accounts controlled by the criminals.

“This is the single more prevalent

cybercrime in the world and in the US has cost businesses over $1 billion and in the UK more than hundreds of millions of pounds every year. It has resulted in businesses being taken off the map – they are just no longer there,” says Will.

He stresses that prevention and preparation are essential when dealing with cyber security threats. If companies don’t have suitable protections in place, then the damage can be much worse. The fact is that businesses spend too much time trying to patch up attacks after they happen.

Once a breach takes place, the business cost and business risks go up with every second of delay resulting in further harm. IT staff are often forced to drop everything to initiate a lengthy chain of discovery, analysis, verification and remediation whilst in crisis.

As time ticks by, the damage continues and costs mount.

Will leads an expert team of 52 in Belfast who are dedicated to cyber threat operations, while PwC employs more than 200 in this specialised area in London.

He says: “PwC has a dedicated team of threat intelligence analysts and we have our own operational capability so we track hackers and build up intelligence profiles.

We operate as an intelligence service and that allows us to understand the hackers’ motivations, their potential targets, the tactics and techniques that they use and we put all of that data into a package that allows us to understand the activity of an attacker outside or inside a client’s organisation.

“Our intelligence service gives us visibility to the actions and activities of cyber criminals.”

Will stresses that the main issue is to get clients to understand that what they are dealing with is no longer an IT risk – it is a business risk. They therefore have to apply the correct processes to it.

“In moving towards becoming digital organisations over the last decade, many companies now don’t fully understand where their data lies, what it holds and what’s critical. It’s also hard to know what third parties they rely on to keep their critical data and processes secure, from outsourcers to partners and staff or even clients. As many of these digitisation programs were designed without security in mind, it’s common that they’re now open to manipulation.

“As we move into an even more digital world, we help businesses to become

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT resilient to the risk of cyber attacks. That may involve creating board level strategies or helping a client understand how to select the right control to prevent a particular threat to their business,” says Will.

“A lot of companies don’t have the talent or the resources or ability to put into operation what is needed to protect themselves.

“My specialism is I help them build that and provide that as a service.

“For a client I provide a service with the people and the technology and the processes in one complete operation and deliver it from Belfast.

“We are crisis driven so when clients are in crisis and data has been lost and executives have been compromised, we go in and help them recover from that crisis and get them back into a solid operational footing.

“I help my clients understand from an operational risk perspective exactly where they are, and how they can get into a better position of resilience. The object is to be resilient to the threats and to detect the attackers and the compromisers before the data is lost or to prevent a volume of data being lost.

“The more digital transactions there are, the more opportunities arise for base level cybercrime. As businesses do increasing activity online, along with procurement, supply chain, monitoring of environmental systems etc. all the interconnectedness and digitisation of business processes themselves produce acres of opportunities for cyber criminals before we even get into industrial espionage situations.

“However, we have developed technology which automatically detects patterns of attack very close to real time which allows us to take action.”

As technology continues to advance, more firms are investing in new innovation and developing data-centric processes.

With this in mind, it’s easy to assume cybercrime is going to disappear overnight and criminals will be put out of business.

In fact – it’s more likely to be the contrary.

“Companies need to start taking it seriously now,” warns Will.

“If they don’t they could face harsh consequences.”

NI Chamber 43

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

M&A PIPELINE ANTICIPATES STRONG FLOW OF DEALS AFTER A SLOW START TO THE YEAR, COMPANIES ARE WHIPPING UP AN APPETITE FOR MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS RUSSELL SMYTH, CORPORATE FINANCE DIRECTOR AT KPMG TELLS ADRIENNE MCGILL.

I

n the last two years, there has been a flurry of activity on the Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) front in Northern Ireland with large-scale deals being concluded. However the start of 2017 saw considerably less action.

According to Experian, there were just 29 deals announced in Q1, down by some 55 per cent on the 65 deals recorded during Q1 of 2016. Meanwhile, the total value of Northern Irish M&A dipped to £53 million, compared to £453 million in Q1 2016 and £205 million in Q1 2015. The figures illustrate how the Northern Irish deal landscape was dominated by smaller transactions in the first three

44 NI Chamber

months of 2017.

There was a Northern Irish element in 2 per cent of all UK deals in Q1 2017, contributing just 0.2 per cent to their overall value; in Q1 2016, Northern Irish M&A accounted for 4 per cent of the UK total by deal volume and 1 per cent by deal value.

Northern Ireland’s largest deal in Q1 saw Accesso Technology Group, a publicly traded Surrey firm that manufactures hand held electronic queuing devices and software, acquire entertainment-ticketing platform Ingresso Group, which has operations in Belfast. The £29 million debt funded deal provided an exit for long-term Ingresso

backer Oakfield Capital Partners; Ingresso had also raised funding from Invest NI. Elsewhere, deals were below the £10 million mark. Advanced Research Cryptography (Arc-net), a provider of food chain traceability and analytics services which has offices in Belfast and Edinburgh, received a £2 million investment from Synergy Health founder Dr Richard Steeves, while BrainWaveBank Ltd, the Belfast-based developer of a neuroscience platform for monitoring brainwave activity, raised £1 million in new capital. The majority of the funding was equity-based, coming from Government-backed Angel CoFund, techstart

NI, with Innovate UK and Invest NI providing grant support.

Over the summer months there has been a number of significant deals including the acquisition of Belfast’s CastleCourt shopping centre by Northern Ireland investment firm Wirefox Investment Group for £125 million from Hermes Fund Managers; the acquisition of Quality Plan, a dental plan administrator based in Northern Ireland by Birminghambased specialist financial services provider The Wesleyan Group; and the acquisition of Intelesens, a medical technology Ulster University spin-out by US based UltraLinq.

One of Northern Ireland’s leading M&A advisers Russell Smyth, Corporate Finance Director at KPMG says although M&A activity in Northern Ireland may have slowed down in Q1, there are plenty of deals in the pipeline.

“We have seen a renewed appetite for M&A – companies are definitely considering options. Brexit has put a bit of a pause on activity as companies have been collecting their thoughts but they now feel they have to move on and we are seeing more activity in the market. Our pipeline of deals is considerable.

“Brexit may now be actually stimulating transactions. We have companies based in the Republic of Ireland who are saying regardless of what Brexit looks like, they are still going to be trading with GB and Northern Ireland so it makes sense for them to have a location in Northern Ireland. They are engaging us to assist them in finding acquisition opportunities here.

“Similarly, we have companies in Northern Ireland who are saying that they are definitely going to be trading in the Republic of Ireland so it makes sense for them to establish a

presence and a base there.”

So why do companies make acquisitions or enter into mergers?

Put simply there is generally one underlying motive: to protect or improve the strength and/or profitability of the dominant company.

An example of a Northern Ireland company who has successfully embraced M&A is RiverRidge Recycling. KMPG has assisted them in making six acquisitions over the last 4 years. This has seen the firm grow from a small start up to number one in the waste management sector through identifying opportunities to consolidate rather than operate in a fragmented market.

Russell, who earlier this year was named Young Dealmaker of the Year at the Insider Dealmakers Awards for his lead in several transactions including the £10 million equity capital investment into RiverRidge Recycling by the Business Growth Fund (BGF), says there are M&A opportunities around but time is a factor.

“Talking to the wider deal advisory community, a lot of people are building up a pipeline of deals which are in progress but are taking longer to close.

“The energy sector has been particularly busy of late, with our engagements focused on fundraising for companies to build-out wind farms, anaerobic digestion plants and energy from waste operations. Over the last 24 months, in Northern Ireland alone, we have raised over £300 million of capital for this sector.

“The change in the energy subsidy regime means a reduction in new asset build-out but a trend towards companies optimising capital structures or selling assets on.”

A good example of this trend – and one in

NI Chamber 45

STAND OUT BUSINESS SUPPORT

which KPMG was involved – saw Gaelectric selling 230MW of wind energy assets on the island of Ireland to CGNEE Holdings, the renewable energy investment arm of China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN).

The sale included 14 operating wind farms totalling 184MW with seven wind farms located in Northern Ireland and seven in the Republic of Ireland.

Russell points to new sources of available funding such as private equity.

“There is a wall of capital looking to support transactions and that is the biggest influence in the market at the moment. For the first time we have Irish focused private equity funds which are bringing liquidity to the market. Equally a general slowdown in the GB market has meant the GB private equity community has shown more interest in the Northern Ireland market. We are seeing a lot of new funders who have never looked at Northern Ireland before now showing interest in supporting businesses here who have growth ambitions. The majority of our transactions at the moment have a private equity angle which are facilitating local companies to grow.”

Of course there is always the risk that transaction deals can fall apart before completion for a range of reasons.

Most owners believe they have a good handle on their company’s worth, but unsurprisingly disagreements on valuation are the norm.

Due diligence is also an important part of the process. It won’t stop a deal from failing, but it highlights the risks and opportunities at an early stage.

“It is our job to manage the transaction process to minimise the risk. The vast majority of engagements we take on get over the line. That is partly due to the selection of transactions that we believe in and the processes that we put in place,” says Russell.

The allure of M&A is easy to understand.

Well-executed deals can bring about new revenue, assets and clients at a pace that could take years to cultivate organically.

Transactions can be a vital component to succession planning and create a more competitive firm with greater depth and breadth.

“The general market sentiment is that while there has been a slower start to 2017 there are still plenty of deals in the pipeline,” says Russell. “I think that deals are taking longer to close but I have no doubt that it will be another strong year for M&A activity in Northern Ireland.”

columnist

SLEEP IN COULD BECOME FINANCIAL NIGHTMARE FOR CARE SECTOR EMPLOYERS HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE DARK OVER SLEEP IN PAYMENTS, RACHEL PENNY, A PARTNER IN CARSON MCDOWELL’S EMPLOYMENT TEAM EXAMINES THE ISSUE.

T

he government has announced an immediate but temporary halt to HMRC National Minimum Wage (NMW) enforcement action in connection with “sleep in payments” in the care sector.

Historically, staff in, for instance, care homes who are required to perform a “sleep in shift” do not receive their normal hourly rate of pay for those “sleeping” hours. Instead they typically receive a flat rate of “sleeping” pay for that particular shift, usually around £25-£30 per shift.

The reason they did not receive normal pay is because of the wording in the National Minimum Wage Act and regulations. Those rules provide that if the employee is given sleeping facilities at or near work, and is permitted to sleep, employers only have to count “waking” hours for the purposes of calculating minimum wage compliance.

However, in what has been an increasingly grey area over recent years, we have observed a creeping change through case law in how that exemption has been interpreted. Then, in October 2016 the government updated its guidance to make clear that there were circumstances where, even though asleep at work, the worker may still be “working”.

46 NI Chamber

And so the uncertainty continued.

However, the issue culminated in April this year with a high profile decision of the Employment Appeals Tribunal in England, involving the charity Mencap.

In that case, the court gave a clear steer that if the requirement to have staff present overnight – on hand to deal with emergencies but otherwise permitted to sleep – was a regulatory requirement, then the exemption was very unlikely to apply, although the court stressed that, as ever, each case depends specifically on its own facts.

At the same time, HMRC has been taking a pro-active approach to pursuing employers who might inadvertently have fallen foul of NMW for sleep in hours. Many organisations operating in the voluntary sector or reliant on public funding are suddenly facing the prospect of large sums of back pay and other penalties. There is anecdotal evidence that HMRC is requiring employers to look back up to six years.

It is estimated that the total bill for back pay could be as much as £400 million across the UK. Care sector bodies had been calling for an immediate freeze on HMRC action while clarity was sought on the issue. The announcement means: t 5IF HPWFSONFOU JT TVTQFOEJOH enforcement activity in respect of

“sleep in” shifts until 2 October 2017. This will apply to HMRC investigations where there may be an underpayment in respect of such shifts and applies to employers in the social care sector only. This only affects enforcement action by HMRC, not claims brought individually by workers in the industrial tribunal; t 5IF mOBODJBM QFOBMUJFT GBDFE CZ employers found to have underpaid workers for “sleep in” shifts will be waived in respect of arrears of pay resulting from shifts that took place before 26 July 2017. This waiver applies to HMRC penalties only, if back pay is due to workers then that will, at some point, still be payable.

Employers found to have underpaid their staff after 26 July 2017 will face financial penalties in the usual way.

The announcement effectively presses pause on the problem, while the government and the sector figures out what to do, but it is most definitely not a solution or a get out of jail card. This is not an easy problem to solve. It will require a tricky balance between paying workers what might be due to them, at the same time as making sure this does not push care providers to the brink of financial ruin.

Conference Facilities Small Conference Room ɤɍǣɻ ˾ ɍ̋ɻɦ ʹ̋ ďǒƬŘǜʁƬ ăǜ˿ǚƬ ɍǣ *ɁŘʁƞʁɁɁȧ ăǜ˿ǚƬ

per hour

£20

The Bracken ɤȴ̋ɻ ˾ Ǯ̋ɻɦ ǣ̋ ďǒƬŘǜʁƬ ăǜ˿ǚƬ ǣ̋ ăƬŘǜƬƞ

per hour

£25

The Lagan Suite ɤʕȴɻ ˾ ʯǣɻɦ ɍ̋​̋ Řǜ ʁɁˁȭƞ ǜŘŽǚƬʊ ɍʹ̋ Řǜ ǚɁȭǷ ǜŘŽǚƬʊ F˸ƬȭǔȭǷ ɡŘʁǜǔƬʊ ǂ ǜɁǜŘǚ ǷˁƬʊǜʊ ɍʕ̋

ĘʊƬ Ɂnj ăƋʁƬƬȭ ĘʊƬ Ɂnj hǚǔɡƋǒŘʁǜʤñƬȭʊ ǔʁƬ Ɂnj <ŘǜŘ ñʁɁǖƬƋǜɁʁ

£15

per hour

Free of Charge £10 £100

Refreshments

ďƬŘʤ,ɁǏƬƬ £1.80 ɡɡ ďƬŘʤ,ɁǏƬƬ ū ăǒɁʁǜŽʁƬŘƞ Ɂʁ *ǔʊƋˁǔǜʊ £2.50 ɡɡ ďƬŘʤ,ɁǏƬƬ ū ăƋɁȭƬʊ ʊƬʁ˸Ƭƞ ˹ǔǜǒ ɡʁƬʊƬʁ˸Ƭʊ Řȭƞ njʁƬʊǒ ƋʁƬŘȧ £3.85 ɡɡ ďƬŘʤ,ɁǏƬƬ ū ăŘȭƞ˹ǔƋǒƬʊ £5.95 ɡɡ ³ˁȭƋǒ hǔȭǷƬʁ Řȭƞ hɁʁǘ *ˁǏƬǜ ɁɡǜǔɁȭʊ Ř˸ŘǔǚŘŽǚƬƖ ñʁǔƋƬ Ɂȭ ʁƬɴˁƬʊǜ

IVANHOE INN & HOTEL 556 Saintfield Road, Carryduff, Belfast BT8 8EU | Tel: 028 9081 2240 | Email: ivanhoecarryduff@gmail.com | Web: www.ivanhoeinn.co.uk

columnist

RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS IN A DIGITAL AGE THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION CAN HELP REVOLUTIONISE RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICES, SAYS DUNCAN TAIT, CORPORATE EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SEVP AND HEAD OF AMERICAS AND EMEIA AT FUJITSU.

A

s a member of Business in the Community’s Board of Trustees, I had the pleasure of visiting Northern Ireland during Responsible Business Week which this year celebrated ‘responsible business in the digital era’.

Encouragingly, Northern Ireland has a strong track-record of both embracing responsible business activity and digitalisation. While membership of Business in the Community Northern Ireland (BITCNI) continues to grow with over 260 local member companies, technology is bringing about unprecedented change, leading economists to predict that a century’s worth of progress will take place in the next decade alone.

This is particularly relevant in Northern Ireland where the ICT sector comprises over 1,200 companies and employs 13,000 people, with much more sectoral growth anticipated.

What we at Fujitsu have recognised is that with established expertise in ICT, Northern Ireland is in prime position to take advantage of, and lead, digital transformation in a number of exciting areas including automation, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Earlier this year, Ulster University announced a £4 million investment in a Cognitive Analytics Research Lab. As well as creating 12 new jobs, the lab will bring together businesses – ourselves included – industry and government to drive the local research agenda and enhance Northern Ireland’s international competitiveness in this space.

This is just one example of how 48 NI Chamber

digital innovation in these progressive fields has the potential to create new jobs, new business models and new high growth industries. Fujitsu not only champions the wealth of economic, social and cultural benefits brought about by digital transformation, but aims to do so in a responsible way, including tackling its unintended consequences – from cyber security and skills gaps issues to uneven access to digital technology and services.

If we take AI (Artificial Intelligence) for instance – which we see as a key growth area, capable of putting Northern Ireland on the world stage – there is a debate about whether it will create or diminish jobs, and whether it will empower people with technology or hinder access. From our own experience, we believe digital progress will have a positive impact on the workforce. From data analytics to programming, AI needs highly skilled, creative individuals. As such, a continued focus on STEM subjects and digital acumen across the education system is paramount. Many Northern Ireland organisations and businesses already carry out positive activities in this area by organising after school coding clubs, attending ICT career days and working with local schools to speak to pupils about the benefits of working in the digital sector. AI will also make technology more intuitive, user-friendly and with broader applications across sectors. From monitoring health issues in your home, to predicting and processing your shopping orders, the advancement of AI will play a critical role

in improving access to digital technology and its benefits for everyone.

Looking at the issue of cyber threats, there is an added impetus on businesses and industry to protect not just themselves, but customers and consumers. A total of 54 per cent of digital users are cautious about sharing information online because they don’t feel it’s secure, while 62 per cent of UK businesses leaders believe the use of digital technology will make it harder for businesses to be trusted. While the expansion of digital technology may have created concerns like this, it can also be used to tackle them.

For example, at Fujitsu we have a number of services and products in place including authentication systems and secure cloud platforms to support businesses as they look to manage the risk of attacks. We believe that AI will also be a game changer in enterprise security as it could immediately identify anomalies and allow security professionals to eliminate threats before they become problems.

As part of responsible business activities, we must work to ensure all businesses work collaboratively to tackle the unintended consequences of the digital revolution. The beauty of technology however is the sheer scale of its potential applications, hindered only by the limit of our own creative thinking. The digital revolution, from AI to cyber protection, can actually help revolutionise responsible business practices and at Fujitsu we are certain Northern Ireland is a region that can lead the way on both fronts.

BELFAST

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE AT CROWNE PLAZA BELFAST Experience our new facilities, perfectly placed, just a 15 minute drive from Belfast City Centre, with free Wi-Fi & parking.

Belfastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading conference & events venue, featuring state-of-the-art meeting spaces for up to 900 delegates.

Enjoy premium accommodation with our Sleep AdvantageÂŽ programme & delicious dining in our restaurants and lounge bar.

For more details, call 028 9092 3500 or email meetings@cpbelfast.com

feature feature

STRETCHING ACROSS ISSUES IN THE WORKPLACE DEALING WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY AND EMPLOYMENT ISSUES CAN BE A MAJOR HEADACHE FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS – BUT HELP IS AT HAND FROM PENINSULA AS ADRIENNE MCGILL HEARS FROM MOIRA GRASSICK, ITS HEAD OF COMMERCIAL BUSINESS (IRELAND AND NORTHERN IRELAND).

T

here’s much more to running a business than producing a product and supplying customers. The time and effort needed to ensure that a business complies and follows the most recent rules and regulations in employment law and health and safety can be huge.

When it comes to employment law, it can be a fast changing and complicated topic which can often lead to confusion and uncertainty for employers and managers.

However, it is important that business owners gain a solid understanding of the latest legislation in order to ensure their business meets the relevant legal requirements and to avoid unnecessary and costly potential tribunal claims.

This is where Peninsula comes in. The Peninsula employment team support businesses with the day-to-day things like holiday and sickness record keeping; the tricky matters like grievance and discipline; and the necessities like recruitment, terms and conditions, contracts of employment and insurance.

Just like employment law, the rules and regulations around health and safety in the workplace are ever changing and affect every business owner on a daily basis.

Businesses that commit health and safety offences can now face penalties up to three times greater than ever before so it’s more important than ever to manage health and safety compliance well. As each business carries different types of risk and

50 NI Chamber

requirements, Peninsula has experts in all areas of health and safety on hand to provide business owners with essential updates to protect their business.

Ultimately, with the correct policies in place, businesses can then prioritise running their company and apply all their effort to making it a success.

Since 1983 Peninsula has been providing professional services to small businesses across the UK. The company started as a small business but over the years has grown to become a major player in its field and prides itself on knowing what small businesses need because it is a small business at heart.

“We help companies with their health and safety risk assessments and we also provide additional support to employees in relation to Employee Assistance Programmes,” says Moira Grassick, Peninsula’s Head of Commercial Business (Ireland and Northern Ireland).

“Our first specialism was employment law. For a small business to navigate that maze is next to impossible without the right help. But the cost of having an HR professional on staff is too high for most small businesses, and traditional lawyers often don’t understand small business needs.

“However, with Peninsula on your side it’s like having your own HR team at a fraction of the cost.

“Today our services go beyond employment and HR to cover health and

safety management, insurance, employee wellbeing, and much more besides.

Whatever we do, the service is always provided by a handpicked team of experts, so you can be sure you’re getting the best.

“All of which means more peace of mind for you, and more time for you to concentrate on what you do best: growing your business.”

Peninsula set up its Irish operation firstly in Dublin in 1997 and then opened an office in Belfast in 2009.

The company has more than 1,000 clients in Northern Ireland across SMEs covering a wide range of sectors.

Its Belfast office has a staff of 11 with an additional 9 who are out and about seeing clients and prospective clients while 60 employees are based at the company’s office in Dublin which serves 2,500 clients in the Republic of Ireland.

“We have a dedicated advice line and have people in our Belfast office who specialise in employment legislation, so if one of our clients has a particular issue, they can ring up the advice line and we can take them step by step through how they can handle a particular situation,” says Moira.

“It could be anything from someone going on maternity leave to someone who has had a bereavement and needs compassionate leave or managing someone on long term sick leave – our advisers can take the employer through the steps that they need to take to try and resolve the issue.

feature

“We have advocates who will represent employers in tribunals. They will take the case and run it from start to finish for the client.

“While we don’t deal with employees directly, we have an Employee Assistance Programme which they can get advice from. It deals with all types of employee issues from bereavements to financial problems.”

Last year, the company introduced another HR and employment law advice and support service, called Graphite, which has been designed to prepare employers for every potential workplace headache.

“If a client is uncomfortable handling a particular situation or does not want to meet the employee directly themselves, we will handle that situation for them which takes the stress away from the employer having to do it,” explains Moira.

“Our experts also go out on site to

employers and look at their documentation in relation to employee contracts, handbooks etc. and give them advice and guidance on improving their documents or do it for them.

“We can also train managers how to deal with a difficult situation so they know what steps to take. We want to remove the risk of them having any conflict to start off – this may involve how contracts are worded and the types of HR policies and procedures. We ensure that there are clear processes and procedures in place.”

Peninsula also runs seminars around Northern Ireland which employers can attend and meet Peninsula experts to discuss the needs of their organisation.

“Many organisations suffer from the same issues – and that can at times unfortunately involve redundancies. They need to know about building the business case around that, what type of information they need,

how to justify the decision. Our advisers can put all that sort of information together for clients.”

Moira points to the fact that as society has become more litigious – people are much more willing to take a claim against an employer than they were even 4 or 5 years ago.

“I think employees are much more au fait with their rights and know what they are entitled to so they are much more inclined to tell their employer. Sometimes employers find themselves in a situation where they don’t really know whether the employee is right of wrong. Employers will have peace of mind by knowing there is someone like us at the end of a phone they can call to help them with an issue. We are trying to help employers deal with all the strenuous and mundane elements by using our services so that they can look after running their business.”

NI Chamber 51

columnist

INVESTING IN AND REWARDING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IS VITAL IF THE NORTHERN IRELAND ECONOMY IS TO PROSPER SAYS MAUREEN O’REILLY, NI CHAMBER ECONOMIST.

A CHALLENGE FOR EMPLOYERS

T

he findings of the latest NI Chamber/BDO Quarterly Economic Survey were both interesting and in my view positive, as they opened up a debate around skills and recruitment difficulties in Northern Ireland. In the Quarter 2 2017 survey, the majority of members who were actively recruiting said that they were experiencing high levels of recruitment difficulties around new jobs with 81 per cent of manufacturers and 71 per cent of services having problems finding suitable staff. A lack of the right skills and attitude were considered the main drivers of recruitment difficulties among local businesses.

The primary issues cited were that business felt that there were not enough applicants to meet the required skills (32% said this was a major issue) and not enough with

52 NI Chamber

the required attitude/motivation (31% said this was a major issue).

Some observers felt that the survey findings reflected the fact that it is perhaps all too easy for employers to absolve themselves from responsibility around their role in what is driving current challenges around recruitment, training and skills development in Northern Ireland. Employers needed to examine their own practices regarding training and skills investment and the rewards on offer to new and existing employees. The question was posed as to whether employers were doing enough to support, invest in and reward skills development among employees to meet both employer needs and those of the wider and rapidly changing economy.

A recent report by the Institute

of Public Policy Research (IPPR)1 focuses on what it refers to as ‘another lost decade’ in making any serious structural changes to the UK skills system. The context to the report is a belief that the adult skills system is not fit for purpose and that ‘successive governments have mistakenly operated on the basis that raising skill levels among the population alone will create a ‘knowledge economy’ that will help workers succeed’. The IPPR research emphasises strongly that part of the problem lies with a lack of employer engagement and insists that skills policy going forward has to focus on increasing employer demand for, investment in and utilisation of skills.

The evidence, however, points to low and falling levels of investment in skills and training

by UK employers in recent

years. Employer investment in vocational training in the UK is half the EU average and employer investment in training more widely has been falling. This is a particular concern in Northern Ireland. The most recent statistics suggest that the share of employers providing training is lower here compared to the UK average (62% NI vs.

69% UK in 2015).2 That figure has also been falling, down from 65 per cent in 2011. The average number of training days provided per person in Northern Ireland is also lower on average than the UK and has been falling in recent years.

One of the main ways that the report’s authors believe the Government should intervene to encourage greater skills investment by employers is to introduce a ‘Productivity and Skills Levy’. The idea would be to broaden the recently introduced Apprenticeship Levy3 by setting a levy at 0.5 per cent of payroll for employers with 50+ staff and 1 per cent for larger firms with 250+ employees. It would double the amount raised compared to the Apprenticeship Levy and would be redeemable not just for apprenticeship training, but also for basic skills training, high-quality vocational education and general training and business support.

Other ideas include the development of progression agreements which are essentially tripartite deals between local

business support services, employers and employees. This would guarantee employee progression in the form of a pay rise, promotion or some other form of career progression on completion of an identified course or qualification. The report also recommends the establishment of a Productivity Commission to help firms focus on high-value, high-skill economic development and improvements in productivity and economic performance.

The IPPR research makes a big play of the fact that we are facing ‘profound’ changes in our economy over the next decade brought about by factors including advancing technological change, the consequences of an aging population and of course Brexit. It provides some particularly sobering statistics for Northern Ireland on the issue of technological change.

Almost half of all jobs in Northern Ireland (48%) are assessed to be at high risk of automation in the future, highest across the UK regions. This compares to just 39 per cent in London.

Sectors most at risk from automation include Accommodation and Food Services, Wholesale, Retail and Agriculture.

Northern Ireland also has the highest proportion of jobs in occupations that are expected to decline over the next decade, 32 per cent compared to 21 per cent in London. If anything this will only serve to

ULSTER TATLER GIFT SUBSCRIPTION

exacerbate regional inequalities particularly for Northern Ireland which already has the lowest employment rate across the 12 UK regions (69% vs. 75% UK). Skills policy is a devolved matter so the Executive has the discretion as to how it drives the skills agenda in Northern Ireland and with that the extent of employer engagement in the process. There have been some very positive steps forward in this regard in recent years including the development of programmes such as Assured Skills and the drive to promote apprenticeships at all skills levels. The IPPR report however provides further food for thought around the need for ever-increasing engagement with employers and also the responsibility that needs to placed on employers to invest in and reward skills development in Northern Ireland. This is essential in driving productivity, pay and progression, which is in the interests of everyone involved in our local economy.

1 2

3

July 2017 Employers Skills Survey 2015, UK Commission for Employers and Skills Employers with a pay bill over £3 million each year must pay the apprenticeship levy from 6 April 2017

SPECIAL OFFER

plus

A DOZEN WAYS TO KEEP IN TOUCH

JUST £20 FOR 12 12 ISSUES ISSU IS

FREE HE-SHI TAN

WORTH £25

TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TERRIFIC OFFER

SIMPLY CALL 028 9066 3311

OR SUBSCRIBE ONLINE: WWW.ULSTERTATLER.COM

NI Chamber 53

NI CHAMBER AND CHARITYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW PARTNERSHIP

N

orthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) has announced that the Multiple Sclerosis Society Northern Ireland has been chosen as the NI Chamber Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Charity of the year.

Welcoming the announcement, NI Chamber President Ellvena Graham said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;NI Chamber looks forward to supporting the invaluable work and services which the MS Society provides through awareness and fundraising initiatives with our members. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All funds raised from the partnership will help the charity to provide high quality care to people with the illness.â&#x20AC;?

MS is a neurological condition which affects peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nerves. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caused when their immune system isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t working properly.

MS is complex and can cause many different symptoms, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not easy to diagnose.

Physical symptoms of MS might commonly include vision problems, balance problems and dizziness, fatigue, bladder issues and stiffness and/or spasms. Other symptoms might include problems with the bowel, speech and swallowing.

Tom Mallon Fundraising Manager at the MS Society Northern Ireland said he was delighted that the President has chosen the MS Society as her charity of choice.

He said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are over 4,500 people living with MS in Northern Ireland. MS is so unpredictable, often painful and exhausting and can cause major problems for people with how they walk, move, see, think and feel. We are here for those people and their families through the highs and lows â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we understand

what living with MS means and we are here to help and support them. This partnership presents us with a fantastic opportunity to raise funds and awareness about MS and we look forward to working with Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry over the next year.â&#x20AC;?

Tom Mallon, Fundraising Manager at the MS Society Northern Ireland with NI Chamber President, Ellvena Graham.

FUNDING BUSINESS GROWTH IS IT TIME TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS?

BY MARK CUNNINGHAM, REGIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, BUSINESS BANKING NI AT BANK OF IRELAND. Businesses are operating in a challenging environment with strong competition, the emergence of increased customer expectations and impacts of technology. So standing still is not an option as competitors plan and implement their growth strategies.

If your balance sheet is healthy, and your cash ďŹ&#x201A;ow situation is positive, then you are in an ideal position to formulate your strategic plan for future growth. In any business, implementing a strategy requires taking risks but with planning, early engagement and support from professional advisors (including your bank) this will help mitigate and manage the risks.

Focusing on meeting the needs of customers is at the very heart of business and their needs are changing all the time.

Reviewing your customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience and looking at enhancing their journey, may be worth considering as it could dramatically

54 NI Chamber

increase the appeal and impact of your business versus your competitors. Creating even one degree of difference to your customer can signiďŹ cantly improve the bottom line of your business.

Many businesses that have undergone this process have realised increases in turnover. It has enabled them to: t *NQSPWF UIFJS DVTUPNFS FYQFSJFODF PWFSBMM t *NQSPWF XPSLJOH DPOEJUJPOT BOE TUBGG morale which in turn aids retention of staff t 3FEVDF UIF DPTU BOE UJNF UBLFO UP EFMJWFS to the customer t 3F EFTJHO BOE SFBMMPDBUF SFTPVSDFT CBTFE on the Gross ProďŹ t contribution t *OUSPEVDF OFX QSPEVDUT BOE TFSWJDFT PS enter new markets Another strategic growth option to consider is acquisition. If your business is running efďŹ ciently and proďŹ tably then it could be time to consider expanding through purchasing an existing business.

BeneďŹ ts to buying an existing business can include: t "MSFBEZ FTUBCMJTIFE HPPEXJMM PG UIF CVTJOFTT

t &YJTUJOH UVSOPWFS TP JU JT OPU B DBTF PG building it from zero t *NNFEJBUF BDDFTT UP DVTUPNFST t 4ZOFSHJFT DBO CF BDIJFWFE BDSPTT

businesses, e.g. stafďŹ ng, insurance, supplier discounts, creditorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terms etc.

Often the growth of your business through acquisition requires a business development plan. Professional advice will help to maximise realisable value and to structure both your personal and business affairs in the most efďŹ cient manner. This expertise can be invaluable for the preparation of your business development plan, review of the ďŹ nancial performance and can help you plan for your future growth.

With a number of potential funding options available Bank of Ireland UK can tailor and develop an innovative and ďŹ&#x201A;exible funding package to suit the circumstances and nature of the individual transaction.

sponsored feature

THE VOICE FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISES & SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

S

ocial enterprises are formed by social entrepreneurs with a vision to change the world.

Similar to traditional businesses their aim is to be profitable but what they do with those profits determines and contributes to their social aim.

Profits are reinvested back into their business to create social change. Social enterprises exist in nearly every sector from consumer goods to healthcare, manufacturing to outside catering and everything in between. In Northern Ireland the list is ever growing with members becoming increasingly commercially focused.

Colin Jess, Director of Social Enterprise NI states “our members create jobs and opportunities for those most marginalised from the workforce, transforming the communities they work in. When our members profit, society profits.”

Social Enterprise NI is the voice for social enterprises in Northern Ireland.

The organisation supports the continued development of the social economy sector and works to develop an environment where social enterprises excel at meeting community need, continuing and fuelling the growth of a sustainable social economy sector.

“We would encourage private and public sector bodies to look out for events being run by Social Enterprise NI” says Colin. “We are developing strong relationships with

organisations and representative bodies and are working with them to help explain the benefits to their organisation of working with a social enterprise. We believe that all sectors, private, public and social enterprise can, and should work together in realigning the NI economy.”

The Procurement Boards decision to take forward legislation in Northern Ireland in the form of Social Value Act has given recognition and a further impetus to the great work of the sector. Social Enterprise NI seeks to provide assistance and guidance for those from all sectors who want to know more about how such a piece of legislation will benefit the NI economy. Once political powers return at Stormont, a Social Value Act will be firmly back on the agenda. Social Enterprise NI will play a leading role in taking this forward.

Social Enterprise NI’s 5th Annual Gala Awards are being held on 27th October 2017 at The Stormont Hotel in Belfast. This is a great opportunity to get to know the sector by networking and seeing at first hand the vast and meaningful work undertaken by our members. All are invited and encouraged to attend this evening of celebration.

Sponsorship opportunities are available and if interested please contact Colin at colin@ socialenterpriseni.org or check website www.socialenterpriseni.org for more information.

feature

SPENDING POWER DIPS

IT LOOKS LIKE NORTHERN IRELAND CONSUMERS WILL HAVE LESS TO SPEND IN THE COMING MONTHS. ADRIENNE MCGILL EXAMINES THE FINDINGS OF ASDA’S INCOME TRACKER.

H

ousehold discretionary income in Northern Ireland has fallen to its lowest level since 2015.

The latest figures from Asda’s Income Tracker reveal low wage growth and the reliance of the Northern Ireland economy on the public sector are negatively impacting family spending power, with discretionary income falling to £97 per week – the lowest level since Q4 2015.

The fall in family spending power in Northern Ireland is accelerating. Following a decrease of -0.8 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter 2017, the latest figures show a decline in family spending power of 4.6 per cent in Q2 2017 – equating to £4.60 per week – compared to the same quarter a year earlier.

Similarly, households across the UK as a whole saw average weekly spending power decline for the third month in a row to £198.

Joe McDonald, Asda’s Senior Manager for Corporate Affairs NI, says: “The Asda Income Tracker gives us a unique way

56 NI Chamber

to illustrate the daily issues which impact our customers - and is a great measure of family spending power in Northern Ireland and other regions across the UK. The insight it provides gives the business an opportunity to highlight to government and key stakeholders the economic state of play – and importantly how this affects the public.

“Unfortunately since we began the Income Tracker, Northern Ireland has been consistently at the bottom of the league table. We are a small regional economy with a reliance on the public sector but we need growth in our economy. Inflation has picked up in the second quarter, and with the rate of inflation greater than wage growth, this explains why family spending power has dropped.”

According to Asda research, 79 per cent of customers expect to have less money to spend in the months ahead.

Joe continues: “Customers can be assured Asda does everything to keep

the shelf price as low as possible. We are constantly trying to find efficiencies in our operations, to take costs out of our business and keep retail prices as low as possible. The culture in Asda is to help our customers save money when they shop with us, so they can use their money well in other ways.”

Through its pulse of the nation survey, Asda found 40 per cent of consumers had planned ’staycation’ holidays in the UK this summer and lower fuel prices will provide some respite on families’ budgets. Falling oil prices have eased the pressure on fuel costs over recent months with cheaper fuel being one of the main contributors to the falling inflation rate compared to May. Fuel is still showing inflation year on year, however it is now only 4.1 per cent higher than it was in the same month last year.

“We know the family spend on petrol and diesel per household is higher in Northern Ireland than elsewhere in the UK due to our car culture and rural population. A drop in the price of fuel is therefore particularly beneficial in Northern Ireland,” says Joe. Overall, two categories which created additional pressure on household budgets were electricity, with a rate of inflation of 7.7 per cent in June, and alcohol and tobacco, for which prices increased by 5.1 per cent year-on-year.

Labour market data for the 3 months to May revealed employment rates across the UK rose to an all-time high of 74.9 per cent, however wage growth has not yet followed this trend with very little movement each month. With inflation still higher than wage growth, the pressure continues to mount on families’ spending power.

London households remained ahead of the UK average with £266 of spending power per week, however they are still £1.20 worse off than the same period last year.

Families in the North East bucked the

feature

trend and saw the greatest growth in the second quarter, a £3.80 gain year-onyear. Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West were the other two regions which saw positive growth for families’ discretionary income year on year.

Unsurprisingly, with such a mixed outlook across the UK, the latest insight from Asda’s pulse of the nation survey has shown that despite inflation easing in June, customers are still less optimistic about the economy.

A total of 46 per cent of consumers believe their disposable income will fall over the next month, whilst 78 per cent think their day to day cost of living will increase.

Commenting on the findings Kay Neufeld, senior economist at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) says: “Northern Ireland’s pattern is one which we have seen in previous Asda Income Tracker reports. Higher electricity costs and lower average wages than in other regions of the UK mean Northern Ireland starts from a lower point. From that, deducting the cost of essential spending, which is the methodology of the Income Tracker, leads to the overall outcome which sees Northern Ireland towards the bottom of the table.

“If the labour market improves, if wage growth picks up and if some of the additional money which came from the negotiations between the DUP and the Conservative Government all come together, then we might see a pick-up in Income Tracker growth in Northern Ireland.

“However, for now, it looks like a time of challenge ahead. The region’s reliance on the public sector for employment keeps wage growth restricted and the labour market less dynamic.”

In June, the Asda Income Tracker showed family spending power had decreased for the third consecutive month. Although lower inflation in June eased the pressure on households’ budget somewhat, rising food prices continued to drive up the cost of essential spending.

“The comparison between Q2 2016 and Q2 2017 shows the gains in spending power made over the second half of last year have been reversed,” adds Kay. “On a regional level, this reversal of fortunes for households was most pronounced in Northern Ireland and Wales due to higher unemployment and weaker wage growth compared to other regions.

“For families going on vacation in the UK, cheaper fuel prices were a welcome factor holding costs down. But prices for hotels and restaurants have been on the rise for some time now and are likely to more than offset savings at the pump.”

“The Asda Income Tracker gives us a unique way to illustrate the daily issues which impact our customers - and is a great measure of family spending power in Northern Ireland.”

NI Chamber 57

feature

MY AMBITION IS TO...

4"3") 4*.140/ 4&37*$& %&-*7&3: ."/"(&3 8*5) 53"/4-*/,

I

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve lived in Carrickfergus all my life and attended Carrickfergus Grammar School where I completed A levels in Biology, English Literature and PE. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always had a keen interest in sports and even considered becoming a PE Teacher at one stage. However, I decided to do a Psychology degree instead â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the idea of learning what makes people tick appealed to me! Around that time, I also started a summer job working as a Translink Contact Centre Agent â&#x20AC;&#x201C; my family has a longstanding tradition of working in Translink and a public transport theme even extended to our family holidays abroad so it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a massive surprise that I took up this opportunity.

The Translink Contact Centre gave me a good understanding of our customers, our services, products and overall business set-up. A further opportunity then arose to complete the 2-year Translink Graduate Management Programme providing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hands-onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience working in the job environment. I gained valuable experience across a wide range of business functions from Bus and Rail operations to Engineering, Marketing and Ticketing. I was also able to complete valuable training from Budget Management to Industrial Relations and

58 NI Chamber

Effective Communications. A key part of the programme was placements in local depots observing and assisting other Service Delivery Managers where I enjoyed placements in Larne and Lisburn bus stations. I also completed a CertiďŹ cate of Professional Competence (CPC) in Passenger Transport training which provided important skills relating to compliance, rules and regulations.

In 2015 I was appointed Assistant Service Delivery Manager of Short Strand Bus Depot being promoted to Service Delivery Manager in November 2016 where Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m responsible for Metro bus service provision primarily in East Belfast. On a daily basis, I manage over 200 staff and bus ďŹ&#x201A;eet requirements with over 100 vehicles. I ensure theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re well maintained and that our service timetables are delivered and customer expectations are met â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with safety always being our top priority. Effective stakeholder engagement, maximising our Private Hire service and environmental care are also major parts of the job.

Currently weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re recruiting for new Metro and Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT) drivers. BRT will be the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new bus-based rapid transit system operating across a network of three routes that will connect East Belfast and

West Belfast via Belfast City Centre and is due to be operational in September 2018.

More than 500,000 Metro journeys are now made in Belfast every week so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exciting to be involved in such a transformational project which presents further opportunity for Translink passenger growth.

The best parts of my job are working within such a great team from senior management to our drivers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; everyone has a strong team focus on making public transport your ďŹ rst choice for travel in Northern Ireland. Also, this is deďŹ nitely not a predictable role; every day presents new opportunities and challenges so when you deliver effective solutions itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extremely satisfying. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also had the opportunity to manage the transport operations for major events like the Tall Ships transporting thousands of visitors around the city which supports the local economy. Our annual Bus & Train Week in June is another fun initiative our team helps deliver celebrating all the beneďŹ ts of public transport.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still relatively early stages in my current role so my ambition is focused on ensuring effective depot management making sure all aspects of our operations support overall business successâ&#x20AC;Śwhile successfully juggling family life with my husband and two young daughters! t 5SBOTMJOL XJMM CF SFDSVJUJOH GPS UIF Graduate Management Programme this BVUVNO 7JTJU XXX USBOTMJOL DP VL KPCT for details.

annual smartcard

Bus and train passengers can save up to *

20

*compared with the annual cost of buying monthly tickets.

%

on travel costs with aLink

Get a quotation for your journey at: alinktranslink.co.uk

TURN ON AND TUNE IN...

TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING HOW WE WATCH TV, WITH MORE PEOPLE CHOOSING TO WATCH WHAT THEY WANT, WHEN THEY WANT. ADRIENNE MCGILL LOOKS AT OFCOM’S LATEST REPORT. When was the last time you sat down with your family to watch the same television programme? It’s nowhere near as common as it was with more of us using on-demand services such as the BBC iPlayer or subscription services like Netflix.

These are important developments not just for consumers but for companies providing these services and for media professionals that use these platforms for advertising, sponsorship and promotion.

Ofcom’s latest Communications Market Report paints a picture of an increasingly interconnected Northern Ireland, where the internet is now accessed through our TV as well as smartphones and tablets.

More than three-quarters of adults (76%) in Northern Ireland now own a smartphone while three in five households (62%) now have a tablet.

One-third (33%) of homes in Northern Ireland now have a smart TV – almost double what it was last year. Four out of five homes (79%) have a fixed-line broadband connection.

And it’s in TV where these devices and the broadband and mobile services that support them is having the biggest impact.

Long gone are the days when there were a handful of TV channels and just a single TV in the house on which to watch them. While watching live TV remains important, people are increasingly turning to catch-up and ondemand streaming platforms.

60 NI Chamber

Services like the BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub, are the most popular ways of watching on-demand and streaming programmes but significant numbers are also using YouTube for watching programmes and films (27%), while 28 per cent now use Netflix and 16 per cent use Amazon Video.

The growing popularity of on-demand services is turning us into a nation of binge viewers, says Ofcom, where we watch multiple episodes of a series in one sitting, wiping out the wait for next week’s instalment. One third (35%) of adults in Northern Ireland do so every week, and more than half (55%) do it monthly.

For some, this type of viewing has been driven by a fear of someone spoiling a programme’s ending (31%). Two-thirds (65%) of people are drawn to watching programmes on-demand, simply to avoid adverts.

This technology has been around for a while but we are now seeing a tipping point where these services have become mainstream, according to Ofcom.

Jonathan Rose, Ofcom Northern Ireland Director, says: “Technology has revolutionised the way we watch TV. The days of waiting a week for the next episode are gone, with people finding it hard to resist watching multiple episodes around the house or on the move.”

These changes aren’t yet seismic but a trend has been developing in recent years, which is

the kind of thing that Ofcom’s Communications Market Report is adept at highlighting.

Despite the rise in online activity, traditional media remains important. Adults in Northern Ireland spend more time watching live TV (an average of 3 hours 36 minutes a day) than engaging in any other communications activity though there are big differences between younger and older viewers. Younger viewers watch less live TV and much more on-demand programming than older ones.

Listening to the radio continues to play an important part in our lives, with listeners tuning in for more than 20 hours every week.

“Radio is a real stand out performer in this year’s report,” says Jonathan Rose.

“Nine-in-ten people in Northern Ireland tune in at least once a week and people here are also listening for longer, which is impressive when you consider the range of ways we now get our news and listen to music.

“People in Northern Ireland are also much more likely to listen to local BBC and commercial radio than listeners in other parts of the UK. Some 60 per cent of all listening in Northern Ireland is to these stations. Local news and programming is obviously highly valued by listeners.” t 0GDPN T $PNNVOJDBUJPOT .BSLFU 3FQPSU contains a wealth of information on the TV, Radio, and Post sectors as well as the online activities of people in Northern Ireland and is available online – www.ofcom.org.uk/cmr.

NI CHAMBER’S CORPORATE CHAMPIONS IN THE FOURTH IN A SERIES, AMBITION HIGHLIGHTS NI CHAMBER’S CORPORATE MEMBERS WHO REPRESENT LEADING COMPANIES THAT ARE POWERING AHEAD WITH INVESTMENT, INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND JOB CREATION AND IN THE PROCESS ARE HELPING TO DEVELOP THE NORTHERN IRELAND ECONOMY.

NI Chamber 61

computing to meet customer needs with speed, quality and efficiency.

COMPANY NAME: Allstate

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE:

Belfast, Derry/Londonderry and Strabane

Our people. Our people have driven our success. Our expansive portfolio of accomplishments and achievements would not have been possible without the incredibly talented people behind the scenes.

OUR MD/CEO IS: John Healy

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

WE EMPLOY: 2,200 WE ARE BASED IN:

WHAT WE DO: Allstate are a major centre for innovative software development, covering the full software lifecycle of design, development, maintenance and support. Our state of the art in-house development centres utilise agile development, open systems and cloud-based

WHAT SETS US APART: Allstate is expanding and diversifying at a rapid rate, reaching out to acquire local talent as well as imparting wisdom to the technologists of tomorrow. We are award-winning on every level; demonstrating commitment to our people, the local community and environment. We have a global reach and an entrepreneurial mind-set; encouraging innovation and transformation at every level of the business. Allstate are Future Proof, and here to stay.

Build for the future and pursue the goal of creating a 22nd Century Corporation. The Allstate of the future will be defined more by its strategic platforms than its product market share, have broader and more meaningful relationships with customers, employees and business partners, and be a force for good in our local communities.

FIND US AT:

700 bedrooms across five hotels and serviced apartments, our sixth Belfast hotel is opening in 2018, with another hotel in planning at Portrush.

as Belfast’s largest hotel group with multiple global brands.

W: www.allstate.com/northern-ireland T: @AllstateNI

WHAT SETS US APART: OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: COMPANY NAME: Andras House Ltd WE EMPLOY: 350 WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast OUR MD/CEO IS: Lord Diljit Rana WHAT WE DO: Hospitality and Property Management. We are Belfast’s largest hotel group, with over

COMPANY NAME: Arthur Cox WE EMPLOY: Over 90 staff in Northern Ireland

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast, Dublin, London, New York and Silicon Valley

OUR MD/CEO IS: Catriona Gibson (Managing Partner)

WHAT WE DO: Arthur Cox is a leading commercial law firm in Northern Ireland. We provide accurate, reliable, timely and cost-effective legal advice across

62 NI Chamber

Since establishing in 1981, we have introduced various global hotel brands to Northern Ireland.

Our 2 ibis properties were the first Accor franchised hotels in the UK. We introduced the Crowne Plaza brand to Northern Ireland. Our Hampton by Hilton property will also be the first of its kind on the island of Ireland.

Our core foundations are as a family-owned business and our principal ethos in hospitality is creating a home from home environment, complemented by a warm and friendly welcome, great service and professionalism.

FIND US AT: W: www.andrashouse.co.uk T: @AndrasHouse

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Continue to expand our portfolio with new developments and expansions underway for existing properties. To maintain our presence

the full range of industry groups and sectors.

A strong teamwork ethic and practical “can do” approach to solving problems ensures a seamless, effective service.

By developing real understanding of each client’s business and building a strong working relationship with them, we can play an effective role in shaping their strategic and financial plans.

Our lawyers handle a wide range of work so that clients benefit not only from depth of legal knowledge and expertise but also from commercial experience.

Our commitment to our clients goes further than simply responding to today’s issues. We take a pro-active approach in helping them prepare to meet what lies ahead – both the challenges and the opportunities.

WHAT SETS US APART: Our reputation is based on proven professional skills, a thorough understanding of client requirements, sound judgment and a practical approach to resolving commercial problems.

We offer breadth and depth across every facet of corporate and business law and the resources to successfully manage and drive forward transactions on schedule. Our track record speaks for itself.

FIND US AT: W: www.arthurcox.com

additional employment and helping to sustain the creative industries in Northern Ireland.

and cultural life in Northern Ireland and to remain responsive to the changing needs and circumstances of BBC audiences.

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast and Londonderry

OUR MD/CEO IS: Peter Johnston (Director BBC Northern Ireland)

WHAT WE DO: COMPANY NAME:

We create programmes and services for BBC audiences at home and around the UK.

BBC Northern Ireland

WE EMPLOY: BBC Northern Ireland has approximately 650 staff across its radio, television and online services. It also employs freelancers. Much of its non-news output on local television is sourced from the independent sector – providing

COMPANY NAME: Belfast Harbour WE EMPLOY: 140 WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast Harbour Estate - 2,000 acres of mostly reclaimed land, home to 700 companies employing 23,000

OUR MD/CEO IS: Roy Adair, CBE WHAT WE DO: Belfast Harbour operates, maintains and

COMPANY NAME: Brightwater NI

WE EMPLOY: 90 people (13 in Belfast) WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast, with offices in Dublin and Cork

OUR MD/CEO IS: David Bloch

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Delivering high-quality and impactful output that informs, educates and entertains.

We have a unique role and a proud heritage of service, innovation and creative excellence.

Our programmes connect people and places and seek to enrich the lives of everyone. We put audiences first in everything that we do, and work with partner organisations to make great things happen. Our work is broadly-based and underpins the creative economy in all its different aspects – developing skills, showcasing local talent and diversity and unlocking the potential of new technologies.

FIND US AT: OUR AMBITION IS TO: Develop our role at the heart of community

develops the Harbour and its Estate to support the regional economy.

The Harbour handles 70% of Northern Ireland’s seaborne trade, is the region’s leading distribution & logistics hub and is a developer of major real estate projects such as City Quays.

This is a highly capital intensive business model and the Harbour is currently committed to infrastructure projects totalling £105 million.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Providing local businesses with access to the most modern facilities on the island – be that freight, container, bulk cargo or ferry services.

The business has successfully diversified in recent years, delivering projects such as the UK’s first bespoke offshore wind farm terminal and attracting 150,000 cruise visitors annually.

W: www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland T: @BBCNI

The Harbour also facilitates and develops major real estate/tourism projects such as City Quays, Belfast Harbour Film Studios, Sydenham Business Park, Catalyst Inc, Titanic Quarter and Titanic Belfast.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Continue developing the Harbour’s assets to support wealth and employment opportunities.

WHAT SETS US APART: As Northern Ireland’s principal trading gateway, the scale of our activities and investment requirements are matched by few other local businesses.

FIND US AT: W: www.belfast-harbour.co.uk T: @BelfastHarbour

to the most exciting opportunities available within our country’s top employers.

and we strive to become true business partners to our clients and candidates.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE:

WHAT SETS US APART:

Taking great pride in staying true to our values whilst constantly adapting our practices to keep pace with an ever changing recruitment market.

Be it our survival through the depths of the last recession or the restructuring of the company in 2016, our ability to make the changes that are necessary to best support our clients has resulted in top-line growth for the company every year since 2010 and a 60% increase in productivity year-on-year for the first half of 2017.

WHAT WE DO: We are one of Ireland’s leading providers of professional recruitment services; matching the best talent on the market

WHAT SETS US APART:

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

We believe our biggest asset is an uncompromising commitment to hold true to our values and do things the right way on every occasion. Our team comprises highly driven individuals who are passionate about delivering excellence in their work whilst maintaining the very highest levels of integrity and professional ethics. We believe this matters just as much to our clients as it does to us.

FIND US AT: W: www.brightwaterni.com T: @BrightwaterNI

Be the best recruitment consultancy in Ireland

NI Chamber 63

COMPANY NAME: Charles Hurst Group, part of Lookers Plc

WE EMPLOY: 900 WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast (Headquarters), Dundonald, Newtownabbey, Chimney Corner, Newtownards and Dublin

OUR MD/CEO IS: Colin McNab (Group Operations Director)

WHAT WE DO: We are Northern Ireland’s largest new and used car retailer and one of the UK and Ireland’s

COMPANY NAME: Cleaver Fulton Rankin

WE EMPLOY: 106 WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast OUR MD/CEO IS: Jonathan Forrester

leading motor retail businesses. Representing 21 vehicle manufacturers, we also specialise in motorcycle and van sales, fleet services while providing full aftersales and specialist care.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: The ongoing commitment, development and investment in our dealership network which ensures the highest possible quality of customer care and aftersales service provision. Through innovation and investment, we have been honoured with several prestigious awards which recognise our excellence in customer service and dedication to the industry.

What we are most proud of, however, is our committed, customer-focused staff who work hard to deliver a world class service.

WE EMPLOY: 650 people in Belfast WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast with a global office network

64 NI Chamber

Our experience, the strength of our staff and our committed to always innovate and invest in our facilities, technology and in our people so that existing and potential customers will also enjoy the best experience.

FIND US AT: W: www.charleshurstgroup.co.uk T: @charleshurstgrp

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Focus on our clients and their legal requirements so we can help them achieve their goals and aspirations through the provision of high quality, innovative and trusted legal solutions.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Cleaver Fulton Rankin has become the first law firm in Northern Ireland to be awarded the IASME Governance Standard, which is a UK-wide accreditation in recognition of high standards of cyber security.

We have raised over 100K for Charity over the last five years.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Our significant growth in recent years positions us as the employer of choice in Northern Ireland and a business at the heart of local economic growth. We pride ourselves on adding value to our clients by creating deep and strong relationships in private, public and third sectors.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Continue to be Our Belfast office, with over 650 staff, offers integrated services including consulting, audit, tax and corporate finance. Our approach combines insight and innovation from multiple

WHAT SETS US APART:

We provide a full legal service to both commercial and private clients. In particular we have extensive experience in advising national and local private companies, developers, financial institutions, public institutions and quasi- public bodies, not for profit organisations and other government funded organisations.

OUR MD/CEO IS: Jackie Henry WHAT WE DO:

Maintain the committed approach to customer care which underlines our success. Our brand ethos “for you, for life” is demonstrated in everything we say and do. We expect our customers to expect the best and for us to always deliver.

WHAT WE DO:

disciplines with experience and industry knowledge to help our clients excel anywhere in the world.

COMPANY NAME: Deloitte

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

the number one professional services firm in the world. We have been on a major recruitment drive in the past three years and we have committed to an employment target of over 1,000 staff in Northern Ireland by 2020. With

WHAT SETS US APART: We are a modern and progressive legal practice that works together to provide innovative legal solutions for clients’ complex business issues.

FIND US AT: W: www.cfrlaw.co.uk T: @CFR_Law

our ‘One Million Futures’ programme we aim to help one million people get to where they want to be; whether it’s in the classroom, the workplace or the boardroom.

WHAT SETS US APART: In Northern Ireland we are one of the largest professional services practices delivering value across all sectors and specialisms. We continue to support raw talent with programmes such as the Academy and Brightstart which grow the best capabilities for today and in the future. We set ourselves apart by making bold commitments for our business and the economy in Northern Ireland and delivering upon them.

FIND US AT: W: www.deloitte.co.uk T: @DeloitteNI

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: In the last number of years, we have

COMPANY NAME: George Best Belfast City Airport

WE EMPLOY: 1,200 on site, 80 direct employees

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast

OUR MD/CEO IS: Brian Ambrose

established a blue chip airline portfolio, hit record passenger numbers and developed a product we can be proud of, alongside an award-winning culture. Our hard work in route development has been acknowledged with a nomination for a World Routes Marketing Award in 2017. It has been a busy year for us.

We co-hosted the Routes Europe conference, an excellent opportunity to showcase Belfast and Northern Ireland to airlines and airports across the world. We were also named the 2017 Company of the Year at the Business in the Community Responsible Business Awards as well as the ‘Right Place to Work’ in the Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards.

our already attractive flight frequency and timetables, continuing our unrivalled customer service with exceptional facilities and promoting our convenient location, just minutes from Belfast city centre.

WHAT SETS US APART: We facilitate Northern Ireland’s only links with London Heathrow, an invaluable route for business and leisure passengers alike, providing a global gateway with hundreds of connecting routes. Being the Most Convenient Airport in the UK and Ireland, we are aware that our close proximity to the city centre is one of our strengths, but we are passionate about providing an excellent customer experience at the airport through our retail partners, airline partners and airport staff.

WHAT WE DO: George Best Belfast City Airport is a regional airport catering for approximately 2.7 million leisure and corporate passengers per year.

COMPANY NAME: Invest Northern Ireland

WE EMPLOY: 612 WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast, Coleraine, Ballymena, Craigavon, Londonderry, Newry, Enniskillen and Omagh, as well as an international network in key markets.

OUR MD/CEO IS: Alastair Hamilton WHAT WE DO: Invest NI’s role is to grow

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

FIND US AT:

Strengthen our position as the airport of choice in Northern Ireland. This means improving

W: www.belfastcityairport.com T: @BELFASTCITY_AIR

the local economy. We do this by helping new and existing businesses to compete internationally, and by attracting new investment to Northern Ireland. We are part of the Department for the Economy and provide government support for business, delivering the Government’s economic development strategies.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Contribute

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Since our inception in 2002, every £1 of Invest NI support has delivered a return of £5 of investment in our economy, benefiting the whole of Northern Ireland. We have provided support to 13,000 companies; helped 39,000 local start-up businesses, delivered £1.5 billion of R&D investment; attracted 199 new inward investors to Northern Ireland; helped to promote 106,000 new jobs, and secured £10 billion investment in the economy.

WHAT SETS US APART:

before returning to the environment. Thousands of assets, at a value approaching £3 billion, are operated and maintained to provide these services. This includes over 40,000 kilometres of water mains and sewers – one and half times longer than Northern Ireland’s entire road network.

will add £2.5 billion to the local economy, positioning NI Water as a major contributor to Northern Ireland’s Gross Value Added (GVA).

COMPANY NAME: NI Water WE EMPLOY: 1,300 WE ARE BASED IN: Northern Ireland OUR MD/CEO IS: Sara Venning WHAT WE DO: Established in April 2007, NI Water ‘delivers what matters’ by providing water and sewerage services to 850,000 homes and businesses. NI Water provides 570 million litres of fresh drinking water and takes away 340 million litres of wastewater, which it treats

to the outcomes of the Northern Ireland Executive’s draft Programme for Government and the associated Industrial Strategy over the period of our Business Strategy (2017-2021) by supporting and encouraging 30,000-40,000 additional jobs; increasing business expenditure on research and development by £160-£200 million and supporting our customers to increase their total sales by £3.2-£4.2 billion.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: NI Water has delivered over £2 billion of investment over the last ten years, provided record levels of service to customers and reduced its day to day annual running costs by £65 million (since 2009/10). This has enabled the company to close the efficiency gap with top performing water companies in England and Wales by 75%. Recent analysis by Ulster University Business School indicates that NI Water is benefiting the local economy to the tune of £440 million per year. Over a six-year period to 2021, it is estimated that NI Water

Our staff are our key asset. Invest NI has achieved, and maintained, Investors In People Gold standard and is the highest rated organisation in Northern Ireland for the Customer Service Excellence accreditation.

FIND US AT: W: www.investni.com T: @investni

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Be a valued and trusted provider of one of Northern Ireland’s most essential services; an organisation our customers and staff can be proud of.

WHAT SETS US APART: Every aspect of life in Northern Ireland depends on the services NI Water provides. By supplying clean fresh water and safely managing wastewater, we safeguard people’s health, underpin economic growth and protect the environment, which benefits everyone in Northern Ireland.

FIND US AT: W: www.niwater.com T: @niwaternews

NI Chamber 65

equipping them with the skills to compete successfully in the global employment market.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: COMPANY NAME: Northern Regional College

WE ARE BASED IN: Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Magherafelt and Newtownabbey

OUR MD/CEO IS: Professor Terri Scott WHAT WE DO: Northern Regional College is the main provider of further education and training across a diverse catchment area from our campuses in Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Magherafelt and Newtownabbey. Courses are offered on a full-time and part-time basis within a range of professional and technical areas, from work-based learning through to degree level, all designed to provide learners with a lifechanging, supportive and innovative experience,

Through our provision of education and training we make a vital contribution to the Northern Ireland economy. Many of our students go on to set up their own businesses, while those who train as apprenticeships continue to work for their existing employers. With our campuses based across a wide geographical region we have long-standing relationships with local councils, political representatives and community-based groups in each area, delivering a wide variety of education and training at more than 30 community locations in addition to on-campus provision.

We also have a successful track-record in working with the business sector, focused on delivering a variety of funded training packages for employers of all sizes in order to ensure they can fill vacancies with skilled employees, and upskill those already working for them.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Be an

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast and have over 130 branches across the UK

outstanding provider of training and further and higher education, focused on the needs of the modern economy. We will provide students with a life-changing, supportive and innovative experience, which will equip them with the skills to compete successfully in the global employment market and meet the needs of local industry and employers. This year we embarked on an exciting new chapter in our history which will deliver a redeveloped College estate by 2021, focused on new campuses in Ballymena and Coleraine.

WHAT SETS US APART: Our reputation for innovative partnership working with external organisations is second to none. We have long-standing collaborative agreements in place with blue-chip companies including Caterpillar, Ryobi, SDC and NIE Networks, adding to these regularly e.g. a new diploma in Sport with the Irish FA launches in September 2017.

FIND US AT: W: www.nrc.ac.uk T: @NRCCollege

knowledge and expertise. It is within these customer segments where specialised security knowledge is required.

OUR MD/CEO IS: Brian Riis Nielsen WHAT SETS US APART: WHAT WE DO: We are the leading international security company specialising in Protective Services based on people, technology and knowledge.

Our knowledge enables us to deliver tailor made services to industry sectors like Retail, Property Management and Aviation.

FIND US AT: COMPANY NAME: Securitas UK

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

WE EMPLOY: Over 15,500

Continue to focus on security and customer segmentation and to build on the company’s

COMPANY NAME: SSE WE EMPLOY: 250 in Northern Ireland; 1,000 all-island

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast, Omagh and Dublin

OUR MD/CEO IS: Stephen Wheeler WHAT WE DO: SSE is Northern Ireland’s second largest energy utility and leading provider of renewable power.

Our energy supply business, SSE Airtricity, provides greener electricity, natural gas and

66 NI Chamber

essential services to over 300,000 home and business customers across Northern Ireland.

In energy generation, we currently operate over 140 megawatts of renewable energy capacity at our wind farms in Northern Ireland, enough to power around 120,000 homes.

SSE employs around 250 people directly in Northern Ireland and is proud to be an accredited Living Wage Foundation employer.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Since 2008, SSE has invested over half a billion pounds in the development of Northern Ireland’s sustainable energy infrastructure, helping to green our economy and secure Northern Ireland’s energy future.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Continue to support businesses and homes right

W: www.securitas.uk.com T: @SecuritasUK

across Northern Ireland by providing greener energy and essential services in a reliable and sustainable way, while investing in the economy, creating jobs and supporting local communities.

WHAT SETS US APART: At SSE, we aim to be responsible in everything we do and make a lasting difference for communities across Northern Ireland.

We were proud to be named Right Place to Work at the Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards in both 2016 and 2017, on the back of our employee volunteering and community funding programmes.

FIND US AT: W: www.sseairtricity.com T: @sseairtricity

WE EMPLOY: Over 100

responsible for the development of tourism and the marketing of Northern Ireland as a tourist destination to domestic tourists, from within Northern Ireland, and to visitors from the Republic of Ireland. We are a non-departmental public body of the Department for the Economy and we work closely with other tourism bodies to help develop the visitor economy here and to market Northern Ireland to incoming visitors.

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IS:

COMPANY NAME: Tourism Northern Ireland (Tourism NI)

OUR MD/CEO IS: John McGrillen WHAT WE DO: Tourism Northern Ireland (Tourism NI) is

COMPANY NAME: UTV WE EMPLOY: 99 WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast OUR MD/CEO IS: Terry Brennan, Head of News and Programmes

WHAT WE DO: UTV is commercial television broadcaster in Northern Ireland operated by ITV plc. UTV

COMPANY NAME: Wrights Group WE EMPLOY: 1,900 people WE ARE BASED IN: County Antrim OUR MD/CEO IS: Mark Nodder, OBE (Chairman & CEO)

generated over £850 million for the local economy and took 4.6 million overnight trips in Northern Ireland.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Become a £1 billion export industry by 2020.

FIND US AT: W: www.tourismni.com T: @ NITouristBoard

2016 was a strong year for tourism with visitor spend reaching unprecedented levels and Northern Ireland attracting record numbers of visitors outside of Northern Ireland. During 2016 visitors and Northern Ireland residents

delivers high quality news and current affairs and a wide range of non-news programming to reflect the diverse communities it serves. UTV was sold in February 2016 to ITV. UTV produces local news through UTV Live, late night news and Good Morning Britain, as well as local programmes, Rare Breed, Lesser Spotted Journeys, View from Stormont, Up Close, and UTV Life, hosted by Pamela Ballantine. UTV reaches over one million viewers in Northern Ireland every week. UTV is regulated by Ofcom – the Communications Regulator.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE:

O’Reilly; the most watched entertainment programme Britain’s Got Talent; and the most watched regional news - UTV Live.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Continue to deliver high quality news and current affairs reflecting the diversity of Northern Ireland.

WHAT SETS US APART: UTV remains the market leading commercial broadcaster in Northern Ireland, with peak time viewing almost 4 times that of the nearest competitor commercial station.

In 2016, UTV broadcast the most watched soaps – Coronation Street and Emmerdale; the most watched drama – The Secret, set in Northern Ireland starring James Nesbitt and Genevieve

FIND US AT:

WHAT WE DO:

WHAT SETS US APART:

Design and manufacture public transport vehicles (buses).

We are a privately owned, family company competing on a global scale.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE:

FIND US AT:

We are renowned in the industry for pioneering, innovative vehicle designs e.g. tri-axle double deck buses for Hong Kong & Singapore, StreetCar Rapid Transit for Las Vegas, & New Routemaster for London.

W: www.itv.com/utv T: @utv

W: www.wrightsgroup.com T: @wrightsgroup.com

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Shape the future of passenger transport.

NI Chamber 67

feature

BRIGHT YOUNG BUSINESS BRAINS Hannah Megarry, Rory Copeland, Lisa McGrady and Danielle McKeefry (l-r foreground) start their legal training at Pinsent Masons, whilst colleagues Sarah-Louise Baird (Corporate); Meghan Kirk (Litigation & Regulatory); Matthew McMurray (Energy & Projects) and Louise Welsby (Infrastructure & Construction) join their teams as newly-qualified solicitors.

FOUR IN AND FOUR UP IN PINSENT MASONS

O

ne of Northern Ireland’s leading law firms, Pinsent Masons has unveiled its new trainees for 2017/18 with another four recruits entering its training programme.

The investment builds upon a strong platform last year with the firm announcing a 100 per cent retention rate for its quartet of 2016/17 qualifiers.

Taking up their posts as newly-qualified solicitors are Sarah-Louise Baird (Corporate); Meghan Kirk (Litigation & Regulatory); Matthew McMurray (Energy & Projects) and Louise Welsby (Infrastructure & Construction).

The firm will welcome Danielle McKeefry, Rory Copeland, Hannah Megarry and

68 NI Chamber

Lisa McGrady to their training contract programme in September 2017.

Partner and Head of Belfast Office Andrea McIlroy-Rose said: “I’m delighted to see us maintain our strong level of investment in the lawyers of tomorrow. At Pinsent Masons we pride ourselves in providing a first rate training programme.

“Our entrants start their experience with a Trainee Conference where they have the opportunity to meet counterparts from other Pinsent Masons offices. As well as properly structured legal training, we also provide broader skills training such as networking and client engagement. The programme is supported by a dedicated

team ensuring that our people get the best out of the experience of training with us.”

“The recruitment and selection process is robust and rigorous, so we are confident that when we select someone they already have the skills and attributes required to be an excellent solicitor. The investment in training we make and the quality of people we select means we will in most instances seek to retain them as newly qualified solicitors.”

“Pinsent Masons is proud of the positive environment in which our people work and this has been recognised by some outstanding recent accreditations including in the top-ranked professional services firm in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index and The Times’ Top 50 Employers for Women.”

feature

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS REPRESENT NORTHERN IRELAND AT CANADIAN CONFERENCE

T

wo of Northern Ireland’s most promising young entrepreneurs have represented Northern Ireland at The Next Generation Leaders Forum in Canada, with support from professional services firm EY. The two budding entrepreneurs were selected from a pool of over 1,400 young people who took part in the Young Enterprise Company Programme in Northern Ireland throughout the 2016-17 academic year.

Seventeen-year-old-sixth-form students Kirsty Burrows from St Coleman’s High School, Ballynahinch and Cliona YoungMcGahey from Rathmore Grammar, Belfast were selected as EY Entrepreneur of the Future winner and runner up, respectively at an awards ceremony in Belfast in May. During the interview process with some of Northern Ireland’s industry leaders, they

presented their business ideas and were measured on their entrepreneurial skills and qualities.

The global young leader’s conference in Canada focused on leadership, impact & innovation. Student delegates had a unique opportunity to participate in hands-on workshops, hear from industry experts and collaborate with their global peers to respond to a challenge question.

Cary Wilson, Transaction Advisory Services Partner for EY, who judged the EY Entrepreneur of the Future category, said: “On behalf of EY, we are delighted to once again support the EY Entrepreneur of the Future winners. As a firm, we strongly believe that supporting business, education and entrepreneurship is fundamental to creating a better society and a better working world.

The Young Enterprise Programme serves to inspire young people throughout Northern

Ireland to be creative, think outside the box, and have the confidence to pursue their ideas and ambitions so we’re delighted to be able to do our part to support such an important initiative and to see it go from strength to strength.”

The annual Next Generation Leaders Forum in Canada, which was held at Fanshawe College in Ontario in August, connects top young leaders from around the world, who have taken part in Junior Achievement-Young Enterprise business start-up programmes.

Young Enterprise Chief Executive Carol Fitzsimons MBE said: “The NGL experience will inspire these two promising young women to develop a truly global outlook and bring that vision home to Northern Ireland. Kirsty and Cliona have shown us that they have the potential to be the business leaders of the future and we expect this to be hugely beneficial to their development.”

* Visit YENI.co.uk to see how you can get involved with Young Enterprise.

Young Enterprise alumni Kirsty Burrows and Cliona Young-McGahey collecting their EY Entrepreneur of the Future Awards at the Young Enterprise event in May with host Barra Best, and last year’s winners Iveta Liovinaite and Joshua Donnell.

NI Chamber 69

columnist

THE GENERATION GAME: PREPARING FUTURE TALENT AS PEOPLE ARE NOW EXPECTED TO LIVE AND WORK LONGER, THE WORKPLACE OF 2027 COULD HOST UP TO THREE OR FOUR GENERATIONS OF EMPLOYEES. BUSINESSES SHOULD BE LOOKING NOW TO GET AHEAD OF THE CHANGING WORK PATTERNS AND EMERGING SKILL NEEDS SAYS LAURA JACKSON, PARTNER AT BDO NORTHERN IRELAND.

70 NI Chamber

T

he demand for talent is changing and simply won’t be the same in the next decade. As well as being an Audit Partner, I have responsibility for BDO’s marketing as well as its prestigious graduate recruitment and training programmes.

Over the last 10 years, I have mentored more than 100 graduates, many of whom have remained within the firm, including a small number who have claimed roles throughout BDO’s international network. I have seen a rapid evolution in skills, attitudes and expectations, but the years ahead will bring more profound change.

Smart technology has been a disruptive influence, in a good way, and we’re seeing that in cloud based accounting systems. Clients need you to be available at all times. Technology is such a gamechanger. Everyone now has either a smartphone, tablet or laptop (or all of these!) so flexible working should not be a problem for many businesses.

Flexibility is about more than being able to work from home occasionally.

It’s viewed as essential if companies are to capitalise on demands for variable work patterns that suit the differing lifestyles of the workforce and clients.

By 2027, workplaces across Northern Ireland will for the first time reach the point where they are going to have three or four generations working together.

Work ethic and attitudes have changed and employers will have to work skilfully with people to create environments that suit them and their lifestyles and, of course, maximise productivity.

We value relationships and build good interpersonal relationships, built on trust, with clients and colleagues alike. People like working with people they like and trust.

At BDO Northern Ireland, an open and supportive culture has helped embed teams with members drawn from various walks of life. Not all

have come through an accountancy degree course, with each individual encouraged to develop their careers in the direction they choose.

We operate a meritocracy. There are paths there for whoever wants rapid career progression and is willing to earn it. There is no sense of ‘we already have one of those’ so no career paths are closed off. We build careers around what people want to be within BDO. Including myself, half of the firm’s 10 Partners in Northern Ireland joined as graduates and have risen through the ranks demonstrating the commitment BDO has to recruiting and promoting talent. But what about the next generation and the skills that employers will be looking for in the decade ahead?

In 2027, your brain won’t be competing with search engines. The focus won’t be about recalling facts because it will be at our finger tips.

Those who succeed will be those who can adeptly navigate through volumes of data and apply good judgement.

We are already seeing huge volumes of information being created and there is a struggle to keep up with what is relevant and accurate.

That task is going to get harder with the rise of unreliable sources and even ‘fake news’.

The quality of talent in Northern Ireland has always been a high performing asset but it is vital that we move young people on from remembering facts for exams and into a business-ready frame of mind.

WHEN A DESK IS NOT JUST A DESK Desk Warehouse have been supplying Office furniture throughout UK and Ireland since 1993.

They operate from a magnificent 18th Century mill in East Belfast where clients can view a vast range of Office furniture in their 10’000 sq. ft. showroom.

Ranges on display vary from contract office furniture right through to executive suites and real wood veneer boardrooms, Desk Warehouse also stock a unique selection of redundant and end of line stocks which are sold at unbeatable prices.

Recent installations include a school in East Sussex, a Belfast call centre and a Mid Ulster based construction company headquarters.

A full office planning service is provided and clients can visit our showroom and see, feel and touch furniture rather than just buying from a catalogue.

For more information visit www.desk-warehouse.co.uk

ULSTER TATLER GROUP TERMS & CONDITIONS Opinions expressed in Ulster Tatler Group publications are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the publishers. NI Chamber of Commerce and Ulster Tatler Group do not accept responsibility for the views of the correspondents or contributors. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that all the material within is accurate at the time of going to press, Ulster Tatler Group cannot be responsible for mistakes arising from clerical or printing errors.

Advertisements for Ulster Tatler Group publications are accepted only on condition that the advertiser warrants that the advertisement does not in any way contravene the provisions of the Copyright Text and Advertising Trade Descriptions Act 1968.

Where advertisements and art work have been specially designed for Ulster Tatler Group, copyright is strictly reserved. The entire contents of the magazine, articles, photographs and advertisements, are the copyright © of NI Chamber of Commerce and Ulster Tatler Group., and may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publishers. The publishers will institute proceedings in respect of any infringement of copyright. Please note that whilst every effort is made to ensure that any submitted items which you wish returned are sent back in the condition in which they were received, Ulster Tatler Group cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage. All items submitted are at the owner’s own risk.

Manuscripts and photographs/illustrations submitted should be accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. If possible do not send original or irreplaceable material - to avoid disappointment please send copies only. The Publishers - Ulster Tatler Group - reserve the right to reject any advertisement submitted.

Ulster Tatler Group, 39 Boucher Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim, BT12 6HR Tel: 028 9066 3311 www.ulstertatler.com info@ulstertatler.com

The Bush Mexico range of ZaOnuW oɝce furniWure T: 0800 9996055 deskwarehouse.co.uk

view the full range at

Owen O’Cork Mill, 288 Beersbridge Rd, Belfast, BT5 5DX.

NI Chamber 71

CREATING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE

BY LYNSEY CUNNINGHAM, ENTREPRENEUR DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, ULSTER BANK.

With the first set of businesses completing their 18-month journey in the Belfast Entrepreneurial Spark Hub, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on where we (and they) have come from.

The economic and political environment may have become more turbulent, but I think it’s clear that we’ve given many entrepreneurs the impetus they needed to grow and succeed much more quickly than they would have been able to do on their own.

The number of businesses supported by

the programme has continued to rise and encouragingly we’ve seen more and more sophisticated and established companies looking for the benefits that our accelerator can bring in helping them scale up – not just starting out. The halo effect of this has been really significant for us and it has been an important part of driving the cultural change that we hope to achieve – making failure okay, as long as you learn from it, and celebrating entrepreneurship as a valid and respected career choice.

That’s been at the centre of everything we do, whether it’s hosting awards to presenting rapid fire prizes or making new entrants perfect a 60 second pitch – because if we address all the practical ‘logical’ concerns, but don’t give people the attitude and heart to overcome the challenges that come their way, then they will always find barriers, both real and perceived, as they try to progress.

Of course, one programme can’t do everything – but I’ve found that we’ve been able to build really strong links with

other accelerators and early-stage business development organisations to make sure that the right support is available to entrepreneurs, at the right time. Like the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we promote linkages, new thinking and a collaborative approach to developing local business culture. You don’t need a whole village to make an entrepreneur – but it’s always great to have more hands on deck.

Belfast does have entrepreneurial successes but it needs more in order to keep growing sustainably and build a balanced, vibrant economy that creates jobs in the private sector. We’ve taken some big steps towards that but there’s plenty more still to do. www.ulsterbank.co.uk

WHEN YOU HAVE A NEED TO KNOW THE SLOGAN OF PRIORITY INVESTIGATIONS Founded in Dublin in 1987, based on an amalgam of various PI Agencies owned and managed since 1960 from offices in London, Brighton, Belfast, Dublin and New York and Maryland in the USA. Priority Investigations consistently provide clients with accurate information, gathered in an ethical and compliant manner, allowing clients the ability to mitigate risk and make informed business and personal decisions.

From locating Debtors or Witnesses, Serving of Court Process, Locally, Nationally and Overseas. Priority undertake complex managed Investigations into Corporate Fraud, Theft, Intellectual Property Issues, Asset Protection, Due Diligence, Preemployment screening, Background Research, Civil and Criminal Defence inquiries, Surveillance, Compensation Claims and Evidence gathering.

ALL Priority Staff based in Northern Ireland have undertaken and receive ongoing Professional Training - and all

72 NI Chamber

have achieved the IQ Level 3 Award for Professional Investigators (QCF).

When You Have a Need to Know – Select Priority Investigations, we have Professional Indemnity Insurance, DPA Notified and PSA Licenced in Ireland.

The Directors and Operational Staff

Are Members of various Professional Associations, both UK and Overseas, and adhere rigidly to their ethical standards as laid down.

For more information: T: 028 9099 2441

feature

WORD FROM BRUSSELS

AMBITION LOOKS AT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BRUSSELS AS THE UK PREPARES TO LEAVE THE EU.

STATE OF PLAY WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM On 22 May 2017 the European Council authorised the opening of Article 50 negotiations with the UK and nominated the Commission as the European Union negotiator.

Together with the European Council guidelines agreed by the leaders of the EU27 on 29 April 2017, these negotiating directives outline the priorities for the first phase of the negotiations.

The European Commission has also issued detailed position papers for the negotiations with the UK. Each paper is subject to an exchange of views between Michel Barnier, the Commission’s Chief Negotiator, and the Council Working Party chaired by the General Secretariat of the Council, as well as the Brexit steering group of the European Parliament. The European Commission publishes these position papers at www.ec.europa.eu/commission/ brexit-negotiations_en, both when they are shared with the other EU institutions as well as when they are sent to the UK. Position papers on the following topics have been published so far: 1. Citizens’ rights 2. The financial settlement 3. Nuclear materials and safeguard equipment (EURATOM) 4. Issues relating to the functioning of the Union institutions, agencies and bodies 5. Governance of the Article 50 agreement 6. Goods placed on the market under Union law before the withdrawal date 7. Judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters

8. Ongoing judicial and administrative procedures 9. Ongoing police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.

The first round of Article 50 negotiations between the European Commission and the United Kingdom took place on 19 June. Both parties agreed to create working groups on citizens’ rights, the financial settlement and other separation issues. The coordinators of the negotiations on the EU and UK side will also start a dialogue on issues pertaining to Northern Ireland. The outcome of this first round of negotiations is outlined in the “Terms of Reference” agreed between the UK and the European Commission and is published on the website. Discussions on the framework for a future relationship with the United Kingdom will only begin once sufficient progress has been made in all areas of the first phase of the negotiations. It will be for the European Council to decide whether there has been sufficient progress. Michel Barnier has said publicly that he hoped that the European Commission would be in a position to report sufficient progress to the European Council in October.

IRELAND REQUIRES “MORE DETAILED DISCUSSIONS” BARNIER Speaking in July following the second round of Article 50 negotiations with the United Kingdom, EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier said: “In our first round (of negotiations) in June we agreed on the organisation of the negotiations. Our second round was about the presentation of our respective positions. Our objective was to start working on substance and also to continue

building trust between us. I said last week that I wanted to identify the points where we agree and the points where we disagree. This was possible this week for the issues on which there was a clear British position.”

He continued: “On Ireland, we had a first discussion on the impact of Brexit on two key subjects: the Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area. We agree that the important issue of the Good Friday Agreement, in all its dimensions, requires more detailed discussions. In particular, more work needs to be done to protect North-South cooperation between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Today, that cooperation is embedded in the common framework of EU law and EU policies. We need to better understand how the UK intends on ensuring the continuation of this cooperation after Brexit. We also agreed that the UK should clarify in the next session how it intends on maintaining the Common Travel Area after leaving the EU.”

ROAM LIKE AT HOME EU citizens travelling to any other EU Member State will no longer incur roaming charges while making phone calls, texting or surfing online with their mobile phone or device using their home country’s SIM card.

This “roam like at home” principle will apply to the UK while it remains a member of the EU. Mobile operators have to offer their roaming services at domestic prices to consumers who either normally reside in or have stable links to the Member State of the operator. There is no requirement for users to register or take any action to benefit from the “roam like at home” mechanism. From 15 June 2017, it should be included by default in all customers’ mobile contracts on which operators offer roaming.

NI Chamber 73

columnist

DIVERSITY TO SUCCEED

S WEATHERING ECONOMIC STORMS AND HAVING THE RIGHT TEAM IN PLACE IS ESSENTIAL TO THE SUCCESS OF ANY BUSINESS SAYS TREVOR ANNON, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF MOUNT CHARLES.

ince establishing Mount Charles in 1988 I have been witness to an everchanging and often tumultuous economic landscape in Northern Ireland. The late ‘80s basked in the sunshine of rising house prices, tax cuts, lower interest rates and business confidence was high. However the storms soon set in when recession hit in the early ‘90s and a dramatic rise in inflation resulted in the shortlived boom going bust.

In more recent times it was the 2008 financial crisis that brought the economy to its knees. The subsequent global economic downturn has been indiscriminate and for many businesses it has incited a fight or flight mentality. For the local coffee shop on the town’s main street it has been make or break. For the self-employed joiner, whose back was against the wall, it was sink or swim. The damage has been significant and not limited to small businesses. High street giants, including Woolworths and JJB Sports, were sad but inevitable victims of the crisis as consumer spending and credit availability tightened. Nine years later and only the very strong have survived.

The service sector currently accounts for 80 per cent of the UK economy. It is this sector, comprising everything from tradesmanship and accounting services to technical support, that has been credited with driving the UK’s economic recovery.

Continued success of the sector is critical to a strong and sustainable economic backdrop.

In recent figures released by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, total Northern Ireland economic activity increased by 2.4 per cent over the year, with 1.6 per cent of this increase attributed to the services sector alone.

The businesses that have weathered the storm and are now quite clearly driving economic stability are those that were prepared for the chaotic conditions they were forced to operate in, with a strong offering, solid strategy and robust resources.

What the economic downturn has quite brutally shown us is that it is no longer enough to reign in capital spend and sit on your hands until the crisis passes.

74 NI Chamber

For Mount Charles diversification of our services has been paramount to our success. The contract catering company that I established almost 30 years ago has expanded into cleaning, vending, security and facilities management. Our strong client relationships, as well as our professional reputation and credibility, have enabled us to push beyond our remit and respond to the needs of the market we operate in. We have made it our business to put the right people in the right place at the right time.

Knowing where you want to be and setting out achievable goals instills drive and nurtures a sense of optimism within a business and ultimately its workforce. It is also useful to deliver collective responsibility and a shared focus.

The common expression of solidarity – ‘We’re all in this together’ – has most definitely helped in delivering our ‘Road to £50 million’ growth strategy, which sees us strive to achieve a £50 million turnover by 2020.

Employee engagement is fundamental to our achievements to date which has seen us double our turnover from £17.5 million in 2012 to £35 million today, £34,817,000 more than my first year in business!

Having the right team with the right skills and the right attitude is essential to the success of any business.

Passionate, engaged and empowered

employees are imperative to sustained success and are undeniably Mount Charles’ biggest asset.

We have over 2,000 staff that work with us, each one an ambassador for the company and instrumental to sustained growth.

To achieve the £50 million by 2020 we cannot afford to stand still. It isn’t enough to rely on past successes.

To evolve, businesses need to look beyond their own market and explore opportunities elsewhere.

We currently work with 215 companies from across the island of Ireland and our current growth strategy targets further contract gains in the Republic of Ireland and GB markets.

As we speculate on the post-Brexit landscape, it should not be economic volatility or the whisperings of political instability that force your hand.

Businesses need to constantly review their output, driving their standards upwards and striving to upscale their efforts.

According to recent IHS Markit / CIPS UK Services PMI figures, despite input price inflation, skill shortages and a reduction in consumer spending, the services sector continues to employ more people, enjoying the strongest growth in employment of any sector in the last 18 months.

Belief in your service, your staff and yourself is vital and with such evident optimism in the sector, the conditions for future growth are positive.

news

Ann McGregor (NI Chamber); Brian Murphy (BDO) and Maureen O’Reilly (Economist for the QES).

SKILLS AND ATTITUDE SHORTFALL RECRUITMENT DIFFICULTIES ARE A MAJOR ISSUE FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES ACCORDING TO THE LATEST QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY FROM NI CHAMBER AND BDO.

A

staggering 81 per cent of manufacturers and 71 per cent of services businesses taking on staff say they had difficulty recruiting for positions in the second quarter of this year.

That is just one of the findings in the latest Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) and BDO Quarterly Economic Survey (QES).

The report for Quarter 2 of 2017, compiled

by QES Economist Maureen O’Reilly, reveals that recruitment difficulties particularly in professional and managerial staff and skilled trades for manufacturers placed a burden on other employees (44%) and lowered productivity for almost 1 in four businesses (23%). Almost the same percentage (24%) of businesses said they had difficulty in meeting customer needs and 18 per cent gave recruitment problems as the reason for restricting business growth.

Recruitment intentions were strong in Q2 with 69 per cent of manufacturing businesses who responded to the survey reporting they had tried to recruit new staff over the last 3 months. However, recruitment intentions in the service sector did weaken during Q2 with 54 per cent of businesses trying to recruit, down from 66 per cent in Q1.

Respondents cited a lack of the right skills and attitude as the main driver of recruitment difficulties among local businesses. They said there were not enough applicants to meet the required skills (32 per cent said this was a major issue) while 31 per cent said there were not enough applicants with the required attitude/ motivation.

76 NI Chamber

Some 22 per cent of businesses feel that there are not enough applications generally with 20 per cent noting a lack of work experience as a major issue and 18 per cent stating there is too much competition from other employers.

Overall, the results showed continued business growth in Northern Ireland despite mixed performances by both the manufacturing and services sector during Q2.

There was a positive performance by the manufacturing sector during Q2 as most key balances strengthened - despite considerable cost pressures. The sector’s domestic (UK) sales and orders balances continued to improve although growth did appear to slow.

There was also a strong pick up in export sales and orders over the quarter. Businesses continue to face pressures largely from rising raw materials costs, but increasingly from pay settlements, putting manufacturers under pressure to raise prices.

There were signs of a slowdown in growth in the services sector during Q2 2017 as 11 of the 14 key services balances fell. Fewer businesses reported increased sales and orders in the domestic economy and the export order book weakened slightly. Pressure to raise prices in the service sector did ease during Q2 but businesses are increasingly under pressure to raise prices due to pay settlements.

Business confidence is still holding up in both the manufacturing and services sectors although has fallen slightly around turnover prospects over the next 12 months for both. Manufacturers are increasingly confident around profitability. However this has been falling in the service sector since the end of 2016.

Exchange rates concerns continued to ease in Q2 2017. In Q2 39% of members said that exchange rates were more of a concern than 3 months ago (51% in Q1). Inflationary pressures also eased somewhat (25% Q2 vs.

31% Q1) but remains high compared to a year ago. In Q2 2016 this figure was just 8%.

Meanwhile 1 in 2 businesses have not changed or considered changing their business model in light of the UK’s impending exit from the EU with many adopting a ‘wait and see’ attitude as negotiations continue.

Of those that have made or considered changes, they are most likely to have (9%) or considered (28%) changing their target market(s) followed by identifying new suppliers and introducing new products /services.

Around 7% have considered making changes to their business location or setting up a presence outside Northern Ireland/the UK, largely citing the Republic of Ireland as their key choice.

Commenting on the survey results, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber, said: “This quarter’s results indicate that there is continued business growth in the region – albeit slow. The survey also highlights three key challenges facing businesses at the moment – inflation, recruitment difficulties and Brexit.

“In terms of inflation, pressure on prices are likely to keep rising in the coming months as the recent sizeable increases in the cost of raw materials and other overheads filter through supply chains.

“Hiring staff with the right skills continues to be a major problem for businesses with 1 in four saying it had resulted in lower productivity. Low productivity has been a persistent feature of the

news Northern Ireland economy for many years now and despite a number of economic strategies attempting to address this, the gap is continuing to widen.

“Brexit is another concern for businesses who are unable to prepare for what lies ahead because no firm direction has been given on how future relations between the UK and the EU will work. They are effectively shadow boxing in an atmosphere of uncertainty which, for many, means putting plans for growth on hold.

“Added to this, without an Executive in place and talks between Northern Ireland’s two main political parties on hold, Northern Ireland remains outside the critical discussions on Brexit.

“There are major issues for the local economy to face – the lack of an Executive at Stormont is becoming increasingly frustrating. In what is becoming a tired plea, we ask that our parties resume talks and reach a positive outcome as soon as possible.”

ANALYSIS

Northern Ireland Quarterly Economic Survey

www.northernirelandchamber.com

A

Survey Findings

The overall picture suggests modest growth in the NI economy continues during Q2 2017.

Export sales and orders performed particularly strongly in Q2 for manufacturers.

Manufacturing continues its positive performance in Q2 despite cost pressures.

Rising raw materials costs remain the biggest cost burden on manufacturers.

Service sector growth weakens in Q2. Although key balances are positive suggesting some growth.

39% of members state that exchange rates are more of a concern to their business than 3 months ago.

In services, fewer businesses reported increased sales and orders in the domestic economy and the export order book weakened slightly.

NI’s regional position has improved during Q2 2017 and now ranks above the UK average for most key balances in manufacturing and services.

Recruitment Issues

A significant proportion in both manufacturing (81%) and services (71%) trying to recruit are finding it difficult to attract the right staff.

Of businesses who are OH]PUN KPѝJ\S[PLZ ÄUKPUN [OL YPNO[ Z[Hќ ZH` [OPZ PZ having an adverse impact on business productivity.

Say that there are not enough applicants to meet the required skills.

Brexit Watch

Northern Ireland was one of the most negatively impacted upon regions in Q3 2016 by the outcome of the EU referendum result.

BY BRIAN MURPHY, PARTNER, BDO NORTHERN IRELAND

Of businesses have not changed/considered changing their business model in preparation for Brexit.

Some 279 businesses responded to the NI Chamber of Commerce & Industry Quarterly Employment Survey, in partnership with BDO, during the 2nd quarter of 2017. Together they account for just over 26,000 jobs.

5V[L! ;OL ºIHSHUJL» YLMLYZ [V [OL KPќLYLUJL IL[^LLU [OL VM ÄYTZ YLWVY[PUN HU PUJYLHZL PU H RL` PUKPJH[VY TPU\Z the % reporting a decrease.

Are changing/considering changing their business location or setting up a presence outside NI/UK particularly in the Republic of Ireland.

ƈƈƈƈ

year on since the UK vote to leave the EU, our Quarterly Economic Survey reflects an economy that is carefully re-calibrating strategic plans while rolling up its sleeves to get things done. Confidence is holding strong and the demand for local goods and services has not disappeared, but caution and challenge are evident.

The recruitment difficulties reported by many members is troubling and compounded by a lack of clarity on the future status of EU labour. The strength and depth of our workforce is rightly identified as a core concern. The quality of talent in Northern Ireland has always been a high performing asset, but there are concerns that a skills shortage is evolving.

While we do not know what lies ahead in the Brexit negotiations, the reality is that we will need a trained, highly skilled and diverse workforce which can flex with the needs of the economy and the priorities of business if we are to thrive in a post-Brexit world.

At a time where businesses are finding it tough to recruit people with the right skills into their workforce, it is vitally important to shape an economy that makes the most of its talented people and creates a smooth and supported route into employment. We also should not ignore the opportunity of attracting people to come to Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK and further afield to enhance our workforce. There are many advantages for people relocating to Northern Ireland and we should be encouraging such moves.

Now should be the time for political leaders to take stock of how economic policy can be best adapted to the changing environment. Without a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive, the plight of businesses will become much harder.

NI Chamber 77

feature

WHAT DO YOU DO TO ENSURE A WORK/LIFE BALANCE? After my youngest was born I applied and was accepted for a year long career break from UTV. This time at home was invaluable for the whole family and while I may have worried about my return to a four-day week, nine months ago, the process has been very smooth. UTV always was a very family-friendly organisation, I see this continuing now that we are part of ITV. That extra day means I can take my youngest to local playgroups, do the school run and keep in touch with teachers and school. It also allows me to give my all to work the rest of the week.

MUMS WITH POWER SINEAD HUGHES IS A TELEVISION PRODUCER AT UTV IN BELFAST. SHE IS MARRIED TO FRANCIS AND THEY HAVE THREE CHILDREN – JAMES (6), NANCY (4) AND RORY (2).

DESCRIBE YOUR JOB I am currently the Producer of UTV Life with Pamela Ballantine. My job is to find stories and decide who and what we have on the show each week. It can be as varied as a feature on activities on the North Coast, an interview with a famous actor, or a performance from local music talent. There is a great team of people and working with Pamela is a dream. She’s such a professional, making my job a lot easier.

Despite a Biological Sciences degree from Queen’s, I decided to move to London to start a career in Television Production. I got my break with the BBC in Manchester where I worked as a Runner, unpaid, on a network daytime programme. That experience was a great start and helped me to make contacts in the industry. I moved to Granada in Manchester to work on programmes such as Stars In Their Eyes. Within a year I was back home in Belfast at BBC NI. I moved to UTV in 2000, and have worked on many programmes including The Kelly Show and The Troubles I’ve Seen.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE DAY? TV is a very exciting ever-changing environment, and I relish the start of every day. I thrive on the buzz dealing with guests and topics that feature on the show. At the end of the day, arriving home is another favourite as I know I will be greeted by my three children. Being still very young they get so excited which is amazing. We have a wonderful nanny meaning that I can concentrate on my job and not worry about home.

78 NI Chamber

HOW DOES HAVING A CHILD IMPACT YOUR PERSONAL AND WORKING LIFE? TV is tough with sometimes long, unsociable hours but ultimately it’s such a rewarding industry, I know that I’m lucky to have a TV career. I am somewhat less flexible now on working long hours or being away from home but good planning means I can still give my best to the job.

I’ve had my children very close together so the past six years have been relentless!

However Francis and I are slowly getting time together again, thanks to my mum who is always happy to babysit. We both realise the importance of making time for each other even with all the demands of modern day family life.

ARE WORKING MUMS IN GREATER NEED OF STATE SUPPORT THAN STAY-AT-HOME MUMS? Good childcare can be very expensive and make less financial sense than staying at home. It would be life-transforming for many mums to have access to good, affordable childcare which in turn would open up a wealth of talent and experience to employers.

We are lucky to have a great nanny who takes care of our children. However, it’s not easy to find someone that you are happy to care for your children.

DO YOU THINK YOU WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN EMPLOYMENT? Definitely. After a year and nine months away, I worried about not settling back to work and the children missing me. But it was unfounded - I love being back, the children love their nanny and my husband and I support each other in our careers and make everything at home work. This good work life balance means I’ll be a happy working mum.

MEETINGS AT TEN SQUARE HOTEL

BUSINESS IN THE HEART OF THE CITY BUSINESS CENTRE WITH MEETING ROOMS FOR 2 TO 40 DELEGATES DAY DELEGATE RATE FROM £25 PER PERSON

FREAKISHLY GOOD EVENTS MANAGEMENT. ND Events is a fresh and innovative Events Management Company in Northern Ireland. We thrive on producing incredible events for a wide range of clients.

A young company, full of creativity and passion to deliver unforgettable experiences for our clients. We are deeply passionate about what we do, focusing on delivering and exceeding client objectives every time.

We have experience in organising a vast ar ray of events including th e following:

Award ceremonies Company annivers ary celebrations Conferences Corporate hospitalit y Destination manag ement services Exhibitions Family fun days Gala dinners OfďŹ ce launches Product launches Showcase events

View our website for more information â&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.ndevents.co.uk or for an informal chat to discuss how we can help you with your future events, please call Neil Dalzell on 028 9263 3232.

ND Events, 15 Market Place, Lisburn BT28 1AN Tel: +44 (0)28 9263 3232 Email: neil@ndevents.co.uk Web: www.ndevents.co.uk

columnist

TECH SCENE ROUND UP

A WEIGHT LOSS HEADSET DEVICE, A SUPERSONIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM AND MODULAR PHONES. IT’S ALL HAPPENING IN THE TECH WORLD AS SYNC NI’S CONALL KEENAN, MARKETING AND SUSAN CLELAND, GENERAL MANAGER, EXPLAIN.

Jason McKeown of Neurovalens wearing the Modius weight loss device.

USE YOUR HEAD AND SHIFT UNWANTED POUNDS You don’t have to be a dietician to work out that the world is sharing a common problem: obesity and ill-health.

However, that doesn’t make it any easier of an issue to tackle – with schedules becoming busier and workloads steadily increasing, it isn’t an easy task to simply go to a gym (and that’s not counting membership fees). That’s why our eyes lit up when we heard about Modius, the headset backed by leading neuroscientists as the device that will finally help you shift those unwanted pounds. Modius is the first product from award-winning Northern Irish neurotech company Neurovalens and aims to help millions of people achieve leaner bodies by reducing body fat – all with the help of neuroscience. Founded by Co. Antrim’s Dr. Jason McKeown and his colleague and fellow neuroscientist Dr. Paul McGeoch, Modius sends a signal to the vestibular nerve, part of the brain that controls fat storage. This encourages the body’s metabolism to burn fat, resulting in weight loss.

Previously, vestibular stimulation has been shown to be closely related to fat loss, with the stimulation interpreted by the brain as the body being more physically active, triggering the brain/ hypothalamus to reduce fat storage. For the team at Neurovalens, it’s a no-brainer: “If you’re interested in having a leaner and healthier body, then this might be just the thing you’ve been looking for. And, it’s only 45 minutes a day – that’s less time than we spend in the gym!”

THE HYPERLOOP Depending on which road you take, a journey from the United States’ New York City to Washington D.C. can take you up to 5 hours of travelling, across over 277 miles of roads. However, that could all be about to change, thanks to Elon Musk’s latest plans to construct a super-fast ‘hyperloop’ connecting the two cities. The Telsa CEO claims that his proposed supersonic-speed mode of transportation would take you from D.C. to the Big Apple in 29 minutes – as well as making additional stops in Philadelphia and Baltimore. The plans are significant, and could change the very concept of transport as we know it. City centre would be linked with city centre, with up to a dozen or more entry-elevator zones in each area. According to Musk, the plans don’t stop there: a Texas loop would also be constructed, making stops in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

The plans come after South Korea signed an agreement which would see a hyperloop journey completed in 20 minutes. Musk claims that the Hyperloop pods will be faster than trains, safer than cars and less damaging to the environment than planes. However, is this all really achievable?

Experts question the financial feasibility of Musk’s plans, dismissing the tech-guru’s £17 million per-mile price tag as unrealistic, and based on underdeveloped technology.

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

MODULAR PHONES – DO THEY MAKE SENSE OR NOT? When it comes to smartphone designs, things have gotten a little homogeneous over recent years. Then along came modular phones. They look nothing like phones and they look not nothing like what most manufacturers would wish to call a phone. Modular phones are slowly creeping into the mobile market, and there are so many reasons why they do, and don’t make sense. Imagine your phone as a combination of different building blocks – each block tending to a separate function, as its own separate entity. Keyboards can be removed as blocks, allowing for a new upgrade or aesthetic look. Cameras are snap-on, snap-off, opening the possibility of an ever-upgrading device. This trend is slowly, but surely starting to shift in favour of modular phones, with add-on components becoming increasingly common. This of course opens up the possibilities of endless customisation, whilst not being bound by your device’s specifications. As such, the technology allows the flexibility and adaptability of a smartphone. Will modular phones be a mere gimmick in the history of handheld devices? Only time will tell.

82 NI Chamber

columnist

DRIVING THE

DIGITAL DIMENSION

RESEARCH BY INTEGRATED MARKETING COMPANY ICAN SHOWS THAT DIGITAL HAS TO BE FRONT AND CENTRE AND NOT A BOLT ON FOR BUSINESSES AS SIOBHAN LAVERY, ITS NORTHERN IRELAND DIRECTOR EXPLAINS.

O

ctober 2017 marks 3 years since advertising agency ICAN opened their Belfast office and 3 years since I took what I then thought was a brave decision to leave the comfort of radio advertising, a media channel I had worked in for 10+ years. Looking back, what felt like a brave step was in fact just a really smart move.

ICAN were a Dublin-based digital first advertising agency, established in 1999.Their success was built on their refusal to ignore the significant shifts in today’s media consumption, and let technology and audience insights lead their thinking for creative and innovative advertising solutions.

Building on their success in the Republic of Ireland marketplace and having analysed the Northern Ireland market, ICAN expanded into the local market and I wanted to be part of this. Opening an office in Belfast’s creative hub, the Cathedral Quarter, was a decision firmly based on evidence. A number of companies had approached ICAN having failed to find an agency in Northern Ireland to cater for their requirements.

An analysis of the competitor landscape unveiled two categories of agencies: traditional agencies that offered digital as an added service, often provided by a 3rd party; and

agencies specialising in one digital channel only. This market lacked agencies who could offer a truly media neutral approach and were able to recommend the best media to deliver on client objectives to their most relevant audience.

To support our reading of the market, we commissioned a piece of research with Millward Brown* to assess the position of digital in Northern Ireland and the research was extremely interesting. Whilst 80 per cent of respondents strongly agreed that digital was important for the future of their business, only 40 per cent agreed that their business had a robust digital strategy in place and only 19 per cent of participants were happy with their digital marketing strategy.

These findings became the ICAN Digital Barometer, a measure of digital in the marketplace, and we revisited the research 18 months later. Compared to the previous research burst, 12 per cent more firms were using social channels to promote their business, whilst there had been a 115 per cent increase in the adoption of Search Engine Optimisation. Paid searches were also becoming more popular with a 100 per cent uplift whilst there has also been an 175 per cent increase

in display campaigns and a 32 per cent increase in the use of video on demand.

Our respondents were continuing to tell us that digital continues to be important. However, despite the massive increase in activity in digital channels, only 20 per cent of the respondents were happy with their digital strategy. In short, being active in digital for digital’s sake does not equal success and satisfaction. These findings resonated strongly with our experience in talking to companies in Northern Ireland. Our significant growth in just 3 short years is testament to our understanding that creative, web, search, production, analytics and media cannot work to their full potential in isolation. One informs the other, and without all aspects working together a campaign and client’s business will never be fully optimised. Digital has to be front and centre in consideration and not a bolt on.

Later in 2017, we will revisit our Digital Barometer to re-evaluate digital in the marketplace. We look forward to seeing another step change. Stay tuned… *

ICAN NI Digital Barometer – Millward Brown Nov 2014 + June 2016.

NI Chamber 83

appointments

NEW APPOINTMENTS

EY Ireland announces eight new Partners following continued growth across the island of Ireland: Ivan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien (Advisory Partner); Brian Lenihan (Assurance Partner); Derarca Dennis (Head of Financial Accounting Advisory Services); Ruth Logan (Assurance Partner); Mike McKerr (Country Managing Partner, Ireland); Eoin MacManus (Managing Partner of Financial Services, Ireland); Ciara McKenna (Financial Services Assurance Partner); Shane MacSweeney (Head of Government & Infrastructure); Cathal McDonagh (Assurance Partner); Ronan Walsh (Advisory Partner).

David Sinnamon has been appointed Risk Manager with Willis Insurance and Risk Management.

Leslie Dick has been appointed Management Risks Client Director with Willis Insurance and Risk Management.

Charlotte Turk has been appointed as a Solicitor, Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution by A&L Goodbody.

Claire McGoldrick has been appointed as a Solicitor, Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution by A&L Goodbody.

REGISTER | BROWSE | APPLY WWW.GRAFTONRECRUITMENT.COM

84 NI Chamber

TEMPORARY RECRUITMENT IN THE HR SECTOR

BY KATHRYN BENNETT, SENIOR CONSULTANT AND HR SPECIALIST AT GRAFTON RECRUITMENT.

Ciaran O’Shiel has been appointed as an Associate, Litigation & Dispute Resolution; IP & Technology by A&L Goodbody.

In today’s workforce, businesses need to rely on contract staff more often than they used to, due to shifting demands on the organisation. Our ever changing economic landscape means businesses need to have greater agility to diversify in different ways.

These times of transition mean they will have to recruit for areas of interim change, new business functions, or for training up current staff in a different way.

The benefits to an organisation for employing staff on an interim basis means they don’t have to worry about expanding their team for the long-haul, yet have the extra support for a period of time, or a specific project.

Human Resources (HR) is a profession with a higher rate of interim roles, especially maternity cover roles compared to any other.

Some might say I am stumbling on dangerous ground by saying this, but the fact is (I say fact for that very reason) that 79.3 per

Jenny Moore has been appointed as an Associate, Employment & Corporate Immigration by A&L Goodbody.

cent of HR professionals in the UK are female, with 65.1 per cent at Senior Management level (UK Labour Market). As to why so many HR professionals are female, is another discussion.

The demand for HR Contractors continues to show no sign of reducing. There are many benefits to working in an interim role, especially within the HR profession: experience across different sectors, flexibility, less competition for the role at interview stage, continuous progression up the career ladder for perpetual contracting professionals, higher salaries in most cases and creating your own professional network…to name but a few. t 'PS UIF GVMM BSUJDMF BOE NPSF information about the benefits of working on a temporary basis or hiring contract, please visit www.graftonrecruitment.com/ blog/2017/08/temporary-recruitmentin-the-hr-sector

Peter Smyth has been appointed as Client Relationship Executive at Ulster Community Investment Trust Ltd (UCIT).

Kevin O’Neill has been appointed as a registered Architect to HLM.

REGISTER | BROWSE | APPLY WWW.GRAFTONRECRUITMENT.COM

NI Chamber 85

feature

SUPER SIX

THE THINGS I’VE LEARNED IN BUSINESS

Shaun McAnee is Managing Director of Corporate & Business Banking at Danske Bank. Shaun has responsibility for leading Danske’s Corporate Banking, Markets, Specialist Business and Agri-Business teams, as well as the bank’s regional business centres throughout Northern Ireland. He joined Danske Bank in 2012, having previously held a number of senior positions in the banking and financial sector across the UK and Ireland.

1. Know your numbers Every business has key metrics running across financial, customers, products and processes. To be taken seriously you absolutely must know your numbers. If you don’t, then you are not as close to the detail as you need to be. Measuring what you are achieving gives you a foundation for improvement. If you are not trying to improve all aspects of what you do, there is a high likelihood that you are going backwards.

2. Meet your customers Time spent with customers is always time well spent. Regardless of the circumstances, face-to-face meetings with customers will always yield a benefit. Taking time out to visit customers, hear their views and get feedback on your performance as a supplier drives your ability to understand customer needs.

3. Know where the best ideas come from The best ideas come from those in your business that actually do the work. I am happy to admit the best ideas I have implemented over the years were mostly other peoples’. They came from spending time with people in the business and listening to their feedback. It is also important to acknowledge that gifted people who continually come up with new ideas will sometimes have bad ones – that is fine as long as you can decipher which is which.

It is also important to create a culture where all new ideas are welcome, both good and bad. If the ideas are not forthcoming, there is a chance you may never hear the good ones.

4. The importance of the team It may seem obvious, but you need to surround yourself with good people. The plan, vision and goals you have set will only be achieved through a team of people. Ensuring this team has the right mix of skills, experience and diversity are all part of a business’s growth journey. If success is reliant on one individual in a team always being right, then failure beckons.

5. Respect your competition It is said competition drives innovation, although that phrase also works the other way round. Take your competitors seriously – particularly new competition that will seek to disrupt your business with new thinking and new ways of doing things.

6. Think about the future Think about what needs to be in place if your business is to be successful in 5 years, 10 years – not just the present, or a year ahead. If you are not spending time on future planning you are not acting as an effective leader. The future of your business, the future for your customers and the future for your employees all hinge on the ability of leaders to plan ahead.

86 NI Chamber

CAUSEWAY COASTS ALONG TO SUCCESS Did you see the BBC One Show doing the Causeway Crawl in August?

It showcased our stunning area of outstanding natural beauty. Tourism numbers have been increasing over the last few years and Riada has been a core service provided for all the local business and it appears there is no end in sight.

There is no doubt that the Causeway Coast is growing in popularity, hosting some of Northern Ireland’s biggest events including Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and North West 200. The tourism and hospitality industry here continues to attract summer staycations and welcomes visitors from all over the world. More people visiting requires more people to look after them, cook for them, clean for them, direct them and generally help them have a good time. Any increase in demand is a challenge for a business, the nature of the tourism industry means sharp peaks and troughs. We specialise in smoothing these out for our clients.

This summer we have strengthened the Riada team with the appointment of Sharon Thorpe. Sharon’s extensive experience within the Customer Service industry, includes management roles in Belfast City

Airport and several luxury award winning hotels and Spas.

Sharon believes that “Your business’s best asset is your employees. My passion is to invest in people. At Riada we provide training and support to ensure employees perform to the best of their ability. I see and understand our client’s perspective having worked for over 20 years in the Hospitality and Customer Service Industry.

The industry has specific needs including quality of service, response times and skills.

This adds to the recruitment pressures to conduct the correct procedures and techniques to meet their demands.”

Speak to Sharon today on 028 7032 6600 to discuss how Riada can provide staffing solutions…to stabilise your core staff or to meet the demands of the peak seasons. www.riadaresourcing.com

RANDOX HEALTH ‘ON THE MOVE’ With years of experience in the scientific field, Randox Health is committed to improving people’s lives across the globe, and with a passion for innovation, we are continuously striving to be at the forefront of future healthcare, providing you with the best possible service available on demand.

This year we’re proud to introduce our new mobile clinic to the UK which satisfies the need for health screening on wheels. With this new service our team of experts can visit you in the comfort of your own home or your workplace, on an agreed day or time, offering you preventive, personalised health programmes anytime anywhere!

Each appointment is carried out to a high standard, and with one small blood sample taken, appointment lasts no longer than 30 minutes, allowing you to carry on with your day.

With this service, you will not have to waste valuable time travelling to and from hospitals and clinics afar – we come to you!

When making a booking our flexible times are in place to suit your needs and appointments are available all over the UK.

For more information call 028 9442 2413 or download the app.

NI Chamber 87

THE BAR OF NORTHERN IRELAND LAUNCH NORTHERN IRELAND’S FIRST RESOLUTION CENTRE As the demand for alternative dispute resolution in Northern Ireland continues to rise, the Bar of Northern Ireland has created a purposebuilt facility to enable out-of-court mediation and arbitration services to be offered in an accessible and private space from 14th September 2017.

Located within The Boat – an iconic building in Belfast’s skyline – The Resolution Centre will offer bespoke facilities and services for clients to resolve disputes outside of the traditional court setting.

Northern Ireland’s first and only dedicated centre for alternative dispute resolution, The Resolution Centre will create a venue within the local Belfast market for skilled mediators and arbitrators to use their specific set of core skills to assist parties in arriving at alternative resolution options.

Traditionally a wide range of commercial, civil and family disputes end up being taken to court for resolution. Whilst this remains a highly effective and appropriate route in many circumstances, the number of local disputes settled outside of litigation has been on the rise as parties seek, and are often encouraged, to explore other alternatives. The Resolution Centre aims to support this trend by offering a

venue and a service which will help when the conditions lend themselves towards pursuing resolution by another means. In addition to handling commercial disputes, The Resolution Centre is therefore available for handling private cases including divorce and family law.

It offers facilities including private room hire with access control and acoustically sealed rooms as well as a full AV suite including Wi-Fi, telephone and video

conferencing, confidential paper disposal and wireless photocopying, printing and scanning and catering options, In addition to alternative dispute resolution, facilities within The Resolution Centre can also be used for meetings, training or seminars.

For more information on The Resolution Centre visit theresolutioncentre.co.uk or call 028 9026 5700

COMPANY CAR FUNDING FOR SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Access to a fully funded car is undoubtedly a key benefit in a company’s staff remuneration package.

However, when it comes to Directors and Senior Managers, the situation becomes complex. Senior staff tend to prefer high CO2, pricier company cars, and with BIK tax increasing yearly, decisions on vehicle

88 NI Chamber

models and funding options have become vital in securing the most costeffective vehicle solutions.

Agnew Corporate have the expertise to advise on the best funding options for each individual, whether it may be via business contract hire or a private purchase on PCH or PCP. Adopting a consultative approach, we utilise the Deloitte Whole Life Cost

application to ensure we give sound advice based on accurate financial modelling.

We analyse vehicle make and model, business vs private mileage, fuel reimbursement policies and cash allowances to ensure we find a financially beneficial solution for both the company and driver.

Recently, we carried out a Whole Life Cost analysis for Atlas, resulting in significant savings for two company directors. Upon thorough analysis, we calculated that a more efficient option than leasing company cars would be to allocate a suitable monthly cash allowance and fund the cars on a personal contract hire basis. While the individual calculations varied depending on the business mileage split and car selection, Stephen McConnell, Finance & HR Director at Atlas explained, “With Agnew Corporate’s assistance, we now have a full understanding of our costs, which has ultimately allowed us to make significant savings”.

For more information, contact David McEwen, Head of Business Development, on 02890386600.

Agnew Corporate, 18 Boucher Way, Belfast, BT12 6RE

CONCRETE, MORTAR, PLASTER & SCREED At RTU our focus on quality and innovation, combined with continued investment in new technology, keeps us ahead of the field.

A state of the art production plant, an ever-growing fleet and of course great people, mean we always deliver a quality product on time, every time.

lifestyle

SCANDINAVIAN CHIC THE NEW XC60 UNDERLINES VOLVO’S COOL AND DESIRABLE CREDENTIALS, WRITES JAMES STINSON.

T

he margins are bigger on larger, more expensive cars which is why everyone wants to be a premium brand car maker these days.

But there are only a handful of mass market premium manufacturers.

To the big three from Germany – Mercedes, BMW, and Audi – you could probably add Lexus and Jaguar / Range Rover. And I’d throw Volvo into that basket, based on the excellent XC90 and this new XC60.

It’s essentially a scaled down version of the larger XC90 we enthused about on these pages last year.

It uses the same platform and may of the same engines as its bigger sibling.

It’s also much more modern and slippery looking than the car it replaces – another carry over from the XC90.

Both inside and out, there’s more than a whiff of Scandinavian chic – clean, unfussy, and easy on the eye.

It’s bigger than the old XC60 too, with more head and shoulder room front and rear, and a decent boot, with the spacious feel accentuated by Volvo’s use of lightly coloured interiors.

All versions have five seats which, the Discovery Sport aside, is par for the course in this class.

Despite its size, it doesn’t feel that bulky, with a great driving position and good all-round visibility.

It scores well in other areas too. The entry level Momentum model starts from a not insignificant £37k, which is on a par with competitors like the Mercedes GLC. However, this includes many items that are optional extras on rivals.

For example, as standard it gets keyless go, LED headlights, a powered bootlid, rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, and the 9-inch tablet-style touchscreen with satnav.

Moreover, the XC60 continues Volvo’s well-earned reputation for safety. In Sweden, Volvo even has a team of accident investigators who visit crash scenes in order to learn how its cars can be made safer.

So not only do you get a strong bodyshell with a multitude of airbags you also get a suite of equipment designed to prevent you from crashing in the first place.

This includes systems that can take control of the car’s speed and steering in order to guide it away from potentially dangerous situations, such as

drifting into oncoming traffic or pulling out in front of a car in your blind spot.

All XC60s also come with pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection integrated within the autonomous emergency braking, plus road edge detection to reduce the chances of the car inadvertently leaving the road.

There’s a limited but adequate range of diesel and petrol engines to choose from. The petrol is fast but too thirsty for most buyers while the D4 and D5 diesels are differently tuned versions of the same 2.0 litre motor, one pumping out 188bhp and the other, 232bhp.

The cheaper D4 will do more than enough for most drivers, delivering decent punch and a claimed 55 miles to the gallon – around 10-20% less in the real world.

A T8 Twin Engine petrol-electric plug-in hybrid will be available later in the year. That too is significant because from 2019, Volvo says every new model will feature an electric motor, either in hybrid or all electric mode.

It will still make diesel and petrol versions of existing models but the direction of travel is clear – Volvo wants to be a leader in making cleaner cars.

There’s no end to its ambitions.

Your fleet in our hands

We’ll manage your fleet while you manage your business

90 NI Chamber

T: 028 9038 6600 agnewcorporate.com

Your fleet in our hands

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll manage your fleet while you manage your business Call us on: 028 9038 6600

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

lifestyle

TESLA’S ELECTRIC DREAM Many think Tesla could be to cars what Apple is to computers and smartphones. How else would a company that made fewer than 50,000 vehicles in the last six months and lost nearly £700 million last year be worth more than Ford?

Investors are betting that Tesla, which has been a pioneering, almost evangelical force in the field of electric cars is about to hit the mother lode with this new Tesla Model 3. It’s significant because it’s half the price of the next cheapest car in the Tesla range, costing from $35,000 and is likely to be between £25,000 to £30,000 when UK pricing is firmed up.

Already, more than 450,000 people have paid a $1000 deposit which means that if you join the queue now, you’ll probably have to wait 18 months and more before you get one.

Right-hand drive versions won’t be available until 2019 at the earliest.

All that without a single penny spent on marketing… such is the interest generated by Tesla’s flamboyant billionaire founder Elon Musk and his vision for an electric car future.

So, what’s the fuss? Electric car technology is moving on apace but they are still expensive, relative to petrol, diesel or hybrids.

Range isn’t great either with Belfast to Dublin a non-starter without stopping somewhere along the way for a top-up charge.

It is better on the new Model 3. The standard car has a claimed range of 220 miles (likely to be less in real-world conditions) and can reach 60mph from a standing start in 5.6sec before reaching a top speed of 130mph.

A second variant of the Model 3 focuses on extended range and can travel for up to 310 miles officially. Again, less in real-world driving, depending on how hard you drive, whether you’ve got the air-con on etc. So not only is the new Tesla affordable but it starts

to work for many more people and not just those living in and around cities with short commutes and plenty of charging points.

It’s also a proper family car. The five-seat interior has decent leg and headroom while the two luggage compartments, one front and one rear, have 425 litres of space, which is only 10% less than you get in a BMW 3-Series. It should be an OK drive too with good weight distribution and surprisingly low overall weight of 1600kgs.

There are other less tangible reasons why buyers are attracted to Tesla. They’re stylish, techy, and very different… much in the same way Apple was and is.

There’s a momentum behind electric cars now with the UK government recently announcing that all new cars will have to be electric from 2040. If Tesla can keep up with demand and continue to innovate faster than the rest of the car industry, it could be in pole position to cash in. Find out more at www.tesla.com.

MAZDA NOT RESTING ON ITS LAURELS The CX-5 was already one of the smartest and practical SUVs around and Mazda has just gone and made it a whole lot better.

The previous big selling version, launched in 2012, was widely lauded as a great driver’s car and this new version promises to be even more taut and agile thanks, among other things, to a more rigid chassis.

Other big changes include a more upmarket interior, which feels and looks more expensive. The new car is better looking too with a slightly lower roofline, which along with slimmer headlights and a larger helping of chrome trim certainly creates a smarter, more serious and upmarket-looking car.

Prices start from £23,695 for the two-wheel drive entry level SE-L petrol version. Diesels start at £25,695, with the cheapest all-wheel drive version available from £27,695.

Your fleet in our hands

We’ll manage your fleet while you manage your business

92 NI Chamber

T: 028 9038 6600 agnewcorporate.com

lifestyle

BIG DATA CAN HELP TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES SCOPE OUT THE BEST OPTIONS FOR CLIENTS. EDEL DOHERTY, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BEYOND BUSINESS TRAVEL LOOKS AT WHAT’S HAPPENING.

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY The big data revolution has had a huge impact on almost every industry and business sector globally. The travel sector is no different.

The potential impact and benefits of information gathered from mobile bookings, check-ins, searches and payment transactions is huge. The data can be used not only to reduce costs but also to address challenges faced by travel managers and their employees.

Big data refers to the mass of structured or unstructured data that inundates businesses on a daily basis.

In the travel industry, data is generated from every client and customer transaction such as bookings, itineraries, accommodation, enquiries, cancellations, customer feedback, geolocation etc.

At every moment in a traveller’s journey, from the time they book their flight or search for car hire prices online, to when they check into accommodation, their actions create data. This data presents a valuable opportunity for businesses to provide better travel options to their employees and improve their experience.

The data collected by employers themselves, or Travel Management Companies such as Beyond Business Travel, can be utilised to streamline processes, to give customers what they want and to improve their time away from home.

Already many major travel companies are processing big data to determine hidden patterns, market trends, customer preferences and other facts which may help them enhance service or reduce expenses.

There’s a growing need amongst our clients to go beyond simply booking travel based on price. What we are experiencing is a growing demand for personalisation and enrichment.

Analysis of big data can help companies understand the needs of the individual traveller. Does one employee always book too near departure date? Does another prefer early morning flights?

Instead of presenting a page of flight options, an employee could be given only one or two options which help them arrive on time, stay compliant with travel policy, and meet preferred vendor needs and business objectives.

Trips can be made easier and more enjoyable, automatically, which can improve staff retention and employee wellbeing. Bookings are compliant and duty of care obligations are met with ease.

By analysing historical data of traveller choices, hotels, destinations, preferred airlines, reviews and other factors, travel managers can identify exactly what money is being spent on and whether those areas can be better managed to keep costs down. By asking the “What If?” question, they can predict what impact changes to corporate travel policies will have before they are rolled out.

Corporate card data can be analysed to ascertain, who’s spending the money, where they’re spending it and with which companies. Savings can be made, discounts can be sought and reporting becomes easier.

For instance the Dublin-based Microsoft travel team analysed data from their 1.6 million travel records over a three year period and tracked cost per mile by city, carrier, advanced booking or not, class of service and more.

Many companies in Northern Ireland now want to translate their data into insights and are keen for us to help them improve efficiency and overall experience using this information.

Next month we are launching a new service called BEYOND Data, which will provide our account managers and their clients with on-demand access to real time data.

We will provide travel managers with a global or regional view of their data in any currency. Through this, teams can easily monitor and manage spend, trends and traveller behaviour.

NI Chamber 93

lifestyle

GET READY FOR AUTUMN REMUS UOMO

OLIVER BONAS X-Slim Fit Checked WoolRich Stretch Mix n Match Suit.

THIS ISSUE JOANNE HARKNESS TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT AUTUMN HAS IN STORE FOR FASHION.

Silver tie & Pink Slim Cotton Shirt, Reiss.

Blouse J by Jasper Conran, Debenhams.

Leather Peep Toe Slingbacks, Next.

Link Stitch Scarf, Ted Baker.

SALT. sunglasses, Bryden Opticians.

Noor In Bloom Floral Midi Dress, Allens of Caledon.

94 NI Chamber

Bertie Mens - Pusha Shoes, Mens at Dune.

lifestyle

CULINARY DELIGHTS BBQ BEEF BRISKET & POUSSIN WITH SPICY SAUCE Poussin with spicy sauce 3 poussins 2 cloves garlic 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce 2 lemons, zested and juiced 3 tblsp olive oil Spicy sauce 5 red chillies 8 cloves garlic 1 tblsp caster sugar 3 tblsp red wine vinegar 2 lemons juiced 1 tblsp smoked paprika olive oil

Method: Poussin is a small chicken and can be found on the shelves of most supermarkets. This dish can work equally well with a full size chicken that has been broken down into legs, breast, thigh and drumstick.

First, break down the poussin using good scissors by cutting down the backbone, remove the breast from the spine and discard the bone. Season the birds with salt and pepper keeping the skin on.

Mix the marinade of garlic, lemon, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil and place over the poussin in an oven proof baking dish. Cover in cling film and leave in the fridge overnight.

For the spicy sauce start by searing the chilli and whole garlic in a small frying pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes until they

SUMMER MAY HAVE GONE BUT SEPTEMBER CAN STILL BE A WARM MONTH WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE. JAMES STREET SOUTH OWNER AND HEAD CHEF NIALL MCKENNA HAS TWO DELICIOUS RECIPES WHICH ARE PERFECT FOR AL FRESCO DINING.

turn black. Remove from the pan, deseed the chillies and place the flesh into a blender with the garlic, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and the smoked paprika adding about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some water. Add some salt and blend until fine.

Start up the barbecue and once the charcoal is white, place the poussins on the side of the bbq and brush over the sauce, I use a pastry brush. Start by cooking flesh side up for 10 minutes, brushing with the sauce. Turn over so the poussin is skin side up and keep brushing with sauce. The birds should cook in a further 15 minutes. Alternatively, cook in the oven at 200 deg C with skin side up for 40 minutes but keep brushing on marinade.

Heat the rest of the sauce on a gentle heat adding a little water if needed and serve on the side with a wedge of lemon and some potatoes baked in the oven.

BBQ Beef Brisket 2 kg of beef brisket For the marinade: 3 red chilies, chopped 2 red peppers, diced 4 cloves of garlic, sliced 2 tomatoes, halved 1/2 onion, diced 1/4 teaspoon of cumin seeds, toasted in dry pan on medium heat to release flavour 2 cloves garlic crushed 1 sprig thyme 45ml cider 4 teaspoons salt and pepper

Method: To start this dish you need to brine your beef. In a clean bucket add 300g salt to every 3 litres water. Leave the beef covered in water for 24 hours. Remove from the water and wash off under running water.

Blend the rest of the ingredients in a blender until still a bit chunky, not completely smooth. Cover the beef in the

mix in a bowl or on a plate, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least one day.

To cook, remove the beef from the cling film and place on a pre-heated BBQ. If you are using a charcoal BBQ, place on the exterior of the grill, or if you are using gas place up on the higher shelf. To cook until medium rare will be approximately 20 minutes.

NI Chamber 95

columnist

MEASURING POTENTIAL

T

WITH STUDENTS NOW ARMED WITH THEIR SUMMER EXAM RESULTS, SURELY IT’S TIME TO NURTURE AND DEVELOP THEIR POTENTIAL FOR THE YEARS AHEAD WRITES JOURNALIST AND BROADCASTER JIM FITZPATRICK.

96 NI Chamber

he late summer news is full of stories about exam results. It’s big news because these exams can shape the future for so many young people and, by extension, society in general.

It seems the educational authorities are never done with making changes. I was in the last cohort to sit O Levels. It’s been GCSEs since then. The big shift with GCSEs was towards more modular courses with ongoing coursework throughout the two years. The same principle seemed to lie behind the shift towards AS and A2 examinations replacing the two year A Level programme.

I have to admit that I would have suffered under the more recent system. I was always a bit of a last minute merchant. I would not have liked the constant pressure of coursework and ongoing examinations.

And I would have been mightily annoyed had my Lower Sixth year been interrupted by such alien concepts as hard work and important examinations.

Now the drift in England is back towards the older approach. Northern Ireland may well follow. The indications from the English A Level results are that the changes have favoured boys.

So, how should we measure success? And are we seeking to measure the right things?

In business would an employee be sacked or demoted because they performed badly in a test even if the employer knew that the person in question held great potential? Of course they wouldn’t. Surely the real test for any employee is how they perform in real circumstances. In good companies potential is nurtured and developed.

Yet in education we tell children at 11, 16 and 18 that their future depends on a test of their knowledge rather than a measure of their potential. It just doesn’t

feel right. I accept the need for some testing, some measuring and some sense of recognising academic achievement. But I’m not convinced we’ve got it right.

In Finland, which consistently scores near the top in international measures of education, there is no standardised testing of students until their final year of school before they go to university. Teachers in Finland are well educated and well paid. They are empowered to do what they feel is necessary to educate the children in their care. Homework generally doesn’t exist. The students work hard in school and continue to learn outside of school, just not the way we are used to. There are no official league tables. Children also start formal education at a later age.

It sounds too good to be true. But what it suggests is a fundamental difference in how education is viewed, respected, appreciated and delivered.

It is much more akin to the kind of employee development work that takes place in the best companies, than our standardised, almost Victorian approach.

Excellence is important and must be encouraged.

So too competence. Not everyone is an Einstein and most of us would be happy simply to be good at our jobs. But sometimes it feels as if our education system encourages neither excellence nor competence.

The one thing all those students need to remember as they receive their results, from 11 plus to university degrees, is that these are merely measures of past performance. They provide no reliable guide of future performance. Potential is the key. It can’t been fully measured, but it must always be nurtured and developed.

MAGNOFFICENT

S U P E R I O R S E RV I C E D A N D V I RT U A L O F F I C E S A D J A C E N T T O B E L FA S T C I T Y H A L L

028 9091 8200 | scottishprovidentbuilding.co.uk

FurniturE | SEating | StoragE | Partitions | CarpEt | Lighting

www.1080.co.uk

t:028 9070 1080 e:think@1080.co.uk 1080 IS PART OF THE ALPHA GROUP

Jč « > À«"vwVi