Ambition Issue 25 (Nov/Dec 2017)

MAGAZINE OF NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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contents

NI CHAMBER COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER

November/December 2017 Issue 25

Editor: Adrienne McGill Publisher: Chris Sherry Advertising Managers: Lorraine Gill Gerry Waddell Editorial Assistant: Joanne Harkness

54 DIAGEO RAISES A GLASS TO SUCCESS OF CRAFT BEERS: INTERVIEW WITH JORGE LOPES, DIAGEO COUNTRY DIRECTOR IN NORTHERN IRELAND

NEWS: 08 CERTAINTY ON ENERGY POLICY -

10

PRIORITY FOR BUSINESS MULTI MILLION POUND WIN FOR SELECTIVE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT

COLUMNISTS: 18 MARK MAGUIRE 20 IAN RAINEY 48 JOE MARLEY 56 MAUREEN O’REILLY 61 CONALL KEENAN AND

64 74 75 93 96

SUSAN CLELAND DILLON OSBORNE MARYBETH SHAW AND ANGELA KEERY TREVOR ANNON EDEL DOHERTY

62 65 72 77 78 79

ENGAGING CUSTOMERS NI CHAMBER’S CORPORATE CHAMPIONS BRIGHT YOUNG BUSINESS BRAINS WORD FROM BRUSSELS SUPER SIX

LIFESTYLE: 88 MOTORING – PEUGEOT’S 3008 93 TRAVEL – WHEN TRAVEL PLANS ARE THROWN UP IN THE AIR FASHION - WINTER WARMERS CULINARY DELIGHTS

JIM FITZPATRICK

NOT HELP BUSINESSES NI CHAMBER’S NEW HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT -

36 38 58

VALERIE GOURLEY POWER NI GEARS UP FOR MAJOR MARKET CHANGES MUMS WITH POWER A CROWNING GLORY

Cover Story

Addresses: Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 4-5 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT15JA Tel: 028 9024 4113 Publisher: Ulster Tatler Group, 39 Boucher Road, Belfast, BT12 6UT Tel: 028 9066 3311

Front cover image by: David Cordner

FEATURES: 12 WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME? 14 MY AMBITION IS TO… 22 PROLONGED UNCERTAINTY WILL

30

Websites: www.northernirelandchamber.com www.ulstertatler.com

Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim

FACE TO FACE WITH…

SPECIAL FOCUS: 39 BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

94 95

Email addresses: adrienne.mcgill@northernirelandchamber.com lorraine.gill@ulsterjournals.com gerry.waddell@ulstertatler.com

50

NI CHAMBER PATRONS

Exceed Expectation

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editorial

It’s been celebrations all around at NI Chamber after Ambition won the highly coveted Best Publication Award at the prestigious CIPR PRide awards recently (see below).

The glittering event at the Culloden Hotel, Cultra was attended by PR professionals from across Northern Ireland, and leading figures in the worlds of business and media.

Judges said: “Ambition has achieved the status of a stand out publication in the business community by continually gathering feedback from its readers and by re-inventing its design visuals – strong engagement has seen it gain some great results for the Chamber of Commerce.”

We are totally delighted to receive such an influential accolade. For NI Chamber, Ambition is a key means of retaining and growing our membership and we are dedicated to highlighting the successes of our members as they grow their businesses and in covering issues of relevance and interest to them.

Ambition has become a must read in the Northern Ireland business magazine market and the wonderful feedback and input we get from members is a strong indication of the importance and value attached to the publication.

Also at the CIPR PRide awards, NI Chamber scooped silver for its Outstanding In-House Public Relations team, which includes myself, Communications Executive John Quinn and led by Head of Policy and Communications, Christopher Morrow.

Staying with awards – and how fantastic for Belfast and the Causeway Coast to be rated best region in the world to visit in the coming year by Lonely Planet.

In a boost to Northern Ireland’s international image, the area was rated ahead of Alaska and the Julian Alps of Slovenia in the travel guide publisher’s Best in Travel 2018 awards.

Lonely Planet praised its “timeless beauty and high-grade distractions – golf, whiskey and some of the world’s most famous rocks.”

The award underlines the attractiveness of some of Northern Ireland’s main tourist sites to the rest of the world and emphasises its place as a ‘must visit’ destination. Furthermore, the number of tourists visiting Northern Ireland has repeatedly increased in recent years and there is every indication that this is set to continue.

So…please enjoy reading this award winning magazine which, in every issue, includes a dazzling range of features, topical news stories, incisive commentaries, special focus section, taste of NI Chamber events and lifestyle pages.

Ambition is a magazine for NI Chamber members and about NI Chamber members – we look forward to hearing from you.

Adrienne McGill Editor Ambition

DRIVING AMBITION TuRNING The pAGes Of success CIPR PRide Awards hosts Cate Conway (left) and Stephen Clements (right) with Simon Thompson, CIPR UK, Adrienne McGill, Editor of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Ambition magazine and Kellie Burch, Ulster Tatler Group.

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editorial

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

DEal oR No DEal

T

he prospects for a deal being struck between the main political parties has varied in nothingness in recent weeks ranging from ‘no chance’ to ‘maybe but don’t hold your breath’.

Unfortunately when the dust settled and the latest deadline had passed there was no deal, no devolution, no Executive and no Assembly.

As things stand we are in a sort of halfway house limbo between a local Executive and full blown direct rule.

It is actually the worst position to be in with decisions being made on only absolutely vital issues such as the budget which could be imposed on Northern Ireland by the UK Government by the end of November if no deal is agreed.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire appears to be unwilling to entirely write off the prospects of a deal emerging from the rubble of the political talks and therefore is stalling on a return of direct rule.

We can admire his tenacity and determination to eke out any chance of an accommodation but the rest of the community, including the business community, appears to have turned its back on politics and is getting on with living, working and carving out their future in the absence of an active body politic. That is a shame but it is also the reality.

We know from our daily contact with businesses, large and small and across all sectors, that the preferred outcome is for a return of our own Assembly but there are no marches in the street and little public protestation.

The news recently of significant job losses, actual and potential, in the local manufacturing sector was a blow, especially coming so soon after the

6 NI Chamber

Bombardier workforce saw a C Series lifeline in the form of the Airbus deal which has the potential to avoid the Trump led tariff that would render the product unfeasible. Also, the proposal by oil field services firm Schlumberger to close its Newtownabbey plant is a further blight on the economic landscape.

Amidst the bad news though there remain glimmers of hope and reasons for optimism. Unemployment numbers continue to fall and in specialist sectors such as cyber security local companies continue to lead the way. Tourism got a boost with the amazing accolade from ‘Lonely Planet’ declaring Northern Ireland the number one must see

location in the world. We should not underestimate the potential impact of that.

It has always been the nature of the Northern Ireland business community to plough ahead in spite of, rather than inspired by, the pace of political process and that will happen in the months and years ahead. Our business community is actually providing an example to the politicians, by very simply, getting on with the job.

Ellvena Graham President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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CERTAINTY ON ENERGY POLICY A PRIORITY FOR BUSINESS Clear policy on the way forward will create greater certainty for business and employers and will help locallybased businesses plan for growth and expansion, particularly large energy users.

That was the key message from NI Chamber and its members at the organisation’s latest Energy Forum with partner SONI (System Operator for Northern Ireland).

Keynote speakers at the event included

Meabh Cormacain (Northern Ireland Renewables Industry Group); John Toner (Williams Industrial Services); Andrew Ryan (TLT Solicitors) and Joris Minne (representing DP Energy’s Fair Head Tidal Project).

Christopher Morrow, Head of Policy at Northern Ireland Chamber, said: “Knowing there is a secure, sustainable and cost-effective energy supply is a fundamental consideration for investors and employers. This is particularly important for the types of energyintensive industries that we are trying to attract

Joris Minne (representing DP Energy); Meabh Cormacain (NIRIG); Christopher Morrow (NI Chamber); Natasha Sayee (SONI); John Toner (Williams Industrial Services) and Andrew Ryan (TLT Solicitors).

and grow within Northern Ireland.

“There is also an urgent need to underline the importance of the all island energy market in ongoing Brexit negotiations. Implementation of the I-SEM will increase competition in the all-island electricity market and provide further benefits to consumers. It is therefore important that energy is a key priority during any Brexit discussions.”

Speaking on the importance of the renewable sector in particular, Andrew Ryan, Partner in TLT Solicitors’ Renewables team, said: “Investors want certainty and if renewables are to continue to play a significant role both in decarbonising energy generation and mitigating energy costs, the new direction of travel, the opportunities and the risks need to be properly understood.”

Meabh Cormacain, Manager at Northern Ireland Renewables Industry Group (NIRIG), said other devolved regions of the UK are setting ever more ambitious, yet achievable targets for clean energy.

Natasha Sayee Head of Public Affairs at SONI, said a key part of SONI’s role is making sure homes and businesses have the electricity they need and that it’s delivered to consumers as efficiently as possible.

GRAHAM CONSTRUCTION INVESTS MORE THAN £1 MILLION IN WORKFORCE National construction company GRAHAM Construction, based in Hillsborough Co. Down, is implementing a leading-edge development programme over the next three years that will benefit its entire workforce across the UK. The company’s £1.1million skills investment will help the company to attract and retain the talent needed to support the company’s continued growth.

Discussing the investment, Executive Chairman Michael Graham, said: “We are implementing a bespoke personalised development programme which focuses on the behavioural, emotional and personal Niall Casey, Invest NI, with Michael resilience of every member of the GRAHAM team. The wellness programme, which has been developed Graham, GRAHAM Construction. with human performance specialists Support to Perform, is leading edge and has received extremely positive feedback from participants during the pilot phase.

“Our ambition is to become an industry leader. Safeguarding the wellbeing of our employees and supporting their career development will be a vital component in achieving this objective.”

Invest Northern Ireland has offered GRAHAM over £318,000 towards its skills investment.

Welcoming the innovative programme, Niall Casey, Invest NI’s Director of Skills and Competitiveness, said: “Focusing on the health and wellbeing of the individual employee will undoubtedly help to drive engagement and retention across the workforce and enhance the firm’s overall competitiveness.”

FAmILY FRIENdLY EmPLOYER IS ‘PROGRESSIvE’ In recognition of its familyfriendly working practices, Progressive Building Society won the SME/Micro Business category at the Family Friendly Employer Awards held recently at the Galgorm Resort and Spa. Amanda Munro and Lisa Quinn Now in its seventh year, the from Progressive Building Society at Family Friendly Employer Awards Employers For Childcare’s annual recognise employers across all Family Friendly Employer Awards. sectors in Northern Ireland and in the UK that have implemented family-friendly work policies to help

8 NI Chamber

families balance work and personal life more effectively.

Speaking about the awards, Marie Marin, Chief Executive Officer of Employers For Childcare said: “Employers are facing many challenges in our current times of austerity, with Brexit, the public pay cap and budgeting dominating the agenda. Progressive Building Society has demonstrated that, in the face of such obstacles, organisations can innovate to support their employees in striking a work-life balance and enjoy significant benefits as a result.”

Progressive’s Chief Executive Darina Armstrong said the Building Society was proud to have been recognised for creating a working environment that enables employees to flourish and be the best they can be through empowerment.

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news Multi Million Pound Win for Selective travel ManageMent

Keith Graham, Managing Director of Selective Travel Management.

Independent travel management company, Selective Travel Management, continues to add to its business success with the announcement of a two year contract worth £6 million to provide and manage travel services for Newcastle University.

Announcing the latest win in what has been another record-breaking year for the Belfast-based business, Keith Graham, Managing Director of Selective Travel Management, said: “This is the second time we have

held the contract and we are delighted to retain this prestigious client. This latest win will see our turnover growth for 2016/17 increase by 21.2%, taking us to just under £50 million.”

He added: “We have an extensive and diverse client base serviced by 150 staff across four specialist divisions, covering Higher Education, B2B, Government and Charity/NGO. Each division benefits from considerable sector-specific understanding and expertise delivered by highly motivated and capable staff who have access to the very latest technology.”

TLT ‘hooks’ sporTing Legends for auTumn drinks evenT More than 150 guests attended TLT’s autumn drinks event at The Ivory, Victoria Square, Belfast recently.

The law firm commemorated its fifth anniversary in the city with an exclusive Q&A between sporting legends John Inverdale and Rory Best OBE. Following a welcome address from Katharine Kimber, Partner and Location Head for the Belfast office at TLT, and Andrew Glynn, Senior Partner at TLT, the sporting superstars touched on the recent Lions tour, Ireland’s World Cup bid and Ulster Rugby, as well as the role of leadership in sport and the parallels between people management in rugby and business.

Since opening in Belfast city centre in 2012, before Andrew Glynn Senior Partner TLT LLP, Rory Best OBE, Katharine Kimber Belfast Location Head TLT LLP and John Inverdale. moving to new premises in Montgomery House in 2014,TLT’s Belfast legal team has grown to more than 50 including six partners and has sector specialists across financial services, energy and renewables, public sector and housing.

Katharine Kimber said: “Nobody could have predicted some of the macro issues affecting the market over the last year; but TLT continues to go from strength to strength and we were delighted to welcome so many people to join in our fifth anniversary celebration, and to enjoy the company of our guest speakers.”

10 Year celebration for buSineSS and artS PartnerShiP Leading accountancy and advisory firm KPMG and local artists’ body the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts (RUA) are this year celebrating 10 years in partnership.

Their partnership is one of the longest and most fruitful between a business and an arts organisation in Northern Ireland, and together they have helped raise in excess of £1.2 million in sales over the last decade.

Mary Nagele, Chief Executive at Arts & Business NI, who brokered the partnership 10 years ago said: “KPMG are a shining example of a business that has partnered and invested in the arts for sound business reasons, but also because they see the broader benefits of a vibrant cultural sector to our creative economy and the society in which we live.”

KPMG and RUA’s 10-year association will be recognised at the RUA Annual Exhibition 2017, at which works by both emerging and established artists from 20 countries across all disciplines of visual arts will be showcased.

The annual exhibition has been held in the Ulster Museum, Belfast since 2010, is once again being sponsored by KPMG. Dr Denise Ferran, President of the RUA, said: “The RUA Annual Exhibition is one of the most important dates in Northern Ireland’s cultural calendar, and attracts wider and more diverse audiences and participants every year.”

John Hansen, Partner in Charge at KPMG in Northern Ireland, said: “Our successful partnership with the RUA is a prime example of how business and arts organisations Pictured with works from the 2017 RUA Exhibition are: working together can be a positive and rewarding experience.”

Mary Nagele, Chief Executive, Arts & Business Northern Ireland; John Hansen, Partner in Charge at KPMG in Northern Ireland and Dr Denise Ferran, President, RUA.

10 NI Chamber

* The RUA Exhibition will be held at the Ulster Museum, Belfast until 7 January 2018.

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feature

what’s in it for me?

HOW NI CHAMBER HAS HELPED MY BUSINESS WITH… AnDreW Greer, GenerAL MAnAGer norTHern ireLAnD, sse AirTriciTy.

Describe your business SSE is Northern Ireland’s second largest energy utility and leading provider of renewable power. We employ around 250 people directly in Northern Ireland.

Our energy supply business, SSE Airtricity, provides greener electricity, natural gas and essential services to around 345,000 home and business customers here. We currently generate over 140MW of renewable energy at our wind farms in Northern Ireland, enough to power more than 120,000 homes.

Since 2008, we’re proud to have 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.

WHAT MAKes your business sTAnD ouT? While striving to make a difference for Northern Ireland at a national level, we strongly believe in contributing to the social, economic and environmental well-being of the local communities in which we live and work.

We aim to be responsible and sustainable in everything we do, and that approach is central to our overall business strategy.

For example, we have so far contributed over £1.4 million in funding to community groups close to our wind farms in Northern Ireland, including schools, sports clubs and community projects. Through the SSE Airtricity Scholarship, which is supported by the Community Fund for our Slieve Kirk Wind Park in Co. DerryLondonderry, we’re also proud to have awarded more than £250,000 to help local students with their fees at Ulster University and

12 NI Chamber

South West College.

Through our work with the NI Health Trusts and our Sustainability Engagement Programme, we are helping the Trusts deliver their objectives under the Making Life Better framework, something our team is very proud to be associated with.

Another example is our title sponsorship of The SSE Arena, Belfast. Through our SSE Reward programme, our customers can access exclusive presales, special customer lounges and ‘money-can’t buy’ experiences for shows at the Arena.

HoW HAs ni cHAMber HeLPeD your coMPAny AcHieVe iTs GoALs? Our Chamber membership has helped us to build durable and sustainable relationships with fellow members and enabled our voice to be heard directly by local politicians and senior public sector representatives, while allowing us to cement our position in the local business scene.

We have found the regular get-togethers very beneficial as networking opportunities, and we’ve also partnered with the Chamber for a number of events, including the ‘Growing Something Brilliant’ and ‘Minister on the Move’ series, as well as several ‘in camera’ dinners. These events have been really helpful as a way to maintain contacts and further our understanding of people’s perception of our industry. They have also proved great opportunities to expose our team members to key stakeholders and help them extend their network.

It’s great to have the chance to step back

from the day-to-day running of a busy business, and get a sense of the wider landscape in which we operate in Northern Ireland and further afield.

WHAT WouLD your ADVice be To oTHer ni cHAMber MeMbers To HeLP GeT THe MosT FroM THeir MeMbersHiP? The NI Chamber events are excellent and well-organised, and I would advise other members to go to as many as they can and engage with a wide variety of people from different sectors across our community. As well as valuable advice from the expert speakers at these events, we can all learn a lot from our peers. I find that a door is rarely closed in the business community in Northern Ireland, and people are generally happy to help and offer advice. I think Chamber membership gives you a great opportunity to make the most of the expertise that exists in the world of business here, and I’d advise other firms to just get out there and network.

HoW HAs cHAMber MeMbersHiP HeLPeD you AnD your sTAFF DeVeLoP A ProFessionAL sKiLL seT? The events organised by NI Chamber, as well the news updates and other services, help keep our team informed on the wider business, economic and political landscape in Northern Ireland. Chamber membership opens up opportunities and contacts that the day job might not usually facilitate, and that can only be a positive for our team members as they seek to hone their skills and develop their careers.

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feature

My Ambition is to...

LeSLey TOrbeT, SySTemS enGIneer AT ThALeS UK.

O

riginally from Scotland, I grew up in a small town just outside Glasgow and went to school at Lenzie Academy.

I had always enjoyed school and it became clear in the first few years that science and maths were the subjects I loved and excelled at. At the point of completing my UCAS form I still had not decided on a concrete career path. My choices varied from optometry to genetics to forensic chemistry. It was a visit to a local engineering firm in my final year which really opened my eyes to the possibilities in the world of engineering. Following this I chose to study Aero-Mechanical engineering at the University of Strathclyde, as it combined my love of physics and maths along with the complexity of aircraft design and manufacture. At university I was an active STEM ambassador, promoting the benefits of science, technology, engineering and maths to young people and assisting at events like the Scottish Space School. The Space School event was a career defining moment for me as meeting scientists and engineers from NASA was the ultimate inspiration. At this point I realised that I wanted to be a part of something innovative and wanted to explore the boundaries of modern technology. After graduating with a Masters in Engineering I applied for a graduate position as an

14 NI Chamber

Aerodynamicist at Thales in Belfast as it was exactly the opportunity I had hoped for.

Since then, I have spent six years with Thales where I have recently moved to the Systems Design and Synthetic Environment team where I work as a Systems Engineer.

At the moment I am working on a new project which has allowed me to get involved in the detailed design and system architecture as well as integration and qualification. Throughout the lifecycle of the project I have worked alongside customers to determine their requirements, designed hardware, defined system behaviours and taken on new challenges such as the project’s Human Factors engineer’s role. As well as day to day engineering tasks I also manage a subcontractor and relationships between various internal and external stakeholders. The office working environment is varied and fast paced as we strive to keep up with recent technological advances and there is always an opportunity to get your hands dirty! As Thales is a global engineering company, I work with engineers from all disciplines giving me great exposure and the opportunity to expand my technical knowledge on a daily basis. The breadth and depth of experience I have gained from my time at Thales has been invaluable and has prepared me as I work towards Chartered Engineer status with the

Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Thales is also committed to engaging with local communities and I have recently taken on the role of STEM schools coordinator as part of the Thales Belfast Business Outreach programme. I am particularly passionate about STEM and love having the opportunity to inspire the future generations into STEM career paths.

The best part about my current role is that every day is different and each day brings a new challenge. Having the chance to be involved in a project from concept right through design, testing and manufacture is second to none. Thales in Belfast is quite unique in the sense that we have active manufacturing and assembly lines in the same building as our design teams. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing something that you have been working on come off the assembly line.

My ambition is to excel technically in my field and become a subject matter expert in IVVQA (Integration, Verification, Validation, Qualification and Acceptance) of products and systems. I feel at home within Thales and in the field of Systems Engineering so I would like to further my career within this department. I still have a lot to learn before I reach my goal but I am extremely lucky to be surrounded by highly experienced engineers who are sure to help me along the way!

BT SETS AMBITIOUS NEW 2030 CARBON EMISSIONS TARGET AFTER ACHIEVING PREVIOUS GOAL FOUR YEARS EARLY BT has announced it will reduce its carbon emissions by 87% by 20301, setting itself on a path to help limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century.

As part of the transition to a low carbon business model, BT had previously set itself a target in 2008 of an 80% reduction of its carbon emissions by 20202.

After reaching this target four years ahead of schedule, BT has set a new 2030 target, approved by the Science-Based Targets Initiative, which is aligned with the most ambitious aim of the COP21 Paris Agreement. This aim seeks to limit global warming to well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it even further to 1.5°C by the end of the century.

To meet this ambitious goal BT will be targeting innovative ways to further reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, for example through the adoption of low carbon vehicles in its fleet and reducing the carbon intensity of buildings.

Announcing the target BT Chief Sustainability Officer, Niall Dunne, said: “The role that technology can play in creating a more resource efficient world is both profound and exciting. The benefits of leading climate action extend to our customers,

16 NI Chamber

suppliers and people. Our commitment to this 1.5°C target will help create partnerships and coalitions that continue the unstoppable momentum enabled by the Paris agreement.”

Tom Delay, Chief Executive, the Carbon Trust commented: “Over the past two decades BT has made impressive progress in reducing carbon emissions. To continue this journey, our recent work together has mapped out the steps the business will need to take over the coming decades to become a truly low carbon business. The ambition contained within the Paris Agreement gives us hope that we might avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change. If we are going to deliver on this ambition then this is exactly the sort of leadership we need to see.”

As part of its wider energy programme, BT has already made significant strides in reducing its end-to-end carbon footprint which has helped to deliver a total of £221m of energy savings since 2009/10. BT is also well on its way to achieving its commitment to purchase 100% renewable electricity for its operations by 2020, where markets allow, sourcing 82% renewably last year.

In addition, BT also promotes energy efficiency by providing products and services that enable its customers to reduce emissions. As part of its 2020 ambitions,

BT aims to help its customers cut their carbon emissions by at least three times our own end-to-end carbon impact. So far it has reached 1.8 times, enabling customers to avoid 10 million tonnes of carbon in 2016/17, up 32% on the previous year.

These carbon-abating products and services represented £5.3bn, or 22%, of BT’s total revenue last year.

BT’s commitment to reducing its carbon intensity will help the UK Government meet its carbon reduction targets. International climate negotiations will continue at COP23 in Bonn this November.

BT commits to reducing carbon emissions by 87% in tonnes of CO2e per unit of gross value added by 2030 from a 2016/17 baseline.

2 Last year, BT achieved its 2020 climate stabilisation intensity target – four years early – by cutting the carbon intensity of its operations in 2016/17 by more than 80% from a 1996/97 baseline.

1

columnist

on the road to safety in a digital age The era of sensor Technology To moniTor healTh and fiTness has well and Truly arrived and sysTems are now making inroads inTo The workplace as Mark Maguire, Chief TeChnology offiCer, fujiTsu norThern ireland, explains.

g

iven the pace of digital transformation over the last number of years and the generational shift in people’s attitude towards the use of technology, businesses are placing a greater emphasis on the need to futureproof their workplaces. Part of meeting this challenge is understanding how technology can deliver effective solutions that also add valuable knowledge to an organisation. it can be hard to appreciate the true value and potential of emerging technology trends like artificial intelligence (a.i), the internet of Things (ioT) and Big data without seeing practical, everyday applications. These aren’t abstract concepts used only to build robots or self-driving cars, rather their principles can be applied to overcome real, everyday challenges across sectors. an area of particular focus for us is how technology can be used to tackle traditional workplace issues such as health and safety with simple, innovative tech that adds real value. one way in which we are doing this is through a range of internet enabled wearable devices that harness the power of ioT and can be easily incorporated into everyday routines by businesses and employees. while protecting people in a static workplace like an office can be relatively straightforward, doing so in a busy operational environment such as warehouses, factories, on roads or in potentially hazardous

18 ni chamber

situations such as working at height, can be considerably more complex. wearable technology can help overcome that complexity and support businesses as they strive to prevent employees coming to harm.

Take our growing transport and logistics sector for example. There are almost 6,000 licensed freight operators in northern ireland, an increase of 180% since 2011. with a further 109,355 commercial vans registered locally, it’s clear that our road network is of vital importance to local businesses but they are also getting busier. To help manage potential health and safety risks, drivers and businesses can look to technology solutions. for example, our wearable ‘driver drowsiness detector’ can help protect drivers, pedestrians and other road users from the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel. The detector works by monitoring the driver’s biorhythms via a sensor attached to the earlobe. it gauges drowsiness levels before they can have an impact on reaction times and notifies the driver via vibrations on part of the device worn around the neck. as well as instantly warning the driver, the device can be linked to fleet-management systems so managers can monitor the conditions of their drivers in real time and provide support based on the data collected. with an estimated 40% of commercial vehicle accidents in the uk occurring due to driver

fatigue, this cutting-edge technology is a simple but very effective way to help protect road users while providing businesses with a tool that can help them optimise routes. similarly, through wearable devices such as our ‘vital sensing Band’ or ‘location Badge’ – both of which are small and lightweight – businesses can accurately monitor the location of workers and their health and safety.

This is achieved through a range of sensors with alerts pre-defined to trigger in event of an incident such as a fall. if you have an engineer working out in the field, historically you would only know their status and location if they provided that information to you. whereas if you empower your businesses and employees with ioT devices, you can automatically gain vital insights that help protect worker safety. many of our wearable devices are already being successfully used in Japan and trialled by companies in the uk with the resulting data aiding decision making and planning. every business in northern ireland has already experienced digital disruption and transformation to some degree. from smart phones through to card-readers, Bluetooth headsets and online reporting, we have all embraced aspects of connective technology to stay competitive and enhance productivity. ioT enabled wearable devices is a critical next step on this journey as we look to future proof and protect our businesses.

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columnist

ON THE WAR PATH? At the moment it’s A wAr of words between Us President donAld trUmP And his north KoreAn coUnterPArt Kim Jong-Un – bUt coUld this escAlAte into All-oUt wAr between the two coUntries? Ian RaIney, foRmeR InteRnatIonal bankeR and cuRRent nonexecutIve dIRectoR at 4c executIve, exAmines the PotentiAl.

20 ni chamber

o

ne of the things I have in common with donal trump is that I attended the Wharton Graduate School of finance in Philadelphia.

The bank I was with in South Africa sent me to the Wharton Programme in 1976. While I was there I gave a presentation to a group of Philadelphia businessmen on the political situation in South Africa which was changing quite rapidly and not for the better. After my presentation I was approached by two representatives of Philadelphia National Bank, which had a very active international division. Basically, their approach to me was: you have had 25 years living in Northern Ireland and nine living in South Africa – you have more practical knowledge of political risk than we will ever have. Would you consider joining us as our international risk analyst?

The salary was rich and the opportunity to get out of South Africa was too good to miss. My role was to visit countries like Korea, Taiwan, Chile, India, South Africa and other ‘hot spots’ on a regular basis to determine the country risk profile for the bank’s lending programmes.

On one of my visits to South Korea I remained in the country over the weekend and played golf with the Chairman of Korea Exchange Bank. On one of the first few holes my ball strayed into the rough and landed near a metal stanchion which I assumed was protecting a newly planted tree. Having extricated my ball on to the fairway I tripped on some wire which was embedded in the short grass. I approached my playing partner and asked him if the metal stanchions were protecting newly planted trees. “No,” he said, “we pull these metal stanchions into the middle of the fairways at night – we are only eight miles from the North Korean border and they are used to preclude light aircraft landing by the North Korean military.”

Needless to say my political risk antennae were alerted and on getting back to Philadelphia our risk profile on South Korea was changed from 5 year risk to 6 month risk. Today that risk profile would be zero as the possibility of war on the Korean Peninsula looks almost inevitable. Today North Korea has demonstrated that it has the capability of not only launching missiles over the coast of Japan but President Kim Jong-Un claims to have the capability of detonating a nuclear bomb which could

reach the west coast of America. He is also reputed to have tested a hydrogen bomb in the last few weeks, the underground impact of the tests being clearly felt in the adjacent northern border of China.

President Moon of South Korea urged the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 21st September to do everything to avoid an escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Unfortunately the leaders of the US and North Korea command very little respect as they continue a spat of name calling which is far from credible statesmanship. President Trump referred to Kim Jong-Un as a “rocket man on a suicide mission” while at the same time threatening to “totally destroy” North Korea. President Kim in response referred to Mr Trump as a “mentally deranged dotard”. Kim’s foreign minister told reporters that his country’s response to Trump “could be the most powerful detonation of a ‘Hydrogen’ bomb in the Pacific”.

The real danger lies in the fact that in Trump and Kim we have two leaders who are unpredictable. The dangers that they could miscalculate each other’s actions with catastrophic consequences are real. What we have is a 71-year-old businessman with a volcanic temper and no relevant experience, and a 33-year-old dictator surrounded by frightened sycophants. President Trump not only has little experience of government, he has no experience of war, having dodged the draft for the Vietnam war on five different occasions on the basis that he was suffering from bone spurs in his heel, allegedly due to a build-up of calcium! That 58,000 of his countrymen lost their lives in Vietnam doesn’t seem to worry him as he provokes an equally unstable leader in Pyongyang who is capable of inducing a much wider conflagration which could include China, North and South Korea, Japan and the USA. The best hope of preventing a catastrophe lies with China which borders on North Korea and has no desire to have an invasion of some 23 million hungry North Koreans fleeing from an attack from South Korea and possibly the US. However, in Presidents Kim and Trump there is no certainty that one or other of these buffoons will not make a misjudgement and drag the Korean Peninsula into an even more disastrous conflagration than has been visited on this Peninsula in the last century.

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PROLONGED UNCERTAINTY WILL NOT HELP BUSINESSES A BrexIt trANsItIoN perIod would BeNefIt exporters, But It must Be used IN the rIght wAy sAys CoNor LaMBe, eCoNoMIst at DaNsKe BaNK.

protesters with placards in piazza santa maria Novella in florence in september ahead of prime minister theresa may's speech in the Italian city at which she attempted to break the deadlock in the Brexit negotiations.

Pic Credit: Maurizio Degl'Innocenti/ePa-eFe/rex/shutterstock.

P

olitical uncertainty has been the overriding theme of this autumn. Divisions within the Cabinet on Brexit were played out in the newspapers and, following the Conservative party conference, there was considerable speculation around whether the Prime Minister would remain in post, or be forced from office. But amidst the turmoil, there was one positive for exporters in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. At her speech in Florence, Theresa May clarified what the UK Government would like to happen come ‘Brexit Day’ on 29th March 2019. The Prime Minister stated that the UK Government wants a Brexit transition period lasting for “around two years”. During this time, it is envisaged that market access for businesses in both the UK and the EU “should continue on current terms”. This suggests that, perhaps not formally but for all intents and purposes, the UK would remain a member of the EU single market and customs union for a number of years after Brexit happens.

For local businesses that export to Europe, this is a welcome step. If a transition period like this can be agreed upon, these companies could continue to benefit from the tariff-free access they currently enjoy to EU markets for a little

22 NI Chamber

while longer. It is also very unlikely that they would face any new non-tariff barriers linked to regulatory differences between the UK and EU during this period.

On the surface this seems like a positive step, but there are a couple of warnings that need to be sounded. The first is that, if it is to really benefit businesses, a transition period must be used to fulfil its purpose and not just to push a potential ‘cliff edge’ out to 2021. Making sufficient progress on separation issues and moving onto negotiations around the UK and EU’s future relationship still needs to happen as soon as possible so trade talks can be well underway come 2019. Following that, the transition period should be used to conclude the negotiations and formalise a free trade agreement (FTA).

There would also need to be sufficient time for exporting businesses to adapt their processes so that they are well prepared to operate under the FTA once it comes into effect.

And the transition period should be used to make sure that there are no practical issues once the new arrangements come into force.

For example, any technology that may be used at the Northern Ireland border must have been tested and be operating smoothly. And any new customs staff must have been hired and trained.

If these things don’t happen and the transition period only serves to increase the degree of political posturing and to slow the rate of

progress made during the negotiations, then rather than provide some clarity for businesses, it will only extend the period of uncertainty. That would not be helpful and it certainly would not make it any easier for businesses to plan for the future.

The second point to note is that the EU negotiators and political leaders have to agree to a transition period for it to happen. There is no doubt that a smooth adjustment to the new terms under which the UK and EU will cooperate would be beneficial for businesses in the UK and Europe. Therefore, it seems likely that an agreement to have such a period will eventually be reached. But we don’t know how quickly that will actually happen.

Theresa May’s speech in Florence confirmed that the government recognises that companies need some certainty as they begin to plan for the years ahead. A transition period in line with what she set out during that speech would be a good thing for exporting businesses, but it must be used to achieve what it is meant to achieve.

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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.

I

t’s that time of the year again when NI Chamber hosts its most glittering event – the President’s Banquet – and it’s going to be a highoctane night.

We’ll be revving into action with our guest speaker ex-Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond who knows a thing or two about putting cars through their paces and testing engines to the max.

No one better then to headline the annual event at Belfast Waterfront on 16 November which this year is billed as a celebration of “engineering in motion” and highlights Northern Ireland’s engineering prowess.

Wipeout and Planet Earth Live.

And when it comes to engineering, there is no hiding his passion. His documentary series, Richard Hammond’s Engineering Connections – originally broadcast on the National Geographic Channel and later on BBC2 – looked at how engineers and designers use historic inventions and clues from the natural world in ingenious ways to develop new buildings and machines.

More than 800 guests have booked to attend the event which is set to be one of the largest ever held by NI Chamber.

The event is supported by NI Chamber’s Communications Partner BT and supporting sponsors Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Tughans, 4C and Thales.

That’s still to come but an equally enjoyable past event in September was NI Chamber’s Golf Day at the prestigious Royal Belfast Golf Club.

Situated on the beautiful North Down coastline, Royal Belfast is the oldest golf club in Ireland, boasting a challenging 18hole course and unrivalled views.

The Golf Day, which is held in partnership with Forde May Consulting, provided NI Chamber members and their clients with an opportunity to make new business connections, whilst testing their golfing skills.

Richard Hammond.

Richard is best known for co-hosting the BBC2 car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May and also Amazon’s The Grand Tour.

He has also presented a variety of science and entertainment programmes including Brainiac: Science Abuse, Total

24 NI Chamber

NI Chamber Past President Nick Coburn and Valerie Reid (Forde May) with the Forde May Perpetual Golf Challenge Trophy.

On the day, Jeff Winter from the Willis Towers Watson team was the individual winner and was presented with the Forde May Perpetual Golf Challenge Trophy, in memory of the late Dr Forde May who founded his eponymous executive recruitment company in Belfast more than 20 years ago.

With clear blue skies, glorious sunshine and beautiful vistas – it was indeed a wonderful day.

St George’s Market in Belfast provided another beautiful setting, this time for NI Chamber’s Annual Networking Conference and Business Showcase.

Gori Yahaya.

Gori Yahaya, Head of Training at Google’s Digital Garage, provided the keynote speech to over 700 members of the local business community.

The conference, which was held in partnership with headline sponsor Dublin Airport and supporting sponsor Belfast City Council, was designed to give companies from across Northern Ireland the opportunity to meet, engage and participate in networking activities aimed at creating new business connections. It also featured a large market place with over 100 companies exhibiting their

chamber chief’s update NEW MEMBERS products and services, showcasing the best of Northern Ireland business.

Away from the buzz of the market, NI Chamber hosted an in camera dinner at Titanic Belfast with the Interim Head of the NI Civil Service, David Sterling, and four Permanent Secretaries.

Andrew Greer (SSE Airtricity); Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) and David Sterling (Northern Ireland Civil Service).

The event, in partnership with SSE Airtricity, was attended by 50 NI Chamber members.

In addition to Mr Sterling, members heard from Dr Andrew McCormick (Permanent Secretary for the Department for the Economy); Hugh Widdis (Permanent Secretary for the Department of Finance); Peter May (Permanent Secretary for the Department for Infrastructure) and Derek Baker (Permanent Secretary for the Department of Education).

Meanwhile next month, we’re putting some fizz into a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event in Belfast at which companies from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will meet with some of the top names in business including Coca-Cola.

Ahead of the event, I had a particularly enjoyable visit to the company’s Lisburn bottling plant with Gavin Kennedy (Head of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK) to meet David Quigley (Country Procurement Manager at Coca-Cola HBC Ireland) and the team.

David Quigley (Country Procurement Manager at Coca-Cola HBC Ireland); Ann McGregor (Chief Executive of NI Chamber) and Gavin Kennedy (Head of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK).

It’s the latest in the NI Chamber and Bank of Ireland UK ‘Meet the Buyer’ series and takes place at Belfast’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on 8th November from 9.30am1.00pm.

The group of high-profile buyers wishing to meet with local businesses on the day include: Coca-Cola HBC; Electric Ireland; Galgorm Resort & Spa; Harland & Wolff; Lagan Construction Group; McCue Crafted Fit; Moy Park; Seagate; SSE; Translink and Williams Industrial Services.

The event, which forms part of the NI Chamber and Bank of Ireland UK cross-border ‘Connecting for Growth’ programme, will allow businesses to make a pitch to these buyers whilst networking and developing links with each other through a number of activities including speed networking.

Finally, seven companies from across Northern Ireland join Ulster University and the IFA as winners of NI Chamber’s annual Chamber Business Awards.

Accounting PGM Chartered Accountants Business Services Smarter Surfaces NI Charity Air Ambulance NI Computer & Related Activities Engaged Web Limited Education Belfast Academy of Marketing Green Sectors Action Renewables Health Santé Health Belfast Skin Clinic Hotels, Hospitality & Tourism Titanic Hotel Belfast Marketing Pale Blue Dot Real Estate, Renting & Business Activities Rodgers & Finney

Shaun McAnee (Danske Bank); Brian Brannigan (Linwoods – Export Business of the Year) and Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber).

Pictured with Shaun McAnee, Managing Director of Corporate Banking at Danske Bank and Ellvena Graham, President of NI Chamber is Brian Brannigan from Linwoods which won the Export Business of the Year category.

The winners will now compete against other regional winners in the national finals in a bid to win the top UK business accolade in their category and also the chance to scoop the top title as overall National Chamber Awards winner 2017.

The national winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Chamber Awards Gala Dinner on 30 November 2017 at the Brewery in London.

The Chamber Awards is a highlight of the business calendar, showcasing the pivotal role local businesses play in the UK’s continuing growth story. The finalists from Northern Ireland are all contributors to the growth of the economy and we wish them the very best of luck.

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

New Corporate Members Local Councils Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Real Estate, Renting & Business Activities Taggart Homes

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

• (NI Chamber’s Business Award winners – page 32)

NI Chamber 25

NI CHAMBER GOLF DAY

1.

2.

1. Nick Coburn (NI Chamber); Ann McGregor (NI Chamber); Valerie Reid (Forde May); Beth McMaw (Forde May) and Gerry May (Forde May).

2. Jeff Winter, individual winner on the day, pictured with the Forde May Perpetual Golf Challenge Trophy.

3. One of two teams taking part from Forde May Consulting.

4. The BT team.

5. One of two teams taking part from Close Brothers Commercial Finance.

6. Conor McElmeel (McElmeel Mobility Services); Richard Wigley (Ulster Orchestra); Nick Coburn (Ulster Carpets) and John Gordon (Mercer).

7. The Bank of Ireland team.

8. The Hays team – Jason Brownlee, Luke Fuller, Mark Wade and Michael Dickson.

9. The Fujitsu team.

10. The Simple Power team.

11. Pat Geogheghan (Irish Water); Eddie McGoldrick (MCG Services); Tony Bridgeman (Irish Water) and Dr Patrick Keatley (University of Ulster) 12. Brian Murphy (BDO Northern Ireland); Brian Gillan (First Trust Bank) and John Toner (Williams Industrial Services).

3.

4.

5.

26 NI Chamber

6.

8.

7.

10.

9.

11.

12.

NI Chamber 27

NETWORKING CONFERENCE AND BUSINESS SHOWCASE

1.

2.

3.

1. Gori Yahaya (Google’s Digital Garage); Ann McGregor (NI Chamber); Vincent Harrison (Dublin Airport) and Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber).

2. Lynsey Agnew (Hays); Roisin Byrne (Hays) and Nuala Magennis (Hays).

3. Pamela Ward (Pinnacle); Richard Houston (Continu Ltd) and Helen Brogan (Continu Ltd).

4. Keynote speaker, Gori Yahaya, Head of Training at Google’s Digital Garage.

5. Damien Maddalena (Elucidate Consultancy Limited) and Mark Spence (FLYNN).

6. Majella Barkley (Innovation Factory).

7. More than 700 members of the local business community attended NI Chamber Networking Conference and Business Showcase at St George’s Market in Belfast.

8. Bróna Burke (Agnew Corporate) taking part in ‘Speed Networking’ at NI Chamber Networking Conference and Business Showcase.

9. Tim Monroe (Smiley Monroe); Sandra Scannell (NI Chamber); Clodagh Rice (BBC NI); Majella Barkley (Innovation Factory) and Ash Douglas (SkunkWorks Surf Co.) 10. Gori Yahaya (Google Digital Garage); Clodagh Rice (BBC NI); Sandra Scannell (NI Chamber); Michael Carlin (Zymplify); Anna Flanagan (Pinsent Masons) and Vincent Harrison (Dublin Airport).

11. One of a number of ‘Speed Networking’ sessions underway at NI Chamber Networking Conference and Business Showcase.

12. Darren Brown (Onecom) and Mark Fraser (Onecom).

4.

5.

28 NI Chamber

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NI Chamber 29

feature

Putting the sPotlight on seRViCes NI Chamber Is further boostINg Its award wINNINg team wIth the appoINtmeNt of ValerIe Gourley as head of busINess deVelopmeNt. she tells ambItIoN about her New role.

NI Chamber’s mission is to support members to grow their businesses locally and internationally and to drive the development of the Northern Ireland economy. with a growing membership representing over 100,000 employees, which includes corporates, smes and micro businesses across all sectors of business from manufacturing to agri-foods, services to high-tech and the professions, NI Chamber is committed to customer service and the commercial success of members – therefore business development plays a crucial role. the basis of our business development is to create long-term value for members according to the service level that suits the stage they are at in the business life cycle. some businesses are happy to use the wide range of promotional and networking opportunities whilst others prefer a more bespoke account managed service. what they have in common is the ambition to grow their businesses through NI Chamber’s interconnected networks, which are proven to create new opportunities for growth. given this, NI Chamber has further underlined its commitment to helping firms grow with the appointment of Valerie

30 NI Chamber

gourley as head of business development.

Valerie will lead the membership team ensuring that they deliver a high quality service to existing members as well as attracting new members. she will also provide direct support to corporate members. as well as core services in relation to promotion and networking, there is also a range of dynamic programmes and initiatives offered through the learn grow excel suite of support which includes – scaling for growth, meet the buyer, danske bank export first and a vast range of networking events.

In addition NI Chamber offers an extensive export documentation service which ensures the fast and efficient delivery of goods to customers around the world.

“I am delighted to join NI Chamber with my focus on managing long-term relationships with clients and ensuring that they receive relevant services of the very highest quality that will assist them in achieving their business objectives,” says Valerie.

“I am looking forward to interacting with NI Chamber’s membership base across

Northern Ireland and ensuring that they maximize the benefits of membership. “for instance our networking series, which takes place in venues across Northern Ireland, is particularly useful for smes – it can help them target business connections in regional areas which will provide more leads, increase their client base and gain knowledge and expertise. “making connections with other businesses who may be potential suppliers, customers or distributors is important but the networking opportunities that we provide as a chamber gives a superb environment for that type of discussion. It is typically a very friendly and professional environment – everyone is there to do business. “as a chamber, because of the breadth of our membership we can bring the right people together in the right environment. “we also provide members with extensive opportunities to access decision and policy makers in Northern Ireland at events which is really important. “furthermore, members can engage in NI Chamber’s wide range of business growth programmes such as learn grow excel so they can develop their export offering or international trading activities. “all of this gives a range of value for money services to our members and this is an important part of their business development mix.

“NI Chamber is a business development organisation. we are here to grow the economy of Northern Ireland and make sure companies can capitalise on opportunities to expand. “my entire career has been in business development and sales and I am delighted to be in a position to guide more companies towards NI Chamber which will provide the support they need to move to the next level of their growth.” with a career in sales spanning 25 years, Valerie is well known to many businesses across Northern Ireland and has built up strong relationships with them. a Chartered member of the Institute of personnel and development, Valerie holds a masters in business administration, and has led business development teams for 12 years. she previously worked in media managing local newspapers and websites, and was advertising manager with the Irish News for seven years. she held the post of head of group development following the acquisition of Q radio and river media by the Irish News. she has also worked in strategic consultancy for smes.

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Award winners with NI Chamber President Ellvena Graham (back centre) and Managing Director of Corporate & Business Banking at Danske Bank Shaun McAnee (front centre).

TOP NI BUSINESSES NOW IN RUNNING FOR PRESTIGIOUS UK AWARD

S

even companies from across Northern Ireland join Ulster University and the Irish Football Association as the winners of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual Chamber Business Awards.

The winners will now compete against other regional winners in the national finals in a bid to win the top UK business accolade in their category and also the chance to scoop the top title as overall National Chamber Awards winner 2017.

NI ChAmBer hAS reveAled the FollowINg wINNerS: • High Growth Business of the Year – KME Steelworks • Small Business of the Year – CDEnviro • Best use of Technology – Henderson Retail • Excellence in Customer Service – Galgorm Resort & Spa • Export Business of the Year – Linwoods • Commitment to People Development – HLM • Education and Business Partnership – Ulster University • Best Use of Social Media – Irish FA • Health & Wellbeing Award – Flynn The national winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Chamber Awards Gala Dinner on 30 November 2017 at the Brewery in London.

The Chamber Awards are a highlight of the business calendar, showcasing the pivotal role local businesses play in the UK’s continuing growth story.

32 NI Chamber

Ellvena Graham, President of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “Businesses are the backbone and driving force of the economy. Even in the face of uncertain times, they continue to show their resilience and strength – creating opportunities for employment, investment and growth.

“Our judges are always impressed by the high standard of submissions, and the calibre of entries this year was no different.

The finalists in the Chamber Business Awards represent the best of this country’s entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and hardwork.

“The Chamber Business Awards are the perfect opportunity for us to celebrate our business communities’ achievements, to take stock of the outstanding performances of local businesses over the past year, and to encourage and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.”

One of the winners is Armagh-based Linwoods who deliver a range of premium bakery, fresh dairy and healthy super food products to over 1,600 customers daily. The company has already established business for its health super foods in key European markets including Great Britain, the Republic, The Netherlands and Spain.

Commenting on the award, Brian Brannigan, Head of Sales at Linwoods, said: “We are delighted to win the Export Business of the Year Award. Exporting is at the core of Linwoods’s DNA so it’s great to be recognised in this category. We are also excited by the opportunities this gives us to raise the profile of the company and our products with more

customers and more export markets.”

Shaun McAnee, Managing Director of Corporate & Business Banking at Danske Bank, a judge at this year’s Chamber Business Awards, congratulated Linwoods on being named Export Business of the Year: “Linwoods has quickly become one of Northern Ireland’s most accomplished export businesses, establishing markets for its health super foods in over 25 countries across the globe. I congratulate the company on its success up to now and expect to see its customer base grow even further in the years ahead as it continues to seek out new customers at home and abroad. Linwoods’s success is built on relentless innovation which should inspire other aspiring exporters in Northern Ireland.” highly Commended awards were also claimed by mount Charles (high growth Business of the Year); Flint Studios (Small Business of the Year); Kerr henderson group (Best Use of technology); mcelmeel mobility Services (excellence in Customer Service); devenish Nutrition (export Business of the Year); henderson retail (Commitment to People development); Young enterprise NI (education & Business Partnership); Catalyst Inc (Best Use of Social media) and the henry Brothers (health & wellbeing Award).

AWARD WINNERS Commitment to People Development - HLM - Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber); Jo Bell (HLM) and Simon Bell (HLM).

Best Use of Social Media - Irish FA - Adam Johnson (Irish FA); Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber) and Heather Wright (Irish FA).

Best Use of Technology - Henderson Retail - Michael Surginor (Henderson Retail); Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber) and David Agnew (Henderson Retail).

Excellence in Customer Service - Galgorm Resort & Spa - Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber) and Beth Greenan (Galgorm Resort & Spa).

Health & Wellbeing Award - Flynn - Paula McGleenan (Flynn); Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber) and Declan Kearney (Flynn).

Education & Business Partnership - Ulster University Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber) and Damian McGivern (Ulster University).

Export Business of the Year - Linwoods - Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber); Brian Brannigan (Linwoods) and Shaun McAnee (Danske Bank).

High Growth Business of the Year - KME Steelworks - Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber); Jason Quinn (KME Steelworks) and Seamus Murchan (KME Steelworks).

Small Business of the Year - CDEnviro - Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber) and Marc Jennings (CDEnviro).

NI Chamber 33

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34 NI Chamber

feature

POWER NI GEARS UP FOR MAJOR MARKET CHANGES

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holesale electricity is presently bought and sold in the all-island Single Electricity Market (SEM) where generators and suppliers participate in a ‘pool’ market arrangement that ultimately impacts on the price to the end user.

EU legislation has been driving change across Europe with the aim of creating a fully liberalised electricity market.

As a result of this the Integrated Single Electricity Market, or I-SEM, will be launched next year replacing the current arrangements.

Alan Egner, Commercial Sales & Marketing Manager at Power NI, comments: “Work began on designing a new wholesale market in 2014 and formal trialling of the new systems is due to start in January. The proposed go live date for the I-SEM is May 2018. One of its main aims is to deliver increased levels of competition in the wholesale market which should help create a downward pressure on prices as well as provide greater levels of security of supply.

“Power NI is ready to embrace the opportunities that the I-SEM will undoubtedly bring to deliver even better value and a wider range of products. Working with new systems and sourcing electricity from new markets will no doubt have its challenges but the end result should be deals that are more competitive for our customers.

36 NI Chamber

“Our customers are already benefitting from another recent change in the market when the Utility Regulator removed price control of Power NI’s non-domestic tariffs on 1 April 2017. This allows us to compete head on with other suppliers and offer all commercial customers, regardless of their size, tailored, personal contracts to suit their particular needs.

“The removal of price control by the Utility Regulator in April has been widely welcomed, especially by our small business customers who can now choose from a range of personal contract options instead of the old ‘one price fits all’ arrangement.

Many of our customers have already switched to discounted variable price or fixed price contracts, including green energy options. We have also welcomed back many former customers, attracted by Power NI’s longstanding reputation for great customer service, which is now coupled to more competitive rates.”

Alan continues: “With autumn upon us, it’s always good to give your electricity bill a quick ‘winter service’ with a few essential checks. If your contract is up for renewal make sure to shop around and get a few prices to make a comparison. Ask to see both fixed and variable price options and then decide whether you are happy to track the market or lock-in at today’s rates to protect yourself from further potential increases.

Alan Egner, Commercial Sales & Marketing Manager at Power NI

“Power NI has produced a free Buyer’s Guide, which offers tips on how to get the best energy deal for your business. As with all decisions in business, there is an element of risk involved, but at least if you go in with your eyes open and ask the right questions, you are in with a better chance of getting a good deal.

“Finally, we all know that being energy efficient can make a big difference to our bills.

Low energy lighting, wall and loft insulation and energy efficient appliances are all tried and tested ways to save the pennies. Power NI, with support from the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme, is offering grants to help with the cost of converting to LED lighting and installing Variable Speed Drives which greatly reduce the amount of electricity used by motors, pumps and fans.

“Energy is essential and we believe in making it simple. At Power NI you can trust us to give you competitive rates, make it easy for you to manage your account and have expert local support on hand when you need us.”

• Power NI supplies around 35,000 businesses and is the largest electricity provider in Northern Ireland. They have produced a free Buyer’s Guide to electricity at www.powerni. co.uk/businessplans. To switch your Business Energy back to Power NI, visit www.powerni. co.uk/welcomehome or call the Business Hotline on 03457 455 455 (option 4).

sponsored feature

a force to be reckoned with athene Gordon is reGional employer enGaGement director for northern ireland, a ministry of defence civil servant in defence relationship manaGement, and one of thirteen such directors who cover the uk providinG a user-friendly link between employers and defence. she has been talkinG to ambition about some of the benefits which members of the reserve forces can brinG to their civilian employers.

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he ideal employee is someone who arrives early, leaves late, stays close to electronic devices just in case anything important crops up and is always ready to pull an all-nighter or work weekends when required. Or is that just fantasy?

These days there is an increasing realisation that all work and no play makes Jack or Jill not only dull, but also considerably less productive in the workplace. Enabling staff to achieve work-life balance is now a major focus for HR professionals, and businesses which fail to deliver on that front are finding it increasingly difficult to attract and retain top talent.

Balancing home and social commitments is invariably tricky, but for the 2,200 men and women in Northern Ireland who have chosen to become part of the country’s Reserve Forces there are added pressures.

Into the mix of home and day job they add a third strand: a demanding part-time career as a Reservist in the Army, Navy or Air Force.

No-one is saying it’s easy - far from it, but there are rewards, and not only for the Reservist, as Athene Gordon, Regional Employer Engagement Director for DRM in Northern Ireland, explains. “The opportunities for Reservists’ personal growth in areas such as leadership and team skills development have been well documented over the years,“ she says, “But those so-called ‘soft’ skills are only the beginning.

Today the Reserve Forces are a vital part of the country’s defence forces, contributing manpower and expertise on an equal footing with Regular counterparts, and their skillsets and training reflect that status.

“Increasingly, membership of the Reserve Forces delivers nationallyrecognised and highly marketable qualifications as well as opportunities for Continuing Professional Development, together with training that is always absolutely rigorous and often conducted in the most testing of circumstances. When they return to their civilian workplaces Reservists bring all those benefits with them, plus they are physically fit and firmly focused. They have the teamwork and leadership skills which are synonymous with service, together with the military ‘can do’ attitude and willingness to step up to the plate and take on responsibility for the task in hand – whatever that might be. What civilian employer wouldn’t want those attributes in an employee, particularly if all that training comes without extra cost?”

Civilian employers have legal obligations to members of staff who choose to join the Reserve Forces, but a substantial part of Athene’s broad remit lies in encouraging local bosses to see the business benefits which may lie beyond the legislation. She is also eager to help them create an HR environment which makes it easier for an employee to be open about his or her part time career in the Reserves, for whilst in GB, it’s compulsory to inform an employer about membership of the Reserve Forces, that’s not the case in Northern Ireland, largely for historic security reasons.

Many employers here have already chosen to go above and beyond the legal requirements and are giving fuller backing to their Reservist employees, often as part of a broader Corporate Social Responsibility strategy or Work-Life Balance policy. Some offer enhanced leave so that Reservists can attend annual training camp or key exercises without having to sacrifice still more precious family time, while others demonstrate their support with increased flexibility around working hours and annual leave arrangements.

Athene says, “All of us in Defence Relationship Management are

working to build understanding of what it means to have a Reservist on the pay roll. Here in Northern Ireland, I am in touch and meet regularly with all sorts of employers across the public and private sectors. I feel very strongly that the more employers know, the more benefits they identify for their businesses.”

Athene accepts that employers will inevitably raise concerns about the impact on their business in the event of mobilisation, although that is both less common today than before and better managed. She says, “Prolonged mobilisations are not frequent, but they can happen and Reservists understand that, at some stage, their commitment could dictate service overseas. Employers, on the other hand, may not necessarily have the same level of understanding so it’s up to us to provide information and, as necessary, practical help.

Our ‘intelligent mobilisation’ process has been designed to give best possible notice and support to civilian employers. If a Reservist simply can’t be spared from their civilian job, we try to be flexible. We advise companies on their rights as well as their responsibilities and we can help them to draw down financial assistance to help cover the loss of key personnel.

“Our Reservists are amazing people doing amazing things.

Locally, our medics are capable of setting up and manning a full Field Hospital facility anywhere in the world …we have teams who can (and do!) establish and operate bulk fuel supply units… and just recently we have welcomed home a small unit of Royal Engineers from a humanitarian mission in the war-torn nation of South Sudan where they used their technical skills to build bridges for communities there.

“We can all be proud of what our Reservists achieve when they don their uniforms – and I enjoy nothing better than showcasing their work at home and abroad to employers – but we are also proud, and mindful, of the contribution they make in their civilian workplaces.

Defence Relationship Management highlights the benefits for employer and employee – which, ultimately, is good news for all of us.”

If you would like to find out more about how Reserve service could impact on you and your business, or how you can make provision for Reservists within your Human Resources policies, you can contact Athene Gordon at ni-empsp@rfca.mod.uk or visit www.gov.uk/ mod/employer-relations.

feature or playing silly games like ‘dodge the flying cushions’!

WHat DO YOu DO tO ensuRe a WORk/life Balance?

It is difficult to get the balance at times but I am very lucky to work for a family friendly employer and a company that values family time. Phoenix Natural Gas is actively engaged in a corporate social responsibility programme and part of that includes a strong focus on staff engagement, often organising social events that incorporate the whole family. It’s great to get the opportunity to blend work and family life in this way. As a mum of a 6 and 9 year old I can already see how the years flash by so quickly and I realise how important it is to spend quality time as a family when I can.

Work will always keep me busy, as will my home life, so it’s about striking a balance and understanding that when the dynamics shift then it’s time to reflect and remember what’s important.

mums with power Olga POllOck is HR ManageR fOR PHOenix natuRal gas. She iS married to Gavin and they have two children – lucca (9) and lilyroSe (6).

DescRiBe YOuR JOB I am the HR Manager for Phoenix Natural Gas Ltd, the largest gas distribution business in Northern Ireland, and we directly employ around 170 staff.

As HR Manager I carry out a full generalist HR role covering the entire employee lifecycle from pre-employment and selection through to induction, performance management and nurturing employee performance through good employee relations and continued learning and development. End-to-end payroll is also something I am responsible for so it is a busy and varied role.

Ultimately, it is my job to ensure that staff come to work because they want to be here and that they continue to be engaged and motivated in their roles. Sometimes that comes with challenges. However, I believe that HR plays a key role in ensuring managers are well equipped to support their staff members and in encouraging an ethos of respect, fairness and consistency throughout the workplace.

WHat is YOuR faVOuRite PaRt Of tHe DaY? I suppose there are different parts of the day that I enjoy for different reasons. I love the variety that comes with my role; no two days are ever the same and there are never enough hours in the day! But as a mum it is lovely to come home to my children who are still at the age where they are pleased to see me. Even after a tough day at the office that is enough to give me perspective. Once homework, dinner and the usual after school activities are over it is lovely to chill out with the kids, either by cuddling up on the sofa

38 ni chamber

HOW DOes HaVing a cHilD iMPact YOuR PeRsOnal anD WORking life?

It changes everything. I’m pretty sure I had these preconceived ideas before motherhood that I wouldn’t let children change anything and of course they do, but for the better.

Things that were important to me before I was a mother are of limited value now and I see the world through my mother’s eyes.

Everything in your personal life requires planning and the same applies to work. My working day revolves around running the household and ensuring my children’s needs are met. The days of simply getting up and ready for work are long gone…but I wouldn’t change a thing! aRe WORking MuMs in gReateR neeD Of state suPPORt tHan staY-at-HOMe MuMs? I think mums should be supported in whichever route they choose. I have nothing but admiration for stay-at-home mums as sometimes I joke that I come to work for a break! But equally juggling the demands of a work/life balance can be difficult. Outside factors such as changes around the childcare voucher scheme will put a significant strain on some families. So I really hope for a U-turn on that decision to help ease the burden on working mums.

DO YOu tHink YOu Will alWaYs ReMain in eMPlOYMent?

I do not have any plans otherwise. I am lucky that I work in a profession that I am passionate about and that I find both challenging and fulfilling. I believe that it is healthy to instil a good work ethic into our children so that they learn that they need to work at things to reap rewards. So yes, I plan to work as long as I am fit and able to do so.

AmBITIoN SPECIAL foCUS

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BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

ince last year’s Brexit vote, businesses across Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK have been operating in a somewhat uncertain environment. However, it appears that many local firms are determined not to put growth plans on hold as they wait to see how the UK’s exit from the EU unfolds.

Despite this, economic conditions continue to evolve and it is important for businesses to get an idea of what they have to do to cope not only with the onset of Brexit but also higher inflation and weak sterling.

However, as the negotiations develop, it is important for businesses to keep their focus on growth potential both at home and further afield.

Brexit undoubtedly brings risks but it also presents opportunities. Many businesses continue to look at ways to turn the situation to their advantage, and banks in Northern Ireland have made it clear that they are there to support companies in realising their plans and by providing whatever help and confidence they can for those who still feel unsure about their future in the run-up to Brexit.

In this section we highlight the attitudes of the four main banks in Northern Ireland against the background of Brexit across a range of areas – expansion and growth, tourism, small businesses and food processing. They all place an emphasis on nurturing growth while uncertainty prevails.

CoNteNtS: 40 42

BANKING ON EXPANSION - BANK OF IRELAND ROOM FOR GROWTH - FIRST TRUST BANK

44 46

SMALL BUISNESSES ADAPTING TO CHANGE - DANSKE BANK FOOD FOR THOUGHT - ULSTER BANK NI Chamber 39

BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

Banking on expansion UNlIke theIr CoUNterparts IN other areas of the Uk, bUsINesses IN NortherN IrelaNd are stIll keeN to INvest aNd expaNd despIte the UNCertaIN eNvIroNmeNt whICh of CoUrse INClUdes brexIt, Gavin Kennedy, BanK of ireland UK’s director of BUsiness BanKinG for northern ireland, tells adrienne McGill.

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rexit has caused businesses to reconsider, pause and in many cases stall their plans for growth and export as they wait and see if the fog around the UK leaving the european Union (eU) and its future trade relationships is going to lift. firms want talks on a Uk-eU trade deal to start as soon as possible, and not be delayed further by the eU’s demand for agreement first on britain’s “divorce bill”, Irish border and citizens’ rights. for Northern Ireland there are particular and unique circumstances given its trading relationship and land border with the republic of Ireland (roI) which remains a member of the eU. trade between the region and the roI has doubled since 1995 and the south remains our key export partner. In 2016, goods exports from Northern Ireland to the roI were valued at £2.4 billion which equates to approximately 56% of the value of goods exported to the eU. according to Gavin kennedy, bank of Ireland Uk’s director of business banking for Northern Ireland, there is still

40 NI Chamber

an appetite for growth across all size of business.

“Uncertainty is nothing new for businesses in Northern Ireland they have a history of determination and resilience. people have not been deterred. In fact, if anything, they have become more determined and are looking at expanding into the roI, setting up new premises and accelerating some decisions around entering new markets to diversify away from the Northern Ireland market. all of that is an indication that firms are prepared to move forward. “businesses are looking at costs and investing in new machinery to either automate or become more efficient and increase productivity to try and be more competitive. whether their plans are growth- led, efficiency- led or cost-led, there is demand for investment. “a lot of Northern Ireland firms are looking at the opportunity to make inroads into the Gb market and saying ‘when brexit happens – rather than Gb businesses importing from europe and facing tariffs and exchange rate risks – we can supply them instead’. for smaller

businesses this is a natural step and that is great. “businesses are asking us to help them with their export plans and support on how to do that safely. we have a number of products that can help in addition to advice from our trade finance team. we can put customers in touch with people who have previously entered new markets so they can share their experiences. we can offer views on market trends as well as funding, assistance, advice and useful introductions. “more businesses in Northern Ireland have the potential to export. many are held back because of a lack of confidence and fear of the risks – but these can be overcome if you do it the right way and speak to the right people. “there is no doubt that people are looking at export markets further afield than just europe. we want to encourage companies to export and find a way to help them do that. It can be difficult and daunting for businesses to export but those who do sell into new markets don’t regret it. “high growth businesses typically

all need to grow the private sector.

“There is no shortage of funding – be that from banks or alternative funding in the form of crowd, assets or equity.

“We work to understand the needs of the business and the best funding solution for them and in many cases it’s a mix of funding solutions. Bank of Ireland has been involved in a number of equity backed deals with Foresight Capital, the Growth Loan Fund and The Bank of Ireland Kernal Capital Growth Fund NI. It comes down to having the right propositions, the right opportunities and making those work.

“Even if a business is not ready for bank debt – it may be ready for other types of finance so we would put the business in contact with Invest NI, Catalyst Inc or other innovators so there are numerous avenues for assistance. Part of our job is in deciphering what will help the business move on to the best platform for funding.”

Gavin stresses that it is important for lenders to understand the cash flow requirements of a business in order to assess funding needs for the next stage of growth.

“Looking at historic accounts only gives us part of the picture – we have to understand the business in-depth in order to analyse an investment proposal or new product idea and then assess the impact of that in the future. We have to talk to the business owners, understand the business, walk around the premises, understand and see the product, understand the digital marketing capabilities, their marketing team activities, the distribution model – all of those things feed into the cash flow.

“The most important thing is to spend time with customers and to understand their business fully.

“The banking and funding environment is hugely competitive – there is a lot of liquidity and with interest rates so low people are not getting the returns they used to so they want to deploy their cash where they will get a better return and that helps early stage companies. If you are established and want to expand and take on more debt, low interest rates mean capital repayments are lower – all that fosters a growth environment for business. Demand for new business funding is strong.”

NI Chamber 41

BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

export, innovate and have high performing teams and at Bank of Ireland UK we see ourselves as a partner in the business, in supporting their growth ambitions and so we have developed and invested in a range of programmes aimed at helping businesses scale-up and seize new opportunities for growth.”

These include partnering with NI Chamber in the ‘Scaling for Growth’ initiative – part of the Learn Grow Excel programme – and supporting Meet the Buyer events, the annual INVENT competition run by Connect at Catalyst Inc which showcases and rewards local innovations that promise commercial potential and Bank of Ireland UK’s very successful bi-annual Enterprise Week initiative, now in its 9th year.

But has Brexit impacted the availability of bank or alternative funding in order to support expansion plans by businesses?

“There is availability of bank funding,” says Gavin Kennedy.

“Northern Ireland banks are keen to support the growth of indigenous companies and support the economy – we

BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

room for growth

NoRTHERN IRElANd’S ToURISm ANd HoSPITAlITy SECToR oFFERS HUGE PoTENTIAl To THE loCAl ECoNomy. AdrIeNNe McGIll TAlKS To BrIAN GIllAN, HeAd oF BusINess ANd corporATe BANkING AT FIrsT TrusT BANk, ABoUT THE GRoWTH oF THE INdUSTRy.

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he buzz at the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) annual conference and exhibition which took place recently in Belfast gave a strong indication of the current energy and excitement around the region’s burgeoning tourism and hotel industry.

In recent years Northern Ireland’s tourism sector has expanded significantly, with external visitor numbers reaching almost 2.5 million in 2016.

The industry contributes over £0.8 billion to the economy per year, and directly employs more than 43,000 people but there’s real belief that the sector can break the £1 billion target by 2020.

The ‘Hospitality Exchange’, which took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, was attended by hundreds of those who work in the sector in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, the Republic of Ireland and beyond. It featured an extensive line-up of top industry figures with experts from the worlds of banking, economics, marketing, hospitality, tourism and global trend analysis sharing their views on the current business climate, the scale of opportunity the sector offers the wider Northern Ireland economy, latest markets trends and challenges including Brexit, skills and VAT rates.

Brian Gillan, Head of Business and Corporate Banking at First Trust Bank, was among the experts addressing delegates.

Speaking to Ambition he said: “We work closely with the industry in order to understand the drivers of the sector. We need to understand the challenges and issues they are facing but also the opportunities so we can tailor our support. We have the great pleasure of working with a wide range of companies across the sector and we regularly see a

42 NI Chamber

strong entrepreneurial spirit throughout it. If we can understand the landscape, it increases the likelihood that we can support the ambitions of the sector.

“We support everything from smaller customers in the restaurant sector through to exciting startups and across to the wellknown brands such as the Galgorm Group or Beannchor Group. As well as supporting new developments, we have also funded many refurbishments because above all in this industry you have to keep the product fresh and attractive. It is about attracting new visitors but also repeat business and that means regularly investing in the product.

“With a particular core strength in the sector, we have the appetite to lend and will more often than not lend so long as the business case stacks up. We’ll also refer clients to alternative funders, if that is more appropriate.”

The latest Hotel Report from the NIHF, which was launched at ‘Hospitality Exchange’, said more tourists are visiting Northern Ireland than ever before.

Figures just released from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) show that between January and June 2017 visitor spend reached an unprecedented £417 million, 16% more than during the same period in 2016.

Some £2.3 million was spent by those taking overnight trips in Northern Ireland every day during the first six months of 2017.

In addition to the domestic and Republic of Ireland markets, growth is apparent across Europe, North America and further afield, with a 15% increase in visitors from overseas.

According to the NIHF there are currently 8,030 rooms provided by 138 hotels across Northern Ireland. However, by 2020 with

the construction of new hotels there will be 151 hotels bringing the complete number of beds to 10,010 in an overall £0.5 billion investment.

“The hotel and tourism industry is buoyant at the moment. The hotel sector has been particularly strong in terms of room rates

“We also need to market Northern Ireland in such a way that visitors flying into Dublin will also include a visit across the border.

While we do get quite a number of day visitors currently, we have to give them a reason to stay – and that means delivering unique experiences. You also have to have the right accommodation and a range of complementary goods and services they can spend money on to give the complete experience.

“For instance, the North Coast offers opportunities for tourism growth. Visitors go there to see the Giant’s Causeway but they don’t stay in enough numbers. We’ve had the Irish Open golf championship in Portrush and Portstewart and we will have the Open in 2019 at Royal Portrush. There is an opportunity to invest and create a larger platform in terms of the hospitality and tourism industry that can encourage people to stay longer and spend in the local economy. It is encouraging to see some new hotel projects in the pipeline for this area.”

However, Northern Ireland’s tourism industry is at a disadvantage because competitors in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) benefit from significant tax reductions and other advantages – in particular, a lower rate of tourism VAT and the fact that there is no equivalent to air passenger duty (APD).

Tourist bodies here have highlighted the negative impact of high levels of APD on tourism in Northern Ireland and argue that

abolishing APD on all flights would encourage airlines to bring new routes into the region.

These changes would connect Northern Ireland with key business and tourism markets.

It has been argued that reducing Northern Ireland’s tourism VAT rate of 20% to match the Republic’s 9% rate would create about 8,500 jobs and increase visitor numbers by 16%. Passengers departing or arriving in Northern Ireland on short haul flights must pay £13 APD each way while the RoI scrapped its passenger duty in 2014.

“The differential is not helpful – it is not a level playing field. VAT and APD are major issues that government would do well to address in some way through policy intervention,” says Brian.

“However, so far, despite the difference the tourism and hospitality sector here is growing.

It is not always about being the cheapest. If people have a good experience then they will pay a high enough price.

“While the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland faces a range of unique challenges as it comes to terms with the implications of Brexit and the recent introduction of the National Living Wage, it still represents a significant growth opportunity for the Northern Ireland economy both directly and indirectly.

Encouragingly, the trajectory of growth of tourism spend is still upwards and despite these unique challenges we believe the sector can still break the £1 billion target by 2020.”

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BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

and occupancy and this has created the opportunity and need for new stock coming to the market,” says Brian Gillan.

“Alongside the new hotels, the Waterfront Hall extension in Belfast has been a very important addition as a world class conferencing facility bringing business tourists who are filling hotel rooms in the city midweek. Belfast is very compact and that makes it very attractive to the conference market. There is a healthy pipeline of conferences coming up.”

However, the squeeze on spending continues. Economists expect inflation to get worse for consumers before it gets better.

Prices rose by 2.6% in the past year and inflation is set to rise to more than 3% by the end of the year, the fastest rate since 2012. At the same time wages are struggling to grow.

“A lot of tourism and hospitality relies on the domestic Northern Ireland purchaser – and to combat that we need to see more international visitors come to Northern Ireland,” says Brian.

“Tourism is one of the winners with the fall in the value of sterling but while it has helped attract more visitors in the short term, there still is a lot more to be done to bring people to Northern Ireland. Belfast is never going to have the same number of air routes as Dublin but we need to maximize opportunities with inward air traffic so that international tourists will come to Northern Ireland.

BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

Small BuSineSSeS – adapting to Change SMAll BuSINeSSeS ARe BIg PlAYeRS IN The eCoNoMY AND ARe uSeD To oveRCoMINg ChAlleNgeS, RIchaRd caldwell, danske Bank’s ManagIng dIRectoR of PeRsonal BankIng and sMall BusIness, TellS adRIenne McgIll.

I

f a business owner can navigate a course through challenging times, then their business will be stronger and better equipped to take advantage of opportunities in the future.

“A lot of small businesses in Northern Ireland came through the Troubles and the recession, learning many lessons – how to trim costs, how to diversify, how to source from different suppliers – those that didn’t, aren’t here,” says Richard Caldwell, Danske Bank’s Managing Director of Personal Banking and Small Business.

“Those who survived are good, lean,

44 NI Chamber

mean businesses with a lot of resilience.”

When most small business owners decide to start their own business, it’s not because they want to be exactly like another business owner. Many people start businesses because they have fresh ideas and think their product or service will have something special and unique to offer that similar products and services don’t have. Furthermore, innovation by small firms keeps markets fresh and stops businesses from becoming passive.

“We have an enormous history of innovation and ideas generation here in Northern Ireland,” says Richard.

“You can see that particularly in the

tech sector where the creation of new services and products through research and development, honed through the universities, has been incredible.”

Brexit of course is the biggest challenge for businesses currently.

“Small businesses are locally based and have local customers – so any impact on costs will be felt.

“They may not be exporting, but they will be seeing their costs rise. The questions then are – can they absorb that cost or pass some of that cost on? That depends on their competitive position – if they have a product which is very compelling then there is the opportunity to push the price up a bit so they can recoup some of the additional costs.

“But what if they can’t because they are in an exceptionally competitive market and others are managing to absorb those costs because they are more efficient? That can become a real issue. “however, while small businesses can easily be driven out of business if they cannot offer customers competitively priced products and a quick turnaround time, they can stay competitive by adopting supply chain management practices to manage the flow of goods.

“We are having conversations at the moment with customers about their supply chain and currency risk.

“They may be importing components from europe to produce products, but that will be adding to costs because of the currency exchange rate.

“If you can get an alternative supplier in the uK or agree a price in sterling, then you can take out the currency risk. “or if you are exporting, can you match your imports to your exports so you are negating your currency risk? If these alternatives are not possible – you have to ask how can you improve your systems and be more efficient so you can absorb those costs?

“The businesses that are importing components and then exporting their product are more sophisticated and they understand the nuances of currency challenges.

“A small business might not be importing from europe, but from england – and therefore think they are not exposed to a currency risk but you could find that the component is made up of a number of materials some of which have been imported from a country in europe. Almost always in the supply chain there is a currency risk somewhere that ultimately may need to be passed on to the customer.”

Access to labour is a further challenge for small businesses who have benefited significantly from the contribution of eu workers to their labour force.

Businesses with eu workers are highly reliant on mid-skilled staff, such as care, construction or production workers, who require specialist, sometimes technical education or training. There is also a significant reliance on highly-skilled workers,

goes through an upcycle it levels off again.

We are in a rising position at present.

The impact of inflation with low wage growth means that there is less spending power amongst consumers.

“Consumer confidence slightly tailed off in Q2 2017, higher inflation and wage growth were not matching – so people are squeezed and therefore have less money to spend on goods and services.

“In business when you are faced with reduced income you have to think differently – you have choices to make – cut costs, develop new products, look at different markets, and think about niche areas.”

Richard stresses that banks and other sources of capital are keen to lend despite prevailing economic and political uncertainty.

“Danske is a growing business – so we want to grow and invest in good opportunities. If a business has identified

a really strong opportunity then we are very happy to support it.

“This year we completed a programme of decentralising our small business advisors and locating them in key individual branches throughout Northern Ireland. This decision was taken as a result of strong feedback from small businesses and it allows our people to be more accessible and closer to customers.

These changes have already made a tangible impact, with lending to small businesses up 32% year-on-year and 37 new small business relationships being established every week.

“From start up to developing a business into a success requires support – there are so many different facets from design to production, to marketing to HR to compliance, never mind funding.

There are so many pieces in the jigsaw.

“The key thing is to keep your options open and always seek advice.”

NI Chamber 45

BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

like engineers, software developers and managers. There is no doubt that EU workers play an important role in helping to plug chronic skills gaps in key occupations and sectors.

The ability to hire people with the right skills is fundamental to small firms’ survival and growth.

“A big issue we are seeing is around access to labour – it is a big Brexit impact. Lots of businesses tell us that they had issues getting labour anyway, even before Brexit came along because many young people leaving schools don’t have the skills required by employers.

That remains a concern,” says Richard.

On top of this there is the rising cost of inflation, which means an increase in the cost of living, but the effect on small businesses can be much more severe in the form of higher bills and diminished buying power.

“History has shown that once inflation

BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

FOOD FOR THOUGHT FooD PRoCESSING CoMPANIES ARE HElPING To FEED THE loCAl ECoNoMy AS AdrIeNNe McGIll HEARS FRoM KeNToN HIlMAN, HeAd of corporATe BANKING, UlsTer BANK.

T

he Northern Ireland food sector is currently enjoying a healthy appetite with growth evident among companies in the industry.

Hilton Foods part of the Hilton Food Group, Moy Park and Fane Valley are just some of the big names who are going from strength to strength with increasingly strong sales.

The sector is a significant element of the local economy contributing to employment and export growth.

The number of people employed directly in food processing is around 40,000 and the industry contributes approximately £4.6 billion to the Northern Ireland economy.

The biggest market for Northern Ireland

46 NI Chamber

food continues to be Great Britain, which is worth about £2 billion.

The domestic market is next with sales of more that £1 billion, followed by the Republic of Ireland with sales worth £624 million.

“The sector is currently doing very well,” says Kenton Hilman, Head of Corporate Banking, Ulster Bank.

“It has been buoyed a bit by the currency situation because of the weak pound. A lot of companies who are selling into the UK are competing against European counterparties so they are cheaper going into the UK market. We are seeing better profit margins and the volumes that are going into GB are improving.

“In meat processing and dairy, companies are performing very well. The big unknown of course revolves around Brexit – companies don’t know what is around the corner. They are asking – do we know enough to undertake the next stage of investment? We have had a lot of customers in Northern Ireland over the last 5 years expanding and investing in plant and machinery or acquiring businesses in England, Scotland and Wales to increase production capacity. Some firms have also invested heavily in technology to make sure they are number one in their market for efficiencies and from a cost perspective.”

With regards to technology, an increasing number of companies are investing in very sophisticated systems to improve processes.

There are automated processes such as robotics and their use in the food industry has increased over recent years, particularly in the field of processing and packaging systems.

Now that the technology is becoming more affordable and the systems more intelligent, it may be feasible to automate many of the complex and repetitive tasks that are carried out in the food industry, The opportunity still exists to deliver significant benefits in terms of increased food shelf life, cost reductions and flexibility.

For instance in greenhouses devoted to fruit and vegetable production, engineers are exploring automation as a way to reduce costs and boost quality. Devices to monitor vegetable growth, as well as robotic pickers, are currently being tested.

For livestock farmers, sensing technologies can help to manage the health and welfare of their animals. And work is underway to improve monitoring and maintenance of soil quality and to eliminate pests and disease without resorting to indiscriminate use of agrichemicals.

“There are companies who are operating without using humans at all – robotics are the main means of processing. It is encouraging to see that the Northern Ireland Food and Drinks Association and the Ulster Farmers Union are encouraging the different parts of the industry to look at various scenarios,” says Kenton.

Brexit of course raises specific challenges for the sector. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border with the EU in the form of the Republic of Ireland and the need to be competitive has driven economies of scale resulting in a move to an all island economy.

The trade flows between Northern Ireland and Ireland are therefore vital to maintain and minimising border disruptions are essential.

from the EU. Around 400,000 people work in food processing in the UK, and more than 30% of those come from outside the region. If free movement of labour stops, the UK food industry will face severe difficulties.

Some parts may even shudder to a halt.

“Many food processors employ seasonal casual workers. A lot of staff are employed from eastern European regions. The work that they do is critical to the industry,” says Kenton.

“Migrant workers want to make a life for themselves but they’re worried about their future here. At the moment there’s no clear outcome after Brexit — and if these workers have job options outside the UK, they will take those.”

The most significant immediate impact to the industry (as stated earlier) has come from the weakening of sterling.

The effect has been both positive and negative with exporters reporting an increase in sales and importers reporting an increase in costs (and struggling to get cost recovery from the supermarkets).

Inflation has also had an influence.

“Some companies are importing inflation because they are bringing in more expensive goods from euroland so they then have to pass that on to

consumers through the supermarkets.

There is always the argument around what can you do efficiency-wise but maintain profitability,” says Kenton.

Ulster Bank, the main sponsor of Ireland’s largest agricultural event, the Balmoral Show, has always had a deep affiliation with the farming and food sector and Kenton says the Bank remains committed to supporting it.

“We can offer flexible working capital arrangements or put in place products and solutions such as asset based lending which help customers to meet their requirements,” he says.

Northern Ireland food processing companies have long been the target of acquisitions by major international firms.

The recent sale of Moy Park to US Food firm Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation for £1 billion underlines the attractiveness of local firms to large outsiders.

“Northern Ireland is renowned for its food quality and food traceability and companies and has an excellent reputation across the globe,” says Kenton.

“Looking to the future, there is no doubt of more acquisitions in the food processing sector and that bodes well for the growth of the local industry.”

BANKING, BUSINESS & BREXIT

There is significant volume of live imports of pigs and cattle from Ireland which is necessary to help Northern Irish processors achieve scale efficiency in their operations. Overall 25% of the Northern Ireland milk pool goes to Ireland for processing and 36% of Northern Irish lamb is processed in Ireland.

In addition 50% of Northern Ireland milled flour goes to Ireland and at a UK level, 181,000 tonnes of flour (83% of UK exports to the EU) and 122,000 tonnes of bakery products (41% of UK exports to the EU) are also destined for Ireland, creating a very significant exposure to the Irish market for the flour and bakery sectors of the UK as a whole.

“Many RoI dairy companies have facilities in Northern Ireland and a lot of the milk pool goes south of the border to go into products such as baby powder, dried milk and cheese so it is a very important market,” says Kenton.

“Processors are very dependent on primary producers. It is important to ensure they are viable because if they are not, the processors won’t have the product to sell. It is a very joined up approach.”

On the wider front, there are other issues such as seasonal migrant labour

columnist

TAKING ON A COMMERCIAL LEASE? TakINg a Lease of BusINess PremIses requIres CarefuL CoNsIderaTIoN advIses JoE MarlEy, DirEcTor anD HEaD of coMMErcial ProPErTy aT clEavEr fulTon rankin SoliciTorS.

T

aking on new premises can seem a daunting prospect. Employing the right professional advisors to act on your behalf is key. The first task is locating the right premises for you. But in reality, this is only the start of the process.

When looking for commercial premises you will undoubtedly come into contact with commercial agents acting for the relevant Landlords who will indicate to you the Landlord’s expectations as to the commercial terms. Although these commercial terms (such as starting annual rent, rent free period, rent review, capital contribution towards fit-out) may have been presented as non-negotiable, the reality is that in many cases, there will be room for negotiation. To this end, it is well worth engaging the services of an experienced commercial property agent to advise you generally and ultimately get you the best deal possible.

Your solicitor will generally get involved after the commercial Heads

48 NI Chamber

of Terms have been agreed but it is sometimes advisable to involve your solicitor earlier as they can add value to the negotiation process by pointing out points of a legal nature which can be negotiated at the outset and which will save time in the long run.

It is important that you understand the Lease document fully and in particular, the obligations that you or your company will be taking on.

You should pay particular attention to the tenant’s covenants in the Lease, such as repair obligations, provisions governing alterations and the condition which you must hand back the premises at the end of the term. The term of lease is obviously a significant consideration. You will want to ensure that you have enough security to allow your business to grow but you might also want to consider whether the Lease should include a right for you to terminate early to allow you some flexibility.

How these terms are drafted in the Lease is critically important and can mean the difference between whether or not rights can be

enforced and can be relied upon by you, and whether your obligations are capable of being complied with.

The amount of the initial annual rent may be clearly understood but you should also investigate to what extent a service charge will be payable, how this is provided for in the Lease and what further outgoings will be payable. You should ensure that you understand the arrangements for rent review. The Lease will also govern to what extent you will be able to assign the Lease during the term to a third party or sub-let all or part of the premises.

Before signing up to a Lease, you will want to be satisfied that the premises benefits from the necessary planning permission for your proposed use and that the Landlord’s title to the premises does not contain any onerous or restrictive covenants which may affect your proposed operations at the property.

Finally, if you are intending to sell alcohol on the premises, you should seek specialist legal advice on liquor licensing in Northern Ireland.

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enhancing health and life DevenisH IS ONE OF NOrThErN IrElAND’S lEADING ExPOrTErS WhOSE SUCCESS IS FOUNDED ON CrEATING INNOVATIVE SCIENTIFIC SOlUTIONS FOr ThE ANIMAl FEED AND FOOD INDUSTrY. ADrienne McGill tAlks to AlAn Gibson, its cHief coMMerciAl officer AND hEArS ABOUT ThE COMPANY’S “ONE hEAlTh: FrOM SOIl TO SOCIETY” STrATEGY.

H

ealthy, nutritious feed for animals is as essential as nutritious food for humans…for the same

reason.

Foods develop, replace and repair cells and tissues so we grow and heal; produce energy to keep warm, move and work; carry out chemical processes such as the digestion of food; and help us to maintain overall good health.

From the hen that provides a breakfast egg to the beef cow that provides a hearty dinner we all depend on animals to provide us with key nutrients.

Food of animal origin is made up of many nutrients. Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are needed only in small amounts and macronutrients such as protein and fat are needed in larger amounts. The body cannot function properly if one or more nutrients are missing. A healthy and balanced diet provides nutrients in the right amounts and combinations that will keep us healthy.

Providing healthy food for a growing population starts with healthy animals. Many factors contribute to the overall health of an animal and the quality and safety of animalderived food products such as meat, milk, poultry and eggs.

Devenish leads the field in this area. The agri-technology firm, headquartered in Belfast, is world-renowned for its preeminence in providing a wide range of nutritional products and solutions for the intensive livestock sector, the food industry and for human health. On a weekly basis, Devenish is influencing the nutrition of over

50 NI Chamber

500 million consumers.

With a focus on pig, poultry, ruminant, aquaculture, equine and companion animal sectors, the company provides tailored nutritional solutions and specialist advice delivered by a highly skilled team of experts in animal nutrition, animal husbandry, feed manufacture and veterinary science and human nutrition. Innovative products include premixes, neonatal feeds and specialist ingredients developed through an extensive research and development programme which helps maximise customers’ performance and profitability, whilst also enhancing welfare and minimising environmental impact.

The company works collaboratively with its customers across the value chain to produce the highest quality products which goes beyond farm to fork – they go from soil to society.

The food that animals eat is therefore critical for their health and our health.

Alan Gibson, Devenish’s Chief Commercial Officer says knowing customers’ requirements and markets has been the key to success.

“From the soil right through to the consumers in society, it’s all about understanding the different moving parts that impact the health of the animal, the environment and the human.

“We want to help our customers produce better quality and healthier food. Everything is interrelated.

“Devenish has a culture of supporting its customers and listening to them and bringing practical tailored solutions as opposed to only

selling products. Knowing customers and the market is the foundation of everything the company has done. We are in the risk management business.”

The company was originally founded in 1952 as an animal feeds firm, but following a management buyout in 1997 led by the current Executive Chairman Owen Brennan, it has developed from being an animal feeds and trading business into a scientific and technology innovator which provides tailored solutions to customers’ specific problems to improve the quality of their animals – all built around sustainable production.

Devenish has grown substantially over the last 20 years from a turnover of £5 million to current revenues of £200 million and employs 450 people globally.

The company operates across three divisions – international, North America and UK and Ireland and in the last three years it has grown by 300 per cent in international markets.

As one of Northern Ireland’s leading exporters, selling to 35 countries across the globe, Devenish was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for International Trade in 2016.

A total of 60% of sales are to UK and Ireland and 40% are outside. The firm operates 10 manufacturing sites across Northern Ireland and England, US, Turkey and Uganda.

In a strategic move recently, Devenish acquired a 50 per cent stake in premix producer Yem-Vit which will allow the company to grow in the Turkish market and

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Picture by David Cordner www.davidcordner.com

provide significantly improved access to the surrounding Middle East region.

“We have grown significantly in the UK and Ireland in the last 20 years and are growing in markets such as Turkey, the Middle East and West Africa. We also have an office in the Philippines, Dubai and a distribution centre in Mexico. We bring our nutritional products and solutions to help our customers wherever they are in the world,” says Alan Gibson.

“The whole value chain is joined up. In Devenish we talk about ‘One Health’. We are bringing know-how and applied science to promote health from the soil to plants, to the environment, to the animal and ultimately to the human.

“If a customer wants healthier soil, we have technology to help deliver that and ways of working to promote soil’s health, via our 3-step Soil Improvement Programme. If the soil is healthier, the plant is healthier because it has more nutrients in it and therefore the animal is going to get more nutrition. It is exactly the same in humans – if you get the right nutrition, this will promote good health and prevent ill health, and you are less likely to get sick and less likely to need antibiotics.

“In the world today there are health challenges from poor nutrition and misuses of antibiotics both in humans and in agriculture.

We are particularly focused on supporting antibiotic-free production. Devenish, working with partners, has the know-how and technologies that help reduce the need for administering antibiotics to animals – and that means healthier food for human consumption.

“With pigs for example, we have a range of

feeds for sows so before the sow gives birth she is healthier and when her piglets are born they are also healthier and there is less risk of early mortality. If they are healthier, they grow more efficiently and are less likely to need antibiotics.

“If humans look after the animals, the animals will look after humans. It is as simple as that.”

Devenish supplies to a wide range of customers from multi-national food processors right down to local farmers. Alan says the mix of customers varies across the different species, so the product and service offering will alter depending on the customer profile.

The company looks at regimes that optimise an animal’s performance to produce meat, milk and eggs as healthily and efficiently as possible. In poultry for example, Devenish’s food regimes match the birds’ exact nutritional requirements they need for each phase of life.

The bird is therefore healthier and the final output is a higher quality product.

Devenish uses the expertise of its nutritionists working alongside customers to develop feeding regimes. Most of the efficiency improvements come from precision nutrition, additives and diet changes that are developed in the company’s research facilities. Trials are conducted to scientificallypublishable standards to ensure what is seen in the facilities is replicable on customers’ farms.

Each year, Devenish invests £30 million in innovative research and development of new products and solutions. Its latest, which has taken 10 years to perfect, has been a new

range of chicken products in partnership with Moy Park, available through Waitrose, that are naturally enriched with omega-3 fatty acids.

This provides a way for people to get omega-3 as part of their daily diet in a food they eat regularly.

“A lot of studies have been showing that a deficit of omega-3 (DHA and EPA) in people’s diets leads to challenges around a range of health issues including heart and brain health,” says Alan.

“We have been feeding chickens with a vegetarian source of DHA and EPA which naturally deposits in the chicken meat.

When we eat the chicken, the omega-3 is absorbed and used by our bodies to make sure that our hearts and brains are healthy.

Dietary intervention trials, conducted with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and commissioned by Devenish show the very positive impact of DHA and EPA levels on people’s health. The results of the randomised, controlled, double-blind study will be published at the annual American Heart Association conference in November 2017.

“Here is Devenish – which was an animal feeds business 20 years ago now presenting a leading paper on human heart health. That is quite a leap.

“The fact that we employ people with scientific expertise from the animal, food, plant health and agriculture industries, means we can bring solutions which are really practical for animals, humans and the environment – and that brings benefits to everybody.”

NI Chamber 51

sponsored feature

HOW SECURITY STANDARDS CAN GUIDE GDPR COMPLIANCE EFFORTS

BY BRIAN HONAN, CEO, BH CONSULTING.

M

any organisations are still trying to understand how GDPR will affect them, and what they will need to do to comply with it. The first thing to emphasise is that the General Data Protection Regulation is not an IT issue alone. It’s true that technical controls play a part in maintaining ongoing compliance, but GDPR is also a management issue. The proof is that the word ‘risk’ appears 75 times in the text of the regulation.

Where management goes, culture follows. Guidance from the top can ensure everyone in the organisation treats personal data responsibly. In practice, most organisations collect and use personal information about their customers or suppliers. Yet few of them know what they will need to do in order to comply with GDPR. Research commissioned by the Data Protection Commissioner found that 69 per cent of SMEs have heard of the regulation, but 78 per cent had not identified actions to take to become compliant.

One of the first steps to becoming compliant is for organisations to document what personal data they hold, where it originated and with whom it is shared. Measuring those processes against the requirements of GDPR makes it possible to identify gaps and address them.

This is where security frameworks such as ISO 27001 can help. GDPR comprises risk-based principles, so a risk-based security standard is well suited to mirroring the regulation’s requirements. ISO 27001 is a riskbased approach for securing valuable information and applies a high standard of controls to address areas like confidentiality, continuous protection, integrity and availability of information. Organisations can align the systems, controls, and processes they use for monitoring data assets with a widely accepted independent standard that is not aligned to any one technology or provider.

GDPR requires an organisation first to understand what data it holds, and all of the places where it is stored. This exercise, or data audit, not only helps to meet compliance requirements, it also has a business benefit. It will very likely uncover unnecessary duplicates of information, or records that are no longer required. By deleting those copies, businesses can reduce the overhead of having to manage them. It also reduces the chances of being compromised or breached - an outcome that would be more likely to occur if an organisation does not know where it keeps all instances of its data.

There is no such thing as a magic bullet for GDPR compliance; but a series of actions to take. Just as solid foundations are the fundamental bedrock for building a house, ISO 27001 is a robust platform to give structure and support to data protection efforts.

ISO 27001 is more than just a set of guidelines to follow. There is a certification process to validate the work. The EU Data Protection Supervisor Giovanni Buttarelli said earlier this year that certification schemes “could bring great benefits” in helping organisations to navigate the GDPR. Accountability is one of the regulation’s key principles. Becoming certified to ISO 27001 demonstrates to all external stakeholders that the phrase ‘we take your security and privacy seriously’ isn’t just an empty promise but is the lived experience of the whole organisation.

BH Consulting will be presenting at the Certification Europe ISO 27001 Roadshow seminars. The Nationwide Roadshow stops off in Belfast on November 16th at the Merchant Hotel, where an expert panel will discuss implementing an information security management system, and demonstrating compliance to GDPR. For more details, or to register, visit: https://www. certificationeurope.com/roadshow/.

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ARE YOU INTERESTED IN HOW INFORMATION SECURITY, GDPR AND ISO 27001 ARE SHAPING THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE TODAY?

Join us as our panel of experts explore these topics

BRIAN HONAN

ANDREW MAYBIN

MICHAEL BROPHY

BH CONSULTING

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DIAGEO RAISES A GLASS TO SUCCESS OF CRAFT BEERS A thirst for continued business growth in northern irelAnd remAins the priority for Diageo, the world’s lArgest drink’s producer As aDrienne Mcgill heArs from Jorge lopes, its country Director in northern irelAnd.

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iageo, the global drinks giant which is valued at more than £60 billion and which owns many of the biggest brands in the world has an ambition…to grow even larger in northern ireland.

The company employs more than 300 people across three sites in the region – its Baileys manufacturing facility at Mallusk, which produces around 70 per cent of the cream liqueur sold worldwide; its bottling and canning plant at Marshall’s Road in Belfast and its corporate headquarters at Capital House in Belfast city centre.

54 ni chamber

As the largest premium drinks company in the world, which owns 200 brands across 180 countries including Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Harp and Baileys, Diageo’s most recent annual results are impressive and underline its scale.

The company posted an operating profit which surged 25 per cent to £3.6 billion for the year ending in June 2017 while net sales climbed 15 per cent to £12.1 billion.

Diageo was boosted by healthy growth in international markets and strong scotch sales.

Sales particularly increased in India and in the US.

Sterling’s weakness laid the foundations for an extra lift for the Smirnoff vodka and Guinness-maker when translating overseas earnings back into pounds.

Following the strong year, Diageo’s board approved a share buy-back programme of up to £1.5 billion in the financial year 2018.

Furthermore, in June Diageo announced that it had agreed to buy premium tequila brand Casamigos for $1 billion (£790 million) from Hollywood actor George Clooney who co-founded it in 2013.

The company’s sparkling results and scale would make anyone think it couldn’t get any

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larger but Jorge Lopes, Diageo’s Country Manager in Northern Ireland, says the drinks giant remains focused on growing its business here.

“We have an ambition to continue to grow our commercial sales in Northern Ireland.

We had an amazing year last year and our business is in good growth. We are gaining market share and beating our plan in terms of sales targets. Part of that has been helped by the market, particularly in hospitality and tourism and where the weakness of sterling has brought more visitors to Northern Ireland and increased sales in bars, hotels and restaurants.

“Diageo is embedded in the community in Northern Ireland and has been for years.

We are a major exporter and employer and really feel we have a role to play, indeed a responsibility, to help foster and grow the tourism and hospitality offering here, because we’re a key part of that overall visitor

experience.

“Our productivity work is delivering ahead of expectations, allowing us to reinvest in our brands, drive margin improvement and generate consistent strong cash flow. We have been finding ways of doing things better and in the process made savings throughout the business so we can either reinvest or put them in our bottom line in our results or a mix of both.”

The company drives growth by taking savings from efficiency improvement and investing it in growing volume and maintaining or growing employment. Diageo has gone further by investing some of the dividend from efficiency in new products that increase the value of its production i.e. by addressing emerging customer demand for craft beers.

Craft beers have become increasingly popular in Northern Ireland and so Diageo has been meeting demand with the launch in 2015 of its flagship Guinness branded artisan beer, Hop House 13. It followed earlier releases of Guinness Dublin Porter, West Indies Porter and Golden Ale. Most are in bottles but some are also available on draught.

The beers are produced at the home of Guinness, St James’s Gate in Dublin, where there has been an experimental brewery for more than a century and where brewers are given license to explore new recipes, reinterpret old ones and experiment freely to bring exciting new beers to life.

So far The Open Gate Brewery has proven extremely popular with Northern Ireland beer aficionados and earlier this year a new platform for its craft produce was launched – every three months there are now 55 rotating pumps in a variety of Belfast bars dispensing a constantly changing variety of artisan beers from the innovative Dublinbased producer.

“Demand for Hop House 13 is unbelievable” says Jorge.

“One of the brewers, Peter Simpson, was doing some testing on his lagers and he found one he really liked. Diageo thought there might be something in it – and there really was! We launched Hop House 13 in February 2015 and demand for it has been outstanding with net sales up 31 per cent year on year. We have now sold 25 million pints across Ireland since launch.

“The brewers at the Open Gate Brewery have been working for us for many years and in the microbrewery they can devise, test and produce new beers and if any of the new flavours get good feedback from consumers we will launch them to the market and Hop House 13 is one that has been an incredible success.

“The craft beer side of Diageo’s business is growing very fast and we are delighted. Right now we have a new one called Citrus IPA which is proving to be very popular.”

According to the Global Craft Beer Market Report 2017 compiled by Research and Markets, the global craft beer market is

expected to reach US $502.9 billion by 2025 on account of the rising demand for low alcohol by volume (ABV) and flavoured beer.

However, while the outlook seems very positive for the company, Brexit is casting a degree of uncertainty across two of Diageo’s largest brands.

Guinness is one of Ireland’s most famous exports and Brexit will have a direct impact on its production as the black stuff crosses the Irish border twice before being shipped from Dublin to Great Britain and beyond.

The stout is made at the St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin, the drink is then pumped into tankers and driven 90 miles to east Belfast where it is canned and then sent back to Dublin Port for onward distribution. Each year the company makes approximately 13,000 beer-related border crossings in Ireland.

Baileys will also be impacted. More than six million cases of the cream liqueur are produced annually at two sites in Dublin and Belfast, over 90 per cent of which is exported. The 275 million litres of fresh milk required annually to produce the cream used in the manufacture of Baileys is supplied by farms on both sides of the border.

Such operations require very significant movements of both products and people across the border every day.

“We source milk from all over Ireland, beer moves back and forth across the border and we use both Dublin and Belfast ports for exports. All in all it is a heavily integrated business and for our employees who travel between the north and the south as well,” says Jorge.

Jorge, who was born in Brazil where he lived for 28 years, has been in his current role since 2014 and prior to this was Customer Marketing Director in Diageo’s Dublin office.

Before joining Diageo in 2011 he worked for six years with the multinational consumer group Reckitt Benckiser where he was Customer Marketing Director and before that spent three years with management consultancy McKinsey and Co. Now living in Belfast with his wife Lucy and their three children aged 14, 12 and 8, he is passionate about Diageo’s business in Northern Ireland.

“Northern Ireland is a very important part of Diageo’s Irish business; the Irish business is a very important part of Diageo’s European business and Europe is a very important part of Diageo’s global business. Each is intertwined with the others and that makes them all important,” says Jorge.

“We are always looking at ways of doing things better. The key thing is to focus on consumer trends and try to tap into them – that is our priority. We know for instance that people are moving to quality over quantity when it comes to choosing what they drink and that has to be a good thing. The Diageo Reserve portfolio of luxury spirits, such as Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray Ten, Ciroc and Bulleit, all sit firmly in this category.”

NI Chamber 55

columnist

Are most of your speNdINg or sAvINg deCIsIoNs drIveN by ‘lImIted rAtIoNAlIty’?

NI Chamber eCoNomIst maureeN o’reIlly exAmINes the study of behAvIourAl eCoNomICs by rIChArd thAler, who reCeNtly woN the 2017 Nobel prIze for eCoNomICs.

A NUDGE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

“

Most voters aren’t really thinking about it in a very analytical way. The people behind the leave campaign are voting with their guts. There’s no spreadsheet. This is much like a divorce without a prenup. You’re voting to leave, and we’ll take care of all the financial details later .”1 This is a quote by US academic Richard Thaler who recently won the 2017 Nobel Prize for Economics. He was of course speaking about Brexit and as a fierce critic believed that Brexit demonstrated how people had voted with their gut rather than making a rational choice.

Thaler won the most prestigious prize in economics for his study of behavioural economics which in simple

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terms brings together psychology with economics.

Classical economics has always worked on the premise that we as individuals behave rationally in the decisions we take, weighing up the pros and cons and making choices purely in our own best interests. Academics like Thaler disagree with this on the basis that much of human decision making is actually driven by limited rationality because our decisions are so strongly influenced by, for example, the way choices are presented to us, what our peers think and that we actually believe in being fair and kind to others even if it isn’t in our own best interests.

He used the example of households budgets to show limited rationality. On one hand, households put money away for holidays or a ‘rainy day’ into a savings account where they

receive a low rate of interest while on the other pay high interest on credit card bills. The rational decision would be to use their savings to pay off the credit card debt but because people think of savings and credit card debt as two separate accounts they can’t see the benefit of doing this.

Thaler’s work on fairness showed how concerns about consumer fairness may stop firms from raising prices in periods of high demand, but not in times of rising costs.

In his book Misbehaving,2 he talked about the fact that firms would look greedy if they tried to raise prices during temporary spikes in demand, particularly those caused by challenging circumstances, even if customers were willing to pay more. A simple example used was the fairness of a hardware

store raising the price of snow shovels when demand surges the morning after a snowstorm3. Thaler and colleagues believed that community standards on fairness showed when and how far firms could raise prices and firms had to be guided by this and not simply by raising prices to respond to rising demand which would be the classical economic approach.

Perhaps Thaler’s most thought provoking work centred on self-control, or rather the lack of it. The Nobel Committee used the example of why we don’t save for old age or make healthier life style choices despite knowing that this is the most rational thing to do. Thaler coined the term ‘nudging’4 to provide a policy solution that could help people exercise better self-control. In essence nudging looks to introduce small incentives to steer people towards making better choices rather than penalising them if they don’t.

The concept proved so popular with policy makers that Thaler and his coauthor Sunstein were recruited by Obama, Cameron and other world leaders to advise on how to take the policy forward.

Cameron created a Behavioural Insights

Team (BIT), also known as the ‘Nudge Unit’, with Thaler as academic adviser. BIT uses nudge theory to try to understand why people make bad choices and then test out small policy changes to see if these help them make better ones. One recent example is a trial to introduce a new one page Pension Passport which includes all the information a customer needs to access open-market retirement product options and a clear call to action to visit the government’s free pensions advice service, Pension Wise. Those receiving the single-page Pension Passport were ten times more likely to visit the Pension Wise website compared to those receiving the usual, much larger and cumbersome advice pack. They were also more likely to call up the Pension Wise booking line.

Others trials have focused on policies around educational and health incentives.

Interestingly, BIT acknowledges that behavioural economics has had little impact to date on economic policy.

Perhaps one of the most prominent examples of a ‘nudge’ is the autoenrolment scheme introduced in 2012 where workers would be automatically placed into a firm’s

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pension scheme unless they formally requested to be exempted. The idea was that by making enrolment the default it made the decision to save much easier by effectively taking it out of the employee’s hands. Auto enrolment has been largely viewed as a success and since being introduced the share of employees with workplace pensions has increased from 47% to 68% in 2016.

Thaler does appear to practise what he preaches. Apparently on learning of winning the prize, he said he would spend the £845,000 prize money as ‘irrationally as possible’! How many of us would do exactly the same?

Business Insider, June 2016 Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics, Thaler, 2015 3 Fairness as a Constraint on Profit Seeking: Entitlements in the Market, Kahneman, Knetsch, Thaler, The American Economic Review, 1986 4 Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness, Thaler and Sunstein, 2008 1 2

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A CROWNING GLORY ANdrAs HoTels’ New CrowNe PlAzA IN BeLFAST IS SeT To BRING A New LeveL oF LuxuRy, STyLe AND CoMFoRT To HoTeLS IN THe CITy AS AdrIeNNe MCGIll HeARS FRoM ITS GeNerAl MANAGer GeorGe GrAHAM.

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he first Crowne Plaza Hotel in Northern Ireland which opened amid fanfare earlier this year will boast market leading new bedrooms as part of an ambitious multi-million-pound project by Andras Hotels.

Following the upgrade and rebranding of its flagship Shaw’s Bridge Hotel in leafy South Belfast, Andras Hotels announced plans to refurbish all 120 bedrooms and create an additional 36 new bedrooms at the property.

The hotel, which employs 150, is a

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prestigious addition to the city’s hotel offering and will cater for both business and leisure travellers.

The Andras Hotels Group was founded by Indian born businessman Lord Diljit Rana, whose son Rajesh is Managing Director of the company and is overseeing the refurbishment.

Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts is the upscale full-service hotel brand from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), which has 4,900 hotels in nearly 100 countries with 1,200 more hotels in its development pipeline.

The Belfast rebrand has seen an investment of £2 million to upgrade the public areas of the hotel to the exacting Crowne Plaza brand standards, with a further £4 million to be rolled out over an 18-month period which will see the creation of stylish bedroom accommodation.

The upgrade is the latest investment on the site, which included a complete refurbishment of the public areas including the hotel’s 21 meetings and events spaces and the stylish lounge bar and restaurants.

feature Crowne Plaza General Manager George Graham says: “It felt that the Crowne Plaza, as a business orientated brand, would be a great opportunity for the Shaw’s Bridge property.

“We have a long-standing relationship with IHG, with our Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels in Belfast. It is a relationship going back more than 20 years, so they saw Andras Hotels as their ideal partner for the first Crowne Plaza hotel in Northern Ireland.

“With the investment we have made, Crowne Plaza Belfast is living up to the promise of this upmarket brand. Our team were so excited about the prospect of being part of the Crowne Plaza family and you can see that pride and energy in their attitude every day.

“Our refurbishment has seen all of the public areas of the hotel transformed.

Crowne Plaza is a business and meetings focused brand, and our Conference Centre is the largest facility of its type in the North. We have totally transformed the meetings and events spaces, from the Grand Ballroom which can hold 900 delegates, through to our Great Oak Conference Centre and the stylish lounge and lobby.

“Starting this January, the existing 120 bedrooms are going to be transformed into the Crowne Plaza style along with the creation of 36 additional bedrooms on an exclusive new club floor.

“The total investment in the hotel is in the region of £6 million.”

The extensive project is expected to be completed by May 2018 but while the refurbishment takes place, business still has to go on.

“The work will be phased and managed so that there will be no disturbance to our guests. Crowne Plaza’s brand is built on a restful night’s sleep and productive meetings, so we will ensure that our work will not impact on guest’s enjoyment of the hotel,” says George.

“We will be hosting large functions and events throughout the year and our team always offer guests top service 365 days a year.”

At the heart of the Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts brand is a commitment to helping the modern business traveller meet the challenges and hectic pace of today’s 24/7, ‘always on’, environment.

With this in mind, its bedrooms at Shaw’s Bridge will have an intuitive design creating lots of space that will encourage

business guests to be productive, but also to rest and, crucially, to get a great night’s sleep. It means they will be able to focus on the day of work ahead.

The bedrooms will include a mix of superior rooms, club rooms and suites.

The new bedrooms are designed by award-winning interior designers and will feature locally manufactured furniture and fixtures in a relaxing and individual décor.

The new Club Rooms will be on a separate club floor, and guests using these rooms will have access to the hotel’s exclusive Club Lounge where complimentary snacks, beverages and drinks are served throughout the day.

“Business guests want an effortless and rewarding environment – they want to check-in easily, go to their room which should have Wi-Fi and enough power points to cater for their laptop, smartphone and tablet. They also want to have great fresh food, either a full dinner or snack, so a wide menu choice is important,” says George.

“Business guests who travel a lot expect luxury – they want rooms that are workready but with comfort and style.

“Crowne Plaza has a bespoke sleep programme called ‘Sleep Advantage’ so all our rooms feature pillow-top pocket sprung mattresses, the highest quality linen, and aromatherapy sprays to help you drift off to sleep. By the way we also

feature alarm clocks to help guests rise in the mornings!

“The big standout is that the Crowne Plaza is a market leading hotel which delights corporate guests Monday to Friday and welcomes leisure guests at the weekend.

“One of the strengths of the brand is its IHG Rewards Loyalty Programme which offers great advantages to frequent travellers.”

Andras Hotels owns and operates 5 hotels in Belfast with a 6th under construction.

The company has fostered an excellent partner relationship with IHG dating back to 1991, and now sees Andras operating three IHG branded hotels in Belfast.

George, a native of Kilkeel but now living in Comber, has been involved in hotel management for more than 20 years. He is the former General Manager of the Ballykisteen Hotel in Limerick and has had previous experience of a hotel rebrand as the former General Manager of the Radisson in Limavady, Co. Derry before it changed to become Roe Park Resort.

“This is a very vibrant time for the hotel industry in Northern Ireland in general and for Andras Hotels in particular,” says George.

“The Crowne Plaza will be, without doubt, a sparkling jewel.”

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RAISING MUCH NEEDED FUNDS FOR MS

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ultiple sclerosis (MS) affects a horrible feeling, but knowing there is hope around 4,500 people in for a future generation is amazing. Research Northern Ireland and more and treatments have come such a long way in than 100,000 in the UK. MS is often recent years; there are now 13 different types painful and exhausting and can cause of DMT’s (Disease Modifying Therapies). problems with how people walk, move, These help slow down the progression of see, think and feel. MS is unpredictable MS and it’s brilliant, because it’s a start!” says and different for everyone.

Colin.

Colin Goodman, a 33-year-old graphic Colin still works full time and he is very designer from Belfast, was shocked when he was diagnosed earlier this year. The father-of-three thought he was simply run-down from over-work when he started feeling tired and getting double vision in the periphery of his right eye.

But after his balance was impaired while playing football, he went for an eye test and was referred to a neurologist. A condition of the central nervous system, symptoms usually start in the 20s and 30s age groups. Colin, who received early treatment, says: “I was put on two Tecfidera tablets a Colin with his wife Rachel and their children, day. One of the side-effects is itchiness twins Elijah and Jacob (3) and Zachariah (5). and prickly heat.”

Since his diagnosis Colin and his wife Rachel have been fundraising and raising happy that he can live a normal life and awareness of MS with the help of friends and provide for his family. His MS fundraising family. journey really is a family affair! In September “My aim is to raise awareness and funds for Colin ran the Deep RiverRock Belfast City MS research. Being diagnosed with MS was Half Marathon in aid of the MS Society,

with an impressive time of 1:47! Colin’s wife Rachel and her father Gerry challenged themselves to the MS Society’s ‘Moonlight Walk’ up Slieve Donard in August, raising over £1000 for the Society.

Money that is raised locally stays local unless stated by the fundraiser. The MS Society is able to provide services and support in local communities. It has 15 local groups situated across Northern Ireland and its Resource/Information and Day Centre acts as a hub for the MS community. The MS Society offers day centre and respite services for people living with MS locally, health and wellbeing activities such as yoga, Pilates, Neuro Physiotherapy, art classes, complementary therapies and counselling. These services are available to anyone affected by MS and they wouldn’t be possible without fundraisers like Colin and his family.

• If you would like to follow Colin’s MS journey and read more about his daily experiences, check out his website, blog and vlog at: https://www.clearupthisms.com/ More information about all of the MS Society’s upcoming events can be found on the website mssociety.org.uk or visit the Facebook or Twitter pages.

INVENT 2017 - SHOWCASING THE INNOVATIONS OF TOMORROW FOR THE WORLD OF TODAY

By GAvIN KENNEDy, BANK Of IRElAND UK’S HEAD Of BUSINESS BANKING NI.

October usually means colder darker nights and busier business days as the summer holidays become a distant memory and the year-end fast approaches …Not for us as it has been a busy but inspiring month for business at Bank of Ireland UK. We were delighted and proud to continue our partnership with Connect @ Catalyst Inc for INvENT 2017 where once again the participants and winners showcased the high calibre talent of Northern Ireland’s ever

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growing, vibrant entrepreneurial community.

This year’s category winners included an automated beer keg solution, a smart tracking bag, a built in cybersecurity solution for web applications, a wearable heat pack and a 360° virtual reality seat view solution for allocated seating. All with the commercial potential to become the next generation of SMEs in Northern Ireland and be trading on a global scale.

But it is the overall winner which is truly impressive. Many of us dream about making a difference and having an everlasting positive impact on people whilst making some money along the way. INvENT 2017 winner Phion Therapeutics has the potential to do just that.

Developed by Dr. Helen McCarthy together with David Tabaczynski (an entrepreneur from Boston) and QUBIS, Helen spun out her drug delivery technology earlier this year. It is the result of 11 years of extensive research involving protein fragments called peptides that could have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry and revolutionise how drugs are delivered to parts of the human body.

Phion has been able to concentrate drugs

into tumours while preventing delivery to normal or healthy tissue and cells. This is potentially revolutionary for the treatment of cancer. What’s even more exciting is thinking beyond this to the other potential treatment applications, which are almost limitless.

All of the participants in INvENT are paving the way with their innovative ideas and they will be an integral part of the next generation of local SMEs. The INvENT competition continues to grow in strength and numbers each year, proving that Northern Ireland is brimming with innovative talent.

When we consider the growth, impact and opportunities of intelligent technologies on business in the future the championing and support of Northern Ireland innovation is becoming ever more vital. The sell-out night with over 650 people creating incredible energy and enthusiasm was a testament to innovation and business inspiration in Northern Ireland!

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tECH SCENE ROUND UP

NEUROVALENS Just as we’re all getting comfortable with the concept of ‘wearable’ technology, everything changes. Behold, Northern Ireland’s new ‘careable’ technology.

Where a ‘wearable’ measures things and helps you to make better, more informed lifestyle choices, a ‘careable’ goes further and measurably changes you as you use it. In this case, by creating a leaner body.

Modius is an easy-to-use headset - or wellness device which helps users lose weight and get lean. It sends electrical signals to activate the part of the brain that instructs your body to lose weight. So you can relax while the vestibular nerve does all the work.

The Belfast-based company behind the tech is Neurovalens and they’ve just run the most successful fundraising campaign on the IndieGoGo crowdfunding platform. More than 4,000 people pledged £1.2 million to get their hands on the headset, so the idea of substituting a sweaty 45-minute gym session for a more sedate 45-minutes doing something else seems popular. Funny that.

Yes, the Sync NI team has its finger on the pulse of the local tech community but we’re rarely monitoring our own pulse to bring it up to the fat-burning zone. So, just like the folks on IndieGoGo, we know what to ask Santa for Christmas.

Modius is designed for most adults, but it’s not for everyone. As we’re dealing with electrical pulses, it’s best to avoid if you have a pacemaker or defibrillator fitted.

We always say it’s best to play safe and talk to a GP before artificially stimulating the vestibular centre of the brain.

PLANETARY RESOURCES In the afterword to Julian Guthrie’s book ‘How To Make A Spaceship’, Stephen Hawking said the following: “I believe in the possibility of commercial space travel – for exploration and for the preservation of humanity... I think the human race has no future if it doesn’t go to space.”

US company Planetary Resources agrees. They plan to send multiple spacecraft into orbit to go mining asteroids for minerals and water. What they mine will be used to propel Man deeper into the cosmos.

This isn’t happening a generation from now – the launch date is 2020. And they don’t need to go too far to begin prospecting. Near-Earth orbit is a bit like the M25 – there’s more than 16,000 asteroids regularly passing through.

Planetary Resources is going to pick out the best ones and scan them for resources.

Over time the company plans to create fuel depots located around the Solar System and allow manned spacecraft to go out on extensive missions.

It’s a bold idea, with some bold people behind.

Google founder Larry Page and Sir Richard Branson are both investors.

It’s okay, Stephen, the future looks like it’s in good hands.

‘CAREABLE’ TEHGCOLOGY, BIG DATA AND COMMERCIAL SPACE TRAVEL. IT’S ALL HAPPENING IN THE TECH WORLD AS SYNC NI’S CONALL KEENAN, MARKETING, AND SUSAN CLELAND, GENERAL MANAGER, EXPLAIN.

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

BIG DATA BELFAST Around 99% of today’s data has been created in the last two years alone. IBM estimates that up to 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are being created every day (that’s 2.5 followed by 30 zeros).

With Big Data now such a major driver of societal and economic change, Sync NI was pleased to collaborate in the recent Big Data Belfast conference as media partner.

This was the fifth annual conference and the biggest to date with around 300 people attending. On the speakers list were global companies like SkyScanner, Microsoft, Citi and Bazaarvoice, as well as local organisations like Analytics Engines, Almac, Automated Intelligence and Tughans. Big Data is clearly very much part of the mainstream.

The conference heard from Citi’s Nathan O’Reilly who estimated that that Citi has data

estate amounting to around 200 PetaBytes the equivalent of 1.5 billion old-style floppy disks.

The volume of data creation is vast – as is the market opportunity. The Centre for Economic Business Research suggests the cumulative value of big data and IoT to the UK economy will be around £54 billion per annum over the next five years.

Northern Ireland is taking great strides in this sphere – our public sector has taken an ‘open by default’ approach to data management. The website OpenDataNI contains a vast array of information for both reuse and redistribution.

In the first year, they published around 5.4 million rows of prescription data, alongside other datasets for rivers, road upgrades and key heritage sites.

If you want a glimpse of how Big Data is

helping to make life in Northern Ireland a little bit easier – check out the Belfast City Council’s Smart Belfast initiative and the work of the Health and Social Care Board’s encompass programme. Interesting times!

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engaging customers ConCentrix Is redefININg what a Customer eNgagemeNt CeNtre should be Its Senior ViCePreSident PhiliP CaSSidy tells adrienne MCGill.

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oncentrix has opened the doors to a new era in northern ireland with the formal unveiling of new offices in Belfast.

Representing a £14 million investment, the US business services giant has regenerated the former Maysfield Leisure Centre site and transformed it into gleaming purpose-built high tech offices after buying the facility from Belfast City Council in 2013.

The new complex was opened by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Nuala McAllister, and Dame Mary Peters, Northern Ireland’s most famous Olympic Gold Medallist, alongside Concentrix executives including company President Chris Caldwell, staff, and clients from around the world.

Around 1,400 staff from Concentrix’s previous premises at Lanyon Place, River House in High Street and Lesley Exchange in East Bridge Street have been relocated to the new offices while Concentrix House in Fountain Street in the city centre will remain in operation.

The company said the new 130,000 sq. ft. centre of excellence reflected the company’s continued commitment to outstanding facilities and exceptional customer engagement solutions for the world’s best brands. The facility also marks the latest investment from Concentrix in the growth of its European business and will serve as a hub for its staff in Northern Ireland with international career prospects throughout the Concentrix global network.

Philip Cassidy, Concentrix’s Senior Vice-President based in Belfast, says the company is leading the way across the world in how contact centres should operate.

“We are redefining what a customer

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engagement centre should be across the globe. As a company, we are growing and proud to be a market leader, much owed to our incredibly talented staff and the successful relationships we hold with our clients.

“There has been a lot of interest in the Maysfield site. The new building has attracted a lot of attention so we are very visible.

“We buy property in strategic locations and the fact that we have bought the Maysfield site and regenerated it is a real strategic stake in the ground for Northern Ireland.

“The Maysfield offices are able to accommodate 1,600 people so we have room for growth.”

The firm, which is headquartered in Fremont, California, set up in Northern Ireland in 2011 after buying the locally owned contact centre firm, gem, of which Philip Cassidy was Chief Executive and Co-Founder.

Concentrix, supports its clients’ customers in more than 40 languages, and provides high value business services through voice, email, chat, instant messaging, social media, technology applications, analytics, and process optimisation. The type of issues staff deal with include billing enquiries, sales and technical support.

Clients are in the public and private sector as well as globally recognised brands.

The company operates across a wide range of sectors including banking, healthcare, insurance, technology, retail, e-commerce, travel and transportation, telecoms and media.

The company is a subsidiary of leading business process services giant, Synnex Corporation. Concentrix employs more than 100,000 staff who deliver services from 125+ delivery centres across

more than 35 countries and focuses on customer engagement and improving business outcomes for over 450 global clients, many of which are blue-chip.

“We are also moving into the area of automation and robotics. Many of our clients are looking to us to help them improve their customer experience and to improve their business performance by way of increased customer loyalty, revenue and profit. We leverage robotics process automation and intelligent automation to provide more personalised effortless customer interactions and improved engagement,” says Philip.

“We have found by introducing automation, we increase business because clients ask us to engage in more complex work which is what we like to do.”

Such has been the growth of its operation in Northern Ireland that in 2013 Concentrix announced the creation of approximately 1,000 new jobs and an investment of around £36 million.

“We are delighted with our new offices at Maysfield and our overall intention is to grow the business as we have done over the years,” says Philip.

“Our staff are incredibly innovative – they come from all over the world with different language skills and have great expertise in what is required for customer engagement.

“They have a combination of technology innovation and social media skills. The staff help clients not only in Northern Ireland but globally, so we have taken a tremendous amount of best practice from here and spread it across the globe to support our clients in other Concentrix locations.

“Our staff are always looking to learn and develop and they want to do more complex things which are attractive to them.”

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Overall, connecting with people in the right way across any device means executing omni-channel customer service and the majority of clients believe that ‘quick issue resolution’ or ‘issue resolution on first contact’ across any device or by any means is the most important element of a good experience.

It’s no surprise therefore that the contact centre industry is booming. Currently, there are more than 6,200 contact centres in the UK, and more than 4 per cent of the country’s working population are employed at contact centres, with that number increasing annually.

“There is a lot of consolidation in the market place and we are one of those big consolidators,” says Philip.

“From a global standpoint there is much more focus on automation, robotics and artificial intelligence which is requiring a lot of innovation in contact centres at the moment and opening a lot of opportunities

for both clients and employees. We do a lot of high tech development in-house in Belfast and globally and we also utilise key partners.

We don’t have to build everything ourselves – in some cases it is quicker and better if there is something new you can buy off the shelf and we will use partners do to that.

At other times we will do it ourselves – it varies depending on the project.”

In September 2013 SYNNEX snapped up IBM’s customer services business for $505 million and has integrated those operations into its Concentrix subsidiary making it one of the largest brands in the customer engagement and contact centre market.

The strategic business partnership has seen Concentrix provide global contact centre services for IBM as well.

The acquisitions have continued with the most recent being Concentrix’s purchase of digital products company, Tigerspike.

“We’re always on the lookout for acquisitions which will add value to our

business and Tigerspike is a recent example.

Tigerspike is a digital products company that specialises in enterprise application development and data driven decision making systems. This is a fantastic addition to the Concentrix business as the capabilities round out our full suite of customer engagement competencies. Over the last few years we have demonstrated strong and impressive growth organically. Our organic growth coupled with key strategic acquisitions has given us the ability to solve more clients’ problems and increase our ability to lead the industry,” says Philip.

“We certainly want to grow further. We will look at the opportunities as and when they arise. From the original acquisition of gem in 2011, Concentrix has invested around £250 million into wages and salaries in the local community and we have also spent £50 million with local suppliers. We want to continue to invest and develop in Northern Ireland.”

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MARKETING BRANDS THE NATURAL WAY Social influencer marketing iS having a real impact SayS Dillon osBorne, ArT DirecTor, icAn.

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he word ‘influencer’ has become part of our vocabulary in the advertising and marketing world. But what does it mean to us, to our clients and our customers.

As the world around us changes, so do our habits. We all consume media differently, we are more educated, stronger willed, harder to reach and harder to persuade through traditional advertising. For marketers, this means looking to alternative ways of reaching out and engaging with an audience.

Certain brands find influencer work natural to their business models, a brand that creates running shoes sponsor athletes and use them to promote their product, that’s easily understood. But other brands are finding ways to utilise this, to align themselves with personalities on social media that match their brand ethos and beliefs and use these people to reach out through the influencers audience. If you follow

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someone who you like or believe in and they work with a brand, you in turn are more likely to accept that brand/product. That’s the theory behind it but how does it work?

At ICAN we have embraced this influx of social influencers for a range of clients. It has allowed us the opportunity to get closer to the target community, engage on a more personal level and put our brands in front of the people that we want to use it, in a more natural way.

Looking at West Coast Cooler, for example, we wanted to deepen the connection of this fresh vibrant drink with the fashion scene here in Belfast and Northern Ireland. So, we reached out to top Irish fashion blogger Love Lauren on events and advertising to recruit an audience and align ourselves with a personality we feel portrays the brand. We then joined up with a range of top up-and-coming bloggers in Northern Ireland to build trust and relatability.

We worked with these bloggers

to help promote them and in turn reach out through their channels to a more diverse local audience. This allowed West Coast Cooler to be part of the fashion conversation here in Northern Ireland in a credible and honest way and has seen an increase in sales for the brand. Social influencer work is tough. You have to do your research, select people carefully to ensure both the reputation of the brand and the influencer are represented fairly and accurately across all channels. It is a partnership of mutual respect and when done well can open up avenues for brands or companies to access an audience that would otherwise be almost unobtainable. Do it incorrectly and you risk damaging the reputation of a brand or influencer. We are still in the early stages of social influencer work, a lot has to change, there is a lot of room for development and it is going to be exciting to see what happens as we move forward in this new-ish wave of marketing and advertising.

NI CHAMBER’S CORPORATE CHAMPIONS In the FInAL 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.

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WHAT WE DO: We are Northern Ireland’s most dynamic law firm.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE:

WE EMPLOY: Over 150 people

Being named Regional Law Firm of the Year for the second time and recognised as the largest independent law firm in Northern Ireland. We have also had more lawyers ranked in Chambers and Legal 500 than any other firm in Belfast.

WE ARE BASED IN:

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

COMPANY NAME: Carson McDowell

Belfast

OUR MD/CEO IS: Michael Johnston (Managing Partner)

COMPANY NAME: Caterpillar Northern Ireland

WE EMPLOY: Around 1,800 people WE ARE BASED IN: Our headquarters are in Larne, but we also have offices and a manufacturing facility at Springvale Business Park in Belfast and a manufacturing facility in Monkstown, Newtownabbey.

OUR MD/CEO IS: Mark McClure, Operations Director in Northern Ireland.

COMPANY NAME: Concentrix WE EMPLOY: 1400 people in Belfast and over 100,000 worldwide

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast with a global office network

OUR MD/CEO IS: Gary Slade (General Manager Europe) and Philip Cassidy in Belfast (Vice-President).

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to Northern Ireland businesses both here and in the markets in which they operate. Our reputation has helped us to retain and hire some of the brightest young lawyers in Northern Ireland.

WHAT SETS US APART: We are the largest independent law firm in Northern Ireland. We are trusted advisers to our clients and we are committed to developing young talented lawyers.

Remain the largest independent local law firm and continue to be recognised as market leaders in our key practice areas and sectors. We are and will continue to be the trusted advisers

FIND US AT:

WHAT WE DO:

generating sets. Also the recent diversification of our Northern Ireland product portfolio to include the manufacturing and assembly of axles and the continued development of our highly skilled workforce to meet the needs of the company globally.

Our principal activity is in the design, manufacture, sale and support of quality standard and customised generator sets and bespoke associated equipment that provide reliable electric power around the world. In addition to manufacturing facilities in Larne, Monkstown and Springvale Belfast we also have a Shared Services centre in the Springvale Business Park, Belfast that provides administrative support for our local business as well as for other Caterpillar European entities. In recent years we have diversified our product portfolio to include the production of axles for Cat® articulated trucks and medium wheel loaders for operations within the UK and Europe.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE:

W: www.carson-mcdowell.com T: @carsonmcdowell

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Remain a world leader in the manufacture of standard and customised generator sets and to meet our customers’ needs for prime and standby power.

WHAT SETS US APART: The world class operations we have here in Northern Ireland, our highly skilled team and our commitment to producing industry leading quality products.

Providing people and businesses around the world with a reliable power supply since 1966 by manufacturing and installing high quality

FIND US AT:

WHAT WE DO:

incredibly talented staff and the successful relationships we hold with our clients.

Concentrix is a global business services company. Every day, more than 450 of the world’s best companies rely on Concentrix to make their customers brand fanatics. Our teams support personalised experiences and intelligent interactions across both front and back-office business functions. We strive to build unbreakable customer loyalty, profit growth, and differentiation for our clients through human expertise, intelligent automation and technology combined with data and decisionmaking systems.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Opening our new state-of-the-art facility at Maysfield signifies the realisation of exciting aspirations for Concentrix in Belfast. As a company, we are growing and proud to be leading the market; much owed to our

W: www.caterpillar.com T: @CaterpillarInc

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Be the greatest customer engagement services company in the world, rich in diversity and talent.

WHAT SETS US APART: The business challenges of today require a different kind of partner. We are very different in the way we have set up our business, in our capabilities and in our approach to unique challenges. We have developed our capabilities by listening to our clients and solving for the unique challenges and opportunities that matter within their marketplace. We solve problems that impact their business outcomes.

FIND US AT: W: www.concentrix.com T: @ConcentrixEU

COMPANY NAME: Devenish Nutrition Ltd

WE EMPLOY: 450 employees across the Devenish Group

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast

OUR MD/CEO IS: Owen Brennan (Executive Chairman) and Richard Kennedy (Group CEO)

WHAT WE DO:

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

Devenish is a farming and food company, delivering sustainable and innovative nutritional products and solutions for the feed industry, the food industry and for human health.

Devenish manufactures premix and speciality products for pigs, poultry, ruminant, equine, companion animals and aquaculture.

Continue growing the business both locally and internationally and be regarded as the best nutrition company in the industry. We want to continue bringing innovation and knowledge to grow our customers’ businesses.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Growing the business turnover from £5 million to over £200 million in the last 20 years; developing a world class team working with major brands across the globe; developing award winning, world first products; winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (International Trade) in 2016.

We work across four service lines: Assurance, Consulting, Tax and Transactions, advising many of the world’s leading companies on the issues of today that are shaping tomorrow.

WE EMPLOY: 1,800 people in Ireland and 300 people in Belfast across assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services.

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast, Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

OUR MD/CEO IS: Michael Hall, Managing Partner for EY in Northern Ireland & Head of Markets for Ireland.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: The exceptional and innovative services our people deliver to our international, domestic and public sector clients. For the third consecutive year, we have achieved double digit growth in our Irish business. This growth can be clearly demonstrated in the appointment of eight new Partners this year, including Belfast-based Ruth Logan, bringing the total number of Partners within the Irish business to 68.

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

Henry Brothers Ltd

WE EMPLOY: 250 WE ARE BASED IN: Magherafelt/Belfast/Glasgow/Nottingham

FIND US AT:

organisation in the next three years. This audacious strategy will transform EY into an organisation worth $50 billion. But beyond this, it will deliver many other benefits by creating trust and confidence in capital markets, developing a generation of outstanding business leaders and transforming standards of quality, performance and professional service for the better.

WHAT SETS US APART: At EY, our purpose is building a better working world — for our people, our clients and our communities. All three are inextricably linked and contribute to our firm’s success. We know that our success depends on our people. That’s why inspiring our people and maintaining a leading workplace culture is so important to us.

FIND US AT:

Deliver Vision 2020 which is our plan to become the world’s leading professional services

W: www.ey.com/ie T: @EY_Ireland

WHAT WE DO: We are a commercial

WHAT SETS US APART:

construction company, operating throughout the UK. We work with a range of clients in both the public and private sector.

We are a family run company and those family values are firmly embedded in everything that we do. We are passionate about our industry and our employees are trained and developed to ensure that each contract is delivered to the highest standard. Our reputation has grown over the years and we are trusted by our clients to deliver exactly what they require.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE:

COMPANY NAME:

Our people – coupled with industry knowledge and commercial application to develop innovative nutritional products and solutions. We invest significantly in research and development to deliver robust, science based products that will improve the performance and profitability of our customers businesses.

W: www.devenish.com T: @DevenishNutri

WHAT WE DO:

COMPANY NAME: EY

WHAT SETS US APART:

Our people, some of whom have been employed since the company was formed 40 years ago. Our employees have remained committed and loyal. We have always embraced innovation and as a result the company has grown and diversified over the years.

FIND US AT: W: www.henrybrothers.co.uk T: @henrygroupni

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Be the best at what we do and continue to grow a profitable business at a steady pace year on year.

OUR MD/CEO IS: David Henry

NI Chamber 67

COMPANY NAME: HighWire Press, Inc.

WE EMPLOY: 150 across the company WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast and also in Los Gatos (California, USA) and Brighton (England)

OUR MD/CEO IS: Dan Filby

WHAT WE DO: HighWire Press provides technology and services solutions for the publishing community through its innovative Intelligent Publishing Platform.

HighWire offers customer driven, evidence-

COMPANY NAME: Herbert Smith Freehills

WE EMPLOY: 4,630 WE ARE BASED IN: We operate from 26 offices across Asia Pacific, EMEA and North America OUR MD/CEO IS: Mark Rigotti WHAT WE DO: Herbert Smith Freehills is at the heart of the new global business landscape providing premium quality, full-service legal advice. The

based solutions to the publishing community, such as a customizable peer-review manuscript submission system (Bench>Press), a series of cross-publisher librarian engagement and management tools, and strategic consultation for organisations which produce high-impact journals, books, and other scholarly publications.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Customer list consisting of 140+ of the world’s top publishers; the industry’s first Intelligent Publishing Platform which leverages analytics and evidenced based data empowering publishers to make more informed decisions; broadest technology offering that addresses needs throughout the publishing lifecycle; best of breed development philosophy; industry leading analytics solutions (Impact Vizor and Usage Vizor) designed specifically for the publishing community; a highly scalable platform providing customers 99.97%+ uptime while

firm provides many of the world’s most important organisations with access to market-leading dispute resolution, projects and transactional legal advice, combined with expertise in a number of global industry sectors, including Banks, Consumer products, Energy, Financial buyers, Infrastructure & Transport, Mining, Pharma & Healthcare, Real estate and TMT.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: The firm offers clients a top-tier seamless service across a single global platform and an unparalleled depth of expertise.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Be a world class professional services business bringing together the best people to achieve the best results for clients.

WHAT SETS US APART: Herbert Smith Freehills is one of the world’s

WHAT WE DO: We represent a growing population of 140,205 with approximately 4,300 VAT registered businesses. Proactive Elected Members ensure LCCC leads an ambitious programme of business and investment activity. Our connectivity on the Belfast-Dublin economic corridor and proximity to two major airports makes it easy for business growth through global export and access to a highly skilled workforce.

COMPANY NAME: Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC)

WE EMPLOY: 766 staff WE ARE BASED IN: Civic Headquarters at Lagan Valley Island, Lisburn with further offices at Bradford Court, Upper Galwally, Belfast

OUR MD/CEO IS: Dr Theresa Donaldson

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OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: The first NI Council to host an annual investment networking event in Westminster and to promote a portfolio of investment opportunities at MIPIM UK, resulting in two significant potential investments; designated regional destinations for retail at Sprucefield, and leisure at Lagan Valley LeisurePlex and Dundonald International Ice Bowl; developed and delivered a Made in Lisburn Castlereagh local business showcase; lead Council for the NI-wide ‘Go for It’ Programme; achieved Silver Investors In People Accreditation; established

supporting over 2.4 billion key interactions annually.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Continue helping publishers and their customers to: Leverage intelligence and analytics to empower their business; improve online access and discoverability; enhance engagement and usability; develop and grow new revenue streams.

WHAT SETS US APART: Our unique Intelligent Publishing Platform is an innovative first for the industry creating unparalleled capabilities for publishers and their customers.

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

leading professional services businesses, bringing together the best people across our 26 offices, to meet all our clients legal services needs globally. We help them realise opportunities while managing risk.

Understanding their requirements, objectives and operating environment is important to us – we listen and take time to do this. Our clients have ready access to our deep global sectoral expertise, as well as our local market understanding, to help them achieve their commercial objectives.

Operating as one global team, we use innovative systems and processes to ensure work is delivered intelligently, efficiently and reliably. We care about the markets and communities we work within and constantly strive to make them better.

FIND US AT: W: www.herbertsmithfreehills.com T: @HSFlegal

an annual International Trade Programme.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Utilise our key strategic location and unrivalled infrastructure to take advantage of post-Brexit opportunities.

Major investment opportunities exist in retail & leisure, hotel development and high-quality office accommodation. As Northern Ireland’s leading skills and investment location 6,500 new jobs are planned by 2030 on 283 hectares of land zoned for employment.

WHAT SETS US APART: LCCC has the second lowest non-domestic rates of all Northern Ireland councils. Our Local Development Plan is well advanced and through it and our Community Plan business development and sustainable communities are possible whilst utilising the area’s vast tourism potential.

FIND US AT: W: www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk T: @lisburnccc

population of over 140,000 across Mid Ulster.

Our work cuts across key services including environmental health, building control and environmental services as well as the provision of leisure, arts and cultural facilities, outdoor parks and recreation areas, and critical development programmes and support for the local economy and tourism sector.

COMPANY NAME: Mid Ulster District Council

WE EMPLOY: 1,000

WE ARE BASED IN: Offices and facilities across the Mid Ulster District.

OUR MD/CEO IS: Anthony Tohill

WHAT WE DO: We deliver services and provide facilities for a

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: In its first two years of operation, Mid Ulster’s planning service is among the highest performing of the 11 new Councils and has consistently had the highest recycling rate.

The Council was also responsible for the awardwinning new arts and literary facility in Bellaghy, Seamus Heaney HomePlace, which celebrates the life and literature of the Nobel Laureate.

To date the Council has published a new Economic Development Strategy, Tourism Strategy and Community Plan and delivered 3 multi-million pound public realm schemes in Cookstown, Dungannon and Magherafelt, and more than 100

WHAT WE DO: The Open University’s mission is to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We promote educational opportunity and social justice by providing high-quality university education to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: COMPANY NAME: The Open University

WE EMPLOY: 64 people in our Belfast office and 250 tutors across Ireland

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast

OUR MD/CEO IS: John D’Arcy

In 2016 (and for 11 years running) The Open University was rated the number one university in Northern Ireland for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey.

The Open University is a global leader in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in the UK via ‘FutureLearn’ – a partnership between the OU and other universities providing free courses to global audiences.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Seek to be a world

town centre properties have benefited from a £450K shop improvement scheme.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Be at the heart of our community and to deliver a £30 million economic development strategy which over 5 years (2015-2020) will create and sustain 3,000 jobs, support 1,500 businesses and provide employment and training opportunities for 4,000 people.

WHAT SETS US APART: Mid Ulster is the most entrepreneurial region in Northern Ireland for business starts, outside of Belfast, with almost 8,000 VAT registered businesses, and approximately 230 business starts each year. The region has a strong, established business base, which includes manufacturing, engineering, construction and retail.

FIND US AT: W: www.midulstercouncil.org T: @MidUlster_DC

open learning through academic research, pedagogic innovation and collaborative partnership.

WHAT SETS US APART: Most of our undergraduate courses have no formal entry requirements.

A total of 18% of our undergraduate students in Northern Ireland have a disability.

We work in partnership with local organisations to open up higher education to underrepresented groups.

We work closely with employers, particularly in Health and IT, to secure paid work placements for students in Northern Ireland. We also create networking opportunities to support students in enhancing their employability skills.

FIND US AT: W: www.open.ac.uk/northern-ireland T: @OUBelfast

leader in the design, content and delivery of supported

Power NI is Northern Ireland’s leading energy supplier, providing electricity to over 500,000 homes, farms and businesses across Northern Ireland.

we believe in keeping it simple. At Power NI you can trust us to give you competitive rates, make it easy for you to manage your account and have expert, local support on hand when you need us.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE:

WHAT SETS US APART:

WHAT WE DO:

Belfast, Antrim and Omagh

Being the first company in Europe to introduce Keypad pre-payment meters in 2002, back when we were known as NIE Supply, and successfully implementing one of Northern Ireland’s biggest rebrands in 2011 from NIE Energy to Power NI.

We have over 80 years of working alongside our customers, ample time to learn what’s important. We’ve put that knowledge to good use and that’s why over 500,000 homes, farms and businesses in Northern Ireland choose Power NI.

OUR MD/CEO IS: Stephen McCully

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

FIND US AT:

COMPANY NAME: Power NI WE EMPLOY: Over 250 staff WE ARE BASED IN:

(Managing Director).

Continue to be Northern Ireland’s number 1 choice for electricity. Energy is essential and

W: www.powerni.co.uk T: @PowerNI

NI Chamber 69

COMPANY NAME: Selective Travel Management

WE EMPLOY: 150 staff through all our locations

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast, Dublin and other worldwide locations

OUR MD/CEO IS: Keith Graham

WHAT WE DO:

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Be the leading

Selective Travel Management is a full-service company handling the travel requirements of clients ranging from SME to blue chip multinational companies including major public sector, higher education and charity sector. The company operates across Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, and within the entire United Kingdom, including Scotland, England and Wales.

Travel Company in the UK & Ireland.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: Our superb client portfolio, highly motivated, capable staff and financial results illustrate the success of Selective Travel Management. Last year we broke onto the Buying Business Travel’s prestigious horizon, ranking 32nd in its Top 50, 7th in new business wins and 1st in Fast Track.

OUR MD/CEO IS: Kieran Hegarty is the President of Terex Materials Processing.

WHAT WE DO: COMPANY NAME: Terex Materials Processing

WE EMPLOY: Approximately 1,500 people in the UK.

WE ARE BASED IN: We have manufacturing facilities in Dungannon, Omagh and Ballymoney in Northern Ireland and Coalville in Leicestershire, England. We also have a facility in Lurgan where IT and finance teams are based.

Terex Materials Processing (MP) is part of Terex Corporation, a global manufacturer of lifting and material processing products and services.

MP has expanded into 10 business lines: Powerscreen Mobile Crushing & Screening; Terex Finlay Mobile Crushing & Screening; Terex Materials Processing Systems Static Crushing & Screening; Terex Washing Systems; Terex Environmental Equipment; Fuchs Material Handling; Terex Advance Mixer Trucks; Terex Bid-Well Paving; EvoQuip Compact Crushing and Screening; and Terex Conveying Systems.

WE EMPLOY: 500 highly skilled engineering, manufacturing and support functional personnel in Belfast and 64,000 employees across the world which 6,500 employees are at 10 key UK sites.

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast, Northern

Defend Nations, Save Lives – Thales is the only company in Europe providing defence forces with a full range of solutions from early warning to threat neutralisation. Thales in Belfast provides advanced air and missile defence capabilities to NATO forces and other defence forces globally. They are the centre of excellence for weapon systems design, development and manufacturing within the Thales Group. More recently we have used this heritage of expertise in precision manufacturing to develop an Electric propulsion system for satellites for the Space industry. We make it a priority to support research, development and innovation in the UK.

Ireland and 56 countries around the world

OUR MD/CEO IS: Philip McBride, General Manager, Thales Belfast

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Recognising the need for positive standout in a crowded marketplace, we created an ambitious, fully customer-focused and multi-faceted 5 year growth plan. Our distinctive combination of customer tracking, management reports, twitter feed, and the availability of 24/7 emergency support offers employers – and their staff – unique support and protection as they travel.

FIND US AT: W: www.selective-travel.co.uk T: @selectivetm

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Continue to be one of the most customer responsive companies in our industry.

WHAT SETS US APART: The MP business lines go to market mainly through a distribution network and we believe this is one of our strongest assets. Through the distribution network we are able to offer a global brand with local service. The MP business has part hubs in Northern Ireland, USA and India but our dealers stock parts locally and have their own factory certified trained service technicians.

FIND US AT: W: www.terex.com/en/materials-processing

WHAT WE DO:

COMPANY NAME: Thales UK

WHAT SETS US APART:

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: As the centre of excellence for weapon systems, Thales Belfast has been the world leading

provider of short range weapon systems for over 60 years.

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Grow our international footprint and deliver innovative products to new markets.

WHAT SETS US APART: We work with our customers to provide them with solutions to meet their needs. Providing them with products that help them achieve their goals. Whatever it takes.

FIND US AT: W: www.thalesgroup.com/en/countries/ europe/united-kingdom T: @thalesgroup

COMPANY NAME:

Resolution team. John George Willis is our Head of Corporate and Senior Partner.

WHAT WE DO:

Tughans

WE EMPLOY: 130 employees across 11 practice areas

As one of the largest commercial law firms in Northern Ireland, we provide a full service legal solution for a range of major private and public sector organisations, utilities, SMEs, charities and institutional and international clients. We act in a range of varied, complex and significant matters across all legal areas for a significant number of the provinces “Top 200” companies.

WE ARE BASED IN: Belfast. However, our clients stem from across Northern Ireland, throughout the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the UK. We also work with international companies investing in Northern Ireland.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT IS:

OUR MD/CEO IS: Our Managing Partner is Patrick Brown, a partner within our Dispute

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

COMPANY NAME: Ulster University WE EMPLOY: Over 2500 people WE ARE BASED IN: Four campuses in Northern Ireland; Magee (Derry~Londonderry), Coleraine, Jordanstown and Belfast as well as two branch campuses in London and Birmingham.

OUR MD/CEO IS: Professor Paddy Nixon. Ulster University’s ViceChancellor

COMPANY NAME: Vistage International (UK) Ltd

WE EMPLOY: 32 staff and 79 Chairpersons WE ARE BASED IN: Southampton (Head Office) and Hampshire but we have practices around the country OUR MD/CEO IS:

Serving the local business community for over 121 years. Last year we advised in 32% of commercial deals, 38% more than the next placed legal adviser, representing 62% of the total deal values.

WHAT SETS US APART: Our people. Clients always highlight the fact that what we do instinctively and uniquely is go beyond what is expected. We work hard to understand our clients’ needs and their business, and go out of our way to service these needs.

FIND US AT: W: www.Tughans.com T: @Tughans_News

Develop our position as a leading legal firm. We

WHAT WE DO: Ranked in the top three per cent of universities worldwide, Ulster University is one of the top 150 global young universities under 50. Ulster University is a modern, forward-looking institution delivering leadership and vision that is needed to help Northern Ireland thrive. With student experience at the very heart of everything we do. Our high quality teaching, informed by world-leading research across key sectors, boosts the economy and has a positive impact on the lives of people around the world.

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE:

in the UK; number 1 UK university for studying Pharmacy in 2015, 2016, 2017 (The Guardian).

OUR AMBITION IS TO: Remain grounded in the heart of the community and strive to make a lasting contribution to society as a whole. We are renowned for world-class teaching and aim to transform lives, stretch minds and develop the skills required by a growing economy. The outcomes of our research have global significance with local relevance, and contribute to the social, economic and cultural betterment of our region.

Ranked within the top 150 Universities under 50 years old by Times Higher Education; in the top 3% of universities in the world; in top 10 most entrepreneurial universities in the UK (HESA-HEBCI); over 93% of our graduates are in work or further study within 6 months of leaving University; number 1 for outstanding impact in law research

WHAT SETS US APART:

We improve the effectiveness and enhance the lives of CEOs and Key Executives. We help guide them to work together to improve themselves, their companies and their communities, by addressing the common struggles and complex challenges they face on the path to personal and professional excellence.

Vistage offers a unique combination of resources for accelerating business performance: monthly meetings with non-competitive business peers; one-to-one executive coaching & mentoring sessions; expert speakers and interactive workshops; a rich online library of content, best practices, webinars and more. Plus access to a global member network of more than 21,000 business leaders.

OUR AMBITION IS TO:

Jan Chmiel

OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS ARE: The countless times

WHAT WE DO: A community of business

we have supported business leaders achieve their goals.

leaders helping one another succeed.

aspire to be the legal services provider of choice for Northern Ireland’s leading business and public sector bodies. We have worked with our clients over many years, supporting their goals and objectives through developing our practice and offering tailored practice areas to suit their specific requirements. As they have grown, we have grown with them.

Leadership, vision, student experience, impactdriven pioneering research.

FIND US AT: W: www.ulster.ac.uk T: @UlsterUni

Be the world’s most trusted resource to CEOs and Key Executives to help them become better leaders and deliver better results by refining their instincts, improving judgment, expanding perspectives and optimizing decision making.

WHAT SETS US APART: The number and quality of members; the wealth of knowledge and expertise in our Chairpersons community; the insights our carefully selected speakers bring; and proof that Vistage works. Our members’ businesses grow 2.2 times faster to comparable businesses.

FIND US AT: W: www.vistage.co.uk T: @VistageUK

NI Chamber 71

feature

bright young business brains Queen’s University Belfast Welcomes Lloyd’s Scholars Pictured are Jim McCooe from Lloyd’s Banking Group, Kielan Gillepsie, Michael Dallat, Sean Clarke, Jakub Lawicki, Professor David Jones from Queen’s University, Belfast, David Roswell from Lloyd’s Banking Group, Jordan Kwok, Victoria Stewart, Orla McGivern, Lauren Fox, Courtney Girvan and Charlotte Killen.

QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY WELCOMES LLOYD’S SCHOLARS IN NEW PARTNERSHIP

F

ifteen talented undergraduates selected for the Lloyds Scholars programme in partnership with Queen’s University, Belfast were announced at a business breakfast recently as part of the University’s Autumn Careers fair.

The 15 students from across Northern Ireland were selected from over 2000 undergraduates who applied to the award-winning Lloyds Scholars programme, which is part of Lloyds Banking Group’s social mobility programme.

Of the nine UK universities partnered with Lloyds Banking Group on the programme, Queen’s is the only university in Northern Ireland.

The programme – which is specifically

72 NI Chamber

for students from a widening participation background – involves financial support, paid internships, professional mentoring and opportunities to develop employability skills.

Professor David Jones, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “The Lloyds Scholars programme has proved an exceptionally effective initiative which has successfully supported hundreds of young people through university and into employment.

The programme is important both in terms of widening participation as well as developing employability skills. We are delighted to welcome Queen’s first Lloyds Scholars and wish them an enriching time at university and beyond.”

Jim McCooe, Lloyds Banking Group’s Ambassador for Northern Ireland said: “I am extremely proud that Queen’s University, Belfast will become the first Northern Ireland University partnering the Lloyds Scholars programme. Lloyds Scholars continues to be a key part in our commitment to helping Northern Ireland prosper, and I’m delighted to welcome the first of our 15 Scholars to the programme. I know that the students and the Belfast community are really going to benefit from the partnership.”

The Scholars programme was established in 2011 to help tackle disadvantage and boost social mobility by increasing opportunity and raising aspiration. By 2020, Lloyds Banking Group will have supported 1,185 Lloyds Scholars.

feature

A&L GOODBODY CALLS FOR ‘BOLD IDEAS’ FROM UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

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ith data protection and privacy looming large for Irish businesses ahead of the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) next year, A&L Goodbody, one of Ireland’s leading corporate law firms is seeking new, ‘Bold Ideas’ to encourage companies to choose Ireland for their data regulation requirements.

The firm’s 2017 Bold Ideas Student Innovation Award, asks university students of all disciplines, to think of their ‘Bold Idea’ to promote Ireland as the global centre for data and to encourage businesses to establish here.

A&L Goodbody has also announced its intention to recruit over 30 graduate positions over the coming months as part of its Trainee Solicitor Recruitment Programme.

Now in its sixth year, Bold Ideas recognises the most innovative ideas from undergraduate or postgraduate students at universities across Ireland.

Mark Thompson, Head of A&L Goodbody’s Northern Ireland office said: “This is an exciting time for Ireland as companies prepare for the introduction of GDPR and the “one-stop-shop system” on 25 May 2018. We are asking students to come up with a Bold Idea to see what Ireland can do to make itself a better place for regulation, and a jurisdiction of choice for multi-nationals considering their European data privacy obligations and requirements.

We want students to think creatively, building their Bold Idea on Ireland’s reputation for attracting foreign direct investment.”

Last year’s winner, University of Limerick student Sarah McCarthy, said: “Winning the competition has been absolutely fantastic.

I’ve just finished a summer internship with A&L Goodbody where I gained great, realworld skills. I used my cash prize to help with college fees and was able to give a donation to a charity of my choice. Presenting my idea to the judges was a great experience too.”

The first prize winner of the competition will receive 4,000 euro in cash and a summer internship at A&L Goodbody’s head office in Dublin. The firm will also make a cash donation on the winner’s behalf to a charity of their choice. Runners up will each receive an iPad mini. Members of the public will also be invited to vote for their favourite Bold Ideas submission, by visiting the firm’s Trainee and Intern Facebook page.

Getting behind Bold Ideas are Aidan Burke, Aine Hughes, Laurie Dineen, Scott McDonnell, trainees with A&L Goodbody.

Judges for the 2017 Bold Ideas Student Innovation Award competition include:

• • •

John Whelan, Head of A&L Goodbody’s Technology Practice Sarah Lennon, Legal Counsel in Google Jonathan Newman, Senior Counsel

Entries to Bold Ideas have now closed and the winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on 30 November.

For more information visit www.algoodbody.com/ boldideasaward NI Chamber 73

columnist

THE FUTURE OF FAMILY BUSINESS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

T A NEW sUrvEy By BUsINEss ADvIsErs BDO rEvEAls OpINIONs ON kEy Issues In FAMIly OWNED BUsINEssEs As MayBETh Shaw, PaRTNER aND aNgEla KEERy, DIRECTOR, ExplAIN.

he results are in Future of Family Business In Northern Ireland.

BDO Northern Ireland have recently completed our Future of Family Business in Northern Ireland survey and collated the results.

The results are encouraging for Northern Ireland Businesses across a number of areas, some of which are mentioned below.

They also highlight areas that threaten to become a major concern for businesses and clearly show that whilst businesses recognise the need for strategic and succession planning, they show that most businesses are still reluctant to take the final step and implement the planning required.

Positive Results: Innovation Almost 90% of Family Owned Businesses (FOBs) in Northern Ireland believe innovation is important for the future success of business with the majority of those businesses saying that they have the technological capabilities required to innovate: • 77% of FOBs report that they are adaptable to a changing market • 77% of FOBs report that the board/ management have the skills to grow the business.

This shows remarkable confidence in the business / board and management even in uncertain times.

Brexit There was no clear consensus on what Brexit means for business in Northern Ireland, with only around: • 1/3 advising that they understand the impact of Brexit • 1/3 advising that they do not understand the impact of Brexit • And the remaining 1/3 reporting that they are somewhere in between

The more revealing response was that the majority of businesses do not believe that Brexit will be significantly detrimental to their business. Whilst this view may in part relate to the lack of understanding around Brexit, the view from FOBs is that business will continue regardless of Brexit – business will find a new way to work if required and indeed Brexit may bring as many opportunities as threats. This

74 NI Chamber

was particularly encouraging since, of the businesses that responded, 93% export to ROI and 43% export to the rest of the EU. Unfortunately, presumably as a result of the apparent uncertainty around Brexit, very few businesses are starting to prepare, and in most Brexit scenarios this lack of preparation could become a problem in a relatively short period of time.

The longer businesses leave their Brexit preparations the more they may ultimately be challenged on how responsive and innovative they are!

planning in place: • Only 59% of FOBs advised that they have a strategic plan that addresses succession – and the number of FOBs that have a written plan / communicated that plan to the relevant individuals is even lower • More than 70% of FOBs agree that independent, trusted advice on succession planning is necessary.

Challenges facing Family Owned Businesses in Northern Ireland: Employee retention and recruitment Over 60% of businesses that responded advised that employee recruitment and retention has become more challenging, with many of the businesses we spoke to advising that employee recruitment is now one of the biggest challenges they face.

The ability to recruit sufficient staff with the right skills, at an affordable cost is a major barrier for growth for businesses across Northern Ireland. This issue seems to have become more prevalent within the last year, and business are urging local government to address the issue as soon as possible.

• 75% of FOBs believe having a clear procedure to resolve family conflicts is important • 80% of FOBs believe

preparing and training a successor before succession takes place is critical.

• However the results also show that only 26% of FOBs actually have a clear succession plan in place and only 40% have a procedure to resolve family conflicts.

Succession The majority of businesses that completed the survey recognise that strategic planning that addresses succession within Family Businesses is important to the future success of their business, yet the majority of businesses haven’t yet put suitable

The survey results reflected our understanding that:

So what is stopping FOBs from implementing the rules/ planning they know is vital to the future success of their business? The answer to this question seems to be a combination of: • The financial capacity to retire • Willingness to let go • And the ability to generate adequate financial returns. * Our full Future of Family Business in Northern Ireland report can be found on our website – www.bdoni.com.

columnist

NEW PRIVACY REGULATION - ARE YOU READY?

W

hen the current data Protection Act was passed in 1998 only 9% of households in the uK had home access to the internet. The world had to wait a further eight years to be wowed by an iphone and Barclays was nine years away from being the first uK bank to issue contactless cards.

To say that the technological and digital landscape has changed in the last 19 years would be an understatement. According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2016 an average of 41.8 million people in the UK used the internet everyday, while 95% of homes and businesses had access to superfast broadband. We live in a world where your mobile phone can purchase your weekly shop, control your washing machine and manage all of your banking needs. Therefore, the introduction of updated regulations is both necessary and not unexpected.

Having founded Mount Charles in 1988, 10 years before the current legislation, I have witnessed the seismic shift from paper trails to digital footprints. The combination of online and offline platforms means the accessibility to, and quantity of, information available has widened.

The world has changed and the legal parameters in which we operate need to keep up.

On 25 May 2018, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) will replace the current Data Protection Act. The updated regulations will be more extensive in scope than their predecessor, extending the data

rights of individuals and requiring organisations to develop clear policies and procedures to protect personal data. Addressing the epic technological advancements since 1998 and the corresponding ease and sophistication of data collection, the definition of personal data has also been broadened to include variables such as an individual’s IP address and mobile device ID. The GDPR is based on the core principles of data protection that exist under the current law. These principles require organisations and businesses to adhere to the practice of data minimisation and relevance; to exert lawfulness, fairness and transparency when obtaining data from an individual; to retain the data for no longer than is necessary for that specified purpose; to practise integrity and confidentiality and to remain accountable at all times.

Under the GDPR individuals have significantly strengthened their rights on access to their data, as well as how, where and why their data is being used. One of the most significant modifications to the data protection regulations is the individual’s ‘right to be forgotten’.

Enhanced privacy is the cornerstone of the updated reforms.

The practice of data protection is not confined to the tick box on the purchase pages of an online retailer.

For a company like Mount Charles, who employs over 2,000 people, data protection impacts on everything we do, from handling personnel information and processing payroll, to dealing with employee fit notes and managing grievances.

As we quite literally count down to such significant reform, organisations need to be reviewing their current data protection policies and practices.

Traditional justifications for the ‘treatment’ of employee data may need to be revisited and a careful review process implemented. This review extends to contracts, staff handbooks and employee policies, ensuring full transparency over nature of HR data processing throughout.

Companies will need to identify if there is an organisational training need with regard to the reforms and commit accordingly, employing a Data Protection Officer if required.

According to Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report: ‘No locale, industry or organisation is bulletproof when it comes to the compromise of data’. With that in mind, and with the GDPR set to impose fines of up to 4% of annual global revenue, businesses cannot afford to ignore the updated regulations if they wish to remain solvent.

Fundamentally what the introduction of the GDPR will do is command a company-wide audit.

Working in old fashioned ways with piles of paper, traditional filing cabinets and a mix of digital and paper processes just isn’t good enough anymore. Dipping in and out of HR protocol in relation to data processing will not be acceptable. The risks are simply too high.

With the colossal technological changes we have seen in the 20-year gap between the updating of data protection legislation, who knows what the next 20 years might hold…

From may next year, all organisations in the UK and aroUnd the globe will be reqUired to abide by the new incoming eU general data Protection regUlation (gdPr). the challenge oF meeting the new reqUirements shoUld not be Underestimated says Trevor Annon, Founder And ChAirmAn oF mounT ChArles.

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INCREASE IN BOTH JOBS AND SALARIES IN NI

Salaries and bonuses are on the rise in most sectors across NI, according to the 2018 Salary Survey about to be released by leading recruitment firm Brightwater (www.brightwaterNI.com).

Engineering and manufacturing, accounting, legal and supply chain and logistics are all seeing an increase in activity as well as an upward shift in salaries. Bonuses are making a welcome return with some practice and taxation firms actively pushing generous sign-on bonuses.

Brightwater’s MD Barbara McGrath said: “We have seen a strong and growing demand for recruitment services over the last year which is proof of the improving market and increasing business confidence.

Legal and accountancy firms in particular are hiring in volume again. HR too is experiencing an uplift with compensation and benefits specialists and talent acquisition consultants seeing an increase in salaries being offered. Marketing is also experiencing a surge in demand but mostly in the digital space where smaller businesses are increasing their online presence and need skilled professionals.

“Undoubtedly engineering is one of the areas experiencing the most consistent salary growth. The demand

for skilled professionals, especially in the maintenance and quality areas has resulted in a shortage of candidates which again has led to the resurgence of counter-offers.”

McGrath also highlights the rise in salaries across procurement. “Businesses are trying to cut costs, maximise efficiencies and adapt to uncertain exchange rates so those professionals who can help with that are in sharp demand and can often ask for premium rates,” she points out.

Brightwater also warns businesses to be mindful of their retention policies.

“Counteroffers are making a reappearance across many sectors,” McGrath says, “particularly for niche roles with specific and hard to find skillsets. It would be advisable for companies to have strong engagement policies with key staff as well as career progression paths in place to avoid this scenario”.

For more information visit www.brightwaterNI.com

PRICES ARE RISING, BUT WILL BANK RATES?

BY RICHARD RAMSEY, CHIEF ECONOMIST, NORTHERN IRELAND, ULSTER BANK. Shoppers will increasingly have noticed that the price of their groceries and the cost of filling up at the forecourt have been on the rise.

Last month, UK consumer price inflation, using the CPI measure, rose by 3% yearon-year. This represents the fastest rate of increase since April 2012. Inflationary pressures are more marked within consumer goods (+3.2% y/y) rather than services (+2.7% y/y). Meanwhile the most comprehensive measure of inflation, the CPIH index, which includes owner occupiers’ housing costs along with Council Tax (or rates in NI), nudged higher to 2.8% y/y in September.

CPI inflation continues to rise at a faster rate than UK average earnings. The latter is currently running at 2.1% y/y. As a result, disposable incomes are falling in real terms. However, the squeeze is even more acute for those reliant on workingage benefits. Normally September’s inflation figures would be used to uprate working-age benefits by the same amount the following April. But the UK government has frozen most benefits (e.g. child benefit, working family tax credits) in cash terms from April 2015 to March

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2020. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the benefits squeeze will take £450 per annum on average from 10.5 million UK households. Higher rates of inflation will therefore impact harder on poorer households. Northern Ireland will be disproportionately impacted due to its higher reliance on benefits and its lower income households. Meanwhile, under the “triple lock” guarantee, the basic state pension will rise by a rate equal to September’s CPI rate, earnings growth or 2.5% - whichever is highest. On this occasion this will be by 3%.

The main contributors to the increase in September’s CPI were rising prices for food, motor fuel and recreational goods. Food prices accelerated towards a four-year high of 3.4%. It is worth remembering that UK consumers enjoyed three consecutive years of falling food prices in 2014 (-0.2%), 2015 (-2.8%) and 2016 (-2.8%). Some of the food items recording the steepest rises in prices in September 2017 included: Butter (+21%), Fish (+13.6%), Pizza & quiche (+11.5%), Bread (+5.4%) and Chocolate (+4.9%).

Petrol and diesel prices have been on the rise in recent months and saw annual increases of 6.3% and 6.0% respectively last month. Finally, consumer prices within the recreation and culture category

increased by 2.6% y/y in September – the highest rate since January 2010. Within this category, it is noted that the price of books increased by almost 14% y/y and the cost of attending concerts, cinemas and the theatre rose by 5.2% over the same period. Incidentally, 5.2% is also the current inflation rate for domestic energy bills (electricity & gas etc).

The recent pick-up in UK inflation has been accompanied by rising expectations that the Bank of England will begin raising interest rates as early as November.

Indeed, financial markets view an increase from 0.25% to 0.5% as more likely than not. That said, the Bank of England has looked through above-target inflation before. A move by the Bank of England this side of Christmas is by no means a slam dunk. Consumer price inflation should fall back towards the MPC’s 2% target in 2018 even without a rate increase. Don’t be surprised if we are still waiting for the first interest rate hike since 2007 in the New Year. www.ulsterbank.co.uk

feature

Word from brussEls

AMBITION LOOKS AT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BRUSSELS AS THE UK PREPARES TO LEAVE THE EU.

EuropEan Commission publishEs guiding prinCiplEs on irEland and northErn irEland The European Commission has set out its principles for the political dialogue on Ireland and Northern Ireland in the Brexit negotiations. The paper, published in September, states that the Good Friday Agreement should continue to be protected and strengthened in all its parts after the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

The continuation of the Common Travel Area should also be recognised. Key issues include ensuring that the interlocking political institutions on the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, established by the Good Friday Agreement, continue to operate; cooperation (in particular, North-South cooperation) is protected across all the relevant sectors; and that full account be taken of the birth right of the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves as British or Irish, or both.

Given Ireland’s unique situation in the Brexit negotiations, a unique solution is required. In the first phase of the Brexit negotiations, the EU wishes to reach a common understanding with the UK on the implications of its withdrawal for the Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area. Once there is sufficient progress on the principles set out in this paper, discussions may move to the second phase of negotiations, which aim to find flexible and imaginative solutions to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland. These solutions must respect the proper functioning of the internal market and the Customs Union, as well as the integrity and effectiveness of the EU’s legal order. Michel Barnier, the European Commission’s Chief Negotiator said: “Our aim is to minimise the impact of the

UK’s decision to leave the EU for the island of Ireland. But as it was the UK’s decision to leave the EU, it is the UK’s responsibility to come forward with solutions to overcome the challenges for the island of Ireland.”

all the benefits of membership with fewer obligations than the other Member States is welcome. In any case, the future relationship will need to be based on a balance of rights and obligations.”

barniEr on may’s spEECh Following Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech in Florence, the European Commission’s Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, said: “Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed a constructive spirit which is also the spirit of the European Union during this unique negotiation. The speech shows a willingness to move forward, as time is of the essence. We need to reach an agreement by autumn 2018 on the conditions of the United Kingdom’s orderly withdrawal from the European Union.

Our priority is to protect the rights of citizens.

EU27 citizens in the United Kingdom must have the same rights as British citizens today in the European Union. These rights must be implemented effectively and safeguarded in the same way in the United Kingdom as in the European Union, as recalled by the European Council and European Parliament. Prime Minister May’s statements are a step forward but they must now be translated into a precise negotiating position of the UK government.”

He added: “The sooner we reach an agreement on the principles of the orderly withdrawal in the different areas – and on the conditions of a possible transition period requested by the United Kingdom – the sooner we will be ready to engage in a constructive discussion on our future relationship. The EU shares the goal of establishing an ambitious partnership for the future. The fact that the government of the United Kingdom recognises that leaving the European Union means that it cannot keep

‘CatChing thE wind in our sails’ The key message from European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in his annual State of the European Union speech in September was: “The wind is back in Europe’s sails. But we will go nowhere unless we catch that wind… now is the time to build a more united, stronger and more democratic Europe for 2025.”

The speech had two main parts, one on the Commission’s intentions for the rest of its mandate until autumn 2019 and the other setting out Mr Juncker’s longer-term vision for the future of Europe.

On the economic side, the President announced new European Commission initiatives on trade, notably the screening of foreign takeovers and on making industry more competitive. He also trailed new measures on reducing transport emissions to help “make our planet great again”, cybersecurity and further improving the response to the migration crisis. Mr Juncker unveiled a taskforce to be chaired by First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, to further cut red tape and make sure the EU is only intervening where it adds value.

He added that “a more united Union should see compromise, not as something negative, but as the art of bridging differences.” He called for all Member States to move towards joining the euro, the Banking Union and the Schengen area and offered additional support to help them do so.

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feature

SUPER SIX THE THIngs I’vE lEARnEd In busInEss Peter Russell joined Belfast-based IT company Neueda in 2017 and is Director of Sales and Marketing. He is responsible for the firm’s global sales and marketing strategy and is also spearheading the company’s “Great Place to Work” initiative to help make it a recognised brand and a place that people want to join and build exciting careers.

Peter started his illustrious career in Northern Bank (now Danske Bank). While working in various roles across the bank, he continued his studies and graduated with a first class honours degree in Business Studies.

In 2000, Peter joined Bull Information Systems (now Steria) as a Project Manager, and quickly moved up the ranks to become Regional Manager for Ireland.

Peter then joined BT Ireland in 2009 as Head of Public Sector in Northern Ireland. He then subsequently also took responsibility for BT’s Major Private Sector accounts and was ultimately promoted to Regional Director, BT Business NI. Married with three children, Peter is a former Ireland Rugby International and still keeps fit, with cycling and golf now his latest passions. He is also the Chairman of the Lagan Sea Horses male voice choir.

1. Know yourself, your team and your customers Having strong emotional intelligence is becoming more important in work and in life. Really knowing and understanding yourself (strengths, weaknesses, how you cope under pressure, etc.), your team and your customers, is an important foundation for success.

2. Focus on your priorities and don’t be a busy fool Everyone is so busy these days and the really successful people are the ones who can focus on priorities, don’t become distracted, manage their time effectively and focus on execution – getting the job done.

3. Be adaptable and learn to thrive on uncertainty and change This is something I have personally struggled with given my background as a project manager! The pace of change is relentless, and uncertainty is with us forever, so learning to cope – and even thrive – in this type of environment is becoming more important than ever.

4. Be a positive role model We need more positive role models in business, and generally in life. As leaders we all have a huge responsibility to set the right example and demonstrate the right behaviours – this is something we should never forget.

5. Make sure your customers are at the centre of everything you do My business mantra wherever I have worked. Keep you customer front and centre of every decision you make – never take this for granted.

6. Try to have some fun We all spend so much time in work so it’s so important to make sure you enjoy what you do, and have some fun along the way.

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face to face with...

Laying the foundations for the future of the built environment THeRe’S NeveR BeeN A BeTTeR TIMe TO Be A CHARTeReD SURveyOR SuSan MaSon, acting Director of the ricS in northern irelanD, TellS aDrienne Mcgill.

E

st modus in rebus – there is measure in all things – is the motto of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – and it encapsulates the essential elements of the profession.

Chartered surveyors are experts in a wide range of services across land, property and construction.

They specialise in the measurement and valuation of elements of the built environment. This covers homebuyers’ survey and valuations, full building surveys, quantity surveying, project management, commercial property management, planning and development, land surveying, auctioneering, estate management and other forms of survey and land, property and construction-related advice. The role of the RICS is to ensure a regulatory model that holds the profession to globally recognised standards, therefore helping ensure confidence amongst clients and the public.

Currently, chartered surveying remains a largely male-dominated business with only14% of female members in the RICS, the 100,000-strong professional body. This may be partly due to the fact that there can be a perception that women will not be paid as much as their male counterparts in the industry.

Given this, RICS has issued a fresh call to female A-level talent to consider a career in the land, property and construction sectors, and help meet increasing demand for a more

diverse workforce and profession, whilst bridging the skills gap.

“We are doing everything we can to promote surveying to females because our percentage of female membership is really quite low at just 14% in both Northern Ireland and UK wide,” says Susan Mason, acting Director of the RICS in Northern Ireland.

“Surveying is to do with land, property and construction but it is not necessarily a hard hat environment.

“With this in mind – along with the need to alleviate the skills epidemic – we’re taking steps to raise awareness of the surveying profession amongst young people and its appeal for both sexes. We have launched our Inspire 2020 programme, which involves going into schools and talking to children aged 13-15 about the roles and opportunities available for all in the industry.

“We want to promote surveying to a younger audience. Having an interest in the built environment, excellent communication skills and a good grasp of IT are just some of the requirements for anyone interested in training as a surveyor.”

RICS membership in Northern Ireland stands at 3,000 of whom 1,500 are fully qualified surveyors and the balance is made up of students and trainees.

Susan says the profession offers great scope for skills development and as the economy continues to improve and the construction

and property industry picks up pace, surveyors are in increasing demand.

Surveyors get lots of opportunity to move between sectors and to change roles within them. For example, it’s not unusual for people who start off on the quantity surveying side to move into project management after a while.

The skills and qualifications you get in this field are not just highly sought after, they are highly portable. If you are after a career that offers variety, surveying ticks that box.

There is also a concerted effort to diversify across the industry with the RICS running a campaign to encourage more women into surveying. Many employers are now actively looking for women to fill posts and develop diversity within their teams.

Susan says that regardless of gender, right now is a great time to be a chartered surveyor. A shortage of surveyors in the market generally, especially those in the construction sector, means it’s an employee’s market.

There is a wide variety of opportunities for graduates, from quantity surveying to building surveying, asset management and valuations or geomatics – and all are in short supply.

A career in surveying can offer enormous opportunities for career progression and across numerous sectors.

“Overall, there is a skills shortage in the profession,” says Susan.

“But there is no doubt there will always be a demand for chartered surveyors.”

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DOES YOUR ORGANISATION LOVE A CHALLENGE? Leading local cancer charity, Action Cancer are asking NI Chamber of Commerce Members to sign up for their annual store challenge competition in 2018.

Each year local companies come together to take part in what now is an annual event, taking over and running a charity store for the day while maximising income, raising the charities profile and increasing donations, all while having a lot of fun along the way.

Action Cancer have stores across Northern Ireland to suit your location, all helping to raise vital funds for cancer services delivered at Action Cancer House, on board the Big Bus and regionally throughout the region.

Over the past five years companies from all over the country have taken part in the challenge helping to raise over £300,000 for children and family counselling sessions, breast screenings and health promotion services delivered at schools and workplaces.

The challenge is open to companies who wish to offer their employees the chance to volunteer with a local charity while using their skills to project manage, be creative and fundraise, while raising awareness for Action Cancer’s services.

The challenge is a serious test of the entrepreneurial skills your staff possess as they will compete against competition from a wide variety of companies and organisations who get involved.

The challenge will be launched in 2018 with takeover day scheduled for October and a fabulous awards evening planned for early November “But it’s never too early to start recruiting for teams,” according to Peter Lynch from Action Cancer, “Each year we run the challenge there is always a bit of competition from the start as companies look to secure the store in the area best suited to them, so this year we decided to get off the mark and promote the challenge early.”

The teams this year included staff from winning company PKFFPM, M&S, SERC, Lockton, Team Solutionz, Action Cancer and

Winning team, PKF-FPM.

Event sponsors, Barclay Communications.

Royal Mail raising £70,000 through store sales, fundraising and donations of stock.

Please contact plynch@actioncancer.org if you are interested in taking up the challenge or being the premium sponsor for next year’s challenge.

AT THE WILSON GROUP THE BEST CARE MEANS HAVING THE BEST STAFF Providing the best care means having the best staff. That’s not just about recruiting them, it is also about retaining them.

At the Wilson Group they are proud to have so many healthcare staff who have been with them for many years, some for more than 25 years. They recognise and celebrate their loyalty. Great quality care is at the heart of everything that they do. Their staff show how much they care every single day and having their collective experience makes the Wilson Group the better for it.

That’s why they present staff with long service awards for five, ten, 15, 20 and 25 years’ service They are so proud of them because a great business is founded on great people and they would like to thank every one of them for their great work, loyalty and dedication.

Angela Dorrian, Wilson Group Area Manager; Agnes Abram, Laundry Assistant– 10yr Long Service Award; Louise Walsh, Care Assistant– 5yr Long Service Award; Desmond Wilson, Wilson Group Managing Director; Connie Dempster, Staff Nurse – 10yr Long Service Award; Leslie Stephens, Nurse Manager, Larne Care Centre.

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For further information on their healthcare services please see www. wilsongroupni.co.uk/healthcare/ or contact the head office on 028 9075 1212

1.

2.

Finding the bounty with Bonhams Bonhams Ireland was in Belfast with art and collectible specialists to host a complimentary valuation event in the merchant Hotel. the event also presented three expert talks. Bonhams offer a complimentary valuation service for clients throughout Northern ireland who wish to sell in any of their international salerooms. With specialist departments in 60 categories, Bonhams are market leaders in pictures, furniture & works of art, jewellery, collectibles and motorcars. Bonhams representatives visit Northern ireland once a month.

1. Bonhams head of Asian department Colin Sheaf with Peter McCafferty from the To-Ken Society of Ireland. 3. Linenhall Librarian Samantha McCombe and Damien Cash. 4. Thompson Steele and Dr Charles Ludlow. 5. Matthew Haley, Antonia Bechmann and Matthew Bradbury from Bonhams at the Merchant Hotel valuation day.

3.

APPOINTMENTS AND ENQUIRIES T: 00 353 1 602 0990 E: kieran.oboyle@bonhams.com

4.

5.

for more visit Bonhams.com/Ireland

news

Maureen O’Reilly (Economist for the QES), Brian Murphy (BDO) and Ann McGregor (NI Chamber).

PRICE PRESSURE ThE NORThERN IRElAND ECONOMy CONTINuES TO GROw whIlE ESCAlATING COSTS fORCE fIRMS TO RAISE pRICES.

A

n increasing number of Northern Ireland manufacturers and services sector businesses are coming under pressure to raise prices.

The shift is revealed in the latest Quarterly Economic Survey published by the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with business advisers BDO. According to the Q3 2017 report analysed

by NI Chamber economist Maureen O’Reilly, 49% of manufacturers – the highest across 12 UK regions – and 40% of services are expecting to raise prices in the next 3 months largely driven by rising costs.

Overall, the results show that the Northern Ireland economy continued to grow during the quarter although there were some signs of growth softening despite a positive performance in export markets.

Almost all key balances remained positive during Q3 with more businesses in manufacturing and services reporting increases in indicators such as sales, exports and employment than those reporting a fall.

Northern Ireland had one of the most negative reactions across the UK regions to the outcome of the EU referendum vote in Q3 2016. However, Northern Ireland’s regional position has recovered somewhat and in services 9 of the 14 key balances remain above the UK average in Q3.

Manufacturing’s regional position weakened however during Q3 with 5 of the 14 key balances above the UK average (9 in Q2).

Manufacturing growth was sustained by a strong export performance during Q3.

Northern Ireland had one of the strongest

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export balances across the 12 UK regions.

Domestic (UK) sales and orders weakened however with Northern Ireland’s regional performance weakest for these balances.

Employment expectations have been falling since the start of the year. Northern Ireland was one of only three UK regions reporting a negative cash flow balance meaning that more businesses reported a deterioration in their cash flow position over the last three months compared to those noting an improvement. Pressure from rising raw material costs remains high for local manufacturers.

There was a largely lacklustre performance by the services sector during Q3 although the sector still showed signs of growth. Key balances around domestic sales, exports and employment were largely unchanged. Both domestic and export sales balances were above the UK average but the order books for both markets are weaker. The cash flow position of the sector remained positive.

The survey also revealed that business confidence has been dipping in both manufacturing and services in recent quarters although it still remains high by historic standards. A balance of +36% of manufacturers and +41% of services expect turnover to improve over the next 12 months.

Manufacturers’ capital investment plans have showed continued signs of improvement during Q3. The balance is one of the highest across the UK regions. Investment intentions by the services sector, however, have been weakening over the last few quarters and capital investment plans by the sector are particularly weak by UK standards.

Exchange rates concerns re-emerged

during Q3 2017. They had eased during Q2.

In Q3 a total of 58% of members said that exchange rates were more of a concern than 3 months ago (39% in Q2). This figure was just 19% two years ago.

Recruitment intentions are still positive in both manufacturing and services in Q3 with 63% and 58% of members respectively trying to recruit over the last 3 months. Both sectors however continue to experience high levels of recruitment difficulties with 72% of manufacturers and 68% of services stating that they have had difficulties finding suitable staff (although this has eased for manufacturers compared to Q2 where it was 81%).

Members were asked if their business currently had any skills gaps. One in 2 members (48%) state that they are experiencing skills gaps. This is particularly marked among larger businesses with 58% of those employing 250+ experiencing gaps.

NI Chamber’s quarterly Brexit Watch focused on the role of workers from outside the UK and Ireland in member businesses and the impact, if any, on the recruitment and retention of these workers following the UK’s vote to leave the EU. EU workers (outside the UK and Ireland) are important to the functioning of almost 1 in 2 member businesses. In fact, workers from other EU countries are ‘very important’ to 17% of businesses. They are of greatest importance to Northern Ireland’s largest businesses (250+ employees) and those in the hotel/catering and manufacturing sectors.

One in 4 members also place importance on the role of workers from the rest of the world outside the EU to their businesses.

Commenting on the survey results, Ann

news McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber, said: “The uninspiring results we see in our third quarter findings reflect the fact that political uncertainty, the vagaries of the Brexit process and the resulting currency fall out are continuing to weigh on business growth prospects.

“The slump in sterling is pushing up sourcing costs for importers. Businesses are coming under increasing pressure to pass these costs onto customers at a time when

their spending power is already squeezed.

“However, sterling’s weakness does have its benefits and we are seeing this in the competitive boost it has given our exporters, both in manufacturing and services.

“Businesses need support to boost their confidence at this critical time. Our politicians can offer them support but that will only come about with the restoration of the Executive. This must happen in the near future before more time is lost.”

Northern Ireland Quarterly Economic Survey

ANALYSIS www.northernirelandchamber.com

E

Survey Findings

Continued growth in the NI economy although some signs of growth softening during Q3 2017.

Manufacturing growth buoyed by strong export performance.

Service sector’s performance is lacklusture. Although key balances are positive.

Q3 2017 was more positive for Northern Ireland businesses than the corresponding quarter last year, which came in the wake of the UK’s EU Referendum result. Then, local firms had one of the most negative reactions across the UK regions to the vote.

Domestic (UK) sales and orders weaken for manufacturers with lowest balances across UK regions.

Pressure from rising raw material costs remains high for local manufacturers.

58% of members state that exchange rates are more of a concern to business, up from 39% in Q2.

Both domestic and export sales and orders balances are holding steady in services.

Recruitment Issues

One in 2 members are currently experiencing skills gaps. With 59% of those employing 250+ unable to find the right people for their jobs.

Increased training activity/spend (51%) most likely approach to address skills gaps.

58% of members have a dedicated training plan in place and 53% a specific budget set aside for training.

Brexit Watch EU workers are important to the functioning of 1 in 2 businesses.

In the last three months, 14% of members have attempted to recruit migrant workers.

Some 299 members responded to the NI Chamber of Commerce & Industry Quarterly Employment Survey, in partnership with BDO, during the 3rd quarter of 2017. Together they account for just over 35,000 jobs.

Note: The ‘balance’ refers to the difference between the % of firms reporting an increase in a key indicator minus the % reporting a decrease.

By Brian Murphy, MANAGING PArtNer, BDO NOrtherN IrelAND

Members are finding it more difficult to recruit EU workers than before the referendum.



xchange rates enjoyed extra media attention in the summer months as holidaymakers found out just how far the pound in their pocket now goes. For businesses, negotiating the rough and tumble of currency prices is par for the course and often dictates the tone for confidence and forecasts.

Currency is of course only one factor impacting upon performance, but the latest quarterly economic survey indicates firms are responding to concerns with revised and realistic expectations of sustained or improved turnover and more modest profit margins.

On balance that is not entirely unexpected. the relatively low value of sterling has enabled Northern Ireland’s manufacturing and services sectors to sustain growth in exports and sales, albeit a little more slowly in the last quarter. While that gain is now being offset by rising raw material costs and other pressures, businesses are still showing higher levels of confidence than would normally be seen during this time of year.

Of all the 12 UK regions, Northern Ireland arguably has a higher level of exposure to political and economic challenges, yet businesses are performing better than the UK average across a number of measures. Northern Ireland’s manufacturing export and sales growth ranks among the top three regions and the sector’s capital investment plans remain one of the highest. the next few months may see rising prices and a squeeze on some sectors, but despite the challenges we remain well placed to ride out the turbulence.

NI Chamber 83

appointments

new appointments

Corporate law firm A&L Goodbody has announced the appointment of a new partner at its Belfast office.

Barbara Creed has been promoted to partner in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution team. She is pictured with Mark Thompson, Head of A&L Goodbody’s Belfast office, which now has a total of 13 partners.

Kevin Murphy has been appointed as a Real Estate Partner by law firm LTL in Belfast.

Richard Williams has been appointed as an Architectural Technologist by HLM, a leading design and architecture company with offices in Belfast.

Diane Johnston has been appointed as Head of SME with Autoline Insurance Group.

Alan Wardlow has been appointed by Upstream, one of Northern Ireland’s leading providers of working capital into the SME market, to the Board of Directors. He holds the position of Sales Director with the company.

REGISTER | BROWSE | APPLY WWW.GRAFTONRECRUITMENT.COM ambition strip ad June 2016.indd 2

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HEALTH AND SAFETY - AN ENABLER NOT A BURDEN

BY JAmES mANLEY, HEALTH, SAFETY & ENviRONmENTAL SpEciALiST AT GRAFTON REcRUiTmENT.

Kathy Graham has been appointed to Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland.

I recently read an interesting article by Martin Temple, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), on the benefits of building a strong platform for change, with many organisations sharing a common aim of Helping Great Britain Work Well, while also driving home the message that health and safety is an enabler, not a burden.

Whatever sector of business you may be in, the possibility of an accident, injury or impact on someone’s health, should be of paramount importance.

All work exposes people to hazards, such as manual handling, operating machinery, toxic substances, electricity, working at height or stress related psychological hazards.

Efficient health and safety not only ensures that employees are happy and productive, but can also help to reduce both the human and business costs of injuries and unnecessary lawsuits.

Worryingly, despite all the

John Ellison has been appointed to Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland.

precautions taken in the UK, statistics from 2015/16 showed that 30.4 million working days were lost due to illness or injury, of which 25.9 million days were work-related illness and 4.5 million days due to workplace injury.

Interestingly accident rates in SMEs can be higher, with the fatality rate in SME manufacturers being twice that of larger organisations.

The emphasis is therefore on management to ensure their workers are equipped with the correct safety equipment, comprehensive inductions and ongoing training on proper use and maintenance of this equipment.

At Grafton, we specialise in providing the very best Health, Safety & Environmental employees at all levels across Northern Ireland.

• To discuss your Company Health and Safety Recruitment , contact James Manley, Health, Safety & Environmental Specialist at Grafton on 02890 323333.

Alan Meban has been appointed to Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland.

Paul Wilson has been reappointed to Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland.

REGISTER | BROWSE | APPLY WWW.GRAFTONRECRUITMENT.COM ambition strip ad June 2016.indd 2

30/06/2016 07:51:00

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sponsored feature

LARNE CARE CENTRE CELEBRATES TEN YEARS OF CARING TOGETHER

Larne Care Centre, a beautiful purpose built home on the Lough shore.

T

he Wilson Group believe that every single one of our care homes should be a loving home for every resident.

Those are the standards we uphold and why we build long-lasting relationships with families and the wider community. This month Larne Care Centre, our purpose-built home on the shores of Larne Lough celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Larne Care Centre is an 87-bed residence which offers nursing care for frail and elderly clients and clients with dementia or physical disabilities.

It is divided into four independent units, each one specifically designed for the needs of residents. One contains a seven-bedroom self-contained facility for assisted living. All our residents have their own well-furnished bedrooms with en-suite facilities.

Larne Care Centre operates an open house policy – so friends and family are welcome to drop in whenever it suits them. Many take part in our many daily activities, bringing more life, fun and laughter to the

Residents at the party, Mary Spence, Susan Lilley and Helen McIlveen.

Staff at Larne Care Centre prepare the anniversary spread.

home. We believe in the power of caring together and so do our residents. We invited them all to our anniversary party and together we celebrated our success.

We organise trips for shopping, to local beauty spots and special events and everything we do is planned after talking to our residents and their families who we consult on activities, the facilities we offer and what we can do to improve.

Everyone at the centre is proud of our home-made nutritious food, and our policy of ensuring that residents choose when and what they want to eat.

There are five homes in the Wilson Group: in Belfast, Larne, Bangor and Whitehead.

For further information please see http://www. wilsongroupni.co.uk/healthcare/ or contact our head office on 028 9075 1212

Happy anniversary ‌

lifestyle

PEUGEOT’S 3008 HAS CHARM AND QUALITY This new PeugeoT is very differenT and in a good way, wriTes James stinson.

t

here are many words you could use to describe the old Peugeot 3008 – sensible and practical, versatile and popular. But you could never call it attractive. Indeed, for all its good points the original 3008 was downright frumpy and you cannot say that about this new car.

It is a purposeful, aggressive looking motor with lots of bold design touches throughout. The uninspiring blob-like surfaces of the old model have been replaced with angular, squared-off lines, around the rear especially, while the interior features an elegant dash and cutting edge infotainment system. It couldn’t be more different from the previous car or, indeed, any other Peugeot.

Thankfully, Peugeot hasn’t sacrificed the practicality of the original. This new car is marginally longer, by just 8cm, which means it still feels quite compact.

However, it is much more spacious thanks to a longer wheelbase and better packaging. It’s most apparent in the rear, where there is more head and leg room, making this a proper family car with enough room for five adults.

The boot is cavernous too, providing best in class space and plenty of versatility. The rear seats fold flat as

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does the front passenger seat, which means it can take long and awkward loads with ease.

Indeed, the interior generally is very impressive, with eye-catching design, good quality materials and sensible easyto-use controls. More than anything, it feels cossetting and upmarket. The dash sweeps around and envelops the driver, while the excellent i-Cockpit control and display system, standard throughout the range, adds a space-age feel to the proceedings. It’s been likened to a motor show concept car.

What’s most pleasing is the overall quality – knobs and switches feel robust while the fabrics are welcoming and nice to touch. Even the doors close with a reassuring thud you’d normally associate with more upmarket manufacturers.

Peugeot has a good reputation for making engines, especially diesels. In the 3008, you can take your pick from four: two 1.6-litre units with either 100bhp or 120bhp; and two 2.0-litre units with either 150bhp or 180bhp. The bigger ones are a good bit more expensive while the 120bhp version should offer enough performance for most buyers.

If you aren’t a high mileage user you could do worse than consider the 1.2

turbo petrol, which is cheaper but still offers decent performance and emissions.

The 3008 is also very well equipped.

The range kicks off with Active trim (from £21,795 with the 1.2 petrol motor), and choosing this gets you rear parking sensors, DAB digital radio, automatic headlights and wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels and autonomous emergency braking. Active trim also includes a traffic-sign recognition system, which saves you having to hunt for speed-limit signs on unfamiliar roads.

The aforementioned i-Cockpit display obviously comes as standard, too, while the eight-inch infotainment touchscreen features Apple CarPlay, MirrorLink and Android Auto. Diesel prices start from £22,845, with the favoured 120bhp version costing from £23,645.

There are plenty of compact SUVs to choose from, with the big selling Nissan Qashqai, Seat Ateca and VW Tiguan all formidable rivals. The Peugeot doesn’t outscore them everywhere but it is arguably the best looking of the bunch while the interior is undoubtedly more stylish and upmarket. If this is a sign of things to come from Peugeot, then they’re on to a good thing.

lifestyle

NEW SWIFT WOOS YOUNGER BUYERS It’s amazing what £11,000 will buy you these days – this new Suzuki Swift for example. It’s a proper five-door car, which has lots of kit and low running costs. What’s more, it’s quirky looking and fun to drive.

The Swift has been and remains Suzuki’s best car but it’s still managed to make some notable improvements for this latest version.

It’s slightly lower and shorter than the old car, but also a little wider. This and the longer wheelbase (pushing them further into the corners), means there is more room inside than before. Space in the rear is vastly improved, where two adults can now sit comfortably. The boot, which was an issue on the old car, is also much bigger, by around 25%.

And the new Swift is also lighter, by a hefty 120kgs, now weighing in at a puny 890kgs (SZ3 model). Carrying less weight means the Swift is agile, nippy and more economical.

The entry level 1.2-litre engined version has sub 100g/ km CO2 emissions and claimed 65mpg fuel economy. Expect somewhere in the low-to-mid fifties in real-world conditions.

The turbocharged 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine is more expensive and a little less economical but much punchier and probably a better all-round choice.

In a bid to appeal to younger, more style conscious drivers,

the new Swift is also much more aggressive looking, with bulked out wheel arches and a low-slung mean looking front end. All come with five doors with the rear door handles neatly hidden in the body.

Entry level SZ3 versions get air conditioning, digital radio, bluetooth and front electric windows. For £2,000 more, the SZT adds things like a rear-view camera, while the SZ5 gets sat-nav, forward collision warning and keyless entry. There’s even a fourwheel drive version.

TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF For all the publicity that surrounded the Leaf when it launched in 2010, fewer than 300,000 have been sold around the world in the seven years since. The same company sold more than 450,000 Qashqais last year alone. They probably made a loss on every Leaf too, so there’s a lot riding on this second generation version.

The issue with electric cars has always been range. How far can you go without having to pull over and plug into the mains.

First generation electric cars, of which the original Nissan Leaf was one of the most popular, had pretty dreadful range, which meant they weren’t at all appealing to most motorists.

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Headline figures show the new Leaf will have a theoretical range of 235 miles. Even if you get nowhere near this in the real world, it’s still 50% more than the old car. What’s more, that will be extended to 310 miles when the higher-specification Leaf E-Plus arrives in 2019.

The new battery unit also produces more power – 148bhp, an increase of 41bhp. That extra punch means the new Leaf can accelerate from 0-62mph in just over 8.0sec – far quicker than the 11.5sec of the outgoing car.

The Leaf’s interior has also taken a step forward.

The cluttered dashboard of the outgoing car has been replaced with a neater design with fewer buttons.

We won’t all be trading in our petrol and diesel cars just yet but the new Leaf will bring many more drivers into the electric fold. Prices for a special launch edition start at £26,490, with deliveries starting in early 2018.

kINg of the road Derek Black takes the Volkswagen Arteon for a spin.

Volkswagen has come up with a ‘people’s car’ fit for a king! The Arteon is a five-door fastback that is packed with style, space and technology. Their new flagship puts them firmly into the so-called ‘premium’ market.

Shaped like a coupe with a broad new front grille and a distinctive rear with a built in ‘spoiler’, the Arteon has strong presence.

Sporting it may look, but underneath this is a roomy and comfortable car. Rear legroom is noticeably better than most and the boot is spacious even without folding down the back seats.

As I drive off, I am soon impressed by how nimble the Arteon feels for its size. My car is a 2.0-litre petrol TSI with front-wheel drive

and the R-line fin-ish, the higher of the two trims available. The 190PS engine is mated to the slick DSG 7-speed automatic gearbox with steering wheel paddles.

Left to its own devices the DSG changes gears smoothly and the car feels relaxed and quiet. When you kick-down, there is an impressive surge of power for overtaking. Flick one of the paddles and you move into manual mode with more precise gear changes when you want them.

At £34,290 this model is a comparatively modest choice from the Arteon range, which runs to more powerful twin-turbo diesels and uprated petrol en-gines and 4-motion all-wheel drive. However, the 2.0 TSI offers a lot of car for the money in terms of equipment and technology.

The new Arteon.

Beauty in every sense.

(And with £269 a month on Contract Hire, driving one makes even more sense.)

I am quickly made aware that this is a ‘thinking’ car that acts almost like a guardian angel to keep me safe on the road. The standard adaptive cruise control reads the road signs and even flags up a 50mph temporary speed limit near Hillsborough. The speedometer has a little triangle that moves to indicate where the needle should be and sounds a warning if you drift over the local limit.

The 2.0 TSI is rated at 47mpg on the Combined Cycle and has emissions of 135g/ km. This is impressive for a big car that can accelerate from rest to 62mpg in 7.7 seconds and which has a potential top speed of 147mph!

When there is a sudden skiff of rain, the wipers come on automatically. So do the headlamps with the light fades. Parking sensors are standard as is keyless entry on this model.

You also get climate control and self-levelling LED headlamps as part of a generous package.

With wide seats and nappa leather upholstery, the Arteon cannot be faulted in terms of comfort. In fact, it is difficult to criticise on any objective basis and the detailed quality touches are too many to list. The people who buy this new VW flagship are going to be very content with their motoring.

For your local Northern Ireland Volkswagen Arteon dealer, visit: www.volkswagen.co.uk

Contract Hire* 3-year, 10,000 miles per annum example for Arteon R-Line 2.0 TSI 190PS 7-speed DSG. 35 monthly payments of (plus VAT)

£269.00

Initial rental (plus VAT)

£807.00

Excess mileage charge (plus VAT)

7.0p

Advanced dynamic cornering light, 6-way “ergoComfort” seats, Lane Assist, Area View, Car-Net, Multi-function steering wheel and Active Info display.

Donnelly Volkswagen Campsie Industrial Estate, Eglinton Co. L/Derry, BT47 3DN. Telephone: 028 7122 2307.

101 Irvinestown Road, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, BT74 6GQ. Telephone: 028 6633 0127 .

www.donnellyeglinton.volkswagen.co.uk

www.donnellyenniskillen.volkswagen.co.uk

Donnelly Bros Garages Ltd (Fermanagh) and Donnelly & Taggart Ltd are broker and not a lender and can introduce you to a limited number of lenders, who may pay us for introducing you to them. *No ownership option Business users only. All Prices Exclude VAT. VAT payable at the prevailing rate. 18s+. Subject to availability and status. T&Cs apply. Offer available when ordered by 2nd January, 2018 and delivered by 31st March, 2018. Indemnities may be required. Offers are not available in conjunction with scrappage upgrade scheme or any other offer and may be varied or withdrawn at any time. Accurate at time of publication. Freepost Volkswagen Financial Services. Standard EU Test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Official fuel consumption figures for the new Arteon range in mpg (litres/100km): urban 30.7 (9.2) – 52.3 (5.4); extra urban 46.3 (6.1) – 70.6 (4.0); combined 38.7 (7.3) – 62.8 (4.5). Combined CO 2 emissions 116 – 164g/km.

NI Chamber 91

ARE YOU ON TOP OF YOUR FUEL COSTS? All too often, companies fail to spend enough time analysing one of their biggest controllable spends; fuel. In today’s busy world, and with fuel prices on the rise, it is imperative to stay on top of fuel spend.

At Agnew Corporate, they have developed innovative fleet management software which can upload any fuel file and analyse spend by vehicle, driver, location, frequency of fills or even pump price and, with thorough fuel analysis, large savings can be made. They work hand in hand with their customers, with dedicated fleet specialists available to assist on fuel reviews and analysing data. MPG reports can be generated and league tables created to encourage efficient driving amongst employees and effectively reduce costs.

One factor that must be strongly considered when reviewing fuel spend is car choice. Drivers should tread carefully when considering alternative fuels. Hybrid vehicles do not automatically translate to the published MPG and, if they are not contracted on relatively low mileage contracts and charged in a timely fashion, can result in a hefty fuel bill.

Agnew Corporate pride themselves in car choice management and will walk

you through the process of creating the perfect company car banding list, bespoke to your requirements. They welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your overall fleet requirements and are

confident they can assist, with the ultimate aim of saving you money.

For more information or to arrange a consultation, call Agnew Corporate on 028 9038 6600.

RIVERRIDGE’S FOOD WASTE FEAST FOR TASTE OF ULSTER CHEFS AND FOOD PRODUCERS Colm Warren, Commercial Director, of Natural Word Products, Michele Shirlow, of Taste of Ulster, Chef Paula McIntyre and Gavin McDonagh, Business Development Executive, of RiverRidge.

TOP chefs and food producers visited leading waste management company RiverRidge, together with Natural World Products (NWP), to learn how both companies are rethinking resources and repurposing the tremendous amount of food waste created on a daily basis.

It is widely reported, around one-third of the world’s food is thrown away before it reaches a plate, this equates to 1.3 billion tonnes a year which is enough to feed 1.6 billion people.

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Michele Shirlow, of Taste of Ulster, comments, “This was a fascinating opportunity to understand what actually happens to our food waste once it reaches the recycling bin and to appreciate food waste as a resource rather than something you just throw away.”

Now based across four sites, Coleraine, Belfast, Derry-Londonderry and Portadown, with over 4,000 customers, ranging from corner retail units to large multinationals, RiverRidge ensures the

organisations it deals with, receives a bespoke service that is resource efficient and cost effective.

Gavin McDonagh, Senior Contracts Manager, comments, “At RiverRidge, we have a strong ethos built upon sustainability and traceability, hosting this Chef’s Steering Group allowed us to showcase how we give food waste a whole new lease of life.

“Food waste can be inevitable however it does not need to go to landfill. At RiverRidge we work with businesses and create a waste management strategy that drives material away from landfill and permits businesses to reduce and dispose of generated waste in the most sustainable way possible.”

Colm Warren, Commercial Director, of NWP, comments, “We were delighted to welcome the chefs and food producers to our facility and gain a better understanding of the challenges they face in relation to waste.”

The day ended with a ‘Skip Lunch’ prepared by renowned chef Paula McIntyre, who served up quirky dishes using food that would usually be deemed as past its best but Paula proved how the food was too good to waste.

For more information visit www.riverridge.co.uk

lifestyle

Flight CanCelled or delayed? that’s where a travel ManageMent CoMpany Can take Control says EdEl dohErty, Managing dirEctor of BEyond BusinEss travEl.

WHAT TO DO WHEN TRAVEL PLANS ARE THROWN UP IN THE AIR

E

veryone has had the experience of travelling to the airport for a flight, only to find that it has been delayed, or worse, cancelled.

When the disruption is widespread, as it was when British Airways experienced computer failures earlier this year, passenger itineraries and airline schedules can be seriously affected.

Often the problem spreads virally, as more cities and airports are affected and soon you could have thousands of people vying for seats on the same flights, as airline staff struggle to get everyone rebooked.

In instances like these, it is often the traveller, working with a Travel Management Company (TMC), who emerges the winner. TMCs such as Beyond Business Travel can step in, send instant alerts to clients and quickly assess the situation, using their expert knowledge to identify alternative airports, airlines and solutions, while other passengers are still queuing at the customer service desk.

Managing disruptions and delays is just one of the services that we offer to business travellers around the globe. We believe that travellers want to be proactively helped, not reactively assisted. This means getting solutions delivered to them at disruption time, not waiting for them to call and ask for advice.

Recently, the Global Business Travel Association surveyed more than 500 business travellers to discover the biggest challenges they face on the road.

Almost 50% of respondents have experienced delayed flights or train journeys, while 54% have had travel plans disrupted because of bad weather. Aircraft issues (including mechanical problems) caused delays for around 40% of the corporate travellers, while 16%

missed a connecting flight in the last twelve months.

The subject of travel disruption has become topical recently after Ryanair cancelled dozens of routes and over 700,000 bookings across its network. Many passengers were given less than two days’ notice of the cancellation.

This was followed by the collapse of Monarch Airlines – 110,000 customers had to be brought home on specially chartered planes and a further 750,000 were told that their bookings had been cancelled.

TMCs can assist companies in knowing where your people are at all times, and contacting them instantly through an online tracking system. This helps clients keep tabs on where their team is in the world at any given time, which becomes especially important at times of crisis and disruption.

As well as tracking staff, Beyond Business Travel also sends real time alerts directly to travellers affected by disruption, delays or safety threats. We contact employees directly to check they are safe, to warn of adverse security situations and advising them on what to do next.

With a 24/7 service and experts trained in emergency response management, TMCs can offer a level of protection and provide a sense of safety and confidence that can sometimes be difficult to achieve in-house.

Our travel team are advised of trip disruption and immediately take the proactive action of rebooking and reconfirming at every point in an itinerary to make sure passengers arrive safe and sane. We use our membership of Advantage Travel Partnership to access negotiated discounts on flights, hotels, car rental and rail to make sure you aren’t paying over the odds on last minute bookings.

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lifestyle

WINTER WARMERS MARKs & sPeNCeR

eMPORiO

This issue JOANNE HARKNESS TAKes A LOOK AT ALL The LATesT sTYLes TO TAKe YOu ThROuGh WiNTeR.

Coat, Jacamo.

Check coat, £25 from George @ Asda.

Carella at emporio, Belfast.

Coat £79, Trousers, £39.50, Bag, £35 from Marks and spencer.

scarf, £26, Next.

Polo neck jumper, £50, Jasper Conran @ Debenhams.

Pink jumper, £16 from George @ Asda.

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Boots, Dubarry of ireland, £249.

lifestyle

CULINARY DELIGHTS veAl Chops ANd Apple ChArlotte VEAL CHOPS WITH SHALLOT BUTTER SERVES 3 1 garlic clove 2 shallots, chopped 1 bunch chives 150g slightly salted butter 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper 3 thick veal chops

method: Start by making the butter. Peel and finely chop or even grate the clove of garlic and then chop the shallots. Chop the chives finely. Using the back of a fork, work the butter with the garlic and shallots. Season with salt and pepper and add in the chives. At the restaurant we spoon on to cling film, roll into a cylinder and tie at each end.

A New meNu At JAmes street south BAr & GrIll IN BelfAst herAlds IN some New ClAssICs IN tIme for the festIve seAsoN. Head CHef david Gillmore BrINGs us A Couple of tAste seNsAtIoNs for yuletIde CeleBrAtIoNs.

You can place in the fridge or freezer and simply slice rounds off as you need them.

To cook the veal chops, heat a grill pan or a frying pan with a little oil on a high heat, place in the chops and cook, until you have achieved your ideal result. I like mine browned and crispy on the outside but medium to rare on the inside.

Serve with the shallot butter on top with some new season boiled potatoes.

APPLE CHARLOTTE - SERVES 6 1 large Armagh Bramley apple, peeled, cored and chopped 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped 1 lemon, zested and juiced 50g caster sugar 100g butter, softened 12 brioche bread slices 1 stick cinnamon 1 pinch grated nutmeg 1 pinch ground cloves 50g raisins, soaked in brandy clotted cream to serve method: Peel, core and chop the apple and place in a pan on a medium heat and add in the lemon zest and a Âź (25g) of the butter with the sugar, raisins, nutmeg, cinnamon stick and the cloves. Cook until soft and once cooked remove from the heat.

I have used a Charlotte mould for this dish, butter the inside of 6 of the moulds.

Cut the bread to match the height and size of the ramekins, it is best to use a brioche loaf which are readily available in the supermarket. Cut the bread into soldiers and butter.

Place the rounds of the bread at the bottom of the mould and arrange the soldier slices on the inside of the ramekin. Overlap the slices if you can so that the apple and the juice do not escape. Once the mould is covered in bread add in the apple and once filled top with the remaining rounds of bread.

Place in a preheated oven at 180 degC for 20 to 25 minutes, once the top is golden brown remove from the oven and leave on a rack to cool, this is to be served warm so do not leave to cool for too long. Remove from the mould using a palette knife and transfer to a plate.

Serve with clotted cream or custard.

NI Chamber 95

columnist

On the slide

u

Productivity is a crucial factor in the Production Performance of firms and nations. so what’s haPPening in the uK? Journalist and broadcaster Jim Fitzpatrick gives an assessment

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nfinished buildings, derelict sites, boardedup properties, auction house hoardings: these are the symbols of the financial crisis we have witnessed over the last decade in northern ireland. strangely, though, one thing we didn’t see were long queues at benefits offices. unemployment remained surprisingly low and still does. so, for many, who continued to get paid and didn’t have unserviceable property debt the great crash seemed of minor consequence.

But most of those people will have noticed that their pay hasn’t increased much, if at all. and ten years on from the crash they may be beginning to notice that their money just doesn’t stretch as far as it used to. some may even have done a calculation to adjust their income for inflation and have realised that they are, in fact, poorer today than they were in 2007. and there’s something we can’t see, and perhaps don’t fully understand, that may go some way towards explaining why we’ve been slowly getting poorer – productivity. this is the measure of what we produce for the amount we put in (labour and capital). without growing productivity wages don’t go up (and they haven’t). without growing productivity it’s hard for the treasury to eliminate the deficit (and it hasn’t). without growing productivity the country, and its citizens, get poorer (and they have). as the nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman famously put it: “Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything.”

Post-war productivity in the uK has risen pretty consistently year-on-year. at least, it did until 2007. since then it has flat lined. and in recent months it has begun to fall. the gap between the uK and other g7 countries is shocking – in terms of output per hour it’s about a quarter behind germany and more than a fifth behind france. i quizzed a local businessman about his french operations recently. the stereotype is the french worker who takes a two-hour lunch with wine and won’t stay a minute later than their contracted hours. the statistics suggest a worker who is way more efficient than his uK counterpart. it turns out, according to my well-informed source, that both the stereotype and the statistic are true. the workers do, in fact, enjoy a good lunch and they expect to leave at an appointed hour. But they work very hard and efficiently too. so why the big problem in the uK? no-one is quite sure why productivity is on the slide.

But fear and uncertainty are thought to play a part. companies are not investing in the latest technology and management processes because it’s cheaper – in the short-term – just to keep or add workers. the initial cause of this fear may have been associated problems with the financial crash. a more recent factor, say some, is Brexit-related uncertainty. this is a collective problem. it can’t be solved by companies acting alone. in the face of uncertainty it makes sense for firms to try and simply get by, and forestall major investment. it’s up to the policy makers to create an environment where confidence can return. unfortunately there’s not much sign of that.

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