Ambition Issue 31 (November/December 2018) by Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Magazine of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

NOVEMber/DECEMber 2018 ISSUE 31 £2.95

CIPR PRide Awards 2017 - Best Publication

university challenge

NEW QUEEN’S VC TALKS TO AMBITION

THE

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OF BUSINESS

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S U P E R I O R S E RV I C E D A N D V I RT U A L O F F I C E S A D J A C E N T T O B E L FA S T C I T Y H A L L

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Friday, 17 February 2017 11:34 07/03/2017 12:49

November/December 2018 Issue 31

Contents NI CHAMBER COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER

Annual Networking Conference and Business Showcase David Meade and Facebook joined over 900 businesses at NIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest networking event

Editor: Adrienne McGill Publisher: Chris Sherry Advertising Managers: Lorraine Gill & Gerry Waddell Editorial Assistant: Joanne Harkness Email addresses: adrienne.mcgill@northernirelandchamber.com / lorraine.gill@ulsterjournals.com / gerry.waddell@ulstertatler.com Websites: www.northernirelandchamber.com / www.ulstertatler.com Addresses: Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 4-5 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT1 5JA Tel: 028 9024 4113 Publisher: Ulster Tatler Group, 39 Boucher Road, Belfast, BT12 6UT Tel: 028 9066 3311 Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim.

NI CHAMBER PATRONS

At a Glance News: 06 £93m Project secures over 100 Belfast jobs 08 Bodyguard and Line of Duty creator to address gala event 10 Mivan creates 40 new roles Columnists: 16 Mark Thompson 20 Ian Rainey 22 David Clements 26 Lisa Sweeney 48 Aaron Ennis 60 Maureen O’Reilly 67 Mark Haslam 70 Angela Keery 96 Jim Fitzpatrick Chamber Chief: 29 Update 30 NI Chamber Awards 32 NI Chamber & BDO Quarterly Economic Survey 34 NI’s largest networking event 36 Leadership breakfast 37 Annual golf day 38 NI Chamber headline events 40 Tanya talks...

Appointments: 82 New Appointments Line Up Special Section: 49 Energy in focus

Lifestyle: 88 Business Class Motoring James Stinson 94 Fashion: Suited and Booted Joanne Harkness 95 Dine & Wine Chris Rees and Andrea Mola

64 62 Cover Story Magazine of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Features: 24 Stairway to seven 46 Keeping it in the family 64 50 years of cinematic class 66 My ambition 68 Talking about an evolution 72 Ready for take-off 74 Giving your business a productivity boost 76 Creating a culture club 78 Water and waste water vital to the economy

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 ISSUE 31 £2.95

CIPR PRide Awards 2017 - Best Publication

72 UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

NEW QUEEN’S VC TALKS TO AMBITION

editorial

President’s Perspective

Tackling a skills crisis

ast month all of Northern Ireland’s main business organisations sent a joint letter to the Prime Minister outlining our serious and immediate concerns around the current availability of labour in the NI economy. A lack of skilled workers has long been considered one of the central weaknesses of the NI economy and finding staff with the right skills continues to be a major problem for businesses. That’s compounded by our flawed university funding model and the fact that the Apprenticeship Levy is not working for Northern Ireland. In fact, NI Chamber’s most recent Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) published in partnership with BDO, revealed that 8 in 10 businesses currently trying to recruit new staff here are facing major challenges in doing so. In addition, the share of manufacturers having difficulties recruiting skilled workers is the highest on record since 2011. Furthermore half of firms report that difficulties around recruitment were having the greatest negative impact on business productivity, an issue of concern given that low productivity has been a persistent drag on the Northern Ireland economy. There are some serious skills gaps opening up for firms and we urgently need to find a way to resolve this. Many firms are deeply invested in developing home-grown skills and talent within their company, however this alone is not enough to fill the skills gaps, at all levels that businesses face right now. This is also set to get worse post-March 2019. The number of EEA workers has fallen by 26% since the Brexit referendum adding further pressure to an already tight labour market. A combination of exchange rate movements and the uncertainty facing migrants to the UK, has meant that fewer EEA workers are coming to Northern Ireland and more are leaving. Many industry sectors are now facing severe labour shortages which are critically impacting upon businesses’ ability to perform daily operations. This is why migrant labour is crucial to the success of the local economy - it fills gaps in both low-level and high-level jobs and is particularly relevant to key sectors such as agrifood, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, construction, education and digital industries. There is also a critical co-dependence between

low-skill labour and higher skilled jobs across many industries and often low-skilled jobs act as the lynchpin for entire supply chains. The recent report from the UK Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) acknowledges the unique challenges faced here in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, it fails to provide the necessary solutions and we believe it is therefore critical to create an immigration policy with sufficient flexibility to address Northern Ireland’s labour needs. Government must therefore work with business to develop an immigration policy that supports a growing economy. We should not

be closing the door on any of the skills we need for our companies to succeed. In the meantime, as a Chamber, we will continue to engage with our local politicians, urging them to recognise the significance of this threat to our economy and wider society, and calling on them to exert their influence on the UK government at this critical time.

Ellvena Graham President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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NEWS

BEANNCHOR MD IS EY’S TOP ENTREPRENEUR

Mount charles celebrates 30th year by setting £100m turnover target by 2025

Bill Wolsey has been named EY Industry Entrepreneur of the Year for 2018. The Beannchor Group MD owns 35 hotels, pubs and restaurants, including the Little Wing pizza chain, the Merchant Hotel and Bullitt. Five local entrepreneurs had made it through to the final of 24, including FinTrU Founder & CEO Darragh McCarthy, Boojum’s David Maxwell and Irish News Managing Director Dominic Fitzpatrick.

Mount Charles, Ireland’s Trevor and Cate Annon. leading foodservice and outsourcing giant, celebrated 30 years in business with over 200 colleagues, suppliers, friends and family at a movie themed celebration in George’s Market, Belfast. Guests were taken on a trip down memory lane as the company relived some of its finest memories. Thanking the entire Mount Charles ‘family’ for their unwavering support, Chairman Trevor Annon, also announced their intention to hit £100m turnover by 2025.

£42M CANTERBURY CONTRACT WIN FOR HAMILTON ARCHITECTS

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Hamilton Architects have landed the contract for the delivery of a £42m project which will help transform the City Campus for Canterbury Christ Church University. Hamilton will carry out the design and enabling works for an 18,000 sqm state of the art Science, Engineering, Technology and Health teaching facility, one of three new buildings planned for the old Prison Quarter site. Other live education projects include the new £29m South West College Enniskillen, a £7m redevelopment for Methodist College Belfast and a £25m new school for Holy Trinity College in Cookstown.

FIRMUS ENERGY AWARDED IIP GOLD ACCREDITATION

firmus energy is the first natural gas company in Northern Ireland to be awarded the Gold accreditation and Health & Wellbeing award against the Investors in People Standard (IIP). The business, which now employs over 100 staff in its Antrim headquarters, has been awarded the second highest standard in IIP – making it one of only 30 companies in Northern Ireland to attain such an accolade.

A new online platform has been launched to help the growing number of startup businesses in Northern Ireland connect with investors, peers and potential new recruits across Europe. TheHub.io is based on a strategic partnership between Danske Bank, Catalyst Inc David Allister, Head of Digital Partnerships and Rainmaking, a global and Alliances at Danske Bank and cooperative of entrepreneurs. Conall Keenan, Hub Manager. Danske Bank said thehub.io, which is now live, will help connect start-ups to relevant resources, such as talent, networks, financing, tools and advice from experts which will help them overcome some of the challenges of scaling up. Currently 105 NI start-ups and 34 investors from across Europe are using thehub.io and there are 172 jobs on it.

£93 million project secures over 100 belfast jobs UK Defence Minister Stuart Andrew has announced a multimillion-pound deal to modernise and boost the British Army and Royal Marines’ very short-range air defence capability. The £93 million Future Air Defence Availability Project (F-ADAPT) was awarded to Thales UK during a recent visit to Belfast from the Minister. The contract will MoD Minister Stuart Andrew (centre) with secure over 100 jobs for Thales in Victor Chavez and Philip McBride from Thales. Belfast. • An interview with Thales General Manager Philip McBride is featured on pages 72 of this edition.

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NEWS

FURTHER EXPANSION BY GRANT THORTON

Grant Thornton has announced it is creating a further 48 new jobs in a £4 million investment in its Northern Ireland operation. Invest NI has offered the company £240,000 of support towards the new roles.

SCHRADER ELECTRONICS ANNOUNCES MULTI-MILLION POUND R&D INVESTMENT Schrader Electronics, which is part of the Sensata Group, is investing over £14 million in Northern Ireland towards researching and developing products that address the increasingly complex engineering requirements of the automotive sector.

BODYGUARD AND LINE OF DUTY CREATOR to address gala event The creator of top BBC crime dramas Bodyguard and Line of Duty, has been announced as the guest speaker for the NI Chamber annual President’s Banquet in Belfast this November. Writer Jed Mercurio will join NI Chamber President Ellvena Graham and over 900 members of the business community at the gala dinner in Belfast Waterfront on the evening of 29 November. His other credits include Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Critical, Strike Back, Bodies, The Grimleys and Cardiac Arrest. The President’s Banquet is supported by NI Chamber’s Communications Partner BT and supporting sponsors Grafton Recruitment, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Tughans and Tourism NI.

AIRPORTER ANNOUNCES £1MILLION INVESTMENT Derry/Londonderry based transport firm Airporter has announced a £1 million investment in a new, purpose-built facility and hub. Airporter now runs 30 journeys a day to Belfast International and Belfast City Airport from the North West, carrying around 155,000 passengers per year.

SKILLS PLAN HAS POTENTIAL FOR 2,355 JOBS BY 2021 A major new research report by the Mid Ulster Skills Forum has revealed the potential to create 2,355 new jobs by 2021 in the Mid Ulster region. The Mid Ulster Council report has revealed a deficit of skilled labour in the area, with over 4,700 vacancies in 2016-2017.

BELFAST WATERFRONT BECOMES ICC BELFAST Belfast Waterfront has rebranded to ICC (International Convention Centre) Belfast. The repositioning aims to attract the international conference market and is vital to generating £100 million in economic impact for Belfast. Catherine Toolan, Managing Director of ICC Belfast, said: “The repositioning, which has been delivered in conjunction with our partners Visit Belfast, Tourism NI and Belfast City Council, is a crucial step on the journey to realising the full potential of this fantastic venue.” She continued, “By attracting the international conference market, we aim to deliver 50,000 conference delegate days each year by 2021 across the city. This will generate £100 million in economic impact for Belfast and contribute to the creation of 1,500 jobs.”

NEWS

CELEBRATING NI’S THRIVING PUBLIC RELATIONS INDUSTRY More than 200 PR professionals gathered at Belfast’s Culloden Estate & Spa for the 2018 CIPR Northern Ireland PRide Awards ceremony – the nation’s annual public relations showpiece. Holywood-based Smarts Communicate picked up four Gold Awards, including the coveted Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy award. Morrow Communications also won four gold in addition to four silver awards, the most of any agency on the night, while JComms also claimed four Gold Awards, including two for JComms’ campaign launching the Titanic Hotel Belfast.

DALE FARM SCOOPS TOP AWARD Dale Farm has become the first company to be named ‘NI Supplier of the Year’ for two consecutive years at the Costcutter Supermarkets Group’s (CSG) annual Supplier of the Year Awards at York Racecourse. Dale Farm was presented with the overall Northern Ireland award in recognition of its first-class dairy products and excellence in service.

Jago Expands with Opening of Dublin Base Jago have announced the opening of a new office in Dublin. It follows a period of significant growth for the international PR and communications practice, founded in Belfast five years ago. The Dublin city center office, located in Ardiluan Court, St Stephen’s Green, strengthens the company’s offering for its growing portfolio of clients operating across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the EU.

FE COLLEGES SAY “LET’S DO BUSINESS” Northern Ireland businesses can boost their competitiveness and unlock their full potential by linking with local Further Education (FE) colleges. All six FE colleges hosted representatives from a diverse range of business sectors at a special event in Allstate’s Belfast premises, with the clear message – Let’s Do Business. The Let’s Do Business initiative, supported by the Department for the Economy, offers local companies the ability to engage their local FE college to help recruit talented people, reskill and up-skill their existing staff or to access expertise in innovation and research.

Department for the Economy Permanent Secretary Noel Lavery pictured with Mark McAlister, Principal of SWC, John Healy, MD of Allstate NI and Lynda Bryans at the launch of FE colleges’ ‘Lets do Business’ initiative in Belfast.

BOOST FOR ANTRIM FITOUT FIRM AS MIVAN CREATES 40 NEW ROLES Specialist fitout company Mivan has announced that it is on a recruitment drive which will see more than 40 new positions at the firm before the end of the year. The increase in business and the commencement of several major new contracts in the UK market has driven the need to recruit new talent into the business. Current positions include Project Managers, Site Managers, Site Supervisors, Quantity Surveyor, CNC Programmer and Joiners.

Pictured making the announcement is Liam Murphy, Commercial Director, Mivan, John Cunningham, Managing Director, Mivan and Naoimh McAteer, Director, Mivan.

JAMES MCGINN APPOINTED TO HASTINGS HOTELS’ BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Toronto-based RICS President, John Hughes, right, visited Belfast recently to meet with RICS members, university representatives, business people and others. As part of his visit, he toured the Tropical Ravine in Botanic Gardens, which was the Project of the Year in the RICS Awards, 2018. He is pictured with Brian Henning, left, Chairman of RICS Northern Ireland.

RICS President: The time is now to future-proof Northern Ireland’s built environment Tech advances in AI, big data computing and blockchain are set to radically change the way we develop land and manage property in our cities. Toronto-based RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) President, John Hughes FRICS, met RICS professionals in Belfast recently and discussed the positive impact the profession has had on Northern Ireland society over the last 150 years, including how members can continue to add value to the built environment. The visit included a tour of the Tropical Ravine in Belfast’s Botanic Gardens, which won Project of the Year at the RICS Awards, Northern Ireland 2018. He also met with RICS members and discussed property market issues with senior professionals in the afternoon at an event in Belfast City Hall entitled ‘Shaping Cities of the Future’. During his visit to the Tropical Ravine in Botanic Gardens, he officially launched the RICS Awards, Northern Ireland 2019, which are now open for entries. Brian Henning, Chairman of RICS in Northern Ireland, commented: “We are delighted to welcome John Hughes to Northern Ireland as part of his Presidential Tour of the UK. In his discussions with members, John is bringing to the forefront the many challenges the profession faces as working practices and society progress. As we celebrate 150 years

of RICS, it is important that we strive to attract new, diverse talent while frequently reviewing how we fit our traditional professional service values into a rapidly evolving new world. In doing this, we help ensure continued confidence, ethics, professional integrity and client and consumer trust in our professional advice.” Each of the President’s visits to RICS offices across the UK will also provide a part of the fact-finding Future of the Profession research which will help the organisation understand how these challenges are reshaping firms, services and professional practices, and how the profession is adapting to new technologies. Speaking in Belfast, RICS President, John Hughes FRICS, said: “Technological advances in AI, big data computing and blockchain are set to radically change the way we develop land and manage property in our cities. These innovations are disrupting long established business models and have already encouraged a variety of tech firms into the property industry, such as Google’s smart city development in Toronto and Airbnb’s growing global dominance over the hospitality industry. “Thanks to climate change, around the world our cities are becoming much hotter, wetter and wilder places. The uncharacteristically warm weather which many people in Northern Ireland enjoyed this summer is likely to repeat

itself in the coming years. But a long-term heat increase could have severe implications for existing infrastructure in cities, typically designed for cooler weather. “Surveyors work right across the life-cycle of the built environment; developing land, constructing buildings, managing properties, and planning the supporting infrastructure. But these new forces are reshaping how we use the built environment, requiring a dynamic response from Chartered Surveyors, as well as clients, policy makers, government and regulators.” Speaking at the event in Belfast City Hall, Mr Hughes gave an update on the future role of RICS in leading the profession with a focus on the importance of infrastructure, technology, sustainable investment and international standards. John Hughes FRICS took office as RICS President on 7 November 2017. John is based in Toronto, Canada, and is a founding partner of Hemson Consulting Ltd. For clients mainly in the public sector, the firm provides a wide range of advice regarding urban and regional growth management issues including demographics, land use planning and development, and municipal finance. John was Chair of RICS in the Americas from 2013-16, and chaired RICS Governing Council’s Strategy Group from 2015-16.

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Kingsbridge serves up a new exclusive Diamond Club Card for NI Businesses Northern Ireland’s largest private healthcare provider has launched a new kind of ‘health’ club and the first of its kind, which will proactively engage with employers and employees to encourage physical as well as mental health and well-being in the workplace. Kingsbridge Private Hospital, part of the 3fivetwo Group, is offering a new exclusive Diamond Club for local businesses which will have two main pillars and no membership fees. The first is the Kingsbridge ‘Wellbeing at work’ which is an initiative that brings the expertise of the hospital to the workplace, helping staff to make the right choices and be proactive about their own health. The second is the ‘Kingsbridge Diamond Club Card’ which gives employees exclusive access to a website that allows every member to ask the hospital GP a question via email. It also allows them to obtain a same day referral letter and an appointment to see the consultant very soon thereafter. Mark Regan, CEO at Kingsbridge, is encouraging local businesses to Pictured at the launch are Mark Regan, CEO at explore the benefits of such schemes. He said; “Creating a health and Kingsbridge Private Hospital with General Manager well-being strategy for your organisation not only demonstrates care for at The Grand Central Hotel, Stephen Meldrum. employees but it can also result in a healthier, more engaged and more productive workforce. “Health assessments can be a great way to empower employees in identifying steps they can make to improve their general well-being and for over a decade now we’ve been helping our own customers make that choice and ultimately take control of their own health.” Several businesses have already signed up to the Corporate Diamond Club including the Hastings Group who have a collection of seven luxurious hotels across the province, including Northern Ireland’s largest new hotel, The Grand Central, situated in Belfast. In the coming months Kingsbridge will be enhancing their members’ experience via bespoke technology offering webinars and access to doctors via video consultation in the workplace. • For further information on how to apply for membership for your organisation email membership@kingsbridgediamondclub.com

GRAHAM wins Port of Southampton project The Port of Southampton, regarded as Europe’s leading turnaround cruise port, is undergoing a multi-millionpound upgrade to complete major modifications that will significantly enhance the Port’s capacity. Beginning in October 2018, the scheme is scheduled to last for six months and will be carried out by local firm GRAHAM. Key elements of the scheme include the construction of 150 tonne bollards on reinforced concrete foundations secured by inclined ground anchors and the relocation of a 30m high mast lighting tower.

Cleaver Fulton Rankin continues growth trajectory with new appointments Cleaver Fulton Rankin has welcomed six new employees, including both legal and business professionals, to its market-leading commercial team. Associate Solicitor, Kristina Killen joined Private Client in the Residential Conveyancing team; Solicitors Helen Smyth and Marc Kelly will work in the Dispute Resolution team; Associate Solicitor Brendan Martyn and Solicitor Jane McManus joined the Planning and Environmental team; and Amanda Sistern will lead the marketing team in her role as a Business Development and Marketing Manager. Commenting on the appointments, Jonathan Forrester, Managing Director, said, “Our people are key to growing our practice. The new appointments to the firm are a testament to the fact that Cleaver Fulton Rankin is growing from strength to strength. This success is driven further by the outstanding quality of our lawyers and business professionals. Their industry-leading expertise enables the firm to excel at servicing and understanding the needs of our clients and in delivering the best possible value to them. I’d like to congratulate our new appointments and look forward to working alongside them.”

Helen Smyth, Amanda Sistern, Marc Kelly, Jane McManus, Brendan Martyn, and Kristina Killen.

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COLUMnIST

Mark Thompson, Partner, A&L Goodbody

Practical Planning for Brexit

With six months to go until the UK is due to leave the EU, we are still no closer to understanding what the final outcome of Brexit will be and much speculation remains in the market about whether there will be a ‘hard’ or a ‘soft’ Brexit.

ontemplating this question is unlikely to improve your understanding of what lies in front of your business – Brexit will sit across a spectrum and is unlikely to have binary outcomes. The impact of Brexit on your business will depend on a number of factors, but essentially comes down to the extent to which your business is exposed to the EU. Understanding this exposure is the key piece of planning in which businesses in Northern Ireland must now invest to prepare for Brexit. It is possible to understand where the pressure points are within your business now, even though it isn’t possible to determine how they will be affected. Investing this planning time will ensure that you are readily able to react once the final deal on Brexit is agreed and it is clear which aspects have been ‘hard’ and which ‘soft’.

Internal Review This team will first of all need to map your supply chain and sales channels, enabling you to understand where you are exposed to Brexit – e.g. if NI is subject to new tariffs or quotas, will this impact your pricing model? Similarly, if you currently rely on EU-based suppliers, you may need to consider taking increased warehousing space in NI or potentially sourcing a UK-based supplier. Separately, you will need to consider HR issues and determine to what extent your business currently relies on EU nationals. Ensure that you have assessed whether your EU workers meet the criteria for settled status. Non-EEA visa requirements should be considered and checked. Ensure as well that you have taken necessary steps to protect your business in the event that key employees are approached by rivals based in the EU after Brexit. Your business’s exposure to compliance and infrastructure changes also need to be understood. This will mean understanding the extent to which you currently comply with EU regulatory regimes, i.e. in terms of product safety or liability, and how you will manage regulatory divergence. You will also need to understand the extent to which your registered IP is going to be changed by Brexit, and also where your IT systems and servers are based and how this may fit with the postBrexit world.

Operational Review Fundamentally, businesses need to get underway with an internal operational review. This will involve putting together an appropriate internal team – likely compromising sales, HR, IT, procurement and logistics – and ensuring they have sufficient resources to complete an effective review of your business.

Integral to your internal review will be an assessment of how you engage with customers and suppliers. You should review your standard terms and sale and key external customer facing contracts. You should also ascertain now the extent to which any of these contracts will be impacted by Brexit, whether commercially they will remain viable and how you might vary them to fit with the new environment. If not, determine whether they can be renegotiated or ultimately terminated. Upon completion of your operational review, your finance team will need to be consulted to ensure that you are on top of budgets and likely costs caused by Brexit and that you have adequate working capital to cope with associated volatility arising. Equally, your strategy group should consider what parts of your strategy need to be reviewed, whether investment decisions, diversification, rescaling or pushing into new markets. Conclusion Whilst there is no clarity as to how the Brexit negotiations will finish, businesses can assess their exposure now in order to put in place an appropriate route map to deal with whatever changes flow from the final Brexit deal. At this stage, businesses are advised to seek guidance from their legal advisor on the legal aspects of their Brexit preparations as soon as possible.

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BT’s Northern Ireland engineering division renamed Openreach Northern Ireland

Mairead Meyer, Managing Director of the newly-named Openreach Northern Ireland team with engineers Philip Lorimer and Eugene Doherty. BT’s Northern Ireland Networks engineering division has been renamed Openreach Northern Ireland. The local fleet of BT vans will gradually be replaced by Openreach branded vehicles and engineers will wear new uniforms and carry Openreach identity cards to introduce themselves to customers. The engineering division builds and maintains the copper and fibre lines that run from telephone exchanges to the vast majority of local homes and businesses. Most Communications Providers operating in Northern Ireland, including BT, use this open access network to connect Northern Ireland customers to phone, broadband, data and TV services. The Northern Ireland Networks team already delivers Openreach products and services in Northern Ireland and will continue to focus on providing better, broader and faster connectivity for customers. The use of the Openreach brand, in place of the BT logo, will provide greater clarity for Communications Providers. The rebranding is in line with voluntary commitments made by BT, following regulator

Ofcom’s UK-wide Digital Communications Review in 2017. This builds on changes that the BT Group has already made in Great Britain, including the creation of Openreach Limited with its own independent Board. Whilst the Northern Ireland Networks team will report into Openreach, it will remain part of BT plc and will maintain its local management team, strategic responsibilities and organisational structure. Mairead Meyer, Managing Director of the newly-named Openreach Northern Ireland team, said: “This is an exciting and significant day for Northern Ireland Networks and I’ve been talking to my 750-strong team about the great opportunity this gives us. “The decision to move our reporting line into Openreach is a logical one, and we’ll be working together to achieve our shared vision of driving the country’s digital future. We’re committed to staying at the forefront of broadband innovation and maintaining our strong record for serving customers across Northern Ireland; they will continue to receive the same levels of service.

“Over time our customers will start to see the Openreach brand replace the BT logo on our vehicles and uniforms but our fibre investment and roll-out plans remain unaffected. Superfast broadband coverage in Northern Ireland is over 88% and we’re on track to reach our target of connecting 25% of homes and businesses in Northern Ireland to ultrafast broadband by the end of 2019.” Over the coming months, Openreach Northern Ireland will run a national campaign, involving outside advertising, to promote the brand change. There will be no change to how BT’s other business units operate and support their local customers in Northern Ireland, including the Enterprise and Consumer divisions.

COLUMnIST

Ian Rainey, former international Banker and current non Executive Director at 4c Executive

World class cricketer becomes Prime Minister of Pakistan to note that it was Khan who took the winning wicket against England in that match. Khan is almost as infamous for the women in his life and has been dubbed by the London Evening Standard as “cricket’s greatest playboy”. Khan was been married three times. His first wife met him in a nightclub in London when she was 21 and he was 42. Jemima Khan was the daughter of tycoon Sir James

A new legacy for Pakistan as Imran Khan becomes Prime Minister.

or those of us who have followed the career of Imran Khan as a cricketer it is no great surprise that on 26th July this year he was elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan. Some might be surprised that it has taken him so long to drag his Party (PTI – Pakistan Tehreick-Insef) into power having first been elected to parliament in 2002. Being an Oxford graduate in Politics and Economics and then captain of Pakistan’s cricket team when it won the World Cup in 1992, it was originally anticipated that he would rise quickly through the political ranks. But in refusing to join any of the established political parties his road to the top has been less than spectacular and his success in July has been such that his party, which he founded, fell short of a parliamentary majority having secured only 116 of the 270 seats contested, but sufficient to be the majority party in government. On 17th August 2018 Khan secured 176 votes to become the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan while his contender and leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif received 96 votes. In cricket, Khan achieved the All Rounders Triple (scoring 3000 runs and 300 wickets) in 75 Tests, the second fastest record behind Ian Botham’s 72 Tests. He retired from cricket six months after leading Pakistan to victory in the 1992 World Cup in Australia. It was interesting

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Goldsmith. Congratulating Khan on his election to First Minister, Jemima - now 44 - praised his “tenacity, belief and refusal to accept defeat”, saying “22 years later, after humiliations, hurdles and sacrifices, my sons’ father is Pakistan’s next Prime Minister”. He is reputed to have had a very close relationship with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto when they were both students at Oxford. While the relationship lasted only for a matter of months, it was reported that Khan’s mother pushed hard for them to consider getting married. His second wife Reham Ramzan was born in Libya of Pakistani parents. She had three children from a previous marriage and was a former BBC Weather Girl. That marriage only lasted for ten months and she has used the media to her utmost to decry him as an unsuitable person to be President of Pakistan. She has said Khan is a hypocrite who will do anything to get power and would be a disaster for Pakistan. Fortunately the majority of the country’s voters don’t share her views. His current wife Bushra Maneka is said to be a leading scholar and spiritual guide in the mystic Sufi branch of Islam. She is said to be a spiritual healer whose face Khan had not seen until they married in February this year. In all their meetings before their marriage her face was always covered with a full veil. “The only idea I had of what she looked like came from an old photograph I had seen in her house.” According to the Daily Mail, Maneka is mother of five children and was still married when she first met Khan three years ago. Trevor Noah, a South African born comedian who has a daily show on US television, has compared Imran Khan to Donald Trump. “When Trump was doing Pizza Hut ads, Khan was in ads for Pepsi Cola. Trump had three marriages and so did Khan.” He goes on to say Imran is larger than life and has some serious accomplishments for humanity in creating large cancer hospitals and free educational institutions in a poor country. He finishes by saying that: “I doubt Trump has done any good for any human being on earth”. While this may be a strong conclusion it is much easier to see what Khan has accomplished in life and where his good intentions for the future of his country lie.

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COLUMnIST

Billy McIlroy, Head of Microsoft Productivity Europe at Fujitsu

Keeping skills top of the agenda

How companies can help inspire an interest in STEM and boost their skills credentials.

igital technology is transforming the economy and according to our most recent ‘Road to Digital Learning’ report, 87% of IT leaders say attracting digitally native staff will be vital to their success in the next three years. This is a particularly important task in Northern Ireland where it is forecasted that we need as least 400 engineering and technology graduates – and a similar number of maths and computer science graduates each year to match the jobs expected to be added to the sector by 2026. Factor in the fact that for the fourth consecutive year our Knowledge Economy has been the second fastest growing in the UK, and there is a real sense of urgency and opportunity in the technology field. It is therefore essential that businesses, together with our peers, government and industry, inspire more people from different backgrounds to get involved in science, technology, engineering and maths. One way that we do this in our business is by reaching out to groupings who have traditionally been underrepresented in conversations about engineering, digital and technology including women, young people and those looking to move careers. By reaching out to a wider cross-section of society, we can shine a light on the benefits of a career in the sector and help address the lack of diversity that remains prevalent in this industry. Inspiring passion at a young age, particularly to a generation of digital natives to whom technology is second nature, can help boost interest in STEM and will ultimately add creative power to the sector. In the last number of years, we have increased our outreach activity with local schools, youth organisations, libraries, colleges and universities to showcase the benefits of a job in ICT. Activities such as coding workshops, showcases at career fairs, hosting Open Days and organising work placements, are all essential if we are to inspire the next generation of digital innovators and technologists. Thankfully the number of young people studying ICT at A-Level is on the rise with computing enjoying the biggest leap in

entry numbers across all subjects, up nearly a quarter on last year. Although the percentage of girls studying computing also continues to rise within this, computing is still the A-Level subject with the greatest gender imbalance. There is an imperative for businesses, industry and educators to showcase and promote role models in the digital space. This is why we are - together with the Women in Business NI ICT member companies and Bring it On organising two interactive ‘Girls into IT’ events to showcase careers in STEM. The events will take place in greater Belfast region and the North West region over the coming months. Highlighting the various career routes – from graduate and conversion courses, to apprenticeships - into the sector can also wider its reach and appeal. We work closely with Belfast Met and NWRC to shape the apprenticeship programmes we help deliver to

ensure our apprentices are studying not only the topics most pertinent to the future of the IT industry, but that they gain the transferrable skills to help futureproof their careers. Along with school leavers and graduates, apprentices are also attractive to those looking to change career paths or to move into a different industry. Indeed, many of our own employees started their careers in accountancy, pharmacy, retail and even physics. Businesses can also look internally to upskill or retrain current employees or returning employees through continuing professional development (CPD) courses, external training or via internal experts. To fully capitalise on the opportunities presented by the digital revolution, we need not just tech savvy people but also strategists, business and industry experts and managers to foster an environment of knowledge sharing across our businesses.

FEATURE

Stairway to Seven My seven steps for business success

Nial Borthistle has been the Business Development Manager for Glandore since April 2018. Glandore is the leading provider of flexible workspace with eight serviced office and coworking locations across Belfast, Dublin and Cork. He is responsible for driving new business and connecting members to grow the Glandore network.

1. LISTEN

If there is one piece of advice that can serve you well in business and life, it is listening. Whether it be your colleagues, manager, customers, potential customer or more importantly friends and family. Listening helps shape your thinking, but more importantly listening shows a level of respect. People will take you more seriously and respect you for taking time to listen.

2. Prepare to make mistakes

When I first started my career, I was fearful of making mistakes. My advice to everyone starting out in their careers is not be afraid of taking risks. If mistakes happen, then so be it. Obviously make sure to take risks within reason!

3. Be authentic and humble

People always think of a successful business person as very autocratic and walking over people. There are people like that but you can be successful and treat people with respect. The old adage is that nobody likes a show off.

4. Be positive

I dislike negativity. Some people muddy the water when you need people suggesting solutions. When you see the positive in all things, this will help your outlook. It will also help motivate others around you and create a culture of positivity. There are people who constantly focus on the negatives and mistakes but forget all the positive things that have happened during the day.

5. Understand the numbers

At the end of the day, business is about

being successful and that means making money. You need to keep that in mind with every decision you make on a day-to-day basis. Sometimes people may not be happy with decisions that are made, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about providing context. People will buy into something more if they understand the rationale for asking or understanding the decisions you make.

6. WORK HARD AND be loyal

An employee becomes loyal when an employer gives them respect, provides a good working environment and in turn

employees will have a better attitude and good working behaviour. All these things create better loyalty. As a leader, your actions and behaviours will influence the team and colleagues you work with.

7. Communication

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COLUMnIST

Lisa Sweeney, Head of People and Culture, Neueda

Company Culture – made not born

The importance of company culture and values.

ulture is an often overused and underestimated word in the business world. It isn’t simply about dress code, office décor and the staff social. It’s the DNA of your organisation – it defines how you interact internally and externally – and, if cultivated and nurtured appropriately, flows from the top of an organisation throughout every part of it – making your employees feel valued, motivated and part of something special. At Neueda, we are unapologetic about our commitment to company culture. The tech sector is a particularly competitive marketplace. We must not only attract the best people, but continually nurture, develop and retain that talent to keep our business growing – a challenge with which most Ambition readers will be familiar. Put simply, to set us apart as an employer, we need to be a great place to work – and that is where culture comes into play. The power of a positive culture goes far beyond the office doors. We receive regular feedback from customers that our commitment to culture differentiates us as a partner of choice – it makes good business sense. If you’re defining or fine-tuning your company culture, it is essential to not only have the buy-in of your senior team, but also that of key individuals throughout the business who best demonstrate and inspire behaviours that reflect what the company is about. We think of these individuals as our ‘culture architects’ – the role models and leaders who can influence and bring culture to life. From the outset, Neueda’s leadership team had a clear vision of what type of company it wanted, and importantly, didn’t want to be. That for us was the first step in shaping and building our culture.

Culture flows from values – so let that be your guide. One of Neueda’s core company values is ‘challenge, decide, commit,’ – in other words, we want people to have a voice and to challenge – and when a decision is made, we fully support it as one team. We also want our people to take risks and our employees are told from day one, ‘if you fail, fail early and learn from it – don’t hide it’. Operating by these values creates a high trust, high performance culture and when it is combined with the talent and passion of our people, it creates a thriving, learning environment. There is a traditional view of Human Resources as the team in a company that manages policies, handles interviews and deals with issues and problems. Whilst those are indeed elements of HR, its function goes way beyond that – hence why our People & Culture team is so called. We operate an opendoor policy so staff know they can approach us on an informal basis as well as for more structured sessions as required. Staff well-being is a crucial ingredient of our success and forms a massive part of our approach to People and Culture. The new generation of talent place particular importance on work/life balance and value recognition. We offer staff initiatives such as social outings, yoga and health tests to help them maintain a healthy mind and body. Worth noting is that the little things are often more impactful than grand gestures for employees. Providing timely, valuable feedback and recognition whilst encouraging idea and opinion sharing, goes a long way. Another important cultural aspect to consider is how socially conscious your company is. Being socially responsible is not only the right thing to do, it has real value for

your employees. Through initiatives such as our Neueda Code Club, where staff volunteer their time to teach primary schoolchildren how to code, or our recent staff trip to Malawi with Habitat NI, we are giving employees access to experiences that enrich them both personally and professionally – and in doing so, in turn, we garner loyalty. It’s important to remember that culture can and should evolve over time. Transferring the right values and behaviours amongst your people is key to developing a culture that will grow with the company and those who lead it. Neueda has international staff with whom we need to engage regularly so that our culture travels. We host regular web meetings and video conference calls and bring people from our various bases together as often as possible in different locations to share ideas, recognise successes and share company plans. A recent survey carried out independently with our staff revealed that 95% of our employee base would recommend Neueda as a great place to work. We’ll never take that figure for granted and have to keep working to maintain it. For organisations of all sizes and scales, in all sectors, I would emphasise that culture is absolutely made, not born. Here are my key steps in implementing and maintaining one that best works for you: • Develop a clear vision for your company culture based on shared values • Establish buy-in from the top down and identify ‘cultural architects’ to help drive it • Engage in open and regular two-way communication with employees • Don’t underestimate the little things – listen, say thank you, recognise good performance.

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03/07/2018 17:08

Newly appointed partner Matthew Howse (left) with Alan Murphy, Managing Partner

A new appointment that further enhances our presence in Belfast Eversheds Sutherland is delighted to announce that Matthew Howse will be adding strength to the dispute resolution and litigation team in the Belfast office, as partner. With a breadth of legal experience gained from roles in Birmingham and Belfast, Matthewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outstanding technical skills and local market knowledge will enhance the business-focused team. The announcement comes at a time of expansion, as the global legal practice continues to grow its presence in Dublin; and the Belfast office aims to double headcount by 2020, with a focus on providing services for the commercial needs of the local market: litigation, real estate, employment and banking. Matthew will play a leading role in the development of the Eversheds Sutherland presence, not only in Belfast, but in Dublin and throughout its international offices. Eversheds Sutherland offers cost effective, seamless services through its 66 locations worldwide, including six locations in the US and offices across the UK and Europe.

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17/10/2018 15:38

update Chamber Chief’s

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

t has been an extremely busy period for NI Chamber on all fronts, with our calendar of events, Learn Grow Excel offering support and the revealing of the 2018 Chamber Award winners. Many of these are featured throughout this edition of Ambition. In terms of Brexit, NI Chamber has been equally busy. At the start of October, I was part of a delegation of Northern Ireland businesses who were invited to Brussels by Task Force 50 to meet to discuss their version of the Backstop and what it means for businesses who trade throughout the UK, into the EU and internationally. We had a good constructive conversation and TF50 were able to answer many of our questions. We left with some things to think about and challenged TF50 to look at certain areas.

Sue Gray addressed over 60 members at a lunch in October.

What is clear is that No Deal is bad for NI businesses, consumers and future job creation. We need to see a deal in place and we urge the negotiators on both sides to use the limited time ahead to reach a deal that works not only for the EU and the UK but critically for Northern Ireland. In terms of the other major challenge facing our firms here, NI Chamber continues to engage with government departments, the NIO and other key stakeholders in the absence of an Executive at Stormont. NI Chamber, in partnership with

BT, hosted an In Camera lunch with Sue Gray, Permanent Secretary for the Department of Finance. Over 60 members attended the lunch to hear more about the department’s current work and challenges and how this impacts on local business.

NEW ESSENTIAL MEMBERS Accounting McKeague Morgan & Company Agri-Food Ulster Farmers Union Catering Amadeus Foods Consultancy OCO Global Consulting

Pictured at the In Camera lunch are NI Chamber President Ellvena Graham, BT’s Paul Murnaghan, Sue Gray and NI Chamber’s Chris Morrow.

Additional conversation topics included Corporation Tax, City Deals, procurement, Air Passenger Duty and business rates. Thank you to Sue for her involvement and open engagement with our members. As we enter the final months of 2018, our focus in terms of events is now firmly on the flagship President’s Banquet which takes place at Belfast Waterfront, ICC, on 29 November 2018. We look forward to welcoming many of our members and guests at the event where we will be joined by Bodyguard and Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio. On behalf of everyone at NI Chamber I would like to thank our partners BT, Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, Grafton Recruitment, Tourism NI and Tughans, who help make this event possible. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the evening. *To become a member of NI Chamber join online at www.northernirelandchamber.com or phone the membership team on 028 9024 4113.

29 28

Manufacturing Dinsmore Trimfold Envelopes Ltd Marketing Digital Niall Shanweb Office Equipment LanceLab Ltd Pharmaceutical Purepharm Ltd Training / HR & Consultancy Co3 Chief Officers 3rd Sector Wholesale & Retail Trade Mave

NEW Growth Members Consultancy The Momentum Group Education European Student Placement Agency Engineering & Consultancy Cundall Green Sectors Indaver NI Manufacturing Maximus Crushing and Screening

NI Chamber President Ellvena Graham with 2018 Chamber Awards winners.

Firms scoop NI Chamber Awards S

ix companies from across Northern Ireland join Northern Regional College (NRC) 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. NI CHAMBER HAS REVEALED THE FOLLOWING WINNERS: • Best Use of Technology The McAvoy Group • Customer Commitment Award Outsource Solutions • Digital Communications Campaign of the Year - EUROSPAR NI • Education & Business Northern Regional College • Employer of the Year - FinTrU • Export Business of the Year Fortress Diagnostics • High Growth Business of the Year FinTrU • Small Business of the Year Lava Group • Workplace Wellbeing Award Outsource Solutions

The national winners will be announced at a ceremony at the Chamber Awards Gala Dinner on 29 November 2018 at the Tobacco Dock 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. Ellvena Graham, President of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “Businesses are the engines of the economy – creating opportunities and prosperity in our towns, cities and counties. Even in these turbulent times, they continue to show their adaptability, resilience and strength. Every year our judges are impressed by the calibre of entries, and this year was no different. All our finalists should be proud to reach this stage given the stiff competition among our diverse and enterprising pool of applicants. “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.”

Commenting on the awards, Darragh McCarthy, FinTrU Founder & Chief Executive, said: “We are extremely proud of

this achievement as we continue to grow as a company. We see FinTrU as having a social purpose to create high-quality professional employment and we are delighted to gain recognition for the continuous efforts of the local talent here in Northern Ireland.” Outsource Solutions Chief Executive, Terry Moore, commented: “These awards are a true reflection of what matters most to us at Outsource: our people and our customers. We are extremely proud of this achievement and are delighted to gain recognition for the continuous efforts and commitment of all the team at Outsource.”

Highly Commended awards were also claimed by Anaconda Equipment (Best Use of Technology); BLK BOX (Employer of the Year and High Growth Business of the Year); Brookvent (Exporter of the Year); Glandore (Small Business of the Year) and The Henry Group (Workplace Wellbeing Award).

Award Winners

1. Digital Communications Campaign of the Year - EUROSPAR NI. Michael Surginor (Henderson Retail); Ellvena Graham (President of NI Chamber) and David Agnew (Henderson Retail). 2. High Growth Business of the Year & Employer of the Year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Double winners FinTrU. Conor Donnelly (Marketing Manager at FinTrU); Ellvena Graham (President of NI Chamber) and Darragh McCarthy (Chief Executive of FinTrU). 3. Education & Business - Northern Regional College (NRC). Alessandro Niola (Learning and Development Officer at Ryobi); Ruth Walker (Assistant Head of Department at NRC) and Ellvena Graham (President of NI Chamber). 4. Export Business of the Year - Fortress Diagnostics. Ellvena Graham (President of NI Chamber) and Danielle Baker (Marketing Manager at Fortress Diagnostics). 5. Best Use of Technology - McAvoy Group. Ellvena Graham (President of NI Chamber) and Eugene Lynch (Managing Director of The McAvoy Group). 6. Small Business of the Year - Lava Group. Peter Girvan (Key Account Manager at The Lava Group) and Ellvena Graham (President of NI Chamber). 7. Customer Commitment Award & Workplace Wellbeing Award â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Double winners Outsource Solutions. Eamonn Bunting (Managing Director of Outsource Solutions); Ellvena Graham (President of NI Chamber) and Terry Moore (Chief Executive of Outsource Solutions).

Skills deficit damaging growth and productivity Latest NI Chamber & BDO Quarterly Economic Survey reveals impact of current skills shortages on local firms.

Pictured are Maureen O’Reilly (Economist for the QES); NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor and Brian Murphy, Managing Partner at BDO. 8 in 10 businesses currently trying to recruit new staff here are facing major challenges in doing so according to the latest Quarterly Economic Survey published by Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce (NI Chamber) and business advisers BDO. In the survey, which covers Quarter 3 2018, the share of manufacturers having difficulties recruiting skilled workers is the highest on record since 2011.Furthermore half of firms report that difficulties around recruitment was having the greatest negative impact on business productivity, an issue of concern given that low productivity has been a persistent drag on the Northern Ireland economy. Overall, the survey shows that there are still signs of growth in the Northern Ireland economy in Q3 2018 although growth remains fragile, with manufacturing performing better than services across most key indicators. Key findings in the Q3 2018 survey Recruitment challenges: • Recruitment intentions are relatively strong with 71% of manufacturers (UK 67%) and 58% of services trying to recruit (UK 47%). • Difficulties recruiting staff is a major issue for both sectors. Around 80% of those trying to recruit are finding it difficult to attract the right staff, largely professional/ managerial in services and skilled trades in manufacturing. • The share of manufacturers having

difficulties recruiting skilled workers is highest on record. This is leading to growing pressure on manufacturers around pay settlements. Productivity: • Around 3 in 5 businesses (61%) rate their productivity as good or very good, 30% rate it as OK, with just one in twenty (5%) saying it is poor. • Skills concerns dominate challenges in raising productivity performance with half of members reporting that difficulties in recruiting the appropriate skilled staff has had the greatest negative impact on their productivity. • The attitude of employees was also significant for 26% of businesses. • A lack of skills among their current workforce (25%) and a lack of management skills (21%) also have a considerable negative impact on productivity. • Firms believe that the burden of government regulation (27%) has the second largest negative impact on their productivity after skills. Members provided a diverse range of views on what government could do to help – the return of the Assembly being key. Businesses also felt that support from the government in upskilling workers, reducing business costs and driving growth would be beneficial to

increasing productivity. Brexit certainty was also considered important. Brexit Watch: This quarter the NI Chamber’s regular Brexit Watch focuses on the extent to which businesses have sought support and are preparing for Brexit. The Ninth Brexit Watch suggests that: • Almost 1 in 3 members have sought advice on Brexit (30%). • This was more prevalent amongst Northern Ireland’s largest firms - 40% of medium/ large firms seeking advice compared to 27% small and 21% micro. • The most common source of advice was from an accountant, solicitor or other private business adviser (13%), followed by a Government Department or agency (12%). • Of those who haven’t sought advice, this is largely because of the uncertainty around Brexit and waiting to see what the final shape of the Brexit deal look like. Some are not sure who to talk to. Others did not feel that Brexit was relevant because they only traded in the UK. • Almost 1 in 4 (23%) have assigned a person in their business to deal with Brexit while 17% currently considering it. Responding to the survey, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber, said: “These findings reinforce what we are hearing from

businesses regularly â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the uncertainty over Brexit, and the inability to address regional issues as a result of no Executive, are starting to bite. We have a vibrant and innovative business community that wants to invest and grow, but we are stuck in limbo while Brexit negotiations continue to dominate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those businesses that are hiring are finding

it increasingly challenging to fill vacancies. There are some serious skills gaps opening up for firms and we urgently need to find a way to resolve this. Many firms are deeply invested in developing home-grown skills and talent within their company, however this alone is not enough to fill the skills gaps, at all levels that businesses face right now.â&#x20AC;?

ANALYSIS By Brian Murphy, MANAGING Partner, BDO northern ireland The majority of our businesses have proved to be resilient in the face of many challenges but if these results show anything it is that they need support to enable them to continue to invest and grow. It is positive to see that many of our businesses, 71% of manufacturers and 58% of the services industry, are aiming to recruit in the next twelve months. Despite this, the desire to recruit requires a pool of candidates to recruit from, which we are not seeing at present. Attracting the right talent for a specific role will have a knock on effect to other parts of your business, improving productivity, increasing your profit margin, aiding business growth. We need to be in a position where we are both attracting and retaining skilled workforce across the region. The results have shown there are signs of growth and generally, a reserved and hopeful confidence in the economy with an increase in businesses reporting a rise in domestic sales, exports and employment, particularly within manufacturing. Confidence around turnover also shows 44% of businesses expecting their turnover to rise in the next 12 months. Our businesses are ambitious and want to invest. To do so, they need clarity around a range of matters including Brexit and how to address key regional issues in Northern Ireland. Clarity on these points will allow them to develop and implement meaningful long term growth plans.

David Meade and Facebook join over 900 businesses at NI’s largest networking event

Pictured at the NI Chamber Annual Networking Conference and Business Showcase at St. George’s Market are Edel Redmond (Dublin Airport); Mentalist David Meade; Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) and Helen Smyth (Facebook).

entalist David Meade and the Head of Facebook in Ireland joined Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) at its Annual Networking Conference and Business Showcase. Over 900 businesses from across Northern Ireland attended the largescale networking conference at St. George’s Market, Belfast with keynote speakers David Meade and Helen Smyth, Head of Ireland for Small and Medium Business at Facebook. Now in its eighth year, the conference

is the largest business networking event of its kind, and was held in partnership with headline sponsor Dublin Airport and supporting sponsors Belfast City Council and PwC. It was designed to give companies the opportunity to meet, engage and participate in networking activities aimed at creating new business connections. New for this year, the conference also featured a second stage of speakers. The PwC ‘Future of Work’ stage hosted a number of speakers including Tony Price, Partner at PwC Digital Private

Business, Gerry Kindlon, Executive Director at Seagate Technologies and a panel discussion with clients from the Innovation Factory which supports firms specialising in technology and product development. Other speakers at the event included representatives from Whitewater Brewery, Dublin Airport, Jordan Wolf Associates, PwC and Ardmore Advertising. The event also featured a large market place with over 100 companies showcasing their products and services.

10.

11.

12.

13. Thank you to:

9. 1. The robots are coming… Tony Price, Partner at PwC Digital Private Business delivered a keynote address on the PwC Future of Work stage. Tony is pictured with NI Chamber’s Louise Turley. 2. Majella Barkley, Innovation Director at The Innovation Factory; David Meade; Ann McGregor and Donal Lyons (Chair of Belfast City Council Growth and Regeneration Committee). 3. The future of work… NI Chamber’s Tanya Anderson facilitated a panel discussion with clients from the Innovation Factory. 4. Randox was one of over 100 exhibitors on the day providing attendees with a complimentary health test. 5. The 1080 zone provided an area for attendees to relax or have serious appointments. 6. Attendees had the opportunity to view the latest Lexus LC on display during the event. 7. Robots and automation… Gerry Kindlon, Executive Director at Seagate Technologies, explored automation from a Northern Ireland perspective. 8. On exhibition - the Eddie Irvine Simulator. 9. Coca-Cola was on hand to provide refreshments throughout the day. 10. NI Chamber’s Ann McGregor pictured with guest speakers Ed Henderson and Mark Irwin from Ardmore Advertising. 11. Brewing for success…Bernard Sloan, Managing Director of Whitewater Brewery addresses the audience. 12. The Dublin Airport team. 13. Guest speaker Gerard Whelan, Managing Director of Jordan Wolf Associates.

Leadership Breakfast with the CEO of Flybe

6. 1. NI Chamber CEO Ann McGregor, Flybe CEO Christine Ourmieres-Widener and Professor Mark Durkin, Executive Dean at Ulster University Business School. 2. Flybe CEO Christine Ourmieres-Widener addressed 150 members at the event in W5. 3. Lydia McClelland (Head of W5 Belfast) and Maureen Fox (Ulster University Business School). 4. Keith Graham, Stephen Staerke (Selective Travel Management) and Christine Ourmieres-Widener (Flybe). 5. Danske Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Michelle Wilson, Aisling Press and Amber Law. 6. Ronnie Patton and Professor Gillian Armstrong (Ulster University Business School) with Ken Harrower (Flybe). 7. Roger Henderson (NIE Networks), Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) and Michael Johnston (Carson McDowell).

7. 36

Annual NI Chamber & Forde May Golf Day

6. 7.

1. Ann McGregor (NI Chamber); Valerie May (Forde May Consulting) and Ken Bamford (The Samaritans). 2. The Individual Winner of the Forde May Perpetual Golf Challenge Trophy, Nicky McKeague (McKeague Morgan & Company) with Valerie May (Forde May Consulting). 3. Gerry May (Forde May Consulting). 4. Gareth Walls (A&L Goodbody) and John McGrillen (Tourism NI). 5. Kevin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara (CAF Rail) and Ann McGregor (NI Chamber). 6. The Willis Towers Watson team Celine Keenan, Brendan Mooney, Kevin Kelly and Paul McBurney. 7. 2nd Prize Winners Eddie McKeever; Billy Moore and Cathal Geoghegan with Gerry May. 8. John Quinn (NI Chamber); Ken Bamford (The Samaritans); Conor Cahalane (Promethean Financial Consultants Ltd) and Cormac Cahalane (Promethean Financial Consultants Ltd). 9. 1st Prize Winners Gareth Elliott; Mick Deery and Dermot Corr with Gerry May.

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Immediate progress on energy policy critical to economic growth and stability

mmediate progress on key energy infrastructure projects, along with an updated Energy Strategy, are critical to economic growth and stability, NI Chamber has warned. Over 60 members of the business community joined NI Chamber & SONI at the latest Energy Forum to discuss future energy policy, with keynote speakers Neasa Quigley, Partner at Carson McDowell, and Joe Reynolds from the Energy Strategy Division at the Department for the Economy. Speaking at the event, which was hosted by Portadown-based Ulster Carpets, Chris Morrow, Head of Policy at NI Chamber, commented: “Immediate progress around key energy projects is essential to create greater Pictured at the Ulster Carpets Dye House and Energy Centre are (L-R): Eddie Ruddell (Ulster certainty for business and employers and Carpets); Neasa Quigley (Carson McDowell); Nick Coburn (Ulster Carpets); Natasha Sayee help firms plan for growth and expansion (SONI) and Chris Morrow (NI Chamber). – particularly large energy users. A secure, long-term energy supply is a fundamental requirement if we are to attract investment and create employment future energy challenges, but also take full advantage of the many opportunities over the coming years. opportunities in this area.” “We also need to see an updated and detailed Energy Strategy. Given Also speaking at the event was Eddie Ruddell, Quality and the rate of change and evolving technologies, as well as the need Environmental Systems Manager at Ulster Carpets, who shared the to shift to a low-carbon economy, it is critical that Northern Ireland company’s own Energy Strategy with delegates, before providing a tour has an agreed pathway as to how we’re going to not only meet our of the firms new Dye House and Energy Centre.

Local firms explore business opportunities in Glasgow

group of 16 local companies joined NI Chamber and Ulster Bank for a near market trade mission to Glasgow. The visit, which is part of NI Chamber’s Learn Grow Excel initiative, is among a series of trade visits led by NI Chamber and Ulster Bank to help local firms exploit opportunities in larger cities in Great Britain. The delegation comprised companies from across a range of sectors, including construction, manufacturing, business services, wholesale retail and innovative technologies. During the two day visit, which included a networking reception hosted by Glasgow and Ayrshire Chambers of Commerce, firms met representatives from some of the UK’s largest companies such as Multiplex, a leading global contractor with expertise across the entire property sector; The Wheatley Group, Scotland’s leading housing, care and property-management group; Sir Robert McAlpine, a leading UK building and civil engineering company; and Morgan Sindall, a leading UK construction and regeneration group. Nigel Walsh, Director, Commercial Banking at Ulster Bank, said: “We are very pleased to be supporting this initiative and to play our part in supporting local businesses to develop the knowledge, networks and confidence to expand. As a bank, our aim is to provide meaningful help to Northern Ireland’s exporters and those businesses that are looking to scale-up through sustainable growth, working with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry is an excellent way for us to do that.” The near market trade visit is one of eight elements that form part of NI Chamber’s ‘Learn Grow Excel’ initiative – a dynamic and powerful suite of business support initiatives led and resourced by the private sector.

Richard Moore (Glasgow Chamber of Commerce); Sandra Scannell (NI Chamber) and Nigel Walsh (Ulster Bank).

UK’s Director General for Exports addresses Danske Bank Export First event

he UK’s first Director General for Exports met with 60 of Northern Ireland’s top exporters at an event hosted by NI Chamber and Danske Bank. Mr Mahon joined businesses at the Culloden Hotel in Holywood to discuss the government’s newly launched export strategy as part of a visit to Northern Ireland. He was appointed by the Department for International Trade (DIT), headed by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, earlier this year to work closely with business and put exports at the heart of UK growth. He is also at the heart of the government’s post-Brexit trading plan, and is tasked with ensuring that new and existing exporters can access the right financial, practical and promotional support to Aaron Ennis (Danske Bank); John Mahon (Director General for Exports at DIT); sell overseas. Ann McGregor (NI Chamber); Mark Slaughter (Director General for Investments Speaking at the event, Mr Mahon said: at DIT) and Andrew Mitchell (Trade Commissioner for Europe at DIT). “Europe remains one of our strongest trading partners, and receives more than 50% of “The Export Strategy is deliberate in its ambition to raise exports from Northern Ireland’s exports. This market will, 30 to 35% of UK GDP – strengthening our position as one of the 21st of course, continue to remain hugely important after we leave the EU, century’s great trading nations. but we are also entering a time where our opportunities externally are “This shift would add over £100 billion pounds worth of exports to our becoming even greater. current performance, helping UK businesses to generate higher returns, “My job with my team is to support Northern Ireland to work with its produce higher paying jobs and provide more money to fund critical 8500 current exporters to drive exporting, but also open markets and public services.” opportunities to encourage more businesses to join the ranks.

Irish Finance Minister briefs members during Belfast visit

aschal Donohoe TD, Minister for Department of Finance and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, joined over 100 members of the business community at an NI Chamber business briefing held in partnership with SSE Airtricity at the Merchant Hotel. Speaking at the event the Minister said: “Every day, over thirty thousand people cross the border, to work, to go to school, to visit friends and family. “As you all know, the border of today is free-flowing and frictionless. This is of critical importance to the 7,400 businesses in Northern Ireland that trade across the border, supporting over 167,000 jobs. Cross-border trade represents the first export market for some 73% of Northern Ireland’s small and medium sized companies. “Many of you will have supply chains, distribution networks, and customers on both sides of the border. “And the border is about far more than just trade, as this audience knows very well. The invisible border allows over 100,000 cross-border relationships, commercial, political and social, to thrive. Psychologically, it has transformed the landscape and allowed identity to breathe more freely. “Protecting this precious achievement, a backbone to our hard-won peace, is critical for all parties in the Brexit negotiations.”

Ann McGregor and Ellvena Graham (NI Chamber), Minister Paschal Donohoe and Andrew Greer (SSE Airtricity).

FEATURE

Tanya talks...Talent The workforce is an SME’s most valuable asset and 2018 has seen a number of significant developments which have created uncertainty around the ability of an SME to shape their workforce to plan for future growth. These developments include the well-documented skills gap, the emerging importance of workforce agility and the potential impacts of Brexit upon the labour pool. Tanya Anderson, Head of SME Development at NI Chamber, deals with some of the more frequently asked questions from SMEs who are managing a growing workforce.

ow can I plan now to ensure that the future skills needs of my business will be met? As with any future planning, a business should review the status quo i.e. assess the current skills base and map to those required to support business growth and maintain a competitive edge. A significant proportion of the knowledge / expertise required for future growth may already be present within the business and upskilling staff will bridge the skills gap in areas such as technological advances. There is an expanded upskilling offering available from government through programmes such as Assured Skills, Skills Solutions and Skills Focus. Further, upskilling can be delivered internally by an organisation through: • Enabling and encouraging a culture of lifelong learning through funded courses and personal development plans • Investing in workplace coaching and mentoring staff to embed skills • Recognising competent people within an organisation and make them development leaders • Rolling out key learnings across the entire organisation • Including apprenticeships and traineeships in a company’s recruitment strategy. There is no doubt, given the level of disruption that digitisation is causing, there will be skills required to take a business forward which are currently absent and, as such, external recruitment will be required. With this in mind, it is important that a business keeps its future workforce informed and inspired - it is critical that people, parents and education are aware of the opportunities within a particular business. Companies should invest time in their profile and brand so that they are attractive to new employees and work closely with their local education partners to identify collaborative ways of working together i.e. placements, apprenticeships, site visits to engage future employees as early as possible. Will workforce agility change the way I work? The creation of an “agile” workforce has become a hot topic in recent times – it essentially refers to a workforce that can readily adapt to changes in the work environment. To foster agility a business should optimise current talent in the first instance by

encouraging career mobility internally and creating a system whereby everyone in a company can apply for open positions – encouraging staff to become multi-functional and boosting employee engagement and morale. To attract external talent, the use of social media is key given it is how most millennials seek out appealing jobs – a company should identify the social channels that most impact its recruiting and ensure that these are used effectively to connect with top quality candidates. Businesses are moving towards “multiple work models” i.e. workforces that include permanent workers, temporary workers, contractors, people working for home and possibly global teams. It is likely that this will become more varied and possibly subject to continual change in response to business needs as we move forward. All independent contractors and consultants should be integrated fully into a company to ensure they are managed effectively, feel part of the company culture and are factored into strategic planning since these type of workers are likely to constitute an increasing part of our workforce. Can I plan now for the potential impact of Brexit on my workforce? Northern Ireland has a small labour market and migration has provided access to skills and flexibility. Continued access to skills/labour at all levels is a key issue post Brexit with manufacturing SMEs amongst the sectors most heavily dependent on migrant workers. Whilst complete clarity will not be available until after the Brexit negotiation process, management should plan by reviewing the demographics of the current workforce to establish which key functions could be affected and measure the potential range of costs that be incurred. Companies should benchmark their remuneration packages against the market to safeguard retention of existing staff, healthy employee engagement and a strong company brand also play a key role in this. On a practical note businesses can assist EU nationals in navigating government guidance and proactively exploring options available to them. Some larger companies have created an employee focussed Brexit working group to fulfil this function as well as keeping up to date with ongoing developments. Technology will also undoubtedly play a part in planning for Brexit as companies will review working practices that can be streamlined or even automated to In Partnership With maximise efficiency and reduce reliance on manpower.

Scaling for Growth Workshops N I Chamber’s Scaling for Growth initiative supported by Bank of Ireland, assists our SMEs in achieving their growth strategy whether it simply be through sharing market knowledge, connections to chambers or companies in-market, learning from peer or introductions to funders. The common challenges faced by our SMEs have driven the themes of three key Scaling for Growth workshops delivered in 2018: • Managing people as your company grows (March 2018) • How to devise and deliver a successful export strategy (June 2018) • Developing a successful digital strategy to grow your company (September 2018). These workshops are exclusive to NI Chamber members who are participants of the Scaling for Growth programme to present them with the opportunity to learn from other companies as well as getting practical answers to specific concerns facing their business. The most recent workshop in September 2018 involved 10 participating companies from a range of sectors to discuss and learn how they could better employ digital channels to drive sales growth effectively and cost efficiently. The workshop took place in Phoenix Natural Gas Headquarters in Belfast with three speakers sharing their knowledge and expertise with our SMEs: • Aimee McCracken, Senior Marketing Executive at Smiley Monroe Limited, a global producer of endless conveyor belts for the mobile crushing, screening and recycling sectors. Aimee shared how Smiley Monroe Limited have successfully used digital to complement and support their current growth strategy. Aimee provided an invaluable insight into the extensive research that the company carried out to identify and understand their key customer – this knowledge informed a targeted digital strategy to further engage existing customers and attract the “right” new customers. • Mark McColgan, Pay Per Click (PPC) Specialist at Loud Mouth Media Limited, a digital advertising agency based in Belfast and Glasgow. Mark shed light on how PPC advertising works, how SMEs can use it to target a particular profile of customer based on parameters such as age, gender and browsing history. Mark also touched on the growing importance of Youtube to businesses and how it should be used to drive brand and growth. • Steven Cassin, Founder and Managing Director of Made to Engage Limited, a digital transformation agency based in Belfast. Steven shared case studies from his clients to help attending SMEs understand how digital could be employed holistically in a business to drive growth. The session was very beneficial to all those attending as the case studies “brought to life” how digital can be applied in different ways to match a specific company’s needs and target their customers. Participants

walked away with key tips to maximise their digital strategy as well the motivation to make

the most of their digital channels, having understood the benefits of it.

As well as an excellent opportunity to take away key learnings for their business, the workshop, like any other NI Chamber event, provided an opportunity for businesses to make connections with peers and companies from a wide range of industries. These networking opportunities are vital to companies and allowed them to both raise their business profile and the potential for attending companies to do business together in the future. Eugene Donaghy, Business Development Manager at McDon Substrates Limited, Roisin Smith, Key Account Manager at Nitronica Limited and Shauneen McConville, Director at TR Logistics Limited attended the workshop in September and shared their learnings from the session. Eugene Donaghy – McDon Substrates Limited “As an SME with a limited marketing budget we need to find the most efficient and cost effective way to target new customers particularly export. I have been hearing more about digital marketing and following the NI Chamber workshop and the excellent presentations I am convinced that we can benefit significantly from marketing through the internet. Following the workshop, I am keen to have closer discussions with the attending digital agencies to see how they could help McDon Substrates develop our digital strategy further. The information shared at the workshop left me feeling very positive about how digital advertising can help enhance the profile and growth of our company.” Shauneen McConville - TR Logistics Limited “I was really keen to attend the NI Chamber Digital Strategy workshop, as digital communication is such an important message platform for businesses today. I was interested to hear more around the discussion of digital marketing offerings current and potential. Each of the speakers were great with some really useful insights. Listening to the experience of Smiley Monroe and how they developed and continue to grow with their digital strategy, as well as hearing from the experts, Made to Engage and Loud Mouth Media was hugely beneficial. The open conversation which followed the speakers was constructive. I will certainly take this with me and share in house on how we can utilise within TR Logistics for our business today and tomorrow. The networking aspect of the workshop also allowed the opportunity to raise the profile of TR Logistics as well as meeting with some potential customers and suppliers.” Roisin Smith – Nitronica Limited “I attended the NI Chamber Digital Strategy workshop as I was keen to hear from Smiley Monroe on their digital strategy as they are similar to Nitronica in terms of specialising in B2B sales strategy to a niche market, therefore I hoped to take some key learnings that I could apply to my own role. All the speakers provided some really useful insights into the different digital strategies that could be implemented at Nitronica to better reach our customers and further the growth of the company. In particular, I found Smiley Monroe’s use of an online toolkit, as an alternative method of communicating value to customers via digital tools, particularly relevant to Nitronica. Leaving the workshop, I had a renewed focus on the benefits of digital marketing, and going forward I am confident that this will be a key part of our overall strategy to ensure the upward succession of Nitronica.”

Mark McColgan (Loud Mouth Media), Aimee McCracken (Smiley Monroe), Steven Cassin (Made to Engage), Tanya Anderson (NI Chamber) and Niall Devlin (Bank of Ireland).

Belfast Samaritans Promoting Wellbeing In The City

he volunteers of Belfast Samaritans are encouraging Northern Ireland’s employers to consider rolling out Samaritans’ new free learning tools to support and help all employees to look out for each other. The learning initiative, Wellbeing in the City, is a ground-breaking programme to help develop emotional support and listening skills. The programme has already been adopted in workplaces including PwC, KPMG, Leeds Building Society and the Bank of England. On World Mental Health Day, it was announced that it will be made available to 420,000 Civil Service employees. Volunteer Robert Bell, Director of Belfast Samaritans, said: “Samaritans is on a mission to create happier, healthier and more productive workplaces, where employees feel supported and no one has to cope alone. If anyone is struggling in the workplace, it’s important for them to feel supported and for managers and colleagues to understand what will help them to thrive.” “These learning tools can help ensure that everyone is more aware of who could be having a tough time and also how to support them. Listening skills and the ability to recognise how others feel and how you feel

yourself are very useful outside the work environment too.” The programme includes backup and support to implement the programme in your workplace. It consists of two interactive online elements, broken up into 10 minute segments that can be dipped into anytime, anywhere:

gain skills that you can use in all aspects of your life. You can also use your existing skills to help others. To find out about volunteering in one of our 8 branches in Northern Ireland, visit https:// www.samaritans.org/volunteer

· Samaritans Active Listening Skills (60 mins) · Samaritans Wellbeing Toolkit (30 mins) 90 per cent of participants say they feel more able to recognise emotional distress in others, understand the importance of looking after their own wellbeing, and feel more confident about approaching someone who may be struggling. To find out more about this free online programme, visit https://www.samaritans. org/wellbeinginthecity or contact us in Belfast Branch. Wellbeing in the City draws directly on the key skills that Samaritan volunteers use to support people who are struggling, around the clock, every day of the year. Volunteering with Samaritans is not only a way of giving something back to the community, you also

Marking ten years of partnership in support of connect invent as 2018 winner announced as gray’s clip By gavin kennedy, bank of ireland uk’s head of business banking ni. Thursday 11th October marked the 10th year of Bank of Ireland UK as partner and headline sponsor of INVENT from Connect at Catalyst Inc. The evolution and success of the programme reflects the significant commitment and progress to build and grow a vibrant innovation ecosystem in Northern Ireland. Over a decade ago less than 100 people gathered in a marquee at the pump house in Titanic Quarter on a cold wet evening to start to voice and profile innovation talent. How things have positively progressed with the recent gala evening at the recently renamed ICC Belfast with 700 attendees, 12 brilliant finalists, 6 category winners, 1 student winner and of course the overall winner, Gary’s Clip with their product that has revolutionised the process of clipping electrical cables. Our partnership involves collaboration and enables business, our colleagues, customers and community to be involved and become advocates in the discovery and support to grow and develop Northern Ireland’s science, engineering and technology innovators and entrepreneurs.

Having had the privilege to be on the judging panel I am both proud and truly motivated by the depth of talent right across the generations and geographies of Northern Ireland. After a very tough decision it was Julie and David who came out on top demonstrating outstanding commitment, passion and belief towards realising their ambition in bringing their idea, Gray’s Clip, to market. Witnessing such determination and vision from all of the participants highlighted what an inspiration our local Entrepreneurs are for Northern Ireland in business and the wider community. Julie and David Gray created the idea in 2016 as David couldn’t find an insulated staple to secure the cables and had to hammer each clip individually. After searching for years, he could not find anything suitable and so teamed up with wife Julie to develop their product. It works with a battery powered stapler to secure cables to wooden joists and structures which means no more hammering and the user simply loads strips of 20 clips into a stapler

and presses the button making it quick, easy and safe. Congratulations to all, from the record breaking 131 entrants to the overall final winners, 2018 was another incredible year and anticipation and excitement is already building for INVENT 2019.

WHY DO YOU NEED A SHAREHOLDER’S AGREEMENT?

hether you are a shareholder in a flourishing new business, a founding shareholder of an established business or a long running family business you will need a shareholders’ agreement. In my experience shareholder disputes are expensive, emotive and time consuming. A shareholders’ agreement is a contract between all or some of the shareholders to manage and clarify all aspects of the relationship between the parties including their personal rights and obligations e.g. voting rights and rights to dividend. It is important to remember that the shareholders’ agreement is distinct from the articles of association which cannot deal with matters personal to the members as this could be seen as fettering the company’s statutory powers.

A shareholders’ agreement should contain the following essential elements: • The terms on which shares can be transferred; • Voting and dividend rights; • Employee/shareholder status and the terms of good leaver and bad leaver e.g. a new employee shareholder can be forced to sell shares if he/she leaves employment in the first two years; • How to deal with disputes and deadlock between the parties; • The circumstances when the shareholders’ agreement will terminate; • The implications of termination; • Contributions of the parties such as IPR, know-how, secondment of staff, premises; • Approval of business plan; • Provisions for unwinding a deadlock. Perhaps you want to include an escalation procedure (and/or a Russian roulette or Texas shoot out clause); • Minority protection, if any (veto rights on certain matters); • Restrictive covenants; and • Confidentiality.

A shareholders’ agreement can be put in place at any stage of the business but ideally at incorporation. At the beginning it can be a positive experience to ensure there is a common understanding amongst the parties and that false expectations and assumptions don’t sour the relationships at a later stage. In my experience, businesses with no shareholders’ agreement don’t bottom out the “real issues” and by the time a party seeks legal advice the relationship has become toxic and the business is suffering. Clarifying the “deal breakers” from the outset using the shareholders’ agreement will ease the working relationships and everyone can safely concentrate on making a profit and building the business.

Catherine Cooney is a Partner at Worthingtons Solicitors specialising in Corporate, Commercial and Charity law. She advises on setting up new businesses, mergers and

Shareholders should also ensure they receive legal advice on whether a schedule of reserved matters is needed. This schedule can reserve important matters for a certain threshold of shareholders’ consent (percentage to be agreed between the parties). These matters can include capitalisation and funding (initial and ongoing), board composition and management structure, distribution policy and transfer of shares in certain circumstances.

acquisitions, restructuring, partnership and shareholder agreements, negotiating contracts and advising on governance. For advice please telephone 028 90 279500 or email catherine@ worthingtonslaw.co.uk.

for all your legal needs Employment Commercial Property n Corporate and Commercial Law n Banking and Finance n Telecoms and Renewables n Commercial Litigation n Insolvency

Debt Recovery Education Law n Personal Injury n Probate and Wills n Residential Conveyancing n Matrimonial and Family Law n Medical Negligence

T: 028 9043 4015 E: info@worthingtonslaw.co.uk

Offices in: Belfast, Newtownards

www.worthingtonslaw.co.uk 43

ABC Council rolls out Enterprise Week 2018

Pictured at the launch of this year’s Enterprise Week (L-R) is David Acheson, Strategic Development and Finance Director, Ulster Carpets, Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Julie Flaherty, and Colleen Casey, Business Advisor, Bank of Ireland.

With an entrepreneurial culture already well embedded in the borough of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (ABC), prospects look good for strong and sustainable economic growth for the region, as ABC Council gets ready to host its third annual Enterprise Week this November.

ith a population of 210,300 and covering an area of 554 square miles, the borough of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon is the second largest council area in Northern Ireland (NI). Accounting for 10 per cent of

NI’s total Gross Value Added (GVA), which represents an economy of over £3 billion, it is fair to say the region is an increasingly important contributor to the NI economy. Its 123,000 strong workforce serves over 8,000 businesses, some of whom 58

are NI’s largest and most successful companies including Moy Park, Almac, Thompson Aero Seating, Interface, Irwins, Whites, Hyster-Yale and Tayto to name a few. With such a renowned reputation for enterprise, ABC Council is committed to fostering the region’s competitive advantage in order to drive its continual economic growth. Now with its third annual Enterprise Week about to get underway – which runs from 12 to 16

November in tandem with Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) – ABC Council is proving its commitment to inspire, connect and engage with the business community. Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Julie Flaherty, commented, “Enterprise Week represents our strategic push to provide a framework to help businesses flourish. We’re using the week to inspire businesses and entrepreneurs to take the next step along their business journey.

“Our borough is already home to some of Northern Ireland’s best known manufacturing, agri-food and pharmaceutical companies, and we want to ensure we maintain this reputation and encourage others to create new companies and employment opportunities.” Sponsored by Bank of Ireland, the week-long programme will see a range of inspirational and informative events take place across the borough, and it will also act as a platform to showcase local success stories and give businesses easy access to funders, advisors and support programmes. Local enterprise agencies, including CIDO Ltd, Banbridge District Enterprise Ltd, Mayfair Business Centre, Armagh Business Centre and Brownlow Ltd will also be hosting drop-in clinics and offering advice and guidance on programmes, which help turn business ideas into reality. Supporting enterprise and growth across urban and rural areas, these centres offer assistance to a wide and diverse range of sectors including food, manufacturing, engineering, retail, digital technology, pharmaceutical and service sectors. A borough for business Taking advantage of its strategic location on the Belfast-Dublin corridor and excellent transport links, the borough is proving itself as the ideal location for investors to relocate and serve both the Northern and Southern markets. It is already home to a large number of multi-national businesses and ABC Council wants to continue this trend by attracting greater investment as well as encouraging further indigenous business start-ups. By partnering up with Young Enterprise NI and Southern Regional College during its Enterprise Week, ABC Council is highlighting its ambition to foster its future business leaders to drive greater and more sustainable economic growth across the region. “We are officially Northern Ireland’s best place to live and work, which will come as no surprise with our affordable housing, low commuting times,

high employment, low crime rates, good schools and local services”, comments Roger Wilson, Chief Executive of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. “Regarded as a hub for the life sciences, advanced manufacturing and agri-food sectors, our borough has a diverse, vibrant and thriving business community and we are committed to supporting and growing this unique selling point to realise our full economic potential. “Enterprise Week provides the perfect platform for local businesses large and small to benefit from tailored support, while also getting the chance to network, collaborate and innovate. We very much look forward to entrepreneurs, start-ups and businesses joining us at Enterprise Week and helping them along their way in achieving new heights of business success.” Global opportunities With a strong international focus, the region of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon has gained a name for being open for business on a local and global scale, which is why ABC Council’s Enterprise Week in conjunction with Global Enterprise Week (GEW) is so important to growing the local economy. GEW allows a global network of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and researchers around the world to participate in experiential learning opportunities simultaneously, bringing together nearly 10 million people in 170 different countries. This alignment to GEW, highlights ABC Council’s ambitions to encourage and support local businesses to access global markets. Enterprise Week will also showcase the many successful global brands based in the borough, such as Ulster Carpets (Portadown), which export 75% of their product outside the United Kingdom market, supplying carpets to countries on every continent. Nick Coburn, Ulster Carpets Group Managing Director and

Deputy Chairman said: “Over the years, we have taken the positive attributes associated with being a family owned and professionally managed company and combined them with a forward thinking, global approach to business. The result is a technologically

advanced, service driven company with flair, flexibility and a passion for quality.” “We are looking forward to hosting an event for social economy organisations as part of Enterprise Week 2018 as we celebrate our 80th year in business.”

For more details on the events taking place during Enterprise Week 2018 visit: armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/business/enterpriseweek/ The Global Entrepreneurship Week debate can be followed on Facebook and Twitter #GEW2018 and #ABCEW18

FEATURE

Keeping it in the family

48 years ago, Creighton Hutchinson made the decision to respond to the needs of the local people in his home village of Kilrea and turn the Hutchinson name into a local brand that would soon become known as Northern Ireland’s leading sub-contract laser cutting manufacturing company, Hutchinson Engineering. With Creighton in the driving seat from 1971, supported by his wife Pearl, the company began as a one-man business, which at the time produced parts for farm machinery. Family was always at the centre of Creighton and Pearl’s values and soon after the launch of the company, they became parents to three children, Mark, Emma and Richard. Joining the company in 1997, Mark Hutchinson has led the company in a new direction since its inception, introducing new customer sectors and diversifying their client base, from bus manufacturers to the aviation industry. With Richard following suit in 2007 as Commercial Director, the trio have grown Hutchinson Engineering exponentially from employing only 5 in the early days to over 120 now. In 2001, company founder Creighton stepped back from the day-to-day running of the business, and made way for his sons, Mark and Richard to lead the company into the next generation whilst staying true to Hutchinson Engineering’s roots.

Father:

Creighton Hutchinson, Founder When I started out, I simply recognised a gap in the local market and responded to it, I could never have imagined that the company would grow to where it is today. I was simply looking to provide an income for my family, in the hope that I could contribute to the local economy in some way, and it’s been amazing to see the results. It was important to me to stay true to the local community; it would have been an easier option to move the business to the industrial heartland of Northern Ireland, but to me that was never an option. I have always strived to give back to the community of Kilrea and highlight that great businesses don’t just appear in the big cities. As a family business, it does not just mean myself, Mark and Richard, but the entire extended local community that benefits from Hutchinson Engineering. The success of the business came down to the simple fact that my sons and I made good decisions at critical times throughout the years. At one stage, we needed to rethink strategically and with that came the decision to welcome a non-family member

to the board, Jason McCullough. At times, business can become very personal, particularly when you are working so closely with family on a day-to-day basis. However I always believed that there was a need to ensure that the company wasn’t going to become stale. With an external representative added to the board, it breathed a new life into Hutchinson and it is remarkable to see the results of our combined efforts. Although I have reached retirement, that doesn’t stop me from popping in now and again to keep check on what’s happening. Learning about the new developments made by the company keeps me in the know with what’s happening as the industry evolves, and it brings me nothing but joy to see the successes of Mark and Richard and the entire Hutchinson team. I am very proud to have both Mark and Richard in the company with me. They both have brought their own individual skills and have led the company in a direction that, on my own I would never have imagined, so for that I am thankful.

Son:

Mark Hutchinson, Managing Director I always admired what my father, Creighton, had achieved with the company and how he kept his core values consistent in all the years. It was a huge part of my life growing up, so I knew from a very early age that I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps and bring my own ideas to Hutchinson Engineering. Once I completed my A-Levels, that was me, I joined the company and the rest is history. Richard and I have always worked well together, and I had my sights set on welcoming him to the team from day one. He has an incredible skill for IT and recognises what the company needs to stay on top of its game. When he agreed to come on board to offer a hand on a temporary basis, I was delighted but to be sitting currently with him by my side as we drive the company forward has worked out perfectly. The one thing I would have to say is that although my father Creighton had his own ideas for the company, he always encouraged me to forge my

own path in the business and it was with this reinforcement that secured me in the knowledge that we had to grow our range of services if this was to be a sustainable long-term business. In 2009, the competition was fierce in the laser cutting industry and if we were to survive, we had to diversify our range of services and respond to the changing needs of the industry. It was a calculated risk, and thankfully one that paid off, securing the future of Hutchinson Engineering and its employees. I always remember our dad saying that you should treat people the way you would want them to treat you, and that’s the basis on which my brother and I still run the company today. It is an ethos which is very much acknowledged by our employees; we ensure that every member of staff feels part of the Hutchinson family and I think that’s what makes Hutchinson Engineering so special.

Son:

Richard Hutchinson, Commercial Director I was quite the opposite to Mark, he knew from an early age that he would follow in dad’s footsteps, working his way through school with the absolute intention to continue full time in Hutchinson Engineering. For me, it wasn’t so straightforward. I studied business administration in Belfast, with no intention at that time to join the family business. However, Mark had asked me to offer an extra pair of hands for six months, to assist the company through an extremely busy period, that was 11 years ago, and I haven’t looked back since. Family business comes with its challenges as expected. The moment you step through the door, you have to remind yourself that it is no longer your brother and dad, but colleague and boss, which can be tricky at times. However we work well together and respect each other’s decisions and I think that’s why it works.

Although we have over 120 employees, we strive to recognise the importance of every person’s role with the company from the factory floor to management, which is a key aspect of our family ethos. Every member of staff has an opportunity to grow with Hutchinson and that is something we stand by. I know joining the family business wasn’t exactly my original plan, but I am very proud of our accomplishments to date. The journey to success brings amazing highs but also some very challenging lows and it is a unique experience to share that journey with family, to have the support of Mark and Creighton throughout this journey to date is something that I am very fortunate for. Going forward, we work hard to keep our father’s core business values in mind as we progress the company. He is the heart of Hutchinson Engineering and without him, we would not be where we are today.

COLUMnIST

By Aaron Ennis, Head of North Business Centre, Danske Bank

NI exporters remain ambitious as they await Brexit details

As we head into a crucial negotiation period for the Northern Ireland economy and await details of the UK’s trade deal with the EU postBrexit, everyone in the business community here is eager to know what the government’s strategy on exports will be.

t is of vital importance that we have clarity on issues such as the free movement of people and goods across these islands, and an acceptable agreement about how markets will operate post Brexit. In terms of the importance to Northern Ireland of our nearest trading partners – we sell in excess of £14bn of goods annually to the UK mainland and around £3.1bn of goods annually to the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Sharing a land border with ROI also benefits our import market with £2.1bn of goods annually imported from ROI and it is estimated that 30,000 people cross the NI/ROI border each day just to commute to work. As part of Danske Bank’s ongoing Export First programme with the Northern Ireland Chamber, we recently hosted a business lunch with John Mahon, the Director General for Exports in the Department for International Trade. Mr Mahon had no crystal ball as to the likely outcome and potential impact of Brexit on the local business world, but he was able to assure

business owners that the government would continue to prioritise export support going forward. The government strategy for exports is based around it being a facilitator of exporting at all levels, with the department’s core role being to encourage, inform, connect and finance. While the government will focus on what it can do in terms of creating networks and removing barriers, he said the strategy would be business-led and informed by what businesses in the UK and Northern Ireland require. One of the key roles for his department is to connect exporters and potential exporters with the business opportunities to sell their goods and services around the world. Currently it is advertising around 4,000 sales opportunities through its web portal www.great.gov.uk and Mr Mahon said the department’s ambition is to build this to tens of thousands. For a growing number of our customers, exports are an essential driver of growth. We as a bank play an integral role by supporting business as they identify, target and grow into new markets. One such client is Seacoya Group, a global leader in innovative multi-channel retailing and one of Ireland’s fastest growing companies based in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. Seacoya Group annually ships thousands of orders to over 100 countries around the globe and with a focus on innovation and ecommerce the Group has picked up recent awards such

as ECMOD Best UK B2B Business of the Year 2018, along with many others. A significant part of the Group’s business is channelled through its Christies Direct website, which the second most visited pet grooming website in the world. Other established ecommerce marketplaces such as Amazon also play an important role in the Group’s route to market. Focus on customer care, customer satisfaction, customer centric innovation together with focused marketing strategies and campaigns have enabled the business to grow for many successive years. Companies like Seacoya Group currently trade on the basis that they are able to sell and deliver around the globe regardless of location of operations. It is essential then that, whatever Brexit deal we emerge with, that it is favourable to our local exporters. If it is, I expect that many more Northern Ireland-based companies will be standing ready to take advantage of those many export opportunities readily available in international markets.

AMBITION SPECIAL SECTION

Energy in focus

ertainty on energy policy is a fundamental issue for businesses in all sectors, but confidence is currently being undermined by the absence of an energy policy beyond 2020, coupled with the lack of a functioning Executive and clarity on Brexit’s implications for the energy market. Given the rate of change and evolving

technologies, as well as the need to shift to a low-carbon economy, it is critical that Northern Ireland has an agreed pathway as to how we’re going to not only meet our future energy challenges, but also take full advantage of the many opportunities in this area. In this special section, Ambition talks to a number of stakeholders within the

energy sector and specifically within NI Chamber’s membership. With the Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM) recently launched, and the continued focus on the delivery of the proposed North South Interconnector, this special focus is a timely opportunity to help guide future discussions around key energy policy.

Inside this Issue: 50

ISEM is live - but where does Energy go from here? Pinsent Masons

Preparations underway for new NI Energy strategy - Department for Economy

Leading a record breaking team - SONI

Focusing on the future NIE Networks

Powering the change to a greener future SSE

In the pipeline Firmus

Technology, ISEM & Renewables Budget Energy

At the forefront of gas Phoenix Natural Gas

ENERGY IN FOCUS

ISEM is live - but where does Energy go from here? By Matthew McMurray, an Energy Solicitor for Pinsent Masons. At the opening of this quarter we saw the launch of the much-anticipated Integrated Single Electricity Market or ISEM. ISEM builds upon the existing all-island electricity market to bring it into alignment with the ‘Target Model’ adopted by other European Union member states (including Great Britain). Under ISEM, the market has transitioned from one common ‘pool’ in which all electricity is traded to a system of multiple auctions covering a range of trading time frames. The key point for businesses and consumers is that these changes are designed to bolster competition and impose downward pressure on price. EirGrid, the state-owned body responsible for Ireland’s transmission system, indicates that ISEM’s auction process could result in savings of approximately €200 million to consumers north and south of the border while simultaneously reinforcing security of supply. Looming large over this overhaul of the electricity market is the shadow of Brexit. By definition, ISEM requires cross-border trade. Brexit creates scope for potential divergence between the relevant regulatory regimes which could expose the fledgling market to unprecedented strain. The UK Government has repeatedly committed to taking all possible measures to maintain ISEM. This sentiment has been echoed in Dublin, Brussels and Belfast. However, the most recent draft of the Withdrawal Agreement indicates that while negotiators agree in principle that ISEM should be maintained, the legal drafting requires further work. Accordingly, it remains to be seen how ISEM will be preserved post-Brexit. While politically complex, the establishment of a ‘common regulatory area’ comprising Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would prevent regulatory divergence. Alternative options will need to ensure that appropriate governmental and judicial oversight is guaranteed. Possibilities include the development of an all-island regulatory body (building on the existing cooperative framework in place for managing ISEM), or some other bespoke arrangement between the parties. If an agreement cannot be reached there is a risk that ISEM will grind to a halt. The resulting split system would be hugely inefficient, leading to higher electricity costs north and south of the border. In its recent guidance (Oct 18) on energy trading

in the context of a ‘no-deal’, government made it clear they, and the Utility Regulator, possess legal powers to procure emergency generation that could be triggered if the collapse of ISEM threatens security of supply. As a devolved matter, Northern Ireland has the responsibility of shaping its own energy policy. Northern Ireland’s energy policy is currently guided by the 2010 Strategic Energy Framework - a document with an expiry date of 2020. While the introduction of ISEM has the potential to prove extremely beneficial to electricity consumers, uncertainty across the sector could potentially deter investment. Investment in the energy industry necessarily operates on a long

lead time and investors strongly value clarity and certainty in the market. Drafting a new energy policy requires considerable consultation and input from stakeholders. To prevent Northern Ireland slipping between the cracks it would be advantageous if this work could start behind the scenes in anticipation of a government returning to Stormont. But preparation under officials can only go so far. Without a government in place to push forward policy development, Northern Ireland runs the risk of falling behind the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. ISEM is live today, but it was five years in the making. Markets never stand still, so we cannot afford for our energy policy to remain in paralysis for much longer.

By Joe Reynolds from the Department for the Economy.

The Department for the Economy is turning its attention to a future energy strategy. Properly assessing requirements and the changing needs of Northern Ireland consumers will be central to any policy aiming to achieve those targets. Taking a lead from the outcome based accountability model of the last Executive’s draft Programme for Government, a new strategy will seek to impact positively on the lives of everyone who lives here. With Northern Ireland’s population set to increase by 6.4 per cent by 2035, the environment in which people will be living will change quite significantly over the next 15-20 years. This means that a new strategy will need to reflect the twin objectives of driving economic growth whilst tackling disadvantage in a constantly changing environment. The energy market locally has continued to diversify over a similar period in the past from the point where the vast majority of energy was being generated by three big power stations, to now where there are over 23,000 energy producers in Northern Ireland. Even accounting for the fact that over 22,000 of those producers are small (<50Kw), there are over 1,000 producers who are part of the market which did not exist previously. In the absence of an Executive and with the countdown to EU Exit well underway, the Department is preparing the groundwork for this important policy which will take account of the needs of the population through to the 2030s. It is already clear that any future policy must accommodate an increase in renewable energy production as this is crucial to the UK’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change. Delivering on future targets for 2030 set out in the EU’s Clean Energy Package, something the UK is committed to so long as it remains an EU member state, will also mean targeting increases in energy efficiency and increasing dramatically the use of renewable technology in transport and domestic heating. Other considerations that must be taken into account involve the 3 Ds: decarbonisation, digitalisation and decentralisation. On decentralisation, there will be a need

to facilitate further the changes taking place to increase the number of producers in the system. On decarbonisation, it will be essential for any new strategy to tackle the issue of emissions and the source of those emissions from the agricultural and transport sectors. On digitalisation, there will need to be a more effective use of data analytics, especially on information already held by central government and energy stakeholders, to assess demand and provide for needs in a more efficient and cost-effective way. The Department’s ambition is for the creation of an energy eco-system in Northern Ireland. This will require a multistakeholder partnership and absolutely central to this is the citizen. As well as increasing the renewable energy that is available to us, we acknowledge that there must be a greater focus on how and when we use it. There

are also challenges around energy storage, particularly for commercial and industrial use. Finally, technology and innovation will have a major role to play in not only offering greater price stability for consumers, but also in utilising a data-rich environment for sharing and collaboration in tackling issues of fuel poverty, economic growth and environmental protection. The increasing economic potential of Northern Ireland’s energy sector is something we want to capitalise on in the future Energy Strategy. In short, we aim to promote employment for significantly more than the 2600 who currently work in the energy sector. The Department is keen to attract widespread engagement as it develops its thinking over the coming months. Those seeking to be involved can register their interest by emailing: energy@economy-ni. gov.uk.

ENERGY IN FOCUS

Preparations underway for new NI Energy Strategy

ENERGY IN FOCUS

Leading a record breaking team Ambition speaks to Mark Foley, Chief Executive of EirGrid Group, which includes SONI (System Operator for Northern Ireland), about his ambitions for Northern Ireland’s low carbon economy.

Photo credit: Aidan Crawley.

EirGrid Group Chief Executive Mark Foley, who took the helm in June of this year, has been very clear on one thing from the start: SONI’s role in Northern Ireland goes well beyond simply “keeping the lights on”. From its control centre in Belfast, SONI, the independent transmission system operator, ensures that power flows where and when needed. It brings electricity from energy generators, such as power stations and wind farms, transporting it to cities, towns and villages throughout the country. It is also responsible for planning for the future of the grid, while NIE Networks is responsible for maintenance, repairs and construction of the grid. SONI’s counterpart

EirGrid, does the same in the Republic of Ireland. “While our core responsibility is making sure there is a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity across Northern Ireland – something that we will always do – I’ve been very clear with the team that we must look at our role in a much broader sense,” says Foley. 2018 has been a record-breaking year for SONI. In April they successfully managed 65% variable renewable energy on the grid at one time – predominantly made up of wind power and solar. “Facilitating that level of renewables on the network hasn’t been accomplished

anywhere else in the world; we are the first to do it. That’s a massive achievement but it didn’t happen by accident; SONI has some of the brightest minds in engineering. We’re very proud that through hard work and innovation we are setting global standards that everyone else in the industry is aiming to replicate.” “But we don’t want to stop there,” says Foley. “We’re at 65% now, and we fully expect to reach 75% by 2020. This won’t be without its challenges, but it’s something I know we can achieve.” It’s clear that Foley not only believes that developing a low carbon economy in Northern Ireland is vital, but he’s

ENERGY IN FOCUS

determined that SONI will be at the heart of the evolution. “Decarbonisation is our responsibility. It is our generation’s issue to solve,” remarks Foley. “But to do this we must show courage. We have some extraordinary capabilities within the organisation, and it’s our responsibility to provide leadership and set the pathway; we know it will mean taking risks – but doing nothing is not an alternative.” Sitting alongside decarbonisation as the key focus under Foley’s leadership, is the role the company plays in enabling economic growth. “We can’t fulfill our economic potential without a strong grid. It really is that simple. A secure, reliable electricity supply at the lowest possible cost is a fundamental requirement for investors and one of the first things they expect to see when looking at different countries around the world in which they’ll do business. Increasingly, they want to know that their electricity is generated from renewable sources, which plays into our decarbonisation piece,” explains Foley. “While inward investment will obviously play an important role in Northern Ireland’s economic growth in the coming years, we also place huge importance in creating the right environment to allow our existing businesses and employers to expand and grow. Delivering a reliable electricity supply at the lowest possible cost to homes, farms and businesses across the country is central to that aim.” When asked about the challenges of creating a low-carbon economy, Foley says delivering strategic infrastructure projects is crucial. The North South Interconnector project now has planning permission in Northern Ireland and the Republic. However legal challenges from objectors and the absence of the Stormont Executive have led to some delays. “The Interconnector is the most important infrastructure proposal on the island,” says Foley. “While there have been frustrations, we’ve made significant progress on the project over the last eighteen months. The planning application process was probably the most thorough of any that’s been undertaken, north and south. The level of detail and technical input is unparalleled, and achieving permission is something the teams in SONI and EirGrid are rightly very proud of.” “The business community in Northern Ireland has been very vocal in its support for the Interconnector, and that’s been very important,” explains Foley. “We’re continuing to engage with all stakeholders and are working to progress the project so its benefits can be realised by consumers throughout the island as soon as possible.” Throughout our discussion, Mark has emphasised the work carried out by the talented teams within the organisation.

Mark Foley, Chief Executive EirGrid Group with Robin McCormick, General Manager SONI.

“I’m privileged to lead an organisation that is bursting with industry-leading talent. For me, a key aspect of my role is nurturing this talent and helping people to reach their full potential. That way, they will be fulfilled as individuals, but also, it means the quality of our work will be as good as it can be – which ultimately benefits everyone. “Creating an environment where the importance of good mental and physical health and wellbeing is recognised and promoted is something I passionately believe in. I like to stay active myself and make time for exercise six days a week no matter how busy work gets – without doubt that helps me deal with the pressures of the job.” He is also keen to acknowledge existing leadership within SONI and the job they have done in recent years. “Robin McCormick, SONI’s General Manager and his team have done a fantastic job in leading SONI through a period of great change in the electricity industry and will continue to do so. Without their knowledge and experience

we couldn’t have reached the world leading levels of renewables on the system; and we’re currently in the early days of the new Integrated Single Electricity Market (ISEM), which went live on 1st October 2018. This took a huge amount of expertise, planning and hard work, and will create a more efficient market, generating significant savings for consumers everywhere,” says Foley. In closing, Foley says that under his leadership SONI will continue to do everything it can to create the right conditions for economic growth, by delivering cheaper, cleaner electricity for Northern Ireland. “While we have achieved a lot, there’s still more to do. We’re passionate about the important role we play and how it affects peoples’ everyday lives. Looking ahead, we will continue to innovate and evolve to deliver cost efficient, low carbon electricity to homes, farms and businesses in Northern Ireland.”

ENERGY IN FOCUS

Focusing on the future Ian Bailie and Jonathan Pollock, NIE Networks talk to Ambition about how the electricity network company is facilitating the transition to a low carbon energy future.

NIE Networks operates the electricity distribution network in Northern Ireland. It is an extensive network of 47,000 km with around 300 substations supplying 880,000 customers. A regulated company, NIE Networks’ income and capital expenditure are approved by the Utility Regulator. The current price review period, known as RP6, is set to run until 2024. From replacing old equipment with new, to connecting customers and restoring customer’s electricity after faults and storms, the NIE Networks’ job specification has until more recent years remained relatively unchanged. With the evolution of technology and the significant increase in renewable energy sources, the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) needs to evolve. The introduction of climate change legislation, including the EU Renewable Energy Directive and the Clean Energy Package, alongside the consequential decarbonisation of the energy sector, is forecast to create significant growth in Low Carbon Technologies (LCTs). In turn major change is required in how the electricity industry manages and operates the distribution network, most notably around the increase of renewables. Ian Bailie, Network Development Manager explains: “In Northern Ireland, Renewable Energy Sources for Electricity (RES-E) targets is an ambitious 40% by 2020. This figure is supported by the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO) which has seen large volumes of Distributed Generation (DG) technologies connecting to the distribution electricity network.” With over 1.6GW of renewable generation connected and a further 160MW committed to connect, the Northern Ireland distribution system with a minimum demand of 0.5GW is heavily saturated with distributed generation. Jonathan Pollock, Future Networks Manager with NIE Networks, adds that the connection of renewable generation has moved at a faster rate than expected.

“Our figures up to March 2018 indicate that 35.2% of total annual electricity consumption here in Northern Ireland was generated from renewable sources and it is anticipated that the RES-E target will be achieved ahead of the 2020 deadline. Electric vehicle and heat pump uptake is also accelerating and we anticipate demand levels for this will increase significantly. Our independent economic forecast which we commissioned in 2016 provided an estimate of around 110,000 electric vehicles and 53,000 heat pumps connecting to the distribution network by 2030. This analysis is now two years old and if this was updated now we believe the projected uptake of these technologies would be even higher.” Whilst the connection of LCTs are currently modest, a large increase in connections is expected over the next decade aligning with developments including the cessation of new diesel or petrol vehicle sales in the UK after 2040. It is also expected that demand will increase from other sources connecting to the network such as the connection of data centres, while other changes include an increase in active consumers and their ability to produce their own electricity and to use it locally. Pollock further explained that as a result, the demands on the electricity network are changing. The network, which was designed to facilitate the flow of electrical energy towards the customer, is now experiencing significant energy flows in the opposite direction. “DNOs have already begun to take a more active role in the design and operation of the distribution network. Technology has enabled this change away from a traditionally passive role of transporting electricity in one direction, to that of playing a much more active role in network control and management. This is the future direction for operating a distribution network, and one that all operators including NIE Networks must embrace. If managed effectively, the shift will deliver significant benefits and opportunities for customers.” Those benefits include placing downward pressure on electricity bills, allowing active customer participation in managing the network and enabling the network as a platform for greater deployment of lowercost smart energy technologies. Pollock continued: “The first step is to define the required evolution of the distribution network. Understanding and mapping out what that NIE Networks’ role will entail is a vital

prerequisite to delivering the evolution that will ultimately have a real and tangible impact for customers.” Bailie points out that NIE Networks is not alone on this journey. Working with the Energy Networks Association (ENA) - the voice of the networks – they are considering how this evolution will unfold. It’s an evolution they categorise as a transition from a Distribution Network Operator to a Distribution System Operator (DSO). The Open Networks Project’s working definition of a DSO is: “A Distribution System Operator (DSO) securely operates and develops an active distribution system comprising networks, demand, generation and other flexible distributed energy resources (DERs). As a neutral facilitator of an open and accessible market it will enable competitive access to markets and the optimal use of DERs on distribution networks to deliver security, sustainability and affordability in the support of whole system optimisation. A DSO enables customers to be both producers and consumers; enabling customer access, customer choice and great customer service.” Whilst NIE Networks are collaborating with the ENA and other UK DNOs to understand what this evolution should entail, it is acknowledged that the electricity system and the market in Northern Ireland are different from Great Britain. Consequently NIE Networks are seeking to obtain a bespoke perspective on what fundamental changes are required to the DNO roles and responsibilities and the future operation of the electricity distribution network. To achieve this NIE Networks are taking a customer centric approach. Their most recent ‘Call for Evidence’ asked customers what changes they believe are required to NIE Networks’ functions and to the future operation of the distribution network to deliver benefits to customers. As part of the Call for Evidence, NIE Networks engaged with industry stakeholders on the challenges and potential future solutions. Based on the responses, NIE Networks will be publishing a consultation document which will set out a vision for the future DNO functions and operation of the electricity distribution network in Northern Ireland. Bailie concludes: “It’s an exciting time for the industry - re-designing the network to meet the future needs of customers. We are encouraging customers both commercial and domestic to give us their views and perspective. This will help us to facilitate the move to a low carbon energy system in a way that minimises distribution network investment and the cost to the customer.”

In sync with a surge in demand for gas firmus energy has been engaged in a host of activity and investment to boost its share of the market. Ambition talks to Paul Stanfield, Director of Sales, Marketing and Customer Operations at the company. In early autumn, firmus energy began one of the most ambitious gas projects ever seen on the island of Ireland. Its £3m Foyle Crossing Project began in early October and as of next month it will allow all of Derry/Londonderry to access gas energy. It’s just one of many active areas for the firm. Paul Stanfield says the project was two years in the making. “With the ever increasing demand for natural gas in Derry/Londonderry it was necessary to install an additional natural gas main across the river Foyle. Following planning and gaining approval from the Derry Port Authority, Thornhill College, Strathfoyle residents and the Diocese of Derry we have just completed the longest underground directional drilling gas project on the island of Ireland, bringing gas from Strathfoyle to Culmore Road,” he explains. The project saw the firm, alongside its contractors Kier and McCormack and Sons Ltd, drill a 660 meter-long by 455mm diameter duct through rock and 25 metres under the Foyle riverbed and 20 metres under the Derry to Coleraine railway line and from mid November gas is expected to flow across the Foyle. It will add huge growth potential for the firm which already supplies 11,000 customers in the city. On a wider scale firmus energy natural gas is available to over 120,000 homes and businesses throughout its network. That stretches from Newry through the central corridor in NI to Derry. “Well over 41,000 homes and businesses are connected to our network and we supply natural gas to a further 50,000 plus customers in the Greater Belfast area and in the West of the province,” said Paul. The latter stats equate to firmus supplying gas to over 87,000 homes and businesses across the province. That’s 30 cities, towns and villages outside of Greater Belfast. Among those customers it counts Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants, Housing Associations, Owner Occupiers, New Build Housing, commercial premises and large industrial customers and “in 2018 we will break the 6000 new customers in one year milestone,” says Mr Stanfield. “This is an achievement that the entire firmus team are extremely excited about.” There’s a lot to be buoyant about at firmus, Paul reveals. The gas sector here is thriving creating potential for firmus and its contemporaries. “Due to the popularity of natural gas the rapidly expanding gas market in Northern Ireland is expected to have over 300,000 customers connected by 2022

making the total length of the three natural gas pipeline networks (firmus energy, Phoenix and SGN) to be over 6247 kilometres (same distance from Antrim to Chicago as the crow flies). By 2022, 60% of NI households will have access to natural gas,” adds Mr Stanfield. And to stand out from its competitors firmus will be ensuring its name is the household choice through seasonal marketing projects and the signing of a new ambassador as Mr Stanfield explains: “In 2018, we have focused our marketing campaign on ‘being local and inspirational’. Through video, outdoor, print and online we have achieved a multi-channel campaign that represents firmus energy as the experienced, local natural gas supplier. “Our summer campaign focused on our partnership with our Gas Safe Registered Installers. Our local gas installers became the face of the firmus energy campaign in their area which cemented the campaign objective that we support local. “We have introduced Sarah Travers as our brand ambassador for the Autumn/Winter 2018 campaign. Sarah brings the aspirational aspect to natural gas. As a busy, modern mother and business woman Sarah needs a reliable, smart and instant home heating system that matches her lifestyle.” In a market of well-established and recognised brands, Paul says it’s firmus’ customer service that makes it stand out from the crowd. “I know that is a typical answer, but we do believe in and deliver our company values of Clarity, Integrity, Empathy and Teamwork daily throughout the whole customer experience from connecting to natural gas and being a firmus customer. This was recently recognised upon receiving the Investor in People Gold award which is rewarded after achieving high standards of excellence following staff surveys and interviews,” he says. “All of our staff are “City and Guilds in energy efficiency” qualified and we’re proud to be the only gas business to hold such an accolade. This enables us to advise customers correctly, improve their green credentials and maximise the efficient use of natural gas appliances.” And in an ever-environmentally mindful society, firmus’ green stats are further reason to encourage customers to opt for the brand. “Throughout the current customer base in NI, firmus energy has facilitated the removal of 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is the equivalent of removing the pollution of 30,000 cars from our roads, every year,” Paul adds. “All our construction activities adhere to the

most up to date environmentally conscious techniques and we are pleased to have been recently awarded ISO 18001, 14001:2015 and ISO 55001 which are standards that ensure that our policies and practices meet the strictest legislative requirements in relation to the environment, health and safety and asset management,” he continues. Then there’s the firm’s CSR activities, its role in reducing energy in the transport sector and the installation of domestic energy-efficient equipment that all plays on its conscious efforts to be socially responsible. With opportunity in the sector certain, it makes sense for the firm to be ahead of the game but that doesn’t mean it will rest on its laurels when it has seized more and more of the market here. firmus has more in the pipeline reveals Paul: “Ambitious plans have been approved by the Utility Regulator for firmus to make natural gas available to a further 48,000 homes and businesses by 2022. This is a further £50 million investment over and above the current £100 million already invested in bringing natural gas to the local economy.”

ENERGY IN FOCUS

In the pipeline

ENERGY IN FOCUS

At the forefront of gas Jonathan Martindale, Phoenix Natural Gas Executive Director talks to Ambition about the company’s evolution since it steered the NI gas energy market here 20 years ago, its expansion potential, plans and promoting the greener benefits of switching to gas. Phoenix Natural Gas serves 210,000 customers in Northern Ireland and that figure is about to grow following the firm’s hefty investment in County Down in 2016. That £60m development will allow it to extend its natural gas network to a further 13 towns in the area including Anahilt, Ballygowan, Ballynahinch, Castlewellan, Crossgar, Downpatrick, Dromore, Drumaness, Dundrum, Hillsborough, Newcastle, Saintfield and Spa. The investment is part of a wider £500m picture on its part, that spans the past 20 years since it arrived here when natural gas was first introduced to Northern Ireland via the Scotland to Northern Ireland gas pipeline in 1996. Initially, natural gas was made available to customers in Greater Belfast, the immediate surrounding area and Larne where the gas distribution network has been developed by Phoenix. And since its arrival, the gas energy industry has developed to incorporate two transmission companies, Mutual Energy Limited and Gas Networks Ireland and three gas distribution companies, Phoenix Natural Gas, Firmus and SGN, as well as six natural gas suppliers, Jonathan informs Ambition. “Over the past two years, Phoenix Natural Gas has fully completed construction of the bulk pipeline, allowing gas to be made available in each locality, and continues to work to connect individual properties over the next number of years. By the time the project is complete in 2022, an additional 28,000 properties will be connectable and we look forward to adding even more customers to our network,” says Jonathan on that recent expenditure. It’s Phoenix’s investment power that has made it the largest natural gas distribution and gas services business in the north continues Jonathan. “Having invested over £500 million pounds in laying some 3,500km of pipework to date, Phoenix Natural Gas is the largest natural gas distribution and gas services business in the north. The

company has achieved a penetration rate of over 60 per cent, connecting over 200,000 customers and making natural gas available to 330,000 properties in the licence area, accounting for 44% of the total population of Northern Ireland,” he adds. It’s an impressive statistic and one that has made Phoenix Gas the popular energy choice for homes and businesses here. And it’s not only the firm’s two decades of flawless reputation that has boosted its operations here. Its environmental offering has reinforced its CSR culture, one that has greatly assisted the NI Executive in meeting its environmental objectives. Johnathan continues: “Since arriving in 1996, Phoenix Natural Gas has played a significant role in the decarbonisation of the Greater Belfast area, removing over 4.2m tonnes of carbon dioxide from the environment, the equivalent of taking 107,585 cars off the road. By its very make-up, natural gas is a fuel with inherent environmental benefits...” It’s a green attribute that the firm continues to promote and one that has beckoned awards adds Jonathan: “The company is proud of its environmental credentials, achieving gold status in the recent Business in the Community Northern Ireland Sustainability Survey for its commitment to environmental excellence. “Given the focus that Phoenix Natural Gas puts on its environmental responsibilities, the company has a very clear corporate social responsibility strategy to ensure it is giving back to local communities. Over time the company’s approach to CSR has evolved from simply being ‘the right thing to do’ to being intrinsically entwined with the business strategy, seeking to build a longterm, sustainable business that creates real economic, social and environmental value. Phoenix embraces its corporate social responsibility and embeds it at every level in the organisation. Driven from the

top, it’s this transformational thinking that identifies Phoenix as an organisation that embodies responsible business.” One of Phoenix’s CSR initiatives is its Energy for Children Charitable Trust, which Jonathan says has been the “backbone of Phoenix’s commitment to CSR”; “The Trust aims to reach deeper into the heart of local communities and provide financial support to those in need and has helped over 9,000 children to date,” he says. Phoenix may sit at the forefront of the gas energy sector here, but that by no means implies it will sit back and reap its rewards. Environmentally conscious plans are high up the agenda for the firm. “As an environmentally focused company, Phoenix Natural Gas will continue to play a major part in helping to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to a cleaner, greener place to live. As the cleanest burning fossil fuel, we will continue to promote the environmental credentials of natural gas to the 100,000 plus properties still yet to connect to the network and encourage switching. As such, growth within our existing licence area to encourage adoption to natural gas will remain a key focus for us,” explains Johnathan. East Down is the firm’s next focus which will involve engineering developments that provide solutions to allow for further use of gas through both existing and new technologies and he adds maintenance will be key to keeping its name at the top: “In addition to expanding our network geographically, we will continue to service a customer base of over 210,000, keeping the people of Greater Belfast warm this winter.” Jonathan’s immediate hopes are that energy developments are supported effectively by a restored Executive here. He concludes: “Now that ISEM is up and running we need to ensure that local energy policy supports the wider needs of Northern Ireland moving forward. The targets and objectives of the current policy have generally been met, but Northern Ireland now needs a new energy roadmap to ensure that the energy industry can suitably prepare and invest where required to complement existing policy and infrastructure in both transport and wider energy consumption. In developing new policy in this area, a functioning local Executive will be key to ensuring the inclusion of ministerial influence on both the development of a policy and the subsequent delivery of it.”

Small choices can make a big difference. We all want to live in a cleaner, greener world – and the energy choices that home and business customers make can power the change to a greener environment here in Northern Ireland. SSE talks to Ambition about leading that change.

SSE Airtricity is Northern Ireland’s largest provider of greener energy. Just over one third of the electricity SSE Airtricity supplies to its general home and business customers is generated from renewable sources such as wind and solar power. Last year, in 2017, the green energy sourced by SSE Airtricity powered the equivalent of over 180,000 homes across Northern Ireland, significantly abating around 80,000 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions. Additionally, many more business customers choose to go greener still by opting for SSE Airtricity’s 100% green energy products, offsetting many more hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions each year. “As Northern Ireland’s largest provider of greener energy, we’re proud to supply cleaner energy generated from our local wind farms and by solar energy to homes and businesses across the region,” Andrew Greer, General Manager for SSE Airtricity Northern Ireland, comments. “By choosing SSE Airtricity, our business and home customers know that they are joining the growing numbers who are making the choice to switch to a greener energy provider to help power a cleaner and greener environment. It’s individual changes such as these that make a powerful contribution towards tackling climate change, both locally and globally.” SSE Airtricity is one of Northern Ireland’s leading energy utilities, providing greener electricity, natural gas and essential energy services to homes and businesses. In electricity, SSE Airtricity has a 20% share of the total home and business market. In Home Energy the company is a leading driver of customer choice through competitive home energy offerings. In Business Energy, SSE Airtricity is the proud supplier of some of the region’s leading businesses, offering tailored electricity products and premier service support. “We’re especially proud of our reputation as a trusted energy partner to Northern Ireland businesses,” Andrew Greer continues. “We have built long-term relationships with our customers based on meeting their long-term expectations and managing their energy risk appetite.” In Greater Belfast, SSE Airtricity is the market leading natural gas supplier, with an over 50% share of the total market for home and business gas customers. And its gas

SSE Airtricity’s partnership with NI HSC Trusts is helping make the care provided to more than 1.5m patients, whether in hospitals or local health centres, as sustainable as it can be.

market share is growing as more and more customers make the switch to natural gas as networks expand, including the new Gas To The West network area where SSE Airtricity is the commissioning supplier. In line with the company’s strategy to grow its energy services business, SSE Airtricity completed the acquisition this year of leading energy services contractor Fusion Heating, based in Castlereagh. Fusion has partnered with SSE Airtricity since 2013, playing a major role in the growth of the company’s SSE Airtricity Energy Services business, which provides boiler services, repairs and replacements to homes as well as public and private sector business customers across Northern Ireland. Since 2008, the company has invested over half a billion pounds in Northern Ireland’s sustainable energy infrastructure, helping to green our economy, secure our energy future, and support local job creation through supply chain contracts. As a result, SSE Airtricity now employs around 250 people here. The company has twice been named ‘The Right Place to Work’ in the annual Irish News Workplace and Employment Awards, and is proudly an accredited Living Wage Foundation employer. At group level, SSE plc was the first FTSE 100 company to be accredited with the Fair Tax Mark, and has been awarded the Mark four years in a row – cementing its longterm commitment to play fair by tax. SSE Airtricity is Northern Ireland’s largest provider of renewable energy, generating

over 140MW of clean, green energy at its wind farms in counties Derry-Londonderry, Tyrone and Fermanagh. SSE Airtricity also has Power Purchase Agreements with other generators for over 300MW of wind and solar power including 46MW from the largest solar farm on the island, Bann Road at Rasharkin, Co Antrim. Through its Community Fund, the company has contributed over £1.5m to communities close to its wind farms, including more than £250,000 in scholarship funding for local students. Harnessing the energy around us for good is core to SSE Airtricity’s DNA. So too is working with partners to reduce the amount of energy they use. For the last two years SSE Airtricity has been supplying ‘dual fuel’ natural gas and 100 per cent renewable electricity to the Belfast, Western, South Eastern and Northern Trusts. Over the lifetime of the partnership, SSE Airtricity is rolling out an innovative Sustainability Engagement Programme that includes a range of initiatives designed to meet the sustainability objectives of each of the Trusts, including the provision of electric vans and electric vehicle charge points, as well as sponsorship of energy awareness weeks and much more. In taking all these steps, SSE Airtricity is working in partnership with business and home energy customers to deliver a low carbon and secure energy supply at an affordable price to the consumer. Now, those are small changes that are making a very big difference to our world.

ENERGY IN FOCUS

Powering the change to a greener future

ENERGY IN FOCUS

Technology, ISEM & Renewables

Budget Energy has firmly established its place in the NI energy market since its launch in 2011. Here Anne McEvoy, Operation Director at Budget, talks ISEM and big developments.

Based in Derry/Londonderry, Budget Energy powers almost 10% of the local market - a figure that is continuing to grow says Anne McEvoy. Fresh from launching its BE Energy brand in the Republic, Budget is on an upward trajectory continues Anne: “BE Energy Ireland is part of Budget Energy NI, we launched our new supply company softly in the Republic last year and plans are underway to advance market share with intentions of building products that customers will like. Our products will be available to both domestic and business consumers.“ Anne says forging ahead with digital services is key to engaging existing and capturing new customers. “We have engaged experts Global tech company Neueda to create bespoke software systems that integrates two markets with great focus in customer facing relations. We also commissioned Neueda to develop Smart Apps for both companies,” she says. “The Northern Ireland app is very popular with our PAYG customers and to date our investment has been in excess of one million pounds and continues. These new software and operating systems allow for enhanced customer engagement, this has been compounded in the recent survey undertaken by the CCNI with our company scoring highest in Northern Ireland for Customer Satisfaction.” It’s a coup for a new company - to score the highest in customer satisfaction ratings - but Anne’s plans to always ensure BE’s service users have everything they need at their fingertips is high up the agenda. “Budget Energy will continue to provide value for money electricity to consumers through a combination of competitive pricing and strategy purchasing,” she adds. “We believe customers should have the information needed to decide on how to best

manage their energy consumption and bills and therefore we are committed to investing in innovation. Our plan is to continue gaining market share in Northern Ireland combined with gains in market share in the ROI market with an overall goal of providing value for money energy and innovation products to upwards of 100,000 consumers within Ireland.” It’s no mean feat given the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and the ISEM project still in its infancy, but she’s hopeful. “The hope is the opportunity of trading options, capacity availability at the lowest cost to the system operators - and thereby the lowest cost to our customers,” she adds. Referencing the settling in period of ISEM she continues: “The imbalance market has seen significant volatility since it went live on 1st October, as market participant our in-house traders and analysts have been analysing the first few week’s events to see if any shape is emerging.” What’s certain to emerge is Brexit but still, like many of her peers, Anne is hopeful for the existing energy market here. “We hope that the single Electricity Market will

continue in any scenario, including a no deal Brexit. “If an agreement cannot be reached there is a risk that the Single Electricity Market will be unable to continue and the Northern Ireland market would become separated from that of Ireland. Separate Ireland and Northern Ireland markets will be less efficient, with potential effects for producers, suppliers, and consumers on both sides of the border.” Regardless of Brexit and volatile oil prices that continue to bubble in the background, Budget has big plans - to boost its customer base and home in on its renewable offering. “Budget Energy have a significant renewable portfolio from wind turbines and solar panels to solar farms and anaerobic digestion and hydro plants in Northern Ireland. “We are very much committed to increasing our green portfolio and continually source renewable energy generation in the province, buying renewable energy produced in Northern Ireland that is currently meeting over 50% of our customer demand in Northern Ireland,” Anne concludes.

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COLUMnIST

Maureen O’Reilly, NI Chamber Economist

Measuring up on productivity?

High Growth Business – relying too much on the few.

id you know that you can work out the productivity of your business and compare it to average productivity for a business of your size and in your sector?1 This interactive tool, recently released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), requires only three pieces of information: your businesses turnover (or sales), purchases of inputs (excluding investment), and how many people you employ. It has been developed by ONS after lots of engagement and demand from stakeholders in business and policy circles asking them to help understand productivity in more detail and driven by a growing concern around weak UK productivity, a major fall-out from the last recession. In very simple terms, productivity is a measure of how well you use what you put in to generate what you get out. There are a number of ways of measuring it but typically it is expressed as value added which is the difference between the value of what is produced less the cost of producing it (including labour, capital, materials). Highly productive businesses use what they put into making their goods and services more efficient meaning that they have better profit margins, can pay higher wages, invest more and in the widest sense drive up living standards and support economic growth in the local and wider economy. Every economy needs more productive businesses. Unfortunately low productivity is one of Northern Ireland’s biggest weaknesses and has been a persistent drag on the local economy for years. The value added we produce per hour worked remains the lowest of the twelve UK

regions, lagging around 15% to 20% behind the UK average and the UK itself is not a particularly good benchmark to use in international terms. The gap between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK has been persistent for many years despite being the target of a number of economic strategies. There are a number of reasons for this and it is complicated. Northern Ireland has a relatively high concentration of low productivity sectors as well as lower productivity within sectors. ONS research2 into the characteristics of businesses in the bottom 10% of the labour productivity distribution, or ‘laggards’ as they are called, also points to the fact that low productivity businesses tend largely to be micro-enterprises employing less than 10 people (accounting for around 90% of laggards). Northern Ireland is dominated by micro-enterprises, which make up 95% of the business base here.3 It is important that all businesses know and understand their own productivity performance and the role that they play in driving productivity and growth in the wider economy. In the latest NI Chamber/BDO Quarterly Economic Survey4 we asked members how they viewed their own business productivity in order to understand the extent to which local businesses perceive this to be an issue or not for them. The findings were intriguing. Around 3 in 5 (61%) rated their productivity as good/very good, 30% rated it as OK, with just 1 in 20 (5%) saying that productivity in their business was poor. This means that around 1 in 3 businesses recognise productivity as an issue in their own business. Skills concerns and the burden of government regulation were cited as the biggest issues impacting on productivity. What struck me

as well was that when members were asked about what government could do to help, if anything, businesses simply weren’t sure. The findings also suggested that not all businesses understand or are comfortable with the concept of productivity in itself. A recent piece of research by Natwest and CEBR looking at UK productivity against Germany5 also found that UK SMEs are not sure what actions they need to take to boost business productivity. In fact in this research found that even though more than twothirds (69%) of SME decision makers believe improving productivity is important, around 2 in 5 (41%) don’t know what productivity means in practice, making it difficult for them to identify the steps to improve it. This suggests that providing simple advice to businesses on what productivity is and why it is important must form an integral part of any policy response by government if we are ever going to move forward on this persistent and damaging issue. The ONS benchmarking tool is a simplistic start to understanding productivity but in my view an important one. Why not give it a go!

1 Great Britain based businesses only 2 https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/ economicoutputandproductivity/ productivitymeasures/articles/ understandingfirmsinthebottom10of thelabourproductivitydistributioningreatbritain/ jantomar2017 3 ONS Business Population Estimates 2017 4 Q3 2018 5 https://www.rbs.com/rbs/news/2018/06/natwestresearch-shows-effect-of-productivity-gap.html

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVES’ CLUB AT QUEEN’S The Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s is an executive business forum that facilitates and supports high-level networking in Northern Ireland. The Club was established in 1993 to connect, enhance and strengthen partnerships between the University and the Northern Ireland business sector. Club membership is comprised of leaders from a wide range of businesses; private, public, charity and social enterprise organisations; entrepreneurs; and leaders in higher education.

MEMBERSHIP RATES 2018/19 Private Business Member £185 per annum

Voluntary/Third Sector Member £120 per annum

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS •

High calibre, regular business and networking events—early morning, lunchtime and evening.

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Exclusive access to high level dinners.

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Access to national and international thought leaders as speakers, and a forum for informed debate on topical issues.

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Priority invitations to a range of prestigious University Lectures and Conferences.

FURTHER INFORMATION Joanne Mallon | Business Engagement Manager | Tel: 028 9097 2598 | Email:j.mallon@qub.ac.uk

Download an application form at go.qub.ac.uk/CECatQUB

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25/10/2018 12:05

FEATURE

Challenges and Opportunities Professor Ian Greer was appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University in January this year - the 13th person to take hold of the reins at the educational institution. Having taken up post in August, he talks to Ambition about the challenges, opportunities and collaborating with the business community to secure a thriving NI economy.

orn and educated in Scotland, the former Vice President of the University of Manchester, Professor Ian Greer, has a challenge on his hands in his new role at Queen’s. But it’s one he’s well equipped to take on having held senior titles at equally prestigious institutions in Glasgow, Edinburgh, York, Liverpool and Manchester. Among those challenges is the current funding model at QUB and a restricted student intake both of which are not only limiting educational opportunities for young talent here but restricting possibilities for the business community. “In terms of institutional challenges, there is no doubt that we are constrained by the current higher education funding model which places a limit on the number of local students we can admit each year,” begins Professor Greer. “This is creating a serious weakness in the Northern Ireland economy, whereby businesses are in danger of having growth stifled due to the lack of skilled people to fulfil key roles. A skills shortage will deter Foreign Direct Investment in Northern Ireland and damage future economic growth. Universities and businesses need to work together to drive the skills agenda,” he adds. Couple the latter with the challenges brought about from Brexit and it’s easy to see Professor Greer has a fight on his hands. He tells Ambition that the current funding setup here is forcing large numbers of young people to leave NI in an exodus that is costing NI students more in funds, creating larger student debts and “starving our economy of talent”, because in reality, most do not return. “Queen’s could take many more able students, so we are not limited by capacity, but rather by the ability to accept our own students from NI,” informs Professor Greer. He adds that between 2009-10 and 2017-18, the annual block grant allocations from the government to the NI universities was reduced by £34m - this equates to some 16% in cash terms and 30% in real terms.

“So, the number of students that we can accept has fallen in line with reduced funding - the number of student places available has fallen by over 1,010. Ulster University have had to do the same. The consequence of this is that this academic year (2018-19), there are over 2,200 fewer places available for Northern Ireland school leavers than there were in the past. This is a serious risk to the economy,” he warns.

“I’ve spent over 35 years working in a university context, which has been an exciting journey.” A squeezed student intake is a grave concern that cannot be challenged by the universities alone. Professor Greer says political, civic and business support is paramount in tackling the argument - one that sees 34% of 18 year olds here leave for GB universities. And with one third of that statistic not returning home to

nurture a career in their chosen field, we ask Professor Greer what impact this academic migration is having on the business landscape. He says: “This has an obvious knock-on effect for the business community and does not allow us to adequately address the skills gap as we seek to grow our knowledge economy and digital technology sectors.” When you consider the lucrative influence the University has, even in its finite format, on the economy, the urgency to address QUB’s pressing issues seems ever more crucial. Professor Greer says QUB’s activities across the UK had an economic impact estimated to be around £1.9bn in 2015-16. It’s a figure derived from a recently commissioned external, evidence based report conducted by London Economics. Breaking it down, he says: “This means a benefit to cost ratio of more than 6:1. That’s certainly a high return on investment! Furthermore, the report estimated that for every £1m invested in the University’s research activities, an additional annual economic output of £3.9m is generated across the UK economy.” It makes sense that politicians act to meet the demands of the University, given its “vital” role in the economy here. Professor Greer describes the relationship between QUB and local businesses as “mutually beneficial”. It’s a partnership that ensures a vibrant future for Northern Ireland on all facets he asserts. “We work closely with businesses across the sectors in Northern Ireland and have a thriving Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s. Queen’s has fostered a culture of commercialisation through the decades and is one of the most successful universities in the UK in terms of successful spin-out companies and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. Indeed, Queen’s has spun out over 80 companies and in doing so created more than 2,000 jobs. “Growing the NI economy through education, skills and innovation that drives business development and growth, is part of our mission. We are committed to seeing growth in Northern Ireland’s economy and I believe it is

important for the higher education sector and business community to have one voice as well as unity in purpose to grow Northern Ireland’s economy. Success comes from partnership.” Restricted domestic intake numbers aside, QUB is continually building its reputation to attract international scholars - an intake that remains independent of its NI student allowance and one that remains an important part of the makeup of the institution as it seeks “to increase diversity, build our international reputation and attract global talent”. “At Queen’s, we have 2,400 international students, about 12% of our student body. Many GB university peers have more than twice as many international students. We are seeking to further grow our international student population and strongly believe this is an area which presents significant opportunities,” says Professor Greer. “They are also important to the Northern

Ireland economy,” he stresses. “The recent report commissioned by Queen’s and conducted by London Economics, which I mentioned earlier, examined the economic impact of Queen’s University. Regarding the international students, the figures revealed that for every eight international students who come to Belfast, £1m is delivered to the economy.” Among the University’s immediate business targets to further contribute to the economy is its role in helping to secure City Region Deals for Belfast and Derry and Strabane District Council. “A successful outcome will result in a step change in the economic fortunes of the entire region and I look forward to working closely with our partners in the business community in delivering this exciting project,” says Professor Greer. Collaboration and innovation are also high up the agenda for the new Vice Chancellor he

continues: “I’ve spent over 35 years working in a university context, which has been an exciting journey. The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data is far-reaching, with an impact on almost every area, and we are far from realising its potential. For example, I’ve seen at firsthand exciting ways in which health research collaborating with digital technology have been improving people’s lives. “Perhaps the greatest current opportunity is the Belfast Region City Deal. This, coupled with the developing Derry/Londonderry City Deal, presents a once in a lifetime opportunity for Northern Ireland. The projects put forward by Queen’s and Ulster University build on our existing internationally competitive strengths, and address global megatrends. Importantly these have been created in partnership, across Universities, councils and sectors to cultivate collaboration, increase productivity and drive innovation.”

FEATURE

QFT 50 YEARS OF CINEMATIC CLASS Queen’s Film Theatre is celebrating half a decade of bringing the art of cinematography to Northern Ireland. Here Emma Deighan chats with Head of QFT, Joan Parsons.

FT has a lot to celebrate in 2018. Fresh from a £350,000 revamp and celebrating 50 years of projecting everything from movie classics to nouveau cinema to an NI audience, the theatre has been a jewel in the arts offering here. And to commemorate it wrapped up 30 special events, including in-depth Q&A sessions with high profile industry names throughout the month of October. It also showcased its illustrious history through an exhibition of photographs, artefacts and memorabilia. One of its highlights was a screening of Louis Malle’s 1960s madcap comedy Viva Maria! presented on 35mm. It

was the first film ever shown at the QFT. And a French pop-themed disco with DJ David Holmes followed making it one of the most popular parties in Belfast. QFT’s history stems back to 1968 when a university student newspaper slammed the cinema offering in the city. The Gown claimed that “there is virtually no cinema in Belfast that shows any films other than John Wayne or Julie Andrews spectaculars”. And so QFT was born, thanks to lecturer Michael Barnes and Belfast Festival Director Michael Emmerson who created an independent cinema in a converted lecture theatre at QUB with a gala premiere of Viva Maria.

Vice Chancellor of Queen’s University, Professor Ian Greer, Queen’s Film Theatre head of venue, Joan Parsons and Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive of Belfast City Council.

And since, Head of QFT Joan Parsons says the venue has been the popular alternative to the high street cinema for those who want more than the commercial box office hits. “QFT has provided hundreds of thousands of people the opportunity to find something different in terms of film. Much of the programme screened at QFT does not screen elsewhere in Northern Ireland and this is a rich resource for all to enjoy,” she begins. Queen’s University’s new Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian Greer agrees. He describes the venue on University Square as a “social hub” adding: “We are privileged to have such a unique cultural venue on campus, with vast experience of bringing a high quality film experience to Belfast audiences. As well as being a social hub for our students and the wider community in Northern Ireland, QFT brings many positive economic, cultural and social benefits to the local economy.” It may be embedded in student life at the campus but QFT is open to all. It has also played the backdrop to many memorable events with private screenings setting the scene for a unique night out or a private corporate function. It has also welcomed dozens of celebrities and dignitaries through its doors over the last five decades. Joan, who has been in her role for a year, adds: “You only need to glance at the history of QFT and it’s clear that the cinema has hosted lots of famous faces over the years. From Kenneth Branagh to Timothy Spall! However, it’s not only the well-known filmmakers that visit QFT and we are proud to welcome filmmakers at all stages of their careers to offer a chance for audiences to see the best new films.” Actor and director Kenneth Branagh was once quoted saying he valued the theatre as a resource for critique. He said: “I remember nervously standing at the back of the QFT as we showed one of the first public screenings of my film-directing debut, Henry V (in 1989). Since then I have been lucky enough to show many of my films in the city and I have always eagerly anticipated the critical responses of audiences there.”

It’s a Wonderful Life.

First Man.

Much of QFT’s celebrations to mark its anniversary have been reason to, once again, attract education and industry chiefs as well as screening the preview of a very poignant movie. “We opened the 50th celebrations Queen’s Film with a fitting film, First Man from Theatre head of Damien Chazelle. Telling the story venue, Joan Parsons. of the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong (played by Ryan Gosling), the timing of which almost coincided with the launch of the QFT the tradition that is loved by so many, and itself. We were delighted to welcome the Vice welcome back ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ to our Chancellor of Queen’s University, Professor screens, along with plenty of other great films,” Ian Greer, the Chief Executive of Belfast City she reveals. Council, Suzanne Wylie and the Chief Executive Looking to the future of the venue, Joan says of Northern Ireland Screen, Richard Williams,” offering a unique experience is always high up says Joan who is gearing up for a jam-packed the venue’s agenda: “QFT will continue to reach new audiences, champion the very best film winter schedule. “Christmas is always a great time in cinemas, has to offer and provide film experiences for people love to come in from the cold and get all for many years to come. The film industry cosy and enjoy the old favourites and some is constantly changing and QFT will remain the new family treats. We will, of course, continue very best place to watch films, an innovator in

its approach and the home of independent film in Northern Ireland,” she says. Angela Lavin, senior grants officer, Heritage Lottery Fund Northern Ireland, which has supported QFT’s operations added: “QFT has been part of the fabric of Belfast for 50 years and many people have strong memories of watching the wonderful array of diverse films that have been shown there over the years. We were delighted to invest National Lottery funding to help the QFT to collate, share and celebrate their rich heritage.”

FEATURE

My Ambition is to... Aveen clarke, hr officer, moy park.

riginally from Rostrevor Co.Down, I attended St. Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel and was a keen student. I had a particular strength in Business Studies but was more interested in the ‘people’ element as opposed to the economics, so decided to pursue a degree in Human Resources Development at the Ulster University.

I found the academic support and career guidance at university fantastic. I developed strengths in employee relations and employment law and pictured myself working in a practical role. Although I hadn’t considered a career in the food industry previously, my tutors helped me identify the most suitable positions and employers for my placement year, and Moy Park immediately appealed to me given the breadth of training and recruitment programmes and ongoing career development and learning opportunities. I wanted to set myself a challenge and felt there was no better place to start than Northern Ireland’s largest business, as opposed to potentially limiting my opportunities or experiences in other smaller organisations. My first foray into the world of HR occurred in 2014, when I joined Moy Park as a placement student at the company’s Dungannon site. It was from here that my interest and enthusiasm for working within an HR role really blossomed, and I relished the fast-paced working environment, variety of the job function and the chance to experience first-hand a role in HR. This placement was the perfect opportunity for me to step onto the career ladder while furthering my education. It allowed me to get exposure to life in a real workplace and discover what it takes to work for a leading company, whilst being paid and helping me save for final year. I now have technical, practical experience and most importantly,

the self-assurance to talk confidently with colleagues. A work or office environment can be a little intimidating at first but working in a team environment is second nature to me now and I credit my placement for giving me that confidence. In the summer of 2016 I graduated from Ulster University with a BSc Degree and was delighted to be successful in gaining a place on Moy Park’s Graduate Management Trainee programme. Over the two-year programme, participants gain skills in team leadership, personal effectiveness, financial awareness and commercial acumen. Three of the modules were residential, and I have thoroughly enjoyed gaining experience in actual HR roles at Moy Park’s Craigavon, Dungannon and Ashbourne sites, with the latter being where I am currently based. This promotes team building, shared learnings and experiential development activities within a relaxed and fun environment, and really helps to grasp the scale of the company’s operations at first hand including this time working in a GB location. For me the graduate scheme really helps boost your profile across the wider Moy Park group and gives you exposure across the business, improving your employability prospects. I also made friendships with fellow graduates on the Moy Park scheme who work in other functions within the business and this promotes networking and social skills. As opposed to specialising in just one area, I am gaining a firm understanding of business needs across the different sites and operations. Now in my fourth year at Moy Park, I have recently been promoted to HR Officer and have hugely benefitted from accelerated

career progression in an exciting, fast-paced industry - I can’t quite believe how quickly the time has gone! The variation of the role and the day-to-day is what most appealed to me about working in HR with no two days being the same! I am responsible for areas such as the recruitment and retention process, employee relations, disciplinaries, performance and data analytics, managing non-attendance and occupational health, and most importantly of all - ensuring everyone gets paid on time! On reflection, I have no doubt that my studies and time spent on placement with Moy Park prepared me for the world of work and stood me in good stead for my role today. My degree ensured I was well versed in the processes, scenarios and situations of HR while my placement allowed me to experience it in action. Through my placement in particular I was able to experience what working in a business is like, and how companies work. You don’t get a sense of that at university in the same way, as it is academic and lecturebased knowledge being passed on. It helped me to expand my skillset and knowledge, and offers a great opportunity in terms of handson experience in a field or career that you’re interested in. Looking forward, my ambition is to continue my personal and professional development and ultimately achieve a management role in HR, looking after my own team, developing placement students like myself and progressing the people that will one day lead and manage the business into the future. Presently, I am gaining experience and exposure to all aspects of the company, and I am excited for what the future holds.

Mark Haslam, Managing Director of Loud Mouth Media

COLUMnIST

Machine Learning â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the future of Digital Advertising?

How machine learning and humanity go hand in hand.

ith the digital marketing industry becoming increasingly more involved in artificial intelligence and machine learning, it is important to understand exactly what the technology is, and what impact it has on digital advertising as a whole. In definition, machine learning is an application of artificial intelligence that provides computer systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from previous experience without being explicitly programmed. There is a common misconception that advancements in AI and machine learning will render humanity simply redundant. However, the reality is much less of a Hollywood movie

plot. Machine learning is simply used to aid or amplify some of the things that humans do best, including interpreting data and analysing performance. The process of machine learning begins with observations or data - such as examples, direct experience, or instruction - in order to look for patterns in data and make better decisions in the future based on the examples provided. The ability to predict behaviours, diagnose issues and control variables and outcomes is fuelled by algorithms, which teach themselves to grow and change when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re exposed to new data. 2018 has been a significant year for the evolution of machine learning in PPC. We have moved away from a solely manual AdWords management process, with AdWords already having a suite of tools that can improve the performance of campaigns through machine learning and this is continually expanding. There are three key areas where machine learning plays a key role: definition of audiences based on online behaviours; smart bidding using audience data and predictive CTRS; and ad structure and rotation to determine the most effective formats to gain conversion. This not only saves money and time but also allows the automation process to improve results and continually learn. This will, in the long term,

help campaigns to achieve the desired results with minimal guesswork. As the supply of data continues to expand, and AI research continues to make progress, we can expect the quality of machine learningdriven features in digital advertising to improve. However, although machine learning is an incredibly powerful tool, it is imperative to incorporate a human element in digital advertising. The volumes of data generated wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reveal anything in themselves: human expertise is required to make sense of them. Human input is crucial in terms of digital strategy, business priorities, external factors, analysing competitor behaviour and in real marketing decision-making. The challenge in bringing together complex data sets is a lack of commonality and this is where human expertise is vital in adding layers of value by quantifying the right parameters, linking data to relevant content and building relationships. There is little doubt that machine learning is an incredibly useful development in digital advertising, by interpreting data faster and more efficiently to predict future events. However, more important than the data are the human experts who can engineer that data in ways that add real value and accelerate growth for the business.

FEATURE

Talking about an evolution Forde May has been recruiting high-level executives across the public, private and voluntary sectors for over 20 years but a changing political and economic backdrop means the business has been continually evolving to incorporate more roles in the Republic of Ireland. Emma Deighan talks to Gerry May, Managing Director at the firm.

Gerry May, Managing Director at Forde May.

he Northern Ireland economy may be experiencing growth at a modest rate. Hark back to the beginning of this decade and today our business activity appears very buoyant. But a squeeze on consumers, Brexit uncertainty and political unpredictability has seen wages stagnate among some sectors here and it’s causing a shift at Northern Ireland executive recruitment firm, Forde May Consulting.

The south Belfast-based firm, which headhunts for clients across all business industries, is seeing more and more senior executives open to relocation if the numbers and opportunites are right. And right now, the numbers especially, are right in the Republic of Ireland says Gerry May. Among the driving forces there are the pharmaceuticals, technology and medical device sectors. “To mitigate any potential negative impact on the local economy as a result of Brexit, especially in sectors such as manufacturing and agri-food, we’ve been working with many companies south of the border; it is certainly a region of growth. Much of this work has been generated organically through existing

networks and clients, but there is also a degree of targeting and segmentation on our part,” he begins on the senior tier migration. “When benchmarked against comparable roles, salaries in the Republic of Ireland are outstripping those in Northern Ireland. Historically, it may have been a harder sell for recruitment firms to generate local interest in roles south of the border, but we are finding a significant increases in executives keen to explore these opportunities and we’ve had a number of these high profile roles,” he continues. “The reason for this, I think, is because salaries in Northern Ireland within a number of sectors have remained stagnant and when senior executives can see the economy thriving down south, it makes sense, even if that move is only for a limited period. For senior executives to consider a move south they will achieve a significant uplift in remuneration, especially as there has been parity in the Sterling/Euro exchange rate. Ultimately executives gain the experience plus move up the salary ladder,” he explains. Gerry says many of the executives keen to avail of a more generous wage package boast living circumstances that can afford a

relocation. He adds: “Some of the roles we’ve been working on will fit individuals who are at a point in their career when a move is possible; for those that have greater career and personal freedoms than they once had. Circumstance may be that they are executives who have no children, or had children who have moved out of the home and gone to university.” A number of Forde May’s clients straddle the NI and ROI economies. It’s a true benefit for this search firm and one that allows it to operate in a service sector that will hopefully remain fairly resilient to any Brexit-induced fallouts. Gerry compares the movement into ROI to that of the construction boom in Gulf countries which has long been providing lucrative roles for Northern Irish building professionals. He says: “The down side of wage stagnation in some sectors in Northern Ireland is the knock on effect it has on people’s expectations and their desires to make a move. And they will look afield just like they did in construction. We find that the Googles, Facebooks, technology and large pharma businesses across Ireland can offer the big salaries and global opportunities that many firms here can’t.” Forde May Consulting works across all business sectors and disciplines at the senior end of the job market . Its expertise focuses on headhunting an individual who, on paper, fits the bill but also has the personality to cater to a specific corporate culture. It’s that successful recruitment prototype that has made it the first, and now one of the most successful, private executive search firms here. “Our model is search. We’ll find the right people and that model prevails irrespective of the sector,” continues Gerry. And that’s a strength that has won Forde May some of the most prominent search projects there have been of late. This includes its role in successfully headhunting and appointing a Scrutiny Board last year to oversee the Department of Finance’s £100m Executive Investment Fund. The fund focuses on investment in the areas of regeneration, office and low carbon projects to deliver economic growth. CBRE Investment Services was appointed to manage the Fund, leveraging in private finance and reinvesting the £100 million to deliver significant benefits for Northern Ireland and its economy. CBRE’s work will be overseen by a Scrutiny Board, for which Forde May Consulting was retained to appoint. The board, led by Stephen Kirkpatrick, Chair at BDO Northern Ireland, will scrutinise the government investment project. Among its other chiefs are Lindsay Todd, a former equity partners at PwC, Patrick McClughan, Corporate Consultant, Director of Finance and Corporate Services of the Executive Office, Peter Toogood and Finance Director for the Department for Communities, Deborah Brown. It was a high level project that is testament

The Scrutiny Board appointed by Forde May Consulting.

to the firm’s credibility for finding the best people for top positions. And Gerry says the process was not only a major coup for the firm, but one for the overall economy. “The five Board members meet to monitor and scrutinise the investment pipeline developed by CBRE. Their work, and that of CBRE Investment Services, is ultimately beneficial for the broader NI economy and infrastructure. It provides scope for developing projects in areas such as regeneration, Grade A office space, energy efficiency and low carbon,” he continues. The decision to set up the Investment Fund and Scrutiny Committee, luckily, was taken prior to the Stormont impasse. It’s the political

elephant in the room that Gerry believes has negatively impacted the local economy. “I don’t envy those operating solely in the public sector,” says Gerry. “No decisions are being taken, and we can see from the backlash of Arc 21 how that sits with those operating in and with the public sector. Civil servants are in an awkward position and I think we have to see how it plays out over the next six months. I don’t think there’ll be any restoration of Stormont until/if Brexit occurs in March 2019.” So what will that political stalemate on an EU level spell for recruitment activity at executive level? “People will always consider new opportunities, but increased activity may

depend on the sector they’re currently in, and whether over-exposure in their current firm/ sector to the effects of Brexit influences their decision to make a move. There will be an element of guesswork until more clarification is forthcoming on the final outcome of the EU-UK deal. Hopefully that clarification isn’t far away,” adds Gerry who will push ahead with nurturing those who are sitting at the top and are open to moves. “We will continue to have conversations and meetings with individuals, advising them on CV format and guiding them through interview techniques by coaching and mentoring them. We’ve partnered with many high level individuals to coach and mentor through and intensive interview process, and it’s something we provide as a component part of our service to candidates, not as an added billed extra. Ultimately, we’re building a relationship with clients and candidates, and while there might not be an immediate return on the services we offer, we’re in it for the long term, meaning that if we provide a service or coaching session to individuals, we know we’ll have forged that long term partnership at the outset.” Looking ahead where uncertainty is the only thing that remains certain after our departure from the EU, Gerry says Forde May will continue leaving its recruitment imprint in ROI boardrooms: “Our excellent skills base in Northern Ireland is acknowledged, and coupled with our ability to partner with businesses and headhunt candidates irrespective of location, we’re taking advantage of both factors to ensure Forde May Consulting continues to grow and evolve.”

Bank of mum and dad funding housing market recovery By Richard Ramsey, Chief Economist NI, Ulster Bank. The latest set of mortgage statistics from UK Finance reveal further signs of buoyancy in the Northern Ireland housing market. The first-time buyer market continues to post double-digit growth year-on-year. 2,700 new home-owners took out a mortgage in Q2 2018, that’s up 12.5% y/y and the highest figure since Q4 2005. Meanwhile the size of the loan advanced to new home-purchasers hit £100,000 for the first time. Significant deposits remain a feature of the mortgage market for first-time buyers. The median deposit for both NI & UK first-time buyers currently stands at £17,000. That equates to three-quarters of the median annual salary of a full-time Northern Ireland employee aged 25-34 years of age. Few thirty year olds (the average age of a first-time buyer) can avail of this sort of cash without assistance from the so-called Bank of Mum and Dad / Bank of Grandmum and Grandad. Unlike the first-time buyer market, growth in the home mover market remains lacklustre. The legacy of negative equity and little or no equity continue to act as a drag on this area of the market.

Only 1,600 loans were advanced for people moving house in Northern Ireland during Q2 2018. This represented a rise of 7% y/y but compares with a quarterly average of 4,000 for the decade 1997-2006. Remortgage activity, which accounts for one-third of mortgage activity, has also been on the rise. The number of loans remained flat at an eight-and-a-half year high of 2,300 in Q2 2018. This represented a rise of 10% y/y but is still only one-third of the volume of remortgage activity that occurred between 2005-2008. Overall, activity in Northern Ireland’s mortgage market continues to recover from the biggest property downturn in UK history. The first-time buyer market is driving this growth which in turn is being supported by individuals with access to sizeable deposits. As far as deposits are concerned, the wouldbe first-time buyer market is being split into haves and have nots. For an increasing number of aspirational home-owners, saving for a deposit is particularly challenging within the context of ongoing house price growth, strong rent inflation, modest wage growth and rising utility bills.

COLUMnIST

Angela Keery, Tax Director at BDO Northern Ireland

Brexit - five things businesses should do

Whatever your views on Brexit, it seems it is going to happen and preparing for all eventualities is just good business sense: if you haven’t started your preparations yet, you may end up losing out to competitors who have done their groundwork.

he risk of a hard Brexit outcome is clearly increasing as the government is upping its preparedness and has been publishing contingency briefings on coping with a no-deal Brexit. We have highlighted five key tasks that businesses can do now to prepare for whatever form Brexit takes next year. 1. Retailers and manufacturers apply for AEO status now; If you don’t have it already, and you are eligible to apply for it (i.e. you trade outside the EU) you should consider applying for Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) accreditation as soon as possible, if possible – ideally before March 29th next year, in order to be prepared for a ‘hard Brexit’ scenario. AEO status opens the door to a range of business privileges. It lowers your risk profile as far as the authorities are concerned – minimising the risk of delays at the border. It also allows you to waive or reduce mandatory financial guarantees for suspended and deferred customs duty and import VAT as well as to qualify for other customs duty reliefs, such as Customs Warehousing and Inward Processing.

2. Origin of goods analysis; As well as comparing the potential Customs Duty cost of a no-deal Brexit, it is sensible to look at the other duty impacts of Brexit – even a new trade deal could create new costs and compliance requirements. Carrying out a detailed analysis of where any products or components have been manufactured that businesses are buying, is essential to establish the ‘economic origin’ of the goods. If the final Brexit reality is that the UK and EU enter into a Free Trade Agreement; understanding of the economic origin of goods may be key to determining if a UK business could benefit from zero tariffs at import. This benefit is normally only available where rules or origin relating to the economic added value of the goods can be met. 3. Local VAT registrations; In many situations, it is not currently necessary for UK businesses to register for VAT in every EU country in which they sell goods: this may well change after Brexit. For businesses that are currently registered for VAT in other EU countries. Many countries have different registration requirements for EU and non-EU businesses. For example, some countries insist on a fiscal representative being appointed for all non-EU businesses, but are banned from doing so for EU businesses. After Brexit, UK businesses will have to fulfil the non-EU registration requirements. So, if you

are already VAT registered within the EU, you will need to check that the local compliance requirements will not change. If they do change, you will have to reregister. 4. Establishing an EU presence; HM Treasury may be planning to grant EU financial services businesses temporary access to UK markets to help protect London as a financial services hub but there is no guarantee that EU countries will do the same. The ‘third country’ status, envisaged in the Government’s July white paper may be agreed, although a bespoke version giving UK firms more access to the EU markets may be difficult to negotiate. Many firms (in financial services and other regulated sectors) have already put plans in place to establish a local presence in EU markets but, if your business has not yet done so, it is not too late. At this stage, the acquisition of a local business might be the quickest option whilst and where regulatory rules allow it. 5. Group structure review; The next logical step is to look at the whole structure of your group to ensure it will still be fit for purpose after Brexit. If you would like to discuss anything you have read further or have any questions about how to get your business ready for Brexit, please call BDO’s dedicated Brexit Taskforce team on 02890439009.

HELPING GOOD CAUSES At the Wilson Group, we believe in putting a little back into our local community.

Every year we support a local charity and clients, staff and our suppliers are always enthusiastic and generous in giving their support. Our sponsored Charity this year is Northern Ireland Air Ambulance and at our annual ‘Give it a Shot’ event on 29th September we raised in excess of £6000.00 Our Nursing Homes held various Open Days throughout the year and invited the local community to participate with our clients, their families and staff in the various events which took place. These included bouncy castles and face painting, tombola’s and ballots, cake fairs and musical entertainment. Our Chester Nursing Home held a themed ‘40’s Victory

Day Celebration’ in August which featured the ‘Victory Rollers’ trio and Lisa Dawson also provided musical entertainment on the day. Commenting on our sponsored charity this year, Desmond Wilson, managing director of the Wilson Group said: “We are delighted that we have raised £10,500.00 so far and are confident that this will increase before the end of this year. I can’t think of a better cause to support than the air ambulance, which had its first flight in July 2017. It can reach any part of Northern Ireland within 25 minutes, slashing transport time to hospitals and because there are medics on board, treatment can begin on the scene. It will

save lives and it is great that we now have it”. “However not everyone will know that this is a charity which costs £2 million a year to run. It needs donations. We’re proud to do our little bit and would appeal to all our suppliers and other friends in the business community to do what they can too.” Any organisation wanting to support the Wilson Group’s Air Ambulance fund-raising campaign should contact Tanya Campbell on 028 9075 1212. For further information on our healthcare services, please see www.wilsongroupni.co.uk or contact our head office on 028 9075 1212

FEATURE

Thales, ready for take-off Northern Ireland may be, geographically, on the the periphery of manufacturing and engineering but that only pushes the sector here to be bigger and better according to the General Manager of Thales Northern Ireland, Philip McBride, who has just signed a new lucrative contract.

lobal aerospace and defence system manufacturer Thales’ local setup has its history embedded in NI’s industrial timeline. Its Belfast base is the former home of Short Brothers, which dates back to 1936, and following a series of mergers and acquisitions involving Bombardier and Thomson-CSF it was established as Thales’ NI home. Among its areas of expertise are its air defence and surface attack business areas - dealing with threats in air, on land and on water – providing system through life support and maintenance as well as lifespan solutions for not just defence but the space industry. “We’re not just an air defence or missile company, though these are key areas,” Philip points out. “Our heritage is air defence, which is a major part of our core business and we have a lot of business overseas,” he continues. “More recently we have expanded our capability to meet the needs of our surface attack customers. This has secured contracts including a recent deal with the UK Ministry of Defence for the Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) for the Royal Navy, which is due to enter service in 2020. “We are working with other people to bring together complete solutions that can detect, track and identify targets and inform

the system when the best time is to release,” explains Philip. While Thales customers are scattered throughout the world, including Europe, the Far East and the US, the contracts closer to home for the UK Ministry of Defence are the ones that help generate - export deals like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. “The nature of our operations and expertise has also attracted the first space contract for the firm two years ago.” Philip says that is also because the skills required for space systems are similar to those in defence. And testament to this was the 2016 opening of the £6m space propulsion facility at Thales in Belfast. Astronaut Tim Peak officially launched operations that would service the ESA. “The joint venture (Thales Alenia Space) looked for a company that could deliver a product that could be put into space for the next 20 years without failure and they identified us for that reputation, so what we do here is manufacture an in-space propulsion system,” continues Philip. He explains that Thales’ propulsion system is electrical, advancing on former chemical solutions for satellites revolutionising satellite travel as we know it. “The system was previously chemical and that was heavy which meant it couldn’t take other equipment to space because of the

“The high precision manufacturing here is second to none.” 72

weight of fuel. Now it’s much lighter which allows for more payload. And that’s a real advantage to the satellite.” The two-year system is due for release at Thales this winter and will enter space in 2019. At the time of the first space contract, First Minister Arlene Foster said the investment demonstrated the confidence in worldclass engineering capabilities and workforce here. And the strength of NI’s engineering and manufacturing talent pool is something Philip is proud of. “The high precision manufacturing capability here is second to none,” he begins on the subject. “We have great talent coming out of university but even before that we have great leadership and companies who really are striving for excellence and have a passion for NI to make us stand out. Even our heritage shows a sense of innovation and pride in the province.” He continues: “I have the advantage of being the Chair of ADS, the trade organisation for companies in the UK aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, and we have coming up on 100 companies delivering over £1bn of engineering.” He also references the ADS’ SC21 programme at Farnborough in the summer which awards excellence in the supply chain of air defence and space solutions. “There were three gold awards, two of those went to Northern Ireland. We take our competitiveness seriously and because we’re on the periphery we have to do things extra well and that’s recognised. We have Airbus playing a big role here and says a lot about the capability Northern Ireland has as well as ESA coming to Belfast. It also says a lot about ability and sticking to schedules and the highly skilled workforce many companies have.” It’s a workforce that Thales here is actively protecting and nurturing as Philip explains. “We

do work with Ulster University and Queen’s. That’s where the majority of our graduate intake comes from. We do research and development with the universities here as well as some in the mainland and we provide a huge range of training worldwide from communications to project management and engineering skills. “While anyone coming from university has a talent, we want to shape that. We turn them into employees who add significant value. There are loads of opportunities here and it never stops because if you do, you’re dead in the water,” he says. He also praises STEM ambassadors here who are promoting keeping that talent in Northern Ireland. “There’s always an advantage of having a home-grown talent.” At present Thales in Belfast has over 500 people working for it. “Three years ago we had 420 employees, now there are 520. Then we were producing a turnover of £60m and today it’s £150m.” It’s remarkable growth that is set to continue

as Philip says the goals at the plant in Belfast are “ambitious, but that’s because the numbers are big, it’s not about how are we going to achieve it.” “We would be aiming to double the business in the next three to four years and that will require an increase in workforce by 150. Obviously we are competing with other software companies for those roles but I’m fairly confident,” he says. Another challenge for the company, but one that Philip is also confident about, is the Brexit conundrum. He says the main concerns for Thales Group focus on tariffs, transportation of goods with “a lot of our equipment going to SE Asia, crossing the EU airspace, there is a cost to that and while we hope there is a deal, we have to prepare that there would be no deal. “We’ll all be affected by Brexit but all big businesses have been planning for this the day after the vote took place and our chairman and CEO, the morning after the result, came out and issued an email to all staff expressing

disappointment at the result but secondly that he was determined that there would be no impact on investment in the UK because we are one team and one Thales and fair play to him and the overall group that has stuck to that,” he divulges. His outlook post Brexit is the most rational as he adds: “It’s a two-way process. It might affect us financially but there is a market out there who want goods and services from the UK. “I guess the overall message from Thales in Belfast is that we are a high tech business. We have been very successful over the last three to four years and the growth we’re seeing in our technology is pretty huge. “If companies like ourselves are saying there is a bright future and we have the skill set, I see that supporting the stability of economy in Northern Ireland. At times when you read the news and watch us on TV it can be depressing but irrespective of politics business is getting on with it.”

FEATURE

Giving your business a productivity boost By John Ferris, Entrepreneur Development Manager, Ulster Bank. We know from the Ulster Bank Boost Index, which provides an insight into the thoughts of senior leaders in Northern Ireland’s SMEs, that 90% of them think that boosting productivity is important. This is great news. However, almost a third are doing nothing about it. And over a third think that having a more skilled workforce is the key to doing so. So it’s my belief that some firms think that boosting productivity is unattainable – maybe because they believe it’s too hard to do. But in my role as an Entrepreneur Development Manager, I’ve seen that for lots of high-growth companies, that isn’t true at all. There are a couple of straightforward solutions that needn’t cost the earth. A good start is by rewarding the people who work for you with benefits that improve their skills and motivation. Not every SME is going to turn into a millennial paradise with pool tables and coffee bars in the office, but small changes to the working environment (such as free tea, coffee and soft drinks) and providing people with choices can make them really engaged – for example, asking them to choose between a package of benefits around food, their environment, flexible working, pension saving or annual leave. You might not agree with all that’s suggested, but it can help to breed a healthy company culture of openness and discussion, rather than an ‘us and them’ divide between teams. Helping your employees set long-term career goals can also be a means to improve retention. It’s pretty intuitive – we all work best when we’re clear on what we’re doing, have the capability to do it, and are motivated to achieve – so setting career goals and personal development can really make an impact on the people that are on your team by providing them with a structure to measure their own improvement, and for you to be able to give informed feedback on performance. Setting these goals can also feed into another productivity boosting tip – improving your workplace culture. SMEs can be pretty challenging environments, especially when it comes to meeting cashflow requirements or sales orders for new clients. But having a strong culture that is supportive of new entrants is something that allows you to scale much more quickly, hire people that are a good fit for your brand, and create camaraderie that allows your business to overachieve. This can be done informally, with social occasions through work, or more formally through mentoring schemes – and don’t just limit this to more senior members of staff mentoring newer starts. Young and diverse new hires can provide important, productivity

boosting perspective for those who have been in a business for a long-time. Finally, it’s worth investing in the equipment that your business needs to work properly. Many SMEs and small businesses don’t invest in equipment because of the upfront capital cost, but they probably aren’t counting the opportunity cost of a printer that jams and needs 20 minutes to be fixed,

or a laptop that freezes just before a client pitch. Identifying and prioritizing equipment that needs replaced on a rolling basis prevents little problems from becoming bigger problems that need more time and energy to fix. • For more insight & events on boosting your productivity, search Ulster Bank Boost.

FEATURE

Seeing Sense and Getting ‘Sussd’ with the help of Ulster Bank Ulster Bank’s Entrepreneur Accelerator programme helps to drive young firms ahead as they set out on the road towards business success. Two participants Philip McAleese of See Sense and Callum Curry of SUSSD tell Ambition about the journey which starts at Ulster Bank’s business hub on Lombard Street, Belfast.

Philip McAleese, See Sense When Philip McAleese was a busy executive for an investment bank in Singapore, he took up cycling as a hobby to keep fit and relieve some of the pressure of a stressful working day. Little did he know his new hobby would inspire him to kick-start the career he had always been looking for. Philip knew he needed to improve his visibility but couldn’t find the right product on the market. After speaking to other cycling enthusiasts who had been suffering the same problem, he took matters into his own hands and created the first generation of light. Fast forward five years and See Sense is now a fully operational cycling technology and data company with two distinct aims; make cycling safer and cities smarter. To achieve this, See Sense has developed a range of patented, connected products which use advanced sensor technology to improve cyclist safety while crowdsourcing real-time environmental and transport data for cities across the globe. Philip and his team were perfectly adept with creating the technology needed to drive their niche products but found they needed to enter into discussion with their growing customer base to fully round-out the offering and ensure that it met customers’ needs. What’s more, Philip found it took

longer than expected to gain traction with all of the data See Sense was generating about cities across the UK so set about looking for a suitable partner who could put the real-time data See Sense was collecting to good use. The search was successful and See Sense has recently announced an exciting new partnership with British Cycling. Together, they are working to transform the UK into a cycling nation where a reduction in pollution and congestion levels and happier, healthier commuters are just some of the many benefits. Working closely with British Cycling gave Philip and his team the opportunity to access many offices around the UK and he quickly came to realise the power of networking, especially with other start-ups. As someone who had gone through the challenging, and quite often isolating, problem of starting his own business, Philip wanted to share his own experiences and help others on their journey. For this reason, he decided to apply to be one of the current intake of businesses to the Ulster Bank Entrepreneur Accelerator programme where he would access a host of free resources, bespoke training programmes, expert mentorship, and above all, the opportunity to be surrounded by

Callum Curry, SUSSD Joining Philip on the Ulster Bank Accelerator programme is Callum Curry, another seasoned entrepreneur from Lisburn. Callum has been at the helm of a number of successful organisations during his career to date and is in the process of developing a new social feedback platform. At the crux of his latest endeavour is the firm belief that current market research outlets are not fit for purpose and the results they offer can be too slow and too expensive. Throughout each of his previous projects, Callum grew to understand that undertaking sound market research could reap significant dividends for your business and that often, the intel collected from said research was a

key ingredient in any company’s growth. And yet, despite the value organisations attach to opinions collected about their products and services many are not willing to pay for this service, and more significantly, consumers are all too willing to give their treasured opinions away for free. Never one to let a challenge overcome him, Callum set about creating SUSSD which, in the crudest of terms, does exactly what it says on the tin and helps suss the problem of market research. SUSSD is a social platform that facilitates the secure exchange of public opinion for a financial reward. Essentially, the more opinions you give, the greater the return and Callum believes that this

dynamic entrepreneurs, eager to start or scale their business. Although his journey with the Ulster Bank Accelerator is just beginning, Philip is excited for what the next six months will bring and accessing the help and support he needs to take his business to the next level. For See Sense, this means more people enjoying the benefits of cycling in safer cities which to him and his team, makes perfect sense.

approach will reinforce the idea to consumers that their feedback is valuable and therefore, shouldn’t be given away as a gratuity. Since 2017, Callum has raised a significant preseed round of investment with interest coming from Irish, English and American markets. He is in the process of securing a seed round and there remains opportunities available for NI-based investors to come on board. This is something Callum hopes to achieve with the help of the Ulster Bank Entrepreneur Accelerator. The business model has already caught the attention of the philanthropic fund, The Paul Hamlyn Foundation where Callum beat off competition from hundreds of other entrepreneurs to be awarded a grant for social innovation. The bursary was a welcome boost for Callum and his team and they are now on track to launch the platform onto the market, early 2019. Like Philip, Callum is eager to avail of the many opportunities being part of the Accelerator presents to entrepreneurs. With a clear goal in front of him and a strong desire to access more, local funders Callum is keen to learn from the entrepreneurs who he’ll be working with over the next six months and learn more about pitching, securing finance, and scaling his small-scale operation into a successful, global business venture. The journey is just beginning for Callum, Philip and the other entrepreneurs who make up the latest intake of the Ulster Bank Entrepreneur Accelerator programme. It’s impossible to predict what these businesses will achieve over the next six months but it’s certain that by taking these first steps, they are carving out a clear pathway to success.

FEATURE

Creating a culture club Five years after Darragh McCarthy founded FinTrU the company has risen through the ranks to be one of the most profitable, socially sensitive and economically enhancing names on the NI business landscape. Emma Deighan finds out more.

ork man Darragh McCarthy had a lucrative role before launching FinTrU, an investment bank services firm, at the Gasworks in Belfast. He began his financial career at Morgan Stanley in 1994 where he remained until 2012. There he held various high profile positions that saw him based in London, Frankfurt and New York. Ten years at MS made Darragh aware of a services gaps in the investment banking sector prompting him to create FinTrU, which he says “intervened” where others weren’t. “Based on the ongoing regulatory landscape that investment banks were privy to, I made a bet that it would not go away soon. I felt there was a need for outside companies to help in a more cost effective way,” he begins. And so, in 2013, he set up FinTrU in Northern Ireland. Today, with over 300 members of staff, FinTrU provides “high quality resourcing solutions to global investment banks, grappling to deal with the expanded scope of financial regulations”. The firm’s pressing issues at present are dealing with the recently-introduced MIFID II regulation, Brexit regulatory issues and compliance and KYC. Darragh says it was the lure of cheaper labour and lower rental rates here that were among his reasons for launching in Northern Ireland. “It was a combination of everything,” he continues, when asked why he didn’t launch in his native Cork, London or any of the world’s capitals. “Clearly the cost of labour was better, the cost to rent office space is relatively inexpensive compared to the rest of UK and Ireland but also there is availability of talent and a very good supply of talent that was under employed here and I was keen to develop and invest in that,” he says. Further support from Invest NI and the Department of Employment and Learning were instrumental in building FinTrU adds Darragh. “They were supportive of what I was trying to achieve and it was that package of everything together, as well as being part of the UK

Darragh McCarthy, Founder & CEO, FinTrU.

financial jurisdiction, that made sense. And I have no regrets since and that’s why we have reinvested continually.” Investment and growth has been rapid, and continuous as Darragh points out. Earlier this year the company announced that it would expand by establishing a new operation in Derry/Londonderry creating over 300 roles there as well as an additional 300 new jobs in Belfast. It’s a significant re-investment that will span out over five years, generating over £15m in additional annual salaries for the local economy.

Darragh tells Ambition that the investment is part of his goal to support an “ecosystem” here that gives back to the economy and its talent pool. He says he chose Derry as the home of his new base because it fitted socially. “After reviewing a number of locations, I had no hesitation about expanding our presence into the North West due to the highly attractive location and the availability of talent the region offers. Whilst managed as a profit-driven organisation, I see FinTrU as having a social purpose to create high-quality professional employment in Northern Ireland.

“I don’t want to be presumptions and say I’m setting the bar but I want to achieve a standard that we hope others will aspire to. I want Northern Ireland people and the companies here to be more ambitious. “If I was critical of the Northern Ireland psyche I would say you don’t celebrate success enough but I want our staff at FinTrU to be the most ambitious person they can be.” One of the company’s initial goals was to offer a majority salary of £25,000 and upwards - a figure FinTrU has “well exceeded” confirms Darragh. “The higher I can pay the greater quality of life the staff have, and their families. That works to make Northern Ireland a better place economically. Economic success helps when it comes to other noise and big issues. It has a big role to play,” he continues. Good staff-employer relations is also a key part of FinTrU’s business model. And it has been awarded repeatedly for the latter, having taken away the Irish News’ Best Place to Work award this year and NI Chamber’s Employer of the Year 2018. “That workplace culture is at the centre point of everything we do. It’s about giving employees, most of which are Millennials here, a purpose. First and foremost we need to provide challenging and interesting employment, then we need to make sure we address what matters and among that is diversity and inclusiveness. That’s incredibly important. “We have increasingly gone on report for our participation in Belfast Pride too and we have a very active CSR, the charity of which is selected by our employees. Nearly every week we have a different fundraiser going on and we match or double match what’s raised. “We also have a vast array of social activity including football and we won the Business League two years in a row,” adds Darragh.

Alastair Hamilton (CEO, Invest NI), Richard McGuinness (Managing Director, FinTrU), Katrien Roppe (Chief of Staff, FinTrU) and Darragh McCarthy (Founder & CEO, FinTrU).

A quirky office environment of pool tables, ping pong and a focus on mental health are also part of FinTrU’s make up. Darragh says the firm believes that mental health is “the other side of the coin to physical health and we talk about it in a positive way”. He reveals that FinTrU achieves its goals “aggressively”. “It’s at a rate not prevalent in Northern Ireland and it’s supported by our model. Its our ability to generate profits and move employees up the productivity chain quickly. “And we spend a lot of time attracting people and investing in them with ongoing development and making them feel included that they can go somewhere and I pride myself on knowing everyone’s name. We have to understand that everyone is different, certain people will add their contribution to the company in different ways. We want to be a little bit different and we go above and beyond and that’s why our culture has been applauded.” Another reason for applause is Darragh’s achievements in this year’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. He is among the 25-strong shortlist. It’s a position he says he’s “honoured” to be in. “I’m lucky to be nominated and honoured to be part of that network. Clearly FinTrU is well established out there and this is all about

the business and I’m delighted with its success because it reflects the talent of the Northern Irish people.” And among those Northern Ireland FinTrU people is the new intake at the firm’s Academy. FinTrU’s tenth academy, appropriately named Academy X, has taken a range of graduates from non-financial backgrounds to allow them to forge a career in the sector. They will be the future of the sector here, hopefully not tackling the current fallout of some of the pending issues here including the Stormont hiatus. “The lack of a devolved government is now starting to make itself felt which is a real shame,” says Darragh on the matter. “And clearly Brexit, and while I didn’t vote for it I’m a pragmatist and it’s happening and I hope for the right solution for Northern Ireland and the people living here.” With that news of aggressive investment and job creation here, the activity FinTrU is stirring is surely a buffer to a gloom setting, and Darragh agrees. “Ultimately we made a jobs announcement in June against that backdrop and that’s to send a message to the world that Northern Ireland and FinTrU is open for business. “There needs to be a re-engineering of the Northern Ireland landscape, where companies like FinTrU become bigger. It’s going to be great and we’re really really optimistic.”

FEATURE

Water and waste water vital to the NI economy Sara Venning, NI Water’s Chief Executive, sets out the vital nature of water and wastewater for Northern Ireland’s economy.

orthern Ireland’s Programme for Government has at its heart ‘improving wellbeing for all by tackling disadvantage and driving economic growth’. In addition to the more obvious ‘wellbeing’ roles of protecting the environment and safeguarding the health of the population, through the supply of clean drinking water and the collection and safe disposal of wastewater, there is no doubt that NI Water is also one of the most vital enablers of economic growth. The Economy 2030 consultation issued at the start of 2017 sets out a number of key economic growth ambitions for Northern Ireland. Just three of these are: • By 2021, make NI the No1 FDI destination outside of London. • By 2025, we will have doubled the amount of money spent here by tourists from outside of Northern Ireland.

• By 2030 we will have grown private sector output by 35%. So what is the impact that NI Water has in being able to achieve these ambitions? FDI: The OECD’s view is that “Infrastructure networks have a strong impact on the investment attractiveness of host countries, most evidently as key variables within the production function of firms operating in the country i.e. reliable energy, water and sewerage, road network, port system, communications etc. Access to water infrastructure has a significant influence in addition to substantial health impacts on the domestic population”. Global Risk Insights in 2016 reinforce this view, stating “Many firms regard water access as a competitive advantage and will give preference to relocating to areas where water risks are lowest. Businesses want to have easy access to water resources that are healthy, reliable and viable, or else they cannot expand, nor hire or maintain their workforce.” Tourism: Economy 2030 also sets out a goal of doubling current levels of tourism, recognising it as a key growth opportunity for Northern Ireland. Recent statistics show that not only is Northern Ireland receiving more visitors but those visitors are staying longer. The increase in tourism numbers is great news, but every new hotel requires not just clean, fresh water supply, but also brings with it increased demand for laundry, showers etc, and so needs capacity in the local wastewater network to take the wastewater away, treat it and safely return it to the environment. The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation in its July 2018 Hotel expansion report states that the current growth in new hotel

accommodation is the largest expansion on record and has already altered the hotel landscape in Northern Ireland. Whilst the bulk of expansion is in Belfast, Derry-Londonderry is set to expand by similar percentage levels and new projects are starting to appear in other locations. Private sector output: Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector is a corner stone of our economy, it competes with the world’s best. Today you’ll find food and drink from Northern Ireland being enjoyed every day in more than 80 countries around the world. The industry in Northern Ireland has doubled since 2008 and has ambitions to grow turnover to £7bn and employment to 115,000 by 2020. Water is crucial to agri-food and one example is the bakery sector where around 60 per cent of the raw material of dough is water. It highlights an industry that could not function without a good, clean, reliable water supply. I don’t think there can be any doubt about the vital role of NI Water. We have a vast network: over 42,000 km of water and sewer mains, thousands of pumping stations and treatment works, and hundreds of reservoirs. But much of the network and equipment is old. As our population and economy grows, NI Water needs medium and long-term funding to allow for greater capacity, to equip us with resilience and sustainability and to enable NI Water to deliver what matters for the economy, environment and health. The Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD has summed up the critical nature of water: “Water is as essential to human activity as air. Health care, education, economic production and social activity depend on it. When cities or societies neglect water, they face collapse.”