Ambition Issue 42 (October 2020) by NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry

LET US REDESIGN YOUR WORKSPACE FOR YOUR TEAMS’ SAFE RETURN TO WORK

AMBITION MAGAZINE OF NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

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October 2020 Issue 42

Contents NI CHAMBER COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER

Looking Shipshape for the Future

John Wood, Group CEO, Harland & Wolff talks about the shipyardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential to become a world leader.

Managing Editor: Christopher Morrow Features: Emma Deighan Publisher: Chris Sherry Advertising Managers: Lorraine Gill & Gerry Waddell Editorial Assistant: Kellie Burch & Joanne Harkness Email addresses: Christopher.Morrow@northernirelandchamber.com/ lorraine.gill@ulsterjournals.com / gerry.waddell@ulstertatler.com Websites: www.northernirelandchamber.com / www.ulstertatler.com Publisher: Ulster Tatler Group, 39 Boucher Road, Belfast, BT12 6UT Tel: 028 9066 3311 Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim.

NI CHAMBER PATRONS

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At a Glance News: 6 Arthur Cox Marks 100 Years 8 Bloc Blinds Finds a Match with Leading UK Designer Columnists: 16 Kate Marshall 22 Claire Clerkin 42 Jonie Graham 48 John Campbell 58 Sandra Quinn 68 Robert McCullough 82 Brian Murphy 90 Brendan Drain 96 Jim Fitzpatrick Chamber Chief: 24 CEO Update 28 The Quarterly Economic Survey 31 The Future of Skills Forum 32 NI Chamber’s Meet the Buyer

Features: 38 My Ambition 40 Disrupting the Market 44 Let the Music Play On 50 The Road to Recovery 54 Supercharging the Mid South West Economy 60 Future-Proofing Business Practice 64 Stairway to Seven 66 Funding NI Water It’s No Longer Optional 72 Success Wrapped Up 76 Charging Forward 78 Let’s Grow Together

Appointments: 81 Arthur Cox Makes Two Senior Appointments

Lifestyle: 84 Business Class Motoring James Stinson 92 Dine & Wine - Chris Rees & Andrea Mola 94 Fashion: Autumn Arrival Joanne Harkness

50 18 Cover Story 60

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EDITORIAL

President’s Perspective

A Winter Plan for a Challenging Winter

he intensified restrictions recently announced by the NI Executive are a real blow to many businesses who have put hard work and money into ensuring that they are COVID-secure. The need for additional restrictions cannot be blamed on a lack of care by hardworking people in businesses, who have worked tirelessly to implement government guidance and create a safe environment for their employees, visitors and customers. Despite these conscientious efforts, many are now in the midst of a four week period of trading restrictions. At NI Chamber, we will fully support our colleagues in hospitality, retail and close contact services over these coming weeks. It is vitally important to note that these new measures will not only have an impact on hospitality venues and close contact service providers, but also the hundreds of local companies who supply goods and services to them. Those business-to-business transactions are a critical part of how the economy works and as such, the knock-on effects of these restrictions on other businesses in the supply chain are extremely serious and not to be underestimated. It is therefore essential that any new restrictions go hand-in-hand with truly commensurate financial support for wages and day-to-day running costs. Whilst the NI Executive’s support package announced by the Finance Minister, along with the UK Government’s Job Support Scheme, will go some way to helping firms forced to close, many of our members tell us it will not be enough to stave off mass unemployment. Furthermore, at this stage businesses can no longer add employees to the UK government’s furlough scheme. Alarmingly, this leaves employees in businesses forced to close from Friday 16 October facing a gap in income until November, when the UK government’s new Job Support Scheme kicks in. A significant proportion of firms have already used up cash reserves and taken on additional loans, so are not in a position to plug that gap. This could potentially lead to countless job losses with a devastating impact on lives and livelihoods. It should therefore go without saying, that it is vital the UK government addresses this issue urgently. Policy makers must realise that no amount of government support can compensate for an open, fully-functioning economy. They must also be aware that if we are to limit the impact of any further restrictions on businesses and jobs, and take a long term approach to tackling the virus, business people need sight of the evidence behind decision making which has such an impact on their operations. A transparent, collaborative approach is vital to instil confidence in any exit strategy. If this is not the case, business and consumer confidence will take a further hit and the economic consequences will be huge. Until such times, NI Chamber calls for much more wideranging support measures to be introduced urgently.

Ian Henry President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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NEWS

NEW BALLYMONEY PREMISES FOR PAYESCAPE Payroll services firm Payescape has opened a new office location in Ballymoney. Attending the official opening of the offices were the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster MLA and NI Chamber President Ian Henry. The new premises will offer 2 expansive floors of office space, along with a prime town centre retail space on the ground floor. The firm currently employees 50 people in Northern Ireland, providing payroll solutions and services for UK and Irish businesses.

MOUNT CHARLES UNVEILS NEW SRC RESTAURANTS Mount Charles has unveiled student restaurants in Southern Regional College’s brand new £35 million award-winning 14,000 square-metre landmark campus in Armagh and its new 4,500 square-metre £15 million campus in Banbridge. The firm will provide food and beverage services to College staff and students returning to undertake Further and Higher Education qualifications, Training for Success programmes, as well as those taking part in a range of apprenticeship programmes.

ARTHUR COX MARKS 100 YEARS Law firm Arthur Cox is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and almost a quarter of a century since the foundation of its Belfast office in 1996. Coinciding with the centenary, Arthur Cox consultant in Belfast, Catriona Gibson, Managing Partner of Arthur Cox in Rowan White, is serving as Belfast is joined by Arthur Cox Managing Partner Geoff Moore (left) to mark the firm’s 100th anniversary. They President of The Law Society of are pictured with, from left, Rowan White, Arthur Cox Northern Ireland. consultant and President of The Law Society of NI and Catriona Gibson, Managing Alan Taylor, the firm’s NI Chair. Partner of Arthur Cox in Belfast, commented: “Advising an exceptionally strong client portfolio ranging from small family firms to globally recognised blue-chip companies, we have experienced rapid growth over the past 24 years in Northern Ireland. “As we mark 100 years since our foundation, we are delighted that Rowan, one of the most experienced and respected lawyers in Northern Ireland and a valued consultant at Arthur Cox in Belfast is President of The Law Society of Northern Ireland.”

ECONOMY MINISTER ANNOUNCES 3,000 FUNDED ONLINE TRAINING PLACES Economy Minister Diane Dodds has announced 3,000 free online training places for people whose employment has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Representing an investment of £4.6million, the courses will have a focus on digital skills and be delivered Pictured with the Economy Minister at Southern by the local colleges and universities. Regional College’s Banbridge campus are: Professor Encouraging people to apply, the Brian Murphy (Ulster University); Professor David Jones (Queen’s University Belfast); John D’Arcy (Open Minister said: “These 3,000 online University NI); Brian Doran (SRC) and Ken Webb (FE training places will provide people with Colleges’ Principals’ Group). the opportunity to upskill and reskill, enabling them to pursue a career in what are growing local sectors. Courses will be available from both further and higher education institutions and I urge anyone who is eligible to access this free training.” The courses will be delivered online, except where there is a technical aspect which requires face-to-face learning. More details of the courses available and how to access them are at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/free-short-term-courses-improve-skills

BELFAST CITY AIRPORT BACK BELFAST AGENCY PROFILETREE SEES SERVING EAST MIDLANDS AND LEEDS BRADFORD SURGE IN GROWTH Belfast City Airport and Aer Lingus Regional Online marketing agency ProfileTree celebrates its ongoing success with another recruitment wave underway in spite of COVID-19.

Since lockdown was enforced in March, the Belfast-based company has increased its team by 25%. ProfileTree’s latest recruitment drive will see the creation of another six positions, with the new recruits bringing in knowledge across digital and content marketing, as well as website development and design.

have launched flights to East Midlands Airport and Leeds Bradford Airport. Both routes operate up to three times per day, further enhancing Northern Ireland’s connectivity and providing passengers with more choice and convenient connections to the North and East of England. Commenting on the inaugural flights, Ellie Ellie McGimpsey (George Best Belfast City McGimpsey, Aviation Development Manager at Airport) and Ciaran Doherty (Tourism Ireland). Belfast City Airport, said: “East Midlands and Leeds Bradford have always been popular routes served from Belfast City Airport and we have no doubt that their return will be welcome news for many. “These inaugural flights complete the series of new routes with Aer Lingus Regional following launches to Birmingham, Edinburgh, Exeter and Manchester.”

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07/10/2020 10:40

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NEWS

BRIGHTER COMMUNITIES SUPPORT PROGRAMME RETURNS Power NI’s Brighter Communities support programme has returned after a lockdown break. Its new £10K funding pot is designed to help large or small community, sporting, charity, youth and all age groups build for the future and regenerate their local town, village or area. The fund will enable ten groups across Northern Ireland to gain £1000 funding to roll out a special project in their local area. Applications can be made via the Power NI website.

BLOC BLINDS FINDS A MATCH WITH LEADING UK DESIGNER Magherafelt-based Bloc Blinds has collaborated with UK printed textile designer Laura Slater on an exclusive collection of designs. Laura, who established her design studio and print workshop in West Yorkshire after graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2007, has an impressive client list including Heals, Harvey Nichols and John Cormac Diamond, Managing Director of Bloc Blinds. Lewis. Last year, Bloc Blinds invested over £100k in the installation of bespoke fabric printing facilities at its manufacturing headquarters. The move was in response to consumer demand for custom patterns and personalisation when selecting fabrics.

A&L GOODBODY ANNOUNCES GILBERT-ASH PARTNERSHIP WITH NAMED IN WELLBEING CHARITY INSPIRE SUNDAY TIMES PWC TOP TRACK 250 LEAGUE TABLE Construction and fit-out company Gilbert-Ash has been named in the annual Sunday Times PwC Top Track 250 league table for the first time. The firm was ranked 129th in the league table which ranks Britain’s leading mid-market private companies with the biggest sales before the pandemic struck. The rankings recognised Gilbert-Ash’s growth over the last number of years to sales of £179million and a profit of £7million in 2018.

FURTHER.SPACE EXPAND INTO SCOTLAND FURTHER.SPACE has made its first expansion into Scotland with the opening of a pod site at Hillhead Farm in the stunning Dumfries and Galloway area with an investment of over £135k to this exclusive 3 pod site. This is the fifth site to launch from FURTHER.SPACE and partners in recent months with a further investment of £250k in Carrickreagh Bay right at Lough Erne and £150k in Thornfield Farm at the iconic Dark Hedges.

Amyee Taylor (ALG); Lisa McElherron (Inspire) and Mark Stockdale (ALG).

Corporate law firm A&L Goodbody (ALG) has announced social enterprise and wellbeing charity Inspire as its new charity partner. ALG, which employs around 120 lawyers and business support professionals at its Belfast office, will support Inspire’s valuable work in delivering mental health, learning / intellectual disability, autism, addiction and workplace wellbeing services across the island of Ireland. This will be done through volunteering, pro bono legal advice and fundraising initiatives.

SEEMEHIRED.COM NAMED ‘EMERGING BUSINESS/STARTUP OF THE YEAR’ 2020

Belfast-based software firm SeeMeHired.com has been named ‘Emerging Business/Startup of the Year’ at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards 2020. Purpose built for the world of employment, SeeMeHired is an all-in-one candidate hiring and management platform that significantly reduces HR costs by streamlining end-to-end hiring processes and redefining how employers Pictured (L-R) are: SeeMeHired.com investor on-board new talent. directors Johnny Matthews; Gareth Neill; The platform enables companies to easily Alastair Bell and Gary Irvine. Source, Engage, Select and Hire new talent with a wide range of innovative tools. It is already being used by companies such as firmus energy, Grant Thornton (NI) LLP and Insurance Office of America.

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07/10/2020 10:41

NEWS

NORTH SOUTH ELECTRICITY INTERCONNECTOR DECISION WELCOMED The Infrastructure Minister’s decision to grant full planning permission for the North South Electricity Interconnector has been welcomed by Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) and SONI, the Electricity System Operator for Northern Ireland, who operates and plans the NI electricity grid. The Interconnector, which will create a 400kv overhead electricity line connecting with the Republic of Ireland, was granted planning permission by Minister Nichola Mallon last month. This follows applications that were previously approved by the Department for Infrastructure on 23 January 2018; however following a legal challenge and a court ruling, the two applications to secure NI’s electricity supply were quashed by the Courts and remitted back to the Department for determination. Announcing the most recent decision last month, the Minister commented: “I have carefully reconsidered the proposal and the up-to-date environmental information and have concluded that planning permission should be granted for the development which remains of strategic importance for our island economy. I have also taken into account the report by the Planning Appeals Commission that included a full consideration of the planning issues and endorsed the significant strategic importance of the development for Northern Ireland and its compliance with planning policy.”

Welcoming the decision, the Electricity System Operator for NI, commented: “The North South Interconnector is undoubtedly the most important infrastructure scheme on the island today and will deliver very real benefits to domestic and commercial consumers. “The project is, without question, a key enabler for economic growth as Northern Ireland emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. It will create local construction jobs through its delivery programme, will help reduce the cost of electricity and will provide a route to market for renewable energy at a time when the green collar sector needs it most. “The North South Interconnector is the safeguard Northern Ireland needs against any changes to surplus or deficit of power generation; providing local business and foreign investors certainty that Northern Ireland offers them a clean, efficient and reliable electricity supply.” NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor, said: “This is an extremely positive decision from the Infrastructure Minister. The delivery of the North South Interconnector has been amongst the top infrastructure priorities for our members since 2009. “The North South Interconnector is a vital piece of infrastructure that will ensure the effective operation of an efficient all-island electricity market, exert downward pressure on electricity prices for business and domestic consumers throughout Northern Ireland,

“The project is, without question, a key enabler for economic growth as Northern Ireland emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. ” and utilise renewable energy resources. Businesses and employers need access to electricity in the most cost efficient manner possible, and the Interconnector is key to achieving this. “Now that planning permission is in place, we would encourage all stakeholders to work together to ensure it is built-out and operational without any further delay.”

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FEATURE

Looking Shipshape for the Future Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approaching one year since InfraStrata plc rescued Harland & Wolff from closure. John Wood, Group CEO, talks to Emma Deighan about the shipyardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s huge potential to become a world leader, for not just one industry but across five different markets.

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05/10/2020 14:19

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John Wood, CEO, Harland & Wolff.

05/10/2020 14:19

FEATURE

he former Merchant Navy Engineer says his first-hand knowledge of the quality of the work undertaken at Harland & Wolff cemented his decision to acquire it. He had personal experience of the skillset at the yard having worked on one of its ships, the SS Canberra cruise liner - built in the early 1960s. However, the decision to rescue the business from closure wasn’t purely based on its ability to house, make and revamp larger sea vessels, it goes much deeper. “Harland & Wolff has one of the largest docks in the UK and that is one of the features that appealed to us, there is a lack of competition in that larger class of vessels, giving us a unique edge. Having said that, the strategy that we deployed was not solely focused on ship repair, it encompasses five different markets across six different services. The problem with shipyard businesses is that yards often just stick to one thing, suffering volatility when it occurs in the market, however, by spreading across different markets and services, we are building sustainability and resilience,” he explains. “We’re only really at the start of our journey. We are building an impressive pipeline of opportunity across all our markets, some of which are worth (unweighted) over £6 billion over the next five years” he reveals. The firm’s imprint on the Belfast shipyard has been evident over the past year. Despite the impact of COVID-19 on every sector, (especially the hard-hit cruise industry); we have had, for the first time since Titanic departed in 1912, three Cruise ships docked. As we move forward beyond COVID-19, and the economy shows shoots of recovery, John anticipates a “tsunami of cruise vessels docking in Belfast for revamps and more” expecting around “two to three a year”. The workforce has doubled over the past year too; from around 60 to over 120 and with plans to recruit further. Harland & Wolff hope to safeguard the skillset of the team by initiating an apprenticeship scheme, “we’re fully aware that we have an ageing workforce,” John continues. “Our team has phenomenal skills which must be passed on to the next generation. As we grow, there may be opportunities to partner with colleges and universities when looking at professional roles.”

InfraStrata’s mark has also been made on the physical makeup of the shipyard itself, with investment giving way to two fully functional docks, another first in many years for the yard. “We’ve invested a lot of money into the fabric of the yard, but we’re also considering various investments into plant equipment including new robotic machinery and that will really position us well when we look at bigger projects. We need to improve our efficiency and that’s one way that will help,” adds John. Not only does Harland & Wolff have two of the biggest docks in the UK, giving it the physical brawn, but it will also play a huge role in InfraStrata’s plans to develop an underground gas storage facility in Islandmagee, the marine licence for this project is currently pending. The gas storage project has always been high up the agenda for the firm and another reason why it was attracted to Harland & Wolff. When it gets the go-ahead, Harland & Wolff will provide the metal fabrication for the project, saving the company millions of pounds and allowing the shipyard to reach a new potential - possibly drawing in new clients outside of the marine sector. “We are waiting on Minister Poots to make a decision on the marine licence. However, we see no reason why it will not be awarded as the project not only complies with but exceeds all environmental standards. It will also pump £40m directly into Harland & Wolff,” says John who believes our imminent exit from the EU could make NI vulnerable to blackouts, adding “it is critical to maintain security of supply in Northern Ireland”. He also says the site has huge potential to tap into the emerging hydrogen market. He further explains “gas is the transitional fuel of choice and will be essential as we move to decarbonise our economy and transition to net-zero and transit to hydrogen.” Asked if today’s shaky economy would present any obstacles for future projects, John is confident it will not. He’s certain of an influx of shipping clients alongside a confidence that InfraStrata’s other efforts will keep the business balanced and protected from market-specific adversities. “Right now, the ferry sector is operating at a minimum. Everyone is conserving cash, but once we start to recover from COVID-19, there will be an influx of dockings coming our way. The outlook is positive. There are

many projects out there and we will be looking at both the local and international supply chains.” The company’s recent purchase of the North Devon Appledore Shipyard for £7m, John says, will further complement the offering at Harland & Wolff. “It fits in. Belfast’s capability is huge and facilities vast, whereas Appledore has a small dock, albeit one of the biggest in the small market, so they do not compete with each other, rather they complement each other. It is also a fabrication facility and can easily assist Belfast as capacity is reached.” “Belfast is key for our growth and we won’t be sitting on our hands, we’ll be looking out globally. The yard is full on the dry dock side for the first time, which is really encouraging. Now we have the two docks running and once we get the fabrication side of the business underway and the apprenticeship scheme launched, it will really take off.”

“Everyone is conserving cash, but once we start to recover from COVID-19, there will be an influx of dockings coming our way. The outlook is positive. There are many projects out there and we will be looking at both the local and international supply chains.”

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Setting Boundaries Kate Marshall, speaker, coach and author discusses how setting boundaries can help businesses continue to find ways to adapt.

Then control what you can, influence where you can and what you can neither control nor influence simply change how you think about it. LET IT GO.

Step 3 Diary Management: we can only accomplish the first two steps if we do this one. Many years ago I facilitated time management courses. How ridiculous – time is finite. There are always 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in an hour. Time cannot be “managed”. It’s self-management that is the key to productivity and achievement.

s schools reopen, this brings some sense of “structure” to our seemingly uncertain, uneasy world. Hopefully we can begin to bring staff back into offices safely over the coming months as we have come to realise that these “interesting times” are likely to be with us for some time. I see and hear anecdotally that we have accepted that we must continue to find ways to adapt. While the form that adapt and accept takes will be different for each of us, one thing is true for all of us: we must focus on what we can control, be mindful of determining what that is, and set boundaries. What does setting boundaries mean? It means being very aware of and deciding what is most important for you personally as well as for your team or your organisation and then setting boundaries around each of these. While some clients have been energised and refreshed and have taken time out to reinvent or reshape their business model, many are tired and weary. Most have worked harder in the pandemic climate than ever before. They are mentally and physically tired. For those leaders (especially the Worriers, Controllers, Perfectionists, and People Pleasers out there) setting boundaries means putting “self” first. It’s only by putting on our own oxygen mask first that we are able to support others, creating and imagining new ways to maximise opportunities or rebuild our businesses.

We have the gift of 1440 minutes given to us every day. We need to manage the choices we make around how we prioritise those minutes. When reporting back on things that they had committed to but didn’t happen, I hear people say they didn’t have time and I always challenge that. Do you mean you didn’t have time or you didn’t make the time, because we always have enough time – it’s what we choose do with the time we have that is the problem. We are a consequence of the choices we make each day. We may not like or welcome many of the choices we have to make, but we always have the ability to choose our response no matter the circumstances. Back to boundaries. If we are not clear on what’s most important, then it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, tired and unable to bring our ‘A game’ to our business or personal life. When we lack clear thinking and have no clear boundaries, we will easily lose time and energy on unimportant or easy things to do. Lencioni in his book “The Advantage” talks about his simple but impactful approach to high performing leadership. Step 1 Create a cohesive Leadership Team Have you the right people in the right roles doing the right things? Step 2 Create Clarity Have you created organisational and team purpose with great clarity on the roles and responsibilities? Step 3 Over communicate the Clarity Do your organisational systems and processes enable clarity, particularly around accountability and feedback? Step 4 Reinforce the Clarity Do you set clear boundaries and model good selfcare, enabling clear thinking, timely and wise decisions and behaviours aligned with your values?

There are three key steps to setting boundaries. Step 1 Setting aside “Me” time: Me time can include exercise, meditation, watching TV. Whatever works for you to relax, unwind and recharge. Step 2 Setting aside Thinking time: taking time every day to think, to reorganise your thoughts to create, reflect and learn. Focused thinking time is essential for identifying the things we can control and to stay focused. When presented with a challenge or concern ask yourself these three questions:

I’ve added Step 5 – Repeat as required!

1. How much of this problem or situation can I control? 2. How much of this problem or situation can I influence? 3. How much of this problem or situation can I neither control nor influence?

These interesting times are here to stay indefinitely. Make sure you are clear in your boundaries for both the businesses you lead and in your personal life. I don’t recall hearing of anyone at the end of their life saying “I wish I’d spent more time in work.” Set boundaries and use your 1440 minutes each day wisely.

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05/10/2020 14:18

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FEATURE

Leigh Yeaman, Investec Wealth & Investment Divisional Director for Northern Ireland.

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06/10/2020 16:19

Investing in the Future

Leigh Yeaman, Investec Wealth & Investment Divisional Director for Northern Ireland, took up her senior role at the business at the turn of the pandemic. It threw many obstacles her way but also created opportunity, she tells Ambition Magazine.

eigh Yeaman is no stranger to dealing with challenges. With a background in wealth management that spans 20 years, she’s well equipped to handle the investments of her clients during a volatile climate. The mother of three is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Securities and Investment, which sees her look after the investments for high net worth private clients, trusts, pension schemes and corporate entities and work closely with their professional advisors. She joined Investec in 2015, after spending many years at other top UK brokers and wealth management firms. Beyond the office, she volunteers as a NED on The Bryson Group board where she also chairs the Investment Committee and sits on the Governance Committee. Speaking about her goals in her newest role, she begins: “My ambition is to continue to grow our business in Belfast. We have great momentum and energy with a highly skilled team; with recent promotions and new joiners I’m excited about the future. I am also keen to focus on belonging, inclusion and diversity at the heart of this as our culture is important. I believe that greater diversity, and diversity of thought, leads to deeper and richer conversations and ultimately better decision making.” Her ambitions will play out against the backdrop of COVID-19 and the uncertainty it brings for her clients, but it’s all in a day’s work, and there are some upsides she admits. “The sector is seeing an increased need to provide financial advice especially for retirement and inheritance planning,” she continues. “There is also more and more focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing; both from an investment strategy standpoint and from individual firms assessing their own impact. There is continuing merger and acquisition activity in the sector and companies are continuing to invest in new technology and platforms. “The conversations we’re having with clients go further than the investments into how they are doing on a personal level and how we are doing. Each client is different; many have experienced market volatility in the past and they are mostly concerned about health and family just

now, whilst others face concerns around their businesses and some of our charity clients are on the front line supporting the community where they can. Our clients know that we are with them, to support them and that we have been operating and have been available to them throughout the crisis,” she adds. Responding to new restrictions brought on by the pandemic has meant that flexibility has been key to how Leigh and her team members operate seamlessly and it has pushed forward tech plans. “Positives have definitely come out of this with the accelerated deployment of technology, longer-term projects were forced into place over essentially two weeks; the future of work arrived rapidly! I think we’ll be more efficient around how we do things and how we spend our time, we’ve

however, is also not the normal working from home and everyone will experience it differently, coming away with different perspectives. There are the positives we’ve discussed but there are also aspects of our jobs that we can’t do effectively from home and we shouldn’t forget the importance of the social side of the team coming together and that interaction that builds relationships. I think there’s a balance somewhere in between.” Social efforts are a priority at Investec, and this has been further highlighted in recent months when the team refocused on their CSR commitments. Leigh says because Investec has a presence in NI that dates back to the turn of the century, “it’s very important to build on our heritage and grow our business in NI”. “In having a presence locally it has also

“Our clients know that we are with them, to support them and that we have been operating and have been available to them throughout the crisis.” been forced to think differently and it will make us more agile and that’s good. “With our clients we moved very swiftly to digital meetings and it has allowed us to increase engagement; without having to travel we can have more meetings. “I think it may provide greater choice in how we work and people may find a new rhythm/working pattern or look for a balance between office and home that suits them; we also might find less constraints regarding location and business travel may reduce. I would rarely have used a video call before and now I think they’re great – I prefer them to a phone call.” But with Investec, getting up close to clients will always be a priority, she says. “At the end of the day Investec is all about people and so we are looking forward to seeing our colleagues and our clients face to face again when we’re safely out the other side of this. “The current working environment,

allowed us to engage and contribute to the community we live and we operate in. Investec has been engaging with community partners for many years and when the pandemic hit, we knew we wanted to do something meaningful to help. We identified the South West Belfast Food Bank, which is run by the Trussell Trust, and we have provided one-seventh of the food distributed by them between April and July, equivalent to over 10,000 meals. We are continuing with our support as the pandemic has created unprecedented need. As a local office a number of our staff also volunteer on the boards of various local charities and volunteer with community groups. “We have an exceptional pool of talent in Northern Ireland and a highly skilled and diverse Investec wealth management team on the doorstep. With having a local office we have the benefit of local people, who know the region well, looking after local people,” she concludes.

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NEWS

Pictured (l-r) Chris Conway (Chair of BITC); Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill; Junior Minister Gordon Lyons; Joe McDonald (Senior Manager Corporate Affairs, ASDA NI) and Kieran Harding (Managing Director of BITC).

ASDA ANNOUNCED AS THE 2020 NI RESPONSIBLE COMPANY OF THE YEAR ASDA Northern Ireland has been announced as the 2020 Business in the Community ‘NI Responsible Company of the Year’. Each year, the Awards celebrate those businesses demonstrating strong, inclusive leadership, who continuously innovate to tackle pressing social issues and repair and rebuild our planet. In assessing ASDA’s entry, the judging panel noted: “This is an organisation that isn’t afraid to tackle tough and topical societal issues head on. From improving nutrition to tackling plastics, the breadth and depth of ASDA’s responsible business activity is really impressive. “It succeeded in taking a large ‘corporate’ strategy and making it local, ensuring its team brings colleagues, customers and suppliers with them along the way.” Kieran Harding, Managing Director of Business in the Community commented: “There is no doubt that 2020 has been a very different year to the one we expected; however, throughout the pandemic so far, I am continually heartened by the determination of companies across Northern Ireland to be even more responsible through their activities, as they take care of their people, the environment and their communities.” He continued: “Other than announcing our overall NI Responsible Company of the Year, we made the move to recognise Responsible Business Champions for 2020 rather than

highlighting one award winner in each category. This was the right thing to do in a year where a celebration event was not fitting but recognition of responsible business is still absolutely vital. Responsible business is needed now more than ever.” For more than 16 years, the Responsible

Business Awards in Northern Ireland have showcased transformational stories of businesses taking real action to build thriving communities. The awards are run by Business in the Community in partnership with JP Corry and SPAR.

In addition to the 2020 NI Responsible Company of the Year, Asda, the 2020 Responsible Business Champions are: • Age at Work Champion, in partnership with Age NI: Bank of Ireland • Diversity and Inclusion Champions, sponsored by Belfast Harbour: Bank of Ireland, Belfast City Council, Ciena UK Ltd Belfast, Diageo NI, Heron Bros, Northern Ireland Water • Education Partnership Champions, sponsored by Allen & Overy: ABP Food Group, Allstate Northern Ireland, Dunbia, Farrans Construction/South Lake Leisure Centre, Henry Brothers Ltd, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), Westrock • Environmental Leadership Champions, sponsored by Heron Bros: ABP Food Group, Bombardier, Choice Housing Ireland, Encirc Ltd, GRAHAM, Keltbray Group, Lidl Northern Ireland Limited, NI Assembly, NIE Networks, Translink • Investing in your Community Champions, sponsored by Arthur Cox: Habinteg Housing Association (Ulster) Ltd, Heron Bros, Lidl Northern Ireland Limited, Northern Ireland Water, Power NI, SONI Ltd, Ulster Bank Ltd • One-to-Watch Champions, sponsored by Ciena: Cleaver Fulton Rankin, Olenick Global Ltd, The Consumer Council • Responsible Digital Innovation Champions, in partnership with Digital DNA: Allstate Northern Ireland, Barclays Northern Ireland, Henderson Technology, Lidl Northern Ireland Limited • Responsible Product/Service Champions, sponsored by Translink: Huhtamaki Foodservice Belfast, Northern Ireland Water, SONI Ltd • Wellbeing at Work Champions, sponsored by Larne Port: Allstate Northern Ireland, Bank of Ireland, GRAHAM, JP Corry, Lidl Northern Ireland Limited, Musgrave Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Water, Power NI, Queen’s University Belfast, Selective Travel Management, The Henderson Group, Translink, Westrock • Employability & Jobs Champions, sponsored by George Best Belfast City Airport, will be announced in 2021..

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Columnist Claire Clerkin, Co-Founder at people development consultancy, Wiser Working

5 Things You Are Doing Wrong to Manage Stress Wiser Working’s Claire Clerkin discusses the top 5 things people get wrong when trying to cope with stress.

3. Withdrawing Retreating or withdrawing into one’s self is a common behaviour when we are stressed. Studies show that people with chronic stress are less able to build positive relationships, collaborate or experience empathy. Many also find themselves withdrawn as they remain in ‘task mode’ in order get all the things done in a day. While arguably there are benefits to remaining focused and blocking out distractions, it is a fact that our nervous systems can self-regulate (i.e. balance out stress) by engaging in social connection. This could be a chat at the water cooler, a phone call with a friend, or reading your children a bedtime story. If you find yourself in ‘non-stop’ mode all day, you will benefit from taking some time to connect with others. In fact, it will increase your ability to make clear decisions and avoid the harmful effects of chronic stress.

e know that 21st century living can be stressful, particularly at present. While stress comes in different forms – long work hours, sick parents or children, financial worries or work deadlines – the effect on the body is the same. In fact, even activities that are not stressful per se, activate our in-built stress response system. This means, that just being busy can keep your system pumping out unhealthy stress hormones which, in the long run, can cause fatigue and other health issues. I work a lot with stressed out people and find that many activities and hacks that people commonly employ to deal with their stress, can exacerbate the problem.

4. Not prioritising sleep A busy lifestyle can easily eat into our sleep time. Many people find themselves trying to squeeze in too much into a day. Trying to carve out more time to ‘do stuff’ inevitably leads to later bedtimes and reduced recovery overnight. When we have deep restful sleep, the glymphatic system literally detoxes and washes out waste from the brain. If you are squeezing your sleep hours, impeding sleep with alcohol and stimulants, or activating your system in the evenings by checking work emails, you may not get enough deep sleep. This is like storing up your rubbish bags for weeks on end before removing them for disposal. Committing to getting eight hours of quality sleep a night can be one of the most profound things you can do for your health, and your ability to build resilience to stress. If you find yourself battling with insomnia, seek some support to help get you into balance.

Here are the top five things people get wrong when trying to cope with stress: 1. High intensity exercise Exercise that builds fitness is good for health. In fact, the fitter you are, the more resilient you are to stress. However, the act of exercising with high intensity is a stressor to the body. This is not a problem if your stress baseline is low, but for people who are experiencing high stress days, adding a high intensity workout can add fuel to the fire. In particular, vigorous exercise after 7pm can affect your sleep, further reducing your body’s capacity to restore overnight. This means waking up with a body battery that is not fully charged. If you are experiencing ongoing levels of high stress or ‘busyness’, try to plan your workouts for earlier in the day, or choose moderate, restorative exercise like yoga, pilates or a brisk walk in nature.

5. Coffee and stimulants Let me first admit that I love a good coffee! However, I see busy people often using it as a crutch. Whether it is because they are waking up tired from poor sleep, too busy to have breakfast or finding themselves hitting a wall mid-afternoon, coffee is often the go-to friend for the busy, stressed out person. Sadly, coffee and other stimulants like energy drinks, keep your nervous system revved up (like a dose of petrol to a lit fire). Coffee can also be a culprit in blood sugar drops and mid-afternoon fatigue – so while you may get a short-lived perk, coffee will ultimately set you up on a vicious cycle of further stress and fatigue. My advice is to ensure you are eating proper meals and keep your coffee intake to one good cup a day, ideally before 2pm. That way your sleep won’t suffer and you will give your nervous system time to selfregulate throughout the day.

2. Alcohol Often the tool of choice to ‘take the edge off’ after a long day. Alcohol is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is a nervous system depressant, leading to a sense of relaxation. However, it is also a nervous system stimulant. Physiologically, this means that drinking alcohol keeps your nervous system activated, well into your sleep cycle. My number one recommendation for building your resilience to stress, reducing fatigue and waking refreshed, is to cut unnecessary alcohol use during the week. If you are going to take a drink mid-week, try to keep it to one or two drinks, ideally before 8:30pm. This helps to reduce the chance of the alcohol impacting your body and brain recovery overnight.

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07/10/2020 10:50

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UPDATE Chamber Chief’s

During such an uncertain period, NI Chamber is committed to helping you and your business deal with the current situation and the challenges ahead. NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor provides an overview of what’s coming up and what’s taken place recently.

he past month has marked the return of another very busy season of business support services, networking events and policy forums from NI Chamber. And since September, I have been really encouraged to see so many members take the opportunity to get involved. The business climate remains exceptionally challenging but your appetite for learning and connecting is strong and we are delighted to be here to support. Demand for our Learn Grow Excel business support services is very high right now and in recent weeks, we have hosted some

brilliant online sessions. This kicked off with a Danske Bank Export First event at which Richard Kennedy, Group CEO at Devenish Nutrition, outlined its international success story. This was closely followed by a Bringing Business Together with AIB event, which focused on sustainability. Attendees heard about Hyster-Yale’s sustainability strategy from Plant Manager, Jim Downey. Gary Wilmot, Chief Executive at Kilwaughter Minerals and trainer Aidan McGrath spoke to attendees at a sales session in the Winning Business with Bank of Ireland series, while during a Boosting

Productivity event with Ulster Bank, representatives from Allstate NI, Natwest and Musgrave Group covered digital transformation and productivity. We also continue to do everything we can to support businesses making preparations for the end of the Brexit transition period. In recent months, our Collaborative Brexit series, supported by International Champions A&L Goodbody, Grant Thornton and QUB has been a really valuable source of knowledge and information sharing. During such a challenging time for leaders, our CEO series with KPMG continues to

“At NI Chamber, our focus on helping you make new connections is as strong as ever, and whether it be a new business contact or a sales opportunity, there are lots of ways for you to expand your network while we work digitally.”

Glasgow Chamber CEO Stuart Patrick; George Best Belfast City Airport CEO Brian Ambrose; NI Chamber CEO Ann McGregor and Logan Air CEO Jonathan Hinkles.

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chamber chief’s update

be a trusted forum for some of Northern Ireland’s most senior businesspeople. At the most recent roundtable style session, Tony Convery, Founder of CDE Global led discussions. Despite uncertainty, our members’ international growth aspirations are as strong as ever and we are encouraged to see so many actively seeking out new geographical markets at this time. Our International Collaborative Forum is just one of the ways NI Chamber is supporting these growth plans. Most recently, the forum focused on branding and marketing as drivers of international expansion – we thank Kestrel Foods and Ardmore for sharing their expertise. The future direction of energy policy also continues to be a significant priority, which is reflected in the high levels of participation in our Energy Forum with SONI. A few weeks ago, we hosted a fantastic session focusing specifically on the Power Sector, looking on what a low carbon energy future could look like and what it will do for Northern Ireland’s contribution to Net Zero by 2050. For any members interested in energy efficiency, policy or climate change, I strongly encourage you to get involved in these sessions. Securing Northern Ireland’s connectivity to near and far markets will be key for economic recovery and our regional airports are central to this. I was therefore very pleased to meet Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive at Glasgow Chamber of Commerce when he landed in Belfast to mark Loganair’s first flight into Belfast City Airport. Restored routes between Northern Ireland and cities including London and Birmingham have since

been announced and I commend everyone involved in securing these very important business travel corridors. At NI Chamber, our focus on helping you make new connections is as strong as ever, and whether it be a new business contact or a sales opportunity, there are lots of ways for you to expand your network while we work digitally. Our popular Regional Networking Series with NIE Networks is working extremely well online and already, hundreds of you have got involved. The success of some of these recent events has proven how valuable networking is right now and your feedback tells us how effectively it can be facilitated online. If you have missed attending our networking events, register for the next virtual one on 6 November. I am also pleased to say that plans for our annual Meet the Buyer with Bank of Ireland are well underway. This year, the event will place particular emphasis on bolstering the local supply chain and it will provide suppliers from a wide range of industries with a chance to pitch products and services to NI and ROI companies with significant procurement needs. Buyers in attendance will include Applegreen, Caterpillar, Coco-Cola, Harland & Wolff, Seagate and Translink, plus a host of others. A facilitated matching process will pair up buyers and suppliers to make sure that the processes is as efficient and relevant as possible for everyone participating. Meet the Buyer takes place online on Thursday 5 November. Finally, as part of our continued efforts to deliver the highest possible service level digitally, I’m pleased to let you know

Sodexo’s Margot Slattery appears on the first NI Chamber & Electric Ireland Podcast.

that we have just launched NI Chamber’s first podcast. Delivered in association with Electric Ireland, the first episode features a fascinating conversation with Margot Slattery, Global Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Sodexo Group. You can find it now on Spotify and iTunes, as well as via our own website. This is the first in a number of new recordings we plan to bring you in the coming months.

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

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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP 5 WAYS TO USE NI CHAMBER TO HELP YOUR BUSINESS NOW

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re here to help you and your business. During a time when you need NI Chamber most, all of our core services are fully operational and we want to make sure every member is using them to the fullest. We have quickly adapted these services so that they are accessible and relevant to business conditions right now. Find out more about what is available to you below and visit the member section of our website to get started.

RAISE YOUR BUSINESS PROFILE

INFLUENCE POLICY MAKERS

BENEFIT FROM INTERNATIONAL AND BUSINESS SUPPORT

FOR MORE INFORMATION or assistance with making the most of your NI Chamber membership contact membership@northernirelandchamber.com

Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry 40 Linenhall Street

T +44 (0)28 9024 4113 mail@northernirelandchamber.com www.northernirelandchamber.com

Belfast BT2 8BA

W W W. N O R T H E R N I R E L A N D C H A M B E R . C O M

ATTEND REMOTE NETWORKING

AVAIL OF HR & LEGAL SERVICES

Member News Online

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Upload your news and events directly to the NI Chamber website.

Weekly round-up of business news from NI Chamber members, distributed digitally to 12,000 people.

96-page magazine, circulated to 5,000 people. News and features exclusive to NI Chamber members.

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Local and National Level

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Our policy asks and wins have helped to mitigate the effects of Coronavirus on the economy and influence the implementation of support mechanisms your business requires.

Keep sharing your experiences and feedback with our team. Economic Survey Results for Q3 2020 are now available. Members will be invited to complete the survey again in Q4.

Use your NI Chamber membership to engage with policy makers. Get direct access to Ministers through our ‘In Camera’ series.

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Training

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Our business support programmes continue to be delivered online. This series is designed to support company growth by capacity building, providing peer learning opportunities and connecting NI businesses.

Suite of up-to-date training across sales skills, customs procedures and export documentation.

NI Chamber’s export documentation service is open. We also provide Brexit support and events focused on delivering opportunities for collaboration and learning from successful exporters.

NI Chamber LIVE Join the thousands of local business people who are accessing NI Chamber’s event calendar remotely. Connect and learn from other companies at online events including our CEO series, Networking series and sector focused forums.

QUEST All NI Chamber members have access to free HR and legal support through QUEST.

Economic Survey Confirms Stark Impact of COVID-19 and Brexit Uncertainty on NI Businesses The latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), published by NI Chamber and BDO, highlights that there has been some recovery in business activity after the severe collapse experienced in Quarter 2 this year. However, key business indicators remain negative in Quarter 3.

• Some signs of recovery but all key business indicators remain negative • Order books remain weak, particularly for export orders • Collapse in confidence leads to significant contraction in investment intentions • 1 in 2 members already have or plan to reduce staff • 1 in 5 members express concern about ability to pay back COVID-19 loans • Only 7% believe they understand future trade arrangements between NI/GB

The latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) published by NI Chamber and BDO for Quarter 3 2020 highlights that there has been some recovery in business activity after the severe collapse experienced in Quarter 2 this year. However, all key business indicators remain negative in Q3, meaning that there are still more businesses in Northern Ireland reporting worsening business conditions than those reporting any improvement. Key business indicators remain significantly weaker than before the pandemic struck. Impact of COVID-19 The fall out on staffing for members from COVID-19 continues to be significant. While the Job Retention Scheme has been a major support to local businesses (accessed by three in four members), one in two have or plan to reduce staff while around one third already have or plan to reduce working hours.16% have already or plan to reduce average pay. The survey also gives an insight into current levels of business indebtedness and the ability to pay back loans: • 29% of members surveyed have accessed a loan scheme and 25% have obtained a cash grant • 51% of members are very confident they can pay the loan back and 29% are fairly confident • However, one in five members have

concerns about their ability to pay back COVID-19 loans, including the Bounce Back Loan and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) Brexit Watch With less than three months left until the transition period ends and new trading rules come into place, just two in five members (39%) are currently making preparations for Brexit. This compares to 60% in Q1 2020, clearly demonstrating how COVID-19 has negatively impacted on business preparedness. The results indicate that understanding about what happens next with trading arrangements is very limited. There is particular confusion around the Northern Ireland/Great Britain trading relationship going forward. • 7% of respondents believe they understand what will happen with trading arrangements to/from Great Britain after the transition • 18% believe they understand what will happen with trading arrangements to/from locations outside the UK post Brexit • 80% believe that a ‘grace period’ of 12 months or more is needed after transition to allow businesses to prepare • Some 73% are concerned that there will be ‘No Deal’. This is up significantly on Q1 2020 when the figure was 40%

The Q3 2020 survey found than 71% of members believe they meet guidance to access the UK government’s new Trader Support Service. However, only 1 in 3 (31%) have heard of the TSS and to date, 12% have signed up to it. Confidence and cash flow Such challenging trading conditions mean that more businesses believe turnover and profitability will contract in the next 12 months than those believing they will grow. These key balances around confidence remain negative for both manufacturing and services sectors. This collapse in confidence has fed into a significant contraction in the share of members intending to invest in their business. In Q3 2020 the balance of businesses intending to invest in plant and machinery was -32% in manufacturing and -45% in services, although these balances are up on Q2. Cash flow, a key indicator of business health, is typically one of the weakest key indicators in the Northern Ireland QES. The balance of businesses reporting an improving cash flow position was already negative going into the COVID-19 crisis. The balances did fall further during Q2 2020 when many businesses had to close. In Q3, the cash flow balances for both manufacturing and services improved, but remain negative (-32% in manufacturing and -28% in services.).

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Commenting on the findings, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber, said: “The QES is one of the largest surveys of its kind in Northern Ireland and the UK, so today’s findings give a very important insight into current trading conditions.

ANALYSIS

“Previous QES findings told us that Northern Ireland’s economy entered the COVID-19 crisis in an already fragile state. Today’s report confirms that while many indicators have improved when compared to Q2 they remain negative, which tells us that business conditions among many local businesses continue to worsen.

BY BRIAN MURPHY, MANAGING PARTNER, BDO NORTHERN IRELAND

“Sectoral analysis of the survey findings suggests that manufacturing performance is showing some signs of improvement. Around half of the deterioration in manufacturing domestic sales and orders balances was recovered during Q3 and the share of manufacturers operating at full capacity increased to 30%. However, the sector’s order book remains weak, particularly in terms of export orders over the coming months. Not surprisingly, businesses in the service sector remain most negatively impacted, with consumer-facing firms particularly exposed.

Brian Murphy, Managing Partner of BDO NI.

“Some businesses have performed well/reasonably during the pandemic (37%) but the majority have been negatively impacted (62%) with many seeing little to no signs of improvement in trading conditions (43%). This emphasises the need for continued targeted intervention by government to support the many great businesses in Northern Ireland to survive this unnatural crisis in our economy. “Our members are expressing growing concern about the looming prospect of a no-deal Brexit, which would be detrimental for businesses already dealing with the fall out of the deepest economic recession on record. It is clear that there is an urgent need to dramatically improve understanding of future trading arrangements with rest of the UK and increase awareness and uptake of the Trader Support Service. Any business in Northern Ireland which currently moves goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or brings goods into Northern Ireland from outside the UK should sign-up for the TSS service without delay.”

As many expected, the Q2 results recorded the fastest ever decline in key business indicators. It is therefore encouraging that Q3 has shown a clear move towards recovery. All indicators remain negative in both services and manufacturing, serving a blunt reminder not only of what businesses have been dealing with throughout the pandemic, but the challenges they continue to face in the short to medium term.

Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber.

We cannot ignore the fact that comparing year on year performance, the local economy is down on every indicator from last year, with COVID-19 impacting many sectors in a way we haven’t seen since the financial crashes of 2008 and the early 90’s. We now need to build on the momentum we are seeing in this survey, identify prospects and rethink our approach to ensure we are maximising all opportunities in what will be a new environment for us all post COVID-19. With the majority of businesses (62%) demonstrating an ongoing negative impact to their operations and 2 in 5 seeing little to no signs of improvement (43%) there is a long road ahead for many. Some companies are demonstrating an ability to maintain and sustain in the absence of growth, but many others are facing an incredibly difficult and uncertain future. How these businesses adapt and evolve will play a key role on our economic path to recovery. Of those businesses who were negatively impacted at the outset of the pandemic, some have recorded positive signs of improvement (19%), while a further 30% have seen at least small signs of improvement. This of course is caveated by the fact that any improvement at this stage remains in the ‘negative’ column but progress of any kind cannot be overlooked.

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07/10/2020 12:45

As the furlough scheme ends though, and even with the new support scheme announced by the UK Government, many jobs are still at risk. Since the previous QES results, 30% of firms have already reduced their staff with a further 20% planning for reductions. It is vital that the NI Executive recognises the gaps in support mechanisms for some and addresses these urgently. To date, 83% of businesses accessed some form of Government COVID-19 support over the last six months, with 76% furloughing staff to ensure their viability and protect their employee’s futures. With this scheme ending, it remains to be seen how the new support package, announced by the UK Chancellor

in recent weeks will provide the ongoing practical and financial support for companies. Cash flow has remained a significant concern for many businesses in Q3, with 4 in 5 voicing concern about the cash flow position of their company and 16% being extremely concerned. It is hoped that flexibility on loan repayments, such as the ‘Pay as you Grow’ initiative, together with the extension for applications to all of the Coronavirus loan schemes and an extension to the temporary VAT reduction will ease this cash pressure. Although Brexit has taken a back seat, it is still very much a critical consideration – pre COVID-19 we saw more than 60% of

businesses proactively planning for Brexit but as expected the pandemic has taken over and only 39% have been able to continue this effort. Concerns of a ‘No Deal’ exit as well as the uncertainty with regards to trading arrangements is still very much a concern for many businesses. As we enter this new phase it is so important that businesses are afforded both flexibility and support to allow them to plan for their long-term sustainability. Businesses in turn, recognise the need for adaptability, rethinking their current position to ensure they are best placed to maximise opportunities in what will be changing markets, trading circumstances and demands.

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SOCIAL

New NI Chamber & NIE Networks Forum to Tackle the Skills Challenge

Louise Turley (NI Chamber), Gordon Parkes (NIE Networks), Holly Brown (NIE Networks) and Ian Henry (NI Chamber).

NI Chamber and Northern Ireland Electricity Networks recently launched a new forum to provide members with an opportunity to feed into the Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland. The Future of Skills forum addresses the skills-related challenges facing businesses here, assessing what local employers are already doing to combat the skills shortage and considering what more must be done to facilitate economic recovery and growth. A series of sessions are planned, at which attendees will have the opportunity to share their own experiences and contribute to recommendations made to the Department for the Economy on the Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland. Over 40 members attended the first event with guest speakers Gerry Kindlon (Head of Government Relations Europe at Seagate Technology) and Mark Gubbins (R&D Director at Seagate Technology) who shared the actions they have taken on skills, which have helped position them as a market leader. Graeme Wilkinson, Director of Skills for the Department for the Economy, also joined the event to provide an update on the skills strategy

and what this means for business. Commenting on the launch of the series, Ian Henry, President, NI Chamber said: “Access to skills is one of the single biggest barriers to business growth in Northern Ireland and has been for some time. It was a significant issue prior to COVID-19 and the pandemic, coupled with the ending of the Brexit transition period means that the need to address it has never been more urgent. “It’s a growing problem which impacts businesses across all sectors, from IT to agri-food, the professions and manufacturers. If your business is in any way affected or indeed, has an experience to share, please get involved and make your contribution heard. This is a really important opportunity for local businesses to shape recommendations which will significantly impact how we do business now and crucially, how we prepare our economy for future prosperity.” Gordon Parkes, HR Director for NIE Networks, added: “NIE Networks is very proud to sponsor the Future of Skills series and contribute to the Skills Strategy for Northern Ireland which will be a central factor in driving our

economic recovery. “As a company we offer a range of career opportunities, including apprenticeships and graduate trainee programmes, which are focused on connecting talented young people with skills opportunities they may not have previously considered. Utilising our own experiences we want to encourage other businesses to unlock the skills pool we have and invest further as now, more than ever, a proactive approach is fundamental in ensuring Northern Ireland has the skills needed for the future, not just in the energy sector but across the board.” NI Chamber members can now register for the second event in the series, which takes place online on Friday 23 October 2020. The session, which will be chaired by John Healy, Managing Director at Allstate NI, will feature contributions from Gillian McAuley, Group HR Director at Devenish Nutrition, Sinead Carville, Chief Human Resources Officer at FinTrU and Lisa Sweeney, Head of People and Culture at Neueda. Further information and a registration link is available via the NI Chamber website.

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06/10/2020 10:10

NEWS

Perry Kennedy (Harland & Wolff), Phil Murray (NI Chamber), Niall Devlin (Bank of Ireland UK), Tanya Anderson (NI Chamber) and John Wood (InfraStrata plc) pictured at the launch of NI Chamber’s 2020 Meet the Buyer with Bank of Ireland UK. Harland & Wolff is one of over 20 large companies who will be in attendance at the online event.

NI CHAMBER’S MEET THE BUYER TO BOOST LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN NI Chamber is inviting suppliers from across Northern Ireland to register for its annual ‘Meet the Buyer’. Held in partnership with Bank of Ireland UK, the event will take place online on Thursday 5 November 2020. It offers suppliers from all industries the opportunity to pitch products and services to companies with significant procurement needs. To date, 24 major buyers from NI and ROI have confirmed their attendance including Applegreen, Caterpillar, Coco-Cola, Harland & Wolff, Randox, Seagate and Translink. Tanya Anderson, Head of International and Business Support at NI Chamber explains: “Meet the Buyer is one of our most popular flagship annual events and we’re really pleased to be able to deliver it digitally for the first time in November. This year, it will place a strong emphasis on boosting the local supply chain – connecting large companies with suppliers from Northern Ireland. This focus on bolstering the local supply chain is really

resonating with buyers in the current climate, who are keen to increase levels of local sourcing. The list of those attending spans all sectors, from retail and manufacturing, to utilities, tech and education. “We have witnessed a really significant level of interest from new buyers this year. One in two of those attending the 2020 event are new to Meet the Buyer, which means there are lots of fresh opportunities for suppliers who attend this event annually. This list of new buyers includes Irish utility company Ervia and Atalian Servest Ireland, bringing opportunities for new cross border trade as well. “Last year, this event facilitated over 350 meetings and with the benefit of increased capacity through digital technology, this time that number is set to be even higher. At the 2019 event, 70% of suppliers identified new customers and 54% identified new export markets – so it is well worth investing a few hours of your time to attend.”

Niall Devlin, Head of Regional Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK added: “Meet the Buyer is at the heart of our Winning Business partnership programme with NI Chamber because it is tangible in enabling local SMEs to win business. A recent McKinsey survey indicated that 93% of supply chain leaders in business are seeking to improve their supply chain resilience. Locally, we have 24 high quality organisations registered as buyers for the event. Their diverse needs will provide significant opportunity for new local supply deals, connections and commercial collaborations to help strengthen, diversify and rebuild supply chains. I would really encourage local businesses to register and get involved.” For more information, including the full list of buyer requirements and details about how to register as a supplier, visit northernirelandchamber.com.

The full list of buyers attending Meet the Buyer is: Applegreen, Atalian Servest Ireland, Baker McKenzie, Balcas Timber, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola HBC, Edge Innovate, Education Authority, Ervia, Harland & Wolff, Hutchinson Engineering, Hyster-Yale, McAleer & Rushe, MJM, Moy Park, NI Water, NIE Networks, Openreach, Randox, Ryobi Aluminium Casting, Seagate Technology, Thales UK, Translink and Ulster University.

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06/10/2020 10:11

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05/10/2020 14:32

SPONSORED FEATURE

COVID-19 – PLANNING FOR THE NEW NORMAL The past six months have been overwhelming and indeed the greatest challenge that many businesses will have ever faced. As the pandemic continues, businesses in every industry are preparing for an uncertain future of potential disruption and operational impact. Mirroring the challenges faced by all businesses, the team at one of Northern Ireland’s leading accountancy practices, M. B. McGrady & Co. Chartered Accountants also pivoted during the lockdown period, with its three offices operating on a hybrid model of restricted office working and remote working. With its advice and counsel in ever greater demand from clients, the team successfully managed a significant increase in enquiries from clients, helping them to navigate the many schemes and grants introduced by the Government to help businesses weather the Covid-19 storm. Reflecting on the past six months, one of greatest learnings centred around online accounting. Mal McGrady, Managing Partner at M. B. McGrady & Co. Chartered Accountants, discusses the importance of online accounting and recommended business practices for companies moving forward. “As we start to return to a sense of normality, there are important actions that all businesses can take to help plan for the future. Firstly, it is important not to lose focus on the fundamentals of business and on the requirements for all business owners with regards to their accounts and tax returns. Businesses must look ahead, forecasting income, controlling costs and being mindful of HMRC deadline dates. Businesses have new extended filing dates and deferred payment dates for VAT/Tax and these should be factored into financial forecasting.” “To prepare for the ongoing disruption, businesses will also need to adapt operational processes to become even more efficient, in what’s predicted to be a challenging economic climate. In addition to the seismic move to virtual communications, business owners must ensure their key finance and business processes are operational in a virtual environment. “The most important component of this transition is accessibility. By moving your systems to cloud based accounting, you can eliminate the need for on-site access and ensure you can use your data easily, whether for financial accounting purposes or in order to make better-informed business decisions.

Directors of M.B. McGrady & Co Chartered Accountants, Mal McGrady, Seamus McLernon and Conaill McGrady.

Many clients migrated their accounts to fully online software as Making Tax Digital came into play, and over this last six months, systems such as Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and other bespoke packages, have really proved their worth, giving business owners immediate access to real time accounting information for this business. “Cloud based accounting provides businesses with secure, anytime, anywhere access to information from any Internet-enabled device. Cloud accounting software, often mistakenly perceived as technology designed only for large enterprises, is becoming a fixture in most business operations, helping to drive operational improvements. “By going virtual, you can connect into bank accounts and credit cards to track expenses and cashflow, providing a clear picture of financial performance to better inform business strategy. In addition, moving payroll and accounts payable away from paper towards fully digital capabilities will ensure that employees and vendors can be paid efficiently, and work can continue. “Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. By transitioning your systems to the cloud, you are ensuring the flow continues even when access to your physical office is limited or completely restricted. This access also means businesses have the data and analytics they need to monitor the status of their company and quickly make decisions as the economic climate changes. “The scale of this crisis is unprecedented,

at least in our lifetime, and the full impact and consequences remain unknown. However, robust planning and not losing focus of the core accounting business fundamentals will give business owners a solid base to operate from. “Lastly, I would encourage all business owners to liaise with their accountants. Your accountants are experts in their field and their expertise can help you to plan for the future. There have been more variables than ever before with bounce back loans, furlough, grants and other support, and it’s hugely important to factor this into your business’s recovery.” To keep up to date on Covid-19 Government support schemes for businesses, follow M.B. McGrady & Co on social @ mbmcgrady. If you need clarification on what support is available or require accountancy and business planning advice, please get in touch with the M.B. McGrady team.

For more information, visit www.mbmcgrady.co.uk info@mbmcgrady.co.uk Belfast: 028 9031 6950 Downpatrick: 028 4461 6321 Newtownards: 028 9181 4557

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05/10/2020 14:31

FEATURE

Stephen Dawson, Shoosmiths

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Disrupting the Market Stephen Dawson says national law firm Shoosmiths’ plan for NI was always thought out with a market focused mindset. Today it is poised for more growth, albeit, without shouting about it.

“W

e don’t feel the need to be the noisiest or most visible in the market. We want to succeed by respecting our competitors. We arrived here to respect the market and that has worked for us,” begins Partner at Shoosmiths, Belfast, Stephen Dawson. Shoosmiths is a leading UK national law firm with an enviable list of clients, from premium brand retailers, to large international banks. It has over 1700 staff nationally across 13 legal markets all operating in line with a common high value, people-focused ethic. Its story in Belfast began in 2016 following a merger with NI firm McManus Kearney. It originally resided in Montgomery Street but relocated late last year to what Stephen says, “is some of the nicest, most modern accommodation in the city”. “The merger with McManus Kearney was strategic. It gave us a turnover from day one,” he continues. “We wanted Belfast to be a soft launch. We didn’t want to come in with a big bang because that just won’t work here in NI. We plan to grow confidently based on available talent, and not just on our perceived national firepower. “One of our principal aims in the locations we’re in is to be a leading law firm but that does not mean being the biggest and most brash. There is room in the market here for a differentiated legal service provision.” There are 37 staff at the firm’s Belfast site which currently prioritises real estate, energy and projects, business advisory, commercial litigation and specialist financial services litigation. And there are clear plans to grow to match the national ambition. The firm’s performance to date has exceeded targets, even now during COVID-19. Stephen continues: “A lot of our offices are trading red hot, ahead of COVID budget. In Belfast we are trading above target.” It’s been no easy journey, especially

lately, he admits. Trying to keep staff safe and motivated is an absolute priority. “We have had to adapt to new ways of working. Something that we have labelled the “New How.” This New How approach has led us to step up our use of technology, how we populate office space, how we work with our people and engage with clients. All of us have had to up our game. At a time when much of the normal market infrastructure was paralysed we found a way to be innovative using technology to support our people and clients. I am proud of how everyone has pulled together.” He says Shoosmiths is sometimes viewed as a “disruptor” because of its approach to “putting people first, and holding on to its values when most don’t. Or won’t.” It also places a big focus on its people with equality and LGBT+ high up the agenda while its CSR is ahead of the rest says Stephen. “If there is one word that encapsulates the style of many of us in Shoosmiths, it’s “informal”. Northern Ireland retains a comparatively formal style to the provision of legal services, but our clients like our people-based approach. I’ve worked in several law firms but this firm, in respect of values, is the best and that works from the top down. We spend a lot on our people. We have a house style that is ahead of the rest. “For example, nationally, our female partnership is 35%, which is above the legal sector goal of 30%. Here, in Shoosmiths Northern Ireland, it’s 40%. “We have 40 mental health and wellbeing champions across the firm and in 2019 we featured in the Social Mobility Employers’ Index.” Stephen goes on to explain the firm favours a “blind CV” recruitment process for graduates that doesn’t allow the interview panel to view CVs. “It avoids unconscious bias,” he says. Then there’s the big green debate and in keeping with the rest of the company’s values, Shoosmiths is on it.

“We want to be net carbon neutral by 2025. For example, our 2019/20 carbon footprint was down 28% on the previous year and that’s because we are focusing on reducing electricity consumption throughout our network of modern offices, partner car schemes promoting electric cars and we’re moving out of offices powered by gas. We’ve also signed up to the Law Society’s Legal Renewables Initiative. “We are ahead of the game because we won’t stand a chance of recruiting the next generation of outstanding talent if we don’t invest. Our next employees care about our CO2 output, they want to know if they can work from home or if there is an outlet to be part of a specific community of employees. They aren’t always interested in partnership, what they want is a holistic, value-based and employee centric offering.” Stephen grew up in Magherafelt, studying at Rainey Endowed grammar school. He went on to complete his law education in England, subsequently working in Belfast, Dublin and with Shoosmiths in England. His return to Northern Ireland sees him commute from Portstewart to Shoosmiths’ Belfast office. He reflects on his decision to return home with his family in 2009. “Ultimately, having children made me want to come back home. “I want to be part of the positive economic future here in Northern Ireland and to see this place thrive. Shoosmiths will continue to position itself as being very obviously at the forefront of the debate on our economic future in NI. Despite Brexit, COVID and all the rest of the challenges,” he adds. And that approach seems to be working. Growth is on the cards for Shoosmiths Belfast, Stephen says. “We will grow. We have recruited a significant corporate partner who will grow our corporate business and we have other recruitment that we’re going to target. Our client roster is growing too and we will be respectful of that targeted growth.”

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05/10/2020 14:31

Columnist Jonie Graham Senior Consultant, BRC Partnership

Commerce and Contagion BRC Partnership’s Jonie Graham discusses the connection between commerce and contagion.

failure to get to grips with combatting this illness led to the final decline of Athens as a city state. The Black Death or the Great Plague of London in 1665 was not considered the Great Plague because it was the biggest or most widespread, but because it was the last of its kind in the city. The following year would see the Great Fire and the subsequent redevelopment of the London streets overseen by Sir Christopher Wren. The redevelopment would see much of the overcrowded and unsanitary housing conditions of central London replaced with less crowded housing solutions on London’s streets. Progress and the development, literally of the standard in housing saw an end to the occurrence of Bubonic Plague on the streets of London. This of course may have been the result of a happy accident, but the link between progress in housing conditions and the end of this contagion did not go unnoticed. Unsanitary housing and

or as long as we have had commerce, we have had contagion. The Greeks and the Romans were both hampered and harassed by wave upon wave of endemics, epidemics and pandemics. As urban generation and population density grew so too did the occurrence and frequency of epidemics. The introduction of ancient technology, in the form of Roman roads and the ensuing commerce, made possible by the education and common language of the Greeks, resulted in the wide movement of large groups of people. Traders, tourists and teachers travelled from urban centre to urban centre selling goods, building a personal following and developing political and economic networks. They were most likely unaware that their patterns of behaviour were producing a bond that would result in pandemics and progress walking hand in hand through the pages of history. The very term ‘quarantine’ succinctly captures the connection between commerce and contagion. The word has its root in the Italian words ‘quaranta giorni’ which translates literally as 40 days. This was the length of time that trade ships coming from infected ports had to sit off the coast of Venice before they would be permitted to enter the city in order to deliver their goods. The lesson of history is that with each pandemic the population is faced with a choice; capitulate or innovate. One of the earliest recorded epidemics, that of the so called ‘Plague of Athens’ from 430 to 427BC saw the outbreak begin in Piracus, the port area of the city. However it was the densely populated upper city that was the worst affected by the contagion. The fact that the plague broke out in the port area of the city is not insignificant. The disease was most likely brought to Athens by traders arriving by sea. Sources from the time suggest that the so called plague, most likely with its roots in Sub-Saharan Africa, probably travelled across the Babylonian trade routes finding the unsuspecting people of Athens a defenseless and fertile ground for infection. The Athenian people did not fully contemplate the effect their lifestyle was having on the spread of the illness and much criticism was levelled upon the city leader Pericles, not least because he insisted in moving more and more people from the country inside the city walls, thus packing to breaking point an already overpopulated city. This of course led to the already rampant infection taking a horrific toll on the Athenians. The timing of this could not have been worse for the people of Athens. They were already engaged in a costly war with Sparta. The effect of the infection left them vulnerable and exposed at a critical time and may well have resulted in a weakened Athens ultimately succumbing to the plague-free Sparta. It has been argued that the

“Sources from the time suggest that the so called plague, most likely with its roots in Sub-Saharan Africa, probably travelled across the Babylonian trade routes“

population density was slowly eliminated across the country, albeit in some instances within recent memory. The Broad Street cholera epidemic of 1864 was caused by a nearby cess pool draining into the water course that fed a drinking water pump in London’s Soho. It would take some time for the lessons to be learnt and implemented, but in time the cause of this epidemic would see the beginnings of ‘Germ Theory’ formed and in time the gradual phasing out of shared community water pumps and in time the installation of Joseph Bazalgette’s magnificent feat of engineering that is the London Sewage system. Bazalgette’s network of pipes and tunnels would become the model for the sewage system that lies below the city streets of today’s modern cities. Epidemics and pandemics alike have made their mark on society and on commerce. They have prompted progress and instigated innovation. Urban spaces, modern conveniences, these advances in medicine, construction and engineering all have their beginnings in contagion. The challenge for business leaders today is to see the opportunity that crisis brings and to innovate in such a way so as to overcome the challenge and leave a mark on the future. A mark that brings improvement and lasting results.

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18/08/2020 14:37

FEATURE

Lucy McCullagh; Patrick McCarthy; Richard Wigley; Auveen Sands; Michelle Baird.

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05/10/2020 14:31

Let the Music Play On The Ulster Orchestra, like many organisations in the arts sector, has had its world turned upside down by the current pandemic. Here, its Senior Management Team talks to Emma Deighan about how COVID-19 will shape some of its future offering and why it is bringing so much more than music to the masses.

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FEATURE

ounded in 1966, Ulster Orchestra is embedded in NI’s cultural fabric. Its mission, it says, is to “enrich the lives of people living in Northern Ireland, those visiting, and those who encounter it” through its many sources; from the pews in auditoriums to the speaker in their own front rooms. But that heady offering has been diluted as COVID-19 regulations put the brakes on mass events and gatherings. Managing Director, Richard Wigley, said a three-phased approach was used to mitigate the damage of tightened restrictions. This approach would still allow audiences access to the Ulster Orchestra, but it’s also created new outlets for the organisation that could allow it to grow its fan base further. “At the moment we are in the middle of Phase 2 which sees us in residence at the Waterfront Hall where we can record the orchestra in increasing numbers as safety allows. We anticipate moving to Phase 3 in the new year, dependent on permission to allow members of the public to return to listening to their orchestra in a safe way,” he begins. “Across the company everyone has reassessed their contribution to the digital presence of the Ulster Orchestra; they have risen magnificently to the challenge in difficult times as is evidenced by the range, quality and quantity of at-home videos made during lockdown,” he adds. It was a big job for Director of Marketing and Communications, Michelle Baird and her team, who had to promote these newer channels to an audience so used to experiencing the vibrancy and euphoria of a live show. She said: “As our onstage activity ceased, we had to ensure our engagement with the public and partners was not affected and so, our new digital online series was born. We created #UOLetsPlayAtHome to link with our existing brand and to build an online bank of contentthat people could easily search for.” And it has worked brilliantly, she says. “Since lockdown, we have posted over 120 videos and worked in partnership with organisations including NI Opera, the BBC and Arts Council NI. We are also engaging with local councils across Northern Ireland, offering our newly recorded content at the Waterfront to distribute through their own channels.” Partner projects like recordings with renowned violinist Francesca Dego, local singer/songwriter Colum Sands, pianist Barry Douglas and more, expanded its outreach to different audiences. The pandemic has opened up new channels for the orchestra and some won’t be fleeting. Online concerts could be a new accessory for the organisation and the live streaming of concerts and bespoke recordings will broaden its reach and boost revenue, appealing to the likes of business partnerships it is hoped. Head of Artistic Planning and Operations, Patrick McCarthy, says the strong ties the organisation had pre-pandemic with the BBC have been instrumental in keeping the Ulster Orchestra relevant.

“Investing more time in online activity and promotion has also paid off with enhanced engagement and interaction.”

“We’re very fortunate that our relationship with the BBC enables us to still connect with audiences, who can hear our performances on BBC Radio 3, Radio Ulster, and on BBC NI television. Another good relationship, with Belfast Waterfront, has given us the space in which to record almost the entire orchestra. Our output through the #UOLetsPlayatHome strand has demonstrated how positively audiences have responded to more intimate content, seeing our players in their own homes, speaking to camera, and playing solo or in very small groups. This more personal connection with audiences is likely to be something we try to preserve as we move back to full orchestral concerts,” he says. Attracting new audiences is nothing new for the Ulster Orchestra. That has been one of its objectives over the years, and one which it has been successful in reaching through various means including new, modern artwork, revitalised messaging, advertising and CSR activity. Michelle adds: “Investing more time in online activity and promotion has also paid off with enhanced engagement and interaction. Involvement in large-scale events such as Proms in the Park, Culture Night and Lush Classical has also had a positive impact on reaching new audiences and promoting a positive profile for the Orchestra.” In fact the 2019/20 season was set to be the organisation’s biggest year to date “with consistent sold-out concerts and a waiting list for tickets to some of our Pops concerts,” admits Michelle.

And such is the appreciation for its work, 50% of audiences who were due to attend upcoming concerts that were cancelled donated their ticket funds to the organisation. Generating income isn’t just about profit and sustaining the organisation, but it also goes towards the Orchestra’s admirable CSR efforts, as Director of Learning and Community Engagement, Lucy McCullagh points out. From its work with women’s groups to primary school children in north and west Belfast, there is a lot more going on beyond the concert stage. “As our usual method of delivery has been upended by COVID-19 we are now working with all stakeholders to move activity online, including wellbeing workshops, schools’ concerts and Relaxed performances for people with additional needs. All schools and community partners have indicated that they want their projects to continue so that pupils have the opportunity to experience the joy, wellbeing and skills development benefits that music brings – particularly as lockdown has resulted in lost learning for many pupils and threatens to widen the existing gap in educational attainment among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. To date, funders have been supportive of alternative methods of delivery and we are now seeking to source specific support for the technological limitations that some of the schools face in live-streaming activity to their pupils,” she says. Head of Finance and Business Management, Auveen Sands, explains that while funds have been hit, some schemes have helped keep business afloat. She adds: “The loss of box office income, commercial income and sponsorship income has been partially offset by the HMRC Job Retention Scheme, donations in lieu of concert ticket refunds and a significant reduction in costs given we are unable to operate our normal concert season. We also continue to receive public funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council for our online content to the public as well as educational and community groups. The recordings which are currently being produced in the Belfast Waterfront provide content for the BBC for which we receive an annual engagement fee.” But it is vital that the Orchestra, and other arts organisations, ensure those top ups keep coming, given the unpredictability of restrictions during the pandemic. As Richard says: “It is the role of artists to provide a response to the crisis and to help society through the difficult times that are part and parcel of a tragedy like COVID. We provide the time and space to grieve together and, eventually, to celebrate society’s re-emergence as life moves to its new normal. “Our priority remains returning to public concerts where we can breathe music together with our audiences, in the meantime we are creating plenty of content online and on BBC Radio Ulster and Radio Foyle for the people of Northern Ireland and across the UK via BBC Radio 3.”

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05/10/2020 14:31

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Columnist John Campbell, Economics & Business Editor, BBC Northern Ireland

The Future of Trade BBC NI’s Economics & Business Editor, John Campbell, discusses the challenges of a UK and EU trade deal.

creates two potential problems for local businesses: a significant new administrative burden and the risk that tariffs will have to be paid on some goods as they enter from elsewhere in the UK. The government has already moved to deal with the admin issue. It is setting up a Trader Support Service (TSS) which will effectively act as a free-of-charge customs agent, dealing with the new declarations which will be required on all commercial goods entering NI from GB. There will need to be an initial investment of time by businesses to understand what information they need to provide to the TSS but overall this removes a big potential burden. It’s on the issue of tariffs that a trade deal, or lack of one, really matters. The EU’s concern is that goods from GB could use Northern Ireland as a tariff-dodging back door into the Republic and therefore the customs union. One of the major responsibilities of the joint committee is to decide what goods are ‘at risk’ of entering the customs union in this way. These goods would face a tariff as they enter Northern Ireland. The UK government could cover the cost of that tariff up to EU state aid limits and there would be a rebate if the ‘at risk’ goods can be shown to have been used in Northern Ireland. The default position is that if the joint committee can’t reach agreement then all goods are deemed at risk and subject to tariffs. All this nightmarish complexity could be almost entirely avoided by a zero tariff trade deal between the EU and UK: no tariffs means no risk. The only outstanding issue would be where the UK and EU have different tariff rates with third countries but that would involve only a minute portion of Irish Sea trade. But a zero tariff trade deal would not solve what is potentially the biggest issue: food. The EU has strict rules on food products entering its single market: they must enter through a border control post, a significant portion of goods must be physically checked and each product type must have an export health certificate (EHC). These processes will apply on food entering NI from GB. Much of the political focus has been on the building of border posts but it’s the EHCs which are the real problem. These certificates are usually prepared by vets who are charging for their professional time. Each supermarket lorry arriving on the boat into Larne or Belfast could require up to 400 certificates at the cost of perhaps £20,000. That clearly has big implications for the price of food and perhaps the viability of some supermarket operations in Northern Ireland. It will also impact food service, wholesalers and small independent retailers. The UK has tabled ideas at the joint committee but solving this problem will require the EU to bend its rules in an unprecedented way. In the context of a trade deal it may be possible to find a solution, but if the wider negotiations end in acrimony it will be much more difficult.

y the time you read this it should be becoming clear if the UK and EU will be able to complete a trade deal by the end of this year. A deal would certainly help simplify the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. But it would not solve everything when it comes to ensuring the smooth flow of goods across the Irish Sea. It is worth a reminder of how we got to this point. Once the UK government decided that Brexit would mean leaving the EU’s customs union and its single market it was inevitable that a customs and regulatory border would be created. The Irish government, so by extension the EU, was adamant this could not involve even the slightest manifestation of a physical border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Some Brexit supporters insisted (and continue to insist) that various administrative and technical fixes could keep the border invisible. But their case was weakened by an inability to point to a practical example of such a border elsewhere in the world. Their favoured example, the Sweden-Norway frontier, did nothing to convince the sceptics as it involves considerable infrastructure for the movement of goods.

“Much of the political focus has been on the building of border posts but it’s the EHCs which are the real problem.” After initial enthusiasm for the techno-optimist solution the Prime Minister ultimately did a deal which places the physical border in Northern Ireland’s harbours and airports. The deal, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, will effectively keep Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods and in addition the EU’s customs rules will be enforced at our ports. A joint committee of the EU and UK was established to oversee the implementation of this deal. The customs part of the deal

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05/10/2020 14:30

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06/10/2020 12:58

FEATURE

The Road to Recovery

Lockdown hit Translinkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passenger numbers hard but it has paved the way for more sustainable growth and recovery, its Chief Financial Officer, Paddy Anderson tells Emma Deighan.

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here is no doubt that Translink has played a very significant and prominent role on the front line during the pandemic. It’s a position Paddy Anderson is extremely proud of and he believes the company’s response has been hearty enough to see the regular travellers, and more, flock back in better times ahead. “The very significant impact of COVID materialised very quickly. Essentially as a public transport operator we have an obligation to deliver bus and rail services right across the country. We saw a drop of around 90% in passenger numbers and a pronounced shift in travel patterns,” he begins. “It was a huge challenge. Our initial response entailed reducing frequency across our services to reflect that drop in demand. We therefore had to adapt our shift patterns accordingly.” He says Translink’s obligation to continue to serve essential medical workers, other key workers and vulnerable people was at the forefront of making those decisions while keeping customers and staff safe and reassured was, and continues to be, a top priority. “We also provided shuttle services for hospitals and the NI Blood Transfusion Service and our staff coordinated a range of fundraising efforts and care packages to help support local communities across NI,” he adds, emphasising the role Translink plays in continuing to support local communities. “We have over 3,000 frontline service staff. That includes drivers, inspectors, maintenance personnel, cleaners, etc, so we had a huge amount of work to do to continue to provide high quality services to our customers and maintain a safe environment which ensured that they continued to have confidence in travelling.” The time and effort invested in maintaining operations, and safely at that, is emphasised by Translink issuing over half a million pieces of PPE to staff during the course of the pandemic. The operator has also implemented enhanced cleaning regimes and recently introduced breakthrough ‘electrostatic’ cleaning techniques - all buses and trains are electrostatically sprayed every week with an anti-viral agent which forms a long-lasting protective barrier on surfaces. In addition, the company has enhanced its range of contactless ticketing options and introduced a ‘no change’ policy These investments are helping to build confidence and are continuing to encourage the travelling public to return. Paddy says it will stand the company in good stead longer term and so far, the figures would indicate he is right. “Our numbers have continued to edge upwards which is very encouraging and is in no small way due to the confidence gained from our campaign ‘Let’s Go Safely Together’. We want the travelling public to know we are here for them and encourage them to travel with us when they feel ready to do so.”

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FEATURE

Paddy Anderson, Translink’s Chief Financial Officer.

Translink passenger numbers had reached around 85 million per year and while there is significant work to be done to get passenger numbers back to pre-pandemic levels, the pandemic should in some ways be beneficial in supporting Translink’s exciting plans for the future, thanks to a greater public awareness of climate change. Paddy continues: “We’ve a number of very significant capital projects ongoing and, I would argue, the significant improvements seen in air quality, particularly in the earlier part of lockdown, have given people a greater awareness of the importance of climate change and sustainability. There has been an awakening on climate change and the lack of car congestion on our roads during lockdown had a positive impact on the environment and on our lives. “As an operator, we plan to be fully carbon neutral by 2040, by 2030 in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry. We are acutely aware of what people want from their transport operator.” He says as part of the NI Executive’s New Decade New Approach agreement, Translink has received capital funding that will support this greener objective. This investment will be evident in electric vehicles and more Translink has ordered three hydrogen buses, which are currently in production

and will be pressed into service in Belfast in early 2021. This is the result of a partnership with two local companies, Wrightbus and Energia. Their arrival will mark another significant milestone in the company’s ongoing plans to play a very prominent role in combatting harmful CO2 and NOx emissions. “These projects are at the forefront of our ambitious plans on climate change,” adds Paddy. “We are driving towards these challenging net zero carbon emissions targets and are hugely focused on them.” Another area of focus for the company is its Belfast Transport Hub and Weavers Cross Regeneration project, located on an eight-hectare site beside the current Europa Buscentre and Great Victoria Street Stations. It will be the main transport gateway to Belfast, and construction work at the site is already live.“ “There will be 400 jobs created during the course of construction over the next five years,” says Paddy. “It will be one of the largest construction projects ever seen in Northern Ireland and will be a key component in our green recovery. It will act as a real catalyst for growth, prosperity and economic development and will give us much needed additional capacity at the site.”

Meanwhile in Derry~Londonderry the new North West Transport Hub is fully operational, with public realm works due to be completed later this year. On rail fleet, the company is looking forward to receiving 21 new train carriages soon. And exploratory work on a new Glider route connecting North and South Belfast is ongoing. Despite a huge drop in passengers this year, continued Government support, Paddy says, is essential to allow the company to forge ahead with those capital project plans. As the new academic year was well underway at the time of print, it was clear the company’s resumption of schools services was having a very positive impact. It has put on an additional 500 services to maintain social distancing between its 55,000 (per day) school age passengers, again generating confidence among its passengers. “That was a huge undertaking from a scheduling perspective,” reveals Paddy, adding: “But it has worked very well and you can see clearly the very positive impact it is having. Getting schools back and getting children to and from school safely, is a hugely important component in our service offering and, more generally, getting everyone back to some form of normality.” But without the hard work and dedication of Translink’s 4,000-strong team, none of this would have been possible, as Paddy is quick to point out. “We are extremely proud of the role we are playing during this pandemic, particularly during lockdown – supporting front line services during a very challenging time for NI. “We are building back responsibly and COVID-19 has accentuated our position in this recovery. “We cover 44 million miles of road and rail every year. Our network is very extensive and a huge part of what we do is serving local communities and supporting the NI economy more generally. We will continue to serve our customers in a safe and responsible way,” he concludes.

“We want the travelling public to know we are here for them and encourage them to travel with us when they feel ready”

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05/10/2020 14:37

COLUMNIST

Three Northern Ireland towns announced as finalists for Bank of Ireland’s ‘Begin Together Awards 2020’ BY GAVIN KENNEDY, HEAD OF BUSINESS BANKING NI, BANK OF IRELAND UK.

e were delighted to announce Dromore, Enniskillen and Newry City among the finalists for Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together Awards 2020, the new Award scheme available for the first time in Northern Ireland. The awards recognise business and community groups who have come together to support their local area as they start to rebuild and recover from the impact of COVID-19. The high quality and number of entries received truly reflected the resilience and enterprising spirit of towns across Northern Ireland and made it an unenviable task for the judges. These awards are all about supporting businesses and communities across the island of Ireland impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as they start to rebuild and get back on their feet. We have seen the incredible impact and achievements that can be accomplished when communities, business groups and local authorities come together with a common purpose to meet and overcome the challenges they face. They compete with towns from across the island of Ireland with the initiative being fast-tracked to provide funding to winning towns in October in order to directly assist their COVID-19 recovery. This means the judging panel review of all finalists and the winners will be announced in October. They are in with the opportunity to win a share of the total awards prize fund of over £180,000 available to finalists to help reboot local economies across the island of Ireland. 21 awards are involved, with the overall winner receiving £45,000 and the title of ‘Most Enterprising Town’. In recognition and reflecting the new challenges that communities and businesses currently face as a result of the pandemic, three special COVID-response awards for Local Town Promotion, Local Community Enterprise and Local Business and Community Response Initiatives are being awarded. The Begin Together Awards fund is part of a wider £910k Bank of Ireland support for local enterprise and community groups this year. I would like to congratulate Dromore, Enniskillen and Newry, wish them luck and keep a lookout for more on this over the next few months. AbbeyAutoline is a trading name of Abbey Insurance Brokers Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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05/10/2020 14:39

FEATURE

Supercharging the Mid South West Economy As the Mid South West launches its Regional Economic Strategy, the Mid South West Region Governance Steering Group writes for Ambition, outlining how an area already considered the economic engine of Northern Ireland has plans to boost productivity and prosperity. 54

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First Minister Arlene Foster MLA, and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA (front row) launching the Regional Economic Strategy for the Mid South West Region. Back row: Councillor Robert Irvine, Vice Chair of the Mid South West Steering Group; Roger Wilson, Chief Executive of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council; Alison McCullagh, Chief Executive of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council; Anthony Tohill, Chief Executive of Mid Ulster District Council and Councillor Cathal Mallaghan, Chair of the Mid South West Steering Group.

he commitment of three Councils to work collaboratively to drive economic growth across their areas makes sense. By pooling resources, ideas and status the collective can benefit from economies of scale and the region is much better placed to pursue investment. The Mid South West is a collaboration between Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Mid Ulster District Council. In the pages that follow you will read more of the detail of our collective ambition for the Mid South West Region and that ambition is firmly grounded in a place which has been the economic engine of Northern Ireland for quite some time. We’re proud of where we’ve come from, however we know that as a region we are capable of much, much more if we can address the deficits that exist – infrastructure,

skills, innovation and tourism – and by doing so, provide the right conditions for those sectors where we are already leading the way – advanced manufacturing, engineering, agri-food, health and life sciences, tourism, construction and others – to excel. In essence our Regional Economic Strategy is focused on helping companies across the Mid South West supercharge the growth of their businesses which will in turn turbocharge the growth of the Mid South West economy and the Northern Ireland economy. We will strive to tackle the barriers to growth while also helping companies to become exemplars in their field, capable of competing with the best in the world. Collaboration is central to achieving this aim, not just across the three councils in the Mid South West but also with the business

community which is at the heart of the region’s economic future. We have already benefitted from the insight and expertise of our Business Reference Group, made up of some 18 companies who represent the region’s sectoral strengths and who were central to shaping the strategy. Moving forward, the commitment from all businesses in the Mid South West – startups, SMEs, large companies and every inward investor – will be critical to ensuring that the strategy can be successfully delivered. We are breaking new ground with our Regional Economic Strategy and together we will be able to boost productivity and prosperity across the Mid South West Region and create an even better place for everyone to live, work and play.

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05/10/2020 14:36

FEATURE

The Mid South West Regional Economic Strategy – What is it? The Regional Economic Strategy outlines an ambitious and confident way forward for the Mid South West Region and, indeed, the whole of Northern Ireland. It was an important initiative when work first began on it in 2018 and it’s even more important now as the region deals with the economic effects of and recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic.

The strategy has been developed in close consultation with government departments and agencies, Invest Northern Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland, skills bodies, business representative groups, educational institutions, universities and, crucially, businesses from a wide range of sectors – these contributions have been vital. The key to its success is putting businesses and our economy at the heart of our plans to ensure that funding support – whether public

or private – is invested in the most responsible and effective manner. Significant investment will be required to deliver the strategy with a total commitment to date of £252 million towards a Growth Deal from the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. In addition, we intend to pursue other opportunities, such as investment through PEACE PLUS and the Shared Prosperity Fund to name a few.

The Regional Economic Strategy The strategy is structured around four intervention pillars: 1. ‘Future Proofing’ the Skills Base 2. Enabling Infrastructure 3. Boosting Innovation and Digital Capacity 4. Building a High-Performing Tourism Economy Our interventions will be geared towards delivering exponential and long term benefits including: • Increasing productivity levels and closing the productivity gap • Driving business growth • Protecting our unique sectoral advantages and realising sectoral opportunities • Creating more, better paid jobs • Rebalancing the regional economy • Increasing our global impact and underlining the benefits to the Northern Ireland economy.

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1. ‘Future Proofing’ the Skills Base

2. Enabling Infrastructure

Future proofing the skills base is becoming ever more important. It’s a top priority emerging from our engagements with business. We want to ensure that the requisite skills are available in scale and profile to underpin our region’s ambitions and those of our already very successful businesses.

Investment in infrastructure is critical. If we’re going to get anywhere we need to have the strategic road infrastructure that enables our businesses to access all areas including ports and distribution points. We’ve pinpointed where improvements are needed – the Armagh East Link; the A29 Cookstown bypass, the A4 Enniskillen Southern bypass, as well as the development of the A3 Armagh North & West Link, the A29 Dungannon bypass and the A32 Omagh to Enniskillen.

As well as requiring significant financial investment, we are seeking to drive change in four policy areas: • access to labour/lobbying for a differentiated migration policy • policy changes to ‘Off-the-Shelf’ Apprenticeships • extending the range of Higher-Level Apprenticeships and Degree Apprenticeships available in our region and

It’s not just roads. Investment must also be targeted at: • addressing broadband, mobile coverage and reliability • transforming our high streets to be places of choice for our local communities • enabling access to available industrial land • driving investment in electricity supply, and • supporting opportunites for regeneration and site development.

• a greater focus on Shared Apprenticeship schemes.

3. Boosting Innovation and Digital Capacity Advanced manufacturing is one of our big success stories and it has enormous potential. We’re placing our ambitions in this area into the NI-wide ‘eco-system’ and at the centre of what is being discussed within the City/Growth Deals (i.e. the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre in the Belfast Region City Deal and the Centre for Industrial Digitalisation, Robotics and Automation in Derry/Londonderry City Region). Our ambition is to create an innovation and skills academy delivered by the South West College in Dungannon. In relation to Agri-food our impact is global. We’ll support our colleagues in CAFRE in the development of a Northern Ireland Agri-food Robotics Centre at the Loughry Campus and we’ll work in collaboration with AFBI to develop a centre for Agri-Tech Innovation. We will develop Agri-food incubation space to support food development for smaller SMEs, an area that’s currently being explored by the Southern Region College. Then there’s the digital tech sector. We need to develop a network of Digi-Hubs to support this sector’s growth. In addition to exploring a number of potential health innovation proposals with the Region’s two leading and acute teaching hospitals, we’re also exploring a new-build Health and Care Centre in Cookstown.

NEXT STEPS We’ve already engaged extensively with our businesses and key sectors, with politicians locally, regionally and nationally, with central government, with education and the wider stakeholder community, and that will continue. We will also continue to work closely with the other City/Growth Deals to ensure that we complement each other and provide maximum benefit for NI PLC. We’ve outlined the scale of our ambition and

4. Building a High-Performing Tourism Economy Finally, we want to focus on building a high performing tourism economy. Our region has so much to offer – the Fermanagh Lakes, the Sperrins, our literary heritage, the cultural significance of Ireland’s oldest city, Armagh, where Patrick established his first church, the Ulster American Folk Park – and more besides. The recent announcement of the commitment to the Game of Thrones Legacy Project from the private sector is a welcome investment. We want to invest in the development of our tourism product – including cross-border – in actions that stimulate/de-risk and expedite quality hotel investment as well as improving infrastructure for routing/ signposting and visitor engagement. However, we know from Tourism NI research that the main barriers to growing our visitor economy are accessibility and connectivity.

We will continue to welcome the input and guidance of our industry/business base. We need their continued engagement with this initiative as we move through the next stages in development.

We are living in truly life-changing times. In years to come, people will look back on 2020 and the Coronavirus pandemic and see it as a challenging experience for us all. We want to make it a positive moment in our history – the beginning of something transformative which builds on the Region’s creativity and innovation.

The collaboration of our three councils to develop the Mid South West Regional Economic Strategy is a model of what can be achieved by people working together for the common good. But we don’t want it to stop there.

This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to supercharge the Mid South West economy, to boost prosperity for everyone in Northern Ireland and create the right environment for our powerhouse businesses to thrive.

the need to support investment to demonstrate significant GVA output.

For more information contact info@midsouthwestregion.org or midsouthwestregion.org and on Twitter @MSW_Region 57

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06/10/2020 14:46

Columnist Sandra Quinn, Director at Horizon Energy Group (HEG)

A Business Guide to Procuring Energy Horizon Energy Group’s Sandra Quinn discusses the complexities of the energy market.

to avoid possible risks when the market rises and have a fully managed view of the budget at all times, regardless of how the market is reacting. This approach is where real energy savings can be achieved. It is also wise to consider longer term contracts. Do not wait until a few months in advance of the renewal date to tender your supply contract. We have seen many cases where had a tender exercise been undertaken a few months earlier, additional savings could have been made, even on a fixed contract. Increasingly, companies may also want to consider a 100% renewable electricity supply contract, which contributes to reducing an organisation’s carbon footprint and boosting its green credentials. In recent years there have been increases in regulated charges and further increases are expected from 1 October 2020. While this can’t be avoided, understanding and therefore quantifying the impact is vital. Energy users need to be confident that there are no surprises when the October 2020 invoice arrives in November.

he energy market is complex and it can be difficult for any business to get to grips with it. In our experience these complexities and specifically, difficulties with comparing like-for-like options, typically come to the fore when companies are undertaking tender exercises. The result is that an already time intensive process can become even more arduous. The good news is, the Northern Ireland energy market does provide a wide range of products for the end user to manage energy costs. Selecting which one is best will depend on your circumstances. For example, if your priority is budget certainty, you can opt to fix the supply contract for a period of time. However it is very important to be aware that suppliers will still pass through any changes in regulated charges, regardless of the product. Therefore, even if you opt for a fixed contract, you may still face price increases in October each year and again in April. These unavoidable increases will be outside the control of your supplier. The wholesale market has experienced lows in 2020, the like of which we haven’t seen since 1997. Not surprisingly, this is due in the main to the impact of COVID-19. It means that if your organisation is on a wholesale (previously known as PPPT) or flexible contract, you will have seen a considerable drop in the commodity element of your bills. It is very easy to view a fixed contract versus a flexible contract in the current climate and highlight the saving that could have been delivered. But what happens to a flexible or wholesale contract when the market moves in the wrong direction? The budget can very quickly be breached – as was the case for a lot of companies when we reflect back on how the market behaved in 2018. The tender process can be onerous and put a severe drain on resources. The time commitment at every stage, from tender request to evaluation, contract implementation and the ongoing review of performance, is enormous. Implementing time and cost efficiencies at every point is therefore critical. Often, that means streamlining or automating processes internally and sometimes, it means bringing in external expertise.

“when a flexible contract is managed daily, the end user can take advantage of a falling market, implement a strategy to avoid possible risks when the market rises and have a fully managed view of the budget at all times“ Expertise It is often advantageous for businesses to consider using an Energy Consultant to carry out all this work on their behalf. An Energy Consultant will carry out the energy supply contract tender process, evaluate the responses and present the findings to a business for its decision. Doing so will ensure the organisation is obtaining independent advice on the best strategy to undertake, based on all known market information available at that time. Once an energy provider has been appointed, this approach will also provide the client with a daily/weekly/monthly market insight and the ability to act when the market softens. In addition, it will free up the businesses’ own resources to focus on its core business in these challenging times.

How can businesses manage energy costs? There is no right time to procure energy and with often complex pricing structures, there is no easy time either. However, when a flexible contract is managed daily, the end user can take advantage of a falling market, implement a strategy

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05/10/2020 14:36

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FEATURE

Future-Proofing Business Practice ProfessorÂ Mark Durkin, Executive Dean at Ulster University Business School (UUBS), says change is the only certainty in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s increasingly complex world. Here he talks to Emma Deighan about adjusting business education to align with a rapidly changing business environment. 60

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05/10/2020 14:37

ProfessorÂ Mark Durkin, Executive Dean at Ulster University Business School.

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05/10/2020 14:37

FEATURE

ith 5200 students, 180 academic staff and a top ten ranking among UK business schools in the Research Excellence Framework, UUBS is well placed to assess and respond to the dramatic climate NI businesses are operating in. The Business School prides itself on its active and responsive engagement with industry and it is this close relationship that affords the Business School relevant insights into the challenges local businesses are facing. Mark Durkin references VUCA, the business word du jour and an acronym for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, when he talks about the pressures and constant change facing the local business sector. “The environmental shock through the crisis has been unprecedented,” he begins. “It’s also the universality of this event and the speed of it. We knew Brexit was looming, but the ramifications of this pandemic have been so rapid and unexpected.” Working in accordance with the Public Health Agency’s advice, the Business School is welcoming limited numbers of students on campus. Just like every other business, it’s having to adapt to new ways of doing business with almost all programmes transitioning fully online for the new academic term. “It’s a challenge for courses where practical work is of paramount importance to teach effectively. For example, although our Academy Restaurant is set to reopen this month, it will open under a new layout and operating model,” says Mark. “But this is universal. Everyone is affected and if you look to the future, there’ll be more crises facing us, so today is all about how we respond to increasingly uncertain environments,” explains Mark. “Creating new value in times of uncertainty is the mantra of the Business School,” he says because “increasingly through VUCA things have happened more quickly, and we seem to be living in that environment constantly”. “Traditional business education was developed in times when things were more

stable, so what we offer now is much more sympathetic to a prevailing VUCA context. It’s not like the 60’s and 70’s because we can’t predict the future anymore. That environment has gone and it’s now about how to build value in unstable environments and how to respond profitably, that transcends everything,” says Mark. “Business needs and workplace dynamics have shifted incredibly with the pandemic accelerating future of work trends and magnifying skills demands. As we traverse a recovery phase, having the right technical and practical skills and capabilities in place will help organisations prevail in the uncertain world ahead,” he continues. In July the Department for the Economy funded 500 places in a range of online courses to upskill and retrain people whose jobs have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Aimed at supporting priority skills in the workplace, the programmes were developed by Ulster University’s Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment and UUBS. These included a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Analysis and Consulting and a Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Development focusing on business recovery. Other services set up to support the business community include a business recovery suite which draws on the expertise and knowledge of UUBS leading academics to support businesses with short-term challenges and plan for future recovery. “In late March we came together as a team and discussed how we, as academics, can help businesses cope with the immediate shock and see a way through. It was almost about early stage survival and we’ve had a huge amount of interest,” Mark explains. “We also have a dedicated Business Engagement Unit, which is the interface between the faculty and businesses and provides many valuable resources such as mentoring and webinars, while our website is a repository of guidance, support and links to other useful sources of information.” “We are there to be the friend of business

and the Business School and businesses have always been intimately involved. One of the things that I didn’t anticipate was just how much value businesses got simply by calling someone and talking about their situation, not necessarily asking for advice, just having a listening ear.” Mark adds that the deep-rooted relationship between the school, students and business community has been an integral part of the institution’s setup and that the majority of staff originate from a business background, while the courses are at the interface between theory and practice. “We position ourselves on a balance of new ways of thinking and then the application of that thinking in practice. And, like business, we have a bias towards action. “We do research, which is important, with an equal focus on translating that thinking into action. Translating value into practice is key and we focus heavily on those translations.” And in this whole era of uncertainty, the Executive Dean says the Business School prides itself on “being the leading provider of entrepreneurial education and creating opportunity in periods of uncertainty. “What we’re doing is aligning teaching strongly to the uncertainty we are seeing at the minute. How can we educate people to be more focused on opportunity and to be more comfortable around uncertainty and ambiguity?” he asks. “Running a business today is about surviving and having cash and resources to survive during this period of profound ambiguity. It’s also about getting a sense of perspective. I think businesses today should never underestimate their own resilience and remember that what we are going through is universal,” he concludes. For more information on UUBS’s extensive portfolio of management development and executive education programmes visit https://www.ulster. ac.uk/business/engagement or contact engage@ulster.ac.uk

“We position ourselves on a balance of new ways of thinking and then the application of that thinking in practice. And, like business, we have a bias towards action.”

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05/10/2020 14:37

COLUMNIST

A Recovery; But What Kind? BY MARK CRIMMINS, HEAD OF NI, ULSTER BANK.

nevitably, when a recession occurs, the focus turns to what shape of recovery we are going to experience. The V-shaped recovery is always the most desirable, rather than a U-shaped one, or the dreaded-L. With regard to the COVID-induced recession, a V-shaped recovery looks increasingly unlikely based on the recent data, including the Ulster Bank Northern Ireland PMI. But there are perhaps things that can be done to help. To get a handle on what businesses would like to see to support a recovery, Ulster Bank recently surveyed more than 200 Northern Ireland-based companies with between 10 and 250 employees across a representative sample of sectors. 60 percent of firms said that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their business, but the significant majority (88 percent) expect to recover within 24 months. The top issues identified by respondents as currently holding back the recovery of their business include social distancing restrictions, supply chain challenges, a perceived lack of government support, and over indebtedness. Indeed, more than a quarter (28 percent) of companies surveyed said that indebtedness was a problem of some degree for their company, with 10 percent of respondents saying that this issue was quite significant or very significant. And almost 38 percent of respondents said that measures from government to ease business debt would help boost their firm’s revival.

When asked what they would like to see government do to support economic recovery, 33 percent of respondents said that they would like to see further grant support, and 31 percent said they would like to see government invest more in infrastructure to stimulate the economy. 23 percent identified extending the furlough scheme as something they would like to see government do. The publication of the results follows the release of findings by the British Chambers of Commerce which show that one in 10 UK firms that took on debt during the pandemic say they may have to cease trading. At the present time, we are at a crucial juncture for the Northern Ireland economy with the ending of the furlough scheme. Many local firms have been dependent on this support as well as support from government-backed lending schemes. Ulster Bank therefore wants to help stimulate further discussion about what a recovery of the economy looks like from here. What is clear is that government won’t be able to continue with a widespread furlough scheme indefinitely. It is also clear that social distancing restrictions need to remain in the current circumstances to protect employees and customers. Businesses also cannot continue to take on debt to make up for lower demand. Indeed, strategic solutions to corporate indebtedness may be required to help stop many firms falling into a spiral of unsustainable debt, given that corporate debt in Northern Ireland was

already high before the pandemic. This presents a very difficult challenge for Northern Ireland and there needs to be a really honest discussion across the economy to come up with innovative answers locally and to help remove some of the barriers that might be holding back a recovery from happening more quickly.

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05/10/2020 14:36

FEATURE

Neil McLeese, Managing Director, BeyondHR.

Stairway to Seven My seven steps for business success

Neil McLeese is Managing Director of BeyondHR which is a leading provider of outsourced HR services in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Having worked in a number of HR roles across various sectors Neil joined BeyondHR in 2011 and is now responsible for the Company’s strategic planning and business development.

1. SET CLEAR OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITISE

My mindset has always been that, in order to achieve something, you need to have targets to aim for otherwise you can drift aimlessly without ever achieving anything. When we first acquired the business in 2014 a lot of time was spent in analysing the business and planning for our first five years. We set ambitious targets to double the size of the business and at the start I reviewed the plan regularly. It felt completely daunting with so much to do in order to reach our goals. Fortunately, I received wise advice from a mentor who reminded me that the way to eat an elephant was ‘one bite at a time’ so I prioritised the necessary actions into what needed to be achieved each year and then broke those actions down into quarterly actions. This freed up my mind to focus on the most pressing issues without being overwhelmed by the ambition of our plans.

feedback / opinion. I choose to believe that most people come to work wanting to do a good job, but in order to do that they need to know what you are aiming for and how they can impact it. Once you explain this, get out of the way and don’t micro-manage.

2. DEVELOP A CULTURE OF TEAM WORK

4. EMBRACE MISTAKES

As a teenager I remember following Ulster Rugby’s European Cup campaign in 1999. On paper, Ulster were far from the best team in the tournament, but each player knew their role, played with passion and knew how they fitted into the side’s game-plan. They seemed to be greater than the sum of their parts and emerged as worthy winners of the tournament. The lesson I took from this was that a group of individuals will never achieve as much as a team that has clear objectives, defined roles and is passionate about what it does.

3. COMMUNICATE

I have always felt it important that if you want to get a team to perform at their best you need to communicate your objectives and seek

No one sets off to do a bad job and sometimes mistakes happen. Although, naturally, you want to minimise mistakes, they should be embraced when they do happen as they can provide opportunities for reflection and learning. Taking time to look into these things helps you and your business continuously improve.

5. GET

COMFORTABLE BEING ‘OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE’ Leading an organisation can mean that you end up in lots of scenarios that make you feel uncomfortable. I have tried to embrace this over the years and believe that the only way to develop as a person is to stretch yourself and get used to being out of your comfort zone (no matter how painful that can be at times).

6. STAY POSITIVE

A book I read recently talked about how negative behaviour in a team can be contagious and lead to a cycle of poor performance. I completely accept this but also believe that positive behaviour can be contagious and inspiring to those you work with on a daily basis. I have found that running a business can, at times, be fraught with problems and there are periods when things never seem to go the way you planned, but maintaining a positive attitude will help to keep you going and allow you to see new opportunities as they present themselves.

7. HAVE FUN

Over the course of a week we probably spend more time at work than we do with our families, so it is important to take time to have some fun. Whether that is spending time with your family, playing sport or meeting up with friends, it is good for our mental health to have quality time away from the business to recharge our batteries and give us some perspective.

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05/10/2020 14:35

NEWS

RSM ESTABLISHES NEW NORTHERN IRELAND FINANCIAL SHARED SERVICE CENTRE Audit, tax and consulting services provider, RSM has established a Financial Shared Service Centre (FSSC) in Belfast as part of a £1.3million investment in its outsourcing practice, creating 24 jobs. The centre will provide outsourced financial services to the company’s UK and international clients, including financial processing, bookkeeping, reporting and analytics services. Announcing RSM’s decision to expand in Northern Ireland, Suzanne Willmott, Associate Director and head of the Large Corporate Centre for Outsourcing, said: “A key part of our growth strategy is to increase our global service capabilities and this new FSSC centre in Belfast will be crucial to this. “We are always striving to better understand our clients’ requirements and know that there is a need to simplify, standardise and automate financial processes. This is especially important with the challenges businesses are facing at the moment. The new team in Belfast will mean we can now offer a complete end-to-end outsourced service to our global RSM clients through our NetSuite platform, and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotic Process

Automation (RPA). “The combination of highly skilled talent on offer in the local financial sector, and support from Invest NI, made Northern Ireland the best choice for this new team over far-shore locations.” George McKinney, Invest Northern Ireland’s Director of Technology & Services, said: “Northern Ireland’s financial and professional services sector has a strong global reputation, with Belfast ranked as the world’s top destination for financial technology investment projects. “We have a longstanding relationship with RSM and our support over the years has helped it to build its presence here through job creation and staff training. We have continued to work closely with the company and are pleased to have helped secure this reinvestment for Northern Ireland. “This new outsourcing team in Belfast will help RSM to broaden the service it offers to its clients, and play an important part in plans to expand into new international markets. Once in place, the jobs will generate over £650,000 in additional annual salaries which is welcome news for our economy.”

Pictured (L-R) are George McKinney, Director of Technology & Services, Invest Northern Ireland with Suzanne Wilmott, Associate Director and head of the Large Corporate Centre for Outsourcing, RSM.

Along with strategic business advice, Invest NI has offered the company £98,400 of support towards the creation of the new jobs. Job opportunities include a Finance Operations Manager and a range of Financial Bookkeeping Specialist roles. Recruitment is underway and the Centre’s teams continue to successfully deliver bookkeeping and management reporting services remotely from home.

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06/10/2020 15:45

FEATURE

Funding NI Water – It’s No Longer Optional

Sara Venning, NI Water Chief Executive.

It is well documented that NI Water’s sewerage and wastewater infrastructure requires significant investment. The issue has most recently been highlighted in the January 2020 New Decade, New Approach agreement, which reads “The Executive will invest urgently in wastewater infrastructure which is at or nearing capacity in many places across Northern Ireland, including in Belfast, limiting growth.” There is no doubting the scale of the sewerage and wastewater issues that Northern Ireland faces – here Sara Venning, Chief Executive of NI Water, writes for Ambition outlining how funding NI Water is no longer optional.

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urrently there are over 100 areas across Northern Ireland where the sewerage and wastewater infrastructure has minimal or no spare capacity left. These areas include 25 of our main towns and cities that Councils have identified as the main centres for future population growth, private and social housing growth, business and industry growth, new job creation, retail and tourism strategies etc. New connections to the sewer network needed now for new housing and new business in these areas will likely not be available for several years and by 2027 we expect another 30 towns to be added to this list of areas. We all need fit-for-purpose sewerage and wastewater infrastructure to underpin our cities, towns and villages. To understand the root cause of these issues you need to understand how NI Water is required to operate. NI Water was set up in 2007. It is neither a conventional trading business nor an integrated part of the public sector. It is a Government-owned company (GoCo), required to operate with a commercial ethos but also required to adhere to the complex Government rules for a GoCo using non-departmental public body (NDPB) accountability. In short, this means that the level to which NI Water can invest in its infrastructure is not the result of its commercials and finances, but rather, it is set according to what Government decides to allocate from within its Capital budget. And for many years Government has not allocated what has been needed for both water and wastewater. NI Water will always prioritise its treated water infrastructure to ensure that every household, business, hospital and school has a reliable supply of safe, clean water, so when inadequate investment levels are set by Government it’s the sewerage and wastewater infrastructure that suffers. The impact of inadequate levels of capital investment can be no surprise to Government. During the last funding round in 2015, NI Water identified the need for a £1.7bn capital programme, but Government allocated just £990m. In NI Water’s published Business Plan for the period 2015-21 (called PC15), in response to the highly inadequate level of capital being made available, the company stated “NI Water has had to make difficult decisions on the allocation of capital to enhancement projects during the PC15 period. Whilst upgrades to 19 large Wastewater Treatment Works will progress during the PC15 period, it has been necessary to defer upgrades to 81 large Wastewater Treatment Works. This will increase the number of sewerage systems which will reach their capacity during the PC15 period. As a result NI Water will not be able to permit new connections, which may result in development at locations across N Ireland being constrained.” Economic and business commentators have stated that these present financial

Wastewater Capacity issues

PC21 Investment

arrangements damage both effective planning and the efficient delivery of NI Water’s critical infrastructure and services, describing NI Water’s funding model as “suboptimal”. The weaknesses in this system are the requirement for NI Water’s expenditure to fall within Government budget limits and that Government can decide a level of spending for NI Water that differs from that determined by the independent Utility Regulator. In practice, this means that, despite a professional regulatory assessment resulting in a recommended capital spend, Government can subsequently set a level of capital spend well below this recommendation, often as the result of other Government projects needing to be funded from the same Capital budget. Over £2bn of capital investment is

required in our next Business Plan period 2021-27 (called PC21); it will maintain the drinking water network and while it will not fix everything, it will also make good inroads into addressing the capacity issues in our sewerage and wastewater infrastructure and will enable much of the new housing and new business needed for economic recovery and future economic growth. We have listened to our customers and worked extensively with our key stakeholders in preparing the right PC21 Business Plan for Northern Ireland; however, unless Government starts to invest sufficiently in Northern Ireland’s failing sewerage and wastewater there will be difficult choices ahead about our economy and our natural environment. It is imperative that an adequate level of capital investment is secured.

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05/10/2020 14:43

Columnist Robert McCullough, Head of Business Sector Engagement, Danske Bank

Businesses Must Innovate to Reach Post-COVID-19 World in Good Shape A s we deal with ever changing guidance about life in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic it is hard for business leaders to look towards a post-COVID-19 world with any certainty. But, however long it takes until the economy breaks free of the shackles of the pandemic, it seems clear that it is organisations who are committed to innovation that stand the best chance of reaching the other side in good health. When we hear the word innovation, too often we only think of it in terms of invention and new physical products. R&D and new inventions are undoubtedly crucial for a lot of leading businesses and indeed we’ve seen some brilliant examples of product innovations from companies who have pivoted into the production of PPE in response to coronavirus. But for many others, innovation means introducing new processes and changes to how they operate that deliver cost efficiencies and make things easier, quicker or more profitable. Every Danske Bank customer I’ve spoken with in the past six months – large and small – has had to implement changes to the ways their employees work, the way they interact with customers, how they use digital technology, the way they sell overseas or the way they manage their supply chains. Some of this may have happened anyway but amidst the damage done by the pandemic, its lockdowns and social distancing has been the acceleration of positive trends – for example virtual meetings. Companies who had been looking into the use of artificial intelligence, automation or novel partnerships with other organisations have finally pushed the button because of the new realities. I’ve written previously about how we have asked our customers during this time to challenge the critical assumptions underlying their business, analyse their target customers, review their supply chain architecture, identify emerging trends and interrogate their value proposition and the way they implement it against their peers. And we’ve found many companies, large and small, who have been able to innovate not just through new products but also by implementing new processes to make their business more agile. One such company is Edge Innovate, which designs, manufactures and distributes material handling and recycling machinery around the world from its manufacturing facility in Dungannon.

By June the business had brought over 90% of its factory employees safely back to work and machines were being manufactured and exported to customers in 52 countries daily. The business has had to be forward thinking in how it promotes itself during the COVID-19 era, building operational resilience and strengthening its supply chains in key markets like the US. While the firm has pushed out the timelines of some projects due to the disruption caused by the pandemic, it remains committed to its expansion and investment programme, with a new factory to be finished later this year and a number of new products ready to launch in 2021. Darragh Cullen, CEO of Edge Innovate said: “We closed for nine weeks at the start of the pandemic, during which we put in place the processes, procedures and equipment needed for a safe return to work and then gradually brought people back. “It has been a difficult time to navigate. We manufacture and sell capital equipment and purchases of this equipment require a certain degree of confidence in whatever economy you are in. “But the word “innovate” is in the name of our company and we have built innovation and R&D into the business. It is part of what we do every day when we go to work. In these troubled times we felt it was important to push on and invest more heavily in innovation and new products to differentiate ourselves from our competitors on the global stage.” Darragh adds: “Innovation isn’t all about new products though, it is in all parts of the business. It is in the design and processes that make us operate more efficiently. We have a culture of innovation and challenge, but we have to keep working at it. We have to keep innovating because we have to get better faster than our competitors, who are also improving.” Edge Innovate has also embraced new partnerships, working with the Department for the Economy and three regional councils to develop an economic strategy for the Mid-South West region which will put in place structures and innovations to help major employers to boost productivity and attract investment longer term. We know all business owners are focused on what is immediately in front of them and we don’t know how long the pandemic will last. But that shouldn’t stop all of us from continuing to review and improve how we operate. Whether it is in product or processes, a clear commitment to innovation could make all the difference.

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05/10/2020 14:43

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05/10/2020 14:43