Ambition Issue 45 (March/April 2021) by NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry

AMBITION MAGAZINE OF NORTHERN IRELAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

ISSUE 45 £2.95

CIPR PRIDE AWARDS 2017 - BEST PUBLICATION

MARCH/APRIL 2021

A HEALTHY RESPONSE Ambition talks to Jeremy Eakin, Managing Director of Eakin Healthcare Group and Armstrong Medical about business during the pandemic

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March/April 2021 Issue 45

Contents NI CHAMBER COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER

Sustainable Solutions CDE’s CEO, Marc Jennings speaks to Ambition.

Managing Editor: Christopher Morrow Interviews: Emma Deighan Publisher: Chris Sherry Advertising Managers: Lorraine Gill & Gerry Waddell Editorial Assistant: 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. Front Cover by: Kelvin Boyes, Press Eye.

NI CHAMBER PATRONS

At a Glance

News: 6 Dale Farm Unveils Rebrand 8 BT’s 655m Contribution 10 Artemis Technologies Unveils Marine Simulator 21 GM Marketing Announces Acquisition of Favourit Foods 21 Baker Tilly Mooney Moore Announces Expansion 22 Belfast Telegraph Business Awards Launched 41 Export Growth for Bloc Blinds Columnists: 12 Jonie Graham 14 Jane Shaw 20 Robert McCullough 42 John Campbell 51 Martin Breheney 60 Kate Marshall 66 Danielle McWall 74 Helen Hardy 76 Maybeth Shaw 80 Brendan Drain 84 Gabi Burnside 90 Gerry Rourke 96 Jim Fitzpatrick NI Chamber Chief: 24 CEO Update 26 NI Chamber Welcomes New Patrons 28 Make the Most of Your Membership 30 NI Chamber in Conversation With Features: 16 A Healthy Response 34 The Work-From-Home Pioneers 38 Harnessing Nature’s Energy 44 The Drive for Equality 48 Righting the Way Forward 52 Swift Response 54 My Ambition is to...

56 62 65 68 72 75

Sustainable Solutions Why is COP26 Relevant to You? Stairway to Seven Unprecedented Change by 2030 Breath of Fresh Air Developing Skills

Round-Up 61 Openreach NI Receives its First Electric Vehicle 75 Mivan create 14 new positions 77 Graham to Deliver Clyde Road Bridge 77 FinTrU Named One of Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies 89 Forestside Announced as New Sponsor of Arts & Business NI Awards

Appointments: 82 Charles Hurst Announces New Chief Lifestyle: 86 Business Class Motoring James Stinson 92 Dine & Wine - Chris Rees 93 Fashion - Joanne Harkness

16 Cover Story 68

EDITORIAL

President’s Perspective

Road to Recovery T

he first quarter of the year has, not surprisingly, thrown up another round of challenges for Northern Ireland’s businesses, who continue to show great resilience despite extremely testing circumstances. At NI Chamber, our focus has been on securing the support firms need now, whilst also laying out the business conditions necessary to thrive in the longer term. As part of this work, we provided a comprehensive response to the draft Northern Ireland Budget. One of our immediate concerns is that it is a one-year Budget and not a multi-annual one. This imposes significant constraints on how the Executive supports and invests in strategic priorities. If the issue isn’t addressed, then over time it will lead to a potential mismatch between what is promised through government policies and what is achieved, because short-termism around finance inhibits transformation. NI Chamber strongly believes that when it comes to the Budget, the priority should be an allocation of resources on the basis of clear policy choices to achieve strategic longterm objectives, rather than simply managing from year to year. A multi-annual Budget has therefore never been more important and would facilitate that strategic planning. In our response to the Department of Finance, we highlighted the central role local businesses will play in our economic recovery and why it is critical that the Department for the Economy, and Invest NI, have adequate resources to support them. A vibrant and externally focussed private sector is vital in order to grow the economy, generating income from abroad and supporting sustainable employment and earnings. We must also not forget the important role that infrastructure plays in our economic recovery and there is currently a serious investment deficit in Northern Ireland. Also, it is not clear how we’re accessing funds designed to replace EU funding. Away from our own local Budget, the Chancellor’s recent Budget has been broadly welcomed by our members. Many aspects of the statement, in particular the extension of the furlough scheme, provide relief for firms facing enormous cash-flow pressures as a result of the pandemic. Providing additional, ongoing financial support is critical for business survival, ensuring that as many firms as possible make it to the final phase of the NI Executive’s recently published Pathway to Recovery. The NI Executive must now ensure that sectors receive adequate notice to prepare to reopen safely and sustainably ahead of each stage. Ian Henry President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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NEWS

KPMG: UK CORPORATION TAX HIKE POSES UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR NI Northern Ireland has the opportunity to stand out from the crowd in the race for international investment if it is able to lower its corporation tax rate from 2023, KPMG in Northern Ireland has said. The firm said the combination of a reduction in corporation tax here to 12.5% – on a par with that levied in the Republic – and the unique position Northern Ireland finds itself in post Brexit, with access to both Europe and GB markets, would significantly enhance its attractiveness as an investment location. The comments come in the wake of plans laid out in the Chancellor’s Budget to increase UK corporation tax to 25% in 2023 from 19% currently for companies with profits above £50,000 a year or over. Johnny Hanna, partner in charge of KPMG in NI, said: “There is no doubt that a 12.5% corporation tax rate on trading activities in Northern Ireland from 2023 (by then half the UK tax rate and on a par with that in Ireland), if it could be delivered and justified on a compelling cost-benefit basis, would significantly enhance the attractiveness of Northern Ireland as an investment location when coupled together with its unique position as a gateway to both the GB and the EU markets.”

ESRI IRELAND NAMED IRELAND’S BEST SMALL WORKPLACE Esri Ireland, a market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), has been named the Best Small Workplace in Ireland 2021 for the second consecutive year. Esri Ireland was recognised at the 19th annual Great Place to Work Best Workplaces in Ireland awards. This recognition follows a positive year for the company in Ireland, which enjoyed its most successful year ever in 2020. Esri Ireland has continued to provide essential services to the public and private sectors throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The company helped set up an interactive online dashboard, Ireland’s COVID-19 Data Hub, applying its digital mapping services to track COVID-19 activity in Ireland.

GALGORM COLLECTION LAUNCHES RECRUITMENT DRIVE Galgorm has announced the launch of a brand new recruitment drive to hire more than 180 additional new team members for a range of hospitality roles for its hotels and restaurants in Ballymena, Belfast and Templepatrick. Roles include chefs, bar tenders, spa therapists and managers, along with facilities staff, housekeepers, drivers and night porters. The company, who is behind the world renowned Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, said that the roles will help to meet anticipated demand when the hospitality sector reopens in the coming months. Galgorm Collection said it is investing more than £5m in annual wages creating the new roles, which include both full and part time positions and forms part of its advanced preparations for the full and safe reopening of its properties. Andrew Logan (Head Chef Castle Kitchen + Bar); Jessica Halliday (Galgorm Spa Therapist); Colin Johnston (Galgorm Collection Managing Director); Nyree Kerr (Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort Receptionist) and Peter Meehan (Bar Person at Fratelli).

DALE FARM UNVEILS REBRAND AS PART OF AMBITIOUS GROWTH STRATEGY

Dale Farm has unveiled a new identity for its brand as part of a major growth strategy for the next three years. It has completely redeveloped its consumer-facing brand to reflect a more contemporary style and better communicate its farmer cooperative credentials. Its corporate identity has Dale Farm Group Chief Executive Nick Whelan and County Down also been redesigned to align with the farmer Chris Catherwood. new look, using the strapline ‘Your Dairy Cooperative’ to place focus on the role of the 1,300 farmers who own the cooperative and supply it with milk. Group Chief Executive Nick Whelan commented: “Dale Farm is extremely proud to be owned by hardworking dairy farmers who supply us with milk to make our products. This is what makes Dale Farm the successful company it is. Our new look celebrates the central role of farmers in our products and underlines that consumers are supporting the farming sector when they choose Dale Farm.”

DEVENISH SEEKING INVESTMENT TO BOLSTER GLOBAL FOOTPRINT Global agri technology company Devenish has announced plans to raise capital in order to grow internationally. Devenish already has sites across Ireland, the UK, USA, Turkey and Uganda, employing over 750 people globally and trading in over 40 countries, but wants to grow even further. Devenish Chief Executive Richard The firm is actively exploring partnership Kennedy. opportunities within the international food and feed industries. Richard Kennedy, Chief Executive, Devenish said: “We have ambitious plans to further build on our global footprint, and we intend to secure further investment as part of that strategy. We have appointed Goodbody as our financial advisers to explore a number of options with potential financial investors and industry partners.”

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NEWS

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS BT’s 655M CONTRIBUTION TO LOCAL ECONOMY Openreach, the digital network business, part of BT Group, announced that it plans to hire more than 100 new apprentice engineers in Northern Ireland before the end of March this year. Mark Dames, BT Group head of public affairs for Northern Ireland, said: “I’m immensely proud of the contribution our colleagues make in supporting the Northern Ireland economy. At an important time for our region, our spending on people, networks and suppliers, provides a vital economic boost. The wider impact of that spending helps to sustain communities and small businesses right across Northern Ireland. “In the past year, having good connectivity has become more important than ever as we’ve all had to work, learn, and spend more leisure time online. Despite these challenges, our dedicated and determined colleagues have ensured EE’s 5G network has been extended to cover 125 towns and cities across the UK and we have become the first communications company in the UK and Ireland to build and manage a live 5G Private Network to help digitally transform the port at Belfast harbour. “The company has now built out Openreach’s full-fibre network to reach 4.1 million premises and EE’s 4G network now reaches 85 per cent of the UK. I know these significant investments will help to underpin the country’s economic recovery post-COVID.” Employees from across BT Group – which includes Openreach, EE and Plusnet – have played a key role in keeping the country connected during the pandemic. The company has provided critical support to the NHS, SMEs via its Small Business Support Scheme and school children by providing unlimited broadband and mobile data, and free BT Wi-Fi vouchers and zero rating access to two of the most popular online education sites. BT’s Consumer Contact Centres now handle 100% of customer calls in the UK, at centres from Enniskillen to Dundee. Since customer service for BT, EE and Plusnet customers was brought back to the UK and Ireland last year, more than 34 million calls have been handled. Tim Fanning, Director at Hatch, said: “Our analysis underlines how vast BT Group’s contribution is to the UK economy as a whole as well as to individual communities in the nations and regions. Its presence across the country generates significant further activity and investment, Mark Dames, BT Group supporting many thousands of head of public affairs for jobs.” Northern Ireland.

• BT Group employs 1 in every 4 employees in the IT and communications sector in Northern Ireland • 7,270 total jobs supported through direct and indirect effects • £155 million annual supply chain spend in Northern Ireland BT Group, its spend with contractors and suppliers, and the spending power of its employees, are responsible for supporting more than 7,270 jobs in Northern Ireland, according to an independent report. The Economic Impact of BT Group in the UK report, by consultancy firm Hatch, calculates that the communications and technology company generated more than £24 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy during the last financial year, including £655 million in Northern Ireland alone. The report estimates that around 7,270 full-time jobs in Northern Ireland are supported by BT Group through direct and indirect effects. The firm also spent £155 million with suppliers based in Northern Ireland, including those in the construction and telecommunications industries. BT Group has broadband and mobile networks spanning from the Scilly Isles to Shetland, built and maintained by some of the 82,800 direct employees it has in the UK. In Northern Ireland, the firm directly employs 2,900 people, with a further 436 employed as contractors. The company is currently modernising its business, including investing in the UK’s largest workplace consolidation and modernisation programme, as it moves from 300 locations to around 30 as part of its Better Workplace programme. The firm also plans to invest in the refurbishment of its flagship Belfast office at Riverside Tower, providing a future-fit workplace for thousands of colleagues. More announcements are expected later this year. Most recently, BT unveiled plans to recruit more apprentices and graduates in Northern Ireland for its September 2021 intake. Meanwhile,

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NEWS

ARTEMIS TECHNOLOGIES UNVEILS WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED MARINE SIMULATOR IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Artemis Technologies has unveiled the world’s most advanced marine simulator at its base in Northern Ireland. Pictured, from left, Philip Crain, Real-Time Simulation Manager and Dr Iain Percy OBE, Chief Executive.

Artemis Technologies, which is leading a programme to develop a new class of zero-emission high-speed vessels, has unveiled the world’s most advanced marine simulator in Northern Ireland. The mechanical hardware in the loop (mHIL) simulator represents a multi-million pound investment over the past decade by Artemis Technologies and the Artemis Racing professional sailing team. The company will use the mHIL simulator to streamline the development process and prototyping of the company’s Artemis eFoilerTM electric propulsion system and new green high-speed vessels, targeting the ferry and workboat markets. Double Olympic champion Dr Iain Percy OBE, CEO of Artemis Technologies, revealed the installation of the simulator ahead of the upcoming world-famous America’s Cup yacht race, of which he is a four-time veteran. He said: “We originally built the simulator for Artemis Racing taking part in the America’s Cup, and are hugely excited to bring this incredible technology to Northern Ireland. There is nothing else like this in the world, it’s the most advanced of its kind, and it’s right here. “Behind the device is all our collective learning, over 10 years and hundreds of millions of pounds in investment, learning about the marine environment and how vessels operate in that environment. “The result is when we want to test something new, like a zeroemission vessel, we can confidently do that.” The mHIL simulator features a 4.5 metre high, 210 degree screen, which conveys images from three laser phosphor projectors, wrapped around a physical platform similar to those used for flight and motorsport simulators, providing an incredibly immersive experience. It forms part of Artemis Technologies’ roadmap to creating a

high-tech maritime innovation hub in Northern Ireland and will be an integral part of the digital twin of the zero-emission workboat and ferry projects with support from the Belfast Maritime Consortium. “With the Belfast Maritime Consortium, we are trying to create a number of world firsts, the first ever zero-emission high-speed fast ferry. As this has never been done before, by definition, you need a digital twin. “It is a representation of all the same physical forces you experience on the water, including the wind, the waves, the boat itself, and how it performs. “Out of that, we create a digital environment where we can test new equipment, we can train crew and improve the whole system, without actually having to build anything. “The net result of a digital twin manufacturing environment is huge productivity gains. Where you used to have to produce a number of different prototypes followed by learning from your mistakes, now you can literally test tens of thousands of prototypes in the digital world to arrive at the optimal solution, before you have to make anything physical. The power of the digital twin is lower cost, better product, reduced waste, in a shorter time.” The mHIL simulator will continue to be used by high-performance professional sailing teams from across the world and is expected to attract interest from the commercial maritime sector. Iain concluded: “It’s going to bring in a lot of interest from outside and a lot of commercial activity. When you have a piece of equipment that gives such an accurate representation of the marine environment, other companies will want to test their own ideas.”

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Columnist Jonie Graham, Senior Consultant, BRC Partnership

Endurance Leadership BRC Partnership’s Jonie Graham talks about leadership through tough times.

priority: attitude. Shackleton gave places in his crew to people who were not as talented or experienced as others seeking the same position. He did this because they had the kind of attitude that he knew they would need for the task ahead. Above all else, Shackleton valued attitude as the key attribute for his team members. If team members need honesty above all else from their leader, the successful leader requires the right attitude above all else from their team members. What is your top priority when it comes to talent selection? Is there a skill, an attribute or a characteristic that your team members require above all else? Is that need central to your recruitment and selection process? Ernest Shackleton himself is an interesting and somewhat controversial character. He had previously been to the Antarctic on two occasions. The first time was as part of Robert Scott’s discovery expedition. Shackleton did not really get along with Scott and considered him to be “indecisive and insecure”. He felt that Scott was more concerned with being liked by his men than he was with achieving the mission. Although the experience was strained, Shackleton remained part of Scott’s Discovery team until the expedition was complete. Afterwards, Shackleton would remark that “he learnt from Scott all that a leader was not.” Learning from those we do not get along with is a critical attribute of a successful leader. We often find ourselves unable to change a situation where we are under the leadership of those we feel are incompetent or ineffective leaders. Perhaps we are at the mercy of an indecisive leader when everyone around knows that what is most needed is for a decision to be made. Of course, when we find ourselves in situations such as these we should set about an exit or improvement strategy, but instead consider the frustrations and why we are feeling them, and reflect on the mistakes and their consequences. For Shackleton to learn from Scott “all that a leader was not” did not simply mean that he criticised or complained about him. It meant that he observed the weaknesses and their ramifications for both the mission and the team and he resolved to learn from Scott’s mistakes and shortcomings so that he would not fall into the same traps. What have you learnt, not only from your own mistakes but from the mistakes of others? How have you let them inform what you do today? Even when we look to competitors in the market place we should be mindful not only to look to the most successful in order to learn from them, but to also study those who have failed. What was the reason for their failure? What could they have done differently? What must we do in order to ensure we do not make the same mistakes?

hen you come to build a team or need to select new members to join your organisation, how do you attract new talent? You might place an advertisement in the relevant publication, web page or bulletin. You may share the vacancy through town hall meetings, your own network of contacts or on social media. However you do it, I am sure that you are careful to include all of the benefits and rewards of joining the team and that you are careful to demonstrate the nature of the task and its responsibilities. When Ernest Shackleton advertised to recruit crew for his 1914 Antarctic expedition he placed an advert in The New York Times that read: “Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honour and recognition in case of success.” That may not sound too attractive, but it did appeal to many people. Individuals with a sense of adventure, an appetite for exploration and a passion for discovery and maybe just a little bit of a yearning for fame and fortune. These were the type of people that Shackleton was interested in; he knew the nature of the task and the demands that it would put upon the team and so he was careful to not hold anything back from them right from the outset. Leading is difficult even in the best of times; leading during a time of difficulty or hardship requires not only determination and tenacity from the leader, but also honesty and openness towards the team. If we know tough times are ahead or if we know that hard decisions need to be made, the best thing we can do for our team is to be honest at the earliest opportunity. One sure-fire way to demotivate a team is to keep them guessing in the face of hardship. Those we lead deserve honesty and transparency especially in these days. Taking time to reflect on what your team needs to hear from you in the midst of our current situation would be a wise decision. What does your team need you to say to them in the coming weeks? Are there any uncertainties that you need to address head on? Remember, in the absence of a narrative, people will make up their own. We cannot afford not to take the time and consider what needs to be said to our team and how often it needs to be said. Another lesson that we can learn from Shackleton is what his priorities were when he selected his team. When we recruit a workforce or build a team there are many things we must be mindful of; some will value creativity, others the ability to work independently, some will value experience while others will value gifting. In selecting his team Shackleton had one overarching

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Columnist Jane Shaw, Founder of Elmfield Institute

Why We Should Take Care Of Our Nervous System Elmfield Institute’s, Jane Shaw discusses techniques to help regulate the nervous system to help reduce stress and anxiety.

fight and argue unnecessarily, become inappropriately stressed or become unnecessarily paralysed when an angry person threatens it. According to Stephen Porges in 2011, exercises such as mindfulness practices, close listening to certain types of melodic music and birds and breathing exercises all stimulate particular cranial nerves which help the body to feel more regulated and resilient, allowing more appropriate responses to be made in given situations.

y heart pounded, sweat dripped into my already sticky palms, my face felt on fire. I watched as the door opened and the tall figure approached. Now feeling faint, I could feel the blood drain from my face, my body was paralysed, frozen in my chair. He towered over me, sat down and asked me my name. My voice let out a little squeak. I couldn’t even say my name! Not a good start to the job interview! Does this sound familiar? Either as interviewee or interviewer? A mildly stressful situation quickly escalates to an overwhelming one. Often life’s adverse experiences can get held in the body preventing it from functioning in its full healthy capacity. When the body has had to cope with long-term stress or illness, shock or trauma, the body sometimes loses its ability to rebalance and regulate itself, getting stuck in unhealthy physical and behavioural patterns as a result. When our autonomic (automatic) nervous system thinks it is in danger it has useful survival strategies, but sometimes these are not appropriate for the present moment situation, such as being immobilised and losing our voice when in a job interview. Peter Levine, an eminent trauma-recovery pioneer, has shown that overwhelming situations do not just affect our psychological wellbeing but also our neurophysiology, specifically the subcortical as well as the cognitive functions. Over the last year of the pandemic, our bodies are likely to have been under greater stress than normal, whether from financial and economic uncertainty, threat of becoming ill with COVID-19, or home-schooling while running a business. We have all had to adapt to new ways of working and communicating but you might have noticed that your nervous system has struggled to find balance. You might be more agitated than normal, have a shorter fuse with family and work colleagues, experience disrupted sleep, or be feeling more anxious. You might be needing that extra glass of wine in the evening, eating more than usual, or want to hide away from the world.

Seven tips to support nervous system regulation These techniques will help reduce anxiety and stress because of what’s known as vagus nerve toning. 1. Orient to your environment. By slowly turning your head and noticing the room or outside space, you will stimulate a cranial nerve in your neck, which helps your body regulate. As you do so, try slowly counting the lights in the ceiling or name the colours of the flowers in your garden. This brings you into present-time awareness. 2. Speak slowly in long phrases. You can do this in person, on the phone or online. This helps lengthen your out-breath while also stimulating several cranial nerves. 3. Sing. Singing has the same effect as delivering a long exhalation to slow your breath for vagal stimulation. Sing in the shower or the car if you don’t want anyone to hear! 4. Listen to the body. Scan your body. Where feels more comfortable? Where feels less comfortable? By becoming aware of how our body feels we give it more choice over how it responds. Try noticing the support of your thighs and buttocks on your seat, or the contact of your feet on the ground. The key here is just to notice without any judgement. 5. Follow the breath. Inhale for three counts, exhale for four. For vagal toning the exhalation should be longer than the inhale. 6. Listen to the birds. By consciously listening to birds we stimulate the inner ear muscles, which feeds vagal toning. Spring is a great time to try to distinguish between the different morning bird songs. You don’t need to know their names, just listen. 7. Take time to relate to nature. Birds, bees, insects, flowers, water, earth, trees, sun or wind on your skin. Take time to slow down and try to connect with whatever is easily accessible in your natural environment. Notice how it makes your body feel. Often you will feel the breath ease and deepen.

So how can we support our nervous system to be better regulated? Our nervous system is constantly responding to our environment, giving cues on how to respond. We touch a hot cup and quickly remove our hand, we move away from an angry dog, or we might move closer to a loved one when they smile at us. When regulated our body knows when to rest, play and make love, or when to get ready to run away or fight. When in balance, the body won’t

Critically, a healthy nervous system helps us to have more choices over what we say, what we think and how we move. If we can find more balance and regulation it will help not only ourselves, but also our family and our work community.

AC T I V E LY, P R AC T I CA LLY, W E ’ LL H E LP YO U T H R I V E AG A I N

FEATURE

A Healthy Response Jeremy Eakin managing director of Comber-based Eakin Healthcare Group and Coleraine-headquartered Armstrong Medical talks to Ambition Magazine about his firm’s landmark acquisition and business during the pandemic. 16

Jeremy Eakin, Managing Director of Comber-based Eakin Healthcare Group and Coleraine-headquartered Armstrong Medical

FEATURE

eremy Eakin says Eakin Healthcare Group’s acquisition of Armstrong Medical late last year was a rapid transaction, a swift 10-week process that came at the right time, amalgamating two of Northern Ireland’s biggest and most successful family-run medical supplies firms. The deal between the two sees a new therapeutic area – respiratory care now falls under the business chief’s remit. It’s a diversification for the group, that will allow it to grow its domestic and international presence. John Armstrong, the former owner of Armstrong Medical stepped back from his business after approaching Jeremy about the sale. Being kept as a family business even after his exit was of paramount importance to the medical supplies boss. “It was a pretty quick process,” Jeremy begins. “We were contacted by John in August and he was quite focused on completing the sale before Christmas.” Both family-owned businesses “share a common culture and philosophy,” Jeremy adds. “And we see many synergies which we believe will underpin the continued success of both brands.” Armstrong Medical was operating at its peak during the time of the acquisition, fresh from hugely elevated sales of its respiratory products because of the pandemic. “I’m glad we weren’t owners in the springtime of the last year,” Jeremy admits. “Because it sounds like it was a crazy time. Back then the numbers of employees at Armstrong Medical doubled from 160 to 320, but now that sits at the 200 mark and while we are still operating during a period of elevated sales it has settled and levelled out.” He says the brawn of both firms alongside Eakin’s investment plans will “take Armstrong Medical to the next level and help it take advantage of new and exciting opportunities in the human healthcare market”. “We always had it in our plans to diversify into different therapeutic areas and we were prepared to look further afield. We were proactively looking for acquisition and then we were approached by John. That NI familyowned setup really fitted within our comfort zone and it is ripe for scaling and growing domestically and internationally.” Armstrong Medical is not Eakin’s first acquisition over the years. The company has acquired two other businesses that have allowed it to diversify. “Armstrong Medical is our second or third acquisition and our largest one,” Jeremy continues. “Another significant one was back in 2008 when we acquired Pelican in GB and that

“There was no doubt Brexit was a big challenge but we were extremely prepared, and made sure we had supply of raw materials in NI. We made sure that all was running smoothly and customers had stock in advance.”

gave us our UK distribution platform. There has also been a significant number of smaller acquisitions for our surgical business.” The company also operates RESPOND, “an award-winning prescription and dispensing home delivery and support service to the stoma and continence care community”. The buyout of Pelican Healthcare Ltd, a Cardiff-based ostomy manufacturer, saw Eakin subsequently launch the new Pelican Pouch range of ostomy pouches across many of its international markets. Today, it has two international subsidiaries; one in Japan and another in the Netherlands. The company has been actively growing since it was founded in 1974 by Jeremy’s father, Tom, a pharmacist, but the past 12 months have presented the firm with challenge and opportunity in equal measure. Speaking about trading in post-Brexit terrain and during a pandemic, Jeremy says: “There was no doubt Brexit was a big challenge but we were extremely prepared, and made sure we had supply of raw materials in NI. We made sure that all was running smoothly and customers had stock in advance and I have to say that we were proactive and thanks to a number of engagement groups and forums we were kept up to date. “We still do have some shipments that are delayed and we’ve had to reroute export orders to the EU through Ireland instead of through the land bridge and that has increased cost.” Meanwhile he says that COVID-19 has been a balancing act.

“COVID-19 has impacted the two businesses differently. In ostomy there was less new business due to fewer diagnoses. There have also been fewer reversals too so that has levelled out but it’s been difficult for new product launches. “Today it’s stable, peak demand for products was last year when we saw a lot of panic buying. Meanwhile, Armstrong has had a crazy time. The challenge now is for Armstrong to try to determine what business will look like postCOVID.” To ensure the smooth transition of Armstrong Medical to the Eakin family, Jeremy, a business graduate, has relocated closer to Coleraine. He will oversee a recruitment drive that will boost the group’s headcount from its current 650. “There’s opportunity at Armstrong to recruit in the commercial side of the business including sales and marketing. We have around a dozen jobs live at the minute,” he says. “What we want to get across now is that our deal with Armstrong is a chunky acquisition of significant size and it’s extremely positive to see two indigenous NI businesses joining together. “When a family business sells, the obvious move is to sell to a bigger competitor but this transaction has been unique. I think it presents a fantastic opportunity for growth and we can build on the foundations.” Jeremy says given the strength of Armstrong Medical the firm has no plans to rebrand.

LAW FIRM CHOOSES LEAF FOR CLOUD SERVICES Belfast based legal firm, MKB Law have chosen Leaf to deliver a complete IT managed service hosted in the Leaf Cloud. MKB Law Managing Director, Gordon McElroy says, “Leaf have provided us with a robust, cost effective and secure IT solution and assisted in modernising our IT operations. Leaf’s support has been first class, with a direct line to an engineer, which has proven invaluable to the day to day running of our business.” MKB Law needed to complete their secure remote working strategy and engaged Leaf to review their existing technologies with the aim to provide a platform that delivered reliable performance. The Leaf Cloud platform is a powerful remote environment ensuring that MKB Law’s Practice Management System was able to perform efficiently while optimising the remote office experience. With infrastructure located in the Leaf Cloud, it has enabled an always on, secure and resilient service which David Corr, Account Manager, Leaf and Gordon McElroy, Managing Director, MKB Law. includes a dedicated hardware failover solution. In the event of an outage the disaster recovery solution is triggered, providing minimal disruption so that MKB staff can continue to work. David Corr, Account Manager says, “The goal of all of us at Leaf is to listen to customers, understand their requirements and delivery solutions that remove their pain points. MKB Law needed to transform how they were working with a cloud platform that securely enabled their remote workforce.” Leaf’s IT services are the building blocks of their lifecycle approach, allowing clients to future proof technology investments and build IT systems that are robust, productive and cost effective. Every service provided is based on delivering tangible results, where IT investments can be matched to business successes. For a free consultation or to find out more please visit www.leaf-it.com

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

Managing New Trading Complexities With TSS

orking out what impact operating under the new Northern Ireland Protocol will have on their business has been high on the list of challenges for trading companies in every sector since the turn of the year. As businesses get to grips with the new processes and rules that are now in place as a result of the UK having left the European Union but Northern Ireland remaining in the EU Customs Union, we have been ensuring our customers know where to turn for support on trade arrangements. While specific advice may differ for each company, one suggestion we have been giving to companies trying to navigate new trading arrangements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is to sign up to make use of the new Trader Support Service (TSS). Launched by the UK government to help businesses navigate the movement of goods between GB and NI, the service is completely free to use and can even complete declarations on a company’s behalf. In an era where there is more red tape than ever at NI’s borders, we made the TSS the subject of our latest Danske Bank Advantage podcast, where Dr. Wendy Austin asked local business owners’ pressing questions to Frank Dunsmuir, Fujitsu’s Industry Lead for Customs & International Trade, and Shanker Singham, CEO of Competere – both senior members of the TSS. Frank and Shanker are experts in their field, with extensive experience in providing solutions to the complex implications on NI trade. Talking about the launch of TSS, Frank Dunsmuir said preparation for the transition on January 1 was “intense for everybody, with traders and the actual transport organisations and hauliers looking at the implications of what the changes will be and the introduction of new customs administration”. But he noted that the TSS had launched successfully and in its first months has helped advise many organisations on customs needs. “Obviously we need to educate traders about these new rules. Our 700-people-strong contact centre at TSS is there to help and is turning around enquires very rapidly, complex enquires that are dealt with in only a day or so. We also have the NI Customs and Trade Academy which is run by one of the TSS Consortium which does a huge amount of training and webinars to guide people through the new rules,” he said. Shanker Singham acknowledged everyone is still getting used to the new procedures required under the protocol, but also highlighted that the benefits of the arrangement should not be forgotten.

“Yes, there are disruptions, there are difficulties, but at the same time NI has been put in a very unique situation. If you are in Northern Ireland you have access to the EU 26 countries on completely free terms, and to GB on largely free terms. There is no other place on earth that can deliver that amount of unfettered access to multiple customs territories,” he said. “If we can get through this period, and make sure we get goods flowing from GB to Northern Ireland, then the future for NI is a lot brighter than people are currently assuming.” One reason we’ve been keen to point customers to the TSS is that companies only need to go through a simple registration process online at www.tradersupportservice.co.uk to use the service. Once logged in they enter their EORI number, which recognises them as a trader across different customs regions. Users should be able to use the system straight away after signing up. The debate is continuing at a political level about whether the NI Protocol can be changed, but whatever happens with it, it’s clear there will be slightly different trading arrangements for local firms to understand and adjust to than there was before. Contacting the TSS to speak to people who can tell you exactly what you need to do should be the first step for any exporting or importing business. The Danske Advantage podcasts and other support for businesses are available at https://danskebank.co.uk/business/ advantage

“If you are in Northern Ireland you have access to the EU 26 countries on completely free terms, and to GB on largely free terms. There is no other place on earth that can deliver that amount of unfettered access to multiple customs territories.” 20

NEWS

GM MARKETING ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF FAVOURIT FOODS Brand-building distributor, GM Marketing, has announced the acquisition of Belfast based herbs & spice producer, FAVOURIT Foods. Established in 1914, FAVOURIT is Northern Ireland’s oldest manufacturer of Herbs & Spices, supplying Irish retail and foodservice sectors for over one hundred years with quality food ingredients. Commenting on the sale, FAVOURIT Foods incumbent owner, Sean McCrory says, “the Brand has been a much-loved part of our family now for over ten years, but the time was right to pass it onto a partner who will accelerate its growth and drive it into the next phase. We’re delighted GM Marketing have adopted the brand and I have no doubt, they’ll achieve great success across many markets.” Operating across the UK and Ireland, GM Marketing are a brandbuilding distributor, focused on core grocery categories, and home to household names such as Tilda Rice, Fox’s Biscuits and Nando’s sauces, as well as a growing owned brand portfolio - making this acquisition the distributor’s first move into food manufacturing. Commenting on the news, GM Marketing’s Managing Director, Gerard McAdorey said, “we’re absolutely delighted to complete the acquisition of FAVOURIT and welcome the team on-board. The Brand has so much heritage and history steeped in Belfast; it was an opportunity we couldn’t pass by. As a business, we are already supplying herbs & spices to market-leading retailers in Ireland, so this is a natural next step in the development of our business strategy and future growth plans.”

The business venture is positive news for the Northern Ireland economy, as a new production facility is planned for north Belfast and will be supported with investment in people, infrastructure, and equipment, creating 12 new jobs. With established distribution hubs in Belfast and Leeds, FAVOURIT will benefit from the experienced commercial team within GM, who will drive the brand into new territories and customers across the coming months, with marketing plans already in place to re-launch the brand later this year. For more information, please visit www.gmmarketing.co.uk

Gerard McAdorey, Managing Director GM Marketing and Sean McCrory FAVOURIT Foods.

BAKER TILLY MOONEY MOORE ANNOUNCES EXPANSION WITH THE LAUNCH OF A DEDICATED HR ADVISORY SERVICE Belfast-based professional services firm, Baker Tilly Mooney Moore, has announced the expansion of its advisory services by offering dedicated Human Resources advice and support. The expanded service will build on the firm’s existing expertise and offer additional services in HR advice. The service promises to offer professional, commercial and trusted advice that employers can rely on and will be based upon a flexible, cost-effective, retained service or offered as discrete one-off solutions. At its core, the HR advisory service will assist clients to manage staff capability, along with performance, grievances, disciplinary matters and redundancy. It will also advise on the preparation of staff contracts, employment handbooks, policies and contractual terms and conditions including maternity, paternity and redundancy rights.

In a post Brexit world and amidst the pandemic, organisations will know how vitally important it is to have a strong understanding of people and employment issues. In an environment of continuous and ongoing change, it’s important to be able to navigate challenging times successfully. Donal Laverty consulting partner said: “As a forward-thinking firm we are always looking at new ways of extending our service offering to clients and, as we have proven experience in supporting clients with their HR matters, the next natural step for the firm is to expand this area. Employers often face a wide range of staff-related issues and, by seeking early advice from a professional, they can reduce stress, time and in the long run save money.” The range of services in HR Advisory include HR audits – from auditing the HR team and strategy efficiency to audits of contracts, policies & procedures, pay and right to work – HR advice; disciplinary/ grievance facilitation at all levels; documentation; training; recruitment and selection campaigns; pay and benefits services; salary benchmarking and employment law.

Donal Laverty, Consulting Partner at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore.

To find out more or contact Baker Tilly Mooney Moore’s HR Advisory service visit: bakertillymooneymoore.co.uk

NEWS

Belfast Telegraph Business Awards 2021 Launched The Belfast Telegraph Business Awards 2021, in partnership with Ulster Bank, have been launched marking the 20th anniversary of celebrating the highest achievers in the world of business.

Margaret Canning, business editor of the Belfast Telegraph, and Mark Crimmins, head of NI Ulster Bank, pictured launching last year’s Belfast Telegraph Business Awards, in partnership with Ulster Bank.

Throughout two decades the Belfast Telegraph has had a continuous run of honouring businesses and their people – and 2021, which follows the most difficult year business has ever had due to the coronavirus pandemic, is no different. This also marks the fifth year of a partnership with title sponsor Ulster Bank. The bank is supporting an all new category of the Special Recognition Award for Climate Action. The awards honour achievement across 14 categories in total, including innovation, management and leadership, marketing and corporate social responsibility. Kenton Hilman, head of Corporate and Property, Ulster Bank, said: “The Belfast Telegraph Business Awards in partnership with Ulster Bank will this year recognise companies that have overcome challenges, demonstrated resilience, and have been innovating to succeed. “Whatever your size or sector, the awards provide a platform for you to tell your story and to have your achievements showcased. “As businesses and the economy seek to recover and thrive into the future, this is more important than ever. “So, I would encourage all businesses to enter the awards, including our new category this year which will recognise companies demonstrating outstanding commitment to implementing sustainable business practice to combat climate change.” Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life Editor-in-Chief Eoin Brannigan said: “We are delighted to launch the 2021 Belfast Telegraph Business Awards, in partnership with Ulster Bank. “Businesses across NI have had an extremely challenging year and we feel it’s never been more important to recognise and celebrate their hard work and successes in light of the obstacles they’ve had to negotiate over the last 12 months. “We are grateful to Ulster Bank for its continued support as we enter the fifth year of our partnership and I’d also like to thank all our category sponsors. “It’s also great to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards.” The panel of judges this year is again chaired by Professor Mark Durkin of the Ulster University Business School. He is joined on the judging panel by Professor Ian McConnell of business advisory firm PwC, Dr David Paulson of Queen’s University, Roger Pollen of the Federation of Small Businesses, Kirsty McManus of the Insitute of Directors, Professor Neil Gibson of EY, Kenton Hilman of Ulster Bank, Ann McGregor of NI Chamber, Claire McKee, partner at Clarendon Executive and Neil Logan, partner at Wilson Nesbitt. The new Special Recognition Award for Climate Action will recognise a company which has demonstrated outstanding commitment to implementing sustainable business practice. The category is open to any business operating in Northern Ireland regardless of size.

Kenton Hilman, head of Corporate and Property at Ulster Bank.

To support the application, a company must: • Show evidence of how you integrate sustainable business practices within your activities and operations. • Describe what steps you have taken to combat climate change. • Highlight any innovations introduced to support your sustainable business strategy. • Outline any challenges that have been overcome. • Identify any benefits to staff or customers as a result of your sustainable business practice. To enter the awards, go to http://belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ businessawards/enter

Categories and Sponsors Best Large Company: Wilson Nesbitt Best Agri Business of the Year: Asda Retailer of the Year: Retail NI Excellence in Exporting: Invest NI Excellence in the Development of Management and Leadership: Ulster University Business School

Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility: Queen’s University Belfast New category, Special Recognition Award for Climate Action: Ulster Bank Young Business Person of the Year Excellence in Marketing

Excellence in Health & Wellbeing: Hastings Hotels

Best Small/Medium Business

Best Use of Digital/Social Media: Sparq

Best Established Start-Up Business

Excellence In Innovation: OSG Cloud

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.

ith businesses facing an array of

needs certainty, in the form of a long

possible to communities in Northern

ongoing challenges, NI Chamber

term workable solution that is done with

Ireland. Affordability is therefore critical.

has been working hard on behalf

business, not to it. We need the EU and

The costs of new processes must be kept

of members, articulating your experiences

the UK Government to work with technical

to a minimum to allow us to continue to

and seeking urgent solutions.

experts to design a system that works

give households the choice and affordability

Last month I attended a meeting about

for business and the people of Northern

they need.

the Protocol with CDL, Michael Gove and

Ireland. That includes issues such as the

European Commission Vice President,

island of Ireland economy and quotas.

Maros Sefcovic. That was a very significant

Utilising digitisation will lead to much

And of course we need a way to communicate our concerns, challenges and solutions to the EU and UK. I am

engagement, where along with other

needed simplicity, delivering a simpler

pleased that we secured agreement to set

business colleagues, I highlighted that

Trusted Trader agreement and a veterinary

up a business consultative body with NI

business requires a number of things.

agreement to remove frictions. This needs

Chamber as one of the members.

Businesses need stability to allow them

to be proportionate to the low level of risk

February also saw continued interaction

to adapt to the changes and challenges of

of UK retail goods coming into Northern

with local elected representatives, including

the Protocol. That means an extension to

and going onto the single market, due to

First Minister Arlene Foster and Junior

the grace periods to allow them to continue

the dead-end-host principle. All of this

Minister Declan Kearney, who were briefed

to adapt. A stable trading environment

must be done will the least disruption

on our recently published policy document, ‘Thrive’. Similarly, Justice Minister Naomi Long also met members of our Board and Policy team to discuss those policy priorities. In addition, members also had the opportunity to speak directly with Interim Head of the Civil Service, Jenny Pyper. We continue to engage strongly with policy makers in Westminster too. Recently a group of members had the opportunity to meet with Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Kwarteng MP at an event supported by SSE Airtricity, while another group spoke with UK Net Zero Champion Andrew Griffith at an Energy Forum, delivered alongside SONI. In mid-February, we released the results of our latest COVID-19 survey, which

NI Chamber continued its series of engagements with the NI Executive over the past weeks.

provided some of the clearest evidence yet that business support schemes, including

chamber chief’s update

furlough, must be extended beyond April. One third of NI business have less than six months left before they run out of cash and 40% say they would make staff redundant if schemes ended in March / April. Businesses will therefore broadly welcome many aspects of the Chancellor’s recent Budget, in particular the extension of the furlough scheme, which provides

“These are really challenging times for businesses across all sectors, but there is a really strong support system out there and NI Chamber is central to that. If we can help your business, all members have to do is ask. Please stay in touch, get involved in as much as you can and remember that we are here to help.”

relief for firms facing enormous cash-flow pressures as a result of the pandemic. The introduction of new incentives for business

made themselves available for one-to-one

CEOs and Executive Business leaders

investment are also very welcome, as is

Customs Clinics for any members involved

share the secrets of their career success.

some additional funding for the region. It

in the import or export of goods and there

Delivered in partnership with Narratology,

is disappointing however, that within his

was a great response to that. We also

‘In Conversation’ is hosted by former BBC

Budget statement, the Chancellor made

hosted a Collaborative Forum to recap on

Journalist Mark Devenport. The first two

scant other specific reference to Northern

what changes from 1 January mean for

episodes feature fascinating discussions

Ireland. Businesses here face a set of

business and look ahead to the future of

with Dr Dennise Broderick, MD and

unique challenges post EU exit and there

trade, as well as a seminar with Cleaver

President of Galen and Richard Kennedy,

was no indication of any support measures

Fulton Rankin, looking at the business

Chief Executive, Devenish Nutrition, so if

to help them cope with this.

implications of the new immigration

you haven’t tuned in yet, make time to have

system. This is in addition to our busy

a listen.

While our engagement with policy makers is certainly at an all-time high,

timetable of training on Incoterms,

there has been no let-up in the delivery

Customs Declarations and the NI Protocol.

businesses across all sectors, but there is a

of other services to our members either.

Demand for that training continues to be

really strong support system out there and

NI Chamber’s International Division has

very high and we will be hosting more

NI Chamber is central to that. If we can help

been providing a huge amount of training

sessions in the coming weeks.

your business, all members have to do is

and technical support to help businesses

At NI Chamber, we continue to innovate

These are really challenging times for

ask. Please stay in touch, get involved in as

get to grips with the practicalities of new

too and we were really pleased to launch a

much as you can and remember that we are

trading arrangements. The team have

new podcast series, where high performing

here to help.

NEW ESSENTIAL MEMBERS AD Sustainability Drinksology IMSM John Thompson & Sons Ltd Moneycorp NMT Shipping Renewal NI Self Help Africa

NEW GROWTH MEMBERS Artemis Tech Momentum Support Limited TSSG

NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS Cancom Finnebrogue

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

NEWS

NI Chamber Welcomes Ulster Carpets and Randox as Patrons Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) has announced that two leading companies have joined its group of Patrons.

Bespoke carpet for Queen Mary 2.

Nick Coburn, group managing director and deputy chairman at Ulster Carpets.

Ulster Carpets and Randox join some of Northern Ireland’s leading companies, which through patronage, are lending their support to the development of the region’s economy and business community. The partnership offers mutual benefit for both NI Chamber and its Patrons, who will benefit from increased brand exposure and close association with a leading membership organisation. Welcoming them, Ann McGregor, chief executive of NI Chamber said: “Both Ulster Carpets and Randox have a long relationship with NI Chamber and I’m delighted to announce that they have decided to strengthen their association with us, by coming on board as Patrons. Representing the manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries respectively, they are among our leading exporters, renowned for innovation and quality. “Their support is a real endorsement of NI Chamber and the work we do and in particular, the support we have provided to companies over

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ABOUT ULSTER CARPETS Established in 1938 in Portadown, Northern Ireland, by George Walter Wilson, Ulster Carpets is still owned by the founder’s family and have grown to become the premier supplier of Axminster and Wilton carpets to the residential, hospitality, marine and casino sectors across the world. Employing some of the finest carpet designers in the world, Ulster combines these talents with a patented weaving system to offer unlimited design possibilities for every space. This unique design capability has been combined with unrivalled levels of service from a global sales team that has resulted in a high level of repeat business. www.ulstercarpets.com

In February 2021 Randox surpassed 10 million tests within the UK’s National COVID-19 Testing Programme.

the past 12 months. As we continue to help firms in all sectors to restart and grow, we look forward to working with them and indeed all of our Patrons.” Nick Coburn, group managing director and deputy chairman of Ulster Carpets, and board member and past president of the NI Chamber, said: “Ulster Carpets are delighted to become a Patron of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce. We have supported NI Chamber for many years and have first-hand experience of how the essential work they undertake on behalf of businesses across Northern Ireland positively impacts on the local economy. “Ulster’s global outlook is balanced by a focus on supporting our local community and the Northern Ireland economy and these are attributes that we share with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.” Dr Peter FitzGerald, managing director of Randox, commented: “We are delighted to be welcomed as a Patron of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. As a leading life science company with global export markets, Randox very much values the contribution of NI Chamber – particularly so at a time of significant change related to Brexit and the impact of COVID-19. We are ambitious for the future and see the potential for significant growth, as the importance of diagnostics and preventative healthcare grows. We look forward to working with Ann and the NI Chamber team as we rise to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities to grow our economy – for the benefit of all our people.” Ulster Carpets and Randox join a list of NI Chamber Patrons, which also includes Caterpillar, Danske Bank, DSV, fonaCAB, Investec, Moy Park, Pinsent Masons, Power NI, Queen’s University, Ulster Bank and Ulster University Business School.

Dr Peter FitzGerald, Randox Managing Director.

ABOUT RANDOX Established in 1982, Randox is the largest diagnostics company from the UK and Ireland, focusing on the provision of accurate and timely health testing. By identifying risks to health, improving clinical diagnoses and promoting preventative healthcare, Randox technologies are used to achieve better health outcomes while reducing the burden on clinical services. The company’s innovative and comprehensive portfolio includes tests for diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, stroke and COVID-19. In 2019 Randox manufactured over 4 billion tests, and operated in 145 countries. With over 2000 staff, including more than 450 research scientists and engineers, key facilities are located in Co Antrim and Co Donegal. www.randox.com

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Make the Most of Your NI Chamber Membership Ambition talks to Valerie McConville, head of business development, about how organisations and individuals can extract maximum benefit from membership of NI Chamber.

Valerie McConville, head of business development, NI Chamber.

As the many long-standing members of NI Chamber will know, the more involved you become, the more benefits you realise. We are in the business of helping your business to thrive and want to ensure that every single member, at every level, is making the most of the huge range of opportunities being part of our network brings. Helping business across the province to do just that is the job of Valerie McConville and her Business Development team. At NI Chamber, our approach to helping members starts with understanding them. “As a business support organisation, we are uniquely rooted in Northern Ireland – from our Board and Council, to the Executive team, NI Chamber is led and run by people who have a deep understanding of the particular challenges that local companies have faced historically, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and, of course, due to the enormous changes brought about by Brexit. “We have been helping companies to trade

locally and export internationally since 1783, so supporting business is in our DNA. NI Chamber is agile and fleet of foot – we pre-empt our members’ needs and establish new services quickly and effectively to meet these” says Valerie. That agility has come to the fore over the past 12 months, when services were quickly pivoted to reflect fast changing business needs. A swift response to the COVID-19 pandemic saw the organisation quickly roll out a raft of new initiatives to help members through a tumultuous year. “Our services have always focused on business growth: driving sales, innovation and exports. In 2020, almost overnight, our members’ priorities changed from growing their businesses to simply surviving, by navigating their way through the deepest economic recession on record. Supporting thousands of businesses in many different industries through that was no mean feat. And at the same time, the wider team was

working extensively to build the capacity of our business support services ahead of Brexit, to be certain that we had the resources and expertise to provide a comprehensive advisory, training and documentation service.” While 2020 brought challenges for all, Valerie explains how, thanks to robust forward planning, the whole NI Chamber team worked to ensure that services in 2021 are right on the money, delivering exactly what members need now, in a way that is fully accessible to them. “Membership of NI Chamber has probably never been more relevant or beneficial and we want to ensure that all businesses are accessing all the services that are available to them. “As well as a suite of international support, including enhanced export documentation services, international trade advice, customs processing and technical training, NI Chamber offers members free access to a range of events on leadership, skills, energy and sustainability, business support programmes designed to help

Top tips from the Business Development Team:

Ryan Bell

Caroline Morris

Promote your brand

Consider account managed membership

Use our platforms to showcase your organisation, tell other members about your business growth, new contracts or expansion plans. Uploading news articles and events to the members section of the website also means they will be considered for inclusion in our digital newsletter, Ambition Weekly.

Our personalised Account Management Service is for Corporate and Growth members. It enables us to be responsive to your organisation’s needs by building deeper relationships across your team and gaining a thorough understanding of your business. Your account manager will be there to make personal connections from across the NI Chamber network. They will ensure that you are made aware of appropriate events and programmes, whilst making sure you enjoy maximum exposure across digital and print platforms.

As a member you can also buy a promotional e-zine, which is circulated to over 6,500 subscribers, including like-minded business professionals who could potentially use your services. Don’t know your membership login? Call Ryan Bell on 07711 493190

companies grow, as well as a host of valuable profile raising opportunities. “The restrictions brought about by Covid have made it difficult for businesses to remain connected with each other, to expand networks, share learning and benefit from hearing the experiences of other companies. With our facilitation, NI Chamber members can continue to learn and grow through connecting with others.” And at a time when business engagement with policy makers is crucial, NI Chamber is an ideal conduit for local businesses to make their voices heard: “We play an important role in representing the views of our members at a political level, locally and nationally, and are always cognisant of the issues which members are concerned about. We hear the views of members when they attend programmes and events, in account management meetings, calls and less formal day-to-day interactions with them and through their ongoing feedback. There are regular opportunities to share experiences through our Quarterly Economic Survey, which all members are invited to respond to, as well as to engage directly with policy makers through the ‘In Camera’ series.” That commitment to always listening extends

To find out how to upgrade your membership, call Caroline Morris on 07860 703595

to inviting constant feedback about NI Chamber’s own service provision too: “Our most recent membership satisfaction survey showed 84% of members were either very satisfied or satisfied with their membership. After every event, training course or business support programme we ask for feedback and act on it constantly.” Membership of NI Chamber is available in three tiers and whether you are an Essential, Growth or Corporate member, a team of experts is on hand to help you make the most of everything that is available to you. Valerie encourages businesses in every sector to make that a priority. “Members at every level have access to our

Pedro Torres

Use your membership to save money All members get access to free HR, health & safety legal and tax advice through QUEST, as well as legal expenses insurance up to £1,000,000. If you’re not already accessing this advice, get started at chambernorthernireland. questcover.com Members also get access to exclusive plans from Westfield Health, which is a really useful wellbeing service and staff retention tool. Firms with company vehicles can also save up to 67% on business breakdown cover with AA, while all members can access preferential rates on mediation services. To find out more call Pedro Torres on 07534 836199.

profile raising platforms, like Ambition magazine, the digital newsletter, Ambition Weekly, so that’s a great place to get started. Submit your news regularly via the member section of our website and let us tell the business community about what you’re up to. Sign up to our virtual events to get back to building your critical network and see what training courses might be suitable for your team. Corporate and Growth members are able to benefit from tailored business support, an additional print profile and direct access to policy makers and we’re always able to upgrade Essential members when they reach the stage of benefiting from these too. Our entire approach is to be as flexible and helpful as we possibly can.”

“Membership of NI Chamber has probably never been more relevant or beneficial and we want to ensure that all businesses are accessing all the services that are available to them.” 29

At the Heart of Health Dr Dennise Broderick is Managing Director and President of Galen, a member of the Almac Group. She is responsible for the specialist pharmaceutical company’s global operations, marketing and governance. Mark Devenport spoke to Dennise recently, when she was the guest on episode one of NI Chamber’s new ‘In Conversation’ podcast, delivered in association with Narratology. Born and raised in Co Cork and the eldest of four siblings, Dennise undertook a degree in biochemistry, followed by a PhD. Reflecting on her initial foray into the academic world, she tells listeners: “I very quickly realised that the world of academia wasn’t for me. I tended to talk far too much to be in a lab all day! While I loved science, my second love was business. So when I finished my doctorate, I decided to move to the dark side, as many people told me at the time, and move into the business arena. The logical step for me was the pharmaceutical industry, where I could combine my passions together.” Her extensive CV includes roles in America, Australia and many parts of Europe and for the past ten years, she has held senior leadership roles. “I’m very passionate about leadership. It is a privilege to lead people and organisations. “Two and a half years ago, I came to Galen to take up this role. Everything I knew about this organisation spoke to my values as a person. It gave me everything I wanted in life – a career opportunity I was excited by and the ability to be near family and friends. “I came in to this organisation very mindful of its legacy and I wanted to

DR. DENNISE BRODERICK Managing Director and President, Galen 30

NI CHAMBER IN CONVERSATION WITH IN ASSOCIATION WITH NARRATOLOGY About Narratology Narratology Executive Search is a boutique headhunting firm appointing leaders to C-Suite, Director, Senior Manager and Board positions. Its expertise in managing bespoke executive recruitment solutions spans across industry sectors including manufacturing, agri-food, engineering, construction, technology, banking, insurance, legal and professional services, healthcare, retail and wider business services. Narratology has successfully delivered for clients from multinationals, PLCs and NI Top 100 to family-owned firms, SMEs and start-ups, introducing key executives to make individual impact and strengthen existing

be very respectful of that. There are a lot of employees in Galen and in the group who have worked here for a very long time, so when I came in, I wanted to learn as much as I could about what it stood for. But of course, I also wanted to come in with a fresh pair of eyes, to see how we could build on that solid foundation. “There has been a lot of organisational change to address and that’s always challenging. Some tough decisions had to be made and I’m very grateful that people came along with me. They did that because the first thing I did was instill a culture. “There was already a very strong culture in Almac and Galen but we had to get better at living it. The culture we’ve created today is one of honestly, openness and transparency. I believe in giving people the opportunity to fail and I don’t believe it’s a bad thing, it’s just another way to re-learn. It was about empowering people to grow and develop through taking chances, because pharmaceutical firms have to be about innovating.” Under Dennise’s leadership, Galen has experienced significant growth in the past two and a half years. “We have grown the business significantly, acquiring a company based out of Scandinavia, made further additions to increase our product portfolio and expanded our global footprint with partners. We like to attract very good talent. In Northern Ireland there is a significant amount of really good talent out there and we offer them the opportunity to do what they do best, locally.”

leadership teams. The company understands the sensitivity and discretion required in approaching often complex assignments and in engaging with senior level candidates. It is committed to successful outcomes and a positive experience for all. Narratology has the capability to recruit for corporate and industry-specific specialisms for roles in Northern Ireland and further afield, with the local understanding to truly appreciate our clients and their cultures. For further information please contact Ruth McDonald MD at r.mcdonald@narratologyexec.com or on 02890446336

Like most businesses, Galen has had to adapt significantly in the past year, not least by dealing with the challenges of remote working across multiple global sites. “We are very grateful to be of service during a time when the world needed the industry to step up and do the best it could, by bringing these vaccines to the marketplace. Almac and Galen have been very proud to do their part,” she says. Looking to the future, Dennise shares some of her most immediate challenges. “The biggest challenge for Galen now is growth. It comes down to pure strategy and ours is to grow through acquisitions. It’s always a challenge to identify opportunities and acquisitions that are good cultural fits. We are in activate mode, in terms of looking for these opportunities. “The second challenge is how do I continue to motivate the people who work in Galen? As a leader, it’s my responsibility to make sure they feel valued, heard and appreciated, which is personally very important to me.” During the 30 minute podcast, Dennise also provides an insight into what motivates her. “Being the best that I can be every day is really important to me – what is the standard I am holding myself accountable to? I accept that I’m human. I mightn’t like it some days, when I’d prefer to be superhuman, so it’s been a long journey to accepting that my best on any given day changes. “Family, friends and loved ones are huge motivations for me personally. They build me up, are never afraid to be honest 31

and are always there for me. Another great motivator for me is being of service. I have had great role models who have shown me what it is to be of service professionally and personally. “And finally gratitude. On the days we’re feeling unmotivated, one of the places I go to is gratitude.” For Dennise, the measurement of business success is far more than a numbers game. “One of our pillars in Galen is ‘have we had fun today? Did I enjoy what I did today, even if there were challenges and disagreements?’ For me, it’s always, ‘did the people around me feel like they achieved something?’ I’m a business person, so of course I love to see the numbers; we are about the bottom line but I’m hugely passionate about how we get there. For me, success is about achieving the things we want to achieve, in the right way. The adventure is every bit as important as the end destination.” Episode one of the ‘In Conversation’ podcast is available to listen to now on the NI Chamber website, as well as on Spotify, iTunes and Google Podcasts.

Mark Devenport

NEWS

UK’s Net Zero Champion Hears From NI Chamber Members NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor said it was a very positive engagement: “Energy and sustainability are at the top of the business agenda right now and NI Chamber is advocating for greater support to enable businesses to meet net zero targets. As the UK prepares to host COP26 in November, the time is right to further ramp up our interactions with policy makers on the issue. “We had a very useful session with Andrew Griffith MP, who will have taken much away from his conversations with our business leaders. They are leading the way in helping Northern Ireland to reach its clean energy ambitions and as a region, we have made excellent progress on electricity generated from renewable sources. However, there is much more to do and infrastructure strategy, planning, the rating system, enhanced capital allowances and enterprise supports are key. “We thank Mr Griffith for his time and look forward to continued engagement with him on the issues.”

Andrew Griffith MP, UK Net Zero Business Champion.

Andrew Griffith MP, the recently appointed UK Net Zero Business Champion, addressed a group of senior business leaders at the latest Energy Forum event hosted by NI Chamber and SONI. Mr Griffith was appointed by the Prime Minister as the UK’s Net Zero Business Champion to support the business community to make credible plans to meet net zero targets by 2050 and showcase the UK’s place as a global leader in tackling climate change. As part of an established series designed to help local businesses through the energy transition, he was invited by NI Chamber to hear about the work businesses and organisations in Northern Ireland are doing in this area ahead of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) later this year. The group, which included CEOs and directors from transport, construction, finance, utilities, education and the manufacturing sectors, also heard from SONI Managing Director Alan Campbell, who provided an introduction to SONI’s new report and public consultation ‘Shaping Our Electricity Future,’ which considers different approaches to delivering a clean energy system in 2030 and beyond to 2050. Following the event, UK Net Zero Business Champion Andrew Griffith MP said: “It is vital that UK government and businesses work together to achieve lasting change across the economy and society, which is why it was great to meet business leaders in Northern Ireland and to welcome their ambitious work to transition to a clean, green economy. “There is still more work to be done, and I look forward to further engaging with businesses and sectors across Northern Ireland to identify the best ways to build back greener and reduce the UK’s contribution to climate change.”

“It is vital that UK government and businesses work together to achieve lasting change across the economy and society, which is why it was great to meet business leaders in Northern Ireland and to welcome their ambitious work to transition to a clean, green economy.” SONI Managing Director Alan Campbell concluded: “It was valuable for us all to hear Andrew Griffith’s commitment to supporting businesses on their net zero journeys and he was left in no doubt as to the commitment and innovation by NI business when it comes to energy and sustainability. “The Northern Ireland electricity system is world leading in terms of green energy; with half of all electricity used here last year coming from clean sources, but we have much to do. We were pleased to be able to share our vision for the very real changes needed to strengthen the grid, these changes will impact every one of us, including business, so it was a good opportunity for us to share our ‘Shaping Our Electricity Future’ report and to encourage NI Chamber members to take part in the public consultation.”

Alan Campbell, Managing Director of Energy Forum partner SONI.

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FEATURE

The WorkFrom-Home Pioneers Sensée, the UK work-from-home contact specialists, set a trend to work from home long before the pandemic. But there’s a difference in just working remotely and working remotely optimally, its Chief Executive Mark Walton tells Emma Deighan as the company prepares to engage with NI businesses.

Chief Executive, Mark Walton.

ust weeks before the very first Northern Ireland COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, Sensée, which provides customer support for insurance and financial firms around the UK, announced 300 new call centre roles in Northern Ireland, which would allow staff to work from home. Its move into NI was a first for the Londonbased firm and its work-from-home concept was beyond forward thinking among the working demographic here, but fast forward more than a year and the infrastructure that is Sensée’s USP has become the norm. “We’ve been the only specialist in this workfrom-home space in the UK and Ireland,” Mark begins. “Up until now we’ve been trying to persuade companies to make the move to work from home and talk about how beneficial that is, that was our role.” Indeed, the service Sensée offers its clients reaps rewards. Mark says recruiting a workforce that works from home can save a business up to 30%. It can boost customer satisfaction scores (CSAT) and Net Promoter Scores (NPS) by 18%, increase sales by 16% and reduce a business’ carbon footprint by 90%. The figures and the model speak volumes for the company, so much so, it counts firms like Bupa, Allianz Partners and Ageas, as well as several government departments, as clients. “Since the pandemic began, around 85-90% of businesses have taken their customer-facing staff home and that’s made the sell easier for us. It’s moved our conversation forward by five years,” adds Mark. Sensée is now in prime position to support other businesses here that are seeking to make the switch from office based to homeworking and/or a more flexible setup. “We want to create as many jobs as possible in Northern Ireland,” Mark continues. “We would also like to work with NI businesses to see what we can create with them and how we can solve the challenges they’re facing whether that’s about engagement, the practicalities around home or hybrid working. We’d like to open up those conversations because we think it’s the best way to operate and that flexible work offering is here to stay. “I don’t see the big call centres going back to the way they were and we see that through our consultancy division who help and advise clients as well as look at future trends. And we know that many of those large bricksand-mortar businesses are having challenges and struggles and we are here to help. We can build teams for Northern Ireland clients, not replacing their current set up, but supporting

it.” Mark says having a client base that is 65% financial services is testament to the value it brings to those with whom it works. “It speaks volumes,” he continues. “Financial services is focused on security and we are able to work in those traditional spaces you thought you could never work in, from home. “Most organisations are seeing that place in their future.” A recent online poll, conducted among almost 150 UK call centres showed that 47% of UK contact centres that implemented homeworking (for the first time) in response to the COVID-19 crisis now see it as a long-term strategy. “However, they shouldn’t underestimate the size of the task,” Mark said. “When asked about their biggest homeworking challenge, 23% of poll respondents said pastoral care, 22% motivation/productivity, 17% telephony/ technology services, 14% communication with remote workers, and 12 per cent staff management. “There is a clear difference between working from home and working from home optimally, and that includes how to treat staff and people. There is a massive focus around mental health, about how you communicate with people.” Sensée is big on staff engagement and ensuring the positive mental health of its workers. Through technology it has created a “virtual contact centre collaboration tool which enables all our employees to talk to managers and colleagues through text and web cam, but we also enable them to do so much more and go over and beyond and work incredibly hard to have as much social interaction as possible.” Movie nights, Christmas parties, “all the stuff you do in a physical environment,” have always been on the staff menu at Sensée. As well as leading the ranks in the homeworking revolution, Sensée has beckoned awards for its equal opportunities. Here in NI, the roles the firm offers include agent, manager and support levels with an average salary of around £19,000 a year, representing £5.8m in additional salaries in the economy. Among those postholders is a diverse demographic, Mark says. Out of 300 proposed posts in Northern Ireland, the company has filled 100. “Working from home unlocks a huge workforce that wasn’t available before. 20% of our workforce is registered disabled, a lot have psychological challenges, while the average age is around 40. If you compare that to a traditional

“Since the pandemic began around 85-90% of businesses have taken their customer-facing staff home and that’s made the sell easier for us. It’s moved our conversation forward by five years.”

call centre that age demographic is much lower. What we find is that our employees have had work and life experience and they tend to have more engaged conversations,” he explains. “About 65-70% are female, which sits well with many because it offers childcare solutions. For us it’s about aptitude and attitude.” Growing its NI workforce is a drive that Mark considers a relatively smooth one, thanks to the impact COVID-19 has had on the perception of working from home. He adds: “We’re obviously specialists at recruiting anyway, remotely, and we’re trying to pick up the pace.”

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FEATURE

Eddie McGoldrick, Co Founder and Director of The Electric Storage Company.

Harnessing Nature’s Energy An Interview with Eddie McGoldrick Co-Founder and Director of The Electric Storage Company, who initiated the first and only field trial, supplying and installing battery storage in Northern Ireland.

Why did you create The Electric Storage Company? We started the company with an ambition to disrupt an industry, to bring the advances of renewable energy to all customers not just those of an industrial size. That ambition has been the drive behind the success of The Electric Storage company to date. We set this company up to bring cheaper, cleaner, smarter electricity to homes and businesses across the island of Ireland and beyond. My background is in utilities, including 30 years in the electricity industry. My co-founder, Anne Marie’s, background was Financial Services with Prudential and Capita L&P, a strong combination of experience for bringing electricity, data and services together. How do you revolutionise a highly regulated industry? It’s all about getting your timing right and persistence. We started working on this in 2016, knowing it would be a long haul. Invest NI supported our notion of a data and services platform, which we now call PARIS. Data is the key to the disruption we wanted to bring to an industry that is actually surprisingly thin on data, but heavy on engineering. Again timing was in our favour as the

UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) launched its innovation programme, Prospering from the Energy Revolution, is investing up to £102.5M into industry and research to accelerate innovation in smart local energy systems. This came out in 2019, just as we were finalising our first development of smart batteries in customer homes, linking to our earlyversion of PARIS. The aim of BEIS Prospering from the Energy Revolution programme is to create businesses that could translate the challenge of the transition to Net Zero into new companies, services and business models. We applied for and got £2.4m support for Project Girona, a detailed design for a radical new approach to enabling homeowners to get access to cheaper, cleaner, smarter electricity. We pitched for this award in Westminster and had NIE Networks and Ulster University colleagues along with us. We were also encouraged by Robin Walker, Deputy Secretary of State, who met with us on the day of the pitch and provided insight from his days as a BEIS Minister. Project Girona is now underway, installing PV solar panels and smart batteries into 100 homes in Coleraine

45 39

at no cost to the home owners and tenants. They are all connected to the PARIS platform that lies at the heart of EFaaS. What is PARIS? Our business model is all about data and services, PARIS looks after the data side of things. The smart batteries we put in each home gather data every second. We measure what electricity you are using in your home, what is being generated in your home from solar panels, what you are drawing from the power grid and what capacity is in the battery attached to your home. All of this is brought into our PARIS platform and it asks itself 4 questions every minute of every day, for each unit of electricity; Should I use it now? Should I store it? Should I trade it on the Single Electricity Market or should I sell it as Network Services to NIE Networks or SONI? Our Virtual Power Plant controlled by PARIS coordinates this process for hundreds of batteries, as a series of clusters. We have clusters operating in Ulster, Leinster and Connaught. We need some customers in Munster and then we can have an Inter Provincial Energy Saving Championship. This is how we harness nature’s energy.

What is EFaaS? We call the service side of the business model EFaaS, Energy Flexibility as a Service. Domestic and commercial customers know that as we move towards the Net Zero targets set at international, national and regional levels your energy costs will rise steeply and permanently unless you can access renewable energy. The challenge is how do we make this affordable for people and businesses? Often when considering the challenges ahead it is useful to reflect on how challenges were met in the past. Over 70 years ago people in this country prospered from an energy revolution when mains electricity was introduced right across the country, sometimes referred to as rural electrification. Back then people wanted, but couldn’t directly afford the cookers, kettles and even smoothing irons that made their lives easier, using the cleaner, more efficient wonder of electricity. Seamus Heaney captured the moment beautifully in his poem Electric Light, “If I stood on the bow-backed chair, I could reach the light switch. They let me and they watched me, a touch of the little pip would work the magic” It’s time to see if we can work the magic again and get cheaper, cleaner, smarter electricity into homes and businesses. What have been your challenges? Well, given that we kicked off this project on the morning of the Brexit result and we named it after a famous shipwreck, what could possibly go wrong? COVID lockdown hit us but thankfully none of our team contracted the disease. Our business was “born in the cloud” and is “Digital from the ground up”, so we have been able to work remotely since March last year. We have doubled the size of the team during lockdown. Our great team are working in Belfast, Lyons, Berlin, Loughborough and Cushendall and we never missed a milestone. However, all the working in Teams, on Miro boards in virtual workshops and being “On Mute” can take its toll. As we all know, innovation breeds best when people are together, so let’s hope we can start to get back to working together soon. Are there opportunities for other companies in this space? A great advantage we have here in Northern Ireland, is that we are close, small and contain all the elements of decision making in electricity; regulator, network operators, Consumer Council. We know from talking to similar projects across GB, that they are frustrated by not having access to their network operator or regulator as easily as we can here. We also have a great eco-system of colleges and universities. We have worked with Ulster University, Queens and Northern Regional College. We have recruited staff from this ecosystem and offered placements and project opportunities. This gives us a chance to recruit good people with a solid education behind

Eddie and Anne Marie McGoldrick.

them who we can then mould into the new roles and skills this revolution is calling for. The skills we depend on are electrical design, sales and marketing right through to high-end data analytics. Thankfully, we can work with great local companies, but there is definitely room for more and other players. Net Zero Carbon is such a big challenge, with massive opportunities, for us all. Our supply chain stretches from a warehouse near Crumlin to Germany and China. We are working with local manufacturers and suppliers to see if we can get more value added at local stages in that chain. We would love more people to get involved. Finally, we talk about this project being where Fintech meets Greentech. Central to our PARIS platform is the software development and cyber security skills with AquaQ Analytics and ANSEC, both based right here in Northern Ireland. Our PARIS platform and EFaaS have been recognised as leading edge by Innovate UK and potential customers across the British Isles. So there is a lot of work still to do and much more scope for other, different approaches in meeting this challenge.

“Our business was “born in the cloud” and is “Digital from the ground up”, so we have been able to work remotely since March last year. We have doubled the size of the team during lockdown. Our great team are working in Belfast, Lyons, Berlin, Loughborough and Cushendall and we never missed a milestone.”

NEWS

PRODUCT INNOVATION LEADS TO EXPORT GROWTH FOR BLOC BLINDS Cormac Diamond, Managing Director of Bloc Blinds.

Magherafelt’s Bloc Blinds has marked its expansion into America and Canada, with its first transatlantic shipment of over a quarter of a million units of the company’s new-patented product, The Bloc Wand. Designed in house by Bloc Blinds R&D team, the Bloc Wand allows the consumer to operate their blinds safely without exposed cords or chains. Managing Director Cormac Diamond sees the company at the forefront of the response to world leading child safety regulatory changes. He commented: “In response to new landmark Child Safety legislation, Bloc Blinds will supply major manufacturers and fabricators within America and Canada. The Wand will be distributed by Pacific Heritage in the US market and two other partners within Canada. The Bloc Wand will form part of the Pacific Heritage child safe product line – a market leader in child safety components.” The Bloc Wand was awarded ‘Best for Kids’ accolade in the US and also meets new stringent regulations from Health Canada – with Bloc Blinds one of the first companies to achieve this safety standard. Cormac continued, “Utilising an innovative clutch design, the Bloc Wand contains a mechanism which the user will pump to raise or lower the blind, changing its direction with a simple twist. This means at the risk of injury from loose blind adjustment cords is eliminated, which will give parents peace of mind when installing blinds in nurseries and children’s bedrooms – as well as for those in dependent living or the elderly. “Today’s consumers want smarter and simpler everyday devices as well as safety being integral to the design, and we believe the Bloc Wand offers convenience, control and efficiency – as well as safety. We’re now preparing for the next stage which will be launching the Bloc Wand in the European market, with a number of significant orders already placed and where consumers are as equally concerned about safety.”

Established in 2009, Bloc Blinds has grown from its humble beginnings in Draperstown to become a global innovator and one of the UK’s leading designers and manufacturers of innovative blinds and skylight systems. In 2020, the company invested £400k as part of its ambitious growth strategy, which included the creation of a new mechatronics department within the business, complete with state-ofthe-art production equipment and machinery.

“Today’s consumers want smarter and simpler everyday devices as well as safety being integral to the design, and we believe the Bloc Wand offers convenience, control and efficiency – as well as safety.” 41

Columnist

John Campbell Economics & Business Editor, BBC Northern Ireland

Kick start the economy BBC NI’s Economic & Business Editor, John Campbell, discusses the budget plans post-COVID.

he last few weeks have been a tale of two budgets: one, which will hopefully drive an economic recovery and one, which probably can’t. The hope lies with the Westminster budget, the pessimism at Stormont. Rishi Sunak’s budget has been characterised as ‘spend now, tax later’ and certainly the spending taps stay open through to the autumn and beyond. There is around £70bn in additional fiscal support for the economy over the next two years with a significant chunk of that devoted to the crisis measures which have supported businesses and households through the pandemic. Taking the furlough scheme and the self-employed support grant all the way out until the end of September will help keep a floor under the labour market. But I think we can discern that the Treasury expects that virtually all businesses will be reopened to some extent by July. That is the point at which employers will have to start making a 10% contribution towards the hours their furloughed staff do not work, increasing to 20% in August and September. It stands to reason that if you are expecting employers to do this then you will also have allowed them to open their doors and start earning revenue again. This may also make moot the discussion about the lack of dates in the Stormont reopening plan. It is going to be hard for any of the devolved administrations to significantly diverge from London’s reopening timetable when the phase out of the furlough is being decided by the Treasury. Once the furlough and related schemes end there is not much by way of lasting support for households and this looks like the biggest calculated gamble of the budget. The bet is that wealthier households, which have been accumulating savings during the pandemic, go on a spending spree, which will support jobs across the wider economy. For

example Danske Bank says that their customer deposits have increased by £2bn in the past 12 months, something the bank has not seen in its 200-year history. So the Chancellor’s expectation is that people will need little prompting to spend some of that on clothes, meals, cars and weekend breaks. When it comes to spending by business the budget has a much more active policy. The planned rise in corporation tax got most of the headlines but it’s the two-year capital allowances bonanza where the action is for now. Essentially the Chancellor is telling companies ‘this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a massive tax advantage by investing in new plant and equipment so if you have the cash now is the time to spend it.’ Underinvestment has been a chronic problem not just here but across the whole of the UK so perhaps this will be a decisive shove with long-term productivity benefits as well as short-term stimulus. With Stormont’s budget for the next financial year stimulus is in short supply. The Finance Minister Conor Murphy certainly did not raise expectations when he published the draft budget in January. ‘It is difficult and effectively a standstill of our 2020-21 budget

“The bet is that wealthier households, which have been accumulating savings during the pandemic, go on a spending spree, which will support jobs across the wider economy.”

position,’ he said. Adding that it had not delivered the required level of support “to kick start our economic recovery from COVID-19 and Brexit”. The Ulster University Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC) have performed a useful appraisal of that block grant settlement. For starters they point out that it can be difficult to keep track of how Stormont’s finances really change from year to year due to ‘lumpy budgeting.’ Those lumps are bits of one-off funding which flow from various political events in recent years: Fresh Start, Confidence and Supply and New Decade, New Approach. They are programmed over various time periods, with various strings attached and don’t form part of the budget baselines as they are non-recurring, so often you find yourself comparing out-turns, baselines and monitoring rounds to get a sense for where we really are. Having done that the UUEPC come to similar conclusions as the Minister: ‘Overall resource funding is very tight, but RRI borrowing should provide additional capital funding, but this collectively presents a very challenging funding settlement.’ They particularly look at the allocation for the Department for

the Economy saying it is ‘concerning that additional funding does not appear to have been identified to support the rebuilding of the economy post-COVID. ‘The economy has suffered a shock unprecedented in scale and the budget allocation for the Department for the Economy is below (in real terms) its pre-COVID budget.’ It is likely that the Department will receive additional allocations through the financial year, but its firepower will remain limited. And although the era of austerity is technically over there does not look to be much prospect of Stormont receiving large uplifts in departmental funding during the rest of this Parliament. The Chancellor’s plans show that day-to-day spending (technically known as Resource DEL) for the UK is set to rise by 3% a year between 2019-20 and 2021-22. But after that the line on the chart heads in the other direction. UK Resource DEL is now planned to be £15bn a year lower in real terms in 2024-25 than was planned before the pandemic.

FEATURE

Evelyn Collins, Chief Executive of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

The drive for equality Evelyn Collins, Chief Executive of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, says the pandemic has given rise to real concerns about inequalities in society. Here she talks to Emma Deighan about addressing those issues and why a diverse workplace is about so much more than a moral obligation.

he Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI), the public body established by the Northern Ireland Act in 1998, has spent more than two decades working to create a more level playing field in society and the workplace here. It has done this through powers and duties derived from Northern Ireland’s equality legislation, which provides protection against discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, race, religion and political opinion, sex and sexual orientation. Its sponsor Department is The Executive Office, which carries responsibilities for equality policy and legislation in the Northern Ireland Executive. ECNI has been addressing specific equality issues raised by the pandemic. “COVID has impacted significantly on the work we’ve been doing. It is clear that the pandemic is not affecting everyone the same way or to the same degree,” Evelyn says. People with disabilities, older people, people from Black and minority ethnic communities and women have been significantly impacted, she says. “We’ve been working hard to remind policy makers that, even when working at speed, bring forward plans to address this emergency, existing equality law frameworks, particularly the public sector

equality duties, should help inform planning and policy development and they must bear in mind the need for good equality data to underpin policies and plans. “We’ve also done a lot of work with employers to help with new complexities thrown up by the pandemic, including issuing new guidance notes, covering issues such as addressing equality issues in decision making on who should be furloughed or made redundant, making reasonable adjustments for people with disabilities”. ECNI has also issued advice on the rights of disabled people in the context of the wearing of face coverings and on protecting pregnant employees during the pandemic. Evelyn draws attention to the lack of childcare in Northern Ireland, one of the key issues highlighted during the pandemic, adding: “There are wider societal assumptions that women will home-school children and take full responsibilities for childcare, even if they are also working.” “This has highlighted the long-standing need for better childcare in Northern Ireland,” she adds, and ECNI has called on the Executive to bring forward its longawaited childcare strategy. “Years ago, responsibility for childcare was a woman’s issue but it’s more than that now, it’s an issue for children, for families and for the economy. We have heard it raised consistently by the business community

during the pandemic,” Evelyn continues. “COVID is also shining a light on poverty, it is showing that living through the pandemic is more difficult for people who are poor and this is often compounded by inequalities on grounds of disability, race, gender and/or being older. “Educational attainment levels are another of our strategic priorities, to ensure nobody gets left behind,” adds Evelyn. “Everybody is concerned about prospects and we know that educational experiences during lockdown can be very different for children from different backgrounds. Those who are in areas of poverty may not have the same access as others to equipment for example, that has been highlighted, and particular issues arise for newcomer children and children eligible for free school meals. “We are also concerned that children and young people with disabilities have access to good quality education, whether that’s in mainstream or special schools. And we are highlighting equality issues in education relating to the impacts of the pandemic on attainment levels, changes in assessments and transfer children for example.” Also a priority for ECNI, in the post Brexit landscape, is overseeing the implementation of the UK Government’s commitment to no reduction of certain rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity protections, set out

FEATURE

in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and specific equality directives. Evelyn says that the Commission’s role is to be vigilant in monitoring for any changes made after our exit from the EU that may impact on existing rights. “Over the years, the Government had adapted or introduced equality laws because of our membership of the EU and we were keen that the Government would not do anything that could reduce the protections provided by those laws. In light of Brexit, the UK Government has made this important commitment to no reduction and it has given us, together with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, an important role to oversee that commitment. “This includes new powers to monitor, advise, enforce and report on this commitment. We’re pleased to have this recognition of our role in safeguarding rights, it is interesting and challenging work.” It may be an additional workload but one that Evelyn and her 75-strong team welcome. While tasks are significant for the organisation, Evelyn says improvements since its inception have also been significant. “There have certainly been substantial improvements in the laws relating to sexual orientation and age discrimination in employment, employment policies and practices have improved, and in many instances attitudes towards difference too. That said, we would like to see the introduction by the Executive of legislative protection against age discrimination in the provision of goods, services and facilities. Indeed, we would like to see a single equality act, bringing all antidiscrimination legislation together, strengthening and harmonising it and addressing the gaps that have developed between here and Britain. “We would also like to see real political leadership in addressing race inequalities in Northern Ireland and urgent progress made on the implementation of the Executive’s Race Equality Strategy. Progress has been very slow up until now and there is an absolute necessity to improve attitudes towards BAME communities and asylum seekers here. Evelyn says “the area where we see the most negative attitudes here is towards people of other races and nationalities”. Addressing business owners, Evelyn says, “Having a reputation as an employer who embraces diversity helps with the bottom line. “People often see diversity as a matter of fairness and non-discrimination – a matter of equality and justice. That is important. But for organisations, there is also intrinsic value in having a diverse

Evelyn addressing an event at financial services company Citi, talking about the Commission’s Mental Health Charter initiative.

workforce across age, race, gender and sexual orientation. “Employees are different on grounds of gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation and so on, but they are also different in terms of experiences, thought, background, experience, education. Creating a culture of inclusion is critical to engaging, attracting and retaining your workforce. “This is not just to be politically correct or the right thing to do.” Research by McKinsey shows that gender-diverse companies are 15% more likely to outperform their peers and ethnically diverse companies are 35% more likely to do the same. Research by Catalyst shows that companies with more women on the board statistically outperform their peers over a long period of time and in the UK, PwC research found that if the UK gender gap were closed to match that of Sweden – moving from 57% female employment to 69% – it would add £170bn to UK GDP. “There are many good employers in Northern Ireland who understand the importance of equality, but we still get a fair number of complaints about discrimination at work. Sometimes a company has good policies in place, but

they are not properly followed and this can lead to difficulties,” Evelyn continues. “A good portion of our work is with employers, providing advice or information about the law on equality at work and good practice.” Right now she sends a message to employers to ensure their staff’s mental health during these challenging times is a priority. “One in four of us has a mental health issue at some point in our working life and it has become a significant issue for employers. Over 200 employers have signed up to our Mental Health Charter, demonstrating their commitment to supporting employees with mental ill health and we welcome this. It is critical that leadership works to ensure an organisational culture where talking about mental health and well-being is normal.” Evelyn concludes: “In terms of our overall strategy at present, we are working to encourage more and better jobs for disabled people, increased access for women in employment, including and addressing pregnancy discrimination, and promoting workplaces that are welcoming and inclusive. We must also learn the lessons from the pandemic and work to address the inequalities it has highlighted.”

“People often see diversity as a matter of fairness and non-discrimination – a matter of equality and justice. That is important. But for organisations, there is also intrinsic value in having a diverse workforce across age, race, gender and sexual orientation. “ 46

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FEATURE

Noyona Chundur, Chief Executive at Consumer Council.

oining with everyone working remotely is challenging but it’s also been exhilarating, eye-opening and rewarding in equal measure,” Noyona says of her initial settling in period. Her new role at the helm of the Consumer Council isn’t her first encounter with the organisation, however the former Head of Campaigns and Digital Solutions at Invest NI has been involved with the Council since 2016 when she joined the Board, before becoming Audit and Risk Assurance Committee Chair in 2018. “The familiarisation helped. It gave me a

real insight into our agenda, work, people and stakeholders,” she continues. While these are unusual times for the Consumer Council, with the team of 50 all working remotely, demand for services has increased in sync with the COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of Brexit, their combined impact touching everyone’s lives. Noyona says in the last 12 months they have helped 9,000 consumers, 3,000 with free dispute resolution. “For the others, we provided independent advice and signposting on a range of issues, including their rights and protections,” she adds.

The Consumer Council is the representative body of NI, responsible for ensuring that legislation and regulation for consumer protection works effectively here. In addition to advisory services, it engages with government, regulators and stakeholders to influence public policy, deliver fair and affordable market access, investigate consumer complaints, and is a designated super-complaints body. Statutory functions cover energy, post, transport, water and sewerage, and food accessibility, with non-statutory duties to educate and empower consumers against

Righting The Way Forward Noyona Chundur joined the Consumer Council as its new Chief Executive at the turn of this year. Here she talks about the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit on consumers and businesses and the organisation’s new Corporate Plan.

unfair or discriminatory practices in any market, including financial services. “A key area of work during COVID-19 has been around travel, in particular refunds and holiday cancellations, with many people still struggling to get money back,” Noyona continues. “We’re working with the airlines and the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure consumers get the compensation they are due. Things are getting better but at the start of the pandemic it was poor.” To date, the Consumer Council has returned over £820,000 from airlines and a further

£40,000 from tour operators to consumers. “That’s a real win for the team who in the midst of all this, achieved an advocacy score of 97/100 and a customer satisfaction score of 99.4%.” Online scams and digital fraud has been another challenge for consumers during the pandemic. In the last six months of 2020, there were 1,700 scams reported to the PSNI, at a cost of just over £4m. “The shift to digitalisation has meant everybody and everything moved online. We are working with the PSNI, Advice NI and the ScamwiseNI Partnership to help consumers

become more vigilant. “We need to educate the entire population so they understand their rights and redress. We have all been propelled into the online space, whether we like it or not, and scams are definitely on the rise. “COVID-19 changes how we spend, work, socialise and live. Before the pandemic, Northern Ireland already had the lowest disposable income of any UK region with our lowest 25% of earners making ends with always starting on a deficit. So there is a more stark and pronounced impact on many households here.

FEATURE

“We need to educate the entire population so they understand their rights and redress. We have all been propelled into the online space, whether we like it or not, and scams are definitely on the rise.”

Consumer Parliament 2020.

“The risk of unemployment, despite talk of economic recovery and the extension of forbearance measures, remains. All this does is amplify consumer detriment and diminish financial inclusion,” she continues. The Consumer Council has been supporting consumers on Brexit matters, too, dealing with firms who have temporarily suspended deliveries to NI due to increased bureaucracy, while its work with small and micro businesses to recoup mail diversion costs has seen it save around 50 firms £1,000 each. It has also returned £250,000 to businesses since 2017 through its Water Bill Health Checks, and helped small businesses and consumers save money through its energy price comparison tools. Elsewhere in the utility field it is campaigning to implement remote payments for gas prepayment meters, encouraging consumers to submit timely meter readings to NIE and

promoting NI Water’s Customer Care Register for vulnerable consumers. Noyona has written the organisation’s new Corporate Plan for 2021-2024. It’s a shorter time frame than usual, she says, to reflect “the fluidity of our external circumstances”. It has been compiled with input from the government, the utilities and advice sector, and providers in post, transport and financial services, with a conclusion to “champion and protect consumers”. Its priorities address four issues; COVID-19, EU Exit, decarbonisation and digitalisation with a mission “to be the trusted go-to organisation for consumers in Northern Ireland”. It references eight guiding principles; access, choice, safety, information, fairness, representation, redress and education to help it build consumer confidence and resilience, which empower consumers to make informed choices and influence any public policy affecting

NI consumers. “In parallel, we will seek to make markets work in the interests of consumers by ensuring government, regulators and industry reflect their needs and protections in policy, regulation and legislation, and when developing products and services. “We work closely with the advice sector,” Noyona continues. “So that we are reaching out to everyone. I wrote this plan to support and empower all consumers, regardless of their circumstances, and that is my focus. “Throughout the pandemic, we proved we can deliver everything we need to do on behalf of consumers without compromising service standards. We had to move most of our engagement and outreach online so I am looking forward to meeting consumers and our stakeholders around a table again as soon as it is possible to do so,” she concludes.

FEATURE

Renewable Focus

Martin Breheney, Senior Analyst, NIMMS

With 2020 being dominated by COVID-19, the pandemic has prompted the importance of green and clean energy. With more and more people working remotely than ever before, is the daily commute something we would like to see return when routine life resumes? Fuel consumption has dropped with reports of around a 25% decrease against a typical week pre-COVID-19. Can people justify not needing to drive in order to better invest this surplus disposable income? Is the desire for short car journeys a thing of the past? Such discussions spark further debates on other renewable energy initiatives. Are we recycling enough? Are our homes performing to the best possible energy efficient and low carbon heating standards? Are we reducing our own carbon footprint in the food choices we make? The recent news agenda would suggest people are more open to these ideas. At NIMMS, we have definitely observed an increase in the number of news articles focusing on clean and green energies. For the beginning months of 2021, close to 8,000 such articles were published throughout the UK across online media channels. Much of the focus centred around three main renewable energy methods: solar, wind and energy storage. Wind and solar energy generated 30% of the UK’s electricity in 2020 with almost a quarter of this being generated by wind turbines. Articles published around these methods reflect our own findings and affirm that the news agenda is positioned in favour of these renewable methods. Innovations in energy storage have ensured its market continues to grow, with more than 16.1GW of battery storage capacity either operating, under construction or being planned in the UK across 729 projects. Energy storage is emerging as another leader in the renewable energy market with more and more media outlets publishing coverage on the energy source. Around 1,700 news articles referred to energy storage technology alone. Overall, solar, wind and energy storage has controlled 92% of online media coverage regarding renewable energy thus far in 2021. The

remaining 8% was shared among hydro, geothermal and bioenergy. Our analysis would suggest this same sentiment is being discussed across the media when referencing bioenergy. Closer to home, to date 2021 has produced 673 print media articles referencing climate change, renewable energy, recycling and electricity. A broad focus of the coverage was split around many council areas, proving people continue to make a collective effort to help combat climate change locally and as a wider part of the UK and Europe. One striking finding centred on electric cars. Media coverage locally would suggest certain council areas have below average electric car charging points in comparison to other council areas. Northern Ireland is last out of the UK’s four nations for accessibility to electric car charging points. Only 305 are available to the NI population, a rate of 16 per 100,000 people. Undoubtedly, more infrastructure is required to convince people to make the switch to electric powered vehicles. Discussions on climate change and renewable energy are likely to remain high on the media agenda for 2021. As we gradually emerge from the pandemic this will still hinge on changing attitudes from government, businesses, regulators, and people individually. Reaching net zero targets must be pursued as collective effort with each small green footstep forward impacting hugely for subsequent generations. For further information on our media monitoring services or media intelligence capabilities. Please contact: mediateam@nimms.co.uk.

FEATURE

Swift Response With four NI bases and around 3,000 staff, Concentrix, Northern Ireland had a huge task relocating its empire during the pandemic, but feedback from its client base and staff reaffirms that the shift has been a success. Here Philip Cassidy executive vice president and Darryl Hill, senior vice president, talk to Emma Deighan.

oncentrix Corporation (Nasdaq: CNXC), a leading global provider of customer experience (CX) solutions and technologies, shifted 85% of its 3,000 – strong team to home working setups during the pandemic. It was a move it anticipated as its offices around the world changed from office to workfrom-home setups. “We have 250,000 plus people worldwide and as the governments were closing down countries, we saw it coming. Italy hit us hard at the beginning of the pandemic, and obviously that was after China shut down,” Philip begins. And the result of Concentrix’s swift ability to relocate its staff has been praised by its customers in terms of the velocity in which the business made this happen, Darryl reveals. And it could become something of a feature in its future. “We are in a scenario where clients have seen some benefits and, looking at the longerterm layout, we’ll go by what those clients deem fit for their needs in their longer-term strategy with the business,” he says. Concentrix has a huge office base and four sites across Northern Ireland. Philip says the firm is committed to honouring leases with landlords and that will play a part in how the company’s future infrastructure looks but he’s not ruling out a flexible working environment for employees.

“A lot of clients are happy to consider a blended mix in the longer term and that is an ongoing discussion, but ultimately we have to look at our properties, look at our lease expiration dates and they will drive some of our decisions. We understand that we have commitments to real estate in the long term and we’re looking to balance that with what our staff are looking for. “I’d say we’re looking for a combination of the wishes of our clients and staff to create that balance, perhaps looking at an opportunity to reduce leases,” he continues. Looking at productivity during lockdown, Concentrix has experienced a modest improvement of around 1.5% Darryl says. “We’re on par, if not better, but we understand that a lot of our workers want to come back into the office.” The business, which focuses on serving its clients across IT, retail, multilingual services, telecoms and more, has seen its reach, recruitment wise, expand further than its bases here, thanks to its newfound flexibility. “Our ability to hire people to work from home gives us loads of options and it reaches out to people across the region,” adds Philip, who was recently awarded an MBE for his services to entrepreneurship, business and the economy. That new opportunity is evident, as Concentrix has seen great traction to its current job listings, with remote working benefits

attracting staff. And its people are “happy” Darryl says, regardless of the lack of floor-to-floor buzz synonymous with an in-person environment. “We continue to receive positive feedback from our staff in their assessment of how Concentrix accommodated their move to a work-at-home environment. “We are fanatical about our clients and our staff and we took an approach to ensure every site had a mental health engagement representative and we’re continually thinking of new ideas and ways to engage and not just professionally. Having that visibility is key for us, and our work around communications is excellent.” He says positive staff wellbeing has been evident through absence levels at the firm, which haven’t witnessed an increase despite the challenging backdrop. Honing staff welfare has always played something of a role at Concentrix and is not purely induced by current events. Four years ago the company held its first Wellness Week aimed at driving staff health and wellbeing. It provided a range of onsite activities and events with the theme of Live Well, Eat Well, Be Happy at its Maysfield complex where Pilates, Yoga and PT classes featured. One thing Concentrix would like to see coming out of the pandemic and its new, more flexible way of working is a diversification in

FEATURE Philip Cassidy, Executive Vice President at Concentrix.

the age demographic in the business. Traditionally the average age of Concentrix workers falls within the 25-35 age group. “That’s remained static and we are interested in that from a diversity element. We want the balance to be right and it is across many areas with a balance in males and females and that continues through our management layers,” explains Darryl. Looking to the rest of the year, Philip and Darryl are “excited about going into a new world”. Darryl says business is rife, new clients are coming on board and plans have been fasttracked across multiple sectors in which it operates. “The value that we have around looking after clients and people has become more prominent in 2020 and 2021. We did things with great integrity and that was really important to us and it’s been noticed by our clients and our staff. “Our future within Northern Ireland continues to grow, we’re seeing real exponential growth, helping us build a better future.” He says the business is garnering more interest from other areas of the globe, and describes its increasing global reach as “really interesting”. “We continue to innovate as an organisation through our technology to ensure we positively continue good momentum in serving our clients and our people much more effectively in this digital era.

Darryl Hill, Senior Vice President of Concentrix.

“Those things we were interested in, like working from home, have accelerated and we’re reaching new people. The vaccination is signalling a better understanding of our plans moving forward and we will continue to adapt to the ongoing changes,” he says.

So while the facades of Concentrix’s bases here may be all picture and no sound, Philip concludes: “As you drive past some of our buildings they may not be as busy, but we are busy, if not busier.”

“We are fanatical about our clients and our staff and we took an approach to ensure every site had a mental health engagement representative and we’re continually thinking of new ideas and ways to engage and not just professionally. Having that visibility is key for us, and our work around communications is excellent.”

FEATURE

e believe that great office design has the power to inspire joy, improve lives and strengthen the spirit of community. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost three years since my journey with Calibro began. As a young and inexperienced school leaver back in June 2018, despite having the passion and enthusiasm to succeed, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to where my passions or ambitions lay. Having approached the directors at Calibro for an employment opportunity, I was incredibly fortunate to be given the opportunity to join the growing team. One of the first things that impressed me in my first weeks at Calibro was the level of detail and thought that goes into every project. One of the phrases which sticks in my memory was, “to make an office look nice is one thing, but to make an office that is unique to the business needs and people requirements is another”. The level of thought and detail that went into each project, from listening to and fully understanding all the business and employee needs, through to the exceptional delivery of each project in view of improving people’s lives at work, is what brought out my true passion and ambition. That passion is simply to improve people’s lives at work. The feeling of satisfaction and reward you get out of transforming workspaces to improve people’s wellbeing, and ultimately, their lives, is immense. With almost a third of our lives spent at work, it makes it all the more important to provide inspiring office environments that improve the wellbeing of your people at work. Investing in the team and the working environment to make it an attractive place for your staff to work in is becoming ever more important in today’s environment, to set companies apart from their competition. We believe that great office design has the power to inspire joy, improve lives and strengthen the spirit of community. With current restrictions and with the majority of people working from home, it might seem to some that the office doesn’t have a future. However, the majority of people are craving interaction with their colleagues and it is going to be key to create spaces that are a hub for collaboration and creativity going forwards. We are currently enjoying working with many organisations who are looking ahead to the post-COVID world and creating people-centric spaces that improve people’s lives at work. Also, as part of my passion for improving people’s lives at work, I am extremely passionate about making a positive impact on the environment and am really excited about the programme that we are setting out at Calibro to make a difference and to commit to a sustainable future – but more of that to follow.

My Ambition is to...

AARON PATTON, CUSTOMER CARE, CALIBRO WORKSPACE

“The feeling of satisfaction and reward you get out of transforming workspaces to improve people’s wellbeing and, ultimately, their lives, is immense.” 54

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FEATURE Marc Jennings, CEO of CDE.

Sustainable Solutions Northern Ireland is recognised as a centre of excellence when it comes to the manufacture of materials processing equipment for the quarry and mining industry, and CDE is a prime example of this. Now the company is at the forefront of providing technology that helps customers become more sustainable. Here Marc Jennings, CEO, talks to Emma Deighan.

global leader in wet processing technology, and a designer and manufacturer of equipment for applications in the sand and aggregates, mining, construction and demolition waste recycling and industrial sands sectors, Cooktown-headquartered CDE’s operations spread across five regions from Northern and Latin America to Australasia. With a history that dates back three decades, the business’ reputation has stood it in great stead during the pandemic. Marc says that whilst the pandemic has brought challenges, in recent months the business has experienced the “opposite of a slow down” with “the last few months actually much faster than ever”. “I think that comes from being physically

close to the customer. We deeply understand their issues,” he adds. CDE has delivered over 2,000 projects across 100 countries during its lifetime, while simultaneously working to reduce water usage and create sustainability in the sector, as part of its brand ethos. “We’re finding that larger businesses are now willing to invest in sustainable technologies and we know that’s the future. “It’s a huge opportunity and that aligns perfectly with what we’ve been doing. We’ve seen huge transformational projects, it’s exciting times in CDE here.” Indeed, the sustainability agenda is a priority at the business and it’s well prepared for the revolution that is imminent. Marc says the world is mining sand at an unsustainable rate

and the company’s new equipment will help lower mining of what is the single most mined commodity. “We will focus our efforts on key strategic growth markets, on continuing to develop and deliver sustainable solutions with customers, and on the development of talent coming through our industry. CDE can create multiple solutions in this area; that’s where new growth is and where new markets lie.” A mechanical engineering graduate, who also studied C&D waste recycling as part of a Masters degree in Engineering Management, Marc says he “understands it’s the right place to go”. The CEO says the firm’s USP is its ability to “get closer to customers, creating solutions that are tailored to their needs”, making it, often, the supplier of choice time and again for huge players across the world. That too has kept it resilient during the pandemic. Testament to this is one of its most recent transactions with SOMEVAM, a subsidiary of the Tunisian Sebri Group, an independent, family-owned – and operated group with interests in agriculture, food processing and quarrying. It recently made significant investment in the development of its second CDE wet processing solution for the production of high-specification silica sand products. “We’re always striving to be number one in the world. We offer a premium product and direct to end user service and we have a premium supply chain so our customers are assured they’re buying the best.” He says having that reputation and history has made it one of the more robust businesses in the world when challenges do arise.

He adds: “We’re not immune to challenges but because we’re always striving to deliver the best solution for our customer, when something happens like Brexit, your money is in safe hands.” And on the subject of Brexit, he continues: “We’ve been exporting globally for several years and it hasn’t impacted us as much as it has others. Steel costs changed – it was coming in with a tariff but that was quickly reversed – rubber from China was slow to hit our shores and there were hiccups but nothing that we haven’t been able to manage. “We made sure we were Brexit-ready and it’s been as we expected. We’ve a very robust supply chain.” Planning is a priority at the business and securing future talent is also a part of its plans. “We like to grow our talent: we have apprenticeship programmes, placements and we have a huge pool of technical talent coming through. “The majority of the business is established but we like to bring in new talent and help them grow. We find that a lot of young people want to learn a skill set and spend a few years travelling and we can offer that too. We actively support global mobility across our regions and that makes our CDE culture one that is really unique and attractive to new talent.” “CDE’s purpose is about creating a better world where the circular economy is a reality. That’s a purpose, which the kind of talent we want to recruit and retain buys into. It means that we can provide a platform for them to have a positive impact on the world and to get fulfilment from their job.” CDE has a structured development

programme for engineering. Over the past nine years, it has partnered with local colleges in Northern Ireland to nurture and upskill the next generation of engineering talent and innovative thinkers in the industry. At its last count, CDE said almost onethird (30%) of its global Design Team is made up of graduates from the successful CDE Apprenticeship Programme. A four-year programme run in collaboration with South West Regional College, the further and higher education provider based within the communities surrounding CDE’s headquarters, it consists of a split between time in education and time in employment at the company. “This course allows them to learn the trade and they’re ready to hit the ground running when they enter full-time employment,” says Marc. “The collaboration means we’re developing engineers who are absolute experts, they’re the best in what we do, it gives us the ability to send them around the world, effectively working independently and getting a wealth of experience very quickly.” Prioritising people and sustainability will be CDE’s most pressing concern over the next few years as Marc concludes: “We will place importance on people and sustainability, and I can see that moving more and more forward. People are going to start prioritising the positive impact they have on the world and that’s the way we are moving, socially and in business. And it’s great for all of the world. It empowers everyone.”

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Columnist Kate Marshall, Speaker, Coach, Author

Facing the Brutal Facts Kate Marshall, speaker, coach and author discusses leadership as we make our way out of lockdown and being resilient to the punches that have been thrown our way.

get an understanding of the facts. They use questions to gain information, to get below the surface, to ask more. My three go to questions are: “Say more about…” “What’s most important to you about…?” “How are you feeling about…?”

eneral Eisenhower once remarked that “In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson offered the sports version of this quote when he observed: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Many CEOs had to readdress their plans as one could say they got “punched in the mouth” last year by a worldwide pandemic. And there are still punches being thrown! I’ve been rereading Jim Collins Great by Choice. I was fortunate enough to be part of an intimate audience with him in January 2019 and having recently heard him again on the Brené Brown podcast, https://brenebrown.com/podcast/introducing-unlocking-us/ (really worth a listen) I was prompted to look back again at his writing on what makes an organisation move from good to great. Collins has 12 questions that organisations should answer or at least explore. I want to focus on his third question. What are the brutal facts? Not opinions, not hearsay but the truth backed by facts. The craziness of the past year made that question hard to answer. Certainly, we are given lots of information (and misinformation) about when we may restart our economic engine and resume some sort of social interaction. However, the only thing we can be certain of is the continued uncertainty as we navigate our way through this stage of the pandemic and the challenges we see here with Brexit. For individuals, there is uncertainty about their future work prospects, their incomes, the value of their savings and what they will be able to spend their money on, how and where they will work. For organisations, there is uncertainty about buying trends, sustainability of online, can they source materials or product, liquidity, interest rates, and what changes they will have to make to their workplaces to accommodate social distancing requirements. All this requires clear and disciplined thought. In his book Collins stated that good-to-great companies displayed two distinctive forms of disciplined thought. First, they confronted the facts. They developed a simple, yet insightful frame of reference for all decisions. We can only work with the things we can control, so what are the facts? What can we influence? And what must we not get distracted by which is totally out of our control. The second step is to create a climate where the truth is heard. Great leaders lead with questions, not answers, which helps them

One of the brutal facts right now is that people are weary of lockdown: they are tired and they need hope and a plan of some sort to lift them from this grey cloud. People fall into 3 categories when adversity occurs: 1. Those who are permanently dispirited by the event 2. Those who get their life back to normal 3. Those who use the experience as a defining event that made them stronger. Good-to-great companies fall into this third category, those with the “hardiness factor”. In order to build trust and get to the truth and uncover the facts, people need to know that you care not just about the work but about them. Non-agenda meetings are a good way to understand the current reality. Asking simply “How are you?’” or “What’s going on in your world?” Leading does not mean coming up with answers and motivating people to follow your vision. Rather showing humility and perhaps even vulnerability with the aim of understanding more of their world and how they see it. Seek their perspective, listen to their answers to establish the facts (and some may be brutal) and then ask questions that will lead to the best possible results. Collins states that there is no evidence that the good-to-great companies had more or better information than the comparison companies. The key lies not in better information, but in turning information into information that simply cannot be ignored. The Stockdale Paradox “Face the harshness of your current reality, but never lose faith you will prevail in the end. What separates great people or companies from the mediocre is not the absence of difficulties, but how they deal with the inevitable difficulties of life,” said Admiral Jim Stockdale, the highest-ranking US officer to be taken prisoner in Vietnam. If you have the right people, they will be self-motivated. The key is not to de-motivate them by ignoring the brutal facts of reality. Invest now in creating a plan – a plan to give them hope, based on facts – and keep planning as we navigate these stillturbulent times.

ROUND-UP

OPENREACH NORTHERN IRELAND RECEIVES KEYS TO ITS FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE Openreach, Northern Ireland’s largest digital infrastructure provider, has introduced its first electric vehicle to its fleet as part of a UK-wide commitment to reduce carbon emission and to move all possible vehicles to being electric by 2030. With more than 70 electric vehicles operating across the UK already, Openreach is committed to replace older vehicles with leaner alternatives and to actively phase out diesel vehicles by upgrading them to electric vehicles once they’re ready for retirement. This, along with the commitment to now only purchasing electric vehicles where possible, will set Openreach in good stead to achieve its goal of migrating more than a third of its fleet to EVs by the mid-2020s. Mairead Meyer, Director of Openreach in Northern Ireland, said: “The introduction of the first electric vehicle to the fleet in Northern Ireland is an exciting step for Openreach that’s made all the more memorable going to Stephen who has been with the business for 46 years. “This is a great start, but it’s only the beginning of Openreach’s plans to reduce our operational impact. We now have a dedicated project team who are focused on cutting our fleet emissions and identifying alternative, cleaner technologies, with the aim of replacing all possible diesel vehicles by 2030. “We’re focused on upgrading the region’s digital infrastructure to connect as many homes and businesses as possible to our network, and electrifying our fleet is helping us lead the charge in achieving this goal in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.” Stephen Galloway, a Newtownabbey-based Planner with over 46 years’ service at Openreach, is the first to receive keys to an electric vehicle in the Northern Ireland fleet. To ensure he can remain on the go, a portable charging point has been installed at Stephen’s home, allowing him to take the first steps to help Openreach Northern Ireland achieve its sustainable fleet goals.

Stephen said: “My role is focused on building the ultrafast Full Fibre broadband network throughout Northern Ireland, helping connect homes, businesses, families and friends which means I often drive the length and breadth of the region. The roll-out of electric vehicles is a welcome one and I’m proud to be the pioneer, doing my part to minimise our impact on the environment. I’m hopeful that we’ll see a lot more electric vans on the road in the coming years.”

Pictured is Stephen Galloway, BT Engineer.

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FEATURE

Mark Ennis, chairman of SSE plc in Ireland.

Why is COP26 Relevant to You? As we count down to pivotal UN climate change talks in Glasgow in November, Mark Ennis, chairman of SSE plc in Ireland, says Northern Ireland can be a leader in gaining the economic benefits from a global 2050 Net Zero target.

ou might be tempted to look at the world’s biggest Climate Change Conference as a talking shop for politicians each trying to outdo the other in terms of how they will save the planet! It’s much more than that. It’s not the rhetoric that is important. It will be the measurable, date-stamped and legally binding targets committed to by the world’s most powerful nations that are the key. Those commitments will set the framework for all policy decisions going forward for those countries for the next 30 years! With the importance of these talks in mind and given how the final agreed policies will affect us all, SSE and our group of low-carbon businesses, including SSE Airtricity and SSE Renewables, was proud to announce

last November our role as a Principal Partner of the UK government for COP26. For us the partnership makes perfect sense given our vision to be a leading energy company in a net zero world. The UK and Europe will publicly commit to legally binding targets. That means Northern Ireland will also be required to commit and play its part in achieving those targets. This in turn will drive local policy and strategy in terms of investment in infrastructure, energy, innovation, agriculture and planning to name only the key areas. In short this will change how we do business in these areas. Change offers opportunity. Countries that show leadership and ambition can capture some of the $150 billion spread across 80 global investment funds that already

exist and are looking for opportunities to put their dollars to work. To capture our piece of the pot Northern Ireland needs to be seen as a good place to invest. That means joined-up government. If there is one cause that can unite our Executive, surely, it’s a commitment to tackling climate change. The Department for the Economy (DfE) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) have made a good start with the forthcoming Energy Strategy and Climate Change Bill, but it’s not enough. We need our commitment to be articulated by the First and Deputy First Ministers. We need legally binding five-year targets on the road to 2050 for the Departments for the Economy, for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and for the Department for Infrastructure. Not only do we need targets, we need to see their implementation plans on how they will meet those targets. In addition, we need the scope of the Utility Regulator to be broadened to include climate targets to enable them to support a more ambitious role for the electricity network. If we can achieve this, investors and businesses will have the necessary foundation to make

Northern Ireland a leader in gaining the economic benefits arising from a global 2050 Net Zero target. Northern Ireland has already shown that its universities and colleges together with its businesses with the support of Invest NI, can deliver world-leading innovation. The road to Net Zero will require innovation in renewables, batteries, hydrogen, electric vehicles, food production and packaging to name but a few. Opportunities extend beyond those focused on innovation. Delivery of the infrastructure we need to meet Net Zero will deliver massive economic benefit. And the proof is already evident here in Northern Ireland. If we look at our own 73MW Slieve Kirk Wind Park, Northern Ireland’s largest wind farm situated outside Derry City, it is delivering an economic power boost to our economy and our communities worth a massive £55 million over its lifetime. Local businesses, councils and communities have benefitted and are continuing to benefit from the construction and operation of Slieve Kirk Wind Park. Now, multiply out the impact of Slieve Kirk to meet our Net Zero need, and you get an insight into the potential of the opportunities that meeting Net Zero can create.

Put simply, we need over 1200 MW of renewable energy in Northern Ireland to meet a 70% renewable energy target by 2030. That’s over 15 times the current scale and output of Slieve Kirk. Not only would that set us on the road to Net Zero by 2050, it would equate to delivering an eye-watering £900,000,000 of local investment opportunity to businesses and community here. And that’s what makes COP26 relevant to all of us. SSE develops, owns and operates low-carbon infrastructure to support the zero-carbon transition. Headquartered in Perth, Scotland, SSE is UK-listed in the FTSE100. SSE is a Principal Partner of the UK government for COP26, the United Nations climate change talks taking place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021.

SSE’s Slieve Kirk Wind Park delivering £55m in economic benefit. The 73MW Slieve Kirk Wind Park in Co. Derry-Londonderry entered operation in 2012 and is Northern Ireland’s largest grouped wind farm development. Developed by SSE Renewables, the energy generated at Slieve Kirk Wind Park powers SSE Airtricity, Northern Ireland’s second largest energy provider. In 2012 SSE Renewables published a detailed case study that demonstrates that Slieve Kirk Wind Park is delivering £55m in economic benefit.

POWERING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY

SUSTAINING JOBS AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES

SSE’s total investment in Slieve Kirk Wind Park through the development of these two wind farms totalled £125million.

Through SSE’s £36 million local supply chain investment in the construction of the Slieve Kirk Wind Park we sustained jobs, created opportunities and stimulated enterprise with local businesses across the region.

£55 Million

In addition, we created 276 on-site construction jobs in the delivery of the wind park, more than 60% of whom lived within 15 miles of the project site.

SSE is committed to powering Northern Ireland’s greener future, and powering our local economy. Through Slieve Kirk Wind Park, the company invested £36million during construction with local supply chain companies, supporting jobs and enterprise at 75 local businesses. Over its estimated 25-year lifetime, SSE expects to pay out £18.5million to the Co. Derry-Londonderry community through annual commercial rates payments, landowner leases and community funding. This brings to around £55million the total local investment that SSE has made into the region through Slieve Kirk Wind Park.

In addition to creating and supporting supply chain jobs during the construction of Slieve Kirk Wind Park, we have created direct local employment to operate the wind farm as part of our wider operational fleet of wind farms in the North West. Around 20 full time workers are currently employed to operate Slieve Kirk Wind Park alongside our 84MW Meentycat Wind Farm in neighbouring County Donegal. All of these SSE Renewables team members live in the North West, bringing local knowledge and expertise to the SSE Renewables team.

POWERING NORTHERN IRELAND’S GREENER FUTURE Slieve Kirk Wind Park was delivered through the development of the original 27MW Slieve Kirk wind farm near Ardmore with a 46MW expansion of capacity developed at Glenconway Hill, outside Limavady.

Slieve Kirk Wind Park generates around 200GWh† of electricity each year, producing enough green energy to power over 63,000† Northern Ireland homes, and has significantly decarbonsied energy generation in the country.

† Projected generation and homes powered calculations based on typical annual consumption of 3,200kWh and 1-year average recorded capacity factor of SSE Renewables’ wind farms operating in Northern Ireland. Historic figures quoted are for guideline purposes only – actual future performance may vary. *We consider local to be within 55 miles of the wind farm

THE NUMBERS BEHIND SLIEVE KIRK WIND PARK local SSE investment out of £125 million CapEx

Number of local suppliers used* Percentage of suppliers used considered SMEs:

85% considered SMEs 63,000

No. of homes powered †

FEATURE

Stairway to Seven

Gareth Macklin, Founder and Managing Director of Obbi Solutions.

My seven steps for business success

Gareth Macklin is Founder and Managing Director of Obbi Solutions, an awardwining compliance, productivity and risk management platform that helps save companies time and money and mitigates risk.

1. GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE

As Albert Einstein once said, “the significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” Feeling stuck? This is the perfect time to step out of your comfort zone, stop repeating the same experience. How can you make yourself comfortable about feeling uncomfortable to drive innovation or improvements?

2. FEEDBACK? IT’S YOUR BEST FRIEND

Don’t fear feedback. Crave it, ask for it and use it to your full advantage. It’s important to not take it personally: all feedback is for the greater good. Think of feedback as an improvement opportunity and make sure to take actions off the back of it – don’t ignore it. Getting data, advice, direction and suggestions as well as criticism will help get you on the right path.

3. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH

SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE Confidence is extremely contagious, but so is lack of confidence. Surround yourself with the right people who continuously push you to be the best version of you, get involved in professional networks, such as Vistage. Whoever you think is the best person in the field of expertise that you need advice from – just ask them. It doesn’t matter if they are out of your league, you will be surprised how many people are willing to help. Employ a team who are skilled in the areas you aren’t.

4. PRACTISE PERSISTENCE

Persistence is one of the most common qualities of a successful person. Giving up is not an option: the longer you persist, the more likely your success. Yes, you will get quite a few closed doors along the way and as humans we fear rejection, mainly because it hurts our ego, but if we keep our ego at bay and remember rejection is a part of life – it becomes a little less scary. Rejection is redirection – keep persisting!

5. GET A MENTOR

This can be different people at different

stages of your career, even different people for different aspects of your life. They should make you at least uncomfortable at times by asking great questions or raising observations. Review your support team frequently to get new perspectives. Also become a mentor. That is how you really learn.

6. DOWNTIME

Being successful in business is addictive and can consume a lot of your waking hours. Don’t forget to have your downtime, family time, time doing things you love aside from work. Get out in nature, relax. Be mindful not to burn yourself out. “Make sure your own mask is fastened before you help others.” You will be able to give so much more to life, work, family and friends if you are in the right head space.

7. ENJOY THE JOURNEY

Celebrate the wins: too often businesses just get on with the project instead of celebrating the success. Make sure to show gratitude for the small wins too: tell your team they are doing a great job. Yes, it’s fundamental to set and reach your goals and targets but the real prize is who you become and who you brought with you along the way. From the late Jim Burgess: “If it isn’t fun, don’t do it”.

Columnist Danielle McWall, Head of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics at Ulster University Business School

Attract and Retain Top Talent Danielle McWall, Head of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics at Ulster University Business School, discusses the role of Higher Level Apprenticeships in future-proofing organisational talent and skills.

company as apprentices now making up almost one-fifth of the Deloitte Belfast team. BrightStarts work in every area of the business, from audit to human capital, tax consulting to technology and Deloitte attribute positive business impact to the fresh approach apprentices bring. In 2016 this HLA was awarded best ‘Innovation in Partnership’ at the DELNI Apprenticeship of the Year Awards and is constantly being refreshed in line with market and industry requirements, providing the student with invaluable knowledge and the necessary skills to further their careers. To support skills pipelines in the developing financial and technology services sectors, the Business School have a range of HLA solutions on offer including a new pioneering BSc Hons Financial Technology degree which was developed with local industry to strengthen Northern Ireland’s reputation as a leading global location for FinTech. The programme launched in September 2020 and is already attracting excellent students and employers alike, including FinTrU, Danske Bank and AllState. Ross Gillespie, Executive Director – Technology at FinTrU says the BSc Hons Finance Technology HLA plays an important role in affording local talent opportunities to work on the global stage and gain industry-recognised qualifications whilst applying that knowledge to their career at FinTrU. In addition and to support the business and shared services sectors, we are launching a new HLA in the BSc Hons Leading on Customer Operations in September 2021. Whilst, for those of you with graduate employees or employees who have recently moved into new roles, we also offer masters level HLAs including the MSc Global Capital Markets and a new MSc Business in Technology programme to help you further attract new talent and build future leadership and management pipelines. Widening access and participation to higher education is essential and as part of the government’s pledge to increase degree apprenticeships, many undergraduate and postgraduate HLAs are fully or partly funded by the Department for the Economy which offers financial assistance by making HLAs a highly cost-effective way to hire talent and bridge skills gaps. The future prosperity of Northern Ireland will depend on a highlyskilled, diverse and innovative labour market. Through investing in flexible learning pathways such as apprenticeships businesses can help create and retain an inclusive future workforce needed to navigate the challenges and harness the opportunities ahead.

s a result of the changing nature of work, the business environment has seen a renewed emphasis on education and skills. While organisations sector-wide reassess their talent strategies, it is important to look towards more flexible and alternative pathways to higher level skills development and the apprenticeship route is becoming an increasingly attractive and powerful way for employers to nurture requisite skills and widen their talent pool. For businesses looking to attract the best and brightest new talent, expand expertise in a specific area or upskill existing staff, Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) offer a cost-effective way to build industry-relevant skills, improve productivity and boost business performance. As Head of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics at Ulster University Business School (UUBS), I see first-hand the calibre of students attracted to our highly innovative and marketdriven HLAs, and more importantly, I see these students grow and mature into high-quality, professional experts in their fields. Higher Level Apprenticeships offered at university level provide school leavers, the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification, from degree to masters level while in paid employment in the private sector and are an excellent alternative to full-time study, giving students the chance to “earn as they learn”. Practical on-the-job experience coupled with the opportunity to practice and apply relevant theory, knowledge and understanding in real-time results in students making a valuable and immediate impact in the work environment. The evidence is hard to argue with, and the HLA students are leaving us with excellent top-end qualifications. At UUBS we offer a range of industry-led Higher Level Apprenticeships, some of which are long-standing programmes such as the BSc Hons Business Technology degree. This award-winning programme was co-created with industry to meet the needs of a rapidly changing professional services sector and has since evolved into an integral element of Deloitte Belfast’s Talent Strategy. Initially aimed at school leavers, applicants have included people from a diverse range of backgrounds and ages. In 2019 the first cohort of 17 students graduated with ten first class honours degrees and seven achieving a 2:1 classification. Six years after its development, we have welcomed around 200 students onto this programme as Deloitte BrightStarts. According to Jackie Henry, Senior Partner at Deloitte, graduates of the programme are now in positions which normally take traditional graduates two years to reach at the firm, with those who joined the

To find out more about the range of HLAs on offer at Ulster University visit our Apprenticeship Hub at www.ulster.ac.uk/ apprenticeship-hub Alternatively, if you would like to discuss new apprenticeship programmes and organisational development opportunities, please contact UUBS’s Business Engagement Team at engage@ ulster.ac.uk

Might put Mark forward to manage the next job.

Only 4 hours sleep last night. Work is taking over my life.

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FEATURE

SONI Managing Director, Alan Campbell.

Unprecedented Change by 2030 SONI, the Electricity Transmission System Operator for Northern Ireland, operates and plans the transmission grid. This includes interconnection with neighbouring grids and the operation of the wholesale electricity market. SONI fulfils an essential role to consumers, the economy and to the environment.

etween 2015 and 2020, Northern Ireland met the challenge of providing 40% of our electricity needs from renewable sources. SONI, along with its colleagues at Northern Ireland Electricity Networks, was central to this success. Achieving this meant the connection and integration of 1,600 megawatts of energy from renewable sources being accommodated on the system. The next decade will result in even greater change in order to support the journey to Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. To reach Northern Ireland’s Net Zero commitments the power system must be transformed. What happens over the

next decade will be critical. It is because of this, that SONI has launched a public consultation on ways to deliver a clean electricity grid for Northern Ireland by 2030. The grid operator is seeking feedback on Shaping Our Electricity Future; a new report that details four innovative approaches to fundamentally change the grid in order to achieve Northern Ireland’s clean energy ambitions while maintaining an affordable and secure supply for consumers. SONI Managing Director Alan Campbell is asking every one interested in Northern Ireland’s energy future to consider the approaches, provide feedback through the public consultation and be part of this decade of change.

“SONI has a central role to play in the transition to cleaner electricity. The Economy Minister has stated an ambition for Northern Ireland of at least 70% electricity from renewable sources by 2030. While future energy policy is being developed, the change needed to the electricity system must begin today. “It is important to reflect on what has been achieved to date; latest figures from the Department for the Economy show almost 50% of the electricity used last year came from renewable sources; we have been proud to play our part in this success, but we have much to do. “The amount of renewable generation connected to the transmission grid will need to double in a decade and so the grid itself, requires unprecedented

change. It must be made stronger and more flexible in order to carry increasing amounts of clean energy like wind and solar. This will mean more connections and while we will make every effort to utilise the existing grid, inevitably we will need more infrastructure; overhead lines, underground cables, pylons and substations. “The change will affect every one of us and will sometimes be difficult. It is because of this that we are hosting a public consultation to find an agreed approach. Every one of us should have a say.” SONI’s four approaches for transforming the grid could result in up to 20 significant grid development projects. These would transfer renewable electricity from the north and west to the east, including to the Greater Belfast area where there is most demand. SONI points out that this is only one approach and details the potential use of new technologies to limit the number of projects needed. SONI is also suggesting that offshore wind and policies to influence the location of generators and future large energy users such as big industry and data centres, could impact the scale of change to the grid. The four approaches in Shaping Our Electricity Future will focus on delivery of renewable targets, but will also look to managing the projected increase in demand for clean electricity from the heat and transport sectors. The approaches are: 1. Generation-Led: Government policy would influence where renewable energy is generated – favouring locations where the grid is already strong 2. Developer-Led: In this approach, we continue to connect new sources of renewable electricity as requested in any location 3. Technology-Led: This approach uses technical solutions to make the grid more

resilient so it can better handle the variable nature of renewable energy 4. Demand-Led: Government policy determines where future large energy users such as big industry and data centres would locate in Northern Ireland

“The amount of renewable generation connected to the transmissionx grid will need to double in a decade and so the grid itself, requires unprecedented change. It must be made stronger and more flexible in order to carry increasing amounts of clean energy like wind and solar.” 70

Each of the four approaches requires investments in grid development projects throughout Northern Ireland, with costs ranging from £113 million to £535 million. Further details on each of the approaches are available at consult.soni.ltd.uk. According to Alan Campbell, “whole system change is required” and the SONI managing director says the roadmap produced as a result of the Shaping Our Electricity Future public consultation will help individuals and organisations to navigate it. “Shaping Our Electricity Future final report, which we intend to launch in autumn, will be the roadmap to decarbonising the power system. It will support Northern Ireland’s renewable energy commitments over the next 10 years and out to 2050. It will feed into the Economy Minister’s development of a new energy policy and will ultimately deliver NI’s future clean energy targets. “Our approaches aren’t set in stone and we need collaboration and co-operation from a range of bodies including government, the regulator, business and industry, consumers and communities. The public consultation and the final report are about finding the optimum solutions in the face of climate change. That benefit speaks for itself but this work will also support the green recovery from the pandemic and deliver a more regionally balanced economy.” From 8th March over a 14-week period, SONI will hold a series of workshops, meetings and forums to inform people and gather feedback that will directly influence the final roadmap. Find out more about the public consultation and how to have your say in Shaping Northern Ireland’s Electricity Future by visiting consult.soni.ltd.uk. You can also participate by emailing info@soni.ltd.uk or via post to Shaping Our Electricity Future, SONI, 12 Manse Road, Belfast, BT6 9RT.

FEATURE

Front: Mark Miller (Sales Apprentice, Concentrix). Back L-R: Sarah McKay (Senior Director, Service Delivery, Concentrix); Martina Quinn (Learning and Development Lead, Concentrix) and Aidan Sloane (Head of Skills and Apprenticeships, Belfast Met).

DEVELOPING SKILLS

With many opportunities across a range of diverse industry sectors, apprenticeships are an effective solution for talent and workforce development strategies. Here Belfast Met and Concentrix outline how they have worked in partnership with flexibility, agility and dedication to co-design the apprenticeship programme, which has positively affected how Concentrix recruits and upskills within their business.

he value of apprenticeships and how they support businesses across a wide range of sectors cannot be underestimated. From harnessing new talent, equipping our workforce with practical skills and qualifications, to businesses benefitting from having a motivated workforce trained to meet changing business needs, apprenticeships are more vital now than ever before. The recent financial support package from DfE to support businesses employing apprentices has endorsed the value of apprenticeships for businesses and has seen many successful applications across this scheme. Belfast Met is an established partner of choice for employers in Northern Ireland, with its Centre for Skills and Apprenticeships playing a key role in designing, developing and delivering flexible employer-led solutions in many areas, including digital learning solutions and innovative approaches to recruitment and delivery. Belfast Met has forged many exciting strategic partnerships with regional, national and international employers that offer a comprehensive range of solutions enabling employers to maximise the development of their workforce. By working closely with our employer partners, it delivers workforce development and apprenticeship solutions that are based on employer need and offer maximum return on investment. Concentrix, as a global company, shares

the College’s values of helping people to develop skills, ensuring that apprentices thrive in their chosen career pathway, and Belfast Met’s partnership with Concentrix fulfils the College’s ethos towards holistic learning, enabling apprentices to gain the necessary skills for career development. Aidan Sloane, Head of Skills & Apprenticeships at Belfast Met comments: “Belfast Met’s partnership with Concentrix has been an incredibly positive and rewarding experience for the College. We have worked in close collaboration with the excellent team at Concentrix to develop and embed innovative apprenticeship solutions that meets the needs of their business. “The apprenticeship programmes provide a unique and innovative opportunity to work with a pool of talented apprentices through the provision of tailored training that Belfast Met delivers. The College’s partnership with Concentrix enables employees to develop the requisite skills required to work in this exciting field and demonstrates how an apprenticeship model can work for employees and employers, as they work together to develop new ideas and continue to introduce new talent into industry with a global company.” The technology-enabled company provides innovative digital outcomes for a wide range of businesses and the public sector, and is currently recruiting for positions in its Belfast offices, so there will be more opportunities for people to join the company and complete an

apprenticeship through Belfast Met. Sarah McKay, Senior Director, Service Delivery at Concentrix also commented on the partnership, “At Concentrix we are passionate about developing our staff and supporting them as they progress their career with us. That is why we are delighted to be working with Belfast Met on the NVQ apprenticeship programme, which really focuses on the key capabilities needed for our staff to improve their skills. “The programme enables Concentrix staff to better understand and develop key skills which support enhanced customer service, client satisfaction, time management and relationship building. These are essential areas which will provide the foundation for our staff to take the next step in their career.” Belfast Met and Concentrix have worked in partnership with flexibility, agility and dedication to co-design the apprenticeship programme, which has positively affected how Concentrix recruits and upskills within their business. Many employers see growth and improvement in productivity in their business while at the same time are contributing to the skills needs of the Northern Ireland economy. For more information about apprenticeship business solutions at Belfast Met go to https://www.belfastmet.ac.uk/ apprenticeships/how-apprenticeships-work/

FEATURE

Charlene pictured with the Ozo Duo - Air purification system.

BREATH OF FRESH AIR Charlene Turkington, CEO of Ozo Sanitized, is changing how business, educational, healthcare and other settings sanitise now and beyond the pandemic from her new headquarters in Moira. Here she talks to Emma Deighan about clearing the air with NI’s business world.

former property renovation expert, Charlene Turkington returned to Northern Ireland from West Yorkshire in early 2020 just as COVID-19 would make its mark on how we live, work and play. It was an event that she says “presented an opportunity to look at an alternative business idea” and so, plans that stemmed back to 2017 to move back home full-time, became a reality and the seeds of that new business grew to become Ozo Sanitized. “A chance conversation with our now

Technical Director Andrew Barrington with whom I had collaborated on property previously got me thinking about Ozo Sanitized,” Charlene begins. “Andrew has worked with Ozone (nature’s most powerful sanitiser that has been utilised successfully in healthcare) for several years and together over the course of a few weeks we formed the idea for the business and products we provide today. Subsequent market research over many weeks confirmed our thoughts and the business was born.”

With its main office based outside Moira, and a second base in Manchester to strengthen its UK-wide reach, there are five people in the team, with plans to add further staff in the second quarter of 2021. The bulk of Ozo’s offering is air and surface sanitisers for use when spaces are unoccupied. This includes Ozo Sanitiser and Ozo Compact, which are classified as Ozone Generators while its Ozo Duo and Ozo Pure products come under the category of Virus Neutralisers. “Our ozone generators are air and surface

sanitisers for use when spaces are unoccupied; our virus neutralisers are designed for operation in an occupied space and predominantly treat the air we breathe,” explains Charlene, who says the popularity of these kinds of products has soared over the last decade. “So much so there are currently eight million hotel bedrooms sanitised with Ozone on an annual basis,” she informs. Ozone is a powerful disinfectant and has recently been proven to inactivate the SARSCoV-2 (COVID-19) virus in a study conducted by the Nara Medical University. In addition to infection control Ozone can neutralise odour at source, rather than mask a smell like many other products do. “Ozone is a highly effective air and surface disinfectant; this is important as we now understand COVID-19 to be airborne as well as having the ability to survive on surfaces for long periods of time. A recent study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic has proven the virus can live on glass for up to five days, wood up to four days and stainless steel for up to three days. Disinfection of these surfaces is critical to controlling the spread,” adds Charlene. Ozo’s USP is its ability to “penetrate all areas within a room, including crevices, fixtures, fabrics, and the under surface of furniture much more effectively than liquid sprays or aerosols”, while the company’s virus neutralisers “harness the unique power of UV-C utilised at sufficiently short wavelengths to disable micro organisms”. The use of UV-C to fight viruses, she says, dates back more than a century “to 1903 when Niels Finsen was awarded the Nobel prize for medicine using UV against lupus vulgaris”. “UV is a perfectly safe but extremely powerful disinfectant which attacks cell DNA, killing bacteria and rendering viruses unable to function or reproduce. UV is now widely used throughout the UK and Ireland to disinfect hospitals and public spaces.” But there’s a huge variation in quality, Charlene is quick to point out. “Many utilize UV-A or UV-B which are inadequate for killing viruses and lamp quality varies hugely – lower quality lamps remove as little as 20% of germs,” she reveals. “Our virus neutralisers also feature air purification technology, namely HEPA 13, G4 and Carbon filtration. HEPA filters were first invented and developed during World War II as part of atomic bomb research for containment of radio-active aerosols and our HEPA filters meet the EU standard EN 1822:2019 which

Andrew Barrington (technical director); Charlene Turkington (chief executive) and Gareth Williamson (sales director).

ensures the filter used achieves minimum filtration of 99.95%.” They’re impressive statistics that have seen Ozo sell extremely well throughout the UK and Ireland, and here in its native home. The clientele focus is now care, educational, child care, hospitality and office settings and while the pandemic prompted Charlene to swap interiors for sanitisation, she anticipates Ozo’s offering to be a requisite in the workplace well beyond 2021. “The Ozo Duo was launched towards the end of 2020 and was in a direct response to the COVID pandemic but we understand that COVID-19 will be with us forever. The virus will continue to mutate and find ways to evade vaccines and it will require regular reimmunisation. Scientists predict mask wearing and some elements of social distancing to be with us for anything between three and 10 years and, almost certainly, we will have annual flare ups of the disease. “We expect attitudes to cleanliness in public places and workplaces to change forever and employers and service providers will have a duty to provide safe places, but our machines offer so much more to a business than just peace of mind. They offer the opportunity to generate a return on investment with reduced staff sickness,” says Charlene. “And if you look at Long COVID, it has been presented by Scientists as a huge concern, with as many as 10% of COVID sufferers left with the sometimes debilitating condition. This makes a virus that has a low risk of fatality to most of the working population a clear and present danger.” With longevity in mind, the company has further plans to extend its lines, expand its team and develop its client base and areas it serves. “We have a few other products in the pipeline, one of which is an indoor air quality monitoring system delivering live data on CO2, temperature, humidity, airborne chemicals, radon, light, occupancy, virus risk, mould risk and pressure,” Charlene reveals. “Air quality has never been more important

and our technology allows you to take control of the air in your premises to provide a safe, productive environment and optimise energy usage.” Two new team members due to come onboard will help with future plans, including the introduction of “innovative products and a contact centre in Belfast”. “Job creation is a big driver for us and all our office-based staff will be employed within Northern Ireland,” says Charlene. For further information visit www. ozosanitized.com, email sales@ozosanitized. com or telephone 02897441783.

“Air quality has never been more important and our technology allows you to take control of the air in your premises to provide a safe, productive environment and optimise energy usage.”

Columnist Helen Hardy, Managing Director, BeyondHR

Effective Remote Working To help you improve the engagement and productivity of your remote employees, BeyondHR Managing Director Helen Hardy shares her top tips for motivating the workforce.

used to but by this stage in lockdown most of us are well accustomed to daily Teams and Zoom meetings! Take advantage of these programmes to establish a new way of creating face-to-face interaction – as well as providing hang-outs to get things done quickly. This is also a great way to check in with your team to talk over any issues, planning or even for some team building!

he COVID-19 pandemic struck fast and hard and saw mass change in how workforces operate. It accelerated the move from the traditional office-based model to remote working – something that has been struggling to gain traction before COVID-19. Although vaccines for everyone are on the horizon, the return to the office still seems like a distant goal with hybrid models of remote working appearing to be here to stay as normality is redefined. Moving from an office environment to remote working brings its own set of unique challenges. The crisis resulted in a sudden change of circumstances, meaning many companies were unable to establish clear remote working policies or training prior to the change, having to hit the ground running to accommodate the transition. We hadn’t planned to be in this situation, but it was an opportunity. Suddenly, the tools and ways of working we were so used to no longer worked. We have had to adapt our whole way of working and become more intentional in our behaviour as we learnt new ways of collaborating and talking. Now well into the pandemic, we have a better understanding of the benefits and limitations of remote working. We know that a lack of face-to-face supervision, limited access to information and increased social isolation can impact an employee’s level of engagement, performance, and sense of connection. With many companies pondering how best to deliver coaching remotely, here are five ways in which you can mentor your team, to ensure they stay engaged, productive and motivated:

• Manage expectations Agree ways of working, set clear expectations of your team and ensure communication is efficient and constant. Many employees are now facing new obstacles such as physical and emotional isolation and with the ongoing closure of schools, many employees are also walking a tightrope as they try to juggle childcare, home schooling and the demands of work. If this is affecting your employees ,consider adopting a more flexible approach to working. Removing that obstacle will enable employees to be more productive. • Virtual team building! By now, many of us have done more Zoom quizzes than we care to count, but holding virtual events with your team allows social interactions – and they can be fun. Try and carve out some time for non-work conversations and activities throughout the week. The virus broke through previous barriers, that may have prevented remote working in the past, resulting in a structure shift in where and how we work. Establishing a successful remote working policy requires time, attention, and consistency, but it is worth it, and will ensure you and your team are better equipped to navigate the incoming waves of change.

“We hadn’t planned to be in this situation, but it was an opportunity. Suddenly, the tools and ways of working we were so used to no longer worked. We have had to adapt our whole way of working and become more intentional in our behaviour as we learnt new ways of collaborating and talking.”

• Communicate Communication is key to any successful team, but a lack of faceto-face interaction makes regular communication even more paramount. We can no longer rely on body language, tone of voice or conversations at the kettle for extra information and therefore regular check-ins are vital in remote working. Ensure all employees have access to any information they may need, as well as training. Always keep the team up to date with tasks, duties, and upcoming projects and set clear boundaries for engagement and deadlines. • Empathise Acknowledge that employees may be feeling anxious or stressed. Working from home provides an opportunity to bring more empathy to the workforce, supporting one another and resolving any issues, so always try to keep your virtual door open to ensure employees know they can approach you. • Embrace the tech! The lack of face-to-face interaction may have taken a while to get

ROUND-UP

MIVAN CREATE 14 NEW POSITIONS AS DEMAND GROWS John Cunningham, Chief Executive of Mivan.

Mivan, a specialist interior fit out and joinery company in both land and marine sectors, is recruiting 14 new positions as part of their ongoing growth plans as their order book continues to fill. The positions include a Contracts Director, Superyacht and Expedition Vessels Business Development Manager, BIM Manager, M&E

Manager, two Senior Estimators and Senior Project Managers as well as six new Apprentice Joiners. The Antrim based company increased its turnover to £36.6m in 2019 with pre-tax profit increasing to £4.3m. The areas that saw the significant increase in turnover were the high-end residential, luxury hotel and commercial sectors, particularly in Central London, and Mivan’s marine division, delivering work for major cruise line corporations and superyacht builders across the world. With the impact of the global pandemic in March, Mivan took strategic action to diversify their product and service offering with the launch of Mivan Modular Solutions. Offering a variety of bespoke options to suit all types of construction projects in residential, hospitality, commercial and marine sectors, options range from fully fitted ‘plug and play’ bathroom pods including tiling and sanitaryware finishes, to a unique Podwall system preparing fully functioning units off-site in their 110,000 sq. ft. factory near Belfast. John Cunningham, CEO, Mivan said: “Despite the challenges of the past 12

months, I am pleased to be able to announce these additions to our team on the back of a healthy and growing order book. As well as a number of senior positions within the company, I am delighted that we will be building upon our apprenticeship programme, The Navigate Programme, and look forward to welcoming some new apprentices through our apprenticeship training pathway in September.” John went on to say: “The growth of the company is testament to the hard work of our team, our strong brand name and the exceptional quality of our work. On the back of that strong growth, we have continued to build our brand awareness with a refresh of our logo and website which launched in November.” Mivan is one of Northern Ireland’s bestknown fit out businesses, going from strength to strength, working on commercial, hotel and residential projects across the UK and Ireland, as well as outfitting in the luxury marine sector across the world. Recent projects include 20 Grosvenor Square, Chelsea Barracks and Freedom of the Seas with work recently commencing on The Broadway Development in London.

BRIGHT WINS ‘BEST ELECTRICITY PLAN’ AT PRESTIGIOUS INDUSTRY AWARDS According to Bonkers.ie, the electricity market in Ireland has never been more competitive with 13 providers looking to attract and retain new customers and newest entrant, bright, has managed to differentiate its offering with a novel approach to pricing and a great mobile app. Consumers are looking for the simplest way to buy their energy and in particular, green energy and the bonkers.ie judges acknowledged bright’s new fair and transparent approach to its pricing. Bright CEO, Ciaran Devine, said: “We’ve worked really hard to be able to offer consumers something different, while simultaneously ensuring we keep things simple, as they should be. It’s amazing to be recognised so soon after our market launch and this award is a testament to the brilliant team behind the scenes that make the bright magic happen for our customers. Almost two thirds (61%) of bright’s customers manage their energy via the bright app, managing payments, submitting meter readings and accessing energy saving advice and offers from their personal device. Bonkers.ie is Ireland’s largest comparison and switching website. Its annual awards recognise and celebrate companies that have excelled, going above and beyond for their customers.

CEO, Ciaran Devine.

Ireland’s newest electricity provider bright, which was founded by local entrepreneurs Ciaran and Stephen Devine alongside leading forecourt retailor Maxol, and offers only 100% renewable energy, has picked up its first award for Best Electricity Plan (new customers) at the 2021 Bonkers.ie National Consumer Awards.

Columnist Maybeth Shaw, Managing Partner, BDO Northern Ireland

Tax: Are You Ready For April 2021? BDO’s Maybeth Shaw discusses how tax will be affected by Brexit and what steps businesses need to take.

Digital for VAT requiring taxpayers to implement digital links through their systems, in order to create the so-called unbroken electronic chain of information from the accounting system to the VAT return. These requirements take effect from the first VAT accounting period starting on or after 1 April 2021, depending on exact circumstances, and it is advised that bridging software will not solve this issue. Additionally, businesses will need to take into account new IR35 rule compliance (from 5 April 2021), EU e-commerce reforms (anticipated in July of this year including changes in how VAT is accounted for on cross-border B2C supplies) and the potential implementation of a new online sales tax (a 2% sales tax which may be levied on online businesses, or as a potential new tax on consumer deliveries with a view to levelling up the playing field between online businesses and those with bricks and mortar) when reviewing their strategic operations. With domestic and international tax legislation constantly evolving and tax authorities around the world becoming more vigilant, it is easy to see why getting your tax affairs in order, sooner rather than later, is so important.

usiness leaders continue to face unprecedented change and transition as they respond to current pressures, both internal and external to the business. Tax continues to be a key consideration for all business leaders and it has played a major and often decisive role in the business response to the demands brought about by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Brexit transition process during the last year. For example, VAT payment deferral schemes, reduction in VAT rates for the hospitality and leisure sectors (at the time of writing this is to end on 31 March) and significant changes in HMRC policy, not to mention the raft of ongoing Brexit implications that require urgent and for some, daily, attention including customs, VAT registration requirements, Incoterms, VAT accounting under the NI protocol etc. All of this has shone a light on the existing challenges that businesses face in dealing with tax matters – and how they manage these into the future. Whilst we cannot see into the future, we can say with a degree of certainty that these challenges are likely to remain. Governments will eventually withdraw the COVID-19 reliefs and indeed they will look to raise taxes to reduce the huge deficits created. This means that businesses will need to keep a sharp focus on cash outflows – of which total tax will remain one of the largest – as they try to build resilience and prosper in the future. We know that the next six months and beyond will yield further change in the world of tax, including a number of measures that have already been announced. Many of these changes are wide-ranging reforms that will impact business across the board, so it is imperative that businesses are ready for them. For example, HMRC revised its guidance on the VAT treatment of early termination fees and similar compensation payments last year and this is likely to be subject to further refinement going forward. HMRC has stated that this will impact anyone who charges their customers to withdraw from agreements, but we believe that the impact is likely to be more extensive than this. Another tax reform affecting a large proportion of our local business community here in NI is the domestic reverse charge within the construction industry. By the time this article goes out, this new reform will have already come into force (1 March) and will have a significant impact on the accounting practices and cash flow of businesses in the sector. Next month (April) will also see the next stage of Making Tax

If you have any questions regarding any of the changing tax reforms or would like to discuss how BDO can help your business, please get in touch with our leading team of tax experts at www. bdoni.com.

“Next month (April) will also see the next stage of Making Tax Digital for VAT requiring taxpayers to implement digital links through their systems, in order to create the so-called unbroken electronic chain of information from the accounting system to the VAT return.“

ROUND-UP

GRAHAM TO DELIVER MULTI-MILLION CLYDE ROAD BRIDGE A £79.5 million construction contract to build the first opening road bridge over the River Clyde and create new connections into Scotland’s manufacturing innovation district has been awarded to Northern Ireland civil engineering specialists, GRAHAM. The project is jointly funded by the UK and Scottish governments through the £1.13 billion Glasgow City Region City Deal. It will support around 700 jobs during its construction and generate hundreds of subcontract and supplier opportunities. All planning consent is in place and construction is scheduled to start in spring and take three years to complete. A twin-leaf swing bridge for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians from Renfrew to the boundary between Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire forms the centrepiece of the project. There are also riverside walking and cycling routes and a new road through Renfrew connecting the bridge to the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) being developed by the Council in collaboration with Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. Economic estimates in the final business case published last month found the waterfront project could lead to 1,400 permanent posts and 950 temporary construction roles from the resultant £230 million in private sector investment expected to be attracted to development sites on both sides of the Clyde over the coming years. The contract approval follows an extensive procurement process

over the last two years, which considered in depth the technical expertise, carbon reduction activities, fair work practises and all the knowledge and experience required to deliver the project. Civil engineering contractor GRAHAM, who has a waterfront office in Renfrewshire at Braehead, will deliver the main construction and provide more than 100 community benefits including jobs, apprenticeships, and community volunteering activities. An artist’s impression of the River Clyde Bridge.

FINTRU NAMED AS ONE OF EUROPE’S FASTEST GROWING COMPANIES FinTrU has been recognised as one of the fastest growing companies in Europe by the Financial Times and their data provider, Statista. The Financial Times, in partnership with Statista, sought to identify the 1,000 European companies with the strongest growth between 2016 and 2019 to feature in their annual FT1000 Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies League Table. In the Financial Times – Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies 2021, FinTrU has been listed as the 483rd fastest growing company in Europe and 75th in the UK. FinTrU is one of 132 UK listed organisations in the FT’s special report. FinTrU Founder & CEO, Darragh McCarthy, said of the recognition: “This is a fantastic achievement that all FinTrU employees should be incredibly proud of. The resilience shown by our people demonstrates the high-quality of our local talent and their willingness to adopt the FinTrU ethos of ‘ambition with humility’. The Financial Times is a world leading institution and we are delighted that our employees’ successes have been highlighted in this way”. Darragh added, “Whilst managed as a profit-driven organisation, FinTrU has a social purpose to create high-quality professional employment. Recognition such as the FT1000, reinforces our belief in our strategy of continually investing in our people and their professional development. Our employees’ high standards in terms of client delivery have allowed us to continue our growth trajectory as a leading RegTech company in the Financial Services sector.” FinTrU Chief of Staff, Katrien Roppe, added: “We are honoured to see FinTrU featured in such esteemed company with other businesses from

across the continent. The people who work at FinTrU have witnessed an incredible amount of growth in terms of colleagues and clients in recent years and should be very proud of their success. We are delighted that their achievements have been recognised in this year’s FT1000.” Katrien continued, “Following FinTrU’s listing in the Virgin Atlantic Sunday Times Fast Track 100 League Table, this further recognition is a signal of intent as we continue our ambitious growth plans in terms of people, clients and global presence”. The full ranking can be viewed on FT.com

FinTrU Founder & CEO, Darragh McCarthy.

Ambition Issue 45 (March/April 2021)

Articles inside

Jim Fitzpatrick

Fashion - Joanne Harkness

Dine & Wine - Chris Rees

Gerry Rourke

Fastest Growing Companies Forestside Announced as New Sponsor of Arts & Business NI Awards

Business Class Motoring

Gabi Burnside

Breath of Fresh Air

Brendan Drain

Maybeth Shaw

Helen Hardy

Charles Hurst Announces New Chief

Unprecedented Change by

Danielle McWall

Stairway to Seven

Why is COP26 Relevant to You?

Openreach NI Receives its First

Kate Marshall

Sustainable Solutions

My Ambition is to

Swift Response

Martin Breheney

Righting the Way Forward

The Drive for Equality

Membership NI Chamber in Conversation With

John Campbell

The Work-From-Home Pioneers

Awards Launched Export Growth for Bloc Blinds

Harnessing Nature’s Energy

Patrons Make the Most of Your

NI Chamber Welcomes New

CEO Update

Robert McCullough

Announces Expansion Belfast Telegraph Business

Jane Shaw

A Healthy Response

Jonie Graham

BT’s 655m Contribution

Artemis Technologies Unveils

Dale Farm Unveils Rebrand