NI Chamber in Conversation With

SARA VENNING

CEO, Northern Ireland Water (NI Water)

Sara Venning is CEO of NI Water. In episode three of NI Chamber’s In Conversation podcast, delivered in association with Narratology, Sara speaks to Mark Devenport about how her early years infl uenced her attitude to work, the hidden challenges of keeping Northern Ireland’s taps running through the pandemic and NI Water’s bold ideas to tackle climate emergency.

Growing up in the 1980s, Sara tells listeners: “My early years had a strong infl uence on my attitude to work and how I conduct myself. We didn’t have much disposable income, so the notion of ‘if you want something, you work for it’ was engrained in us. We were encouraged to work hard in school and I remember my mother saying that qualifi cations were the route to an easier, more a uent life.”

During the episode, Sara refl ects on her career path and the importance STEM subjects played in this.

“At school I loved maths and science. With maths and science, the beauty for me was it was either right or, if you got an answer wrong, you got marks for method. The leafl ets in the careers library said that anyone who liked maths and science should be an engineer.

“When I was trying to pick where I would go to university and what I would study, I wanted something that would give me a good chance of getting a job and that would pay well. Electrical engineering ticked those boxes. I studied at Queen’s and was one of about ten girls in a class of over 100.”

Like most organisations, NI Water has come through a challenging year and at the height of the pandemic, it encountered a unique set of issues as water usage increased.

“This time last year we were enjoying the sunny weather, which was super, but NI Water saw a huge increase in the demand for water. People were leaving hoses on overnight and fi lling pools, consuming the same amount of water a family of four would use in one day.

NI CHAMBER IN CONVERSATION WITH

IN ASSOCIATION WITH NARRATOLOGY

About Narratology

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“We were close to being unable to produce the amount of treated water in quantities that matched the demand. There was a huge company-wide coordination where we were maximising production, moving water across our network and working with the public to appeal for their support in water conservation.

“The dry weather progressed and our concern turned to the amount of water available in our reservoirs, which was beginning to drop sharply. The great news was that we were able to protect consumer supplies across the province.”

Looking to the future, Sara shares some of the bold ideas NI Water is implementing to tackle its carbon footprint and the climate emergency.

“Climate change is signifi cant for us. When we set out our strategy, nature was one of our strategic priorities and sustainability is one of the company values.

“Ireland is one of the most deforested parts of Europe and Northern Ireland is more deforested than the Republic. We have been planting trees in the Mournes, in conjunction with the Woodland Trust, with a target to plant one million trees over ten years.

“Renewable energy is also important and we are looking at how we facilitate renewables on our land. There is potential on some of our elevated sites for us to host the largest wind farm in Northern Ireland.”

Addressing years of underfunding in our water system, Sara explains the need for investment in waste water infrastructure.

“Over the last ten years, local government hasn’t made the level of investment needed available to us. Instead, money has gone into ensuring that our public water supply is safe, so we haven’t been able to grow our waste water treatment capacity and networks. It’s this infrastructure that is vital in supporting economic growth.

“The current investment profi le simply isn’t sustainable and that’s where the phrase ‘drains before cranes’ was coined. If we want to see cranes in the skyline, we have to invest in the drainage infrastructure.

“We have set a six-year investment programme that starts to address those development constraints. The overall capital plan over the next six years is over £2 billion and we are working with the government to try and secure that funding.”

Sara highlights the important role of apprenticeships in facilitating an orderly handover to the next generation. Frontline apprenticeships and higher level apprenticeships are how NI Water is growing the workforce for tomorrow.

“Our people are really loyal and many in our team have greater than 20 years’ experience. As a result, almost 50% of our workforce is over 55. That workforce has a wealth of experience, but we are now planning for a handover to the next generation. We are bringing in apprentices for both our frontline and technical roles.

“This pandemic year, we have recruited 30 apprentices. We intend to continue to add to that and we will soon be launching higher level apprenticeship schemes for Northern Ireland.”

Refl ecting on her time at NI Water, Sara shares her greatest challenge so far.

“I joined in 2011 and I was there less than six months when Northern Ireland had its worst winter in decades. There was a widespread impact on the water network. Temperatures were sub-zero for almost a month. On Boxing Day, the temperature rose by over 15 degrees. As a result, pipes thawed out and burst in businesses and customer homes. There was widespread customer impact.

“As the leader of that part of the business, this was challenging for me. As a team in NI Water, we looked at what happened, we embraced it, we learned from it and when I look at some of the systems we have put in place and the things that we can do today, we really built back better. It certainly had a lot of benefi ts coming out the other side. We are all stronger for it.”

Sara concludes the episode by providing advice for other business leaders on how to get through challenges of their own.

“Have confi dence in yourself and in your team and keep calm – devise your plan and work your way through it.”

Episode three 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.

LEARN GROW EXCEL

AN AGILE APPROACH TO BUSINESS SUPPORT

Learn Grow Excel is NI Chamber’s suite of business support programmes, designed to stimulate SME growth and development. It is open to organisations across all business sectors in Northern Ireland.

Established four years ago, the initiative is delivered with the support of private sector partners, including SME Partner Power NI, who share NI Chamber’s commitment to developing businesses and the economy by supporting their aspirations. The year-round suite of individual programmes are supported by the continued backing of AIB, Bank of Ireland, Barclays, Danske Bank and Ulster Bank.

Reflecting on the role and importance of Learn Grow Excel progammes in the current climate, Tanya Anderson, Head of International and Business Support at NI Chamber said:

“2020 saw a huge change in business operations, with remote working and a short term shift in business priorities. Learn Grow Excel has always been responsive to business need, so it quickly adopted a digital delivery method for all progammes.

“Operating remotely opened the programme up to new audiences across Northern Ireland and allowed NI Chamber to host speakers from an even greater variety of exemplary companies. The responsive format was welcomed by members and has led to strong levels of interaction across all sectors.

“As focus turns to economic recovery and growth, we know that Learn Grow Excel has a really important place in Northern Ireland’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and are committed to continuing to develop this important offering.”

Speaking about Power NI’s support of the initiative, Jack Ferguson, Commercial Business Development Manager said:

“With a history and heritage going back 90 years, Power NI has provided the energy behind many business export success stories from this part of the world. We are committed to helping the local business sector prosper and we are delighted to continue our support of the Learn Grow Excel initiative as SME Partner.

“Power NI is Northern Ireland’s leading energy company supplying around 500,000 homes, farms and businesses. We remain the largest supplier to the business sector with around 40,000 connections on our books. However, being the largest supplier means nothing if it doesn’t translate into great value for money and excellent customer service for our customers. We have a range of competitively priced, easy to understand tariffs, specially designed for small businesses. Our local Business support teams in Antrim, Belfast and Omagh are on hand to provide specialist energy advice to help businesses grow.

“We are committed to the communities we serve and actively involved in grassroots sponsorships, supporting the work of local Chambers of Commerce and business representative groups. With competitive prices, great discounts and outstanding customer service, it’s no wonder 54% of local businesses here choose Power NI than any other supplier.”

In extremely challenging circumstances, Learn Grow Excel has continued to meet the needs of member businesses. In 2020, 96% of attendees told us that they learned from other companies and 42% made valuable connections by attending online events. 44% of people attending programmes like Grow Internationally with Danske Bank identified new markets by getting involved.

Member feedback confirms that Learn Grow Excel events in 2020 were some of the most impactful to date, with companies benefiting greatly from opportunities to connect and learn from each other’s experiences of the challenges.

SME PARTNER

So what’s next?

Learn Grow Excel 2021 hit the ground running and plans are in place for an equally successful second half of the year. Members will be able to benefit from more events across all programmes, including the flagship annual Meet the Buyer event, which will see suppliers pitch their products and services to major local and international buyers.

The Autumn and Winter seasons will see the launch of new training courses and more opportunities to delve into important issues like sustainability, productivity and export growth. There will also be sector and function specific events too, with more in the pipeline for marketers and finance experts, as well as for those working in some of the region’s biggest and emerging sectors.

If you would like to find out more about Learn Grow Excel and opportunities for your business to get involved, please contact our Business Support team.

18

PROGRAMME EVENTS

96%

FOUND THE EVENTS

HELPFUL TO THEIR BUSINESS IN A PRACTICAL WAY

1, 91

HOURS

OF DELEGATE TIME COMMITTED

522

DELEGATES

REPRESENTING

UNIQUE BUSINESSES

308

38

SPEAKERS

DEDICATING 59 HOURS OF THEIR TIME

42%

MADE CONNECTIONS TO WIDEN THEIR BUSINESS NETWORK 44% IDENTIFIED NEW MARKETS

96%

SUCCESSFULLY

LEARNT FROM OTHER COMPANIES Boosting Productivity with Ulster Bank focuses on increasing productivity levels and overcoming the related challenges facing businesses. To date, the programme has covered themes including supply chain innovation, data analytics, digital transformation and automation. Senior staff from leading enterprises including Encirc, Smiley Monroe, Terex, Moy Park, Aflac and Microsoft have shared their vast experience with others.

Successful sustainability with AIB encourages the sharing of best practice between companies around how to develop successful strategies for business sustainability. The programme has covered a range of important topics including creating a culture of sustainability, communicating your commitment and the journey to becoming a sustainable business. Companies who are leading the way in this area have shared their experiences, including Hyster Yale, Coca Cola, Henry Group and Sodexo.

Grow Internationally with Danske Bank seeks to encourage export activity in Northern Ireland through the inspirational stories and shared learning of successful exporters. With a refreshed interview format for 2021, this programme has already hosted leading exporters, Denman and Camlin in conversation with host Jamie Delargy.

Winning Business with Bank of Ireland was created to connect local businesses with new buyers. It hosts practical workshops which cover sales techniques and strategies businesses need to grow, before an annual Meet the Buyer event. In 2020, 24 major buyers were in attendance at that event including Applegreen, Harland & Wolff, Randox, Ryobi, MJM marine, Seagate, Thales and Translink.

The Sector Club with Barclays focuses on the issues facing key business sectors. It brings businesses together with their supply chains to consider trends and opportunities and facilitate peer learning. Each event hears from a Barclays Sectoral Expert. To date, this programme has shone a spotlight on sectors including Technology, Manufacturing and Agri-Food sector, with speakers from TTEC, BLK Box, Ulster Carpets and Fane Valley.

The Business Breakfast Series with Bank of Ireland brings managers from different business functions together at shared practice forums. New for 2021, this year’s events will host people working in finance, HR, sales and marketing. These sessions provide attendees with the opportunity to discuss emerging thinking and new trends, whilst making useful connections and learning from exemplars working in similar roles. The first event of the year hosted speakers from Frylite, GES Group, CDE Global and Bank of Ireland who shared insights and best practice on the theme of HR.

Legal workshops with Cleaver Fulton Rankin over legal issues which are of particular relevance to SMEs. Another new addition to the suite of Learn Grow Excel programmes, these sessions cover topics including procurement, HR, succession planning and innovation. They enable businesses to access both technical information and legal experts in particular fields.

The Learn Grow Excel Training Academy was established to help SME businesses address common skills and knowledge gaps. To date, it has hosted courses on sales, digital strategy, ecommerce, and communication skills. The prospectus for the Academy is updated regularly, with new courses added in response to trends and local business need.