Ambition Issue 56 (January/February 2023)

THE RENEWABLES REVOLUTION

Ambition talks to Mark Ennis, Chairman of SSE Ireland about his vision to see Northern Ireland become a leading energy exporter.

54

Shaping The Future, Learning From The Past

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

A Greener Future

With just seven years left to meet our ambitious 2030 climate change targets, 2023 must be a year of action to drive green growth. Against the backdrop of a challenging fiscal environment, now more than ever we need the private sector to step in and play its part in delivering the low carbon transition and in doing so, creating a new-look inclusive, digital and sustainable economy.

From world-leading renewable generation to sustainable transport technology, Northern Ireland has significant potential, having achieved so much already in driving green innovation at home and around the globe. However, if we are to attract the investment and funding needed to reach our true potential, we must be competitive both as a UK region and on the island of Ireland.

Rising energy costs have been a challenge for businesses and households across Northern Ireland. Forecasts for 2023 and beyond suggest this will be an ongoing battle that government and business will need to tackle together.

While it is difficult now, this crisis should focus our minds on the prize of the ambitious climate targets which have been set in both the Climate Change Act and the Energy Strategy. Achieving 80% renewable generation by 2030 is a key piece in the jigsaw for cleaner, cheaper and more secure sources of energy. It is doable but we need a number of policy reforms to make that happen – from grid connection to planning.

Last year we had the statutory planning review, the Northern Ireland Audit Office report and the Public Accounts Committee report looking at various aspects of our planning system. A consistent theme was that the current system was not working for our people, our planet or our economy. 2023 is a year in which that needs to change, not least to enable those sustainable projects that will be critical for the low carbon transition.

This region’s long-term economic prosperity hinges to a large extent on developing a skilled and inclusive workforce that is adequately resourced for a green, digital future. Right now, we have a shortage of people and skills which is negatively impacting productivity and growth.

When it comes to the skills challenge, so many of the answers lie in improving collaboration and communication.

According to PwC, in 2021 Northern Ireland saw its number of green jobs double. To continue on that trajectory we need to accelerate investment to plug the skills gaps in green professional and scientific roles, as well as green trades like retrofitting. As a priority, 2023 must be a year when the funding landscape is clarified. From the Shared Prosperity Fund to numerous other initiatives, businesses need clarity on what funding is available to meet their future skills needs.

We know that 2023 will be a challenging year for the Department of Economy’s budget but given the skills crisis, policymakers must strain every sinew to ensure our further and higher education sectors are adequately resourced to support the vision for an innovative, inclusive and sustainable economy of the future.

Gillian McAuley, President, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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We’re the right people to find the right person for the right job.

Marcon Awarded Gallery Refresh Fit Out At

Titanic Belfast

Marcon has been awarded the gallery refresh programme at the world-leading visitor attraction, Titanic Belfast.

To mark its 10th birthday, the multi-million-pound gallery refresh programme is Titanic Belfast’s most ambitious project and single largest investment to date. Marcon will start on site in January, with the transformed Titanic Experience opening to the public in spring 2023.

PwC Announces Further Promotions In NI

PwC has further invested in its people in Northern Ireland with 222 local promotions to associate, senior associate, manager and senior manager grades across all parts of the firm. The promotions reflect the strong growth of the firm in NI, driven by demand for tech solutions in PwC’s Consulting and Operate businesses. This latest round of promotions follows the 389 local promotions announced in July 2022.

Rapid Chargers Help Fibrus Fuel Its Drive Towards Fully Electric Fleet

Fibrus has installed five electric vehicle charging points at its new Dargan facility, as it continues its drive to have a fully electric fleet in just three years.

At present, 14 of the Northern Ireland-based full fibre broadband provider’s 100-strong fleet are powered by electricity, with the number set to rise dramatically in 2023.

eir evo Secures £7m Network Services Contract With NI Councils

Telecoms and IT provider eir evo UK has won a major contract to deliver high-capacity fibre network and managed services to 10 regional councils across Northern Ireland.

Representing an investment of up to £7 million over 10 years, the eir evo network solution will connect almost 600 council sites across Northern Ireland with the required infrastructure to enable more efficient delivery of digital services, achieve productivity improvements for more than 8,500 employees and support the development of new technology initiatives from within the local councils.

Spearheaded by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council along with Mid Ulster District Council, the contract was awarded under the Local Full Fibre Networks fund developed by the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport in support of the UK Industrial Strategy. The contract will see eir evo deliver Wide Area Network connectivity and managed services to the Full Fibre Northern Ireland consortium of 10 councils outside the Belfast area.

Foods Connected To Create 45 New Jobs

Londonderry-based software as a service (SaaS) firm, Foods Connected, is investing heavily in its business as it seeks to target new export markets. The investment will lead to the creation of 45 new, well-paid roles.

Foods Connected provides SaaS-based tools to help food-based companies manage their complex supply chains. It has developed a total of 25 different modules in key areas such as supplier compliance, food safety & quality, specifications & NPD, traceability, and procurement & supply chain.

Roger McCracken, managing director at Foods Connected, said: “We set up the business 10 years ago with just three people. We now employ 71, including nine in Australia, and with this latest investment plan to grow to a total of 116 employees by the end of 2023.

“In 2020 the senior management team took part in Invest NI’s Ambition to Scale programme which really helped us clarify our future direction for the business and set in place clear strategic targets. These include developing our software solutions, growing our export markets and developing our business as a great place to work. These 45 new roles, which will all be based in Derry, will help us realise these targets.”

Lufthansa Arrives At Belfast City Airport

Germany’s flag carrier airline, Lufthansa, has announced it will commence operations at Belfast City Airport.

The airline, which is one of Europe’s largest, is entering the Northern Irish market for the first time and will operate flights from Belfast City Airport to Frankfurt, Germany, from 23 April 2023. This will be the only direct air link between Northern Ireland and Germany.

Katy Best, commercial director at Belfast City Airport, commented:

“Attracting an airline such as Lufthansa to Northern Ireland that will provide the only route from the region to Germany is a major win for not only the airport, but the wider tourism and business industry.

“With Germany being the third-largest market for overseas tourism to the island of Ireland, there is a clear demand for direct connectivity.”

Flights to Frankfurt with Lufthansa will operate up to four times a week, giving both leisure and business passengers exceptional choice and convenience when travelling to the global hub.”

Clair Gheel (eir evo); Lord Mayor of ABC Borough Council, Cllr Paul Greenfield; Deputy Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Cllr Frances Burton; and Philip O’Meara (eir evo).

Mel Chittock (Invest NI) and Roger McCracken (Foods Connected).

Ann McGregor (NI Chamber) and Katy Best (Belfast City Airport).

The CEO’s Competitive Advantage

The war for talent still rages, however, we are hearing and seeing some “loosening” in the job market over recent weeks. The talent wars that challenged businesses in the years leading up to the pandemic were escalated by the workforce revolution. Workers are seeking better, higher paying jobs and for some, jobs that align with the flexible work options they value.

Prospective employees want more than just a good job and competitive salary; they also want companies with a compelling culture, flexible work options, and a noble purpose with development opportunities for personal and professional growth. Adding to this challenge is the issue of employee retention. It’s said no-one leaves a ship during a hurricane, but they will once the storm passes. Recent research published by Microsoft revealed that 41% of the global workforce is likely to consider leaving their current employer within the next year. While some Boomers have been leaving the workforce through planned retirements, others have retired early as a result of the pandemic.

A new workforce is taking shape as Millennials step up into higher levels and Gen Zs begin to step in as frontline employees. These generations are different and a recent article “Act your wage” in The Executive outlined two types of future employees that require a two-track approach to attracting and retaining staff.

The first track will focus on the Task Operators. These are employees who are interested in short-term, tactical work. They are here to contribute, to make a living and live well while at it. Their priorities are elsewhere, and work is merely a means to an end. They do not

see any higher purpose in working for your company’s cause. They are here to collect their paycheque and give value in return. They are probably not going to produce the next leader or be integral to your succession planning.

The second track is for the Purpose Pursuers or Future Leaders. These are employees who see work as a way to make an impact on the world and they want to have impact in the business. They are ambitious, want to progress quickly and see the impact they make on customers, the business and the planet as a great cause to commit to. They are here to grow and create. They want to be developed and honed to become your future leaders.

Personal and professional growth plans need to be aligned not only with your organisational ambition, but also with the ambition of your employees. While the Task Operators may not want to move upwards towards leadership responsibility, they still need to be trained in both skill and competencies to achieve mastery. Don’t be fooled into thinking these operators are lazy or lack ambition; their ambition is just weighted towards doing a good job and having time to pursue other ambitions outside of the formal job role.

CEOs should start with understanding their organisation’s bench strengths in each of the two categories. Identifying the high potential employees and the speed at which they are accelerating through defined career paths. This provides a view of succession planning and helps reveal talent gaps that stand in the way of long-term goals.

Employees who want to lead and contribute strategically but don’t see a clear path that leads there, become a

retention risk. We also need to accept that large numbers of employees have decided that leadership is not the path for them. Task workers want to do a good job and be fairly paid for it while living a more balanced life. It’s not wrong, it’s just different from the more traditional view of a sustainable workforce. Future leaders on the other hand need to be supported on a track of growth and leadership development. This divide in resources will be more apparent as it will affect all employees, those who are on the task track and those on the leadership growth track. In many ways, the choice of balanced worklife by some employees will be clearer in terms of the future sacrifices it may entail. This will be evident in the way organisations provide resources, invest in training, pay and incentivise employees, and evaluate performance.

While some will consider this approach challenging or even unfair, it is simply a response to today’s emerging employment trends. It is not meant to punish anyone for their choices, but it does recognise that there may be consequences for that choice.

If employee development is to become the CEO’s competitive advantage, we need to look at it very differently than before. Creating a clear career path is an underutilised component of attracting talent and retention of key staff for small and medium sized businesses, so to create a sustainable business for the future, organisations need to start recognising which employee belongs where and dedicate their resources accordingly.

Kate Marshall Coach Speaker, Author, Facilitator

Columnist

Stairway to Seven

Colin Catney, Chief Operating Officer at National Museums NI.

My seven steps for business success

Colin Catney is Chief Operating Officer at National Museums NI, an organisation which operates four museum venues and serves as custodian to 1.4 million objects in Northern Ireland’s national collection. Using over 30 years of experience of organisational change and development – gained across multiple sectors including in the telecommunications, drinks manufacturing, broadcasting, textiles and management consultancy – Colin has worked within the Executive Leadership Team at National Museums NI to spearhead a programme of organisational change designed to build a more ambitious, relevant and resilient public museum service. The following seven steps to business success are based on the change journey that Colin has steered at National Museums NI in the past six years

1. VISION AND VALUES FIRST

Critical to business success is the expression of a clear organisational direction of travel – the ‘Vision’ – and the creation of a framework of ethics and behaviours that determine the culture and experience – the ‘Values’. Through this, everyone can be aligned to the organisation’s goals and culture. The secret? The Vision and Values must come to life in the organisation and permeate everything. Importantly, senior leaders must be the exemplars, referring often to the Vision and living and breathing the Values every day.

2. CREATE THE LINE OF SIGHT

Organisations spend a lot of time creating strategy, business plans, and performance management systems; but can fail to align these for employees. Creating line of sight from strategy to delivery enables individuals and teams to understand and constantly strive towards strategic progress. Success is setting everything that is done within this context. Through this, everyone can tangibly see their contribution, course correct if necessary and celebrate success on an ongoing basis.

3. BUILD YOUR LEADERSHIP BENCHSTRENGTH

The strength of leadership across an organisation is often the critical factor in success or failure. Leaders at all levels directly affect – positively or negatively –culture and performance. Understanding what is expected of leaders is a critical success factor. Openly expressing this and putting into place both learning programmes and performance measures on what is expected of each leader, aligns leadership competence and behaviours with organisations goals. To not do this is leaving leadership to chance.

4. SLOW IS SMOOTH, SMOOTH IS FAST

This saying is borrowed from the American Special Forces and I love it. The concept speaks to an organisation characterised as in control, together as one, resilient, able to deal with conflict and crises thoughtfully in a measured way. It speaks to sound collective judgement and a confidence in the future. It builds trust in the workforce and builds a positive reputation with stakeholders and customers. It is the antithesis of the ‘busy fool’. But, to create a culture characterised in this way takes time, consistency, courage and confident leadership.

5. WORK TO BUILD TRUST – EVERYDAY Trust is the essential ingredient in positive human relations. When it is there and

tangible, then things get done and relations are good. When it does not exist or is eroded, then conflict rises and things can’t or don’t get done. For any organisation, building trust every day is essential for success. Leaders must be equipped to do this and must understand what being trustworthy looks and feels like. Failure to embed the building of trust into the organisation’s development plan can undermine success.

6. PEOPLE BUY IN TO WHAT THEY COCREATE

It always amazes and excites me when I see colleagues think and perform outside their immediate role. Create the right circumstances for people to get involved beyond the confines of their role and they will – and do so willingly. The organisation benefits from the knowledge brought and new perspectives gained, and individuals gain by the motivation felt in participating in something new, exciting, and important. It takes courage to create such a culture if it does not naturally exist but with courage comes reward – it’s a no brainer really.

7. DON’T LEAVE TEAMS TO CHANCE

We all work in teams. We structure organisations around teams. But how much structured team development do we put in place to help these teams reach genuine high performance? There are four areas a team – any team – needs to build together and constantly monitor and improve. They are: clarity on the team’s purpose; contracting on the team’s dynamics and ways of working; building together a positive team reputation; and managing and monitoring the team’s performance. If a team is consciously doing all of these and it is exemplified by strong team spirit, then that team is well on the way to high performance.

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NI Businesswoman Putting All Her Energy Into Wind Power

Renewable energy company ABO

Wind continues to grow across the UK and Ireland as the drive towards greener energy ramps up. Founded in Germany in 1996, the globally successful renewable energy company’s UK Director, Tamasin Fraser, is leading the company’s growth.

Having set up a dedicated Northern Ireland office in 2010 to advance renewable energy projects across the region, ABO Wind has grown considerably across the UK and Ireland since then. The existing office in Falkirk in Scotland has seen recent growth of the team to increase local presence. In October 2022, the company opened its first office in Slough in Berkshire to complement the GB expansion. The investment in Slough has already brought about the appointment of six new colleagues, increasing the company’s UK headcount to 23 with further appointments expected shortly. Its strategic location in England will enable ABO Wind to progress new projects as the need for greater levels of indigenous, clean energy generation increases. To date, the company has secured consent for a portfolio of wind farm and battery storage proposals across the UK with a combined potential capacity of over 150 Megawatts (MW); that’s enough to power almost 200,000 homes.

ABO Wind has a further significant pipeline of projects at an early stage with the aim of delivering 3 Gigawatts (GW) UK wide by 2030. Tamasin says, “Of all renewable electricity generated within Northern Ireland over the 12-month period from October 2021 to September 2022, almost 50% was generated from wind. This is the highest rolling 12-month renewables generation volume on record and shows we have a highly skilled renewable energy sector that can deliver results.”

The opportunities presented by renewables are immense. Tamasin Fraser continues, “It has been encouraging to see political support for renewables continue to strengthen, including in England where the Conservative government looks to be in the early stages of reversing its de facto ban on new onshore wind development which had been in place since 2015. This is good news for everyone, including consumers, and I think it reflects recognition of the benefits that flow from these projects.

“Research shows that achieving 80% renewable electricity generation in Northern Ireland by 2030 could involve a £3.1 billion private investment from the onshore wind sector this decade. It will also result in rates contributions of £195 million and over £30 million in community benefit schemes. That’s a huge opportunity for Northern Ireland, all whilst we decarbonise our electricity supply and support the fight against climate change.

“ABO Wind is dedicated to ensuring that our projects contribute directly to local communities. As a result, we establish a Community Benefit Fund for the entire lifetime of each wind farm development. Investments where wind farms are located will create new jobs and will help tackle the climate emergency and the energy crisis.”

Tamasin adds, “As well as helping to achieve energy independence and removing our reliance on fossil fuels, renewable energy presents an opportunity to attract investment. Future prosperity and tackling climate change go hand in hand and at ABO Wind we are excited to be progressing innovative projects across the UK.”

There are also educational benefits with children and community groups learning about renewable energy.

“We have a dedicated Educational

Outreach team who visit schools to deliver education initiatives and we work closely with the local community to progress green energy projects that will benefit everyone. We passionately believe that renewable energy has a central role to play in addressing the impacts of climate change and our cost-of-living crisis in a sustainable way,” continues Tamasin.

Renewable energy is vital to security of supply and will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels such as oil and gas and help towards achieving Northern Ireland’s renewable electricity target of 80% by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

Tamasin says, “The sector’s ability to deliver ambitious, government-led targets for the benefit of consumers and the environment here is crucial if we are to make progress.

“One of the key barriers to delivery in Northern Ireland is delays in the planning system and so it is imperative that this is tackled as a matter of urgency to enable the clean energy transition at pace.”

Tamasin concludes, “Planning is a key enabler to delivery of the Net Zero ambition. Looking at other regions we are active in, it is really encouraging to see that the Scottish government has taken on board the concerns of industry to work through the barriers to development. Now we need to see a similar approach in Northern Ireland. The global climate emergency must be central to all decision making.”

Tamasin Fraser, Director ABO Wind UK

Ambitious Charity Air Ambulance NI

For over five years now, Northern Ireland has had a dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Service looking after the people of Northern Ireland, operating for 12 hours daily, 365 days of the year. The service is operated by a partnership between the Northern Ireland Ambulance service and the charity Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.

In that period, the HEMS has been called upon on over 3,000 occasions to critically ill and injured patients of every age and background.

The range of incidents varies from day to day, as Operational Lead for the HEMS, Glenn O’Rorke, explains: “We make around 14 missions a week, forming an important part of the emergency services right across NI. An average week would include at least three serious road traffic collisions, three medical emergencies, three falls, one farm accident, one industrial accident, one serious sportrelated accident, one assault and one other accident, which could be deliberate self-harm, serious burns or drowning, to name a few. We feel privileged to help at the scene of an incident, giving patients critical care that may make a lifesaving difference.”

Air ambulance crews bring the skills and expertise of a hospital to the scene of an emergency, performing complex procedures using advanced equipment and drugs that improve survival rates.

William Graham from Kilkeel was working at home when he needed urgent help: “While working, I was crushed by a dumper truck. I could feel myself fading

and believed I wasn’t going to make it, but then heard the helicopter and help arrive. My consultant told me I had a 5% chance of survival and I’ve done it! I’ll always be grateful to the team for their crucial lifesaving interventions.”

Colleen Milligan, business development manager at AANI, explains the importance of corporate support: “Our corporate supporters play a key role in helping us to maintain and develop this crucial service and we are actively seeking new corporate partners. We build innovative, tailored, and sustainable partnerships, and given the nature of our work we are well placed to remind staff teams of lifesaving messages on themes such as road safety and CPR. Our team has organised team-building activities for our corporates including mountain walks and dragon boat races. We also have a strong marketing focus to achieve joint promotion with our partners.”

The medical team at AANI treats on average two critically injured patients every day, 365 days a year. The impact for corporate supporters is tangible and clear. W&R Barnett and John Thompson & Sons have been committed supporters of Air Ambulance.

Jackie Wright said of a recent team-building fundraiser:

“We had 10 abseilers from W&R Barnett and a further six from John Thompson & Sons. We found it to be an amazing experience with the AANI team – they were always on hand to reply to any queries, were responsive and professional throughout and there to cheer us on. I would definitely recommend this as a good

bonding experience as well as a great way to raise money for this fabulous charity.”

Colleen, from the team, went on to say, “If you or your company would like to support a lifesaving service with a dynamic, motivated and experienced charity team to support you every step of the way, we would love to hear from you. We have a full calendar of events to help you and your staff get together and have fun while supporting your local charity including abseils across three locations, skydiving opportunities and Ireland’s biggest Supercar Weekend as a key highlight in the summer. In addition to this, AANI is delighted to be chosen as the dedicated charity partner for the Mash Direct Belfast City Marathon (2023-2025), and will be encouraging all our corporate supporters to get involved. We are keen to remind readers that this event includes an eight-mile walk and team relay with distances from 4.2 miles, so you don’t have to be a full marathon distance runner! All AANI marathon event supporters will receive an invitation to the base, fundraising support and running vest or t-shirt.”

Kerry Anderson of the charity’s executive team added, “As a small and young charity we are also very keen to partner with the corporate sector in terms of sharing expertise and skills. Recently we have been able to access marketing and IT advice and expertise; corporates can contribute so much to help, and we warmly welcome support in this way.

Our corporate supporters are key as we look forward to the next five years and what that holds for the charity, service and of course patients who are at the centre of all we do.”

AANI HEMS team.

AANI corporate partner, Firmus Energy, at Dragon Boat Race.

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Columnist

Michael Thompson Managing Director, Everun

Smart Solutions Needed To Boost Renewable Energy

Northern Ireland has grown the energy supplied by renewables to 45%, yet we are not on track to meet the target of 80% and net zero by 2030. While world leaders are sitting around the tables in Sharm El-Sheikh at COP27 we are faced with dealing with our own energy needs and managing the future.

The reality is that progress has been made, but we lag behind the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain by four years on how we install, progress and manage renewable energy.

The majority of the current ‘green’ energy comes from wind, and being on the north and westerly edge of Europe we are in the right place to capitalise on that. Yet, the barriers to installing further wind farms, or even individual turbines, remain significant.

Many existing turbines will need to be replaced with higher output units and managing the existing turbines has become a critical issue. While we have developed innovative management software for wind and solar-based energy generation and consumption it is clear that there is a need to marry the policy targets and the economic benefits of renewables.

On the island of Ireland there remain large manufacturing and engineering sectors. They are energy intensive, and surging costs are placing pressure on existing and future investment. If we do

not push ahead with real action, we will potentially lose competitiveness and not capitalise on our potential.

As we look at the forthcoming Climate Action Plan being published at the end of this year, we all need to look at the right investment, the right structures and the right technology otherwise the plan will not succeed.

At Everun, as part of our management and delivery of wind and solar energy generating assets, we developed software to monitor and manage the output to increase efficiency, reduce down-time and look at the overall energy consumption. We know there is an increasing hunger from businesses and investors to be part of the renewable future but Northern Ireland is not moving fast enough.

From planning issues to modernising the existing grid, there are many barriers that, whilst difficult, can be overcome if the will is there at local and regional governmental levels to implement smart solutions.

Industry wide there needs to be significant investment into the energy grid and planning services.

Everything we’re trying to achieve here in Northern Ireland in the renewables sector stems from the Climate Bill which set the 80% target. Having taken that first step there has to be political will and leadership to deliver the action plans required to meet the target.

I believe that with will and a dynamic approach in the public and private sectors we can look to a brighter, cleaner future. A future in which Northern Ireland can – and indeed must – be energy selfsufficient. We can look forward to a point in time when we can export energy. But we must act now.

“The majority of the current ‘green’ energy comes from wind, and being on the north and westerly edge of Europe we are in the right place to capitalise on that.

Yet, the barriers to installing further wind farms, or even individual turbines, remain significant.”

MY AMBITION IS TO...

Ben Johnston, Inside Sales Manager, eir evo UK

Many would say that an outgoing personality is needed for sales, but some of the best salespeople I’ve met are introverts.

What is required to succeed in this industry is a bit of grit, a desire to build relationships with your clients and with your colleagues and quite simply, an ability to hold a conversation.

I learnt this very early on in my career when, as a fresh-faced 23-year-old I found myself sitting around a table of CEOs, CFOs and high-flying delegates, each at the peak of their careers and with an average of 40 or 50 years of experience behind them.

I had just won a hard-fought election to become Vice President of the Ulster University Student Union following my graduation from Computer Science and was meeting senior members of the board to deliver the goals of my manifesto, which was a daunting experience but one that held me in good stead for what was to come.

It was years later, when managing a team of 22 sales development executives, that I realised just how much my role at the SU had determined my career path. Not only did it give me a bit of time to figure out what I wanted to do, it also shaped my ability to connect with, support and lead people of different backgrounds, cultures, and languages.

Following a recommendation from a friend, I had joined a global telemarketing company, with headquarters in Philadelphia, which sells technical equipment to IT companies around the world. Managing 250-350 potential new customers each week might seem like a lot of work to some, but it helped me to learn quickly on the job. I’d rather get out in the world doing something than sitting at a desk learning about it.

I was introduced to eir evo when approached by a recruiter who was charged with finding someone who could establish the company’s first Inside Sales

department and manage its development in line with their ambitious growth plans.

I was inspired by their vision for the future of eir evo, by their strong portfolio of accredited partnerships, including Microsoft, Cisco, Hewlett Packard, and by their credentials, including Microsoft Ireland Country Partner of the Year and Cisco Partner of the Year for three years running.

My role involves finding businesses who would benefit from our help and to jointly explore where our industryleading technological services could add value to them whether that be through our telecommunications, cybersecurity, cloud hosting, IT or applications, business broadband or or Wi-Fi solutions. On any given day this could be a mix of following up on queries that come through our website, speaking with current customers, following up with people we have met at events or conducting general outbound reach based on what we know about a business. Our team spends a lot of time doing market research to find companies who fit the target profile and who would benefit from digital transformation to reach their full potential.

As someone who has always enjoyed connecting with people and being part

of something bigger than myself, I am also the captain of my local football team Holywell FC, and the manager of St Comghall’s Ladies Gaelic Football team. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to make my mark at eir evo as we expand the business. A lot of my job involves listening and asking the right questions. The conversations can be very rewarding as they tend to bring out new insights every time for both of us. The majority of businesses I talk to are facing the same challenges of technological complexity so when we start to demystify it for them by breaking down their options, they are really keen to learn more. There is no such thing as a wasted conversation, provided you know what to listen for!

I know that the work we are putting in now will pay dividends for the ongoing growth of the company, and I’m thriving on the targets we have set ourselves and doing what we need to do to reach them. My ambition is to continue growing the Inside Sales department to the point where it is a huge cog in the eir evo wheel to add value to the company and to our customers so that they can look ahead to their digital future with confidence.

Legacy Resources

Given

GROWING THE BUSINESS:

Since 2018, Ricky Quirey, managing director of Legacy Resources, has continued to move from strength to strength by providing high-level security services across Northern Ireland and globally.

In 2019 Ricky joined forces with his wife, Suzanne Quirey, as the business director. Suzanne’s approach to the business model for a multiple service provider within the security industry was the breakthrough Legacy Resources needed to move forward and enter into larger contracts to service the business growth of Legacy.

The husband-and-wife duo went from a micro to medium-size business within three years of operating their new business model. In 2018 Legacy provided one security service, a door supervisor for the hospitality sector within Belfast; now, Legacy provides six different security services for multiple customers throughout Northern Ireland.

MANAGING DIRECTOR:

Ricky Quirey has a security background of 30 years of experience working all over the globe. Ricky spent most of his career overseas working on large-scale security projects for various clients. In 2020 Ricky returned home to Northern Ireland from Libya due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the international contracts closed down for Legacy Resources. With the world closing down for the pandemic, Ricky and Suzanne were faced with the decision of what to do with Legacy Resources, as their main focus was international security projects. In late July 2020, Ricky switched the company’s focus to the security industry in Northern Ireland. Ricky managed to secure a service support contract to provide security personnel to retail outlets across Northern Ireland; this was a challenge as most security staff were on the furlough scheme; however, the company achieved its goal of providing supporting security personnel to a number of different customers.

As the country navigated out of the pandemic, Ricky secured more customers to provide security services in the challenging times of Covid 19 lockdowns. The business continued to grow, including new security departments for different services within the company. Mid 2021, Ricky secured an international contract in Saudi Arabia providing security management services.

BUSINESS DIRECTOR:

Suzanne Quirey joined Legacy in early 2019 and introduced a new business dynamic of administration/HR and operations working together to enable Legacy Resources to lead the way in providing security within Northern Ireland. Suzanne brings her experience from the legal and business sectors. Suzanne created a team of subject matter experts for the administration department of

Legacy Resources. Suzanne oversees the company’s business operations.

LEGACY RESOURCES:

The Legacy operations team was formed in November 2021. The operations team is led by Stephen Pritchard, director of operations, under Ricky.

Stephen oversees the 24/7 operations room and manages three operations managers, four control room operators and the Legacy training manager.

At the end of 2023, the operations team are covering approx. 125 sites with security guards across Northern Ireland and several key holding and alarm response locations. The operations team also provides close protection for asset protection sites. On some occasions, requests come in for VIP protection teams. An operations manager is dedicated to each project.

The director of operations also oversees the Legacy Training wing with the training manager in support. Legacy Training was set up to deliver Security Industry Authority (SIA) compliant courses. The Legacy administration team is led by Bridghin Carlisle, office manager under Suzanne. Bridghin brings a wealth of experience in administration management and oversees the dayto-day management of a team of five personnel. Having the business operations team and administration co-located makes a more effective team.

Like all businesses in Northern Ireland, the Legacy team is challenged with staffing levels recovering from the pandemic; however, Legacy strives to maintain staff through good management and successful processes.

LEGACY RESOURCES’ FUTURE:

Ricky and Suzanne keep continuing to grow on their business journey. They have the drive to develop a key network of likeminded professionals while at the same time maintaining the integrity of Legacy Resources.

When Ricky and Suzanne are not leading the way in the security industry, they love to travel, visit different countries and cultures, and spend their hard-earned time off together. As a husband-andwife team, finding time for each other can be challenging. However, separating their personal life from their business partnership is critical.

the ongoing challenges in the security industry in Northern Ireland, Legacy Resources continues to lead the way with professionalism and integrity.

Ricky Quirey.

Visit

Here

We Could Be Heroes

Northern Ireland could be a leader in the renewable energy sector globally, that is if the current planning system here is overhauled and it aligns itself with 2030 and 2050 net zero objectives SSE Ireland Chairman, Mark Ennis CBE tells Emma Deighan.

Mark Ennis has been at the forefront of many sectors, including the chair position at Invest NI for eight years. He’s been instrumental in overhauling and modernising operations no matter what their nature throughout his career.

From medicine to business and, today, energy in his role as non-executive chair at SSE Ireland, he has been a part of many companies that have orchestrated change in their respective domains.

SSE is one of those companies, spearheading a renewables revolution but it’s going to take more than the brawn of what is the biggest wind farm owner-operator in the UK and Ireland to get Northern Ireland to reach its full potential Mark believes. And that potential could be as a world leader and exporter of renewables, he says.

A change in planning policy will be crucial as will a collaborative approach from all councils and both must be sympathetic to our role in reaching net zero targets for 2030 and 2050.

“My vision is that we could be a leading energy exporter,” Mark begins.

“We have the natural resources to export electricity from wind farms and make hydrogen from the excess. This could be a golden age for the region in terms of our renewable resource and opportunity. We just need a little bit of ambition and vision. We need to look at it as much more than meeting net zero targets, but about making Northern Ireland a leading exporter.”

It’s a vision that could put Northern Ireland on an economic high ground should the Executive return and planning processes are tweaked to prioritise proposals with net zero targets at their core.

“Our planning system is not fit for purpose. It takes no account of net zero goals. To get a grid in place to transport power from windy places, as well as the wind farm farms themselves, you need planning permission, and that’s been an issue.

“I try to champion, within SSE, investment in projects in Northern Ireland. I know if we had the right system and proper planning we would significantly increase our investment here but at the minute the planning risk is too high,” Mark continues.

He references one SSE project for a wind farm that was refused planning permission at the final hurdle after a spend of £2m over a six-year process.

“There was no accounting for net zero in that decision. That proposed wind farm was capable of 130MW, which would power 100k homes.

“When we are looking at developing a project, the board will look at the risks.”

For Northern Ireland to reach net zero targets for 2030 and 2050, Mark says it will require 10 times the number of wind farms of that one refused project. That would equal 1300MW — enough to power well over a million homes.

He says tension arises often around the question of where to position onshore wind farms here because of NI’s abundance of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) that quite often are the ideal location for wind farms.

Mark adds: “We recognise that but we need to be open-minded as to where wind farms could be situated or we will not make the targets.”

At the local government level, he says planning can be more complex and he stresses the need for council and community support so as not to further restrict development.

“The Department for Infrastructure makes ministerial calls based on outdated policies and those policies have nothing in them about net zero targets. What we need is to enact policy change and allow planning decisions to presume in favour of renewables and it’s important that local council decisions also align with that overall plan.”

For some a wind farm in one of NI’s AONBs garners resistance but Mark believes renewables and beauty spots can co-exist and become beneficial for its environs.

SSE Renewable’s Galway Wind Park in partnership with Coillte is a joint investment of over €280m. It is one example of how renewable energy projects can contribute much more than clean energy.

SSE pumped €90m into Irish Gross Domestic Product during the construction of that site, and €20m was spent with local suppliers and contractors.

Today the power generated at Galway Wind Park powers over 140,000 Irish homes and offsets over 175,000 tonnes of harmful CO2 emissions.

It also includes 48km of recreational trails while the area benefits from an annual fund of €400,000 which goes into community groups and scholarships.

“We build interactive infrastructure such as cycle tracks and nature walks around our windfarms which adds to the attraction of the area and encourages people to engage and learn about the benefits of renewable energy, something which encourages a changed mindset. We need new windfarms in Northern Ireland to meet our targets and as an established

and trusted developer, we can support and aid communities as part of delivering that infrastructure.”

Mark says the motivation around renewable energy is shifting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has cut off supply and put pressure on gas prices globally. He says the focus now is firmly on energy independence.

“The fundamental psyche has changed. Up until now, it has always been about climate change but what’s happened now is people are looking for the security of supply.

“I think we will start to see significant investment over the next number of years in renewables and all of Europe will start to seek to be independent of countries such as Russia,” he explains.

“To reach a position of energy independence we need to be selfsufficient and that will take investment in offshore wind. An offshore wind farm from conception to building traditionally takes 10 years so we need to start the process now and compress the time frame for development if we are to achieve this by the mid-thirties.

“As Northern Ireland hasn’t properly started the process for establishing offshore wind, we can only meet our 2030 targets through the accelerated development of wind farms onshore. To reach 70/80 per cent zero emissions we require 1300MW through onshore wind farms. That is double where we are at the minute.”

As a result of many factors that have placed increased energy price pressures on homes, SSE Airtricity will take the hit for its customers, Mark says. It will forego profits this year, instead focusing on

customer support, by keeping tariffs as low as possible and via a £21m targeted customer support fund.

“We’ve identified over 60,000 homes in the north and south where we have recognised customers in difficulty. To support them we have kept prices at May 2022 levels until March 2023 and that’s a major initiative, which we believe is the most comprehensive in the sector.”

The company has also donated £1m to charities Saint Vincent de Paul and £1m to Bryson Charitable Group to deliver support in the community to needy families regardless of who supplies them electricity or gas.

Looking at prices in the year ahead and beyond Mark says: “I would hope to see a softening in two or three years but not to the level it was in 2019 and that is all dependent on what happens with Russia and Ukraine.“

Elsewhere in the business, SSE has its sights set on a super-fast EV charging network on some of Ireland’s biggest arterial routes.

These charger stations will be built in blocks of six to 10 charging units with two earmarked for Northern Ireland.

SSE in Northern Ireland also plans to emulate its energy efficiency retrofitting service which has recently increased its target of 30,000 homes by 2030 to 45,000 in the south — such is the demand. It does this through what Mark describes as a one-stop shop.

“We realised many families wanted to improve the energy efficiency of their homes but did not know where to start.

“In our model, SSE carries out the energy assessment free of charge and discusses options to improve energy efficiency in the home and identify and apply for the available grants. In Ireland we have partnered with An Post, the post office there, to provide low-cost finance for retrofitting projects.

“It’s a win-win for the householder. They can reduce their energy costs by up to 40% and for some, it won’t cost anything,” Mark says.

He says to act quickly and efficiently the Executive should look to best practices elsewhere and implement them instead of wasting time on consultation processes.

“Retrofitting will generate significant business opportunities too, for those involved in everything from solar panels to insulation.

“There is so much potential here,” he concludes.

“I think we will start to see significant investment over the next number of years in renewables and all of Europe will start to seek to be independent of countries such as Russia.”

Columnist

Jane Shaw The Elmfield Institute

How The Brain Can Change Itself

At the start of a new year, it seems appropriate to talk of new possibilities for our wellbeing. How we learn a new task, how we adapt to our changing environment, or how we master a new language all depend on the ability of our brain to remodel itself, which is often referred to as our brain plasticity. Recent research is showing just how adaptable we can be in terms of new neural circuits, and importantly, what we can do to better support this rearranging of existing neural networks.

Recently researchers have shown that the neuro-peptide oxytocin is present in higher levels when new neural pathways are formed, suggesting that oxytocin drives development of new neurons in the adult brain. This directly contributes to brain plasticity, so if we can support our body to produce more oxytocin in everyday life, then we can promote growth of new neural connections or strengthen existing ones.

Oxytocin is sometimes known as the cuddle or bonding hormone, which we produce to form bonds with others. It is most commonly associated with sex and birth – reducing the mother’s birth pain and producing breast milk. However, it is also produced in all of us as a reaction to positive social and environmental interactions and is known to induce anti-stress effects such as reducing cortisol levels and lowering blood pressure. For example, positive sensory experiences with smells, tastes, lights or sounds will trigger oxytocin production, reducing stress and promoting selfregulation in our nervous system. It will also be released through gentle touch and warmth, or even empathy and psychological associations of these positive things.

More recent research shows that oxytocin supports neural development which strengthens our ability to master new tasks through promoting brain plasticity. It would seem it is a valuable neurochemical for new learning and new possibilities, especially when combined with traditional strategies to stimulate neurodevelopment. When our brain plasticity improves by practising one task, it improves across the board, so it is easier to learn another.

The psychiatrist and researcher

Norman Doidge tells of many inspiring stories of healing and personal triumph through individuals’ brain repair such as a stroke victim learning to walk, another recovering from physical brain injury by learning to use a different part of their brain, and another healing long-term chronic pain. But he also stresses how we can use his research to improve our everyday living. We don’t need to be in severe need to benefit from brain plasticity exercises. He describes how oxytocin production “frees us to learn new things”, promoting both neural growth and healing, these effects being long lasting.

So what does this mean for us in our everyday work and home living? How can we benefit from this new research and employ techniques to improve possibilities for our brains and overall wellbeing? The essential takeaway is that we should combine the traditional brain boosting exercises with those that stimulate oxytocin.

Here are a few suggestions for promoting neuroplasticity:

1. Learn a new dance with a friend. Learning something new, moving your body with coordination, while hanging out with someone you like is a win-win for neural development. Have fun while you’re learning!

2. Go to bed earlier for a longer sleep. Rest, comfort, and sleep are a great combination for the brain.

3. Master a language in the comfort of your own home. The brain loves to feel safe while learning new skills. Continually stimulating your brain through language learning is a well-known route for improving neuroplasticity.

4. Create music. Stimulate your senses while creating new and novel sounds to activate an ideal combination of cranial nerves for brain development and repair.

5. Take regular exercise. Meditate. Treat yourself to a massage. All these improve circulation to feed neural growth, and at the same time release oxytocin.

6. Learn to cook a new dish. Stimulating your sense of smell and taste while learning a new skill which needs focus and attention is great for your brain.

7. Writing. Try writing something every day with your “wrong” or non-dominant hand. This is creative and also stimulates new neural pathways. A very simple but effective practice. You could try writing your daily gratitude journal in your non-dominant hand, thus stimulating oxytocin while writing.

You can probably see the pattern emerging. To promote your neuroplastic change, ideally you want to feel good and connect with others while doing something new, novel, and unfamiliar. Hopefully you will have fun and enjoy the process!

References

Doidge, N. (2007) The Brain that changes itself. Penguin Books, London.

Roller shutters

Speed doors

Sectional doors

Steel personnel doors

Vehicle barriers & gates

Loading bay equipment

Columnist

Bill Roy Principal and Founder, BRC Partnership

From Why, To Why Not

If you’ve been out walking around Titanic Quarter you will have noticed a tourist attraction called the SS Nomadic. Recently repainted, it was a ‘tender’ ship with an illustrious history, and is also the last surviving vessel of the famed White Star Line.

It was nicknamed ‘Titanic’s Little Sister’ and apart from servicing the Titanic itself in 1912, it has also carried some very famous characters like Richard Burton and Marie Curie among many others. It has also been a mine sweeper, a restaurant and even a party ship as it languished in its latter days in France. The Nomadic was brought back to its Belfast home in July 2006 to begin its final function as a tourist attraction for local and foreign visitors to the dock where it now rests.

The more I’ve observed it from a nearby coffee shop, the more I’ve been struck by the irony of its name. The Nomadic, meaning wanderer, wayfarer, rambler and roamer, now surrounded on all sides with nowhere to go. A relic and a static version of its former self. Titanic’s Little Sister is now stuck in time.

It got me thinking (and I know I’m stretching the metaphor) that this could be a picture of what can happen to many people along the way… getting stuck in time. Possibly even a metaphor for the political situation we find ourselves in. The House on the Hill being more of a visitor attraction for hop-on, hop-off buses than a place of flexibility, decision-making and responsible leadership. At the time of writing, it’s still empty and static as civil society craves initiative and action to address the increasingly depressing challenges we face. It looks the part though!

Some boundaries are forced upon us, some cannot be avoided, but others are self-imposed or self-inflicted, maybe the result of past failure or disappointment or perhaps the result of a fixed mindset or misinterpreted social conditioning. Whether restrictions are the consequence of internal or external factors, perhaps there is an opportunity to shake them off and face into the undeniable strong economic headwinds of 2023 with renewed vigour, faith and optimism.

Taking a leaf from the great man HG Wells, maybe we can also decide to dream. “Some people see things as they are and say ‘why’”, he said, “but I see things as they never were and say, ‘why not’”!

Sometimes events and circumstances can be the catalyst for new, brave thinking, an opportunity to reinvent and reposition ourselves. An opportunity to be a better, more authentic version of ourselves.

You may remember the emergency landing on the Hudson River of US Airways Flight 1549 on 15 January 2009. Or maybe you watched the movie ‘Sully’ with Tom Hanks playing the flight’s captain Chesley Sullenberger. An incredible true story of courage, conviction and skill. Well, imagine you were sitting in seat 1D as the engines stopped and the aircraft headed downwards.

The guy who was sitting in 1D is called Ric Elias and he very eloquently recounted his experience on a TED talk in 2011. It’s a great example of the choices we can make when faced with extreme and on the face of it, hopeless, impossible external pressures.

Ric made a number of life-changing decisions on 15 January 2009. I’ve replayed this many times and shown it to hundreds of participants on our leadership programmes around the world. The power of his decisions is captured by their simplicity.

1. Don’t postpone anything, put nothing off. Do what has to be done. Now!

2. Spend less time trying to prove yourself right and more time choosing to be happy.

3. Be the best father (or parent) you can be.

So simple, yet so profound.

Many of us can find ourselves restricted by procrastination or fear of failure but we also have the option to grasp opportunities when they present themselves. There may not be a better or even another time. Don’t postpone anything.

We know full well the paralysis that comes from the obsession of being ‘right’. Look no further than the chaotic yet static local political landscape. The ‘I’m right’, ‘you’re wrong’ dialogue is dead in the water. It guarantees frustration and stagnation.

For those of us who are parents, there is perhaps a stark reminder of what really matters in life. Work is work, that’s all it is. Our health, our families and our relationships will always matter more.

Why not make this year a year of making choices, decisions and changes. Moving beyond the risk of settling for less and becoming an even better version of ourselves rather than a static one, looking the part but going nowhere fast.

Ann McGregor, Chief Executive, NI Chamber

2023 is set to be a milestone year, for both Northern Ireland and NI Chamber.

As we prepare to celebrate 25 years since the signing of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, there is a golden opportunity to use this moment as a platform for attracting the investment needed to sustain inclusive economic growth for the next quarter of a century and beyond. We have within our grasp, a totally unique opportunity to show the eyes of the world that Northern Ireland is a place that is ambitious about its future. It is up to all of us; businesses, politicians and communities working in partnership to make the most of it.

This year will also mark 240 years of NI Chamber, which is quite remarkable and something we intend to commemorate. As a Chamber, we have been at the epicentre of innovation and enterprise since 1783. Our founders and past presidents were some of Northern Ireland’s finest innovators, entrepreneurs and philanthropists – traits which continue to define everyone involved in our Board, Executive team and membership to the present day.

While the year presents significant opportunity, there are, of course many challenges. We recently published the results of our quarterly economic survey and in such a prolonged challenging environment, it is welcome to see that our members are not reporting material deteriorations since the last quarter.

However, performance is still weak and business prospects around profitability have declined. In Q4 2022, inflationary pressures continued to dominate, with members also expressing greater concern over interest rates. We have cautioned that rising energy costs should be a cause for alarm, following the UK government’s recent announcement that it will significantly scale back support for businesses at the end of this quarter.

Despite the challenges, at NI Chamber we believe that 2023 is a year that Northern Ireland must target investment– seizing the opportunities presented by green growth, digitisation and international trade. Of course, as we know, the number one ask of any investor is political stability – one of the many reasons why we need to see an Executive restored and an agreed, workable outcome on the Protocol reached without further delay.

Over the coming months, NI Chamber has a packed calendar of events, initiatives and training, which is all designed to support members through these unique circumstances. For the latest updates, check our website regularly and make the most of all the support we have available to you.

ATTNx

Brennans Health & Beauty Uniforms

Celine McAnenly Business Consultancy

Clanmill Housing

Dowds Group

Elephant Rock Hotel

eSmart Networks

First Choice

Fly Atlantic Airways

Foodservice Support Solutions

Gallagher Insurance

INNO3

IPC Mouldings

Keenan Recruitment

Kingspan

Kinsetsu

LanciaConsult

Letterkenny Institute of Technology

Magheramorne Estate

Nexus NI

Nightcap Events Group

Oakland Holdings

Oberon Training and Development

OFX

OpenData Belfast

Paragon Healthcare Academy

Peter Russell Business Growth

Portview

Proform Nutrition

Salesnet

Shields International

Stanvale Properties

Surge Renewables

TAMHI

USEL (Ulster Supported Employment Ltd)

We Are Cubo

Weev

NI Chamber Photo Gallery

3. Dr Eoin Magennis (Ulster University), Paula Letham (NIE Networks), Heather McKee (South Eastern Regional College) and Stuart Anderson (NI Chamber).

4. Claire McCollum, Stephen Roycroft (krow Ireland), Dermot McArdle (Electric Ireland), Ailbhe and Izzy Keane (Izzy Wheels) and Tanya Anderson (NI Chamber).

5. Pictured at NI Chamber’s Carol Service are Gillian Armstrong (Ulster University), Katie Doran (Lanyon Group), The Very Reverend Stephen Forde (Dean of Belfast), Gillian McAuley (NI Chamber), Jonathan Ireland (Lanyon Group) and Ann McGregor (NI Chamber).

6. The carol service featured Christmas music from the Concentio Chamber Choir.

for Infrastructure)

1. Pictured at the Energy Forum in December are Andrew Ryan (TLT Belfast), Aidan Roberts (Kingspan Water & Energy), Sara Lynch (Queen’s University), Alan Campbell (SONI), David McEwen (Agnew Leasing) and Christopher Morrow (NI Chamber).

2. Ann McGregor (NI Chamber), Jeremy Eakin (Eakin Healthcare Group) and John Poole (KPMG Ireland) at the CEO Series.

7. Julie Harrison (Permanent Secretary, Department

spoke at a recent In Camera event.

10.

11.

12.

8. John Mathers (Corporate Development Director at Barclays Corporate Banking).

9. Andrew Robinson (Boomer Industries) speaking at a Grow with Danske Bank event.

Audrey Elliott, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland.

Bronagh Clarke (Kestrel Foods) and Romain Ingouf (Artemis Technologies) at a Business Breakfast with Bank of Ireland.

Mark Ennis (SSE Ireland), Stuart Anderson (NI Chamber), Peter Kyle MP and Gillian McAuley (NI Chamber President).

13. Paul Narain, the US Consul General in Belfast addressed the most recent Public Affairs Forum.

14. Russell Smyth, Head of Sustainable Futures, KPMG spoke at the CEO series.

President’s Banquet

1. Author and television presenter Richard Osman, was interviewed by broadcaster, Craig Doyle.

2. John Neill, Nompilo McQuaid and Fergal Connolly from Moy Park.

3. Paul Murnaghan spoke on behalf of NI Chamber’s Communications Partner, BT.

4. NI Chamber President, Gillian McAuley pictured with her family and guest speaker Richard Osman.

5. Gillian McAuley (NI Chamber), Chris Heaton-Harris (Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) and Ann McGregor (NI Chamber).

6. Stuart Hollinger (NI Chamber), Stuart Anderson (NI Chamber), Chris HeatonHarris (Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) and Brendan Gribben (Greenfields Ireland).

7. NI Chamber President Gillian McAuley addressed almost 800 guests in attendance.

8. Sinead Creighan, Adrian O’Connell and Kathy McGillie from Tughans.

9. Gary McDonald (Irish News), Paul Rothwell (Sliderobes) and Jerome Mullan (Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland).

10. Heather Farley, Carol Reid and Gillian Armstrong from Ulster University Business School.

11. Paul Murnaghan (BT Enterprise) Shauna Graham (ABL Group), Gillian McAuley (President, NI Chamber), Phil Gamble (VANRATH), Richard Osman and Patricia Corbett (Tourism NI).

12. Guests from Drinks Reception Sponsor, VANRATH, enjoyed the evening.

13. Mukesh Sharma (Deputy Lieutenant of Belfast), Patricia Corbett (Tourism NI), Richard Osman and Ann McGregor (NI Chamber).

14. Karen Bailey (Business Services Organisation),Vincent Harrison (President, Dublin Chamber) and Peter McKay (BT).

FEATURE

Business Performance Remains Steady, But Weak

After a significant drop across all indicators in Q3 22, business performance in Northern Ireland during Q4 22 remained steady, albeit at a very weak level. That’s according to the findings of the latest Quarterly Economic Survey from NI Chamber and business advisors BDO NI.

Two in three businesses who responded to the survey stated that demand for their goods and services is falling, although for most (51%) only a little. 55% believe their business will grow in 2023, while 33% expect it to contract. Members are considerably less optimistic about prospects for the NI economy as a whole, with 68% expecting it to contract in 2023. Only 18% expect the local economy to see some growth this year.

Trade and demand

Most businesses are still trading well (31%) or reasonably (49%), however, there are signs that businesses are not performing as well as the same time 12 months ago. In Q4 22, 31% of NI Chamber members said they were trading well, down from 40% in Q4 21. One in five reported finding trading conditions challenging, with 14% just covering costs.

More members believe issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol can be resolved compared to this time last year. In Q4 22, 49% said they believed that the Protocol issues can be resolved in the coming year, compared to 39% in Q4 21. However, one in four members said they did not believe Protocol issues will be resolved this year.

Confidence and investment intentions

Members continued to express concerns around their business profitability in the next 12 months. Confidence around profitability plummeted for both sectors in Q3 22. In Q4 22, the profitability balance remained negative in both the manufacturing and services sectors, meaning more businesses expect profits to fall in the next 12 months than rise. However, in manufacturing this has improved significantly, up to -7% from -26% in Q3 22. In services, the balance remained largely unchanged at -19% compared to -18% in Q3.

Investment intentions were mixed in Q4. In terms of training, the Q4 22 training balances remained positive, at +22% (+17% Q3 22) for manufacturers and +11% for services (+16% Q3 22). Investment intentions around capital also improved for manufacturers, at +12% in Q4 22 (+7% Q3 22) but remained negative for services at -1% (-3% Q3 22).

Prices and costs

Expectations to raise prices are highest on record for the services sector in Northern Ireland, ranking it highest across the UK regions. While also still

high for manufacturers, expectations have been falling since the start of 2022. 72% (81% Q3 22) of manufacturers and 76% (70% Q3 22) of service businesses said they were expecting to raise prices in the next three months.

The inflationary pressures driving price pressures are acute, with nine in ten businesses impacted. Businesses are facing significant cost pressures in terms of utilities, labour and fuel costs and particularly for manufacturers, raw material costs. The large quarter-on-quarter jump in the share of businesses under pressure from rising utility costs is notable, as is the greater pressure from rising labour costs.

Rising interest rates are also a growing concern. In Q4 21, 18% of manufacturers and 25% of service businesses were becoming more concerned about interest rates. One year later, in Q4 22, this had risen to 51% for manufacturers and 45% for service businesses. In terms of energy, four in five businesses have seen energy cost increases in excess of 30%, up from 60% in Q3 22.

Commenting on the survey findings, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive, NI Chamber said: “In such a prolonged challenging environment, it is welcome to see that our members are not reporting material deteriorations since the last quarter. However, performance is still weak and business prospects around profitability have declined. In Q4, inflationary pressures continued to dominate, with members also expressing greater concern over interest rates. Rising energy costs should be a cause for alarm following the UK government’s recent announcement that it will significantly scale back support for businesses at the end of this quarter.

“Despite the challenges, for a number of reasons 2023 is a year in which Northern Ireland must target investment – seizing the opportunities presented in green growth, digitisation and international trade. Of course, as we know, the number one ask of any investor is political stability – one of the many reasons why we need to see an Executive restored and an agreed, workable outcome on the Protocol reached without further delay.”

Brian Murphy (BDO NI), Maureen O’Reilly (Economist) and Stuart Anderson (NI Chamber).

THE BDO PERSPECTIVE

Brian Murphy, Managing Partner, BDO NI

Looking ahead to a new year can often provide business owners with at least some cause for anxiety, particularly after the events of the last year. However, it can also provide an opportunity to look again at your business’ performance, its structure and crucially, your plans for the future.

It is understandable that after the turbulence of the last six months and the uncertainty of recent years, many businesses feel unsure about what the year ahead may bring. However, we have a strong local business community that has demonstrated it can weather a storm or two.

The previous Quarterly Economic Survey showed the resilience of businesses against the challenging backdrop of increased cost of doing business and cost of living. A similar response dominates this latest survey; businesses are recognising that whilst these challenges will endure, with other stumbling blocks likely waiting in the wings, there are still opportunities to grow and invest across sectors.

With more clarity on the energy support scheme roll out, as well as positive signs of progress in negotiations between the UK and EU relating to the movement of goods between GB and NI, companies could find themselves with further capacity to plan for their long-term futures as we move into 2023.

We won’t overlook the fact that performance continues to be described as “weak”, but, context is everything and when evaluated against the incredibly challenging environment it should be recognised that maintaining the status quo in terms of performance, staffing levels and recruitment must be seen as a win.

It is heartening to see that two thirds of businesses expect to stabilise in 2023 with 55% anticipating their own business to grow this year. Although many respondents are confident about their own business, they are less certain about others, with 68% not feeling optimistic about the wider local economy. It is notable though that if their individual business aspirations come to fruition there should be, as a result, a direct impact on the wider economy, which is extremely encouraging.

The survey further outlines that only 1% of businesses are expecting closure this year with a further 6% indicating that they continue to struggle. Whilst we don’t want to see any business in this position, context again is key and 93% of local businesses do not believe they are at risk of closure. These figures are relatively low in comparison to other parts of the UK and only negatively compare year on year to a period in 2022 when businesses were operating during the ‘Covid Recovery’ period.

Understanding your options during this period of struggle, particularly for those small and medium-sized businesses, could be the key to coming out the other end and we at BDO NI work with companies across sectors to do exactly that.

Concern around cashflow continues to be an issue and will likely be a theme for 2023 with many small and medium-sized businesses negatively impacted. How these companies manage their cash flow in the coming months will dictate how they are able to recruit, invest and grow in the short to medium term.

Just over one in two businesses (55%) are operating below capacity which is down from 62% in Q3 2022 – another small but important improvement, demonstrating businesses are becoming more efficient in their output. Efficiencies with businesses will play an important part of strategies in the year ahead.

Manufacturing and services industries are continuing to demonstrate a desire to recruit, only hampered by the lack of skills available to fit the roles available. This issue predates the cost-of-living crisis, pandemic and even Brexit and requires a longterm solution. This cannot be led by the business community alone and requires working in partnership with government.

A key takeaway from this survey is that the local business community continues to react and adapt to the changing (and often restrictive) environment, with one eye on planning for the future where possible. To aid achievable growth across sectors there is a need for government supporting businesses through fiscal levers that limit damage and promote growth.

Although no one can say for certain what 2023 will bring, for businesses to succeed we must be aware of the challenges and be able to deal with areas of risk and concern, we must also use the opportunity a new year brings to plan and adapt for the future to ensure success. Proactive planning by business owners will be key to this success.

We can make 2023 our year. The opportunities are there to make it happen.

Quarterly Economic Survey

Q4 2022

General Business Performance

•Continued weakness in trade performance and challenges from ongoing inflationary pressures but no strong signs of further deterioration in Q4 2022

•Marginally more businesses reported increased domestic (UK) sales in the last 3 months (28%) compared to those reporting a fall (26%)

•However, more businesses are reporting that orders for the next 3 months have fallen, 29% compared to 24% reporting stronger order books.

•Just over 1 in 2 businesses (55%) are operating below capacity

•More businesses are experiencing declining international sales than those reporting growth

•More businesses are positive about turnover growth in the next 12 months. 47% expect turnover to grow, while 27% expect decline.

•Recruitment difficulties persist, with 87% finding it difficult to get staff

•Rising labour costs have become a much more significant concern. For 79%, this is feeding into expectations to raise prices.

•Inflationary pressures dominate concerns, with 85% of members increasingly concerned about its impact.

•Still significant pressure to raise prices, affecting 75% of members

Brexit Watch

14%49%

Most businesses have adapted to EU Exit. 14% continue to find it challenging, down from 36% in Q4 21.

49% of members believe NI Protocol issues can be resolved in 2023, up from 39% in Q4 2021.

Energy Costs

More businesses are experiencing rising energy costs

4 in 5

4 in 5 businesses (78%) are experiencing cost increases in excess of 30%

Trading Conditions Business Prospects Economy Prospects

Fewer businesses are trading well compared to last year. 31% are trading well in Q4 2022, compared to 40% in Q4 2021

55%

31% 18%

2 in 3 members are seeing a slowdown in demand in Q4, at 64% up from 61% in Q3 and 55% in Q2 2022

55% believe their business will grow in 2023 (70% in 2022) while 33% believe their business will contract.

Members are pessimistic around prospects for the NI economy in 2023

2 in 3 68%

believe the NI economy will grow in 2023 (58% post COVID)

believe the NI economy will contract

The share of members expecting the NI economy to decline is as high as that reported during COVID

Learn Grow Excel Training

OVER 192

DELEGATES TOOK PART IN THIS TRAINING ACADEMY IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS

90%

SAID TRAINING FULFILLED THEIR OBJECTIVES

96% 93%

FOUND NEW WAYS OF WORKING THROUGH THIS TRAINING

WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TRAINING

NI Businesses Report Increasing International Trade

Businesses in Northern Ireland are reporting a strong appetite for international trade, according to the findings of a recent survey by NI Chamber and Invest Northern Ireland.

On the Northern Ireland Protocol specifically, just over half of members believe the Protocol is supporting business growth, compared to 29% who do not see any boost.

According to the report’s findings, near market customers in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland are key, with 89%

of respondents selling to Great Britain and 89% also selling to the Republic of Ireland. The rest of the European Union is also a key sales market for around 7 in 10 members, followed by North America. Asia is an important market for purchases, with 41% of members buying goods from this market.

In the last year, more firms have experienced increases in sales to destinations than experienced any fall. The strongest increase has been in sales outside the UK (or exports), with 60% of firms experiencing an increase in exports,

compared to 20% who are reporting a decline.

The narrowest difference is noted in terms of purchases from Great Britain. Over the year, 36% have purchased more from GB while 30% have purchased less. This is in contrast to 54% purchasing more from outside the UK compared to 15% purchasing less.

Challenges

Only 6% of members state that nothing would encourage their business to trade internationally at present. This figure was

Ann McGregor, Chief Executive Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Anne Beggs, Director of Trade & Investment, Invest Northern Ireland.

19% in 2021, suggesting that there is a greater appetite to trade now compared to this time last year, as more businesses adapt to new trading arrangements and the impact of the pandemic eases.

This is despite a myriad of significant challenges as a result of EU exit, geopolitical turmoil including the Ukraine war and the potential for a global and national downturn.

Members are finding exchange rate fluctuations particularly challenging – it is an issue for 71% of respondents. Around half have issues with accessing supply chains and the fact that UK products and services are expensive. Political stability in the UK is also an issue.

The NI Protocol and trade deals

More than 1 in 2 members (54%) believe

that the Protocol is helping their business grow compared to 29% who do not believe the Protocol is contributing to increased sales.

While most businesses are finding selling to GB and the EU straightforward, there remain issues with making purchases from GB for some firms. Around 1 in 3 members are finding this difficult and this year some 30% of members have purchased less from Great Britain (although 36% have purchased more). More members have increased purchases from outside the UK (54%).

Members generally state that their views are not taken into consideration in terms of trade deals, with around 1 in 2 believing that business views are not considered at all. This includes assessing the practical implementations of deals, deciding the terms of negotiating priorities and deciding the priority markets for future trade deals.

When asked what their priorities for future trade deals were, the most common response was smoother customs procedures (63%). Other important supports include focused support for SMEs to take advantage of reduced tariffs (48%) and reducing technical barriers such as incompatible product regulations (47%). Two in 5 members want greater labour mobility. A similar share want lower tariffs (37%).

Barriers to export

The most commonly cited barriers to export include exchange rate volatility (64%), transportation costs/disruption (57%) and regulatory barriers such as product certification (50%). For 45% of respondents, uncertainty, whether political, social, economic or environmental, is a concern. Lack of skilled labour is an issue for 1 in 4 members.

Commenting on the survey findings, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive, NI Chamber said:

“Policymakers should be encouraged and challenged in equal measure by the results of this survey. Despite all the difficulties, the message is clear – Northern Ireland’s businesses are ready and willing to export but greater engagement and smoother processes are needed to drive better outcomes.

“On the Northern Ireland Protocol, it is no surprise that the view of the majority of the respondents is that the Protocol is a vehicle for growth, while there are real issues to be resolved for a significant minority of firms. But we have known what these issues are for some time. Agreed solutions must be delivered at pace. If we get all of this right, there is a real opportunity for growth in 2023.”

Anne Beggs, Director of Trade & Investment, Invest Northern Ireland added: “It is encouraging to see that the survey results show that NI companies have a greater appetite to export now compared to this time last year, which reflects growing business confidence.

“Invest NI is also aware of the many challenges Northern Ireland businesses are facing. We’ve been working in partnership with businesses to help overcome these challenges through a range of practical support which has included trade advice, webinars and support to attend exhibitions as well as on the ground support from our overseas networks in over 24 locations. Despite the challenges, many businesses have successfully won new business globally. We want to help more NI companies grasp the opportunities available which is why we recently launched our Go Further Grow Stronger campaign to encourage more businesses to start exporting and to help those already exporting to sell more in new markets.

“It is now more vital than ever that businesses across Northern Ireland take advantage of the opportunities. I would encourage any business that is interested in exporting to visit our website and complete our Export Health Check to receive a tailored export guide and the opportunity to speak with one of our International Trade Advisors.”

Double Award Win At British Chambers Awards

Two members of NI Chamber were national winners at the 2022 British Chambers Awards. Viberoptix and TODD Architects were presented with their awards along with six other category winners from across the UK at a special event which marked the closing of the London Stock Exchange in December.

Both companies were nominated for the UK final, having won their respective categories at the NI Chamber Business Awards earlier in the year.

Co Tyrone-based Viberoptix won the ‘Rapid Riser’ category, which recognises the work of an organisation that has demonstrated exceptional levels of growth and sustainable financial performance. A worthy winner, as since January 2020 the fibre broadband company has seen its headcount of direct staff grow from 20 to over 380, with an annual turnover of £40 million in 2022.

Presenting Naomhán McCrory (CEO) and Seán óg Brennan (CTO) with the award, Sarah Howard, Chair of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

“Viberoptix is a perfect example of a rapid riser – employees, turnover, and projects have all grown beyond belief during a very short and immensely challenging period of time. A cornerstone of their community, their ambitious expansion is continuing to provide secure employment and valuable up-skilling opportunities for workers in the locality.”

Naomhán McCrory, CEO of Viberoptix added:

“We are delighted to have been awarded the National Chamber Award for ‘Rapid Riser’. At Viberoptix, we have been on a trajectory of significant growth and development since the company started in January 2020. To be recognised first as regional then national winner, is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team who have made the success of Viberoptix possible, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.”

Architectural practice TODD Architects picked up the overall award for ‘Workforce Developer of the Year’ in recognition of its exemplary approach to the learning and development of its team, in a way which has enhanced overall business performance.

Congratulating Managing Director Paul Crowe and Tim Burgess, Principal of the firm’s London studio, Sarah Howard said:

“TODD’s sheer dedication to developing and nurturing a new generation of architects is hugely impressive. With the firm providing bursaries to staff, alongside a range of other supports, they are putting their money where their mouth is and

actively contributing to the growth of new talent.

“The firm’s structured, ‘long-term investment’ approach to developing and retaining talent is also good for business. Their focus on learning and development allows TODD to enhance performance year on year, retaining its place as an industry and best practice leader.”

Christopher Morrow (NI Chamber); Tim Burgess (TODD Architects); Paul Crowe (TODD Architects) and Shevaun Haviland (British Chambers of Commerce).

Christopher Morrow (NI Chamber); Seán óg Brennan (Viberoptix); Naomhán McCrory (Viberoptix) and Shevaun Haviland (British Chambers of Commerce).

Award winners from BCC accredited chambers across the UK at the London Stock Exchange.

Over 100 Apprenticeship Opportunities In ‘My Head Start’ 2023 Campaign

Workplus – Northern Ireland’s apprenticeship marketplace – has announced over 100 apprenticeship opportunities in this year’s ‘My Head Start’ campaign.

Applications are now open for 120 apprenticeship roles across the sectors and at various levels.

As well as being a campaign to encourage applications, ‘My Head Start’ aims to inspire society to see the many benefits of apprenticeships. Over the coming weeks, Workplus will share the stories of apprentices – both school leavers and career changers – who are thriving in their career and education.

People can apply from 16 January to 24 February, with apprenticeships starting from May to September. Opportunities are available in Fintech, Software Development, Engineering, Banking, Customer Operations and more areas, including Higher Level Apprenticeships.

Richard Kirk, CEO of Workplus, established the company to make the apprenticeship system easier for employers as well as applicants.

Richard said, “We are pleased to have such a variety of roles in thriving sectors available in this year’s campaign. The reason we are passionate about apprenticeships is because we have seen their many benefits.  From the apprentice

side, the blend of working, continuing with formal education and mentoring has proven to be an enriching and fruitful combination. From the employer side, companies can grow their own early talent, which feeds into wider benefits including staff retention and encouraging a culture of lifelong learning.”

“Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing stories of apprentices including an apprentice software developer who was a taxi driver, and a former Deputy Head girl who knew full-time university wasn’t for her. We will also be holding a number of events during the campaign, including one for parents, a workshop for applicants and a meet-up for current Workplus apprentices.”

He added, “We believe in the importance of having a collaborative, coordinated approach to the apprenticeship system. It makes sense, both for employers as well as applicants. Workplus is more than simply about apprentice recruitment, it’s a membership network committed to nurturing and creating opportunities for early talent.”

Welcoming the launch of the Workplus 2023 ‘My Head Start’ campaign, Clement Athanasiou, Director of Apprenticeships, Careers and Vocational Education at the Department for the Economy, commented: “Building our local skills base is a key part of our economic recovery and

as we move into a decade of economic transformation around the Department’s 10X Economic Vision this campaign by Workplus, which will match aspiring apprentices with employers, is a welcome contribution in helping to develop that local skills base.”

Workplus has 40 member companies, from large multi-nationals to thriving small businesses. Rather than applying to companies directly, applicants can apply for multiple opportunities by completing one application through Workplus.

Aimee Harte, a civil engineering apprentice at McAdam Design, said, “Choosing to do an apprenticeship is the best decision I’ve made. It’s a great mix of work and continuing education.”

Nathan Reid, a civil engineering apprentice at Farrans, said, “I haven’t looked back since starting my apprenticeship. Blending work with education brings learning to life. I’m earning a salary and will have no student debt when I graduate. Workplus makes it much easier to find a great apprenticeship and I am so pleased I chose this pathway.”

An apprenticeship is a blend of working and continuing education, gaining recognised qualifications. An apprentice typically spends 80% of their working week in the workplace, and 20% in classroombased learning through a college, university or training provider.

Apprentices Nathan Reid (Farrans) and Aimee Harte (McAdam) with Clement Athanasiou (Department for the Economy); Sarah Gates (Civica) and Lucy Marshall (Workplus).

Gareth Hanna.

7twenty – The Talent Finder

7twenty is a professional search service for middle management roles, a sister company to the already successful executive talent firm 4c Executive. Here, Gareth Hanna, Head of Professional Search at the business, offers some invaluable advice to those seeking new talent.

7

twenty is a standalone business at talent search and selection company 4c Executive. It’s an evolution of existing services, if you like, that was founded following huge demand from the senior executives its parent company 4c had placed into new roles.

4c places high-profile executives at the helm of flourishing, global financial firms, manufacturing organisations, and global professional services firms. It has also sourced executives for roles in the South, GB and as far afield as China, but demand for more of the same at a different tier prompted a new arm of the business.

“4c Executive was set up deliberately to focus on primarily the C-suite local market,” Gareth begins.

“We began to find that after partnering with companies to bring these decisionmakers into their business, once that executive got bedded in and looked at their teams, they found gaps and requirements and naturally came back to us to support them on building those teams outwards.

“That trend became greater and greater over time and when those executives found other methods of recruiting weren’t working for them we developed 7twenty as a response,” he adds.

Gareth breaks the talent market down into two categories; active and inactive, adding that on average just one-third of people are actively seeking new roles.

It means the typical advertisement for a mid-level position is often not seen by a large number of people, including those most suited to the position, which is where 7twenty comes into its own.

“We spend a huge amount of time building credibility and respect with those inactive candidates before we jump into a huge amount of detail on the role itself and quite often when we approach an individual and they tell us they aren’t looking, it’s almost music to our ears.”

He says the “vast majority” of those conversations are with people who have no inclination to move on which is where his team of 10 staff step in.

“Half of our team has come from a recruitment background and customerfacing roles. We also have a business support team and researchers, which is one of the key differences between us and other businesses.

“Our researchers’ jobs are to conduct market research on those inactive candidates and go after them.”

7twenty is the only professional search company of its kind in the local market, targeting specifically the professional market, or those with salaries between £40-£70,000. It’s a niche service and it’s being used by organisations including BBC, BLK BOX, Ulster Rugby, AIKEN and George Best Belfast City Airport and that’s just locally.

It has seen the industry experience some dramatic trends throughout its three-year lifetime, with activity at an unusual high. Now it’s stabilising, Gareth informs, with both candidate and employer holding more of an equal power.

“The past 18 months have been phenomenally busy for recruitment companies. There has been such a movement and flow into the market with people seeking to move and there have been plenty of opportunities. That gave people options, plenty of options, and salaries were inflated.

“We would describe the market today as a dual market in which the candidates don’t hold all the cards and there is also a sense of nervousness in the market with some candidates waiting to see how the next few months pan out in light of the current economic situation.”

He’s quick to warn that the latter movement does not indicate a slowdown, adding: “It’s a stabilisation of the market, as opposed to a downturn. Previous levels of activity had been unusual and unsustainable.”

Despite that stabilisation and the resurfacing of that dual market, businesses can’t afford to be complacent, Gareth advises, as talent in the professional market becomes more discerning about its potential employers’ culture and corporate social responsibility.

“Candidates often ask ‘what else?’. Yes, they know what the job is and the salary but they want more. They want to understand the organisation’s approach to diversity and inclusion, their work in the community, promotional pathways and their job of tomorrow,” he says.

“Candidates are also saying if you care for your staff then prove it. Back it up. For example, if you say you value diversity, show us the gender balance and composition on your leadership team. Businesses need to ensure that actions line up with words.

“This is one reason why we take significant time to make sure a business aligns with our values,” he adds.

The current Northern Ireland unemployment rate sits at 3%. For reference that is 0.7% lower than what it was before the 2008 recession; however, a skills deficit is still rife in many sectors.

According to The Open University’s Business Barometer report (2022), published in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, a survey of 144 key employers across Northern Ireland found over two-thirds (69%) of

respondents claimed to have a skills shortage within their organisation.

The Open University’s annual report also stated that the ongoing skills shortage has worsened over the past year because of factors related to the pandemic, Brexit, the war in Ukraine, and rising business costs.

It makes firms like 7twenty an integral partner during the recruitment process, a tool for selecting the right candidate.

“Employers should know that evidence clearly shows the highest performing talent is not actively looking for a job, making ‘professional search’ the best way to identify those individuals and attract them to that position,” Gareth says.

“And it’s the employers that are waking up to what the candidate wants that are attracting the best talent.

“7twenty shows how inadequate the traditional recruitment process is. If you genuinely adopt a focused and robust approach to search and selection you will see the results,” he concludes.

“7twenty is the only professional search company of its kind in the local market, targeting specifically the professional market, or those with salaries between £40-£70,000. It’s a niche service and it’s being used by organisations including BBC, BLK BOX, Ulster Rugby, AIKEN and George Best Belfast City Airport and that’s just locally.”

Opening Opportunities For Local Business

The pioneer of supported distance learning, The Open University, is a unique institution offering people the opportunity to reach their potential; inspiring learning and opening up education to all. As a result, it is arming businesses with the intelligence and talent to grow. Senior Manager, Skills and Partnerships, Dr Lynsey Quinn and Assistant Director, Michael Bower, Student Support and External Engagement, The Open University in Ireland, talk to Emma Deighan.

For half a century The Open University has been operating in Northern Ireland with its base standing tall on May Street in Belfast City Centre.

Throughout its history, its ambition has remained the same, “to make learning accessible to all” and as a result, it has helped more than two million students nationwide to realise their academic goals.

Locally The Open University employs 100 fulltime staff, as well as 130 associate lecturers who are based across Northern Ireland.  Its services and courses have evolved over the decades to embrace the needs of the business community too while its structure has stretched to offer blended learning and a flexible service to its students.

“We try to have groups of students based in Northern Ireland so we can have that mix of face-to-face tutorials and online learning dependent on the subject,” Michael begins.  “We are a modular-based university that offers high-quality teaching and learning,” he continues. “We offer more than 300 accredited modules that allow students to build up their qualifications which allow people to dip in and out of education as it suits them and/or their employer. We call it stackable learning that builds up to qualification.”

Virtual classrooms, a lack of pressure to travel and non-typical entry qualifications make The Open University an accessible institution and it shows in its statistics.

For example, the average student age is 30, 20% of students have disabilities and 75% of its students are currently in work.

“Today we have over 6,000 undergraduate students and we have had over 100,000 unique visits to our free learning platform OpenLearn from citizens in Northern Ireland which has more than 1,000 courses all of which are at higher education level and are completely free. It offers snippets of undergraduate modules that are helping people in Northern Ireland to upskill and engage in education,” comments Michael.

Talking about the university’s USPs, he adds: “The Open University allows students to balance studies alongside their jobs and commitments and because our courses don’t typically have pre-entry requirements, it is openly accessible and allows for a more diverse student. We really do reach individuals that others struggle to. We bring the learning to the student.”

Michael describes typical Open University students as “self-motivated and committed to their educational pathway and learning” supported by personal tutors and a Belfast-based student support team.

What’s more, the fees are more competitively priced compared to the typical university setting assisting lowerincome individuals to access its courses.

A degree at The Open University costs just over £6,000, comparing favourably with a full-time degree programme elsewhere which can cost more than £12,000.

This price point is now appealing to school leavers as the age demographic becomes younger and that’s an area The Open University is keen to develop.

“We are attracting those students who don’t want to draw down a massive student loan, or they want to work while learning. Perhaps they’re not looking for the traditional university experience and given the brain drain in Northern Ireland which sees a lot of our young people move to Great Britain to study, this is an option that keeps them here and supports the Northern Ireland industry.

“But what differentiates us, even more than our online model and price, is that we deliver supported online learning. We pride ourselves on that students aren’t left alone,” says Michael.

At present, The Open University offers a number of qualifications (including individual modules) across a range of key subject areas, including various degrees in business management. It also offers “microcredentials” which are short,

accredited courses for those who want to upskill over a period of 12 weeks.

“These are succinct sector-relevant and industry-endorsed courses including organisational behaviour, finance, CISCO networking and marketing and one that is particularly popular is our agile leadership and management course. We’re finding people want to sign up for those shorter courses and put them on a pathway towards qualifications,” Michael continues.

Among its most popular courses today are science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and life sciences which sync with the current needs of industry.

Lynsey says The Open University has strong relationships with the business community, helping it to understand its challenges and provide solutions to skills shortages through a wide range of learning and development programmes. It’s a relationship the university will continue to strengthen.

“We are working with industry and we are keen to develop that. For instance, our microcredentials are supporting businesses, being responsive to their needs while not infringing on company time,” she says.

A relatively new partnership between The Open University and Northern Ireland further education colleges is supporting the business world here.

Lynsey adds: “We have five of six further education partners who are not able to deliver higher level qualifications so we have collaborated with them to reach the people in their areas who have other commitments and can’t travel to a university. This partnership has been particularly popular with those studying

computing software and cyber courses as well as vocational courses including motorsport, culinary arts, fashion, sport and fitness as well as life-sciences.

“What we offer through those further education colleges is driven by the needs of their local industry and it allows us to be responsive.”

Addressing businesses here, Lynsey says now is the time to invest in staff and support them to scale up. She continues:

“We’re in a recession this year and nine out of 10 people will need to reskill by 2030 so I think there is a message that your people are your most important asset and it’s never been as important to invest in them to allow you to take advantage of post-recession opportunities.

“We offer those scaling-up learning opportunities that allow your team to perform better and ultimately create a better business.”

Michael says the relationship between business and the university is a multifaceted one. He adds: “A number of employers come to us to recruit from our talent pool too. The Open University student pool is very diverse. It has students who have a lot of skills that they’ve already developed including previous employment and a number of employers have tapped into that and see the benefit.”

Local SMEs including Datactics and Core Systems are among the names to tap into this pipeline of skills and talent.

“We would advise businesses to come and talk to us, we can work with you to provide that flexible learning with minimal disruption. What we have and how we work breaks down barriers for employers who want to upskill but find it difficult,” adds Michael.

“We look forward to developing new innovative partnerships, continuing to work with businesses to support the development of our workforces, through high-quality supported learning, and applying that learning to work and life”

Key contacts/information: Michael Bower, Assistant Director, Student Support and External Engagement: michael.bower@open.ac.uk

Dr Lynsey Quinn, Senior Manager, Skills and Partnerships: lynsey.quinn@open.ac.uk

For more information visit: www.open.ac.uk/northern-ireland/

“We would advise businesses to come and talk to us, we can work with you to provide that flexible learning with minimal disruption. What we have and how we work breaks down barriers for employers who want to upskill but find it difficult.”

Standing The Test Of Time

Testing and automation firm Yelo is celebrating its 40th year in business. Headed by three directors, Richard Furey, Lynn Good and David Sinclair, the company has come far despite laying its foundations during a period of turmoil here.

In the shadows of a city reeling from violence, the loss of 1,500 jobs during the notorious demise of the Delorean factory and an unemployment rate of 20% – just five points less than that during the Great Depression – two local businessmen were launching one of the country’s most promising enterprises.

Richard Furey and Alan Watts met when they worked together as engineers for a business that folded at the same time as the Delorean factory.

With £100 and huge aspirations for more despite the political backdrop, the business partners launched Systems Solutions Limited in January 1983. Today that firm is known as Yelo.

“We began as a consultancy business with £100 and an old Apple computer, going around companies showing them how they could use technology. It was a dark time. Unemployment was high, no-one wanted to invest here. It was pretty dead,” says Richard.

Impressively the business attracted custom from Tayto, Papermill and Swan in its early days, the latter of which was renowned at the time for its kettles and Teasmades.

Nortel in Monkstown also beckoned the duo’s services and then Swan enlisted them for testing its products, setting the business on a new path.

“Over two to five years after that, we started turning our advice into practical projects,” Richard continues.

“We did lots of weird and wonderful things, all of which were very much oneoff products and our team grew to eight people in five years.”

The company consolidated the mastery behind those bespoke products to create a solution of building blocks that could be used more universally, with an investment of £250,000.

That move set the wheels in motion for fast growth. In 1991 it sold almost 50% of the business to angel investors. That partial buyout coupled with fresh funding saw the company go on to launch its product at a trade show and by 1992 its turnover sat at £1.2m.

“We increased our staff to 30 and 95% of our business was in the mainland UK. We grew so quickly that it nearly broke us when the recession set in and costs went up. Our income fell and we nearly went bust in 1993,” Richard says.

With support from the bank and a management consultancy, the company came back stronger after that blip and

at the turn of the millennium, Yelo was sold to a Canadian firm. Ten years later a management buyout put it back in Richard’s hands to “turn it into what it is now”.

That move also saw Lynn Good, finance and administration director, join the business from Canada helping the 21st-century Yelo thrive alongside fellow director David Sinclair and a team of 40 staff.

Alan Watts departed the business in 2005.

Describing Yelo’s inner workings and services today, Richard explains: “The product we developed at the beginning of the ‘90s became the entry to what we do now. That was general-purpose test equipment that tested many things, for example, Heartsine defibrillators, a cluster of products for medical companies in Galway including foetal heart monitors, smoke detectors and more.

“We also do work for Schnieder Electric for domestic heating controls, testing one every 45 seconds.”

The firm’s other high-profile clients include Thales and BT while its product portfolio traverses a selection of products; from

household essentials to the downright futuristic.

Laser diodes are a new market for Yelo, which operates from its suave 25,000 sq ft facility at Trooperslane Industrial Estate, Carrickfergus.

These diodes can be used in high-speed communications in what Richard says is a “multi-million dollar market mainly based in the US”.

He adds: “As long as we invest heavily in engineering for what’s next we’ll keep going.

“One of the big growth areas is LIDAR used in autonomous vehicles. It is the eyes of the vehicle, a bit like an optical sonar that builds up an image of what’s in front of a car – detecting the difference between a curb you’re going around and someone stepping off that curb. We’re getting involved in that and the challenge now is to do it at the right time, which is a mix of experience and luck.

“When you do R&D, the key thing is learning when to realise that you’ve gone as far as you can with something.”

Over the past four decades, Richard and his team have encountered many economic and political challenges. Is 2023 going to be any different given the pressures of the war in Ukraine, the enduring wake of Covid-19 and Brexit?

“There have been more difficult times than today,” he continues. “I think back to when we first started – things were very tough, unemployment was huge, and nobody wanted to know Northern Ireland.

“Today it is the worst time for the retail industry and that’s a combination of a backdrop of ten years of squeeze coupled with energy, then the war in Ukraine – sort of a quadruple whammy. It certainly, in terms of a squeeze on living standards, seems worse. I cannot in 40 years remember when we needed food banks. This is a very tough time, tough from a business perspective, looking at cost increases and salaries but our outlook is not nearly as negative as it is for individuals. Things are moving forward, it’s going to be a blip for companies like us but we’ll manage.

“We are often testing things that won’t be used for two to three years which acts as an inherent buffer.

“There is a huge breadth of engineering capability which allows us to turn our hand to things, whether that’s wind farms, solar panels, or killing fish humanely. There are many opportunities ahead,” he says.

“This is a very tough time, tough from a business perspective, looking at cost increases and salaries but our outlook is not nearly as negative as it is for individuals. Things are moving forward, it’s going to be a blip for companies like us but we’ll manage.”

Connecting the dots Bringing together local knowledge and global experience to take your business further

As the largest and most established global law firm on the island of Ireland, we provide domestic legal excellence with a truly international reach, providing the legal guidance you need in a fast-moving commercial world.

With o ces in Belfast and Dublin

a network of 70+ o ces worldwide

spanning 30+ countries

across 4 continents Europe, North America, Asia, Africa

Shaping The Future, Learning From The Past

Fujitsu’s mission is to deliver tangible business outcomes for public sector customers in Northern Ireland by using creative, innovative and integrated technology solutions.

Throughout 2022, the company continued to combine its partners’ technologies, those of niche providers and their services to deliver integrated systems which realise digital transformation. Ambition caught up with Fujitsu team members and customers to find out more.

TOP OF THE CLASS

Last June, the company achieved global recognition for excellence in innovation and implementation of Microsoft technology, winning the 2022 Microsoft ‘Education Partner of the Year’ award.

“Fujitsu is thrilled to be recognised by Microsoft for our contribution to working with clients and partners by supporting over a million students across North America. This helped improve learning environments for students from different backgrounds to reduce the disruption in education caused by COVID,” explains Cathy McCann, Derry/Londonderry-based vice president at Fujitsu.

“This initiative underlines the important role we believe technology and global companies, such as Fujitsu and Microsoft, play by working together to support educators worldwide as they strive to improve education equity and access for everyone,” Cathy adds.

As one of a select number of Microsoft Global System Integrators (GSI) and an accredited Microsoft Global Azure Expert Managed Service Provider (MSP), Fujitsu has multiple Microsoft Advance Specialisations, 18 Microsoft Gold competencies and 18 Microsoft Silver competencies globally, including Application Integration and Development.

At a local level its world-class Microsoft Centre of Excellence offices in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry are testament to the skills and capabilities the company has developed amongst its teams over the last 20 years.

PARTNERING FOR LONGER TERM SUCCESS

As the trusted IT managed services partner for Libraries NI, Fujitsu is excited about delivering the next phase of innovative IT services. It will support the organisation and its network of 98 libraries to create a seamless service transition for users and stakeholders. Fujitsu and Libraries NI’s long-standing relationship builds upon the successful replacement and management of the entire ICT infrastructure in every public library across Northern Ireland.

Desi Curry, head of ICU and ICT for Libraries NI, explains that the benefit of the partnership goes beyond creating a technology infrastructure which has helped to modernise Libraries NI’s external services and internal corporate systems; it has also been an opportunity for staff to get to know their library user.

“By using the library management system and Fujitsu’s specially designed analytics solution, staff can determine which books or learning resources are in high demand and how customers are using the broad spectrum of services. This creates a holistic picture of our customers’ requirements,” says Desi.

Supporting communities

Speaking about the role of libraries in communities, Jim O’Hagan, chief executive of Libraries NI, says developing tech infrastructure creates further learning opportunities. He adds, “Libraries are a valued and trusted resource at the heart of communities. Our partnership with Fujitsu will deliver a range of social inclusion initiatives including digital skills and career development workshops. We will continue to advance our technology platforms which help us remain at the cutting edge of library services, providing opportunities for people to learn and to connect.”

Fujitsu also supports local community development through its partnership

with the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building (CDPB) and its Fellowship programme. The Fellowship is designed for leaders from politics, business, public and civic society backgrounds working across Northern Ireland. Through a series of curated sessions participants have the chance to develop their leadership skills by learning from renowned speakers from across academia, public sector and business.

EMPOWERING FUTURE LEADERS

Fujitsu says developing future leaders is integral to its success. As an organisation it focuses on empowering young people into roles within the ever-evolving IT sector in Northern Ireland through various talent development and community engagement programmes. Key to getting its message into schools is mentoring future leaders in Northern Ireland through programmes such as the young female leadership initiative, SistersIN.

Every year Fujitsu also welcomes a cohort of apprentices to its Northern Ireland teams. The organisation’s highly successful apprenticeship programme delivered in partnership with Belfast Metropolitan College and Northwest Regional College nurtures young IT professionals and role models of the future.

As part of the apprenticeship programme, students receive extensive mentorship

and hands-on, practical learning experiences in key digital areas such as cloud application development, cyber security and networking infrastructure. Students also benefit from a two-year development programme that offers courses such as leadership and business awareness.

Sponsoring the recent Young IT Professional of the Year category at the Belfast Telegraph’s IT Awards was part of Fujitsu’s ongoing commitment to supporting young people new to the technology sector. The judges were looking for an individual who demonstrated commitment and initiative within their IT role and makes a significant contribution to their team or organisation. Ellen Marks from ubloquity – a leading blockchain company – was a worthy winner.

Fujitsu’s success is down to its collaborative human-centric approach to solution design. By co-creating systems with customers, it anticipates citizens’ needs whilst refining processes and protecting data. In 2023, Fujitsu says it looks forward to rising to new challenges and leveraging technology in a way that makes a difference to how we live our lives every day.

For more information visit Fujitsu at www.fujitsu.com/uk.

Fujitsu NI team.

Centre Of The Community

The pandemic’s legacy may still be felt by many businesses but for Musgrave NI, it made way for renewed relationships with its communities, bringing increased loyalty across its brands. Desi Derby, marketing director, talks to Emma Deighan about the firm’s silver lining and its large-scale sustainability plans.

The Musgrave Group has a 146year heritage that spans seven generations. Its presence can be felt in almost every town, city and village here through its three retail fascias: SuperValu, Centra and Mace.

Whether its outlets are company owned or operated by independent retailers, there is an underlying ethos of personal service, community spirit and value.

Beyond those values, however, is also a symbol group with evolution on its mind allowing it to play ball with some of the biggest emerging consumer trends –keeping it relevant with its customers and a cut above its competitors.

“The pandemic saw a shift in consumer habits,” Desi, Musgrave NI’s marketing director, begins. “It was an extremely uncertain time and people were nervous about travelling and shopping in big stores, so they went back to their community stores. We really showed our commitment to our customers, ensuring our shelves were fully stocked and providing a safe shopping environment for them. To help the most vulnerable, 75 of our stores also offered home deliveries. Shoppers appreciated what their community stores did. We reconnected with our customers, and they have stayed with us.”

It was thanks to the NI business’ longterm commitment to supporting local and its partnerships with local suppliers that meant shelves were fully stocked during the pandemic. Today it sources £160m annually from local producers, working with 3,000 local farmers and selling 3,500 local products as part of that local sourcing commitment.

Supporting local charities is also a key focus for the business – its work with

Action Cancer and Northern Ireland

Chest Heart and Stroke has raised more than £3.5 million since the start of the partnerships, helping communities the length and breadth of Northern Ireland. Notably, a huge effort was made by its retail partners when these charities struggled to fundraise because of Covid restrictions.

Those efforts have not gone unnoticed by its customers nor has the consistent investment across the Group portfolio including an innovative SuperValu rejuvenation project, which has seen extensive investment in stores.

“SuperValu rejuvenation launched in our company-owned Portstewart store followed by Dairy Farm Belfast, Portglenone and Omagh. It’s a very modern approach and we believe it is a trailblazer in redefining convenience retailing and meeting the needs and wants of the modern shopper.

“SuperValu is like the big brother or sister in our portfolio of brands. We have 37 stores in Northern Ireland and with rejuvenation comes a spacious and modern shopping environment, new technologies, new colour palettes, new fixtures and energy-efficient fittings, as well as extended ranges and innovative new concepts that are really next generation,” Desi continues.

These new ranges include The Happy Pear plant-based proposition, a wider butchery range with a charcuterie edge, premium wines, beers and spirits with lines exclusive to Musgrave, as well as favourites Frank and Honest coffee, with its 2.0 upgrade, and Moo’d Ice-Cream.

It’s a programme of activity that is set to continue throughout 2023 in the company-owned portfolio, with

independent retailers “seeing the merit” of the new design and planning to refurb. It also reinforces the Group’s commitment to offering its customers more than full shelves but a food experience and lots of choice.

Beyond those aesthetic and sourcing developments, the Group is also working hard to ensure its customers can shop competitively, rebutting the attitude that convenience is costlier.

Desi says: “Value is always very important to us as a business, even more so in the current climate as our customers manage the increased cost of living. As a result, we’ve invested £5.6m in value across our special offers, which have been branded as Epic Deals for 2023 as well as savings on many of our everyday essentials. And of course, hundreds of own brand products which are up to 33% cheaper than the better-known brands.

“In Q4 of 2022, we brought our ‘Cracker Deals’ in three weeks earlier because we recognised that shoppers were shouting for value.”

And a voucher giveaway to the value of £25,000 was also part of the business’ 2022 customer offering and more of the same can be expected, says Desi.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve been doing but we’re also mindful of the continued challenges. It’s clear that this year is going to be challenging for consumers and we will make sure value is once again at the forefront.”

While ensuring value and availability are core, Desi adds that there will also be a focus on “food and beverage inspiration and range development” which includes upping its vegan, vegetarian, and healthy ranges.

Desi Derby, Marketing Director.

Being a sustainable business will continue to be a priority for Musgrave as it demonstrates that its net zero target is a serious work in progress.

“In 2022 we created a sustainability fund for our retailers worth £2.7m which allows every Centra and SuperValu store to avail of up to £21,250 and £42,500 respectively to invest in suitable sustainable initiatives including upgrading freezers and refrigeration, LED lighting retrofit, solar panels, as well as introducing electronic shelf labels.”

Several retailers have availed of the fund with £0.5m already invested in making their stores more efficient and sustainable. Overall, the fund will result in an estimated 12% carbon reduction by the company over a two-year period –the equivalent of planting 31,000 trees, informs Desi.

He adds: “Musgrave will also physically plant trees in partnership with Trees on the Land – 5,000 trees were planted in

2022, a further 5,000 will be planted in 2023, whilst our cash and carry branches will introduce LED lighting this year reducing electric usage by 7% and 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.”

Meanwhile, its indigenous brands such as Frank and Honest coffee boasts biodegradable coffee cups, coffee pods, 100% rainforest alliance certified beans, and a digital loyalty app.

“We are 146 years old and the values that were put in place at the beginning of our operation have not changed and that includes building long-term honest relationships with customers and retailers. Sometimes, today, you don’t see that.

“We really value our retailers and the relationship we have with them. They, in turn, are very value-led and are working so hard in the background to give back and make their communities a better place in which to live. We look forward to a successful 2023 working in partnership with them,” says Desi.

“In 2022 we created a sustainability fund for our retailers worth £2.7m which allows every Centra and SuperValu store to avail of up to £21,250 and £42,500 respectively to invest in suitable sustainable initiatives.”

A UNIQUE PRIVATE CLINIC OFFERING TREATMENTS FOR ALL SKIN CONDITIONS AND ASSOCIATED SPECIALTIES.

Belfast Skin Clinic is Ireland’s first dedicated centre of excellence in Dermatology. Our clinic is purpose-built and specifically designed to deliver world-class private healthcare. Led by Dr Pamela McHenry and her team of clinical and managerial staff, the Belfast Skin Clinic is committed to providing every patient with the highest standard of care.

MORE PEOPLE HAVE HAD SKIN CANCER THAN ALL OTHER CANCERS COMBINED.

At Belfast Skin Clinic we believe early detection of skin cancer is essential. This is why we offer SkinCheck, a mole scanning and skin cancer screening service.

SKIN CANCER

Benign or suspicious lesions

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC)

Skin cancer is a growing problem. We’re here to change that.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK and rates continue to rise. At least 100,000 new cases are now diagnosed each year, and the disease kills over 2,500 people each year in the UK - that’s seven people every day. Some people are more at risk of developing skin cancer than others. It’s important to know the main risk factors so you can decide which apply to you and think about if you need to make changes to reduce the risks.

• Check your skin for signs of cancer. If you see any mole or spot on your skin that is changing, itching or bleeding, see one of our dermatologists. When caught early, skin cancer is highly treatable.

Dr Pamela McHenry, one of Ireland’s most experienced Dermatologists established the Belfast Skin Clinic to offer treatments for all skin disorders and related conditions including allergies, rheumatology and paediatrics by consultants who are recognised experts in their field, in a dedicated, purpose-built facility.

Concerned?

Do you have concerns about a new or non-healing lesion, or any moles which have changed in size, shape or colour? SkinCheck is now available to provide a complete skin cancer screening service. This involves a detailed examination of your skin by our Consultant Dermatologists to give you peace of mind and ensure early detection of any problems.

It is better to check for skin related problems before any skin cancer symptoms arise.

If you have moles you may be advised to have a total body scan. We are delighted to have Irelands first total Body Mole Scanner. Any lesions or moles requiring excision can be removed in our state of the art operating theatre by our Plastic Surgeons or dermatologists.

Belfast Skin Clinic offers the latest diagnostic technology and treatment for all aspects of Dermatology and Associated Specialties.

The clinic is located in South Belfast with easy access to all major routes.

Navigating Choppy Waters

William Taylor, director at KPMG’s Strategy practice and national head of KPMG Elevate (an EBITDA rapid improvement service), explains how his background working on North Sea oil platforms is helping clients chart a sustainable and successful path for the future.

The comfortable offices of KPMG’s Soloist Building in the heart of Belfast aren’t where you would expect to need an offshore survival suit. However, in the unlikely event the requirement emerged for clothing which protects against a fall into sub-zero seas, then William Taylor is a good man to know.

That is because before joining KPMG in early 2020, the firm’s head of Elevate in Ireland initially spent five years putting his engineering skills to good use while working for French oil giant TotalEnergies in Aberdeen, part of which involved working offshore where he was able to build up his stash of survival gear.

His current role in KPMG’s Strategy team means a run in with such inclement weather is unlikely, but the skills he learnt operating in challenging conditions in the North Sea are extremely relevant when helping advise business leaders across the island of Ireland and beyond.

William and the team help clients pre-empt and manage disruption, plan for the future, and stitch together both the corporate strategy and operational plan to ensure the organisation is on the right path for sustainable growth and the delivery of their objectives.

That might sound simple, but it often involves a root and branch diagnostic of the client in question, analysing key strengths and opportunities, before deploying KPMG’s expertise and proprietary tools to develop a workable strategy and then, crucially, ensuring it can be implemented across the enterprise.

An engineering background – one which began at Queen’s University Belfast where William gained first class honours in aerospace engineering – provides

the ideal skills to achieve those goals, as well as bringing a different mindset to add to the KPMG arsenal.

“As an engineer, I can bring a different approach to the traditional advisory way of problem solving and having that breadth of thinking is very useful. I always ask ‘what do we know, what does it mean, and what do we need to do next?’

“Engineering brings a structured way to figure out problems and really focus on the ‘so what’.”

It is a skillset which William honed during his years at top business consultancy McKinsey and Company where he worked for global clients after hanging up his survival suit at Total.

“I was working in the Total office in Aberdeen when some consultants came in to assist with a transformation,” he said. “I took one of them for coffee and asked them to explain to me how they work with company leadership and help define how the business would operate in future.

“He brilliantly showed me the value which good consultants can add and from that moment I decided to move into consultancy. I really believe the right consulting team can bring structure, pace and rigour across the client agenda, a combination which helps add significant value.

“I get real energy from acting as a client counsellor in the long term, not just during the research and development of the strategy but through the rollout on the operational side.”

After his time at McKinsey, William jumped at the chance to move back to Northern Ireland to help scale KPMG’s allisland strategy team.

“I was hugely excited at the opportunity to grow out the Strategy team with Chris Brown. A key part of strategy is knitting together specialist inputs and so I’ve also loved collaborating with Russell Smyth and the Sustainable Futures team, and our Belfast office’s Digital Centre of Excellence.”

Embracing digital and sustainability are two elements which are key parts of developing high-impact business strategy in the current environment, particularly the latter where the issue has become increasingly important for both internal and external stakeholders.

“We help understand the different

agendas across the C-Suite and provide a strategy which shows how organisations can both operate sustainably and realise their ambitions. We provide one document which links ESG through the core commercial strategy and makes it easier for stakeholders – whether shareholders, funders, customers or others like the public – to see that sustainability is embedded in the business, and not a parallel thought process.

“Such a document can bring together corporate strategy, top level business goals, commercial and operational strategy and forms a really powerful tool to answer any stakeholder concerns, while also guiding the business in the short and long term.”

From a strategy point of view, there is certainly growing demand for the firm’s services, particularly in sectors such as manufacturing which face headwinds in the form of unpredictable demand coupled with soaring input costs, rising inflation and supply chain issues. Navigating those issues is core to the offering.

“While the situation may provide opportunities for Northern Ireland businesses to deploy their capabilities and service new customers near-shore in the UK and Europe, some of the other issues aren’t likely to go away anytime soon,” William said. “It’s a case of finding a business model which leverages your strengths and allows you to focus on profitable growth, on preserving

capability and capacity, and identifying opportunities to diversify and add value for new and existing customers.

“That might mean pivoting your capabilities to take advantage of green opportunities in growing sectors, or to increase the services and products you can offer to existing customers. For instance, rather than just supplying parts, a manufacturing company might start providing assembly or integration services for their customers, acting as a more critical partner further up the value chain.”

Across the island, William’s roster of work includes clients involved in everything from agri-food to med and reg tech, as well as the third sector.

With his aeronautical background, he also applies the same principles as part of KPMG’s aviation global Centre of Excellence, working with aerospace companies at all stages of the supply chain, both locally and globally.

Meanwhile, as head of KPMG Elevate in Ireland, he focuses on helping clients define and deliver rapid improvement to their bottom-line using data analysis to identify and quantify opportunities, before moving to implementation.

“Our goal is to help clients define and implement bold yet achievable aspirations for performance transformation,” William said. “It is a proven approach which is paying dividends.”

Such a broad spectrum of work means William and the team have quickly become a key part of the KPMG offering across the island of Ireland.

The day-to-day has certainly changed, so, any regrets about hanging up the survival suit?

“None at all. We’re acting as trusted advisors to the leadership of companies of all shapes and sizes and in all sectors, bringing unique perspectives gained from real world experience in a range of industries. It is a privilege to be able to help companies navigate through complex situations and to be part of delivering change which has real impact.

“I love what we are doing at KPMG and look forward to continuing to build out the team in the months and years ahead.”

“As an engineer, I can bring a different approach to the traditional advisory way of problem solving and having that breadth of thinking is very useful. I always ask what do we know, what does it mean, and what do we need to do next?”

Version 1 Kickstarts 2023 Signing Two Deals To Acquire Automation Logic And Qubix

Version 1, a leading digital transformation partner, is to acquire two major players in the UK technology space – Automation Logic and Qubix – for an undisclosed sum as part of its ambitious growth strategy for 2023 and beyond. The Automation Logic deal is subject to clearance by the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Combined, Version 1, Automation Logic and Qubix will have over 3000 employees and more than 650 customers. This places Version 1 as the largest Irish-founded technology employer and comes after significant growth for the firm, doubling its headcount from 1500 in 2020 to 3000 in 2023. Version 1 navigated headwinds and global talent challenges to surpass revenues of over €255 million in 2023. Founded in 2010 in London, the Cloud and DevOps specialist Automation Logic is on a mission is to help its clients build the teams and infrastructure they need to thrive in the digital economy.

With over 160 employees, Automation Logic partners with technology giants such as AWS and Microsoft to enable the organisation to offer a diverse range of cloud solutions to customers including the Ministry of Justice, HM Revenue & Customs and Lloyds Banking Group.

Enda Diggins, Managing Director of Version 1’s UK Digital, Data and Cloud practice, commented on the significant benefits Automation Logic will bring to Version 1’s customers:

“Version 1 and Automation Logic are coming together to create one of the strongest cloud transformation capabilities in the UK. With both Version 1 and Automation Logic being partners to market-leading Cloud providers AWS and Microsoft, we will be in a very advantageous position for our customers to tap into an unappareled depth and breadth of expertise in Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, DevOps and Platform Engineering. This acquisition deepens our Digital, Data and Cloud expertise, providing more opportunities for our people to develop professionally, and to do what they love – work on interesting challenges with our customers.”

Dublin Airport Welcomed 28.1 Million Passengers In 2022

Just over 28.1 million passengers travelled through Dublin Airport in 2022, representing a 231% increase on 2021 activity and an 85% recovery of 2019 levels.

The revival in passenger numbers following the Covid-19 pandemic continued to accelerate as the year progressed, with passenger levels in the final three months of 2022 totaling 7.1 million – equivalent to 96% of numbers in the same period of 2019.

During the month of December 2022 alone, 2.2 million passengers travelled through Dublin Airport – an increase of 1 million passengers compared to 2021 and 95% of the passenger numbers seen pre-pandemic in December 2019.

According to daa’s new CEO, Kenny Jacobs, the airport operator of Dublin Airport: “Following two years of Covid disruption, 2022 was the year in which international travel came back very strong. When you consider that passenger numbers during the first two months of 2022 were very low due to uncertainty around the Omicron variant, the recovery in passenger numbers from March onwards was way beyond the expectations of even the most optimistic of travel forecasters.

“This resurgence in travel has posed challenges for Dublin Airport and airports all around the world. I’d like to pay tribute to the incredible team there which has worked tirelessly to facilitate more than 28 million journeys over the past 12 months. Their hard work over the Christmas period – the busiest in three years – saw 93% of passengers pass through security screening in under 20 minutes, with 99% through in under 30 minutes. In the year ahead, we are determined to maintain this security performance and make further improvements to the standards at Dublin Airport so that the travelling public get the service they expect.”

Community Foundation

Launch Energy Support Appeal

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland has launched its Energy Support Appeal. The appeal comes on the back of the release of the first round of payments from the Energy Support Scheme aimed at assisting households as fuel prices soar. The appeal will ask those who are fortunate enough to be able to pay their bill and find themselves in a position to donate, to consider gifting some, or all of, the Energy payment to help those who need it most.

GMcG Chartered Accountants Selects Air Ambulance NI As Charity Partner

Continuing its tradition of supporting a local charity each year through a range of fundraising activities, GMcG Chartered Accountants has selected Air Ambulance NI as its charity partner for 2023.

Air Ambulance NI is the charity that works in partnership with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service. The decision to partner with this charity was the result of a voting and selection process involving employees from across GMcG’s Belfast, Lisburn and Portadown offices.

Grant Thornton Makes New Director Appointments

Professional services firm Grant Thornton has announced the appointments of seven new Directors at its office in Belfast as it experiences sustained demand across all service lines. Emma Andrews and Nikita Lynn are the latest Directors appointed to the Audit department, whilst Gemma Johnson and Liam McHenry take up the positions in the Tax team.

Additional Director appointments include, Peter Coyle (Risk, Compliance and Professional Standards), Aine Logan (Financial Services Advisory) and Neil Hughes (People and Change Consulting).

Andrew Mason (Qubix); Enda Diggins and Colm Gillard (Version 1); Richard Pepper (Qubix); Kevin Ryan (Version 1); Neil Sellers (Qubix); Norm Russell, (Automation Logic); Matt Yorke (Qubix); Emily Toole, Nick Barton and Kris Saxton (Automation Logic)

The Choices We Make

The

People like to know what decisions they need to make and what the likely consequences of those decisions will be. It’s human nature to want to know what comes next.

At BDO NI, whilst we’re used to answering these sorts of questions for our clients, it’s important that we also reflect on our own options and assess the decisions we need to make. This helps ensure we all continue to grow and thrive as a business. One thing we do know for certain is that all these choices bring about change and,

as a business, we must either choose to ignore change, respond to it, or to create it.

Within BDO NI, we like to plan ahead and seek to prepare for the unforeseen whenever possible.

In recent years, local businesses have had to make difficult and urgent decisions in order to protect their operations – in a relatively short time span we’ve had the NI Executive collapse twice (with all the issues that come with that), Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and, most recently, the

cost-of-living crisis as a result of spiralling energy costs and inflationary pressures. As a business, recent years have made us look again at how we work – and we too have had to make choices about what is best for our team and best for our clients to ensure BDO NI remains on the path that will take us where we want to go.

We have increased our workforce to 150 in recent years and as well as direct hires, this has included people coming through our local university mentoring and award programmes, as well as many being

question we get asked most by clients is “What are my options?”

BDO NI partners (L-R) Nigel Harra (senior partner), Laura Jackson, Maybeth Shaw, Michael Jennings and Brian Murphy (managing partner).

supported through the postgraduate diploma by the firm. This helps us recruit the brightest and best in the country. This is a good thing, as we have plans to grow even further in the coming years. We have also had to assess what we need to do to provide for our team and be able to continue to provide the same unrivalled quality of service to our clients.

After almost 35 years we have also chosen to move to new facilities on Donegall Square to accommodate our growing team and the changing needs of a modern office environment. Our new facility provides even more space for team break-outs, collaborative working and online meetings. BDO NI has chosen to continue to invest in Belfast City Centre, thus underlining our confidence in the city as the primary hub for business in Northern Ireland.

It’s critical that businesses such as ours continue to be part of the fabric of the local area, to support other local firms, especially in hospitality and retail, and to continue serving the needs of our team as well. We feel connected in the beating heart of Belfast. We have chosen to invest in this new property and in state-of-theart technology so we can better serve our clients and improve the well-being of our team.

As employers, we know there’s no point in investing heavily in our employees if we don’t also ensure that we accommodate the impact recent changes have had on our lives. When the pandemic first hit, we all struggled to get used to working from home – from embracing online meetings and figuring out how to mute/unmute ourselves, to struggling with home schooling and wrestling unruly pets who insisted on making starring appearances on every call.

In some ways, this has helped humanise working relationships as it reinforced the fact that we all have a life and commitments outside of work; as the old proverb says, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’. We found that productivity actually increased in this period and these learnings have helped shape BDO NI’s choices for how we wish to grow as a business.

We have always viewed ourselves as a family of colleagues. We support each other’s charitable works; we sponsor and cheer on the local sporting groups and clubs our colleagues are actively involved with, and we strive to help ensure our team enjoys a proper work-life balance. To reach this goal, BDO NI recently launched its ‘agile working’ arrangements, allowing our team members to work the hours that

suit them best (in consultation with their colleagues and clients), as we know some people work better outside of the usual 9-5.

This has been an absolute gamechanger for our business, and our people, with unprecedented levels of support being voiced by them. Productivity and retention rates have increased even further, and we have found that clients appreciate the flexibility, as they too face the same demands and challenges. As a result, we are better servicing the needs of both employees and clients.

So, in answering the eternal question of “What are my options?”, we at BDO NI will always remain focused on leading our clients on the best path to where they want to go. We know we must always be prepared for change; we know how to choose to embrace it; and we know how to make sure it works for your business. Our choice has been to work smarter, to empower our staff to work in a way that suits them and to recognise that the world has changed for all of us. At BDO NI, we’re choosing to change with it.

Ann McGregor, Chief Executive, NI Chamber pictured with Peter Russell, Managing Director, PR Business Growth Services.

The Agile Business Growth Framework

PR Business Growth Services – or PRBGS – has been created to provide key services to senior management and executive teams to help them grow and transform their business during the uncertain and disruptive times that we all live and work in. Managing Director, Peter Russell explains how.

Over the past 25 years working across global major corporates and SMEs, it’s been clear to me that all organisations – no matter the scale or industry – have the common need for a modern and agile approach to business growth. It’s not just – as you hear very often – about selling your way to growth, because if you don’t have a compelling purpose, control of your costs, or understand your customer “sweet spot” or competitive value proposition, then it’s very unlikely you are going to succeed in the medium or longer term.

Using personal experience, best practice content and frameworks, the objective of PRBGS is to take an agile and modern approach in helping customers deliver collaborative, high impact and resultsfocused business growth engagements. There are four key service lines that PRBGS will deliver:

1. Sales and marketing support, guidance and advice

2. Writing winning bids and customer proposals

3. Leadership coaching and development

4. Strategy, planning and execution

This final service of strategic planning is becoming extremely challenging for all organisations – independent of scale and industry – in our new unpredictable and disruptive world.

However, it is my personal view that the successful leaders of the future will be those who are able to build a compelling longer-term vision and exciting purpose – but equally think creatively, pivot and adapt, breaking down the vision and strategy into achievable short phases, thereby increasing chances of executing well and delivering sustainable growth.

The big question for every leadership team is “how do you pivot and adapt your

business, when everyone is so busy and reactive doing their ‘day job’?”.

Well, I have created a unique PRBGS agile business growth framework just for this type of challenge.

The ABGF looks across five key common business areas:

1. Leadership/People/Culture

2. Value Proposition

3. Sales and Marketing

4. Customer Focus

5. Performance and KPIs

The framework initially looks at diagnosing your current position (where are you now?), then your vision and your desired future state (what do success and growth look like?), and finally building a phased execution plan (how do you get there?) – always focusing on collaboration, value for money and quick wins, delivered within a short series (five) of timebound “sprints”.

The output from this type of engagement will be your plan or “pack” – with refreshed vision/purpose, strategy on a page

and five or six key execution priorities –that builds out your strategic direction for the next three years, and most importantly will focus on your execution priorities. In addition, through this type of collaborative process, you will have brought your team with you on the journey.

NI Chamber recently used the ABGF to build its new “Refresh and Renew” 2022 plan. Ann McGregor – CEO – explained, “We needed to speedily pivot and adapt our business model post Covid, and working with Peter and his agile business growth framework, we really accelerated our planning. It’s also a very collaborative process so our SMT and staff were closely involved from the start, and this has really helped bring the team with us”.

A New Purpose For Custom House

As Custom House opens its doors to its first office space clients, we meet the man who acquired the asset and took on the restoration of one of Belfast’s most iconic buildings.

Neil McKibbin, director of Straidorn Properties, began his career straight from school into Ulster Bank in 1979. His journey to work took him through Custom House Square. Never did he imagine then that one day he would be the owner of one of the city’s landmark buildings.

McKibbin enjoyed a 20-year career in banking and finance until making the unusual move away from an institutionalised occupation to enter into a partnership in a truck rentals business.

By 2002 Neil and his partner had their own dealership, and it was through this partnership that he gained his first property development experience.

By 2004 Neil was ready to go it alone and over the next ten years expanded his portfolio, acquiring dealerships in Sussex and Surrey in 2009. With no interest in property then other than those in which the businesses were operating; when he was ready to diversify, bricks and mortar seemed an obvious investment option.

Straidorn was established in 2016 with the purchase of former linen building Flax House on Adelaide Street, which was immediately redeveloped. Neil’s plan had been to set aside two floors for flexible workspace, but all the space was quickly snapped up. Meanwhile, in 2018, Neil also became joint partner in Belfast recruitment firm VANRATH, purchasing Victoria House on Gloucester Street for their own offices in 2019.

With a constant eye to the flexible workspace market, when Custom House became available Neil knew it would be perfect as a high-end serviced office, and while no one else had the appetite for taking it on and others warned him against it, he had a vision for the building,

seeing something in it that no one else saw. Custom House was designed by leading architect Sir Charles Lanyon and constructed between 1854 and 1857 by D & J Fulton. Throughout its history it has been subject to various remodelling schemes but has retained some of its original period features, including the central staircase and a number of decorative carvings.

“Lanyon was responsible for many of Belfast’s grandest buildings. Queen’s University and Custom House were built as statement pieces during the glory period of 1840 to 1860 when the city first experienced a boom, principally due to the linen trade and shipbuilding,” explains Neil.

“Back in 2020, when I was first introduced to it, I fell in love with the building from the moment I stepped through the door, but delivering a great product isn’t just about having a wonderful building, it’s about the execution and finding the best partner for delivery.

“That’s where BE Offices came in, an organisation who have proven themselves to be as passionate about this proposition as I am, and who can take this property to where it needs to be.”

BE Offices, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of flexible space, was appointed by Straidorn in April 2022 to help create and manage Custom House’s new flexible workspace offering to fit the evolving demands of occupiers. Pre-opening, it unsurprisingly saw major interest and strong take-up for the space.

“A ‘best in class’ product requires ‘best in class’ levels of service provision so I was delighted to enter into partnership with BE to create a workspace ecosystem with

flexibility at its heart, set within a jewel of Belfast’s build heritage,” says Neil.

“I’m confident that together we can deliver for the long term to create a successful venture for both BE Offices, Straidorn and the city of Belfast, which I care very passionately about.”

Commenting previously on the partnership, Jonathan Weinbrenn, managing director of BE Offices’ managed workspace division, BE.Spoke, leading on the project, said: “The impacts of Covid on the office world have only exacerbated demand for better, healthier workspaces – human-centric environments underpinned by hospitality, rich in amenities and embedded with technology. Custom House provides the perfect template to deliver a postpandemic remedy. In conjunction with Neil, we have created the premier workspace destination in Belfast!”

Custom House has been sympathetically and fully refurbished to futureproof it for the next 30 years and enable anyone to come and use it – from a single co-worker to 150-person office. The building offers wellness pods, a complimentary gym, a yoga studio, a shower and changing facilities, bike storage, a coffee lounge and a podcast room, as well as an extensive suite of indoor and outdoor event spaces and meeting room facilities. A dedicated BE hospitality team will be on hand to deliver its award-winning customer service and support, a team headed by Richard Taylor, the former deputy general manager of the Slieve Donard.

Custom House is also set to be Northern Ireland’s first WELL Certified building, on track to achieve Platinum status via the International WELL Building Institute. WELL focuses exclusively on the ways that

buildings can improve occupier comfort, drive better choices, and generally enhance occupier health and wellbeing.

Neil confesses that the project has become a bit of an obsession, perhaps even to the detriment of his other businesses.

“Custom House has been my main focus for the last two years. Has it been worthwhile? Yes, it has, it’s quite obvious it will be a success.

“The building is instantly recognisable – when you switch on the news Custom House is there behind the reporter. There are three buildings in Belfast that everyone knows: Stormont, City Hall and Custom House. To some extent, as long as we have done justice to the status of the building, and I feel that we have, then it will sell itself.

“Custom House was a beautiful building in 1857 and is now a wonderful building in 2023, fully refurbished, ready for action and leading the way in Belfast for introducing new job opportunities for the next generation.

“My city has a tremendous heritage, really great people, first-class education and an excellent work ethic. If we had more dynamic and creative places for people to work, there is so much more we could collectively accomplish. The refurbished Custom House will lead the way in setting standards for the Belfast serviced office market for years to come.”

Simply NUC Ltd is a technology company with locations in Bangor, North Dublin, and Austin, Texas. Focused on the design, build, configuration and customisation of Small Form Factor PCs. We provide products and services across all industry sectors across the world. Our products are used in a wide variety of use cases from Home, Office, Digital Signage, Transportation, Automated intelligence, Augmented reality, Embedded, Manufacturing equipment, Education environments, IoT, and Gaming.

“I am extremely proud of what we have achieved since we opened our UK facility in 2018 and our EU facility in 2021. Our growth, both in our customer reach, as well as our revenue and our customer retention has been amazing to be part of, but this is only possible because of the hard work, dedication, and success driven attitude from an amazing team. With our drive for continued growth in Simply NUC, we are committed to growing our people, both in number and ability. I am delighted that the efforts of the team are recognised in winning these awards“.

Well done team – you are Simply Amazing!

Jonny Smith – Chief Executive Officer at Simply NUC, Ltd.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Over the past number of years AIB’s mortgage offering has gone from strength to strength as the bank embedded the homes sector at the heart of its business strategy. This focus is set to deepen in 2023 as AIB continues to support the development of sustainable communities and the homes that make up those communities.

The property market has of course faced challenges in recent times. The ill-fated mini budget in October 2022 impacted interest rates, while the ongoing cost of living crisis is having a knock-on effect on those saving for a deposit. The latest analysis from the House Price Index, compiled by Land and Property Services, predicts that the impact of these challenges in 2023 will be a downward pressure on demand.

Against this backdrop, we caught up with Roisin Keenan, AIB’s Head of Homes in Northern Ireland, to find out how the bank is supporting current and new customers after a tumultuous year for the property market.

PROACTIVE PARTNERS

“Where and how we live is a key part of how we as a bank can support the development of sustainable communities,” explains Roisin. “The Homes team at AIB is committed to helping customers achieve their dreams and ambitions – we want to see you settled in your home as quickly as you do!”

To do this, Roisin says the bank adopts a proactive partnership approach; they anticipate what customers might need and make sure their products and services reflect these needs and desires.

“We pride ourselves on providing practical, hands-on support and advice. This includes digital tools to help you budget, guides on understanding rates, as well as easy to understand product information on our mortgages range. Our budget support tools, checklist guides and mortgage information are easy to understand and very accessible. We also proactively contact customers who are coming to the end of their fixed rate or variable deals to talk through options.”

Roisin says this support extends to how the bank cares for those who might be facing financial hardship. “We are here to support our customers, whatever their circumstances. We understand the current cost of living crisis can place an additional burden on those in a home or someone hoping to buy a home. At AIB we provide tailored solutions, and we have a range of supports in place for those who are facing challenging personal circumstances.”

TAILORED SOLUTIONS

Roisin says it is this approach to tailored solutions that sets AIB apart. “As mortgage providers we offer a personal and flexible approach that is unique in the marketplace. We are strengthening our digital journey putting appropriate automation in place for a smooth user journey and our mortgages are reviewed and underwritten by our people. The AIB Homes team are experts in the field, and we examine every factor from each individual application.”

Given the market, Roisin says this approach is more important than ever. “There has been a huge shift in many people’s personal situations post-pandemic, with some customers moving jobs and indeed careers. Likewise, the property market itself has shifted as households reassess where and how they live following a move to hybrid working practices. As such, it’s critical that mortgage providers are also to review applications on a more personal basis which is what we do at AIB.”

EXPERTISE AT EVERY STEP

The bank’s partnership approach to the homes sector is industry wide, with the bank also building its relationship with brokers and professional services partners. “We recently developed a new automated application process for brokers. We can provide a decision

in principle and status updates through this digital process, while still maintaining our personal, hands-on and expert relationships with brokers,” explains Roisin. “As a bank, we’ve focused on creating efficiencies and automated relevant processes, safe in the knowledge that this is backed up by an expert team and a multi-channel approach. We have great relationships with legal and insurance experts too, which dovetails with our mortgage offering, meaning we provide our customers with expert support every step of the way.”

FUTURE FOCUSED

Looking at the year ahead, Roisin expects the bank’s lower cost green mortgage offering to continue to attract strong interest, a growth that goes hand in hand with AIB’s overarching strategy. “We’re focused on leading the financial market in climate change action by creating a virtuous green circle – where sustainable lending practices in turn attract the capital that supports further lending for the benefit not only of customers and the wider economy, but also the planet,” explains Roisin. “We want to help ensure a greener tomorrow by backing those building it today and we want green lending to account for 70% of its new customer lending by 2030.”

Roisin says the bank is well on its way to meeting this target, with Northern Ireland’s mortgage market showing a particular appetite for its green mortgage – a product suitable for homes with a higher Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. For Roisin and the Homes team at AIB though, their overarching drive is supporting customers, whatever their circumstance.

For more information on AIB’s products and services, visit: www.aibni.co.uk.

The Age Of The Human

From how we shop, to how we work, to how we access healthcare, to how we socialise - technology is changing every aspect of our lives. The nature of these changes makes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills more vital than ever before. That said, success in STEM requires well-developed human skills such as problem solving, creativity, collaboration and adaptability which leads me to emphasising the importance of ‘you’ – the human.

We continue to live, as we have since the 1970s, with the hope that technology will improve how we do business and how we live, adding disproportionate value to all our experiences. In many cases,

it positively transforms our lives (think Apple) but that can blind us to the fact that technology does not always bring benefit.

Much has been written by famous thinkers like Jaron Larnier and Hal Crowther about how humans have become the servant of technology rather than technology being a servant of the people. We have become enslaved, seduced and confused as we try to understand the real value of technology in our lives.

Research over a decade ago with US college students found that as many as 30% of survey respondents believed it would be beneficial to have their mobile phone technology embedded under their skin like a chip, allowing them to

Professor Mark Durkin, Executive Dean, Ulster University Business School (UUBS) reflects on the value of human interaction in a tech-driven world.

make calls simply by touching their armnegating the need to carry a device they could lose. Not worrying at all…

Over three quarters of retail businesses surveyed in 2022 say that the pandemic has accelerated their use of technology. In retail, there has been a 13% increase in technology investment relative to 2019 and the sector is expected to grow by 5% (£21bn) as a result by 2040. Some of that may translate into you doing more of your shopping yourself - either battling through apps or dealing with unintended challenges with the tech-enabled selfservice checkout.

Think banking - in the late 1980s banks provided an invaluable community service, both financial and social, as people visited

their branch for their banking needs but also to chat, and have a service encounter with a fellow human. No longer. Despite the desire for human connection, and the value created through such connections, banks have closed most physical branches, forcing customers to shift to digital banking channels in many cases.

As far back as 1975 a researcher called Chase warned that technology would replace people but that ‘the differentiator for organisations lies in people, so discard them from your service offer at your peril’.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE IN EDUCATION

We work in a service organisation. People are not just a resource, they are the key resource. It is people delivering our core service proposition by way of imparting knowledge and skills to young people and mature learners. It is people providing the support infrastructure wrapped around the delivery of that core service.

While many universities shifted much learning online through the pandemic, the importance of physical place should not be underestimated. Learning is a social, co-created experience. Technology is a

servant, an added value dimension of the human contact of course, but that inperson on-campus experience is critical.

At Ulster University, our distinct campuses provide multiple locations across Northern Ireland where educational services are delivered. We have just opened a brand new 75,000m2 state-of-the-art extension to our campus in the heart of Belfast. Hosting over 15,000 staff and students, it will deliver an estimated investment regeneration impact of circa £1.4bn.

Whilst the building is amazing, it is what goes on inside the building that is more amazing. Call into the foyer and grab a coffee or lunch and watch. What do you see? You see people – talking to each other, laughing, a piano being played by a passer-by, the sharing of ideas, a cocreation of the future.

As we grapple with the post-pandemic context, how we choose to live, work and interact will change and already has changed. While the pandemic has shown the advent of a new age of technology adoption and enablement, it must not be at the expense of human enablement.

Of course, the rise of automation is a

threat to some industries but it actually presents an opportunity for new value creation – but only where the technology is the servant of the human and not the other way around. There is a tremendous opportunity for new thinking, for new partnering efforts to be created at the level of the individual, in places conducive to that social encounter between people and catalysed by a curiosity and hunger for things to be better.

The STEM illusion is just that. The future doesn’t belong to the STEM graduate – it belongs to the graduate who is adaptable. The graduate who is adaptable can see the need for tech fluency (but not technology dominance) combined with the necessity for human skills like empathy, communication, critique, judgement – all the things machines can’t do.

So, the key skill we need our young people to have is adaptability – the skill to consciously be able to pivot between the relative emphases of technology fluency and emotional intelligence to create value. Value in the context of the specific circumstances prevailing in an organisation, in their life, in society more widely.

To be able to do so with an entrepreneurial mindset and kindness are added differentiators and ones which we will see on the rise in the age of the human.

If you would like to find out more about how Ulster University Business School can support you and your business, contact the UUBS Business Engagement Team at engage@ulster.ac.uk

NEWAPPOINTMENTS

IN THE BUSINESS

COMMUNITY

CHARLIE DUCKETT Business Development Manager, NI Chamber

MYLES O’GRADY Group CEO and Executive Director of Bank of Ireland Group

JOHN PATTERSON

Head of Sales (Defence, Ports and Pilot Boats) at Artemis Technologies

ANDREI MANKOV

Assurance Partner at EY Northern Ireland

FIONNUALA O’CONNELL Senior Communications Consultant at Belmont Strategy

PAUL COURTNEY Head of IT at Belfast City Airport

ANA MACDONALD

Events and Communications Administrator, NI Chamber

DR KATRINA THOMPSON Programme Director for Artemis Technologies

New Round Of Promotions At Carson McDowell

Belfast law firm Carson McDowell has added to its senior team with the appointment of three new partners in Belfast. Fourteen lawyers have also been promoted to the position of senior associate.

The firm recently announced that it has expanded its senior team to 34 partners with the appointment of Sarah Cochrane as a partner in its employment team, Cathal O’Neill as a partner in its defence insurance division and Francesca Lowry as a healthcare partner.

Francesca Lowry joined Carson McDowell as an apprentice in 2003, becoming part of the healthcare team upon qualification in 2005. She is highly regarded in the healthcare sector, particularly in defending claims on behalf of dentists, pharmacists, doctors and nursing homes, and representing clients at inquests.

Sarah Cochrane joined the employment team in 2012. She has contributed significantly to the team’s growth as well as working closely with other departments within the firm, leading on the employment law aspects of key transactions.

Cathal O’Neill joined the defence insurance team in 2017 and since then has used his existing significant experience handling a range of public and employers’ liability cases, with a particular proficiency in industrial disease claims.

Aflac NI Names Mark McCormack New Managing Director

Fortune 500 company Aflac Northern Ireland (Aflac NI) has announced that its head of technology, Mark McCormack, has been appointed as the new managing director.

Mark, who joined Aflac Northern Ireland when it launched in October 2019, with the support of Invest NI, will lead operations for the insurance company’s Technology and Cybersecurity Innovation Centre based in Belfast. Prior to joining Aflac, Mark was a senior vice president at Citi and a software development leader at BT and BIC Systems.

Mark will succeed Keith Farley, an honorary Belfast Ambassador who is credited for bringing Aflac to Northern Ireland from a choice of global locations and a commitment to “doing things differently”. In his new role as Aflac’s chief customer experience officer, Keith will return to the US while continuing to have executive oversight of Aflac NI.

Aflac Inc president Fred Crawford with Keith Farley and Mark McCormack.

Carson McDowell partners Francesca Lowry, Roger McMillan, Neasa Quigley, Sarah Cochrane and Cathal O’Neill.

Gold Award For Going Green At Ulster Carpets

Ulster Carpets have been named as one of Northern Ireland’s most sustainable businesses.

The Portadown-based luxury carpet manufacturer achieved Gold level in the 2022 Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey, organised by responsible business network Business in the Community (BITC).

Beverley Copeland, Director of Organisation Development, said, “We are delighted to have progressed from the Silver level we attained last year to now receive Gold. We have always had strong environmental strategies and procedures in place and this result shows the progression that we have made in the last 12 months.

“This year we have added to our 100% wool carpet ranges with the launch of Open Spaces Ragan and Napier and Natural Choice Textures and we also continue to make improvements to make our manufacturing processes more efficient.

“We will continue to build on this success and will soon launch our first official Sustainability Report that will outline the important next steps that we will take on our sustainability journey.”

Sponsored by Moy Park and supported by Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, the Survey scores, recognises, and rewards organisations that are going above and beyond their legal environmental requirements.

Kieran Harding, Managing Director of Business in the Community, said: “The Survey is an important comparison tool and a way for organisations to not only be recognised for their environmentally sustainable efforts, but also to identify areas where they can improve. It serves to highlight key environmental areas they need to be thinking about for the future.”

Mr Harding continued: “Stakeholders, suppliers and the general public are seeking reassurance from businesses that they’re doing all they can for the benefit of the environment and participating in the Survey can provide evidence of their commitment to a greener future.

“I want to congratulate and thank all companies that have stepped forward to take part in the Survey and report on their environmental practices.”

The Results Launch Event was part of BITC’s Environment Symposium,

which brought NI businesses together to network and explore complex issues around environment, biodiversity and climate action.

To read the full report visit www.bitcni.org.uk/niebs.

FinTrU Wins Queen’s Award For Enterprise 2022 For International Trade

FinTrU, a technologically enabled regulatory solutions company, has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

The company won the Queen’s Award for International Trade for ‘Outstanding Continuous Growth’ in overseas sales over the last six years. Headquartered in Belfast, FinTrU has rapidly expanded in recent years with additional global offices in Derry/Londonderry, New York, London, Dublin, Maastricht and Porto.

In early December, FinTrU’s Executive Committee hosted His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, Dame Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle, DBE DStJ; Mr Richard Jay BEM; Air Cadet Flight Sgt Bertie Turkington; and Deputy Lieutenant, Ann McGregor at Meter House in Belfast.

FinTrU Founder & CEO, Darragh McCarthy, said “It is an absolute honour for FinTrU to be recognised in this way. The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is an incredibly prestigious accolade with a vast array of highly respected winners over the years. We are delighted at FinTrU to see the hard work of our employees rewarded with this fantastic achievement.”

FinTrU Chief of Staff, Katrien Roppe, added “We are extremely proud of the FinTrU team who have won this award in recognition of their commitment to expanding the global reach of the company. FinTrU’s international trade across Europe, North America and Asia in recent years has led to this award and this accolade is very fitting for FinTrU’s people working on the global stage.” Now in its 56th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

New Partnership Will See Over 8,000 Hotels Engage With Responsible Plastic Management

The Responsible Plastic Management (RPM) Program has announced a new six-figure global partnership deal with the US-based Clean the World organisation and foundation. The partnership aims to better manage the use and disposal of hotel bathroom plastics associated with soap products. RPM Program works with organisations across different sectors to better manage plastics and reduce the impact of plastic use on the environment. The social enterprise initiative started with engaging several plastic-conscious organisations in Northern Ireland and this is now expanding nationally, internationally and exponentially.

Clean the World is a social enterprise dedicated to WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and sustainability. Operating in Orlando, Montreal, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Washington DC, London and Punta Cana.

Clean the World claims that it is a “Global Hygiene Revolution” by working with more than 8,100 hospitality partners, including some of

the leading hotel groups in the world and independents. Since inception, the organisation has served more than 15 million individuals, distributed 73 million bars of soap and 5 million hygiene kits, and diverted over 23 million pounds of waste from landfills around the world.

The new partnership will see RPM and Clean the World work together to better manage hotel bathroom plastics and soap. They will sophisticate soap and plastic management collection and recycling initiatives to allow RPM and Clean the World third party verification and certification across the globe, ensuring that waste does not go to landfill or incineration.

Aaron Marshall, RPM’s founding director, says, “The Clean the World partnership and projects are great news for RPM and for all parties; the global hotel groups, recyclers and most importantly the environment. It puts NI as a centre of excellence for responsible plastic management and thought leadership and will create new green jobs.”

Aaron Marshall, RPM Program.

Katrien Roppe (FinTrU), Dame Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle (His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant) and Steven Murtland (FinTrU).

WITH JAMES STINSON

Mazda’s Premium SUV

The cabin is open and airy as you’d expect from a large SUV, with a high, comfortable driving position and great forward visibility. It’s a big car but there are plenty of driver aids to ensure you can manoeuvre into difficult to manage car park spaces.

You can only swim against the tide for so long. After years of persevering/honing its combustion engine offerings, Mazda is finally jumping on the electric bandwagon.

Last year saw the launch of the novel if not entirely compelling allelectric MX-30 and now we have this new CX-60 luxury SUV, Mazda’s first plug-in hybrid.

It’s the most expensive, powerful and luxurious Mazda you can buy and a model it hopes will sit easily with the likes of pricier, premium brand offerings from BMW, Audi and others.

In PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) guise, CX-60 boasts a 2.5 petrol engine with a 17.8kWh battery and electric motor helping to produce a total of 323bhp, while drive is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

It will travel up to 39 miles on all-electric power, helping to keep costs down and like all PHEVs is especially attractive to company car users thanks to the low 12% benefit-in-kind tax rate. Recharging from 20 to 80% takes just 1.5 hours using a 7kW home charger wallbox. A couple of diesel-only versions, with either front or all-wheel drive, are also available though Mazda expects PHEV versions will account for the majority of sales.

The complicated drivetrain means the CX-60 weighs in at over two tonnes but that doesn’t hold it back with a 0-62mph time of 5.8 seconds. The transition between driving modes isn’t as smooth as some rivals and it can feel a little raucous under hard acceleration but when driven sensibly, it feels quiet and refined.

The overall experience is aided by a superb interior which builds on Mazda’s already strong reputation for high-end finishes. Leather finish is standard on all models while the rest of the cabin is layered with lovely soft touch materials.

The infotainment doesn’t go down the touch screen route but relies on the tried and trusted click wheel interface which is responsive and easy to use, while the heating controls are managed via conventional buttons – hallelujah!

Alongside the main screen, the CX-60 also has digital instruments which are bright and customisable, while wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are standard.

The rear is plenty big enough for two tall passengers though the middle seat is a little compromised by the floor tunnel and lofty positioning.

There’s a sizable 570-litre boot, which is easy to access thanks to a lowish lip while folding rear seats reveal a sizable 1,726 litres of carrying capacity. All CX-60 versions have a maximum towing limit of up to 2,500kg.

It is not a cheap car, with the PHEV version starting from around £45,000 and the high-end Takumi spec topping out the range just shy of 50k. However, standard equipment is extremely generous and prices are around £5k cheaper than German rivals.

The entry Exclusive-Line model comes with 18-inch alloys, a 12.3inch colour infotainment screen, heated seats, a heated steering wheel and leather upholstery, while moving up the range brings extras such as bigger 20-inch alloy wheels, a hands-free power tailgate, electrically-adjustable front seats, white maple wood interior accents, Nappa leather seat trim and a 12-speaker Bose audio system.

The mid-level Homura grade also debuts Mazda’s ground-breaking Driver Personalisation System that will recognise the occupant of the driver’s seat via facial recognition and automatically adjust the surroundings – seat position, steering wheel, mirrors, head-up display, even the sound and climate control settings – to fit their physique as well as their personal preferences.

New CX-60 has pricey German rivals in its sights, writes James Stinson.

Electric Pace From Latest Skoda

Skoda has confirmed final specs and pricing for the SUV version of its Enyaq iV vRS – the second all-electric model to wear the brand’s iconic vRS badge.

Available to order from mid-January, the Enyaq iV vRS follows in the wheel tracks of the Enyaq Coupe iV vRS launched earlier this year, and offers increased practicality alongside sporty performance and striking design.

Priced from £52,670, the Enyaq iV vRS is fitted with an 82kWh battery pack and has a WLTP driving range of 321 miles. Like the Coupe version, the SUV variant has a power output of 299PS and is equipped with twin motors – one on each axle. Combined, the motors deliver 460Nm of torque to give instant acceleration and a powerful mid-range response.

The new vRS features a bespoke chassis setup designed to deliver an even more responsive driving experience. The standard sports suspension lowers the body by 15 millimetres at the front axle and 10 millimetres at the rear axle.

Drive Mode Select offers the predefined profiles Eco, Normal and Sport, while a custom slider allows the driver to adjust the settings to their own preferences. There’s also the additional driving profile Traction. Designed for driving on unpaved roads or slippery surfaces, this offers constant all-wheel drive at speeds of up to 12mph.

For owners looking for an even sportier drive, Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) can be specified as an option. DCC constantly monitors the situation on the road and automatically adjusts the damping.

A 0-62mph time of just 6.5 seconds is claimed while the Enqaq iV

vRS can be charged to 80% in as little as 36 minutes when connected to a 150kW charger or faster. On a standard 7.2kW home wallbox, a charge from empty to full will take around 13 hours.

20-inch Taurus alloy wheels with aerodynamically optimised aero trims are fitted as standard with larger 21-inch Vision wheels with an anthracite finish as an option.

Inside, there’s a special vRS Design Selection that comes with sports seats with black perforated leather seat upholstery with grey piping and contrast stitching. The multifunction sports leather steering wheel also features contrast stitching while the dashboard sports a leather-look finish with contrast stitching.

The sporting flagship also comes as standard with a three-zone climate control system, LED ambient lighting that also illuminates the dashboard and door panels, as well as wireless smartphone charging. There’s a 585-litre boot, which is 15 litres larger than that of the Enyaq iV Coupe vRS and can be extended to 1,710 litres by folding the rear seats down.

First UK deliveries are expected from June 2023.

Look East For Reliability

That Japanese and Korean cars are the most reliable around easily sits in the ‘things you have always thought were true but never had proof’ category. Not anymore!

Warrantywise, the UK’s leading extended car warranty provider, has revealed that

Honda once again stands unmatched when it comes to overall brand reliability, according to the latest data from its Reliability Index. With data compiled from over 131,000 active extended car warranty plans between 2021 and 2022, Japanese and Korean marques continue to lead by example when it comes to reliability as they sweep the top five spots.

The Reliability Index ranks every car on a combination of factors that include the cost to carry out repairs and the frequency rate of those repairs. With an impressive overall score of 96.8/100, Honda’s solid reputation for being ultradependable seems unshakeable, and as shown in previous news updates, the Honda Jazz was named the

most reliable used car in this year’s Reliability Index. Toyota comes a close second, scoring 91.2/100 overall, followed by Suzuki (three) and Kia (four), with Hyundai finishing the top five East Asian reliability takeover. Fiat, Citroën, Renault, Mazda, and Ford respectively fill up the rest of the top ten. Top ten most reliable car brands:

We build great networks and that’s a fact, but our approach goes way beyond that. For us it’s all about building lasting relationships with our clients.

Whether it’s your complete IT help desk or just additional support for your IT department, we are there for you 24 hours a day. Our remote monitoring technology can fix problems before they even happen. But our promise to you is that when you’re working - we are too.

9 to 5 was acceptable when Marvin was in fashion.

making info@zenithnetworks.co.uk

OPENNESS zenithnetworks.co.uk

Marvin the robot.

Columnist

Richard Ramsey Chief Economist, Ulster Bank

New Year Reset

After all the indulgence and extravagance of the holiday season, January is typically a time for a reset. The month-long festivities have become a distant memory and the only glasses being raised contain bright green blends of broccoli, kale and spinach.

While there may be wishful attempts to shed the Christmas lbs, the efforts made to hang on to whatever pounds are left over from the January paycheque will, we expect, be longer-lasting and more determined.

As far as economic hangovers go, this current period cannot be assuaged by a couple of aspirin and a chippy tea and many project the hammering headache will linger for most of the year.

The positives in the economy – locally, nationally and globally – seem to be in short supply with the Chancellor and Andrew Bailey hanging on to their party pooper personas. Jeremey Hunt has called for more taxes and at the Bank of England, it seems unlikely that December’s ninth consecutive raising of interest rates will be the last.

The majority of PMIs around the world have dipped below the 50 expansion/ contraction threshold and all 12 UK regions posted falling private sector output for the second month running in November.

For Northern Ireland, this represented the seventh successive month of falling output and new orders.

Local firms are being battered with inflationary pressures while still having to contend with all of the other challenges which dominated so much of the last 12 months including labour shortages, supply chain disruptions and a sustained global slowdown.

Add political instability at almost every level to this mix and it makes for a tough trading period. The big question is whether or not political turbulence will spill further into market turbulence and unless someone steadies the ship, can firms navigate their way through this?

The lack of an NI Executive is deepening business concerns and while the Secretary of State is committed to his carrot-and-stick approach to get this back up and running, would a return to full pay for our MLAs really be worth returning to what can only be described as an in-tray from hell.

Other big issues looming large include the reversal in fortunes of the housing market, rising temperatures, the energy crisis and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We wait to see the full impact of industrial action and whether or not this will influence Hunt in any way when it comes to setting out his Budgets and Autumn Statements.

As we wait to see how each of these issues unfolds, it is important to hold on to some degree of optimism. As ever, some light has managed to peek through the dark clouds and regardless of how tough things are economically there will always be companies doing well.

Thankfully we can point to a number of home-grown companies who are worldleading in tech and pharma. Companies like First Derivatives, Randox, Almac, Norbook, Kainos and STATSports, whose exporting prowess and employment growth have been so important to the local economy, are likely to be winners through this recessionary period.

The agri-food sector, too, tends to perform well even amidst the threat of recession. The NI protocol has given firms such as Fane Valley and Moy Park a significant pick-me-up; however, more clarity on regulations would support this industry even further.

Maximising opportunities between NI and the EU while minimising disruption between local organisations and GB would significantly ease some of the major concerns around the protocol and as negotiators recommence their discussions, this would certainly be a positive resolution to make.

“The lack of an NI Executive is deepening business concerns and while the Secretary of State is committed to his carrot-andstick approach to get this back up and running, would a return to full pay for our MLAs really be worth returning to what can only be described as an in-tray from hell.”

TEREX DRIVE TO INCREASE OUTPUT THROUGH DIVERSITY

Manufacturing firm, Terex has recently signed up as a signatory with Diversity Mark and are working towards bronze accreditation. Barry Taylor, Senior Operations Director feels that this is a road the industry must travel. “Terex in Northern Ireland is at the start of this diversity journey, and we have a vision and a plan to improve. Diversity Mark is working with us on our journey by assisting, supporting, and guiding us to create and meet goals, they are helping us to better understand the conversations we need to have and offering us the opportunity to learn from other organisations at many different stages of their journey. “I believe that a happy, contented workforce will be braver, more creative and more productive leading to a higher performing team –I also believe that this will improve business performance and innovation.”

www.diversity-mark-ni.co.uk

THE LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® METHODOLOGY

Power from stories/metaphors shared and wisdom that unfolds This November in Legoland San Diego, AKU Training’s lead facilitator Robin Nesbitt became Ireland’s first Certified Facilitator in the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology. As leaders our world is increasingly complex and uncertain. More than ever engaging our people is vital to organisation growth. It's not optional, it's foundational: harnessing the wisdom, creativity and agility of our people is a must.

The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® methodology:

• Develops Team Identity, Strategy and Problem Solving in real-time

• Tackles key challenges hands-on in a way that talking alone can’t

• Assumes the answers are ‘in the room’

• Leaders ‘think with their hands’ to build understandings

• Starts with the individual, moves to the collective and culminates in a set of guiding principles/actions

Email us at contact@aku.training to discuss innovative leadership development at all levels.

WHOLE LIFE COSTS WITH AGNEW LEASING

At Agnew Leasing, they utilise the market leading fleet analysis software suite from a top tier professional services firm. This software treats companies and employees as individual entities to provide the optimum solution every time, whatever the situation. The software facilitates the ability to utilise a financial model known as Whole Life Cost (WLC). WLC is the term given to the overall cost for your fleet vehicles over the term of leasing or ownership.

Many companies use either purchase price or monthly rental cost as the central criteria when acquiring vehicles. However, when considering the other costs of running a fleet such as servicing, maintenance, fuel spend etc., the monthly costs may not fully reflect the true costs over the lifetime of the vehicle.

Using the information specific to your company, they will build a model showing accurate WLC’s. This software will then illustrate a graphical output and report summary showing the optimum vehicle selection for your company. The team at Agnew Leasing will draw up recommendations for tackling your existing vehicle costs, improving efficiency, and achieving green objectives.

Construction giant GRAHAM, 300-vehicle fleet is managed by Agnew Leasing and has begun the process of integrating EVs into its fleet in a move that is set to be emulated by the rest of the corporate world in the coming years.

GRAHAM Director Johnathan Hall said “At GRAHAM we have always maintained a keen focus on costs and Agnew Leasing has continued to assist us with the process since becoming our chosen fleet management company. They have introduced us to the principle of properly calculated whole life costs which have in turn allowed us to have a consistent approach to our vehicle procurement. It also facilitated the integration of Electric Vehicles into our fleet which is a key element in our overall group sustainability agenda.”

For more information on how Agnew Leasing can help your business please contact David on 028 9038 6600 or email david.mcewen@agnews.co.uk

Mark Owens Managing Director (NI) at Civica

Smarter Use Of Data Can Ease The Pressure On Our Public Services This Winter

With inflation running in the double digits, energy prices sky high, and an economy teetering on the edge of recession, 2023 looks set to be another turbulent year for public services across Northern Ireland. Civica’s Mark Owens takes a look at how the smarter use of data can help to ease the burden.

From tackling hospital waiting lists to supporting an ever-increasing number of people who’ve never before found themselves in financial difficulty, our public bodies are increasingly having to do far more with ever-tighter resources. With no clear end in sight to the perfect storm of problems facing Northern Ireland and indeed the wider world right now, harnessing the power of data will be of paramount importance to ensuring our public services can do more with less.

Exploiting data to deliver more with less

Data-driven smarter decision-making ensures better use of scarce resources, saves money, and ultimately leads to better outcomes for citizens and communities. The good news is that across our public services here in NI, we have data in abundance. From executive departments to arms-length bodies to local councils, our public services are sitting on a veritable digital goldmine of data, which is growing by the day as our society becomes more digitised. The problem, however, is that we’re not using it to its full potential. Untapped data is more than just information lying idle on a spreadsheet or a hard drive; it is a

missed opportunity to deliver tangible benefits for the people and communities who need it most. Let’s consider some examples.

A recent UK-wide in-depth survey conducted by Civica found that 45% of social housing residents feel they are not being listened to by their landlords. While this is a worryingly high number, the issues driving it could in fact be easily remedied. Data-driven decisionmaking can help housing providers such as the NI Housing Executive and housing associations to proactively identify and tackle issues at an earlier stage, thereby improving life for residents and reducing costs.

High quality data also has a vital role in helping public services such as health and care providers to proactively support people in vulnerable circumstances like the elderly or those with long-term medical conditions. Earlier intervention in these situations can not only ensure better outcomes for the individual concerned, but also free up other vital services which otherwise may have needed to become involved.

Deploying data: the will, but not the way

Back in December 2020, at the peak of the pandemic, the UK government published its National Data Strategy. Two years on, we at Civica wanted to find out how close we are to hitting that bar the government set for itself. To do so, we surveyed more than 800 civil servants at all levels of seniority.

While 60% of the 800 officials we

surveyed felt that the perception of data had improved within their department, problems persist around data quality, with only 9% of civil servants saying that ‘significant progress’ had been made in this area.

Another issue which came across quite strongly amongst officials was data sharing – or rather the distinct lack of it. Almost half (49%) of our respondents said that data sharing between their own department and others had remained ‘unchanged’ in the wake of the pandemic. Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that less than a third (28%) of our respondents were aware of data sharing within their departments. The good news, however, is that most of our respondents were of the same mind when it came to the solution: joined up systems and processes across all departments to enable data sharing. The lingering issue of Legacy IT also came across quite strongly in our survey. 54% of the officials we interviewed felt this along with ‘resource capability and capacity’ (53%) would be the next top two challenges in achieving data priorities in the next 12 months.

From healthcare to education to the police, our public services are doing an exemplary job, despite the extraordinary pressures they are facing. While data may not be the silver bullet to all of the challenges services will face in the coming months, it will play a key role in helping them deliver the best for citizens in very difficult circumstances.

UPSKILL IN A KEY GROWTH AREA WITH A FREE COURSE FROM THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

The Open University (OU) has opened applications for a range of postgraduate courses and short microcredential courses, fully funded through the Department for the Economy’s Skill Up initiative.

Hundreds of places are available across 27 courses with savings of up to £3,200 in course fees. Registration closes on 13 February 2023.

Postgraduate courses provide skills and knowledge that can bring real-life benefits to you and your career. Microcredential short courses are designed to help you quickly build indemand career skills and knowledge to stay up-to-date and get ahead.

All courses offer flexible, online study options that allow applicants to work at the same time as they learn.

Courses have been selected based on industry demand and growth and include short 10- or 12-week microcredential courses in Cyber Security Operations (Cisco), Agile Leadership and Management, Climate Change: Transforming your Organisation for Sustainability and AWS Solutions Architect. Postgraduate courses typically last six months and include Digital Forensics, Financial Strategy and Governance, Systems Security. After unexpectedly losing her job, Magdelana Bisewska wanted to change her career path and studied a post graduate course in Project Management under the Skill Up scheme:

“I had read about fully funded places on the Skill Up programme and with the cost of living increasing over the year, it was a very attractive offer which allowed me to save some money and at the same time gain new qualifications.”

“Participation in the course has opened many doors for me. If I had not attended the Postgraduate in Project management module, I would not have been offered my current role which involves project management as I had no experience. I am quite sure I would not have even been shortlisted for an interview.”

Whether you’re looking to refresh your skills, or upskill to open a new career path, these courses provide an opportunity to invest in your future, without having to pay a penny. All you need is a willingness to learn and the commitment to study between 10 and 18 hours a week.

Find out more about The Open University’s range of Skill Up funded courses at www.open.ac.uk/courses/choose/skill-up Registration for The Open University Skill Up courses closes at midnight on 13 February 2023. Places are limited so early application is recommended.

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According to recent independent Research by Ulster Marketing Surveys, the Ulster Tatler has by far the largest readership of any Northern Ireland magazine.

Ambition talks to Mark Ennis, Chairman of SSE Ireland about his vision to see Northern Ireland become a leading energy exporter.

Embrace Colour

Ulster

Woman Editor, Joanne Harkness, looks at embracing colour in your wardrobe for 2023. Bold, bright block colours will be leading the way in fashion trends this year.

Tatler

Lime plisse dress, Never Fully Dressed.

Roxanne linen shirt in moss green, €229, Linen Shirt Company.

Slingback kitten heels £42, Next.

Asymmetric v-neck top in purple, £65, Whistles.

Dinkydorrie handbag in orange, £75, Dune London.

Dine & Wine

Creamy Clementine and Lemon Posset, Pistachio Custard Biscuit – Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

For The Posset

1. 600ml Double Cream

2. 200g Golden Caster Sugar

3. Zest of one Lemon

4. Zest of two Clementines

5. 50ml Lemon Juice

6. 50ml Clementine Juice

For The Biscuit

1. 400g Puff Pastry

2. 50g Pistachio Paste

3. 100ml Milk

4. 100ml Double Cream

5. 75g Caster Sugar

6. 25g Crushed Pistachio Nuts

7. 100g Custard Powder

8. Vanilla Extract

METHOD

For The Posset

In a pot heat the cream and sugar slowly until the sugar has melted. Simmer for one minute.

For the Biscuit

Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to 3mm thickness.

For The Custard

In a pot heat the cream, milk, sugar and two drops of vanilla extract. Allow to simmer for one minute. Blend the custard in a little water and add to the cream mixture. Cook until it thickens.

Take off the heat and allow to cool a little then add the pistachio nut paste.

Whisk until smooth and allow to cool completely.

Put into piping bag with small star shape nozzle.

Sandwich two pieces of puff pastry together using the custard and decorate top with custard and crushed pistachio nuts. Serve with the posset.

Gavin Murphy, Head Chef at The Old Inn

Cut into 12 even sizes. Bake at 180°C between two baking trays to keep flat for seven minutes. Remove from oven and leave to completely cool.

Columnist

John Campbell BBC NI’s Economic & Business Editor

The Price Peak

The story of our economy in 2022 was dominated by energy. The increased cost of gas as Russia turned off the taps has stressed the balance sheets of households, businesses and governments.

Locally there have been glimmers of hope. firmus gas prices have been cut by around 20% on both its networks from 1 January. That came in response to sustained falls in wholesale costs in the last quarter of 2022.

A wholesale unit of gas, known as a therm, peaked at over £7 in August but has consistently been below £4 since the start of October.

The Utility Regulator says firmus’s wholesale costs in its regulated Ten Towns network will be around £3.20 in January compared to £4.05 in October. However, before the current energy crisis a therm had for years typically cost about 60p. So the recent price falls reduced the price from ruinous to merely eye-watering.

To assess if downward price moves can be maintained we first need to understand what has driven the recent trend. For that we can turn again to the invaluable data of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the intergovernmental agency that acts as a sort of global energy think tank and policy advisor.

It identifies three main factors: mild weather, healthy storage levels and strong Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) supply to offset reduced Russian pipeline supplies.

The IEA says that unseasonably mild weather across Europe in October reduced gas demand by over 30% yearon-year and effectively delayed the start of the heating season in most European markets.

That coincided with an influx of LNG cargoes from exporters like Qatar, the US and even Australia. Those two factors

in turn allowed a near record build-up of European gas storage.

At the beginning of November, EU storage sites were close to 95% full – well above the EU’s 80% target. At one point in October EU hour-ahead gas prices actually fell into negative territory amid infrastructure constraints. However, the IEA warns that none of this should lead to optimistic conclusions about the future. A cold snap could quickly change sentiment and there are potentially tougher tests to come.

Firstly we start this year in a very different position to 2022.

Although Russian gas deliveries to Europe were cut sharply during 2022, they were close to normal for much of the first half of the year, so over the full year they amounted to 60bn cubic metres. It is implausible that Russia will deliver anything like that in 2023. The IEA estimates 25bn cubic metres at best and more likely none at all.

And then there is China. If the Chinese government can successfully manage its way out of its zero Covid policy and economic demand rebounds it will be thirsty for LNG imports.

The IEA estimates that if Chinese demand returns to 2021 levels that would capture over 85% of next year’s expected increase in global LNG supply and limit the amount of LNG available to the European market.

The IEA has modelled a scenario where mild weather leaves EU and UK storage around 30% full at the end of this winter. To this it adds an assumption of no Russian pipeline gas, a Chinese rebound and some recovery in European nuclear and hydro output.

Mix that all together and you get a gap of 27bn cubic metres that is needed to satisfy the conditions of refilling gas storage levels to 95%. That level of storage is important because without it there is risk that EU gas storage sites

would be less than 30% full by the end of this year.

A continued drawdown of storage in line with historical averages would then create a risk of widespread gas supply curtailments starting in February 2024 and an extreme price spike of the sort we saw last August.

So what can be done? The IEA suggests that governments across Europe need to go bigger on the policies they have already been pursuing through 2022. Those are broadly grouped under five headings: improvements in energy efficiency, a more rapid deployment of renewables, the electrification of heating, encouraging behavioural change by consumers and scaling up supply. Some of those policies will obviously come with an upfront investment cost The IEA estimates the cost of around 100bn euro. It attempts to put that into context by pointing to the 330bn euro that has been mobilised by EU member states over the last year in emergency packages to shield consumers from high prices.

It reckons that the 100bn euro would be recouped in about two years by lowering gas import bills. So governments will need to get busy with implementation this summer. And meanwhile cross their fingers in hope of another mild winter.

Dublin Airport. Connecting Ireland to the world.

At Dublin Airport, the growth and development of your business is important to us. That’s why we are constantly evolving our own, to help you go beyond. A new runway open ed last year as well as world-class connectivity and all-day U.S. Preclearance, Dublin Airport is open for travel and ready to connect you with the world.

Flying to over 180 destinations direct from Dublin Airport.