Ulster Business - June 2017 by Ulster Business

JUNE 2017 Price £2.30 (¤3.75)

Taking Northern Ireland further Asap Cargo celebrates its 10-year anniversary and sets out an ambitious plan for the future

MEADE IN NI The mentalist explains how to build rapport

VISCOUNT AWARDS The winners from this year’s awards revealed

Contents 6 News

37 Manufacturing

75 Motoring

Everything you need to know and some things you didn’t know you need to know

What to do about the apprenticeship levy, and other policies, by John Simpson

Cookstown sizzler Pat Burns takes the new Italion stallion from Alfa for a spin

14 Cover Story

53 Management Education

82 Appointments

Asap explain how they have taken on the big boys and won, by quite a margin

David Meade the maestro reveals how to build rapport in the business world

You know you want to. Flick here to find out who’s moved where, when and for what.

20 Viscount Awards

63 Wealth Management

90 The Chairman

The winners of this year’s final at the Iod‘s London headquarters are revealed

How to pick the best ISA in a marketplace filled with a variety of products

From Balmoral to Shaws Bridge, The Chairman has had a busy month

23 IT & Technology

74 Business Breakfast

96 Technology

Can Northern Ireland become the cyber security hub to take on Silicon Valley?

Out for the first meal of the day with executive recruitment guru Claire McKee

Adrian Weckler explains why you need to mind your Ps and Qs around today’s tech

00 74 37

A unique corporate experience for Belfast Boasting Belfastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most versatile space for business events Whether you are entertaining prospective clients, rewarding staff, hosting your best customers or simply wishing to escape above the City. Our unique rooftop setting offers you unrivalled views over bustling Belfast from the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest outdoor entertaining area The Ivory offers exquisite menus to match our location and any occasion We truly make corporate COOL

3rd Floor House Of Fraser, Belfast BT1 4QG T: 028 9032 4577 E: info@theivorybelfast.com

www.theivorybelfast.com

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

The business beat goes on

elcome to the June edition of Ulster Business, one again packed with news, views and insight.

by a group of stubborn politicians more interested in playing school yard politics rather than fighting for the good of Northern Ireland.

We come to you at a time of warmer weather - Belfast Lough looks strangely like a Mediteranean inlet from our vantage point in UB Towers as I write this, yes really - of uncertainty the byword for this Brexit countdown period which shows no sign of abating - but also one of stoicism and hope.

There were practical examples - from the large volume employer forced to pay an apprentice levy but given no indication as to how that money will be used to help him take on apprentices, to the manufacturer who felt like he was playing poker with his company’s future amid the dusty uncertainty left by the rip-roaring Brexit jalopy. Worse was the loss of a major investment to Northern Ireland - a story whispered from a well-placed source - not because of the stalemate at Stormont but because of the ineffectiveness of the politicians here.

I know this because we’re just back from the Aer Lingus Viscount Awards finals which are held each year in the Institute of Directors headquarters in London, in association with Ulster Business. Nearly all the finalists travel on the day of the final on the Aer Lingus shuttle from Belfast to Heathrow then on to Pall Mall for the lunch and awards ceremony before heading back in the evening. It’s a great day out and, by spending quality time with some of the people and companies driving the Northern Ireland economy, it offers a chance to take the real temperature of the mood in the business community.

But as usual, the businesses on the trip said they’ve simply been getting on with it; with running their companies on a day-to-day basis, with planning for a future outside the EU and with figuring out how to overcome the impediments ironically placed in front of them by politicians.

This year’s trip, not surprisingly, highlighted a level of frustration with Stormont which has not been seen for some time, a feeling that business (and society) is being patronized

The galling part is that they shouldn’t have to. ■

Publisher Ulster Business c/o Independent News & Media Ltd Belfast Telegraph House 33 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock Belfast BT1 3BG Printer W&G Baird Greystone Press, Caulside Drive, Antrim BT41 2RS www.wgbaird.com

Independent News & Media Ltd © 2017. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Independent News & Media Ltd.

JUNE 2017

And they’ll continue to show that soticism in the future.

David Elliott

Editor David Elliott

Cover photography Elaine Hill

Manager Sonia Armstrong

Production Stuart McKinley

Deputy Manager Sylvie Brando

Contact 028 90 264260

Sales Executive Sarah-Ann Gamble

Online www.ulsterbusiness.com

Free to download. Free to read. ulsterbusiness/app 5

NEWS

The month in numbers 2.6m The number of overnight trips made to Northern Ireland in 2016, a 12% increase on 2015 and the highest-ever level on record, according to the Department for the Economy.

96 The number of cruise ships which docked in Nothern Ireland ports in 2016, 26 more than 2015, according to the DfE. In total they brought 152,000 crew and passengers to these shores. Jim Dobson, one of the founders of Dunbia, pictured with Arlene Foster in 2015

2m The number of hotel room nights filled in Northern ireland in 2016, according to the DfE. The occupancy level stood at 70%.

15m The number of visits to local tourist attractions, according to the DfE. The most popular was the Giant’s Causeway with 944,000 visits, followed by Titanic Belfast with 677,000 visits.

19% The increase in the level of borrowing by firsttime buyers in Northern Ireland in the first quarter of 2017 according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

£350m The total amount of money lent through mortgages in Northern ireland in the first three months of the year, up 3% on the same time last year.

£260m The amount of money US fund Lone Star is expected to make from a rumoured sale of 42 hotel assets - including Belfast’s Jury’s Inn.

Dunbia enters UK joint venture with Dawn Meats, sells Republic business

unbia has joined up with Waterford-based Dawn Meats to form one of the largest meat processing companies in the UK. The two companies will amalgamate their UK operations under one joint venture in an effort to “deliver enhanced scale and market presence to better serve existing farmer suppliers and customers of both organisations”, they said in a statement. In addition, Dawn Meats will also acquire Dunbia’s operations in the Republic, a portfolio which include nine facilities. Dunbia is one of Northern Ireland’s largest indigenous companies and the announcement of the deals marks the end of months of speculation around the company’s future. The new joint venture group, which will be operated under the Dunbia name, will become one of the largest meat processing companies in the UK, subject to the deal being approved by competition authorities, which will process 900,000 cattle and 2.6m sheep annually. It said both UK operations are highly complementary, and will offer customers regionally sourced solutions for both beef

and lamb from 15 facilities across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its headquarters will remain at Dunbia’s Dungannon base and Jim Dobson, who founded the company along with his brother Jack, will remain chief executive of the Dunbia JV while Dawn Meats’ CEO Niall Browne will become Executive Chairman. Mr Dobson said the deal makes sense. “This is the right strategic partnership for Dunbia’s staff and customers, and sees us joining with a company with a shared heritage of excellence in the production of premium beef and lamb products,” he said. “The new UK joint venture confirms our future as a leading supplier in the UK market. In a consolidating industry this deal makes strategic sense for both companies, our customers and our farmer suppliers.” Niall Browne, CEO of Dawn Meats, said the joint venture will improve competitiveness. “We are both family businesses with a deep connection to farming and a culture and business ethos that is centered on quality and sustainability. Given the uncertainty posed by Brexit, this partnership should further underpin the competiveness of both operations to the benefit of all stakeholders.”

NEWS

New Agri-food Business Development Centre at Ulster University

lster University Business School is to set up an Agri-food Business Development Centre with the aim of providing sector specific support through the promotion of agri-food business education, research and innovation. Professor Mark Durkin, Executive Dean of Ulster University Business School said supporting the industry is key. “The agri-food industry is Northern Ireland’s key indigenous industry worth over £4bn per annum and employing over 21,000 people. “In pursuing its aims of achieving sustained business growth, finding new markets and creating a meaningful research agenda the

the sector has access to an appropriately educated and trained workforce who can add value to business growth and productivity through skills in international buying and trading, marketing and communications.

Professor Mark Durkin (right) announces the Ulster University Business School’s new Agri-food Business Development Centre with Visiting Professor Tracy Hamilton and Mike Johnson at Balmoral Show

sector faces a number of strategic challenges such as Brexit, currency volatility, and a reliance on the UK and Republic of Ireland for export. “In meeting these challenges it is critical that

“Evidence shows that agri-food businesses are facing skills shortages. Some 15% of the sector’s workforce are qualified to graduate level compared to 33% for the national average and 42% have no qualifications compared to 14% for all sectors. “Given our role as a leading provider of entrepreneurial education and research it was an obvious move to fill this muchneeded gap in a key sector of Northern Ireland’s economic profile.”

FurniturE SEating StoragE Partitions DEsign CarpEt Lighting Logistics

building interiors building relationships t: 028 9070 1080 e: think@1080.co.uk JUNE 2017

www.1080.co.uk 1080 IS PART OF THE ALPHA GROUP

@AlphaGrpOffice

NEWS

Quotes of the month “I’m practically 100% certain we will not be providing new trade facilitation bays in whatever parts of Donegal, Monaghan or Cavan.” Niall Cody, chairman of the Revenue Commissioners in the Republic, nearly dismisses worries of a hard border in the wake of Brexit.

“We should not underestimate how important this fiscal transfer is to the Northern Ireland economy - it has always dwarfed any net transfer of EU funds into the region and if the transfer was not available there would be a massive slump in both private and public sector activity.” Ulster University’s Esmond Birnie reacts to ONS data which shows Northern Ireland has the highest level of public spending per capita and the lowest level of revenue raised.

“The politicians have become very navel-gazing in their approach to this (Brexit). Actually, business is moving much faster.” Ian Huddleston, president of The Law Society of Northern Ireland, said businesses here are racing ahead when it comes to adapting to the potential impact of leaving the EU.

“I don’t think I’ve ever made any good financial decisions.” The late Roger Moore lamenting his lack of financial nous in a typically humble fashion, probably with one eyebrow raised.

Law firm head gets global role after Belfast success

he man who established Baker McKenzie’s Belfast office has been promoted to Global Chief Operating Officer of the firm. Jason Marty’s move to the top of one of the biggest law firms in the world follows his successful establishment of its Global Service Centre in the city from a standing start over three years ago to one employing more than 200 people at present. That experience, and others, have set him up well for one of the most senior roles in the firm, according to Paul Rawlinson, Global Chair at Baker McKenzie. "I am delighted to welcome Jason as our new COO and to the Global Executive. His global experience and success in the wide variety of roles he has carried out at Baker McKenzie means he is very well placed to succeed in this vital position." Profiled as a Leader in Business by UIster Business when he first arrived, Jason initially set up an office in the Scottish Provident building in Belfast city centre before the firm became one of the first tenants in Belfast Harbour’s City Quay’s One development. He announced the firm’s intention to set up shop here in August 2014, helped by support from Invest NI totalling £1,280,000. It expected to grow headcount at the

Belfast base to 256 within three years and Jason, speaking to this magazine recently, said the firm was on course to hit that target. James Richards, current Director of Legal Services at the Belfast Office, will be taking over as Executive Director and Jason said he was looking forward to his new role which will see him based in Chicago from July 1. "I am looking forward to taking on the COO role and working into the future with Firm leadership and our teams worldwide. This is a time of great change and opportunity in the legal industry and I am excited to do my part to ensure that Baker McKenzie continues to adapt and grow stronger. "

Economy forgets Brexit, Stormont woes

he Northern Ireland economy seems to be shrugging off the current standoff at Stormont and uncertainty around Brexit, according to the latest report from Ulster Bank. It’s PMI index – which takes the temperature of companies throughout the country – showed the strongest rise in business activity in the year to date. Firms were also adding to their order books and headcount at pace, while most expected

Jason Marty, the current head of Baker McKenzie’s Belfast base, who has been promoted to Global Chief Operating Officer of the firm

output to increase later in the year. “Northern Ireland’s private sector has had an encouraging start to the second quarter of 2017,” Richard Ramsey, Chief Economist Northern Ireland, Ulster Bank. “This was reflected in faster rates of growth in activity, export orders and employment. “Indeed, output rose at its fastest pace so far this year, and firms increased their staffing levels more quickly than at any point in the last 10 months.”

NEWS

Supermarket contract for Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt

County Down dairy company has won a half million pound contract with supermarket ALDI.

Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt, based just outside Bangor, will supply its flavoured Greek Yoghurt under its Specially Selected own-brand label in 200g pots. The company, which uses milk from the estate’s Holstein and Jersey cows, has already been supply the supermarket for over a year by the additional contract has come as a welcome boost, according to Bryan Boggs, manager of Clandeboye Estate’s yoghurt business. “Clandeboye Estate Yoghurt was founded on the desire to add value to the milk from our award winning herd and use it to create a food business that would go some way in sustaining this historic estate for the future,” he said. “We have come a long way in a decade and as we continue to grow the business with the support of large trade customers such as ALDI, we will be staying true to our roots and environmental values at the heart of our business.” Clandeboye Estate estimates that the ALDI contract could potentially

Pictured with the new ALDI range are Bryan Boggs, Manager, Clandeboye Estate and Lady Dufferin, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava

be worth around £500,000 a year with supply extending to ALDI’s 129 stores across Ireland. The financial boost will allow plans to progress to expand the business with the building of new production facility on the estate which not only provides increased capacity but importantly will further the estate’s commitment to improving their environmental footprint by making use of Clandeboye’s Anerobic digester for the energy requirements.

PRODUCTIVE DUBLIN JOURNEYS TO

Try our flexible carnet tickets

Conditions apply.

Frequent travellers save up to

JUNE 2017

#smartmovers

NEWS

Plans lodged for latest City Quays office development

he third stage of the major redevelopment of Belfast’s waterfront has taken a step forward after plans were lodged for a new office block in the City Quays development capable of housing 3,000 workers. Belfast Harbour has applied for permission to build the 16-storey City Quays 3, the third office block on the water’s edge adjacent to City Quays 1, which is already occupied, and City Quays 2, which is in development. It will also join the 188-bedroom AC by Marriott hotel. At 250,000 square feet, it will be one of the largest offices ever to be developed in Northern Ireland and is projected to cost £46m to construct. And up to 600 workers will be employed in the development which is expected to be started – subject to approval – by the end of this year and finished by 2019. It will go some way to alleviating strong

demand for grade A office accommodation in the city, demand which has prompted Belfast Harbour to progress with the development without having tenants in place. “As with the two previous offices City Quays 3 will be a speculative development, which is a reflection of how strong demand for this quality of office space in Belfast is,” Graeme Johnston, Belfast Harbour’s Property Director, said.

He added that it will put the build out to tender in due course. “We will be tendering for a contractor in tandem with the planning process which we expect to be swift due to Outline Planning Approval being in place.” Current City Quays tenants include Baker & McKenzie, Cayan, MACOM and NBC. City Quays 3 was designed by Belfast-based architects, RPP.

First Derivatives plans 400 graduate intake By Ellie Donnelly and Donal O'Donovan

irst Derivatives will take on 400 graduate recruits this year, in what is understood to be the biggest programme of its kind on the island of Ireland. The planned intake is up from 300 last year, CEO Brian Conlon said. The stock-marketlisted software and consulting business has a global headquarters in Newry with offices in London, New York, Stockholm, Philadelphia and Dublin and in other global locations. The business has 1750 staff worldwide, "largely recruited on the island of Ireland," Mr Conlon said.

He was speaking after First Derivatives reported a 30% rise in sales in the year to the end of February.

demand for real-time data analytics is rising - including precision engineering, and the defence and space sectors.

Revenue in the period was £151.7m, up from £117m over the same period a year earlier - and surpassed the company's own expectation.

The company, whose Irish operations straddle the Border, has a strategy in place to deal with Brexit, Mr Conlon said.

Pre-tax profits were also up by a fifth to £12.5m. A full year dividend of 20 pence per share is up 20pc from last year.

First Derivatives counts 19 out of the 20 biggest global investment banks among its customers, and weathered the global financial crisis intact, he said.

The company, founded by Newry-born Mr Conlon, provides software, consulting and data analytics products and services, initially to the investment banking sector but increasingly to non-financial sectors where

Cash flow in the business is very strong, supporting further investment in research and development and to fund organic growth, as well as potentially to consider acquisitions, Mr Conlon said.

SHOWCASING THE BEST OF AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY By CormaC mCKervey, SeNIor agrICulture maNager, ulSter BaNK.

NEWS

Cormac mcKervey, Senior agriculture manager, ulster Bank; Cyril millar, ruaS President and richard Donnan, Head of NI, ulster Bank get ready for the Balmoral Show.

BDO wants to hear from YOUR family business

Agri-business has been through significant change in recent years. Operating in a more globalised market has meant responding to larger pressures of supply and demand, as we have seen in the milk industry for example. But not all changes are solely negative – the depreciation of sterling, while impacting on imports, DO Northern Ireland wants to hear has provided a significant boost to the from family-ownedofcompanies price competitiveness goods that we the country to highlight sell throughout in the Eurozone – and given that largest export markettheir in Northern theour biggest issues impacting Ireland is the Republic of Ireland, business. that has provided some signs of the opportunities that are available for It’s Northern confidentialIreland’s Family Business Survey is producers. expected to offer up the most comprehensive there are some grounded and realistic reasonsoffor optimism. although itplanning, overview opinions on succession sometimes doesn’t feel issues, like it, Northern market changes and other including Ireland is blessed with a climate to produce those linked to Brexit. good, high-quality food from grass, and sells produce to highly-sophisticated local Thefood firmprocessors said almostwho three-quarters ofgood in turn have companies Northern Ireland classed as routes toinmarket. We have are well-trained, business-focused young farmers from our ‘family run’. agri colleges. the industry is supported by government and industry bodies like “Family businesses have a rich heritage in this region, yet despite good performance the vast majority do not survive beyond a third

ohrd

CaFre and is recognised as being a core part of our economy. the agri-food sector is very resilient in the face of changes in commodity price fluctuations. In part, the resilience has been built up because of an increased integration of technology with this proud heritage of support and interest in the agri-sector. Newly established discussion groups are helping young farmers share ideas and best practice. technology is improving the logistics of tasks like Pictured launching the Family Business Survey are reseeding, grassland herd with and Maybeth Shaw, Partner atmanagement, BDO Northern Ireland; soil health checks, and isfather having Eddie and Eugene McKeever, andan sonimpact owners of on longer-term financial planning – enabling McKeever Hotels farmers to manage debt and plan their generation,” Maybeth Shaw, Partner at BDO investment in a cyclical industry, as well Northern Ireland as fix their costssaid. when dealing with global markets as a form of risk management. the Balmoral Show, which takes “We know that these companies faceplace unique 10-13 may 2017, is an event where and emotive challenges that can affect heritage and technology are on display, and decision-making. The Family Business Survey everyone can get a good look at some of is about identifying the major factors that are limiting development and supporting strategic planning in turbulent times.”

“We know there are common concerns that the future possibilities of farming and food cut across all sectors and understand the production in Northern Ireland. ulster complexities that Bank is pleased to succession be centrallyplanning involvedand otherthe issues can with Show as have. it moves to a four-day format – enabling even more people to get the opportunity to decades, engage with theNorthern business “For almost three BDO and social sides that the Show has to offer. Ireland’s specialist advisors have assisted With around 100,000 people in family ownedsupported businesses overcome employment bytothe food & difficult external and internal issues and maintain drink sector supply chain there are really their important reasons for us as a bank to growth plans.” encourage collaboration, interaction and the sharing of best practice. It’s for Participation is in the Family Business Survey this reason that the Balmoral Show is a is confidential, easy and takes just a few special event that renews and strengthens minutes All participants the bondsto of complete. rural communities across will receive a Ireland, complimentary copy report Northern and a way thatofwethe feel we provide really help for andcan they can ask formeaningful direct feedback of what to our customers. their matters responses against the consensus of other family businesses across Northern Ireland.

occupational health, risk & disability management consultance

managing health - enabling business

Managing Health – Enabling Business OHRD are a quality, cost-effective Occupational Health Service and the first independent in NI to achieve the industry quality mark ‘SEQOHS’ – Safe, Effective, Quality Occupational Health Service. OHRD offers a comprehensive range of occupational health related services, including risk analysis and assessment of disability related to employment. The company only employs occupational health qualified doctors and nurses.

Our Services Fitness for Work Medicals: • Sick Absence & Rehabilitation – mental and physical ill health and disability; • Pre-employment – advising in suitability and adjustments; • Health Surveillance Assessments – hearing, respiratory, skin, HAVS and eyesight; • Pension and Insurances Assessments – eligibility for award; at heights; and others; • Drug and Alcohol Testing.

And also: • Risk assessment – Workstation and workplace visits; • Policies, Procedures and Management Training – stress, alcohol, manual handling; • Health Screening and Health Promotion – blood pressure, cholesterol and stress checks.

We already work with public and private enterprises of all sizes, and insurance, pension and legal professionals. With clinics throughout NI including Belfast, Londonderry and Enniskillen, contact us to discuss further on:

OHRD Princes House, 44-46 Princes Street, Belfast, BT1 3FP

Telephone: 028 9026 8460 Email: enquiries@ohrd.net Web: www.ohrd.net

JUNE 2017 42 NI Chamber

NEWS

Invest NI targets 40,000 new jobs in next four years

nvest NI helped to create 5,900 jobs in the past year and is aiming to add as many as 40,000 over the next four years. But it acknowledged that the Northern Ireland economy was not likely to see the devolution of corporation tax - regarded as a means of boosting business - until 2019. The Department of Finance has admitted that an original April 2018 deadline for the tax move "may slip". Invest NI says it "promoted" 5,600 new jobs during 2016/17, in reference to job numbers which firms have pledged to create after receiving offers of financial support to create jobs and investment. Offers totalled £152m for the year 2016/17, while the agency also said it had attracted 22 foreign direct investors to set up during the year, compared to 20 a year earlier. Invest NI chief executive Alastair Hamilton said its support in 2016/17 "helped businesses promote nearly 5,600 new jobs against a target range of 4,000-6,000". "I am also pleased to report that our support in previous years has helped create 5,900 jobs this year across a broad range of sectors including agri-food, digital and creative technologies and advanced engineering and manufacturing." The organisation also laid out a new business strategy over the next four years to 2021. Invest NI says it is aiming to increase overall sales across its 1,650 client businesses from between £3.2bn to £4.2bn. It wants to grow sales outside Northern Ireland by anywhere from £2.4bn to £3.1bn. It is understood former Economy Minister Simon Hamilton gave the green light to the organisation's business strategy before

Tony Cowan (right), Woodburn Engineering, is pictured with Moira Loughran, Invest NI

stepping down from his post ahead of the Assembly election.

Economy Minister would want to tweak the plan.

Of the 5,600 'promoted' posts, around half of those are with Northern Ireland companies.

Last month Mr Hamilton said that the delay in the expected devolution of corporation tax created a "bit of difficulty" for some investors.

"Only a fraction of those potential new jobs have yet to be unveiled to the public. It's understood fewer than a third of the 5,600 'promoted' posts have so far been made public. "That's in part, due to the run-up to the Assembly election, General Election and EU referendum impacting on ministerial announcements." One of the firms adding jobs in the last year was Woodburn Engineering in Carrickfergus. It created 10 new posts. Invest NI's ambitious growth plan is subject to an Executive budget, and whether a new

For the year ending March 2017, Northern Ireland exports stood at £7.7bn - up 14.6% on the same period a year earlier. Mr Hamilton added: "We also significantly exceeded our R&D investment target, delivering £203m of investment against a target of £100 to £170m, due to a number of large R&D projects. We also saw a notable increase in investment by locallyowned companies - £109m, a 93% increase on the previous highest year." Total worth of prospective jobs which Invest NI says it has 'promoted' during 2016/2017, following offers of financial support. ■

COVER STORY

The key link How Asap is levelling the playing field for Northern Ireland’s exporters...

Director Stephen Davidson, left, and founder of Asap Mark Adamson

iming is everything in the logistics world. The success of companies like Asap is measured by how much quicker they can deliver your goods to their destination than the competition. That’s something Mark Adamson and the team at the Belfast company are extremely

proficient at, despite, in some senses, not appearing to have the best timing when the company was founded.

2007 was also the year Mark started Asap with a speciality focus on delivering goods between Northern Ireland and Europe.

2007 has gone down in history as the year when the global credit crunch first bit, one which will live long in the memory of anyone involved in business at the time.

“Months later the world’s greatest recession took hold and, technically speaking, we should have been destroyed,” Mark told Ulster Business from Asap’s Mallusk headquarters.

COVER STORY

“Instead we invested in staff and systems and spent more time working with clients to assist their supply chain. In essence, we went toe-totoe with the big boys who were cutting costs at every opportunity.” It was an approach which didn’t take long in gaining favour with a customer base fed up with a diminishing service from other operators. Not only did the core business grow, existing customers asked Asap to undertake business in new further afield markets, such as Asia and USA.

“

We don’t just quote customers, we listen to them, we visit them and we make suggestions they may not have thought about before which improve their business.

”

“The first few years were crazy, but really fun. Now, 10 years on we’re not the new comers anymore and are really gathering momentum.”

The reason for that upward trajectory is Asap manages to differentiate itself from the competition by getting close to its customers and really understanding their business. “We don’t just quote customers, we listen to them, we visit them and we make suggestions they may not have thought of.”

Luckily Asap’s impeccable timing when it comes to delivering goods meant that rather than being a distant memory, the company is taking delivery of a fleet of new trucks when Ulster Business visits on its 10th anniversary. “Entrepreneurial grit and application got me through the first six months. It was a heck of a

JUNE 2017

learning curve and, looking back, it taught me one hell of a lesson.” One of the biggest lessons was not to panic and follow the rest of the industry by cutting costs, slashing staff numbers and reducing the quality of the service, a sure fire recipe for failure.

The trust clients – which range from the likes of Wrightbus, Ulster Carpets, Kingspan and many others - place in them means they are even entrusted to deliver goods between two points outside Northern Ireland, meaning the consignment won’t ever arrive here. Such a relationship doesn’t come along by chance, but by concerted focus on providing the best service possible, according to director > Stephen Davidson.

COVER STORY

For instance, Asap stand out from the competition by being able to guarantee delivery from Northern Ireland to Great Britain - or vice versa - in 24 hours, something it can manage by having strategic depots in London, Glasgow and Telford. The importance of such a service to the Northern Ireland economy can’t be overestimated. It means manufacturers and others here can offer exactly the same delivery terms in GB as their competitors based over there, a factor which is a game changer for many in Northern Ireland. “There are many success stories in Northern Ireland and Asap is becoming one of them by helping local companies compete internationally. We’re seeing significant growth in the UK/Ireland trade lanes by investing in 24-hour services and creating a level playing field for local companies to compete on the UK mainland.” And it makes sure that such lofty claims are stuck to, even if it means, metaphorically, going the extra mile. Stephen recounts an recent incident where one of the team at Asap was awoken at 3am

by a colleague who had discovered part of a client’s consignment had missed the overnight journey to London. He immediately booked himself on a 6am flight and personally delivered the shipment to the destination.

“Who truly knows if it will benefit Northern Ireland because there are so many variables,” he said. However, we are putting our case forward to a range of forums and we will be ready for whatever it throws at us.

“We empower our staff to make decisions like that so they can provide the very best service possible,” Stephen said. “Small things like that can make a big difference to our clients and keep their business on the move.”

“I believe Asap will benefit as many of our competitors are simply ignoring the eventualities.”

Such attention to detail has built up an impressive customer list which includes businesses of all sizes and from all sectors, a following which will grow further in the future in line with the company’s ambitious growth strategy.

He said being at the centre of the discussion is essential for the firm as it acts as a key link between manufacturer and consumer. “We’re all in this together. It’s a shame Stormont can’t collectively overlook decades of division and work together for the greater good of the country.

“We may have been born a small company concentrating on niche European markets but we have evolved through customer demand to become a major player,” Mark said.

“We’ve a highly-skilled workforce, low living costs and will soon have the only UK land border with Europe. We should be riding the crest of a wave, not bickering about pellets!”

“Whether it’s by land, by sea or by air, we’ve got it covered.”

Certainly Mark and Stephen are ensuring Asap is surfing the wave and will continue to do so in the future.

For any business operating across borders, the question of Brexit is not one which can be ignore, and Mark is facing it head on.

“We’re good, and we plan to get bigger and even better.” ■

BREXIT

McWilliams: Changing demographic hints at future path David McWilliams, with the aid of Star Trek, takes an economistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at Northern Ireland to compare its fortunes against the Republic and asks what the future holds, constitutionally

re you a real Trekkie? If so, you'll know the answer to the following question: which was the only episode of 'Star Trek' ever banned in Ireland and the UK - and why? 'Star Trek' is many things, but is it really so incendiary as to be worthy of censorship? Yes it is! The 12th episode in the third series of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' was banned and never shown on terrestrial television in the UK or Ireland. That's because in that episode Commander Data, musing on terrorism in the year 2364, noted that Ireland had been reunited in 2024. This episode was due to be aired in the

Republic and in the UK in 1990 but was pulled by the censors in both jurisdictions. The question is whether Commander Data's time horizon is right? 2024 isn't too far away, in fact Northern Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s centenary is four years away. In 2021. Will it make it much past its 100 birthday? Probably, but now that the EU is apparently preparing to coax Northern Ireland back to the EU in the event of Irish reunification, the EU is forcing us all to focus our minds on the prospect of Irish unity, by positioning it at the centre of the Brexit negotiations. Whereas Brexit is an event, the main determinant of whether Northern Ireland

lasts much beyond 100 will be demography. Let us be clear, the demographic forces are unambiguously on the side of nationalism. The Northern Ireland 2011 census is absolutely definitive in this regard. One of the most interesting statistics shows the proportion of Catholics and Protestants in various age groups. If we look at the elderly, we see 64% over the age of 90 declare themselves to be Protestant, whereas 25% are Catholic and 9% had no declared religion. This split reflects the religious status quo when these people were born, in the 1920s, and more or less reflects the realities of the 1921 Treaty.

BREXIT

The Republic's economy is now four times that of the North, even though the labour force is not even two-and-a-half times bigger. In terms of income per head, the Republic is now almost twice as rich per person as the North. The average income per head in the Republic is €39,873 (£34,552), while it languishes at €23,700 (£20,537) up north. The differing fortunes of north and south can be easily seen in the fact that, having been smaller than Belfast at the time of partition, the population of the greater Dublin area is now almost three times bigger than the greater Belfast metropolitan region.

David McWilliams

So these are the oldest people in Northern Ireland, but when you look at the youngest, the picture changes dramatically. Examining religious/ethnic trends in those children and babies born since 2008, the picture changes. The corresponding figure for those under the age of five is 31% Protestant and 44% Catholic. In one (admittedly long) lifetime, the Catholic population in the youngest cohort has nearly doubled, while the Protestants in that cohort has more than halved. Even given the fact 23% of parents of infants declared themselves as having no religion, we seem to be en route to a united Ireland, pronto. Admittedly religion doesn't automatically imply political preference in all cases, but I do think we should be adult enough to accept that, broadly speaking, Catholic means nationalist and vice versa. Up to now, there has been a significant number of Northern Irish Catholics who might have felt staying with the UK was the right thing to do for their back pockets. But when you look at the numbers you can see clearly that this is a myth or at least they've been sold a pup. Quite simply, the union has been an economic disaster for all the people of Northern Ireland. Everyone has been impoverished by the union and this shows no sign of letting up.

JUNE 2017

The contrast between the economic performances of the North and south is shocking. If we go back to 1920, 80pc of the industrial output of the entire island of Ireland came from the three counties centred on Belfast. This was where all Irish industry was. It was industrial and innovative; northern entrepreneurs and inventors were at the forefront of industrial innovation. By 1911, Belfast was the biggest city in Ireland, with a population of close to 400,000, which was growing rapidly. It was by far the richest part of the island. In contrast, the rest of the Irish economy was agricultural and backward and the only industrial base we had could be termed a 'beer and biscuits' economy, dominated by the likes of Guinness and Jacobs. Fast-forward to now and the collapse of the once-dynamic Northern economy versus that of the Republic is shocking. Having been a fraction of the North's at independence, the Republic's industrial output is now 10 times greater than that of Northern Ireland. Exports from the Republic are €89bn (£77bn) while from the north, exports are a paltry €6bn (£5.2bn). This obviously reflects multinationals, but it also underscores just how far ahead the Republic's industrial base is. Producing 15 times more exports underscores a vast difference in terms of the globalisation of business.

Obviously there are significant differences in terms of prices, access to public services and housing between the two parts of the island, but the fact remains the union has been an economic calamity for everyone in the North. The contrast is made more significant by the fact that economically the North was, at one stage, so far ahead of the south. So where does that leave us? Well, in the distant past, there was good reason to believe that the union preserved living standards in the North, but this is a myth and has not been the case since 1990. Indeed, the end of the Troubles, which should have marked the resurgence of the relative performance of the North, has actually delivered the opposite. Even allowing for the 2008 crash, relative to the south, the Northern economy has fallen backwards since the guns were silenced. If there was an economic peace dividend, it went south. Now with Brexit looming and the concrete and more profound underlying changes in demography, the issue of a united Ireland may be back on the table quicker than most of us imagined - or cared to dread. Star Trek might have been right all along. However, if the EU plan for NI in the future is to make reunification more palatable by increasing grants to a united Ireland, we should reject it. Making any economy a concubine makes it unstable and dependent. Only a free-wheeling capitalist Ireland can sustain unification. ■

In association with

Stellar Ulster businesses celebrate success in London

Ulster Business editor David Elliott and Wendy Austin, BBC, awards host

even of Northern Ireland’s most ambitious companies and two outstanding individuals have been honoured at the ninth annual Aer Lingus Viscount Awards in London. The awards, held in the exquisite surroundings of the Institute of Directors’ headquarters and in association with Ulster Business, have grown over the last nine years to become one of the most respected events on the business calendar and reward organisations and individuals that represent the absolute best in their respective fields. The winners were: The Best SME Award -The Deluxe Group. Provider of bespoke joinery, fit-out and themed finishes to high specification projects nationally and internationally. Best Start-Up Business - Equi-Nutritive Group, which was launched in November 2014 by an equine scientist and nutritionist with a range of five natural, herbal equine supplements.

2017 Viscount Awards winners pictured outside IoD Head Quarters on Pall Mall

in Newry, County Down. Some 80% of its services are exported and the company now counts many large international corporations among its clients. The Innovation of the Year Award went to Babocush; developed by Kerry Nevins to combat severe colic and reflux, the Babocush product went viral, selling out worldwide with an 1,875% increase in sales revenue. The Fast Growth Business Award, a brand new category for this year’s Viscount Awards was won by Mount Charles; the market leader in catering, cleaning, security and vending services for business, industry, retail, education, government and healthcare organisations across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. Mount Charles has achieved 37% and 72% growth in revenue and employment numbers respectively within the past three years.

The Employee Champion Award recognised CDEnviro; an environmental solutions business as the company that has best demonstrated how it supports its employees, proactively developing its workforce to make it a better place to work.

Northern Ireland’s Business Person of the Year Award recognised John Toner, WIS Group’s CEO and Chairman. Under John’s leadership the company’s turnover has risen from £25 million to £39.5 million in less than a year, with that growth attributed to the Renewables Department, which he spearheaded after recognising that expanding into the bioenergy market was the next logical step for the company.

Exporter of the Year - MJM Group, a leading international specialist refurbishment and fit-out service employing 240 people at its 100,000 square foot manufacturing plant

The penultimate award, The Aer Lingus Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to John Donnelly, up until recently, the owner of Retland Manufacturing Ltd

which was the umbrella group holding SDC Trailers and MDF Engineering. The judges also acknowledged the incredible work he carried out as founding chairman of workspace Draperstown Enterprise Agency Ltd and the wonderful support he has given local community organizations and charities, which made him a very worthy award recipient. The Aer Lingus Viscount Award for Overall Excellence was awarded to Allstate who thoroughly impressed the judges with their overall business performance and the impact they have had on the Northern Ireland economy, as well as their dedication to innovation, to cultivating an incredibly talented workforce and to their multi-award winning CSR strategy. Andrea Hunter, Business Development Manager for Aer Lingus Northern Ireland said the quality of entrants was high: “We were hugely impressed again by the calibre of this year’s entrants and while only seven companies left as Aer Lingus Viscount Award winners, the judges agreed that the immense talent and success of the companies present in the room was outstanding. “Aer Lingus is proud to connect businesses with opportunities internationally every day via our Belfast City to Heathrow route and via Dublin Airport to our transatlantic destinations in the US, including our brand new route to Miami which starts flying on 1st September 2017.” ■

Guests enjoying the panel discussion before lunch at the Institute of Directors headquarters at Pall Mall in London

Jo Freeman, cabin crew member, Declan Kearney, Director of Communications Aer Lingus, Paul Mackle, Darren McCrystal and Richard Carron, The Deluxe Group and Wendy Austin (Best SME Award)

Jo Freeman, cabin crew member, Declan Kearney, Director of Communications Aer Lingus and Alexandra Frazer, Equi-Nutritive (Best Business Start Up Award)

Jo Freeman, cabin crew member, Declan Kearney, Director of Communications Aer Lingus, Peadar Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hare and Ciaran Hutchinson, CDEnviro (Employee Champion Award)

Declan Kearney, Director of Communications Aer Lingus, Gary Annett, Naoimh McConville and Jo Crozier, MJM Group and Jo Freeman, cabin crew member (Exporter of the Year Award)

Jo Freeman, cabin crew member, Declan Kearney, Director of Communications Aer Lingus and Kerry Nevins, Babocush (Innovation of the Year Award)

Jo Freeman, cabin crew member, Declan Kearney, Director of Communications Aer Lingus, Gavin Annon, Cathal Geoghegan, Mount Charles and Wendy Austin (Fast Growth Business Award)

Declan Kearney, Director of Communications Aer Lingus, John Toner, WIS Group and Jo Freeman, cabin crew member (Business Person of the Year)

Declan Kearney, Director of Communications Aer Lingus, John Donnelly and Jo Freeman, cabin crew member (Lifetime Achievement Award)

Declan Kearney, Director of Communications Aer Lingus, Victoria Logan, Lucy McCague, Allstate and Jo Freeman, cabin crew member (Overall Excellence Award)

JUNE 2017

HEALTHCARE

A healthy business with a healthy outlook Nigel Walsh, Director, Commercial Banking at Ulster Bank, takes a look at Northern Ireland’s evolving healthcare sector

emographics tell us that the population of the UK is going to get older. What they don’t tell us is how we can best respond to that in terms of the opportunities and challenges that that presents for businesses. Yet having spoken to many operating in the health & care sector, I’ve seen some great examples of the innovation that might point the way forwards. Healthcare could, in fact, be a key part of improving business productivity as well as our general wellbeing. It has a unique dual role as an industry that can develop products for export and create high-value supply chains, but also provides service for people across Northern Ireland at the most vulnerable time in their lives. As a bank, we’ve seen rapid change in our operating environment, as digital technologies come in alongside face-toface banking to disrupt the way things have ‘always been done’. I see the same shift in attitudes for healthcare customers – with people becoming much more engaged in the products and process of maintaining their health. This can in turn increase the expectations that they have of a provider – whether it is something as simple as a text alert from a dentist, or a more comprehensive online platform to connect and manage longer-term care needs. Yet you can see the response taking shape – for example, with businesses like Wood Green Healthcare, which is creating over 100 new jobs through an investment of around £4m in state-of-the-art care facilities, showing

Nigel Walsh

“

Healthcare could, in fact, be a key part of improving business productivity as well as our general wellbeing

”

that it is not just possible, it is an absolute necessity for those operating in the sector to continue to respond to changing customer demand and raise the bar for standards of comfort, security and peace of mind.

In the recent Belfast Telegraph Business Awards, Ulster Bank was proud to introduce a new award category – SME Healthcare Business of the Year, won by GCRM-Belfast – as a recognition of the new practices that are driving change and which make up such a significant part of our economy. There is still more to do across the board. So as we continue to strive towards our ambition of being the number one bank for customer service, trust and advocacy by 2020 with businesses in the healthcare sector and beyond, I am encouraged by the conversations that my team and I have had which we will continue to support with funding and guidance, providing meaningful help for what matters most. ■

IT & Technology

Sponsored by

ONE MOVE AHEAD MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

Elections, taxation and muddled objectives John Simpson picks up the pieces of the apprenticeship levy to assess how this, and other half-finished revenue raising ideas, can be implemented in the wake of the electionâ&#x20AC;¦ 38

ONE MOVE AHEAD MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

n 10th June 2017 the result of the snap UK General Election will be known. A new UK Government will be formed facing what looks like a difficult policy agenda. The election outcome will settle nothing for the Northern Ireland public sector. It awaits progress after the election to get the public sector finances brought back to order. Currently, there is no agreed budget and all departments (except health) have been told to plan for budget reductions which could have been anticipated by a careful reading of the earlier evidence. There are missing parts of the budget arithmetic. About £40m is available from the recent UK budget when Stormont parties are ready to get back to working order. Also the announcement on threatened cuts is known to overstate the problem since departmental budgets can be reduced to match the pay bill saved when the voluntary severance scheme was introduced a year ago. Together these two adjustments put in a cushion possibly of up to £100m to offset a looming deficit which is well over £100m.

JUNE 2017

Then Stormont has a new source of revenue, admittedly on a modest scale. The apprenticeship levy is now in force. Businesses, other than small firms with a pay bill of less than £3m pa, are paying 0.5% of payroll as a new tax. Despite the name ‘apprenticeship levy’ the Treasury has told Stormont that this is not a hypothecated tax. Some employers expected, as in England, to be encouraged to claim a rebate on this tax to offset training expenditure. Stormont has not formally rejected these ideas but the Treasury has made the position difficult by telling Stormont that the money raised by the levy will not simply be transferred as an addition to the Block Grant. Whilst the levy may collect about £76m, the Treasury will only add £24m (net) to the Block Grant. Then, the public sector pay bill will also be paying the levy and that is expected to cost about £29m in the first year, which means the levy will cost the NI Budget a net £5m. Much as there is a need for an expanded range of training apprenticeships, Stormont appears to be caught in a complex

disagreement about the role and justification of the levy. Construction industry employers are now paying in two ways for training: the new levy and the payments to the Construction Industry Training Board which is a second levy of 0.65% of pay roll. They regard this as an unfair extra second payment in NI, not matched by the situation in England. This unhappy confusion is unlikely to be clarified until well after the UK General Election and, even then, not as simply as employers have been expecting. The General Election raises a wider debate about budget implications and changes. As would be expected, political claims to be ‘a party of low taxation’ have been repeated frequently. Rarely does a political party claim to want to increase Government spending except where a particular service (such as the NHS) is deemed an exceptional need. Only occasionally is the voice of the Chancellor of the Exchequer heard as he tries to cut the level of borrowing to manageable long-term levels by increasing some forms of taxation or inventing new ones instead of finding usually > unpopular ‘cuts’..

ONE MOVE AHEAD MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

Brexit, far from the excessive claims on the well-publicised referendum red bus, is bringing possible changes in taxation and spending that will challenge the incoming Chancellor. As was evidenced in the Spring budget, the Chancellor wanted to put a modest increase in National Insurance contributions on the self-employed and stumbled because he was breaking an election commitment not to increase these contributions. Now, after the election, his hands may be less tied on specific taxation promises. Northern Ireland’s public sector will emerge from the election still without an agreement on the restoration of the local political institutions at Stormont. On the unconfirmed arithmetic from various sources, Northern Ireland’s budget figures make challenging reading. The critical feature for the devolved Stormont administration is that there is a financial management problem, even before decisions are made on the apprenticeship levy. Two features, (1) a falling annual UK Block Grant and (2) the inherited extra spending already agreed by the NI Executive, combine to produce this problem. First, the NI budget must manage within the constraints of the Block Grant from the

Treasury. The Treasury has published the size of the Block Grant for the next four years (subject to any small annual UK budget changes). The published annual grant for recurring spending stays, in cash terms, at just on £10.0bn. The annual grant for capital spending is less restrictive, rising from £1bn in 2016-17 to £1.2bn in the following years. Since the recurrent grant is in cash terms, the real spending equivalent will decrease by the level of inflation. Even with inflation averaging possibly just over 2%, this is a real terms reduction, each year, of about £200m. That adjustment alone will be demanding. The second feature brings together a series of local decisions made at different dates which put pressure on the local Budget: two of the largest stem from Executive policy decisions. First, in the avoidance of separate charges for domestic water supplies, these costs are meet through the Block Grant. Second, in an agreement to ameliorate the impact in NI of changes in welfare payments, much of that must come out of the local budget. There are other differences (including lower university fees and higher contributions to the Housing Executive budget) but these show how the Block Grant is already being expected to carry the cost of spending which is larger than an English equivalent.

No surprise, therefore, that there have been unseen problems in producing a NI Budget. For the (now suspended) Minister of Finance, his response has been to resist what he terms the Westminster austerity arrangements. From the Treasury, the austerity claim is denied when put alongside figures showing that public spending in NI is close to 20% per person higher than the UK average. In the absence of a functioning NI Executive, the Secretary of State has issued indicative figures of the likely Stormont budget when allocated to Departments. He has factored in known commitments (from the Fresh Start agreement), taken partial account of financial strains in the health service, and then spread the bad news of shortfalls proportionately to the others. Out of this, because education is a large total, education gained the headlines for the anticipated spending reduction. This budget crisis was inevitable unless the Treasury found an extra windfall source (unlikely) or a NI Minister delivered unpopular spending cuts. That now becomes the starting point for a post-election political settlement. Patience will be needed. The final arrangements for the apprenticeship levy are part of an untidy unfinished agenda. ■

ONE MOVE AHEAD

Excellence is not a skill itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an attitude. vickerstock.co.uk

MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

Rise in business interruption claims highlights exposure to manufacturing industry By Andrew Stevenson, Managing Partner at Caulfield Corporate

ollapsed buildings, damaged factories or destroyed shipping containers; whenever manmade or natural disasters strike the physical damage is often devastating for companies. Business interruption Insurance is possibly the most important coverage for a manufacturing business. Unfortunately, when we are asked to review a company’s insurance programme, it is also one of those covers which tend to be poorly arranged. Our experience of handling property damage claims shows that business interruption now typically accounts for a much higher proportion of the overall loss than the cost of reinstating the physical assets. The traditional form of this type of insurance is designed to compensate for the financial impact of the interruption to the business as a result of physical damage to insured property or other key external events, such as damage to a supplier’s or customer’s premises. There are several key areas that you should initially consider when arranging this insurance coverage: • Select the correct basis of business interruption cover Following a major incident, manufacturing risks will almost certainly face a reduced turnover and a resulting loss of gross profit and should insure on that basis, rather than increased cost of working only. • Select the correct indemnity period Often 12 months to recover is too short a period as there is a tendency to underestimate how long it would take to fully recover after a disaster. Developing a comprehensive business continuity plan

Andrew Stevenson

assists you to evaluate your risk exposure and speed up the process. • Be aware the insurance definition of “gross profit” differs from an accountant’s definition and this common misunderstanding can lead to significant underinsurance. • Always consider adding an element of cover for additional increased cost of working • Include contingent business interruption coverage after physical damage, such as denial of access; customers and suppliers extensions; failure of utilities, and loss of attraction . Research has shown that both severity and frequency of business interruption claims are increasing. The growth of these claims

is fuelled by increasing interdependencies between companies, the global supply chain and leaner production processes We have witnessed the interconnectivity of claims in our global trade leading to the disruption in local supply chains. With new exposures appearing, such as the very topical cyber risks, political risks, pandemics and climate change. As complexity of claims increases, so does the potential exposure for these contingent business interruption claims following non-physical damage for which insurance solutions are available. For the manufacturing industry there are many factors to consider so, as we do with our clients, having these in-depth conversations upfront with your insurance advisor, prior to a potential loss, will reduce the financial impact from these growing global exposures to your business. ■

NI Water awards £3.25m Water Improvement contract to Heyn Engineering supplied by Heyn will ensure that staff and contractors can safely get access to underground services and tanks to help us continue to deliver high quality water and wastewater services, as well as meeting our statutory requirements.” Kevin Denvir Director of Engineering at Heyn added: “We are extremely pleased to have won a contract of strategic importance with NI Water. As a local Northern Ireland company and with Heyn Engineering’s expertise, skills and Ryan Scates, Heyn Engineering; Dean Campbell, NI Water; Kevin Denvir, Heyn Engineering and Gerry Kelly, Heyn Engineering

NI Water has awarded a major new £3.25 million contract to local Duncrue - based firm Heyn Engineering. Heyn will be supplying and maintaining essential safety and maintenance equipment to NI Water over potentially the next six years. As NI Water marks a decade of delivering what matters, investing £1.8 billion in water and wastewater services over the past ten years, this contract will deliver essential health and safety equipment, which will help staff to safely access and maintain our water and wastewater network. The project will also assist in supporting a growing economy, with 7 people working full-time on the contract at the local firm.

Dean Campbell Category Manager, NI Water Operational Procurement team said: “NI Water are delighted to announce this major contract with Heyn, who will maintain, test and certify over 20,000 items of lifting & fall arrest equipment such as cranes and hoists. Heyn will also supply replacement equipment, which is essential for our company to maintain our vast network of Pumping Stations, treatment plants and reservoirs throughout Northern Ireland and continue to deliver what matters to our customers. “Health and safety is a key priority for NI Water and this essential service

experience we will be able to fulfil this essential supply, maintenance, testing and certification contract to the highest possible standards. “The contract has created additional jobs and improved job security amongst our engineering division. Being selected on a contract of strategic importance by such a high profile organisation such as NI Water, has also helped to raise the profile of Heyn Engineering in the industry. We look forward to working in partnership with NI Water.” Heyn Engineering Solutions offer a comprehensive range of materials handling solutions to leading industrial, manufacturing and warehousing sectors in the UK and Ireland. Services range from traditional marine engineering to machinery installation, load testing, machinery moving, ship management to the provision of a comprehensive range of lifting equipment and accessories. Heyn Engineering are representatives in Ireland for a number of leading manufacturers including Demag Cranes & Components, SEW Eurodrives & Geared Motors, Reid Lifting Equipment and Tractel Lifting & Moving Solutions.

Kevin Denvir, Director of Heyn Engineering and Dean Campbell Category Manager, NI Water

Advanced Manufacturing, Materials & Engineering Sector Strategy Action Plan Launch

Pictured at the Launch of the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough AMME Action Plan (l-r) Nicola Wilson, Head of Department: Economic Development, Roger Wilson, Chief Executive, Rob Hardeman, Chair of Matrix NI AMME, Councillor Colin McCusker, Chair of Council’s Economic Development & Regeneration Committee, Andrew Webb from Webb Advisory and Olga Murtagh, Strategic Director – Place.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is determined to ensure that local Advanced Manufacturing companies are fully supported to achieve their growth ambitions. By putting the needs of our businesses first and taking an informed and proactive approach, Council has launched an action plan which responds to feedback received from a wide range of business and industry stakeholders. Councillor Colin McCusker of Council’s Economic Development and Regeneration Committee said “Growing the local economy is Council’s number one priority. One of the key sectors is Advanced Manufacturing, Materials and Engineering. As a Council, we are striving to profile this borough as a centre of excellence for the AMME sector and to build on the success of the technology-led firms that will form the nucleus of our future business growth.”

Manufacturing has entered a fast changing phase of development globally. The current situation is full of challenges and opportunities and the aim of this action plan is to set a course of action for the industry which firmly places our manufacturing businesses at the forefront of our ambitions of growing the local economy. Local manufacturing and engineering companies recently attended the Launch of the AMME Action Plan which is focussed on addressing key issues affecting the sector, including access to skills and training, innovation and exporting. Guest speakers at the event included; Stephen Kelly of Manufacturing NI, Rob Hardeman, Chair of Matrix NI AMME and Gareth Hagan, COO of OCO Global Inward Investment and Trade Advisors.

NEWS

EEF teams up with R&D tax specialist

anufacturing body EEF has partnered with research and development tax relief specialist Jumpstart. It will provide advice to EEF members to make sure they are in line for their full entitlement of R&D tax relief, as well as guidance to those companies seeking to apply for the credit for the first time. Jumpstart will be named as an official EEF Advantages partner – joining EEF’s scheme of third party providers carefully selected to help its members save money and grow their businesses. Having played a leading role in campaigning for the introduction of the R&D Tax Credit, EEF said it is keen to ensure that manufacturers benefit from their full entitlement.

Last year UK manufacturing companies benefited to the tune of £770 million through the tax credit scheme.

“This partnership will be critical in helping companies navigate the complexities of the process of applying for the R&D Credit.

However, EEF said a significant number of companies are either not taking advantage of the scheme at all, or are not maximising their value.

It will ensure that those companies already benefiting can maximise their entitlement, as well as enable those encountering the process for the first time to achieve a smooth route through it.”

As part of the partnership, EEF members will receive a discount on Jumpstart fees. “Our role is to support UK manufacturers and help them realise their growth ambitions in an ever more competitive environment,” Charles Garfit, EEF Membership Engagement Director, said. “Investing in R&D is vital to attempts by manufacturers to do just that by increasing their innovation performance and productivity.

Ian Wolfendale, Business Development Manager for Jumpstart in Northern Ireland, said he looked forward to the partnership. “Building on our significant strength in the engineering & manufacturing sectors, we welcome this opportunity to contribute to the developing dialogue on innovation and we look forward to supporting both large and small companies submit robust claims for tax relief.” ■

Lisburn event showcases innovators

isburn and Castlereagh City Council are holding a showcase to celebrate the unique products which companies have produced in the region over the years. The ‘Made in Lisburn Castlereagh’ showcase will be held on 13th June at Lagan Valley Island and is open to everyone - including local businesses, residents, schools and budding entrepreneurs - to see first-hand the innovative products and talent that is prevalent in the Council area. Councillor Uel Mackin, Chairman of the Development Committee at Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, welcomed the event. “We are delighted that so many of our leading businesses have already confirmed their participation at ‘Made in Lisburn Castlereagh’ including Assa Abloy Security Doors, Leckey, Montupet UK, EDM Spanwall and Coca-Cola HBC,” he said. “Not only can each of these businesses tell their story to visitors they can also use this

Launching Made in Lisburn Castlereagh is James Leckey, Chief Executive at James Leckey Design, Dr Theresa Donaldson, Chief Executive of Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, John McMichael, Managing Director of Montupet UK. and Cllr Uel Mackin, Chair of the Development Committee at Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

opportunity to highlight the excellent career prospects that exist in the local area. “We have a long history of world class innovation such as the DeLorean car, the portable defibrillator, invented by Professor

Frank Pantridge and the linkage system designed by Harry Ferguson, so don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet with the current Lisburn Castlereagh leaders in innovation and learn first-hand how they are helping to shape the future of our City,” he concluded. ■

NEWS

Emigration rise 'big worry' for firms

he increase in emigration is an "alarming sign" for companies, which risk losing key members of staff, business leaders have warned.

Seamus Nevin, of the Institute of Directors (IoD), said the new figures underlined the importance of immigration to the UK workforce and were a warning of the damage a significant reduction could do. He said: "Alarmingly, the fall in net migration is being driven as much by people leaving as by fewer arriving. This is a big worry for employers who risk losing key members of staff in positions that cannot easily be replaced from the home-grown pool available. "The IoD has repeatedly called for the government to guarantee the status of EU migrants already living here. Doing so would allow businesses to start planning for the future. There is a well expressed public desire for increased control of immigration but all parties in the general election should set out clearly the costs of any proposals they make." Stephen Clarke, of the Resolution Foundation think tank, said: "The sharp 14451 Ulster Business Adshows 178 xthat 130_PR.pdf 1 10/05/2017 fall in migration since the referendum British businesses need

to start preparing now for a big shift in the labour market, even before we leave the EU. "Rising emigration among EU nationals, particularly from Eastern Europe, means that many firms would be wise to rethink their investment, recruitment and training policies. What businesses also need during this election campaign is far more clarity from political parties about what 15:37 their post-Brexit migration policy will be." â&#x2013;

CMY

JUNE 2017

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Cookstown Enterprise notches up 25 years driving economic growth Enterprise agency has helped sharply reduce unemployment in the region and has big plans for the future

ne of Northern Ireland’s most successful enterprise agencies has just celebrated 25 years supporting business in Mid Ulster. Cookstown Enterprise first opened its doors in May 1992 and has since helped bring unemployment in the region down from 20% back then to virtually zero today. It was established by a voluntary group of business and professional people from the region who wanted to regenerate the local economy by creating facilities and opportunities for local entrepreneurs to start their own businesses. Public funding of £750,000 paid for most of the construction costs at the Derryloran Industrial Estate base where workshops and starter offices were created. Now the company owns and manages a diverse portfolio of properties situated in six locations around Cookstown which provides accommodation to over 50 tenant companies. In addition, it develops and delivers a range of bespoke training initiatives for business start-up and developing businesses locally. One of the first employees at the agency, Mary Monaghan, remains a key member of staff. Cookstown Enterprise also provides direct support in the form start-up business plans or tailored mentoring and training support to up to 200 businesses each year. While tenant companies are expected to pay a competitive rent for their premises, business plans, advice, training and mentoring services are generally provided free of charge to the clients.

new techniques to grow their businesses and create wealth for the economy.”

Cookstown Enterprise Board and Staff members on the Recipe for Success set preparing to cut the 25-year anniversary cake

Cookstown Enterprise has made it possible for substantial and essential funding to be brought into the area to grow and develop the small and medium business sectors locally. That focus has helped rejuvenate the region in the last few years, according to Chairman, Trevor Wilson, ‘’Cookstown Enterprise has made it possible for substantial and essential funding to be brought into the area to grow and develop the small and medium business sectors locally,. General manager Jim Eastwood said: “It has acted as a catalyst to stimulate business development and growth by ensuring that appropriate intervention took place to aid new business start-up in a region of Northern Ireland which did not benefit from foreign direct investment.” He said the future looks bright for the organisation as it prepares to take on the economic challenges which arise. “With every potentially negative situation there is always an opportunity to be exploited. Brexit will force local entrepreneurs to research innovative ways of doing business in the future. “New markets and joint ventures can be researched to ensure that businesses find

Jim Eastwood said that having reached the 25-year milestone and confirmed its position as a key player in local economic development throughout Mid Ulster, Cookstown Enterprise will use its skills and experience to develop and fine tune its strategy for the future. “With Brexit, combined with the increasing pressure on public budgets and the reduction in expenditure on services, the environment in which Cookstown Enterprise operates is rapidly changing,” he said. “While the plan will not change dramatically, it will be necessary to continually explore innovative opportunities and techniques for successfully doing business in an increasingly competitive market place in which ‘more is expected for less.” And he said the continual expansion of the property base will form a central plank of the strategy. “Maintaining high levels of occupancy and sound financial control will allow the company to continue to operate as a profitable social enterprise which can continue to deliver other non-profitable services to the business client base locally.” And working together with other agencies is also key. “Collaboration has been a successful and productive approach taken by the board and management over the years and future business partnerships and joint ventures will be explored where appropriate to further strengthen the unique bundle of support services offered by the company.” ■

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Master of ceremonies for the Recipe for Success celebratory event, Malachi Cush, presenting the quiz winner’s prize to Tony Converoy CDE Global Limited

Cookstown Enterprise Staff (L-R) Shauna Rooney, Samantha Thom, Zita Carlisle, Mary Monaghan, Andrea McGuckin

A section of the guests who attended the Cookstown Enterprise Recipe for Success 25 year Celebrations

Pictured at the Cookstown Enterprise 25 year celebrations (l-r) Tony Convery, Chairman CDE Global Ltd, Jim Eastwood, General manager Cookstown Enterprise, Trevor Wilson, Chairman Cookstown Enterprise, Brendan McGurgan, Managing Director CDE Global and Adrian McCreesh Director of Business & Communities, Mid Ulster Council)

Pictured at the recent Cookstown Enterprise Recipe for Success 25-year celebration (L-R) Michael Foley Director of Cookstown Enterprise, Eithna McNamee Regional Office Manager Invest NI, Jim Eastwood Cookstown Enterprise General Manager, Jen Guiney Invest NI and Michael McGuckin Director Cookstown Enterprise

Celebrations mark 25 years On Tuesday 16th May 2017 Cookstown enterprise, in the company of 130 invited guests representing the business community and the business support network throughout Mid Ulster and beyond, celebrated its 25th birthday. The celebration was branded ‘Recipe for Success’ which reflected on the organizations establishment and progress over the last quarter of a century. A light-hearted ‘Recipe Quiz’ in which all guests were invited to participate provided useful and relevant information about some of

JUNE 2017

the company’s main achievements throughout that time. Finally, a discussion panel comprising local representatives from the business, public and community and voluntary sectors debated and answered a range of questions for future business success posed by associates of the Cookstown Enterprise on pre-recorded video footage. The celebration concluded with a surprise presentation by CEC Chairman, Mr Trevor Wilson, to Mary Monaghan for achieving the milestone of 25 years unbroken dedicated and loyal

service to the company. Mary was the first employee and commenced her employment with the company as an administrative assistant on the 19th May 1992. She currently holds the position of Property Manager. ■

Protected

Insurance Brokers & Risk Advisors www.abbeybondlovis.co.uk

C-suite execs should take the plunge and invest time in social media By John Moore, Regional Managing Director of Hays Northern Ireland

e’ve all spotted that LinkedIn article posted by a business leader and wondered to ourselves; ‘how on earth do they find the time?’ Every hour is precious when you’re leading a business. It’s not surprising that posting on social media often slips to the bottom of the ‘to do’ list. And despite the proliferation of social media in recent years, many of us are still scared to take the plunge. This isn’t a Northern Irish phenomenon - a recent review found that six-in-10 Fortune 500 CEOs had no social media profile. But there are excellent reasons to put yourself out here. We all want our organisation to be the ‘go to’ organisation in its field. Speaking at events, writing reports and advertising campaigns are great ways to build our brands - but sharing

this valuable content on social media will push it to the next level and may only take a few minutes a day. Surveys consistently show that customers are more likely to trust a company whose CEO is active on social media. Tweeting the occasional observation and engaging online will help to build your organisation’s reputation as being transparent. Where to start? It could be anything from images of staff socials and fun office activities, to podcasts sharing your thoughts on whatever is going on in your sector and beyond. If you enjoy writing and you find yourself with a spare hour while travelling, you could even try your hand at writing a blog on LinkedIn. The key is to identify your area of credible expertise – what is it that you understand well – and focus your digital identity in that field of interest.

John Moore

By making good use of your personal channels, you are effectively addressing the world in your own unique tone of voice, communicating the human side of you and your business. Devoting a few minutes every day to social media can help position your organisation, build trust, engage and energise consumers, attract talent and support the work of other people in your network. ■ To find out more about Hays Northern Ireland log on to hays.co.uk/ni or follow us on Twitter @HaysN_Ireland

Diamond Systems’ false alarm free technology selected for NIFRS

eading fire and security alarm specialists, Diamond Systems, were recently awarded the contract to install, commission, and maintain all of the electronic life safety and security systems within the new Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Logistics Support Centre, currently under construction in Belfast. Diamond Systems, currently celebrating their 30 year anniversary, were awarded the contract for IP video surveillance, biometric access control, gas extinguishing, intruder alarm, and fire detection and alarm, throughout the extensive site. As a specialist provider of intelligent solutions, the team at Diamond Systems focus on exceeding clients’ expectations, utilising the very latest technology to not only protect, but also add value. Steve Snoddon, Managing Director of Diamond Systems, explains, “Today’s engineering solutions must deliver value added benefits, as well as robust functionality, and this is something we do

Cerberus Pro Solution Partner in Northern Ireland, Diamond Systems is therefore unique in its offering of this revolutionary technology, complete with financially backed guarantee against false alarms.

Diamond Systems’ Directors (L-R Tom Snoddon, Steve Snoddon, and Angela Bennett) view the plans for the new NIFRS Logistics Support Centre in Belfast, following their recent contract award

very well. We are delighted to be working with Caldwell Consulting on the NIFRS Logistics Support Centre, with whom we have delivered projects in the past including the prestigious Ulster Bank Headquarters in Belfast; Victoria Apartments, Belfast; Ormeau Bakery Apartments, Belfast; and Whale Technology and Polymer Centre, Bangor.” The life safety solution being delivered to NIFRS by Diamond Systems incorporates the Siemens Cerberus Pro ASA Technology, which provides the industry’s first product lifetime guarantee against false alarms. As the sole Siemens

The security solution also incorporates the very latest technology, using HDTV cameras and a Video Management System from leading global brands, Axis and Milestone. Steve Snoddon comments, “Diamond Systems partner with the world’s leading manufacturers of fire and security systems, to deliver a first class solution to our customers in Northern Ireland. Having recently attained Gold Partner status with Axis, the company which invented IP based video surveillance cameras some twenty years ago, we are delighted to be showcasing their innovative product range on this project”. ■ For further information on Diamond Systems, and to arrange a demonstration of how their innovative fire and security solutions can benefit your business, please visit www. diamondsystems.co.uk

Management education

What are we like? David Meade explores how the ability to build rapport is a key quality for an effective leader

PSYCHOLOGY

he science of likability and similarity can be the driving force behind getting results.

You know what they say – common sense is often very uncommonly applied. Well few principles fit into this category than 'likability', and the science of building positive rapport with those around us.

key to this principle, is to find out what it is that you have in common with the other person. So, before that next meeting do your research. Find out through your network of connections, or social media what the person you are meeting is in to. It could

though; admiring their cufflinks is one thing, but admiring their baby soft completion may not have the desired effect. What about false flattery, and indirect praise? Do these methods work too? False flattery is powerful in the short term, but, be careful if the person

be sports, travel, or you may have gone to the same university. Find a shared interest, or common ground to help underline the similarity principal. But remember to exercise authenticity and integrity – people know when others are not being genuine, especially if you try to pretend you have a shared interest that is not for real.

you are praising realises you are faking it. It is not going to work. Use it for short term gains, not long term ones, and don’t overdo it. Indirect praise on the other hand can work both in the short and long term. In fact, it’s incredibly powerful. Hearing from someone else, that you you’ve been praised is always nice.

It doesn't seem like rocket science. Who are you most likely to say yes to? Your best friend who asks you do something that you don’t want to do, or a work colleague, who you dislike, who asks you to do something that you like doing. Most people will say yes to their friend over their work colleague, even though the task they are doing for them is less enjoyable. Why? We are more likely to comply with the request of the people we like. While we all know likability is at the heart of influence, we tend to ignore or forget to make concerted efforts to make ourselves more likable. It’s a way of cultivating relationships and building rapport. Getting people to like you will mean that they are more likely to say yes to you. This principle can work on anyone, in any industry, whether you are in engineering, manufacturing, education or IT, in your personal and professional life. In fact, research, has demonstrated that the people who are likeable are more successful, get elected, promoted and rewarded, close more sales, make more money, and get better service. What’s not to like about that? Likeability matters so much that every American President since 1961 has been the candidate considered by the electorate to be the most likeable. Yes, Donald Trump was more likeable than Hilary Clinton. One study revealed that doctors spend more time with the patients they like, and less with those they don’t. But how do you get people to like you? If you’d like to make yourself more likeable, and I mean more genuinely likeable, the research shows there are three rules of thumb: similarity, praise and cooperation. SIMILARITY People find it easier to like people if they share something in common. It could be a similar name, ethnicity, or interests. They

JUNE 2017

“

Nobody likes a know it all and to be more likeable it’s much better to be cooperative.

PRAISE

”

Praise produces liking, we like those who like us and say so. So, if you have truly noticed something interesting about the person who are trying to woo, or like something in their office, say it! Don’t be afraid to tell them how you feel. Know the logical limits

In one study, interviewees paid a small compliment to interviewers who had been tasked to select the best candidate for a standard business administration role. Not only did the job not exist, but the business didn’t either. Everyone was in on the secret study, except for the interviewer. And sure enough, where they were paid a small but sincerely delivered compliment, eight times out of ten the compliment toting candidates did better than the other candidate who did not deliver a compliment. So, with that in mind, I want you to think about how you could either directly or indirectly deliver praise in the next week. CO-OPERATION We like people more who we cooperate with, >

PSYCHOLOGY

and who are willing to cooperate with us. One study showed that people who are uncooperative, will 60% of the time be unable to see geniune cooperative interests in the other party. They will only see the differences of opinion. This of course leads to conflict. Think about how you can be more cooperative to make yourself more likeable. Make sure that you leave your ego at the door, and work with the other person to corporately co-create a solution, to meet their needs. Nobody likes a know it all, and to be more likeable, it’s much better to be cooperative. Let’s recap. Likeability is about three things: 1. Similarity. People find it easier to like people if they share something in common. 2. Praise produces liking, we like those who like us and say so. 3. Cooperation. We like people more who we cooperate with.

BACK AT THE OFFICE How can you make yourself more likeable? Here are two things you can do, one with someone you find it difficult to work with, and one with a client. Let’s start with someone that you find difficult to work with. What things do you have in common? Films, sport, children, a love of wine … What is one attribute or quality that they possess that is praiseworthy? They are always at work early, they like helping people, they are a creative and innovative thinker…Think about ways in which you can be more cooperative to them? Help them clean their office, agree with something they say in your next meeting … These tips are so easy to action, and have such immediate rewards. There is no reason why you can’t go out and practice these tips on the next person that you meet. Good luck! ■

Enhance your

Skills & Stand Out

from the Crowd Mini-MBA Programme 15 -19th May 2017 17 - 21st July 2017

For those who are looking for insights into the modern world this intensive five day programme will translate business concepts into practical application through tried and tested learning experiences.

What will the programme provide? –

Understanding the key factors that impact on business performance

–

A thorough understanding of business fundamentals

–

Increased confidence and insight into the world of business and the role you will play in it.

‘ I attended this course last year and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I am applying what I learnt in my current role so would highly recommend this to anyone in, or interested in business.’ Gordon Duff, Allstate NI

EMPOWER YOURSELF To find out more about our Programme and to book your place: 028 9097 4394 leadershipinstitute@qub.ac.uk www.leadershipinstitute.co.uk

OUR UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES ARE

POWERHOUSES OF INNOVATION Innovation is at the heart of successful businesses. No matter what the size or scope of your company, innovation plays a vital role in making your business more productive, more efficient and more competitive. Whether you are looking for additional knowledge and expertise, access to specialist skills, equipment or resources, universities and colleges across Northern Ireland are ready to help you with your business problems. The Connected project, funded by the Department for the Economy, eases the way for business in Northern Ireland to engage with universities and colleges. I would definitely advise any new business starting up to take advantage of the superb resource that is available on our doorstep. The staff and students were there to help us, not just in areas of production and product development, but in market research too - from start to finish the whole process was invaluable. Leona Kane - owner of Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil. The first step is to visit Connected www.connected.ni.org or email lynn.connaughton@collegesni.ac.uk

Collaborating for success

niversities and colleges have so much to offer the business world that it is hard to know where to begin. Working in collaboration with universities and colleges can bring real and measurable benefiits to your bottom line. Funded by the Department for the Economy, the Connected project is a clear sign that the further and higher education sectors in Northern Ireland are ready and willing to offer their vast pool of expertise, knowledge, research capability and world-class facilities to businesses and the community at large. The goal of Connected is to foster closer partnerships between our region’s businesses, both large and small, and the university or college departments who are keen to work with them. For many businesses and organisations who wish to collaborate with a university or college, the challenge can often be to understand what is available and identify the relevant expertise. Through Connected, businesses and organisations suddenly gain access to a significant resource, which can bring about major business benefits.

trader to the international conglomerate – in order to make industry more productive. Both Queen’s University and Ulster University have an impressive track record of achievement in research and education which is refflected in the development of world-class centres of excellence across a wide range of disciplines. Through the Connected project, and in collaboration with the Further Education (FE) sector, both universities are committed to encouraging innovation and meeting the needs of business. Lynn Connaughton, Business Development Manager for Connected explains. “Universities and colleges have invested millions of pounds in facilities, equipment and specialist staff, and businesses can tap into this rich resource. But the benefits are definitely not one way. Engaging with industry sharpens the academic gaze, and feeds back into the curriculum and through the students themselves.”

Queen’s University and Ulster University are working side by side with industry to help Northern Ireland compete on the global stage.

“Our role is simple,” says Lynn. “We can ease the way for businesses in Northern Ireland to engage with our colleges and universities. Businesses can make direct contact with the Connected projects and we’ll then work to link companies with the right academic or support staff. It’s as simple as that.”

With a range of services, the two universities are supporting businesses of all sizes – from the sole

“There is no limit in terms of project. We deal with such a diverse range, from basic

collaboration between two partners, perhaps dealing with material testing or product prototyping, through to more long-term complex research projects involving multiple partners on both the business and academic sides.” Northern Ireland’s six FE colleges have been engaging with business for over 100 years. By responding to the training and development needs of businesses, the FE sector has made a vital contribution to the social and economic development of Northern Ireland. Gerry Campbell, Chief Executive of Colleges Northern Ireland said: “Wherever your business is located, there is a college nearby to help you make a difference to your bottom line. “With high quality staff with industry expertise and leading edge facilities, colleges have the capacity and resources to respond to the changing needs of business and industry in terms of service provision and business development. Across the Further Education Sector there is an accumulation of decades of experience covering a very broad range of expertise and tapping into that expertise has been made more accessible with the Connected project.” To find out how Connected can help your business or organisation contact: Lynn Connaughton Connected Business Development Manager Email: lynn.connaughton@collegesni.ac.uk Website: www.connected.ni.org

at Down Royal

Down Royal Racecourse

â&#x201E;¢

at Down Royal

Down Royal Summer Festival of Racing

Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th June Featuring richest flat race in Northern Ireland Magners Derby / Saturday 24th June

Day 1 / Friday 23rd June / first race 5:45pm (approx.) Day 2 / Saturday 24th June / first race 2:10pm (approx.) Magners Forbidden Flavours Best Dressed Lady Competition Cruise The Caribbean / Saturday 24th June with 3 nights in Miami / Departing 27 September 2017 Return flights from Belfast to Miami with British Airways 3 nights 4* Casablanca on the Ocean, Miami Beach / room only 7 nights on board MSC Divina / Cruise the Eastern Caribbean. All-inclusive drinks on-board MSC Divina

Hospitality packages from ÂŁ60 Book now at www.downroyal.com #bestdressed #downroyal #magnersderby

TECHNOLOGY

Catalyst announces finalists in £33,000 competition The chosen finalists of INVENT 2017 are: Creative Media & Consumer Internet Seatview - 360 degree virtual reality seat views Farm TV - Agricultural video content platform

Engineering Hug - Discreet wearable heatpack Edde by Iris - Water rescue device

Enterprise Software

The 12 finalists with judges and sponsor Bank of Ireland UK

he finalists in a £33,000 competition organised by Catalyst have been announced.

Invent programme manager, Kerry McGarvey, said the quality of innovation was hugely impressive.

INVENT 2017 will see 12 finalists battle it out in October to win a share of £33,000 and a place on the NI Tech Mission to California. Invent is Northern Ireland’s showcase competition for the rapidly developing knowledge economy. Over the course of 9mths it challenges and develops the ideas, proof-of-concepts and prototypes of inventors, entrepreneurs, scientists and start-ups from across Northern Ireland. The aim is to discover and maximise the commercial potential of their ideas further and reduce go-to-market risk.

“We had a record number of entries and the quality was phenomenal. At the semi-final each team had just three minutes to convince the judges that their solution for the problem they identified had the potential to succeed – all 24 semi-finalists did an outstanding job and the 12 selected for the final are brilliant examples of NI’s booming knowledge economy.”

This year’s highly experienced judging panel included Andrew Sloane, Investment Lead at Accelerated Digital Ventures, Julia Groves, partner and Head of Crowdfunding at Downing LLP, Conor Clarke, Investment Associate at Eli Global, Nicola McClafferty Investment director at Draper Esprit and Gavin Kennedy Head of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK.

Gavin Kennedy, Head of Business Banking NI, Bank of Ireland UK, said it’s important to support such talent. “We understand the importance of what entrepreneurs are building and the valuable contribution they make. Bank of Ireland is very proud of its partnership with INVENT in supporting these innovators because what they are doing is not only incredibly exciting but also extremely important to the NI Economy as they become the SMEs of the future.

ProtectBox - Automating and simplifying the identification of cyber security solutions Uleska - Fast, proactive and scalable application of security features.

Electronics Evy – Smart tracking bag. DITACA - Securing distributed critical systems via the cloud

Life and Health The Blinky Company - Intelligent buggy blanket Phion Therapeutics - Targeted and controlled drug delivery technology

Agri Science The Skinny Sauce Company - Sugar free, gluten free all natural sauces KegoMatic - Automated beer keg solution The climax of the competition, sponsored by Bank of Ireland UK, is the gala Invent Awards night, being held at the Belfast Waterfront on Thursday 5th October 2017. Over 600 investors, entrepreneurs, executives and top research scientists will gather to hear the announcement of the winners. Early Bird tickets are on sale now at www.invent2017.co

Wealth Management

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

How to pick the perfect ISA We unravel the bewildering range of ISAs available to help you pick the best one for your money... just in time for the tax year end. By Felicity Hannah

ndividual savings accounts (ISAs) used to be fairly simple; cash accounts or stocks and shares, with the allowance capped for each option and limited movement between the two. Fast forward to the present day and there are four ISA brands, with another one about to launch.

And this has caused some confusion among savers. Nici Audhlam-Gardiner, managing director at Saga Investment Services, says: “So many changes have been made to the ISA system over recent years that people are struggling to understand the rules. Britain needs savers of all ages and keeping things simple is the best way to encourage understanding and action.

for all ages, the same terms and benefits for any purpose.”

“So we are calling for a wholesale simplification of savings - one ISA account

But it’s important to remember that the premise of every ISA is simple – it’s a tax-free

AN OVER-ABUNDANCE OF ISAS There are now cash ISAs, stocks and shares ISAs, Help To Buy ISAs, Lifetime ISAs, Innovative Finance ISAs and Series Of Unfortunate Events ISAs – okay we made that last one up.

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

account where you can shelter your savings or investments and the taxman can’t touch the returns. There’s a limited amount that can be saved each year - £15,240 in the current tax year but it rockets to £20,000 in 2017/18. That amount can be saved into one type of ISA or divvied up among the various options. So here is a quick rundown of the types of ISA on offer and who they are suitable for. CASH ISA This is the most popular type of ISA and the easiest to understand. Cash goes in, cash plus interest comes out. Cash ISAs are as simple as standard savings accounts; you can have a regular saver, easy access account or fixed-rate bond. And, as with any ISA, you can add to the total each year until you have a vast store of tax-free wealth – or you can simply use it to stash whatever you can afford to save. This is a good ISA option for people who don’t like risk, who want to know exactly how much they have at any one time and who are not saving for their first house or for retirement. As long as the account allows instant access to cash, it can be a good place to keep an emergency fund. Just make sure that doesn’t max out your allowance and prevent you investing in a tax-free account for the longterm. STOCKS AND SHARES ISA It’s also possible to invest in funds, bonds and shares, and still keep it all in a tax-free wrapper, meaning there will not be any capital gains tax to pay on any profits. You usually open a stocks and shares ISA via a fund management group, online broker or fund supermarket, although some will charge fees for opening and managing your account. With any investment there’s a risk that the value could rise or fall, so this is not the right account if you are risk averse or if you plan on withdrawing your investment in the near future.

JUNE 2017

“

So many changes have been made to the ISA system over recent years that people are struggling to understand the rules. Britain needs savers of all ages and keeping things simple is the best way to encourage understanding and action.

”

Nici Audhlam-Gardiner

These accounts are best for long-term investment so that a sudden dip in the stock market doesn’t wipe out your wealth just as you need to withdraw it. INNOVATIVE FINANCE ISA A lot of people have been investing their cash into peer-to-peer lending opportunities via websites such as Zopa and Ratesetter, with many platforms offering better returns than the lacklustre savings market. Although this new kind of ISA was launched last April it has not been easy to invest in one so far, as providers scrambled to get approval from the Financial Conduct Authority. However, many are now open for investment so 2017/18 is likely to see real growth in account take-up. Some of the biggest P2P lending platforms have not yet launched, though, so some investors may prefer to hold back until the market has filled out more. These accounts are best for investors who understand the peer-to-peer lending market and are comfortable with the risks involved. HELP TO BUY ISA These cash ISAs are designed to help

first-time buyers save a deposit for their first home and can be used to help buy a property worth up to £250,000 – or £450,000 in London. Help To Buy ISAs are regular saver accounts and it’s not possible to save more than £200 a month into them, although you can add £1,200 in the first month. When the money is used to buy a first home the government will top it up with a 25% bonus out of the public purse, up to a maximum of £3,000. To get the full bonus savers would need to save the maximum amount for four-and-a-half years. This kind of ISA is a good idea for anyone saving for their first home. Be aware that this counts as a cash ISA, so it is not possible to save into both a standard cash ISA and this kind of account in one tax year. Some providers do let savers split their ISAs, though, and hold more than one ISA product in their cash ISA account. LIFETIME ISA The new account on the block offers a free government top-up. But it comes with a pretty severe health warning. It was announced by George Osborne in what turned out to be his final Budget and it’s designed to help the under-40s save more for either their first home or their retirement. The government will top up savings held in these accounts by 25%, although a maximum of £4,000 a year can be saved. That means there’s an annual £1,000 of government cash up for grabs. It will be paid each year until the account holder reaches 50, meaning an 18-year-old could pocket £32,000 in bonuses if they saved £4,000 a year until they reached 50. That could happen, right? However, a big financial health warning is needed. The money is tied up until the account holder reaches 60, unless they want to use it towards their very first home. So, if the account holder suddenly needs cash, they can’t access their Lifetime ISA savings without paying a 25% penalty on withdrawals. ■

WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Trump and your investments Emily Waterworth, Assistant Director at Brewin Dolphin, explains why Donald Trump’s future in the Whitehouse has a major bearing on markets far and wide

nvestors have recently been getting concerned about presidents, reform and corruption.

approval ratings have historically lost a lot of seats during the mid-terms after that president’s election. Impeachment, however, matters very little unless the Senate subsequently votes by two-thirds majority to remove the president from office.

Most obviously, there is the ongoing saga of President Trump and his fractious relationship with former FBI Director James Comey.

The only circumstance in which that is likely to happen would be if there was incontrovertible evidence of wrongdoing because otherwise, regardless of who is in majority, Senate Republicans are likely to give the President the benefit of any doubt.

President Trump is alleged to have asked Comey to drop an FBI investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s links to Russia. Lawyers may ultimately have to decide whether this would amount to obstructing justice and there have been plenty of calls for - or suggesting the potential for impeachment. Meanwhile, Brazil’s financial markets plunged 10% following claims that President Temer had approved a bribe to prevent a former parliamentary speaker testifying in Brazil’s ongoing anti-corruption probe.

corporate tax rate, the Trump administration seems to be determined to couple this with tax cuts that seem targeted at the wealthy.

Why are investors worried? What is important to investors is policies not personalities. In the US, it is not who occupies the Oval Office but what might happen while they are there. Although we have been fairly sceptical of the faddish “Trump trade” there remains hope among some investors that the President will pass a huge tax cut later in the year. Optimism of this kind was far greater earlier this year but has gradually drained away as the President and the Republicans have really struggled to pass material pieces of legislation.

Much of those cuts would likely be saved by the recipients, rather than providing stimulus for the economy. As a result, America’s public finances, which are due to deteriorate anyway, would be even worse, and this would occur towards the end of the economic cycle when traditionally governments should be shoring up their finances against an eventual recession. And, to the extent that tax cuts could boost demand, they would do so when demand seems to be picking up quite naturally, potentially hastening the onset of inflation and recession.

Similarly in Brazil, a repeat of the lengthy impeachment process which engulfed exPresident Rousseff would delay much-needed labour reforms and raising the retirement age from its current early 50s.

Will President Trump be impeached? He could be, but that in itself is unlikely to worry the market. The most likely time would be late next year, though for now the Republicans control the House of Representatives which is where an impeachment vote would have to be passed.

How important are the US tax reforms? We are far from convinced that the tax cuts proposed by President Trump would be of serious benefit to the US economy. While there is a good case for reducing the

Emily Waterworth, Director at Brewin Dolphin

There is a good chance of the Democrats taking control of the House in November 2018, if only because presidents with low

What would happen if Trump were to leave office? The US has a line of succession and you can go quite some way down it before you find a candidate who would upset the markets. Vice President Mike Pence would be first in line. He seems to have been taking a larger role in the Trump administration than vice presidents traditionally have, perhaps because of the President’s unorthodox style and lack of political experience. If for any reason he was not prepared or able to serve, then the Speaker of the House of Representatives would take over. Speaker Paul Ryan is the author of his own more coherent package of tax reforms, so we can assume that at least some parts of the market would be buoyed by such a development. Of course under such circumstances the chances would still be that the window of opportunity for tax reform in 2017 might have been lost due to the time taken for the administration to collapse. But generally we tend to think that investing in the hope that politicians will do great things is a strategy at risk of disappointment. Far better to invest where the private sector works efficiently, institutions are strong and politicians are unable to do too much damage. For all its challenges, the USA seems to be proving just that. ■

All may not be lost with our SIPP SOS Richmond Wealth CEO Chris Bryans is standing up for savers mis-sold high-risk Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) schemes

cross Northern Ireland, SIPPs are causing a lot of sleepless nights. Are you one of the many lifelong savers having nightmares that your hardearned savings are at risk? Or already lost due to unsuitable pensions advice to invest in property overseas?

Did you lack understanding of SIPPs and the process of investment? Did you feel under pressure to opt for an investment you did not really need or want? Was there a hard sell? Were you given information that you now know to be poor or incorrect? Was there a lack of transparency about fees?

My advice: take heart and take action right away. In our experience, working on behalf of clients who have been hit hard by mis-sold SIPPs, it may not be too late to recover your lost pension savings. You could be entitled to compensation.

Were you warned about the risky nature of investing in the offshore scheme and the potential financial loss? Have you been advised to invest in Cape Verde, Storage Pods, Harlequin or Ethical Forestry?

We have become increasingly concerned about the number of people whose lifesavings are now in peril due to poor and unsuitable pensions advice. Mis-selling of SIPP schemes, it seems, has become an epidemic because of the investments being recommended. For inexperienced investors this is putting their entire retirement at risk.

Chris Bryans

particularly involving offshore property or other unusual investments, Richmond Wealth should be your first port of call. If you have invested and any of the following danger signs applied to the selling process, there is a good chance you’re a candidate for compensation:

We are committed to help you put things right and protect your interests. If you have doubts about existing SIPP investments,

If you answered YES to any of the above, we strongly recommend you seek immediate help from a professional resource you can trust. It is essential you only work with financial advisers, such as Richmond Wealth, who are fully authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to advise on investments. ■

Phone us on 02895320333 or contact us at pensionshelp@richmondwealth.co.uk.

Improving the bottom line by investing in employee benefits By Colin Willis, Employee Benefits Consultant, Willis Insurance and Risk Management

small outlay on the part of the employer. In one case, we assisted a major manufacturer which was experiencing issues with long-term sickness that were having a detrimental effect on performance rates, and ultimately the organisation's bottom line.

comprehensive package of employee benefits can form a key part of any company’s efforts to manage wealth and provides a tax efficient way to attract the right type of people to the organisation. It also reduces expenses on recruitment, training and salaries by building staff loyalty. Benefits offered can vary greatly from private medical insurance, help with optical and dental bills or physiotherapy and gym memberships. Popular choices include health cash plans, income protection, private medical insurance and death in service benefits.

JUNE 2017

Colin WIllis

Offered as a group scheme, these extras improve staff retention rates and their introduction can often be more cost effective than simply raising salaries. A simple range of benefits can be highly valued by workers while representing only a

Our Wealth Management and Employment Services teams worked with the client to address the absence issues through introducing a series of staff benefits and employee assistance programmes. This included Income Protection and access to support for external factors that were having an effect on work performance. Within six months the company recorded a significant reduction in absentee levels as well as an increase in the Key Performance Indicators being met by employees. ■

INHERITANCE TAX

The residence nil-rate band In the run up to the 2010 Westminster election, the Conservative party issued a manifesto promise to increase the inheritance tax threshold to £1m. Now the Tories have made good on their promise when the new residence nil-rate band (RNRB). Ciaran Hamill, Wealth Manager at Davy, explains what it means for you

he RNRB will be welcomed by many taxpayers as it is estimated that over 22,000 families will benefit from the new allowance by 2020. However, in Shakespeare’s immortal words “all that glitters is not gold”.

tapered by £1 for every £2 the net value of the estate exceeds £2 million. The £2 million figure is arrived at after deducting liabilities but before taking account of exemptions or reliefs. How much RNRB will apply? The available RNRB will be the lower of:

The application of the allowance is far from universal, with the scope of the relief being both restrictive and complex. What is the new residence nil-rate band? The RNRB is a new allowance which effectively tops up the existing nil rate band (NRB) of £325,000 per individual, thereby further reducing the amount of the estate that is subject to inheritance tax. The relief has been introduced at a maximum of £100,000 per individual for deaths occurring in the tax year 2017/18 and will increase by £25,000 per annum, until it reaches £175,000 in the tax year 2020/21. From 6th April 2021 the RNRB will increase in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In the case of married couples and civil partners, as with the existing NRB, the RNRB is transferable to the surviving spouse where the allowance has not been used on the first death, either partially or in its entirety. In a nutshell, when the full RNRB comes into force on 6th April 2020, a married couple or civil partners can potentially pass on up to £1 million worth of assets (including a residential property) to their direct descendants, free from inheritance tax - on the proviso that the qualifying conditions are satisfied. Will your estate qualify for the RNRB? In broad terms the allowance will only be available if:

• The net value of the residence (taking account of outstanding mortgages or other liabilities), and

Ciaran Hamill

• The death occurs after 5th April 2017. However, the RNRB can be transferred to a surviving spouse or civil partner even if the first death occurs before 6th April 2017, • A residential property has been included in the estate at death, • The property, or share of it, has been passed on to direct descendants (including children, step-children, adopted children, foster children and grandchildren, as well as a spouse or civil partner of a lineal descendant who has not remarried). However, leaving a property on trust for direct descendants will prevent the RNRB from being applied, save for a number of limited circumstances, • The property has been occupied by the deceased as a dwelling house at some point. Although the property does not have to be the main home, a property that was never lived in, such as a buy-to-let, will not qualify, and • The value of the estate is £2 million or less, otherwise tapering applies. The RNRB will be

• The maximum amount of the RNRB band in force at the time of death. Provision for downsizing, gifting or sale of the property The legislation makes a concession for individuals who downsize, sell or give away their home after 7th July 2015 and lose out on all or part of the RNRB as a result. Provided certain conditions are met the estate will be compensated for the lost RNRB with a downsizing addition. Broadly speaking, the downsizing addition will be equal to the RNRB that has been lost as a result of the former property no longer being included in the estate. Conclusion On the whole, the introduction of the Residence Nil Rate Band is good news for taxpayers. However, its restrictive application may necessitate the need for individuals to review their existing arrangements and consider appropriate estate planning. Before taking any action in this regard, professional advice should be sought in order to ensure that adequate consideration has been given to all of the financial, legal and tax implications of any proposed course of action. ■

MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE TO YOUR FUTURE RIGHT NOW. They say the future makes its own plans. But you can have a major influence on your future possibilities, by taking action now. It begins with a conversation with one of our advisers. It leads to a Financial Life Plan and investment strategy that stays focused on your goals as they evolve. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready when you are.

With Davy, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a relationship. Start yours today. Call 028 9031 0655 or visit davyprivateclients.co.uk Davy Private Clients Donegall House, 7 Donegall Sq. North, Belfast, BT1 5GB

The value of investments may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than you invested. Davy Private Clients is a division of J & E Davy. J & E Davy, trading as Davy, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Davy is a member of the Irish Stock Exchange, the London Stock Exchange and Euronext. In the UK, Davy is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and authorised and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority. Details about the extent of our authorisation and regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request.

SOAPBOX

Get real

Martin McDowell and Frank Cassidy from Osborne King call for political leadership to ease the uncertainty in Northern Ireland’s commercial property market. By David Elliott.

“I

’m getting the band back together.” If I had made a list of phrases I didn’t expect to hear at this, the latest sitting of the OKUBRWG (Osborne King Ulster Business Rant and Write Group), this particular gem would surely have been near the top. I should have known better because previous visits to the OK boardroom have resulted in similarly outlandish proclamations, some of which have been publishable, some of which are best left for another medium. This particular nugget arose while Martin McDowell, the Managing Director at the Belfast firm, recalled the recent reformation

of his school band for a one-off appearance. “Get real,” you might be tempted to say – and no doubt the other band members thought just that when contacted by Osborne King’s Managing Partner with a call to musical arms - but the truth was Diplomat, as Martin’s band was somewhat ironically called, did indeed reform and a bunch of ageing rockers were brought back to fame for a few brief minutes. Such a phoenix from the ashes resurrection is at the heart of the discussion which follows with the frustrated musician-turnedcommercial-property guru Martin and frustrated GAA star-turned-commercial-

property guru and fellow Osborne King Director Frank Cassidy. They want our politicians to get real or, more accurately, to wake up to the reality of the current political situation which the world of business is being forced to operate in in Northern Ireland, one which prompts frustration of such epic proportions it dwarfs any lasting desire either of the pair have to pick up a plectrum or reach the heights of the McCrory Cup winning squad of 1973. They are unusually frank in relaying their frustrations because, as they point out, Osborne King remains an independent agency and not bound by the guiding hand

SOAPBOX

To prove his point, Martin unveils a hefty example. “We agreed a major sale and leaseback transaction about three months ago to an American company. About six weeks ago it pulled the deal on the grounds of political instability in Northern Ireland.” A little more prodding and he reveals the deal totalled £20m. Maybe this is a good juncture to stop and have a think about what we have missed out on: £20m of US money which was destined for Northern Ireland has now headed elsewhere; £20m which would have oiled the wheels of commerce and given credence to the suggestion by some that “everything’s fine” is out of our grasp; £20m that, frankly, we as an economy couldn’t really afford to lose has headed down the river. It sounds like a Martin McDowell chorus, but political instability is a big worry for the Northern Ireland economy, not just in terms of deterring overseas investment but by dissuading entrepreneurship, according to Frank. “I worry that people will get behind the parapets and stop demonstrating enterprise,” he said. “We have plenty of enterprising people out there who are prepared to take chances but we need to get them out there playing because the economy is depending on them.” of a parent company. Thank goodness, I say, because the two are giving a voice to opinions which their rivals and partners concur with but are reticent to share. “There’s a complete lack of realism from our local politicians with regard to how difficult it is to operate in the economy at present with all its associated problems, whether that be the Executive not functioning, the snap general election or Brexit,” Martin said, taking a much more direct approach to the subject than this story has so far. “The uncertainty which all these factors have created is a really difficult thing to work in. Capital is a coward and will go nowhere near uncertainty.”

JUNE 2017

He believes the problem is deep seated in the global political landscape. “It’s a worldwide issue of populism versus pragmatism. It’s easy to be populist but there aren’t many politicians who are prepared to apply a pragmatic business approach when they get into power which all economies need to survive. “These aren’t people who make genuine economic decisions; these are people who need to stay in power and win their core electorate vote. Hence we have a coalition of convenience rather than a forward- thinking bunch of politicians who put Northern Ireland on the economic map.”

“We need to figure out how we ensure some pragmatism once they are elected. Perhaps the Public Accounts Committee should base its judgements on what facts politicians had at hand when they made decisions rather than hauling them over the coals for making decisions which turned sour because the facts changed.” Whatever the solution, the current situation has put the economy and the commercial property market here in one of the most difficult situations it has ever endured, according to Martin. “In the past business has always found a way but the instability and uncertainty at the moment is the most difficult time I’ve tried to run a business,” he said. “That’s why we need realism because there are a lot of people pretending that is not the case. “The numbers don’t back that view up. Transactional numbers have taken a serious pounding since the Brexit vote and when you add in the political instability at Stormont it’s a sad picture. “We’ve just had 10 years since the start of recession and we were slowly climbing out of it. But Osborne King can categorically state that trading has regressed since the Brexit vote.” Both men called for leadership, both from Westminster and from Stormont, to help dispel the cloud of uncertainty and allow the economy to function in a near-normal environment. In the meantime, Martin said underlying fundamentals are going to be the key focus in the commercial property world. “You have to look to the base fundamentals: the strength of company which occupies the building, are the rental levels sustainable, the development costs which are manageable. In uncertain times, that’s what is important. People will be more conservative and take less risk.” And both want Stormont to follow Martin’s school band revival.The phone call to say “I’m thinking of getting the Executive back together” will take leadership, it will take courage. It’s about time we had both. ■

EXPORT

Brexit: friend or foe for E-commerce companies? Chris McEldowney, VP of Client Operations at Export Technologies, explains how Brexit is impacting the exporting businesses

TAKE THE FEAR OUT OF BREXIT T

he results of the EU referendum are clear. The implications for business are not. Online retailers, like many in the business community are trying to understand what the decision to leave the EU will mean for their economic future. We at Export Technologies have transacted more than £1 billion online for UK and Irish retailers, manufacturers and distributors and are starting to notice the impact of Brexit, not least because of the depreciation of the pound. Overall sales on the IRP platform increased by 40% from June to December 2016, and the weaker pound after the Brexit result played a significant role in the increase. This was because our UK-based clients, using our technology to sell products online into Europe, instantly became more competitive against international competition, thus increasing share in their respective markets. We were able to use this boost to our advantage by ensuring all client websites and marketing channels had country-specific customised messaging highlighting the cost savings to be had. However, he feels this growth won’t continue in the long-term. “This exchange rate boost is short-lived and the negative effects will be

seen by clients later in the year when they buy new products from European suppliers. Their margins will become squeezed and future buying power with the suppliers will be reduced due to the weak exchange rate. Fears over potential changes to rules and regulations on the transportation of goods through Europe are also very real and something that worries one of Export’s clients – global manufacturer, Penn Elcom. They said that having an online presence in the UK and selling through Europe means it currently does not pay import duties on products that are transported to Europe, however this may change due to Brexit. Going forward, local VAT and import duties may be charged on items and this will vary widely depending on the types of agreement that has been set up with country. But Penn Elcom said it won’t know what they are until trade agreements have been confirmed. Not all is bleak – there is still serious money to be made online for companies who embrace the challenge and are flexible with their targeting of customers, especially outside Europe. We specialise in optimising e-commerce sites to make them more attractive for international shoppers. The IRP platform can

generate traffic to a website and convert them to customers, as well handling the languages, currencies and localised markets in a systematic way. This has helped considerably with generating significant sales as shipping; currency and customs are the main blocks to sale in international markets. This has proved particularly effective for Export’s clients who use the IRP platform to sell into international markets. We have seen a significant spike in combined overall sales in 2017 to non-traditional countries. Using February 2017 as an example and comparing figures year-on-year, one client selling jewellery saw sales to Macau increase by 1900%, by 900% to Hong Kong and 340% to Saudi Arabia. Canada also performed well with one client selling electrical equipment seeing an increase of 3500%, while sales of fishing equipment increased by 460% to the USA for another County Fermanagh based client. There is still an enormous opportunity for online retailers who adopt a global approach to e-commerce. With the right technology and strategy in place, it is possible to sell anywhere - Brexit will not change this. We can’t predict the future, but if Q1 is anything to go by, the next few months will be pretty significant for our clients in terms of sales and global reach. ■

THE TOP 100 NORTHERN IRELAND COMPANIES 2017

Out AUGUST 2017 WILL YOU BE IN IT? To book your space in the edition contact the advertising team on 028 9026 4260

INTERVIEW

Business

Breakfast

By David Elliott

The column that doesn’t have time for lunch... BREAKFASTEER: CLAIRE McKEE BREAKFASTING VENUE: THE NATIONAL, BELFAST

lright already, as they might say across the pond. Yes we’ve been to The National once or twice before for this feature but it’s geographical location to Ulster Business towers and, as it happens, to this month’s interviewee’s office, meant it was the logical choice. So give over and roll with it while we regale you with tales of executive recruitment daring do and petit dejeuner adventure. Off course, The National also does a pretty good breakfast, a key consideration for this feature and both of us were quick to order the poached eggs and, that hipster staple, smashed avocado. We forgot to mention the ‘on toast’ part of the order so ended up with what would have been a particularly healthy breakfast but that was quickly rectified and order restored. And, in keeping with previous experience, the customary notebook was left in the office to be replaced with a Dictaphone (actually an iPhone but let’s not lose the journalistic romance) to avoid the achilles heel of breakfast interviewers everywhere; yolk on the notes. It’s worth showing a bit of professionalism at this particularly meet because the subject was none other than Claire McKee from Clarendon Executive. Although more used to sitting on the other side of the interviewing table than being forced

to speak while trying to enjoy the first meal of the day, Claire handled the grilling with ease, perhaps suggesting the technique employed was more Paxo-stuffing than Paxman. A law graduate from Queens University, she completed the graduate management training programme at Parity before heading to Manchester to do a Masters in human resources and employment law. After returning to Northern Ireland she spent a period working in human relations in both the public and private sectors before becoming part of a team at Grafton Recruitment which had just won the contract to manage nonuniform police recruitment. After progressing to manager of the unit, Claire joined Clarendon Executive where she has been ever since alongside Ciaran Sheehan and Joanne McAuley. As the name suggests, it focuses on executive recruitment and the team have placed 100s of senior people in the top positions in Northern Ireland. “We have a balanced business where we work across both the private and public sector,” Claire said. “It’s a really interesting part of the recruitment business and we’ve worked with some brilliant organisations.” Claire works with the likes of Danske Bank and Belfast City Council, to name but a few, and clearly enjoys her work. “It’s really good to see individual hires which we have placed coming in and making an impact. The way to ensure that is for us to make sure we really understand the client’s brief and that’s something we make sure to focus on.

“We then do a thorough search for the right candidate – whether that be locally or further afield - make sure we give a realistic brief so the candidate and the client’s expectations are aligned and find out as much as we can about the candidate. “It’s about making sure you’re looking at the best people and also being ambitious about who else you might consider.” That expertise has won Clarendon plenty of business hiring executives and is also helping it become a serious player in the executive coaching and both leadership and organisational development arenas. “We’ve bolted on services and are bringing in new services which look at how top teams work together, at team effectiveness and at team dynamics.” To do that they’ve also hired Mark Latuske as Head of Executive Coaching and Organisational Development and Anne Daley as Consultant in a move which expands the business’s offering to new and existing clients. It’s a compelling offering, and one Claire doesn’t fulfil by having long languishing breakfasts so without further ado we finished up. Claire wanted us to leave out her glittering hockey career at Pegasus but having spoken to an array of former players who were fawning in their praise at her skill, we couldn’t. Alright already. ■

Motoring By Pat Burns

Sponsored by

MOTORING

Romeo, Romeo…

By Pat Burns

lfa Romeo has launched a new executive saloon aimed at BMW and Mercedes drivers. Not only does it offer superb engines and luxurious interiors, but the Giulia is also rear wheel drive like its German counterparts. Customers can also choose between four engine variants (two petrol and two diesel), which are all paired to a new eight-speed automatic transmission as standard. The Giulia model range features five trim levels – the Giulia, Super, Tecnica, Speciale and the top-of-the-range Quadrifoglio. Combining perfect weight distribution with all new rear-wheel drive architecture, the Alfa Romeo Giulia offers customers best in class power-to-weight ratios and innovative engine and driver technologies. New efficient active safety systems come as standard across the range, with the entry level ‘Giulia’ trim featuring Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with Autonomous Emergency Brake (AEB) with pedestrian recognition, Integrated Brake System (IBS), and Lane Departure Warning (LDW). The

innovative safety technology contributed to the Alfa Romeo Giulia being awarded a prestigious Five Star Euro NCAP rating, with 98% protection result for adult occupants – making it the highest score ever achieved by a car, despite the more severe Euro NCAP evaluation system introduced in 2015. As with all Alfa Romeos, the interior of the car focuses on driving satisfaction with dual-zone climate control, Alfa D.N.A. rotary driving mode selector, Alfa Connect display infotainment system with DAB plus MP3 and Bluetooth connectivity, 8-speaker audio system, rear parking sensors and cruise control. The new Giulia uses an array of highstrength and ultra-lightweight materials including, for example, carbon fibre for the driveshaft, aluminium composite and plastic for the rear crossmember and aluminium for the doors, wings, engines (petrol and diesel), brakes and suspensions - including the front suspension domes and front and rear subframes. In the Quadrifoglio version, the use of ultra-lightweight materials extends to other components including carbon fibre for the bonnet, roof, front splitter, rear spoiler and body inserts, as well as aluminium for the doors and wings.

The braking system has been tweaked using aluminium elements, while carbon ceramic brake discs and front seats with a carbon fibre structural frame can also be specified as options. Prices for the Giulia range start at £29,180 while the stunning top-of-the-range Giulia Quadrifoglio, powered by a new 510hp, 600Nm Bi-Turbo V6 petrol engine is £58,000. Residual values for this new Italian stallion are strong. Industry experts CAP forecast over the course of three years and 60,000 miles, the all-new Giulia will hold a competitive residual value of up to 38.2%. When compared against the competition, the all-new Giulia performs strongly, with the Alfa Giulia 2.2 JTDm-2 180 Speciale securing better CAP residual value percentage (37% based on 3 years and 60,000 miles) than rivals BMW 3 Series 320d MSport and the Mercedes-Benz C Class c220d AMG Line. This strong residual value means the allnew Alfa Romeo Giulia will be available on Business Contract Hire with a starting rental of £269+VAT per month and a competitive profile of 6+23 months and 10,000 miles pa. ■

MOTORING

Civic plays the generation game

By Pat Burns

he evergreen Civic continues to be a major player for Honda and the new tenth generation model is now longer, wider and lower than before. Building on its 40-year heritage, the car stays true to the original Civic concept of “a car for all people, a car for the world”. It is a combination of distinctive design, sporty styling and versatile practicality. In line with the current trend towards smaller, more efficient powertrains, Honda has launched two new turbocharged petrol engines; a 1.0 litre three cylinder which produces 129PS and a more powerful 1.5 litre four cylinder which delivers 182PS. Both engines are available with either a newlydesigned six-speed manual transmission or a bespoke CVT automatic. The 1.0 litre VTEC turbo is available in four grades: S, Comfort, Elegance and Executive. The entry-level S grade is generously equipped, and includes automatic headlights, adaptive cruise control and the Honda Sensing suite of advanced

active safety technologies. The next level up is Comfort grade and adds heated front seats, heated door mirrors, an eight-speaker audio system, 16-inch alloy wheels and air conditioning. Elegance models benefit from the Honda Connect 2 infotainment suite, 17-inch alloys, front and rear parking sensors, rear parking camera and dual-zone air conditioning. The top Executive grade feature leather upholstery, LED front headlamp clusters, smart keyless entry and start, power tilt panoramic sunroof, and premium audio system. Executive grade models are also fitted with the Dynamic Damper Control system. The 1.5 litre VTEC turbo is offered in three grades: Sport, Sport Plus and Prestige. Sport models are equipped with 17-inch alloys, front and rear parking sensors, rear parking camera, the Honda Connect 2 infotainment suite, dual zone air conditioning, LED headlamp clusters, twin centre exhaust outlets and a sports body kit that includes a chin spoiler, rear bumper spats and side garnishes. Sport Plus models add power tilt panoramic

sunroof, Dynamic Damper Control, premium audio system, smart keyless entry and start, and a wireless charging pad in the centre console. The Prestige grade builds on the Sport grade (excluding twin centre exhaust outlets and sports body kit), adding chrome front grille and door handle finishes, leather upholstery and heated rear seats. The three-cylinder 1.0 litre turbo unit delivers a significant improvement in everyday driveability – thanks to greater torque at low and mid-range engine speeds – as well as fuel efficiency, over the 1.8 litre VTEC engine of the previous generation Civic. Official CO2 emissions are as low as 106 g/ km for the CVT-equipped model, with fuel economy on the NEDC combined cycle up to 60.1 mpg. Official CO2 emissions for the 1.5 turbo are 133 g/km for the six-speed manual model, with combined fuel economy (NEDC combined cycle) of up to 48.7 mpg. Starting from £18,235 on the road for the entry level S grade 1.0 turbo in manual, the range tops out at £27,480 on the road for the 1.5 VTEC Prestige with a CVT transmission. ■

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the E-Class Saloon range: urban 24.1(11.7)65.7(4.3), extra urban 37.2(7.6)-78.5(3.6), combined 31.0(9.1)-134.5(2.1). CO2 emissions 207-49 g/km. Official EUregulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors.

The E-Class Saloon from £368* per month. Built around your business. Packed with intelligent features, the E-Class Saloon is the car to take your business forward in the connected world. And it’s available now with our latest competitive offers at Mercedes-Benz Northern Ireland. Visit us at Mercedes-Benz of Portadown or Mercedes-Benz of Belfast. Model featured is an E 220 d SE Saloon at £37,300 on-the-road including optional metallic paint at £645 (on-the-road price includes VAT, delivery, 12 months’ Road Fund Licence, number plates, first registration fee and fuel). *Business users only. Mercedes-Benz Contract Hire agreement. All rentals exclude VAT at 20%. No ownership option. Vehicle conditions, excess mileage and other charges may be payable. Rental includes Road Fund Licence for the contract duration. Guarantees may be required. Orders/credit approvals on selected E-Class Saloon models between 1 April and 30 June 2017, registered by 30 September 2017 excluding Mercedes-AMG models. Subject to availability, offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Credit subject to status by Mercedes-Benz Finance, MK15 8BA.

Mercedes-Benz Northern Ireland mercedes-benzofnorthernireland.co.uk

MOTORING

Small car sophistication By Pat Burns

he third generation of Kia’s very successful small car, the Picanto, has become both sophisticated and aggressive looking. It is the most technologically advanced, most stylish, most refined and sportiest small car that Kia has ever produced and on is priced from £9,450. Currently there are nine versions on offer, based on two engines, two transmissions and five trim lines – badged ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’. ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’ bring an unprecedented level of sportiness to the Picanto range, with bespoke exterior and interior styling and exclusive trim features. Later this year the most powerful engine ever offered in a Picanto – a 99bhp 1.0-litre T-GDi turbocharged unit – will become available. The third-generation Picanto will be available only as a five-door car, since three-door models account for only 10 per cent of sales in the city-car sector – a share which is diminishing. Advanced connectivity and driver assistance

features are now available to keep occupants fully in touch with the outside world while minimising the risk of accidents, the car is based on an all-new platform featuring twice as much high-strength steel as the previous Picanto for strength and safety. Extensively modified versions of the 1.0-litre and 1.25-litre normally aspirated petrol engines from the previous Picanto reduce fuel consumption and emissions. The all-new Picanto is capable of up to 64.2mpg, with CO2 as low as 101g/km. Even the entry-level grade ‘1’ model features electric front windows, remote locking with a folding key, tinted windows, a radio with AUX and USB ports, a tilt-adjustable steering column, automatic headlight control, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), 60:40 split folding rear seats and six airbags. From grade ‘2’, air conditioning, electric rear windows, electric heated door mirrors, Bluetooth with music streaming, a leathertrimmed steering wheel and gear-lever become standard. Grade ‘3’ adds 15-inch

alloy wheels, a supervision instrument cluster, Autonomous Emergency Braking, front foglights, electric folding mirrors with LED indicators, a floor-mounted sliding centre armrest, automatic air conditioning, cruise control with a speed limiter, a 7-inch ‘floating’ central display unit with satellite navigation and full connectivity, Bluetooth with voice recognition, DAB radio as part of a six-speaker audio system, a rear parking camera and sensors and chromed exterior door handles. In line with the majority of city cars, the all-new Picanto is available only with petrol engines because diesel engines add to the purchase price while offering few advantages in overall running costs. A three cylinder 1.0litre engine produces a peppy 66bhp and is more willing to rev than the 1.25 four cylinder 83bhp unit. The entry-level 1.0-litre engine is capable of 64.2mpg, with CO2 emissions of only 101g/ km. Yet they provide lively performance for zipping around in urban traffic, with plenty in reserve for motorway driving. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, but a four-speed automatic is optional with the 1.25 MPi engine. ■

PROFILE

Name: Richard Willis Position: Managing Director, Willis Insurance and Risk Management

A word from

The Wise How did you start out in your career? I joined Willis Insurance and Risk Management in 2002, after completing a degree in Business and French at Napier University. My dad started the company almost 40 years ago and our scale is much greater than what is typical of a family firm. We’re much more than just an insurance broker, also offering wealth management, accident investigation, health and safety, and employment law services. I wanted to be a business consultant but in working for the family business saw an opportunity to apply these skills to our own business. What have you found most challenging during your years in business? The biggest challenge in recent years has undoubtedly been staff resourcing. This is a major issue in the insurance industry across the UK and at a local level, with insurance employment levels reducing by at least 50% in the last 15 years. This leaves a huge void of next generation talent to ensure the industry survives and prospers locally – we are somewhat unique in trying to recruit and grow our next generation talent from scratch. That said, there are plenty of rewards in our business, the biggest being working with new clients. It’s great to be able to demonstrate value to individuals and companies, especially those who have experienced negative broker relationships previously. How would you describe your management style? Ours is a lifestyle business, and showing people respect and engaging with them on a personal level helps hugely. Having an ability to look at a situation from all angles is important, as is being able to apply common sense to issues, which I always try to do. What would you change if you could do it again? Not a lot. Building on what my dad started

JUNE 2017

The column with an ear for experience...

38 years ago, we have grown organically and consistently, providing additional employment as well as diversifying our services. Our insurance business is an intangible product, a promise from insurers to pay our clients when disaster strikes, and no one ever thinks it will. However, when it does, it’s the most important thing in the world to recover your business or your house. There is a lot of pressure on us to get the contract right and we have the experience and skills to do just that. We are trusted by businesses thanks to our pedigree and proven track record. Have you done it all on your own? No, far from it. I head up a 65-strong team which works closely with clients to ensure that all aspects of their insurance, health and safety and risk management requirements are fully met to the highest possible standards. My dad taught me everything I know and gave me a lot of freedom to make my own mark on things, which has been invaluable. We are trusted by Northern Ireland businesses across a wide range of sectors, and take clients’ business needs as seriously as they do. How would you like your business career to be remembered? As one that saw me take leadership of a family business which has gone from strength to strength throughout its 38-year history, and helped continue its improvement. I would like to be remembered for positively impacting a business which is more than just an insurance broker, offering insight that challenges convention and provides a business advantage. What piece of advice would you give a 20-year-old you? Be patient and always second guess yourself. My dad is constantly reminding me to do that, and it’s vital. Insurance is a great industry – make the most of your ability and enjoy it! ■

APPOINTMENTS

Shane Conlan has joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin as a Solicitor in the Commercial Property Department. He is a law graduate of Queen’s University.

Hagan Homes has appointed Trevor Kennedy as Director of Construction. He will oversee and direct construction projects from inception to completion.

Stephen Bell has been appointed as Operations Manager within local fire and security specialists Diamond Systems. Stephen has over 25 years’ experience within the Fire and Security Industry.

Stephen Magill, former regional manager for Tesco Express stores with Northern Ireland, has been appointed Tesco NI commercial manager.

Continu has appointed Peter Watson to the position of Senior Field Service Engineer. Peter is responsible for installing and maintaining Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems Labhaoise Glancy has been appointed a Solicitor in Banking and Finance at A&L Goodbody. She will advise lending institutions and borrowers on a wide range of finance transactions.

Gerardine Kane has been appointed as Sales Administrator for the 1080o division of the Alpha Group. Gerardine support all aspects of sales at Alpha Group’s workplace design division. Philip McCullough has been appointed as Sales Administrator for the Alpha Office Furniture division of the Alpha Group. Philip will support all aspects of sales activities for Alpha Office Furniture. Alison Kane has been appointed Group Human Resources Manager at Alpha Marketing PLC. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development and has more than 10 years’ experience

APPOINTMENTS

Ryan Walker has been appointed Solicitor in Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate at A&L Goodbody. He will advise on a broad range of corporate, corporate finance and commercial matters. Zara Duffy has been appointed as the first Head of Chartered Accountants Northern Ireland, representing and managing services for over 4,000 Chartered Accountants. Joanna Robinson has been promoted to Partner within the Real Estate team at law firm Pinsent Masons.

Anne Daley has been appointed Consultant at Clarendon Executive. She will work on the identification of leadership competences within executive recruitment and leadership development. Mark Latuske has been appointed Head of Executive Coaching and Organisational Development at Clarendon Executive. Markâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has experience in both big four consultancy and senior in-house roles. Stuart Hollinger has been appointed Finance & Assurance Manager at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Stuart has joined NI Chamber from Titanic Belfast.

Lisa Maltman has been appointed Business Services Executive at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Lisa has experience helping SMEs secure business in export markets. Nicola Woods has been appointed Business Services Executive at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Nicola has a BSc (Hons) Public Relations. Denise Brice has been appointed Finance & Admin Officer at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Denise joins NI Chamber from PGM Chartered Accountants.

JUNE 2017

PHOTOCALL

1. Sarah Travers and Camilla Long of Bespoke Communications with Noel Brady of the Sales Institute of Ireland. Sarah and Camilla recently presented to the Sales Institute of Ireland on the art of sales pitching.

2. Leaders from the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, CBI, IoD and BITC have called on organisations across Northern Ireland to sign up to Translink’s Corporate Commuter Challenge and get on-board Bus + Train Week, 5 June – 11 June 2017. Pictured are Ann McGregor, Chris Conway, Angela McGowan, Kieran Harding and Linda Brown.

2 3. Builders’ merchant JP Corry has been awarded the CORE Standard - The Standard for Responsible Business – by Business in the Community Northern Ireland. Pictured are Mandy McQuillan, JP Corry Organisation Development Co-ordinator and Francis Goodall, JP Corry Doors & Washrooms Supervisor.

4. Downpatrick-based meat processor, Finnebrogue Artisan, has been awarded a new UK-wide contract which will see it supply a range of own label ‘Extra Special’ Light & Lean Sausages to over 350 Asda stores. Pictured (L-R) Paul Geary, Asda Snr Buying Manager, Meat, Sarah Savage, Finnebrogue’s New Product Development Manager for Asda and Michael McCallion, Asda Senior Buying Manager Northern Ireland and Scotland.

5. Pictured at the Vayu Energy Fund launch is Ciaran Gahan, Energy Efficiency Manager and Barry Murphy, Commercial Director at Vayu. For additional information on the product go to www.vayu.ie or email customercare@vayu. ie Photo credit: Marc O’Sullivan Photography

PHOTOCALL

6. Optometrist Michael Dorman pictured outside RA Glass in Larne. RA Glass has operated in the town for 25 years and has 6 branches across Northern Ireland.

7. Two exceptional leaders in business shared their inspirational stories on leading highly successful businesses at an event hosted by Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) and First Trust Bank last month. Pictured are (L-R) Dr Bill Wolsey (Beannchor Group); Cathriona Hallahan (Microsoft Ireland); Brian Gillan (First Trust Bank) and Ann McGregor (NI Chamber).

8. Mairead Meyer, Managing Director of NI Networks, BT pictured with top illusionist David Meade and Year 9 pupils from St. Killian’s College Ballymena, Rachel McAuley (13) and Ellen Martin (13), at the launch of the 2018 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. .

9. A special event during Philanthropy Fortnight focused on women and charitable giving. The speakers, pictured here with Lynne Rainey from PWC (third from left), are: Professor Jackie McCoy; Sandara Kelso-Robb MBE and Angila Chada.

10 JUNE 2017

10. The team from Out There Services are pictured celebrating their feat of raising £3,100.21 for Cancer Focus NI. They entered three relay teams in last month’s Belfast marathon.

PHOTOCALL

11. From left, Ulster Rugby players Darren Cave, Tommy Bowe and Marcell Coetzee join Eoin (3, Lisburn), Lauren (3, Lisburn) and Noah (3, Lisburn) on the roundabout in the Mencap Children’s Centre garden for a special ice-cream delivery.

12. Michael Purcell, Hannah Irwin and Claire Towe from Smarts Communicate celebrate as the Holywood-based agency is the only consultancy in Northern Ireland to feature in a top agency poll compiled by PRWeek.

11 12 13. Winner of this year’s Ulster Bank Farm Safety competition is twelve year old Matthew Nelson from Downpatrick High School. As well as having his winning design animated into a short film, Matthew also wins an iPad and a day out to Balmoral Show, courtesy of Ulster Bank.

14. Pictured are Ana Wilkinson (Friends of the Cancer Centre), Barrie Todd (Jill Todd Trust), Ciarán Fox (RSUA) and Stephanie Palmer (PLACE) launch ask an architect 2017.

15. Construction is well under-way on a brand new housing development on the Comber Road, Killyleagh. Sloanehill, a development by home builders Corwood, represents a £6million investment which has created over 25 jobs using local contractors and suppliers. Pictured at the Sloanehill Development, are, from left, Victoria Pinkerton from Pinkertons, Edward Johnston, Managing Director, Corwood and Will Miscampbell from Fetherston Clements.

PHOTOCALL

16. Karcher equipment supplier Craigmore has reported sales growth of almost 50% over the past two years. Pictured are Nick Williamson, April Baird, Geoff Baird, Jourdan Baird, Jason Henry.

17. Three local charities have joined forces to unlock a £1m fund for community-based groups. Pictured at the launch of the Building Better Futures fund at Belfast’s Clifton House are Damian McAteer, Vice-Chair, Ulster Community Investment Trust, Una MaCauley, Honorary Secretary, Belfast Charitable Society and Martin McCarthy, Director, Building Change Trust.

18. Bank of Ireland UK has strengthened its partnership with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry to launch a new ‘Scaling for Growth’ programme. Pictured at GPS Colour Graphics is David Bell, Gavin Kennedy, and Ann McGregor.

19 19. Pictured launching the new Green Energy Fund as part of their commitment to helping green energy projects are James Gibbons and Conor Devine of Clearpath Finance.

20 JUNE 2017

20. Newry-based Healthy Buildings (Ireland), trading as HBE, has secured a £500,000 loan from the Growth Loan Fund. The funds will be used to create 10 new jobs and support the group’s BlueZone Technologies subsidiary. Pictured are Adrian Byrne, CEO of BlueZone Technologies and Jenna Mairs, Investment Manager at WhiteRock Capital Partners.

PHOTOCALL

21. Marking Dementia Awareness Week, almost 200 staff at Specsavers stores have completed Dementia Friends training, an initiative run by the Alzheimer’s Society. Omagh Specsavers ‘Dementia Friends’ trained staff (l-r) Megan Gorman, Emma Finn and Cathy Davis are pictured with Specsavers patient James Teague (left) who was diagnosed with dementia three years ago.

22. énergie Fitness has signalled significant expansion plans following an injection of £3 million into the Northern Ireland and Scottish markets. Pictured is Managing Director Jim Durie.

23. CBRE has secured top spot in Northern Ireland as both lettings agents and managing agents of retail and leisure parks, according to Trevor Wood Associates. Pictured are Conleth McConville (Associate Director, MJM Group), Gerard McCann (Director, CBRE Belfast), Brian Lavery (Managing Director, CBRE Belfast), Naoimh McConville (Associate Director, MJM Group) at Damolly Retail Park, Newry.

24. George Best Belfast City Airport has announced that a cider product from Portadown has been crowned the winner of a competition offering one local food and drink producer £30,000 of marketing support and brand visibility at the airport. Pictured are Catherine and Pat McKeever of Long Meadow Cider, whose Long Meadow Cider was crowned NI’s Best local food and drink product

25. Belfast delegates meet with Madam Wang Shuying, Chinese Consul General before they depart for Beijing and Belfast’s Sister City, Shenyang. From left: Professor Paul Seawright, David McCready, Belfast Lord Mayor Alderman Brian Kingston, Madam Wang Shuying, Mark McCann Invest NI, Marie Therese McGivern.

PHOTOCALL

26. Deloitte has announced a series of new three year partnerships which will see the company work closely with local charities and social enterprises. In Belfast Deloitte partner with NOW Group, Kinship Care NI and Hazelwood Integrated College. Pictured are Mark McClintock, Impact Lead Partner at Deloitte Belfast; Maeve Monaghan, NOW Group CEO.

26 27

27. Decora Blind Systems has unveiled a major new investment in its business telecommunications infrastructure. Pictured at Decora Blind Systems are Jonathan McCluggage, Financial Director, Decora Blind Sysatems and Stuart Carson, Sales and Marketing Director, Rainbow Communications.

28. ABC Council has unveiled ambitious plans to bolster its standing as a market-leading heritage and cultural international tourism destination within five years. Pictured at the event are (from L-R) Aubrey Irwin, Head of NI at Tourism Ireland, Cllr Colin McCusker, Chair of Regeneration and Economic Development Committee, Roger Wilson, CEO, both ABC Council and John McGrillen, Chief Executive, Tourism NI.

29. The Loughview Leisure Group is set to complete Northern Ireland hotel and leisure investments worth over ÂŁ20million with the support of Ulster Bank. Stephen Carson, Group Operations Director, Loughview Leisure, Gordon Davidson, Relationship Director, Ulster Bank, Andy Tew, Relationship Manager, Ulster Bank, and Christopher Kearney, Loughview Leisure Group Finance Director.

30. A spa in Ballyclare has announced it is making a ÂŁ250,000 investment to expand its existing premises and create 12 new jobs. The investment was part supported by Danske Bank.Pictured (l-r) at Dunamoy Cottages are: Mary Philips, Ballyclare Branch Manager, Danske Bank; Robert Lynn, Small Business Adviser at Danske Bank and Stacey Hamill owner of Dunamoy Cottages.

JUNE 2017

EVENTS

The Chairman He’s back! By popular demand the eventing man of mystery makes a welcome return. Were you spotted last month?

hen not in black tie, tweed is The Chairman’s favourite apparel of choice.

It’s tough, it’s smart and it adds a certain air of the earth to the wearer; and there’s nothing wrong with that when you’re hunting grouse or attending the yearly extravaganza of all things country at The Balmoral Show. So it was The Chairman headed off to the Maze for a day of patting porcine rear ends and grading bovine rumps, two things which are confined to the weekend at Chairman Estates. After initially bumping in to the Today programme’s Dominic O’Connell, who had been interviewing the Vice Chair of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce Ellvena Graham, it was off for a morning of judging at the Women’s Institute where the shortbread category was red hot.

Drained by the competitive spirit, it was off for a bite to eat at the highlight of the show, the Ulster Bank lunch.

inspirational insight into the Northern Ireland economy without once mentioning John Maynard Keynes.

There to greet the assembled guests was Head of Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland Richard Donnan (the man who took over the baton from Ellvena) and it was great to hear him in such great form alongside

The Outstanding Business of the Year award went to those giants of the marine fitout world at MJM Marine and it was great to catch up with Conleth McConville, Gary Annett, Brian McConville and Naoimh

the bank’s own farming expert Cormac McKervey, a man who knows one end of a bullock from the other.

McConville after they picked up their award from INM Chair Leslie Buckley, It was quite a night, it was quite a week.

Numbers man Richard Ramsey was welcomed with open arms by the farming fraternity as he reinforced the notion that prices are on the rise, a move ably demonstrated by his recent Ulster Fry Index, while business editor Margaret Canning was in ebullient form having cadged a lift from Tele Towers. Entertainment for the lunch was provided by Moy Park in the form of chief executive and all-round good egg Janet McCollum who was at least aware that she would be taking to the stage on this particularly occasion. It wasn’t so only a week previously at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards where the boss of Northern Ireland’s largest company was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by Ulster Bank’s Donnan and managing director of the Belfast Telegraph Richard McClean. The Chairman enjoyed a fantastic evening that night in the company of some of the top leaders in Northern Ireland including Christine Ourmieres-Widener, Andrea Hayes, Mukesh Sharma, Katy Best, Joanne Stuart, Anne McMullan, Jackie Henry, Kathryn Thomson and Shauna Burns. The learned Professor John Simpson was spotted across the room while the learned Professor Neil Gibson gave yet another

Asked, as The Chairman often is, to pick his favourite black tie event of the year, it is hard to look past the Grocers’ Ball. This year was no exception with a night to remember laid on by the GroceryAid charity at the Culloden Hotel where a hugely impressive £40,000 raised for charity. The night also included the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards where Ulster Grocer editor Alyson Magee and Manager Mark Beckett maintained their position as hostesses with the mostesses (sic). Tayto’s Taste of Home Campaign took the top prize of Best Marketing Campaign and there could have been no happier recipient that Paddy Crilly from the Tandragee company. Lawyer Darren Toombs from Carson McDowell presented the award alongside Manager Beckett while UTV’s Paul Clarke played MC for the night with the usual aplomb. The judges - Michael Maguire, Emma Cowan and Marian Norwood – didn’t have an easy time choosing between the finalists, a reflection of the quality of marketing happening here these days. ■

EVENTS

R ichard Donnan, Head of NI at Ulster Bank, Janet McCollum, Chief Executive of Moy Park and Cormac McKervey, Senior Agriculture Manager, Ulster Bank at the Ulster Bank lunch at Balmoral, just before they noticed the huge bullock watching over them

Nigel Walsh and Mark Crimmins of Ulster Bank and Charlie Kerlin of Grant Thornton at the Ulster Bank lunch at Balmoral.

Pictured at the Ulster Grocer Marketing Awards 2017, held during the GroceryAid Grocers’ Ball at the Culloden Hotel on May 19, are, from left, Darren Toombs from Carson McDowell, Paddy Crilly from Tayto and Mark Beckett from Ulster Grocer

The team from White’s Oats at the Grocers’ Ball, which included the Ulster Grocer Market Awards 2017, at the Culloden Hotel

JUNE 2017

Girvan Gault, Ulster Bank, Peter Robinson and John Robinson of Granville Foodcare at the Ulster Bank lunch at Balmoral

Darren Stewart, Claire Kelly, Nadia Stewart and Neal Kelly at the Grocers’ Ball, which included the Ulster Grocer Market Awards 2017, at the Culloden Hotel

Nigel and Julie Maxwell, Paul and Kate Ferguson at the Grocers’ Ball, which included the Ulster Grocer Market Awards 2017, at the Culloden Hotel

LIFESTYLE

The case for a four-hour work day A new book claims to have the key to achieving a day's work in a single morning. Katie Law reports on the latest rules of productivity

o you work on your wi-ficonnected commute? Feel virtuous putting in long hours at the office? Eat your lunch at your desk and keep your smartphone on 24/7? If the answers are yes, you're working inefficiently and ruining your health, says Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. The 52-year-old former Silicon Valley strategy consultant is one of a new breed of lifestyle gurus who has concluded that the average office worker can achieve as much, if not more, work in four focused hours a day as in eight, and that making time for deliberate daily rest is a skill we all need to learn. The problem is we've all bought into the long-hours culture, he says - it's no longer just for highly-paid execs. If you're working on open-ended projects and enjoy your work, it's probably worse, while many twentysomethings feel that if they haven't "made it big" by 25, their career is over. That's not to mention the obvious fact that most businesses are relentlessly competitive

and expect employees to be available to colleagues, bosses and clients day and night. But, he argues, snoozing is emphatically not for losers. The time-out trend is growing fast. Its disciples include Arianna Huffington, whose Thrive Global company launched last year to promote sleep and sleep products to the corporate world; then Meik Wiking, CEO of The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, whose Little Book of Hygge - one of dozens - is currently topping the Amazon bestseller chart, and an entire brigade of thinking fast and slow behaviourial scientists such as Danny Kahneman, Daniel Levitin and Charles Duhigg. Pang, who lives with his teacher wife and two teenage children, has perfected his own daily routine to achieve peak results and claims to feel more intelligent and be more productive than he did when he was working a 15-hour day. Having consulted for a string of tech

companies including Microsoft, he has just set up The Restful Company to advise companies and schools on how to incorporate deliberate rest into their schedules. He has also, helpfully, written a book for the rest of us. Here are his rules. Four hours' focus That's the maximum most humans, including top athletes, musicians and scientists can manage in any 24 hours, says Pang. But you can get far more done if this time is not broken up by email, voicemail and other interruptions. Office managers need to block out times when no one has meetings or is obliged to check their emails. Smartphones should be turned off at least two evenings a week. Pang's research suggests companies that allow employees such a luxury have a happier workforce and achieve better results. What's more, their clients don't actually notice. We overestimate the urgency of most communication, Pang thinks, because it makes us feel important.

LIFESTYLE

Pang's own routine It starts the night before, when he sets out slippers and puts coffee and sugar in a mug. He rises at 5am and goes straight to his computer where the programme will still be running, with yesterday's last sentence unfinished. From 7am to 8.15am he walks the dogs and takes his children to school. He allows an hour each morning on 'client work', has an early sandwich lunch, followed by a 20-minute nap, then goes for a walk or to the gym. He finishes at 5pm. ■

The curse of the open-plan office They may well induce collaboration, but they make it harder to do any remotely intellectually challenging work. Earplugs and noise-cancelling earphones are a good first solution but, Pang warns, you have to work really hard to get into the right head space where you can hunker down and focus. Other potential solutions include being allowed to work from home, going to a coffee shop or taking over a meeting room. Or, ahem, how about a return to individual offices? Why company break-out areas are bad The hip company with a climbing wall beside the espresso bar is becoming a cliché, says Pang. While breaks can restore energy and help employees re-focus, there is a risk that they will become a way of keeping people in the office for as long as possible. Not good. Encouraging employees to have their own lives away from the workplace makes them more productive when they are present. We tend to think of rest, or 'me time', as being selfish. It's not.

JUNE 2017

Keep meetings short They should never be more than 40 minutes long. To get the max out of everyone in the shortest time, insist on no multi-tasking, keep devices switched off and ban chit-chat. If you don't need to write things down, walking meetings can be useful as people can't check emails under the table or selfdistract. LinkedIn does it. Routine is critical to creativity People tend to think that long hours and late nights are signs of seriousness and that leaving important stuff until the last minute is a sign of genius. Wrong, says Pang, who admits that as a student he used to stay up until 1am in a hyper-caffeinated frenzy and had to learn the hard way how to get more work done. Routine is the answer. Author Stephen King, one of the most prolific creatives alive, swears by it. Take a nap Widely accepted in Japan and increasingly by

companies such as Google, which has banks of nap pods, a 20-minute nap taken roughly six hours after waking up is as restorative as two hours of sleep and better for you than a strong flat white - but it needs to become company policy to be socially acceptable. Falling asleep on the job can be a sackable offence. The art of perfecting the short nap takes practice; you may need to set an alarm. Stop working mid-sentence Neuroscientists have found that when people stop doing a piece of work they know they are going back to, their subconscious keeps processing it even when their attention goes elsewhere. Take advantage and zone out. Your brain will still be problem-solving even if you aren't aware of it. How to achieve peak vacation happiness Short, frequent holidays are more restorative than a month away as you're likely to do less. The optimum break is 10 days, with peak relaxation coming on day eight, says Pang. Alternating intense activity and deliberate restful periods each day is ideal. ■

TRAVEL

Cannes: The secret to an affordable holiday on the French Riviera The Côte d'Azur is synonymous with big spenders - but it can be done on a budget, says Gráinne Kelly SET THE MOOD Looking out from my rooftop perch, I see nothing but shiny sports cars, beautiful people and palm trees. LA? Nope. It's Cannes. Best of all, I have my own backstage pass to Europe's little piece of Hollywood from €87 a night. Turns out, the French Riviera can work as an affordable break. I've checked into the revamped Mimozas Resort, a complex of 280 apartments set about 20 minutes from Cannes in Mandelieula-Napoule. It's a budget-friendly alternative to flashy celebrity hangouts along the Côte d'Azur. Mimozas is owned by Irish hotelier Ray Byrne (The Wineport, Ice House). The place feels a bit dated, but rooms are spacious, beds comfy and linen is immaculate. Plus, staff go out of their way to make you feel at home. All told, it's an ideal base for those wishing to spend all their time exploring the gorgeous islands and villages along the Côte d'Azur, but who don’t want to sacrifice a comfortable night’s sleep (or half of their annual wage) to do so. CHEAP KICK You’d be shocked at how many amazing cultural nuggets completely overshadow Cannes - which is, I think, fairly boring and pretentious. Disney fans will fall in love with Château de la Napoule (chateau-lanapoule.com, above), just

a 15-minute walk from Mimozas. A labour of love for Irish-American Elsie Whelan and her husband Henry Clews, this medieval fortress is pure fairy-tale magic - the lovers were inseparable, spending years restoring the castle to its former glory. Today, they lie buried together on its grounds. Explore the beautiful gardens, climb the medieval turrets or just sit on the terrace listening to the waves crash into the castle foundations. Château de la Napoule is straight out of Disney/ The Secret Garden. Truly magical! Best of all? A visit costs just €2.80. Grab a fresh French baguette and something sweet from Paul’s (paul.fr), before taking a ferry to Sainte-Marguerite Island. Return ferry tickets cost €14.50pp, but there are family and kids' passes available too. The Maritime Museum (+33 4 89 82 26 26) here houses the cell where the famous Man in the Iron Mask was held captive for 11 years (above).

In peak season, the island is buzzing as more shops and restaurants are open. However, offpeak provides the perfect setting for a chilled out picnic on the shore without swarms of tourists cramping your style. Definitely worth a visit! GUILTY PLEASURE You’ll think you’re an absolute fool to consider forking out €22 for a cocktail at the Radisson Blu's Panoramic Lounge Bar in Cannes (radissonblu.com). That is, until you see the view. The rooftop terrace boasts spectacular panoramas of Cannes and the Mediterranean. Kick back on the snug couches and swing chairs as you watch the sun go down. Try the Raspberry Love cocktail, it’s delicious! Alternatively, splash out on lunch at La Colombe d’Or (la-colombe-dor.com) in the stunning hilltop village of Saint Paul de Vence. Ferraris and Porsches line the entrance to this quirky hotel restaurant, set in a relaxed, leafy courtyard and crammed with eccentric clientele that make for sumptuous people

TRAVEL

watching. A three-course meal is pricey, so cut the cost by opting for a light lunch and a glass of house wine for around €30-€40. Don’t be surprised to stumble across artworks by Matisse and Picasso on your way to the bathroom (above), either - the poor fledgling artists paid for their accommodation in Colombe d’Or with art before they hit the big time. GLITCHES & TIPS Taxis are incredibly expensive in the Cote d’Azur. Drivers charge from the time the taxi is booked (i.e. not just from pick-up), so hire a car or stick to public transport, or your fare could wind up costing more than your flight. I’d highly recommend renting a car. Half the fun comes from driving around the rolling green hills along the way to each hilltop village or seaside town - as we publish, rates started from around €75 for three days in April. In terms of Mimozas itself, I found the spa - run by a separate management company - dissappointing. The facility was small, the therapists chatted to each other during my appointment, and my nails were painted sloppily. It's a handy option for stressed-out mums seeking to escape the kids for an hour or so, but don't check in expecting a destinationstyle spa resort. EasyJet flies direct to Nice from Belfast International. Rates at Mimozas start from €87 per night. Breakfast costs an additional €15pp or, if you're feeling the spirit of the French Riviera, breakfast and a Mimozas cocktail can be delivered to your door for €40 for two people. A seven-night family Easter break costs €599, apartment only. ■

JUNE 2017

Mirror, signal, pay up… How to keep insurance costs down when you hire a car abroad

ar hire pick-up desks can be hell. You arrive hot and tired. Queues are often long; kids cranky and adults irritable. Everyone just wants to collect their keys. Then comes the hard sell. Do you want basic cover, or to pay extra to reduce the excess? Wait, what now? Basic protection is usually comprehensive, including damage, theft and third party liability cover. But it also requires the renter to pay the first portion of any claim — an excess that can range from £400 to £1,800 depending on the car, company and location. My most recent rental, in Sicily, had an excess of £800. Reducing it to zero would cost £20.60 per day — or £288 over a two-week holiday... on top of the rental fee. Blood can boil in these situations. Insurance upgrades are perfectly legal, but because they hit

disoriented customers fresh off the plane, and are framed in such a way as to make basic cover feel like a dumb choice (often by staff angling to earn commission on the upsell), they feel like a rip-off — a trap to catch out new arrivals. Luckily, I was able to reduce our excess risk for £51 — not just for two weeks, but for the whole year. How? By buying annual car hire excess cover before we travelled. This reimbursement policy (sold by AIG, Axa and CarHireExcess.com) works by refunding the excess you pay in the event of theft or damage, including to tyres, keys and windows — subject to T&Cs, of course. Cover starts from as little as £2.60 per day, but regular renters will save far more by buying an annual policy. For cost savings, peace of mind and reduced pick-up hell, it could be one of your smartest travel purchases. ■

TECHNOLOGY

Our dystopian biometric future Adrian Weckler explains why he has to be particularly careful when he appears on television or radio

here are two phrases I have to avoid uttering when talking about smart technology on radio or TV. One is 'hey Siri' and the other is 'okay Google'. Each sets off the iPhones or Android phones of listeners. But Burger King went one better last week. It created a TV ad deliberately designed to set off voice-activation gadgets. The ad showed a young Burger King employee talking directly into the camera. "Okay Google, what is the Whopper burger?" he said.

It was designed to trigger off devices such as the Google Home gadget, which 'listen' for voice commands continuously. Triggered devices in living rooms would then read out Wikipedia's entry page for the Whopper which - coincidentally - would be edited to consist of a suspiciously commercial-sounding definition. ("The Whopper is a burger, consisting of a flame-grilled patty made with 100pc beef with no preservatives or fillers...") It was a sneaky, clever advertising stunt. Unfortunately for Burger King, it backfired

when Google, fearing a backlash from its own customers, disabled the phrase from triggering its devices. But the episode is a reminder of how powerful and potentially invasive voice-activation technology is becoming. We're only about two or three years away from natural language becoming a mainstream way of running our phones and computers. And we're no more than five or six years - 10 at the outer limit - from home appliances being controlled by our voices.

TECHNOLOGY

"Lights on." "Lock the front door." "Turn the heating up two degrees." "Turn the kettle on."

many companies are. (The DPC's own 2016 annual report said there were over 2,000 data breaches last year, of which almost 200 were security-related or theft.)

You may think that this sounds like a scene from Star Trek with Captain Picard. But it's almost already here. Soon, natural language commands that can be picked up from across a room will advance the process even further. With it, cultural ideas around privacy may evolve even further than they have in the last 10 years. Measurable and identifiable, our voices will become a commodity. It will start with advertising but will escalate pretty quickly after that.

It can only be a matter of time before our fingerprints, voice waves and retina scans are stolen and traded on the Dark Web, exactly the way credit card details and IP addresses are now.

While most of us would be pretty annoyed if our phone or smart home device started routinely spewing ads at us, we might compromise quite quickly. What if it was part of a cut-price subscription? Or even a free one, like Facebook or online news? This could happen. The US has just rolled back laws that prevent internet service providers selling customer data to advertisers. While the EU has taken a harder stance on issues such as net neutrality, Ireland and the UK are often closer in consumer sensibilities to the US than to France or Germany. And with the UK now to leave the EU (and its privacy laws), we could be surrounded by overwhelming commercial interests. Even within a strict European regulatory environment, companies are allowed to get underneath our skin. I mean this literally. Here, companies are now allowed to require biometric information such as fingerprints or eye retina scans - from people entering their premises. In the Republic the Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon ruled as much recently. In a case involving a contractor working for a tech company, a fingerprint was required for the contractor to gain entry to work. The company also requested, and held, the worker's passport. While the company got a slap on the wrist for not informing the worker in advance, asking for the fingerprint was deemed okay. Even if the conditions of this biometric registration for workers are that the data isn't transferred to third parties or stored for other purposes, we know how easily hacked

JUNE 2017

I can already see the groundwork being laid for this in some tech multinational companies here. Many now have the kind of security identification checks normally reserved for border controls and customs. Several require official identification documents - such as a passport or driver's licence - to be presented to proceed past reception. Security personnel routinely stare at visitors. One of the largest social media companies, which has a growing office in Dublin, has burly security guards that come over to warn you if you do not keep your temporary visitor's badge on. (I've tested this, taking it on and off, just to see what the henchmen would do. I didn't get kicked out, but was told several times it would be a "problem" if I didn't keep it on.) The point about this is that it's becoming a normal experience. American tech companies want more and more control of our lives. And we're giving it over to them, not even slowly. I once looked at the Joaquin Phoenix movie Her and thought that people walking around talking to their devices would never happen. We would be too self-conscious. I was dead wrong. Walk down any city street and you'll see people talking at devices. While it's mostly to other people right now, soon it will be to robots and artificial intelligence systems, which are currently taking over customer call centre operations. Facebook knows all of this. So does Google, which is why its voice technology is being pulled irresistibly towards building up profiles on us to support its advertising business. So we probably can't blame Burger King for trying to game our Android phones. Over the next year, I'll be expecting a lot more of it. ■

Weckler’s review I had very high expectations for Huawei’s new flagship 5.1-inch P10 and 5.5-inch P10 Plus smartphones. By and large, I’m not disappointed: the phones’ Leica-designed camera system — with two lenses — make them among the best you can buy on the market. My review model was the smaller P10 variant with 64GB of storage. The prize feature here is the camera (common to both variants). It offers almost full manual controls of the camera, including dialling its aperture down (through a combination of hardware and software) to a powerful f0.95. This level of aperture control combines with the second camera lens to create a shallow depth of field that makes pretty stunning portrait shots. The camera system comprises two sensors and lenses — a 12-megapixel sensor and a second 20-megapixel monochrome sensor. This means that black-and-white shots are a step above what you’ll get with almost any other camera. But the P10 also excels in low light, beating every other phone I’ve tried for shots in dimly lit conditions. Does this mean that it’s the outright best camera phone? That’s harder to say, as the iPhone 7 Plus also has two lenses, one of which is at a 50mm (more zoomed-in) focal length. I find this versatility incredibly useful and use it all the time. So your ultimate choice will depend on what kind of photos you like to take. ■ Huawei P10 Price: from £569.99 Rating: 4 Stars

MY DAY Uncovering the 9-5

Name: Dr Kevin Donaghy Position: Managing Director, CCO (Int) Ltd

5.55am Typically, a light breakfast and usually ‘on the road’ by 6.30am. CCO clients are dispersed across the island of Ireland and across GB. When not on an early morning flight, the first coaching call will be at 7am with a Chief Executive, Managing Director or Senior Manager within a client company. These are busy individuals with demanding roles, involved in shaping the future of their business, business-unit or department. They know and value the importance of their mind being ‘in the right place’. These morning calls are short, focused and create a mindset for prudent judgment, effective decision making and handling the myriad of challenges of a business day in a successful business.

behaviour and communication. The discussions often reinforce how to effectively use the CCO ‘Six Agreements of Collaboration’ – tools that make the workplace work. When used, individuals and teams have the confidence to speak openly and without concern. They listen (they don’t just hear!), teams work effectively, and people are trained to manage their emotional states by minimising anxiety, fear and apprehension. They are coached on how to engage collectively, as a team, in a way where the opinions of all are sought, options are discussed, risks are assessed and decisions are taken with a series of ‘next-steps’ agreed. They are then charged with cascading these skills to the teams they manage.

8.30am If not chairing a Board or Senior Management Meeting, the morning starts with the first of many one-to-one coaching sessions. This may involve discussing feedback provided to CCO in confidence by trusted work colleagues. Often it relates to behaviours, attitudes and a way of communicating that needs attention. Usually, it highlights ‘gaps’ in leadership and management traits that are developed through coaching. Feedback often takes time to digest, but it’s important as it gets right to the core of what stops good managers from being exceptional. Our clients are experts in their respective fields; CCO coaches are experts in human behaviour/brain science and having people to be the best they can be in life and within the business.

Afternoon If not in a coaching session or team meeting, afternoons could be spent facilitating a strategy session with senior executives. These are structured forums that explore realistic yet ambitious plans for growth, improvement, expansion and competitive advantage. My role is to ensure that the team don’t ‘play safe’ but explore possibilities that achieve competitive advantage. It involves lots of questions, animated discussions and invariably concludes with ambitious yet achievable plans that can only be generated through collective intelligence. In the room next door, another coach from CCO is likely to be leading a Wellbeing @ Work discussion. These are short intensive workshops that create clarity on what contributes to anxiety, stress and overwhelm in the workplace. It provides practical and realistic tools to have those attending identify the ‘amber-light’ indicating a stress or anxiety level that inhibits clear thinking, effective communication or sound judgement. More importantly, it provides practical and highly effective tools to help people identify the triggers of stress and how best to address it.

12.30pm A team meeting on a client site often accompanies a light lunch. These conversations acknowledge what’s working but quickly get to the issues which compromise outstanding results. Our clients know that over 80% of work-based frustration relates to human

MEETINGS AT TEN SQUARE HOTEL

BUSINESS IN THE HEART OF THE CITY BUSINESS CENTRE WITH MEETING ROOMS FOR 2 TO 40 DELEGATES DAY DELEGATE RATE FROM Â£25 PER PERSON

Ten Square Hotel, 10 Donegall Square South, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT1 5JD Tel: 02890 241001

Email: events@tensquare.co.uk