Ambition Issue 33 (March/April 2019)

Magazine of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

March/April 2019 ISSUE 33 £2.95

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Contents March/April 2019 Issue 33

NI CHAMBER COMMUNICATIONS PARTNER

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In the driving seat

Colin McNab.

News: 08 Terex announces ÂŁ12M investment 10 Cancer Focus NI celebrate 50 years Columnists: 16 Caoimhe Burke 20 Mary Scullion 34 Colin Pattison 38 Conor Lambe 54 Edel Doherty 58 Gerry McQuade 62 Heather McGowan 76 Gavin Kennedy 96 Jim Fitzpatrick

Features: 18 Staying focused on doing more, better 32 A good sport 36 Stairway to Seven 40 Engineered for success 52 My Ambition is to...

56 Building for the future 60 The retail evolution 68 Guiding the talent of the future 72 In the driving seat 74 The next big thing 84 Techie talk time Appointments: 80 Are you looking for your next move?

Special Section: 41 The Food & Drink Industry Lifestyle: 86 Business Class Motoring James Stinson 95 Dine & Wine Chris Rees and Andrea Mola

30 Cover Story

Chamber Chief: 23 Update 24 NI Chamber headline events 26 Networking with NIE Networks Lisburn 27 Breakfast briefing 28 Scaling for Growth 29 Tanya Talks

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Editor: Adrienne McGill Publisher: Chris Sherry Advertising Managers: Lorraine Gill & Gerry Waddell Editorial Assistant: Joanne Harkness Email addresses: adrienne.mcgill@northernirelandchamber.com lorraine.gill@ulsterjournals.com gerry.waddell@ulstertatler.com Websites: www.northernirelandchamber.com www.ulstertatler.com Addresses: Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 4-5 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT1 5JA Tel: 028 9024 4113 Publisher: Ulster Tatler Group, 39 Boucher Road, Belfast, BT12 6UT Tel: 028 9066 3311 Printed by: W&G Baird, Antrim.

Front cover photography by: David Cordner.

NI CHAMBER PATRONS

editorial

President’s Perspective

Kick-starting our economy

A

s the uncertainty surrounding Brexit continues, so does the political stalemate that has held back economic progress in Northern Ireland for over two years now.

Even though Northern Ireland sits at the heart of the Brexit debate, we’re still without a united, collective political voice to speak for us.

We need an Executive, urgently, to implement an economic strategy – a strategy that will inspire business confidence; offers indigenous businesses and inward investors a competitive business environment with access to skills and one that provides opportunities for our young people to live and work here.

We also need to kick-start projects that are so badly needed, such as road developments and the North-South Interconnector.

Recently quashed in the High Court on the basis that it had wrongly received the go-ahead in the absence of a Minister, this mustn’t be the end of the matter. It’s now up to the Department of Infrastructure to put a new application together urgently, based on the new legislation that empowers Permanent Secretaries to make key decisions. And in fact the existence of that legislation itself is an example of why we need an Executive up and running – why we need Ministers making decisions, not civil servants – why we need a government of elected representatives taking action on key priorities. It is important to acknowledge, however that some people are delivering and deserve our appreciation – the members of our local councils. Local government continues to function, differences are being overcome, and local representatives are co-operating for the benefit of their communities.

Indeed it was that positive attitude which led to one of the brighter moments last year – the approval of the Belfast Region City Deal. The Belfast City Deal took a lot of dedicated team work – six local councils, our universities, our regional colleges, and with the business and political community also playing a huge part.

It was a long and painstaking process but it shows what can be achieved when you have a genuinely collaborative relationship that’s working for the benefit of everyone. Such collaboration is also evident in the North

West and it is vital that their city deal is also supported. As we move through 2019, we must maintain this positive and determined outlook at every level. We have a wealth of innovative and successful businesses, an exceptional higher education sector and a resilient and forward-looking workforce.

But there are hurdles, which the support of a functioning Executive, with local Ministers, would help us to overcome.

Our politicians must get their act together and find a way of working together on economic

and social matters. Do they want this limbo to continue indefinitely? Do they want history to look back on this period in years to come and say – they promised so much but delivered so little?

John Healy President Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

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NEWS

international expansion for david meade events

David Meade Events, run by renowned speaker and broadcaster David Meade, has expanded following a period of massive growth. The events company has seen double figure growth every year since its establishment in 2012 and this year sees an investment of over £250,000, including new video learning services, enabling people to access training remotely.

investment ‘pattern’ continues for bloc blinds Bloc Blinds has invested over £100k in the installation of bespoke fabric printing facilities at its manufacturing headquarters in Magherafelt.

The investment, which has enabled the company to create three new jobs, is part of Bloc Blinds growth strategy, and in response to consumer demand for custom patterns and personalisation when selecting fabrics.

henderson gets set to reward fresh industry leaders Henderson Wholesale has launched The Fresh Innovation Awards 2019, set to take place at the Balmoral Show.

The awards honour all those local farmers, growers and suppliers which Henderson Wholesale’s Fresh Team works with throughout the year to better the product ranges on store and supermarket shelves.

marcon secures english heritage win Fit-out specialist Marcon has been appointed to deliver a new site-wide interpretation scheme at Whitby Abbey, an iconic landmark located on the headland at Whitby in North Yorkshire. The contract will be Marcon’s first project with English Heritage, the organisation that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and palaces across England.

terex announces £12m investment Global manufacturer Terex is to establish a new facility in Campsie, Londonderry as part of a £12m investment.

The new facility will manufacture product lines for Terex Ecotec (waste management and recycling) and Terex Conveying Systems (TCS) (mobile conveying). The investment will create 100 new jobs.

Alastair Hamilton, CEO Invest Northern Ireland joined Invest NI has offered Kieran Hegarty, President of Terex Materials Processing. nearly £1million towards the project to support the new jobs, and research and development.

Terex currently operates from eight sites employing over 1,500 people.

CDE unveils new global centre of excellence CDE has officially opened its new global headquarters in Cookstown, whilst also announcing an innovative new programme to invest in the skills of young people in the area.

Tony Convery (Chairman and Founder of CDE Global), Having grown the team by Engineers Claire Hamill and Roddy Mullan and 65% over the last 2 years, the Brendan McGurgan (Group Managing Director), at the company plans to create an official opening of the new headquarters. additional 150 new jobs by 2020. The new facility can accommodate over 400 people and is now home to the world’s largest engineering team dedicated to wet processing technologies.

The firm has also announced the creation of CDE Talent Camp, which will run between 24-28 June this year. It will provide 15-17 year olds from schools and colleges across Northern Ireland with the opportunity to take their first steps into engineering and to explore how a world-class business operates.

Translink transforms internal operations through data management project Translink has revolutionised how it manages its data, reducing the amount of time it takes to produce reports internally by 95% and significantly improving its insights into passenger services.

Translink partnered with tech company Neueda to solve the challenge of how to collate and Paul McGrattan, Head of I.T. at Translink interpret the vast amounts of data it is pictured with Shay Cullen, Neueda. owns, including information relating to ticketing, passenger journeys, service scheduling and vehicle location.

As Translink captures huge amounts of this type of data from several different sources on a daily basis, the organisation needed to find a way of turning it into information that would help it service passengers more effectively.

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NEWS

IRISH NEWS AWARDS LAUNCHED The Irish News has officially launched its 13th Workplace & Employment Awards, which take place in Titanic Belfast on Thursday 13 June 2019.

As well as the kudos of being named as overall Employer of the Year, the winner will also receive a special engagement workshop from well-being partner the Ulster Orchestra, which will enable further employee engagement. Entries will remain open until Friday 3 May. More details at: www.irishnews.com/wea.

GRAHAM APPOINTED TO DELIVER NEW LONDON PORT

The Port of Tilbury, the UK’s fastest growing port, has appointed local firm GRAHAM to deliver their new multi-million pound port terminal, Tilbury2. When operational in Spring 2020, Tilbury2 will be the UK’s largest unaccompanied freight ferry port and the country’s biggest construction processing hub.

MJM MARINE SECURE LARGEST EVER CONTRACT

Global marine outfitter, MJM Marine, has been appointed as the main outfitting contractor

by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) to undertake a complete refurbishment of Norwegian Joy as the company repositions the ship to the West Coast of the US. In a multi-million dollar project, MJM Marine will play the lead role in the design, manufacture, installation and project management of the interior refit of the cruise liner.

RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY TARGETS REGENERATED

Renewable energy accounted for 36% of electricity used in Northern Ireland during 2018 according to new analysis from SONI (System Operator for Northern Ireland). The levels reported are the highest-ever in terms of renewable generation on Northern Ireland’s power system – providing a clear indication that Northern Ireland is on track to meet its target of 40% of electricity coming from renewable sources by 2020. Wind power makes up the vast majority of the renewable resources, followed by solar-power.

prioritisation and further collaboration can strengthen digital identity A new report released by software company Civica has revealed that Northern Ireland has reached a digital tipping point, with 90% of citizens surveyed stating public services in the region are now ripe for digitisation.

The firm’s report on Wayne Story (Group CEO Civica); Mark Owens strengthening the province’s (MD of Civica NI) and Tanya Anderson (Head of digital identity said that SME Development at NI Chamber). around a third of people now expect government services to be available around the clock. Over half (51%) also believe a lack of clear leadership and vision from the devolved government is the biggest barrier to delivering full online digital services.

The Changing Landscape report, Strengthening Northern Ireland’s digital identity, is based on key findings from senior leadership forums and new research from more than 1,000 citizens across Northern Ireland.

major investment for lisburn’s charlesworth engineering

Lisburn-based Charlesworth Engineering has recently invested £250,000 in a new state-of-the-art water jet CNC machine and Amada brake press - the first of its kind enabling the firm to process parts and components and provide cutting folding services to manufacturers across industries.

With over 50 years of trading experience, the firm has been specialising in the design and fabrication of stainless steel process pipe work, providing complete engineering solutions to foods and drinks manufacturers, brewery, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Its client list boasts some of the most recognised names worldwide, including Coca-Cola HBC, Krones, Miteco AG, Chriwa AG, KHS, BE Aerospace, Bushmills Distillery, Diageo and Eco-lab.

Managing Director Roy Charlesworth commented that the investment illustrates the firm’s commitment to investing in Northern Ireland.

CANCER FOCUS NI CELEBRATE 50 YEARS Leading local charity Cancer Focus Northern Ireland has launched a major fundraising campaign to raise £100,000 for pioneering breast cancer research to mark its 50th birthday. Cancer Focus NI, originally the Ulster Cancer Foundation, has a long history of funding cuttingedge research in local universities as well as caring for patients and their families, working in cancer Cancer survivor Debra Rice, Cancer Focus NI Chief Executive Roisin Foster and a charity client prevention in the community Donald Harte at the launch of the charity’s 50th and advocating for better health anniversary launch at Belfast City Hall. policies. During the year there will be a number of events to highlight the charity’s birthday including its Volunteer Week in June. It is also an official charity of the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon in May.

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Looking after you!

Running a business is stressful. The list of worries and deadlines can be enormous – when you are feeling great you can do all of this and even thrive on it! But at times it can become overwhelming, our ability to cope declines and our health and relationships can suffer. A course of Solution Focused Therapy sessions can help you find renewed enthusiasm and optimism.

“Thanks Jennifer, life used to be so hectic, I was struggling to prioritise, but after every session with you I am focused, energised and motivated, full of ideas. My wife has noticed I am smiling more too! Thank you!”

Looking after your workforce!

An estimated 15.4 million working days are lost due to workrelated stress, depression or anxiety. A happy workforce is more productive. Being proactive with your employees mental health instead of reactive can make a huge difference. Having regular relaxation sessions or stress management classes can help enormously.

“I would never have thought that half an hour’s guided relaxation round the board room table would feel so good! I felt I was floating on air, I felt so happy for days and have been sleeping great – can’t wait to see you again next month!!”

A bit about Jennifer

Jennifer Dunseath Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist

Until I qualified as a Hypnotherapist I owned and ran a busy Management Accountancy business in Edinburgh city centre and had 13 employees, I am no stranger to stress and the challenges of running SME’s. I am now much less stressed and operate three clinics (Dundonald and Belfast) and see clients with a range of issues like anxiety, anger, motivation, help to sleep better, public speaking or even having more confidence in social occasions, in fact I have learned that there is not much that Solution Focused Therapy can’t help with!

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NEWS

BT GROUP CONTRIBUTES £592M BOOST TO ECONOMY An independent report by Hatch Regeneris has revealed that BT Group is responsible for generating £1 in every £65 produced in the Northern Ireland economy.

‘The Economic Impact of BT Group plc in the UK’ report shows that the communications company generated an £592m contribution – expressed as “Gross Value Added” (GVA) – to the Northern Ireland economy during the 2017/18 financial year.

The report estimates that the equivalent of 6,980 full-time jobs in Northern Ireland are supported through BT’s direct employment, its spending with contractors and suppliers and the spending of its employees.

BT Group directly employs 2,650 people in Northern Ireland, with a further 579 employed as contractors. This is equivalent to one in every 10 employees working in the Northern Ireland IT and communications sectors, reinforcing its position as one of the region’s leading employers.

The Group also spent nearly £154 million with suppliers based in Northern Ireland.

Across the UK, BT Group directly employed 94,800 people (FTE) and supported an estimated total of 290,000 full-time jobs.

It also generated, in total, almost £23bn (£22.8bn) to the UK economy.

The report includes the contribution of all parts of BT Group, including Openreach, mobile network provider EE and BT’s Consumer and Enterprise divisions.

Tim Fanning, Director at Hatch Regeneris, said: “Our analysis underlines how vast BT Group’s contribution is to the UK economy, particularly across the nations and regions.

“BT Group is almost unique in contributing to the economies of virtually every community across the UK, supporting significant levels of GVA spend and employment opportunities per region.”

Jane Wood, BT Group UK nations and regions director, said: “Few companies play as important a role in Northern Ireland as

The report highlights that, across Northern Ireland in 2017/18, BT Group: • Directly employed a total of 3,230 people (FTE, including contractors) and supported an estimated 6,980 full-time jobs • Spent £154 million with suppliers based in the Northern Ireland • Generated £592 million total GVA impact (including indirect and induced effects) • Directly employed 1 in every 230 employees in the private sector across Northern Ireland, and 1 in every 10 in the IT and Communications sectors

ADOPT A KIOSK SCHEME ANNOUNCED BT is offering communities the rare opportunity to adopt their local payphone kiosk for just £1 to transform unused kiosks into something inspirational for their local community.

With numerous payphone kiosks including 180 traditional red boxes available to be adopted across Northern Ireland, BT is encouraging community groups to seize the opportunity to do something wonderful with these phone boxes that often have little or no usage.

BT will continue to cover the electricity

BT Group. Not only does BT connect friends, families and businesses across the UK, but we also put premium fuel in the tank of the nation’s economy. The report shows that BT generates £1 in every £65 of wealth in Northern Ireland.

“We’re proud to be one of the region’s largest private sector employers and investors. Our investments, including the latest 5G mobile technology through our mobile network EE, will ensure the UK continues to be one of the world’s best-connected economies.”

The full report is available at: www.bt.com/ reports

• Supported £1 in every £65 of GVA in the Northern Ireland economy and 1 in every 100 employees working in the region’s private sector.

Across the UK in 2017/18, BT Group: • Directly employed 94,800 people (FTE) and supported an estimated total of 290,000 full-time jobs • Employees committed more than 37,000 volunteering days to worthy causes • Spent £510 million on research and development, making it one of the UK’s top investors in innovation.

to the adopted kiosks, which can be turned into any exciting new ventures to benefit local communities – such as housings for defibrillators, mini-libraries, coffee shops, miniature art museums, sweet shops and information centres. One payphone in Devon was even turned into the “world’s smallest nightclub.”

For further details on how to apply to Adopt a Kiosk, simply log on to www.bt.com/adopt where application forms and information can be found.

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We get the deal done Barry-John Kelly Private Business NI and dealmaker #WeareyourPwC © 2019 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved.

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NEWS

INVESTEC GROWS BELFAST OFFICE Investec Wealth & Investment (IW&I) has strengthened its Financial Planning team with three appointments to grow their Belfast office. Stephen McCallum, Cathy Brennan and Paul Kerr have all joined in the last six months.

The Financial Planning team work alongside the Discretionary Investment Management division to offer a compelling niche wealth management proposition to existing and new clients in the local marketplace, which include Private Individuals, Trusts, Charities and SelfInvested Personal Pension Schemes. They also have expertise in the Pension Transfer and Estate Planning market.

The new appointments to the Financial Planning team mark Investec’s ambitious plans for growth and commitment to the Northern Ireland market. With a total of 20 staff locally, 4 Financial Planners and 6 Investment Managers, they provide an enhanced client offering, adding value and building long term relationships as trusted advisers.

Stephen McCallum

The first new appointment was Stephen McCallum who joined as Financial Planner Director from Davy Private Clients in August of last year. A highly-qualified Chartered Financial Planner with over 15 years’ financial services experience, Stephen is a committee member for the Personal Finance Society of Northern Ireland (part of the Chartered Insurance Institute), and a member of both the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments and the Chartered Financial Analysts Society of the UK. Stephen has worked for many years with members of the medical profession, local entrepreneurs and, more recently, with company founders in the local burgeoning Tech community. Stephen specialises in Inheritance Tax planning, Business Financial planning (Business Protection and Director Retirement planning) and has always enjoyed demystifying investment planning for his clients.

Cathy Brennan

In November last year Cathy Brennan joined as Associate Financial Planning Director. She brings over 20 years’ experience in financial services having advised Private Individuals and Business Owners on Retirement planning, Tax-flavoured and Tax Efficient Investment planning as well as Inter-generational planning.

Cathy recently established a Lean In ‘Women in Finance’ circle to encourage more women to consider a career in financial services and to provide peer networking support to those already in finance roles in Northern Ireland. Local Accountants, Tax Advisers, Financial Planners and Bankers have come together to collaborate on building strategic networks, developing their careers and most recently to discuss ‘Diversity in Banking and Financial Services’.

Paul Kerr joined the Paraplanning team to strengthen the research capabilities and enhance their client delivery. Paul has 10 years’ experience of working in the sector and specialises in writing reports for client meetings. He has extensive technical knowledge of all aspects of financial advice, particularly with regard to Inheritance Tax planning and Pension Transfer advice. At the 2018 Insurance Institute of Northern Ireland’s annual awards, Paul won the top prize for his completion of the Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning. He now aims to become chartered in Financial Planning by the end of 2019.

IW&I is proud of the wealth of experience that they offer through their Financial Planning team. The strength of the team enhances their heritage where Discretionary Investment Managers have, and continue to, work alongside Financial Planners.

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“The new appointments to the Financial Planning team mark Investec’s ambitious plans for growth and commitment to the Northern Ireland market.”

Investec Belfast has a long local history.

Its roots trace back to 1986 when Samuel Brown (Divisional Director of IW&I) joined Laing & Cruickshank, who then became BWD Rensburg in 1989 (now IW&I). The Belfast office is intrinsically linked to Investec’s 15 offices throughout the UK and supported by a London-based Investment Research department. Local heritage and presence is paramount to their objectives, as is the ability to draw upon the strength and security of the Global Investec Group.

Paul Kerr

If you’d like to know more please get in touch with the Belfast office on 02890 321 002 or visit investecwin.co.uk/Belfast.

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COLUMnIST

Caoimhe Burke, Digital Marketing Team Leader, Loudmouth Media

Digital Advertising and the Power of Personalisation

Loudmouth’s Caoimhe Burke writes about the power of delivering personalised content.

W

e live in a world of digital noise.

Ads in newspapers and magazines, billboards, radio and on TV are, in many ways, irritations of a previous generation. Now we have Google and social media feeds all pleading for attention, and each of those channels heavily saturated with content. Users have developed a partial immunity to this constant bombardment of messaging, all begging for attention. The solution? Personalisation.

Personalised content is an investment for your business. Understanding your target markets well enough to provide interesting, personalised content requires thorough research and data analysis, but if you consistently provide content your target audience relates to, you will build customer trust and loyalty. But in what ways can this be applied to Digital Advertising?

As one of the best Digital Advertising platforms, Google presents an opportunity for you to reach out to your ideal audience, while they are searching on Google and browsing the web. Google has a number of features available in making this possible, for example, with Affinity Audiences, which are described as “TV-like audiences”. Google groups users into distinctive ‘Affinity’ categories, such as ‘Frequently Dines Out’ and ‘Travel Buffs’, based on data that is collected daily, websites

people visit, videos they watch, apps they use and where they are located. This provides a lucrative opportunity for businesses to reach out to personalised audiences.

“Personalisation might just be the one of the most important factors for marketers this year.”

In addition to creating audiences for you, Google also allows you to personalise your own advertising by creating your own, hand-picked audience. Known as Custom Intent targeting, you can reach out to users who have been actively reaching a product or service in the

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last 30 days, indicating that they are ready to buy in the near future, presenting you with the perfect opportunity to showcase your product, your USPs and why they should buy from you.

On YouTube we can even reach users through ‘Life Event’ targeting, allowing us to display dedicated ads to users who are ‘getting married’, ‘moving house’ or ‘graduating from college’. This presents huge opportunities for a range of industries. For example, estate agents, bathroom fitters, interiors retailers and removal companies should consider the ‘moving house’ life event and factor it into their YouTube strategy.

However, Google advertising doesn’t just take into account what happens online. There are capabilities to use both off-line and online data in order to reach and re-engage with customers across Search, Display, YouTube and even Facebook. Similarly, Facebook allows us to create custom audiences using website behavioural data as well as offline data such as email lists and displaying personalised ads, for example to ‘all website visitors’.

Personalisation might just be the one of the most important factors for marketers this year and, whilst it is evident that data-driven personalisation can dramatically improve ROI, it is also imperative to use a soft, smart approach and to offer genuine value to your customers.

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FEATURE

Carson McDowell Staying Focused on Doing More, Better

As he hands over the reins at Belfast’s largest independent law firm, Carson McDowell’s managing partner Michael Johnston talks to Ambition about what has changed in the legal sector during his tenure and gives his views on the challenges and opportunities for the firm in the future.

W

hen your business has been established in Belfast since before the City Hall and Royal Courts of Justice were built, you would be entitled to indulge in a bit of nostalgia about the past.

But as Carson McDowell’s managing partner Michael Johnston prepares to pass the baton to a new leadership team after eight years at the helm, it’s clear he has his eyes firmly set on what the future might hold for Northern Ireland’s largest independent law firm.

“The firm pre-dates City Hall and the Courts and has survived two world wars, being bombed out of the offices it occupied on Royal Avenue for 90 years and numerous times of boom and bust, including three major recessions since I started practising in the 1980s,” he says.

“That gives us some perspective on current issues but our longevity is in part because we know we can’t be complacent. We must continue to develop, adapt, innovate and evolve. That’s why we have continued to invest in our people and in developing new specialisms to service our clients’ needs.”

The Johnston family has a long-standing link with the firm. Michael’s grandfather George Johnston was the firm’s senior partner in the 1950s and had his name on the door when it was known, at one point in its history, as Carson, Baillie, Johnston & Thom. His father Denis followed and was one of Carson McDowell’s seven partners when Michael joined in 1983, rising through the ranks and becoming right hand man to Stanley Hill as he built up the firm’s corporate business. Michael became a partner in 1993 and in 2011 was elected to be the firm’s managing partner.

Overseeing Change Carson McDowell’s growth trajectory since then has been on a parallel with several of the feted magic circle London law firms, albeit at lower financial levels. Today the firm has 96 lawyers and 167 staff and represents some of the most prestigious and successful businesses and organisations in Northern Ireland. It consistently has the most NI lawyers ranked in the top bands of respected industry directories Chambers and the Legal 500.

Michael believes the biggest change in his time has been the range of work the firm now undertakes.

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To be a niche firm in Northern Ireland – you need to be able to offer all types of advice on matters clients need addressed, and we have invested to have that expertise and to deliver that range of service,” he says.

“What clients need drives the development of new specialisms. For example, our team looking at cyber security came out of the work we were doing with IT and tech companies.

Defamation and reputation management has become more prevalent in the social media age. Licensing, procurement, data protection and IP, professional indemnity and insurance defence work – have all grown out of client need.”

It’s a theme that is reflected in the firm’s We do more, better advertising which is designed to show that the breadth and depth of the firm’s offer is what sets it apart.

Carson McDowell has invested in talent to drive growth, with a combination of “growing its own” talent and hiring the best from elsewhere. The firm has several partners who started as trainees and others who cut their teeth at other firms in Belfast, Dublin and London.

“In the end of the day it is all about the people. We have more lawyers than any firm in Northern Ireland but it is not just about being the biggest, it is about having the widest range of expertise on offer to clients,” explains Michael.

“The firm has always been very professional and had excellent lawyers but in the past decade we have invested heavily in IT and finance systems, in HR, our communications function – the whole infrastructure.”

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“My hope is that this is, and will continue to be a firm people enjoy working in and working with. If you treat people well there’s a good chance they will stay” he says.

“I’m also very proud of the changes that have occurred since I first started in terms of diversity and the retention of women in the profession. We are the only large firm in Belfast with a 50/50 female to male split amongst the partners and that proportion may well change further in years to come. Very many of our employees and partners work flexibly, and our willingness to support different models of working has been really important in helping us achieve our strategy of recruiting and retaining the brightest and the best employees possible.”

The Future Michael will remain a consultant at the firm when he hands the responsibilities of the top job on to Roger McMillan, who takes over as Managing Partner, with a focus on the internal running of the business, and Neasa Quigley, who will take up the new role of Senior Partner with responsibility for strategy and the external profile of the firm.

“I must say that I am delighted Roger and Neasa have agreed to take on these roles and I’m certain they will lead the firm from strength to strength. They make a great leadership team.” he says.

Carson McDowell has long worked for some of Northern Ireland’s top homegrown companies, foreign direct investors and several organisations operating entirely outside of Northern Ireland. Its clients include the likes

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of SHS, Belfast Harbour, Grahams, Clear Pharmacy and the Medical Protection Society.

When the firm was founded by William H Carson in 1852 he opened offices in both Belfast and Dublin. It is perhaps apt then that Carson McDowell is becoming increasingly active once more in Dublin and in advising clients operating across the island of Ireland.

A major driver of that work has been uncertainty around the potential implications of Brexit.

“Everyone wants to know what it means for them,” says Michael. “We have to stay agile and informed in order to give advice that is both relevant and strategic and which will stand our clients in good stead over the short and long term.”

Looking to the future Michael expects competition to remain fierce from the firm’s traditional competitors and – for talent – the legal outsourcers that have come into the market. He also cites changing technology – in particular cyber crime and artificial intelligence– as challenges which will require solicitors to adapt.

“Some firms are seeing AI as a threat but we see it as something that could take the drudgery out of certain aspects of the profession and allow more time for lawyers to focus on doing the interesting work,” he says.

“It is up to lawyers and law firms to remain relevant and learn new skills that are of benefit to our clients. Ultimately it is and always has been about offering our clients a quality service and about establishing a relationship of trust with them. When all is said and done we are a people business.”

28/02/2019 16:43

COLUMnIST

Mary Scullion, Lead of Local & Devolved Government and Transport Sector, Fujitsu

Overcoming the Gender Gap With more companies than ever striving to achieve gender equality, why aren’t we seeing the change we desire that would benefit our economy? Mandatory gender pay gap reporting has exposed a number of important equality issues and the role leadership plays in securing gender parity. Mary Scullion explores how businesses locally can use gender pay gap reporting to help shape the diversity agenda.

A

ccording to the latest report from the World Economic Forum, Northern Ireland in general bucks the gender pay-gap trend. According to the Office of National Statistics, women in Northern Ireland earn 3.4% more than men on average – and have been doing so since 2010.

This data however should not make us complacent. Evidence from the ONS points out that this statistic derives from the fact we have a higher number of public sector jobs in NI than the rest of the UK, a sector with a higher volume of women employed.

In this context, business leaders and organisations should focus on how they can influence gender equality both within their own sphere and the wider community. Working in a sector well known for facing skills shortages, Fujitsu has considered diversity and inclusion a key boardroom agenda item for the past decade and we were an early adopter of the Gender Pay Gap Report, using it to help shape our own diversity action programme.

For us, it’s not a case of just reporting statutory figures. We did a deep dive into the data to really understand what is influencing gender parity within our business, and wider industry issues. For example, one of our goals is to have 30% female representation in the company by 2020 and 25% women in senior management roles. There’s a particular reason for this figure. Research from EY has

shown that having a 30% female employment ratio increases profit margins by up to 6%. Having a solid understanding of what the key influencers are in your company – for example legacy and reputational issues, flexible working patterns, work life balance factors and bonus cycles – and marrying this with the wider economic benefits, enables a business to set meaningful actions that will deliver real change both now and into the future.

Achieving real change requires committed leadership, sustained effort and systematic focus to shift attitudes, that are deeply ingrained in our society and culture - not an easy ask for individual organisations.

Instead adopting a holistic approach with collaborators and partners should be encouraged. This is particularly important in sectors like technology where the gender imbalance can be disproportionally high.

For example, one of our aims is to create a balanced talent pipeline of graduates at a 50:50 gender profile. With the help of insights gathered at an industry wide level, and from our Gender Pay Gap reporting, we have a number of campaigns and processes in place

“There is an imperative for businesses, industry and educators to showcase and promote role models in the digital space.”

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to help make this a reality. In practical terms, inspiring passion at a young age, particularly to a generation of digital natives to whom technology is second nature, can help boost an interest in STEM and will ultimately add diversity to the sector. In the last number of years, we have increased our outreach activity with local schools, youth organisations, libraries, colleges and universities to showcase the benefits of a job in ICT. While the percentage of girls studying computing continues to rise, it is still the A-Level subject with the greatest gender imbalance locally. There is an imperative therefore for businesses, industry and educators to showcase and promote role models in the digital space. This is why that, together with Women in Business NI and ICT member companies, we will be supporting Northern Ireland’s second ‘Women in Tech’ Belfast conference this March. Delegates will hear from both female and male role models as well as influential entrepreneurs who innovate, challenge and embrace technology while also getting advice on their own career paths.

As an excellent role model herself Marie Curie famously said, ‘the way of progress is neither swift nor easy’, but we can use data from gender pay gap reporting to help create diversity agendas that deliver results.

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update Chamber Chief’s

From networking events to meetings with government ministers and in-camera dinners with leaders in business, the hectic round of activity spearheaded by NI Chamber for the benefit of members never stops. NI Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor gives a taste of what’s coming up and what’s taken place recently with a picture gallery over the following pages.

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ever has it been more important for business organisations, especially the Chamber network which is a worldwide organisation with bases in the heart of every community, to work together.

That is why NI Chamber was delighted to host our colleagues from Newry, Strabane, Causeway, Bangor and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce NI at the annual Londonderry Chamber of Commerce’s President’s Lunch.

John Healy (President of NI Chamber) Broadcaster Jo Scott, Comedian Tim McGarry, Brian McGrath (President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce) and Stephen Comer (Business Acquisitions Manager at First Trust Bank).

NI Chamber President John Healy joined Derry Chamber President Brian McGrath as a speaker at the event and we look forward to continued productive co-operation with the Londonderry Chamber.

We also recently joined our colleagues from the other national business organisations at a meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD in Belfast to discuss the current impasse at Stormont and how we can grow the all-island economy. This discussion followed the third Northern Ireland budget implemented without an Executive at Stormont and we appreciate the Taoiseach’s time to hear the concerns of our members.

With NI Chamber President John Healy hosting the Prime Minister Theresa May a number of weeks earlier, our engagement with leading figures within politics have been fast and frequent, as has the NI Chamber events and programmes schedule.

Over the past number of weeks we have held a Meet the Buyer event with Transport for London, Camlin and Ryobi with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, a private dinner with Liam Nagle, Chief Executive of Norbrook and I was delighted to chair a panel session at a national British

Chambers of Commerce & Heathrow Conference.

We have also actively kept up engagement with key politicians north and south, including a roundtable between NI Chamber and 20 members with Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill and over 100 members joined NI Chamber and SSE for a briefing with Richard Bruton TD, Irish Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

Ann McGregor (NI Chamber), Sinn Fein’s Chris Hazard MP and Michelle O’Neill and Mark Ennis (SSE Ireland).

As we look ahead to the next few months, NI Chamber members will pay an onsite visit to Ryobi as part of the Danske Bank Export First programme. We will also be holding a near market trade visit to Liverpool in April along with programme partner Ulster Bank. Our Learn Grow Excel Conference will take place on 12 June at the Europa Hotel with the Annual President’s Lunch scheduled for 28 June at Belfast City Hall.

NEW ESSENTIAL MEMBERS Autokleen BES Solutions Brand Reach Media Cardiohealth (NI) CES - Catering Equipment Services Limited Consumer Council CSCNI Physical Security Disability Action Fedex/TNT FP McCann Ltd iEngageIT Jotun Paints Kilkeel Chamber of Commerce Malcolm Hollis LLP McKeever Sports Nimms Media Monitoring Retro Digital Seetec Self help Africa Smart Energy Solutions Strabane Chamber of Commerce Telecoms NI Texthelp William Orbinson QC Xuper Ltd

NEW Growth Members CASC LTD Civica Clonallon Energiworld LTD Lenalea Solid Solutions

NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS Pictured are David Watson (Ryobi); Sandra Scannell (NI Chamber) and Aaron Ennis (Danske Bank).

Finally the Chamber Business Awards for 2019 are now open for entries and I would encourage as many of you as possible to enter the awards which for the first time include a ‘Family Business of the Year’ category. Visit chamberawards.co.uk for further information and to register.

I wish you all the best of luck with your entries and look forward to meeting with you at upcoming events over the next few months.

23

Alchemy Tech Bemis Healthcare Packaging Hannon Travel Dublin

Membership upgrades CDE Global (Growth – Corporate level) ATOS (Growth - Corporate level) Davy NI (Essential – Growth level) *To become a member of NI Chamber join online at www.northernirelandchamber. com or phone the membership team on: 02890 244113.

NEWS

NI Chamber and NIE Networks launch 2019 ‘Regional Networking Series’ Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) and NIE Networks have launched their 2019 ‘Regional Networking Series’.

Over 100 members of the local business community are expected to attend 5 large scale events hosted by NI Chamber and sponsored by NIE Networks throughout 2019.

Delegates will have the opportunity to make new contacts and promote their organisation during a structured networking session followed by a discussion with key figures from some of the region’s top firms.

Valerie McConville, Head of Business Development at NI Chamber, said: “Networking is a key component of NI Chamber and many members have told us they have won new contracts on the back of connections they have made at our events. As a result NI Chamber is delighted to partner with NIE Networks for a third year to hold a series of 5 networking events across Northern Ireland as a major part of our 2019 calendar.”

Edel Creery, Head of Customer Engagement at NIE Networks, added: “We are delighted to sponsor the NI Chamber Networking Series for a third year and look forward to engaging with businesses across Northern Ireland.

Networking with our customers helps us understand their needs and in turn influences and informs our business approach and service delivery.”

Photographs from the first event in Lisburn are featured on page 26 of this edition.

Valerie McConville (NI Chamber) and Edel Creery (NIE Networks).

Driving down energy costs with Translink at latest NI Chamber & SONI Energy Forum Translink demonstrated how it is using the very latest in vehicle technology to drive down energy costs at a recent NI Chamber & SONI Energy Forum.

The event was hosted at the new Glider Service Centre at Milewater Belfast and featured a tour of the facility.

In addition to being one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers, the company is a major land manager and a significant user of energy, fuel, water and a wide range of consumables and other resources.

Other speakers at the event included: Andrew Kirke, Director at Belfast law firm Tughans; Dara Lynott, CEO of the Electricity Association of Ireland (EAI) and Roger Henderson, Network Connections Director at NIE Networks. Speakers covered a number of areas including Brexit and the all-island energy market.

Pictured are Chris Morrow (NI Chamber); Andrew Kirke (Tughans); Patrick Anderson (Translink); Alan Campbell (SONI); Dara Lynott (EAI) and Roger Henderson (NIE).

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NEWS

Norbrook CEO addresses NI Chamber and Danske Bank Export First Event Liam Nagle, Chief Executive of leading veterinary pharmaceutical company, Norbrook, addressed 25 of the region’s top firms at a recent Danske Bank Export First event.

The private dinner, held in Cultra Manor, Holywood, was part of the NI Chamber and Danske Bank Export First initiative, which seeks to encourage and grow export activity by providing the opportunity for some of Northern Ireland’s most successful exporters to share their inspirational journeys.

Established in Newry in 1969, Norbrook is one of the largest, family owned veterinary pharmaceutical companies in the world and distributes their portfolio of animal health products to over 100 countries. Liam Nagle joined the organisation as Chief Executive Officer in 2015, bringing with him 30+ years’ international business experience.

The Norbrook CEO commented: “We are proud to recognise 50 years in business and to represent Northern Ireland business on a global scale. The support & partnership with many stakeholders in Northern Ireland has helped the company grow into a successful exporter to more than 100 countries globally.”

Aaron Ennis (Danske Bank); John Healy (NI Chamber); Liam Nagle (Norbrook) and Sandra Scannell (NI Chamber).

Local businesses keep London moving More than 110 businesses from across Northern Ireland recently attended a large-scale Buyer Engagement event with the procurement teams from Transport for London (TfL), Camlin Group and Ryobi.

The event, delivered by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council in partnership NI Chamber, gave buyers and suppliers the unique chance to connect and build business relationships, with over 100 meetings taking place between buyers and potential future suppliers.

Ann McGregor, Chief Executive of NI Chamber, said: “Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry was delighted to work with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council to deliver this buyer engagement event with Transport for London. Our members also appreciated the opportunity to meet with buyers from local firms including Camlin Group and Ryobi who reiterated their desire to grow their supply chain locally. The event also enabled those in attendance to network and develop

25

links with each other and I look forward to seeing the results of this in due course.”

Alderman William Leatham and Alderman Alan Ewart MBE (LCCC); Sandra Scannell (NI Chamber); the Mayor Councillor Uel Mackin (LCCC); Andrew Robinson (Boomer Industries) and David Wylie (Transport for London).

social

Regional Networking Series with NIE Networks, Lisburn

2.2.

1.

4.

1. Dessie Roche (Camlin Group); Edel Creery (NI Electricity

Networks); Councillor Uel Mackin (Mayor of Lisburn);

Valerie McConville (NI Chamber) and Alderman William

Leathem (Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council).

2. Edel Creery, Head of Communications and Stakeholder

Engagement at NIE Networks.

3. Packed Lagan Valley Island Conference centre for the

first NI Chamber Networking Series event of 2019.

4. Victoria Milhench (Tricord) takes part in structured networking.

5. NI Chamber’s Valerie McConville with Dessie Roche,

Global Commercial Manager at Camlin Group.

6. Jonathan McClenaghan (Titanic Suites) and Robbie Jess

(Bond Search).

7. Margaret McCabe and David Phelan from Belfast

Metropolitan College.

3.

5.

6.

7.

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social

Breakfast Briefing with the Irish Minister of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton TD

2.

1.

4.

3.

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Andrew Greer (SSE Airtricity); Minister Richard Bruton TD and NI Chamber President John Healy.

Conor Donnelly (FinTrU).

David McNeil (Brightwater Selection) and Nicola Branagh (TextHelp).

Andrew Greer (SSE Airtricity); NI Chamber President John Healy and Kevin Conmy, Joint Secretary at Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland.

Minister Richard Bruton TD addressed over 100 NI Chamber members.

NI Chamber President John Healy provided his first speech to members as President.

Vicky Boden (SSE Airtricity) and Ellvena Graham (ESB Group).

5.

6.

7.

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Workshops

Scaling for Growth NI Chamber’s Scaling for Growth initiative supported by Bank of Ireland, assists our SMEs towards achieving their growth strategy whether it simply be through sharing market knowledge, connections to chambers or companies in-market, learning from peers or introductions to funders.

The common challenges faced by our SMEs have informed the themes of the four key Scaling for Growth workshops delivered to date:

1. Managing People as your Company Grows (March 2018) 2. How to Devise and Deliver a Successful Export Strategy (June 2018) 3. Developing a Successful Digital Strategy to Grow your Company (September 2018) 4. Understanding Digital Analytics (February 2019) These workshops are exclusive to NI Chamber members who participate in the Scaling for Growth programme. The workshops present the businesses with the opportunity to

learn from other companies as well as getting practical answers to specific concerns facing their business.

The 2019 workshop series launched with a focus on Digital Analytics. 19 companies from a range of sectors attended the event in Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council offices at Mossley Mill, to learn how they could effectively reach their customers online and understand how information from a company’s digital activity can shape a successful growth strategy.

The workshop hosted three speakers sharing their knowledge and expertise with our SMEs: Luke Teacy, Data Science Manager at Deloitte Digital, an innovative leader in online and mobile strategy, offering world-class knowledge and resources to organisations of all sizes. Luke shared information on how to effectively use data to inform a company’s digital strategy and create an insight driven organisation. Luke shared with participants knowledge on creating a clear digital analytics strategy and effectively using the information from multiple sources to inform an effective digital strategy.

Stephen Mackie, Marketing Manager at The Mount Charles Group, a leading indigenous support service organisation with over 2,000 staff working in 150 locations across the UK & Ireland. Stephen shared the experience of The Mount Charles Group on effectively using digital analytics within their organisation, allowing participants to understand how this can be implemented on a practical level. As a service-based industry, Stephen explained how The Mount Charles Group identify a conversion on the website, and how a lead can be remarketed to across the internet to convert leads to customers.

Lyndsey Doherty, Head of Growth and Performance at Origin Digital, a creative digital. Lyndsey focused on Search Engine Optimisation and how this can be used to drive organic traffic to a website.

Concentrating on website optimisation, Lyndsey was able to give practical tips to the SMEs to ensure their websites reach their objectives and that those who visit their website, stay and convert. Attending SMEs learnt of free tools to allow companies to maximise their digital strategy internally.

The session was hugely beneficial to all attending SMEs who left the workshop with an enhanced understanding of digital analytics and how this can be effectively utilised to complement and further their growth strategy. As well as an excellent opportunity for attending companies to take away key learnings for their business, the workshop, like any other NI Chamber event, provided an opportunity to make connections with peers and companies from a wide range of industries. These networking opportunities are vital to companies and allowed them to both raise their business profile and the potential for attending companies to do business together in the future.

Mark Cunningham (Bank of Ireland); Catriona Henry (NI Chamber); Craig Mullan (Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council); Lyndsey Doherty (Origin Digital); Stephen Mackie (The Mount Charles Group); Tanya Anderson (NI Chamber) and Luke Teacy (Deloitte Digital).

Some of our SMEs have shared their experiences below: Jacqui Burns, Taranto - Piling Contractor operating in NI and UK based in Co. Armagh.

“Digital strategy is a key focus for Taranto currently, therefore I was keen to attend this workshop to get a better understanding on how we can use digital analytics to improve our online presence. All of the speakers were excellent in sharing a wide range of tools and strategies that can be used to improve our digital strategy. The workshop was extremely informative and was the best event I have attended in terms of practical takeaways, such as Hotjar, the user journey tracking software which I was not familiar with prior to the workshop. The workshop also provided an excellent opportunity to network with other marketing managers in a wide range of sectors to facilitate peer learning.”

Suzanne Lindsay, Mabbett – a leading environmental, engineering, health and safety, and sustainability consultancy.

“We are currently in the process of reviewing our digital strategy and I was keen to hear from the speakers on how we can do this to further our growth. The workshop was excellent in providing practical takeaways, especially free tools that we can use to independently optimise our website. Going forward we hope to implement the information provided at the workshop to increase conversions on our website, and better use the data from Google Analytics to improve our website offering.”

Catriona Donnelly, Nuprint – Manufacturer of high quality commercial and industrial labelling.

“Nuprint are currently undergoing a digital transformation process, therefore I was interested in finding out more about digital analytics and how this can help us define our marketing goals. It was great to get a better understanding of Search Engine Optimisation and the strategies that can be used to drive traffic to our website. Going forward, we hope to implement these strategies to increase leads on our website. It was very useful to hear about digital analytics from a company perspective to help us understand how we can implement digital analytics on a practical level.”

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FEATURE

Tanya talks...

Collaboration SMEs frequently face limitations of scale and expertise when seeking to compete in global markets. Collaboration is a powerful tool for supporting business growth - whether it is a group of companies co-operating to realise a particular objective or businesses working alongside complementary organisations, such as universities and colleges, to pursue a common goal. NI Chamber seeks to encourage collaboration amongst members through programmes delivered within the Learn Grow Excel initiative. The Learn Grow Excel programmes provide platforms for peer learning, networking and connections which ultimately provide the opportunity for collaboration between companies with the overall aim of boosting business growth.

Tanya Anderson, Head of SME Development at NI Chamber, deals with some of the key questions around how to effect a beneficial collaboration that will contribute positively to the growth agenda facilitating business expansion and evolution.

W

hy should an SME consider collaboration?

Businesses tend to shy away from collaboration due to concern around sharing information on their business, disclosing their competitive edge or providing access to their customer base, key employees etc. However, a collaboration with a clear terms of reference will provide the business with numerous benefits: • Inspiring – Collaboration exposes businesses to different techniques and tools, providing a fresh perspective and inspiration to think in a different way.

• Networking – Collaboration will expand your business network.

• Educational – The opportunity for learning is one of the biggest benefits of collaboration. The most successful collaborations involve professionals with different skill sets, perspectives and strengths.

• Cost Savings – Research collaborations tend to deliver a lower cost route to product development either through sharing of costs between companies or involving research teams at universities and colleges. Additionally, a collaboration can be formed specifically to achieve cost efficiencies within a business process.

• Problem Solving – Collaboration provides input from objective sources and adds new viewpoints and experiences giving rise to efficient and innovative solutions.

What platforms can an SME utilise to identify a potential collaboration?

Collaboration provides a way for complementing businesses to work together so that each can supply their specialisms into different areas and thus compete in markets usually beyond their individual reach. A practical way of effecting such a collaboration is for an SME to widen their network through joining a membership organisation, trade organisation

or professional body that is relevant to their sector and customer base. Such networks will frequently engage in information-sharing and discussion forums around common challenges such as cost reduction, dealing with prevailing external threats such as BREXIT and emerging opportunities such as large infrastructure projects. These common areas of interest facilitate more open discussions between companies and help identify synergies between companies which can be progressed outside of the forums. Further, companies often collaborate with universities / colleges on the development of new products or the penetration of new markets – educational bodies encourage such collaborations as it provides their students and research units with an invaluable opportunity to work on commercial projects.

How can an SME choose the right partner to collaborate with?

“Coopetition” combines “competition” and “cooperation” into one idea, namely that competitors can often benefit from cooperating with one another strategically. Instead of viewing competitors as rivals from which to win customers, territory and market share, a business could recognise that they tend to serve different customers and have different strengths and weaknesses. Coopetition looks vertically at a market and recognises that competitors can also be suppliers or alternatively, horizontally and recognise that a company might have good market penetration in one location but not in another.

Coopetition recognises these kinds of differences as opportunities for organisations to complement one another, rather than compete.

Competitors then become collaborators, developing joint solutions that more completely fulfil the customer’s need.

Choosing the right partner to collaborate with is fundamental to ensuring success from a joint effort. A local business will know its competitors and will be able to make an assessment as to whether they would be suitable partners in a venture. Relationships are key, such that a business will work better with a company with whom it has a cultural “fit”. If a business is looking further afield for collaboration, it could consider attending trade shows to identify firms in their sector / supply chain who are potential collaborators – research in terms of their product, customer base and financial status will also provide a good steer as to compatibility. In the case of a commercially sensitive collaboration, a business may consider the use of a non-disclosure agreement to provide Supported by comfort around confidentiality.

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Forging the future of pharmaceuticals

FEATURE

Galen, the recognised Northern Irish speciality pharmaceutical company, recently announced the appointment of Dr Dennise Broderick as Managing Director and President.

Dr Dennise Broderick with Alan Armstrong, CEO and Chairman, Almac Group. Photography

by David Cordner.

H

eadquartered in Craigavon, and operating right across the globe, Galen licenses, acquires and develops innovative prescription medicines in the arena of pain, gastroenterology and other therapeutic areas.

The Galen name is a significant one to Northern Ireland. Established 50 years ago by the late Sir Allen McClay, Galen is now privately owned by the Almac Group, the organisation Sir Allen established to ensure both the retention of jobs and Northern Irish roots were maintained following Galen’s floatation at the turn of the century.

Dennise sees this continued link to the Almac

Group as a huge advantage to Galen.

“The relationship with Almac Group enables Galen to leverage many benefits and gives us the ability to focus 100% on our commercial operations. We benefit from the Group’s centralised supporting functions including Marketing, HR, Finance etc. In addition, due to the business model and our unique relationship, we benefit significantly from manufacturing a number of our own pharmaceutical products on our HQ site via the Almac businesses, for example our Laxido product range, which is a significant part of our business.”

Dennise herself is new to Northern Ireland, but she is certainly not a newcomer to the industry

30

she works in. Her CV details an extensive career within the pharmaceutical industry having most recently held the position of Country ManagerIreland for IPSEN Pharmaceuticals with responsibility for all aspects of their business.

Prior to this position she held CEO/MD and senior leadership roles with Pfizer, Hospira, Zeneus and Viatris.

So what attracted her to the organisation?

“Almac is not a typical company. Its rich history, strong reputation, ongoing success and Foundation ownership model appealed to me. Its ethos and culture is unique, something I felt straight away and wanted to be part of. The fact that every penny earned by the

the organisation and ensure each and every one of my colleagues both understand and supports it.

“We are eager to develop our existing portfolio of products in line with our agreed strategy, therefore business development is a significant focus for us to ensure we attract strategic partners with solid products to generate a strong product range.

“In addition we will continue to drive our expansion into mainland Europe and other territories. We currently operate throughout the UK, Ireland, mainland Europe, Scandinavia and across the US. We go wider than that, however, and our products can be found as far away as Latin America, Australia and the Middle East.

Our plan is to widen even further and follow the example of the Almac Group which operates right across the globe.”

This drive for growth in Galen comes at a time of change for the industry and Dennise points to three challenges which face the organisation at present.

“Galen, and indeed the industry as a whole, face a significant change in regulations as a result of the European Falsified Medicine Directive (FMD) which was made effective on 9th February this year. This directive was

“Being able to contribute directly to the betterment of human health on a global scale is what led me to Galen in the first place.”

Group is reinvested back into the company is refreshing. Being able to contribute directly to the betterment of human health on a global scale is what led me to Galen in the first place.”

And what is it she believes will help her succeed in this new role?

“I think a combination of my experience and passion to help Galen grow were what attracted me to this role. I think those qualities will remain the key factors in our success moving forward.

“I am really excited for my future here. In the first 12 weeks we have focused on developing an ambitious, refreshed strategy to help drive Galen’s success. My key objective in the coming months is to instil this renewed vision across

implemented to help all service providers fight counterfeit medicines thus improving patient safety. We have been proactive in ensuring compliance throughout the organisation.”

“Of course, Brexit will also have an impact on the way Galen handles its products,” Dennise commented. “We are fortunate though that as a result of our relationship with our parent company – Almac Group – we have a ready-made unique solution in the form of an established European facility, based in Dundalk, providing assurance to our partners regardless of the outcome of the ongoing Brexit negotiations.”

Finally, the pharma industry is highly competitive and product pricing is becoming increasingly challenging. Galen, like many other pharma companies, is experiencing difficulties regarding reimbursement, however Dennise

31

explains that Galen has the unique ‘Trust Saver™’ brand allowing it to operate within this competitive environment.

And what about Almac Group itself? The latest annual figures again showed year on year growth (Almac Group has grown each year since its formation in 2002). Does Dennise see this continuing?

“In the last 2 years Almac Group has invested over £100 million in new facilities, including investments in the UK, Europe, America and Asia.

There have also been several key acquisitions to bolster the width of services we offer and bring in key expertise in specialist areas. We have a very ambitious strategy and I’m confident that if we continue to focus on our clients, and our people, we will be able to meet those ambitions.”

Almac grew its global workforce to over 5,000 last year and the people proposition remains at the heart of the organisation. Their growth strategy is dependent upon continuing to attract the right people to the organisation and Dennise is confident Almac’s strategy to achieve this will work.

“I am proud of our ongoing commitment to encourage young people towards STEM related careers and our involvement in significant outreach with schools, universities and academic institutions will continue to be a priority for us. Last year we hired a specialist STEM Outreach Manager to work with schools and universities to drive our strategy. We also launched our exhibit within W5’s new MEDLab space which explores the human body and tells the story of drug development. This is a unique type of partnership and is the first step in a £1 million strategic relationship with W5. I know Galen is always keen to recruit talented individuals to join our expanding team and I am thrilled that we are inspiring the next generation of Almac, and Galen’s, future employees.

Finally, looking into the longer term, what does Dennise see for Galen and the wider Almac Group?

“From a Galen perspective, I am excited for our future plans as we continue to develop our collaborative strategy with Almac Group ensuring we maximise the potential opportunities which exist for mutual benefit.

“We will continue to build upon our established product portfolio in both specialty and niche branded generics through acquisitions, licensing and development.

“And we will further develop our current range of products which is showing significant potential including our newest product for pain management.

“As we celebrate our 50th year in business, I, and my team, will continue to drive Galen’s success and build upon our reputation for best in class products and being the partner of choice to launch specialty pharmaceuticals. We have a bright future together.”

And what about life in Northern Ireland?

“I’m just getting used to it, but I’m loving it so far.”

FEATURE

A Good Sport James Ferrin is a professional footballer in the Danske Bank Premiership, Northern Ireland’s top football division.

He has recently signed for Dungannon Swifts on an 18 month contract having played for Glentoran FC for two years. He is a former Director at high end security company Pad Lock Security Ltd and is currently a practising solicitor at McIvor Farrell Solicitors in Belfast where he specialises in Personal Injury Claims and Family Law. What is your favourite sport and why do you like it?

Despite being a footballer this question is not as easy as it sounds. From a young age, I have played almost every sport out there which has a ball. From winning All Ireland Water Polo medals to representing my County in GAA, I have always asked myself this question. I think soccer would just edge it due to how exciting it can be at times.

Tell us a bit about your current sporting activity.

Despite taking five years out, away from football, I was very fortunate to be able to return to the game after securing my legal qualifications. During my time at Queen’s University obtaining these qualifications I was enticed back to play for Queen’s FC. After reaching the Irish Cup Semi Final with, basically, a student team, I got the hunger back to obtain success at the highest level. I signed for Glentoran FC two years ago and have made 55 appearances to date.

Do you encourage (or were you encouraged by) other members of your family to play a sport?

Yes, sport for me has been the key to my success in all aspects of my life. Whatever I have learnt has been helped and encouraged by sport. My parents provided all the help and support as a child and I suppose I wanted to succeed from a young age at whatever I got involved in.

Sport enhanced my personality and also developed my ability to read other personalities on and off the pitch.

Unless you play competitive sport it is hard to explain everything that it teaches you - the sacrifices you make and the hard work that is needed to succeed corresponds to what is needed to obtain high academic qualifications also.

What team (across any sport) do you follow?

It’s funny because, despite being soccer crazy, I do not have one team. I do not like annoying myself when an English premiership team wins or loses. Some of my friends make fun of me as a bit of a glory hunter as I change my team every year. Let’s just say I have a Leicester City shirt in my house along with a Man City top.

What lessons are there in sport that can be applied to business?

The lessons I have learnt are that in business and in sport there are highs and lows. All each of us can do is our best.

To do that the ground work must be done. At times it may seem impossible but I am a firm believer in positive attitudes and hard work. I have always respected the old saying ‘work hard play hard’ even with regards my social life. Business at times is difficult and sometimes you feel more like a financial book keeper than anything else. I think as long as you believe in something and give your all, it will work out.

Do you think playing a sport or being part of a team makes you a better leader?

Each sport is different and I think in business there are different roles. A leader is not someone who makes the most noise. At times the most effective leader on the pitch is the quiet person who does his job on the pitch, never misses training and wants to win. Leadership comes in many forms and as a business manager I think one should acknowledge people have different leadership qualities.

In business, do you think the phrase ‘play to win’ applies and if so why?

Yes. Many would argue that playing sport is for enjoyment only. I do not agree. I only enjoy it when I win. Of course, you can acknowledge good effort, but I would be a liar if I didn’t say, for me, I have to win. As Thierry Henry said in his recent advert on Sky Sports ‘you either win or you learn’. I think this is applicable to any business.

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06/03/2019 09:21

COLUMnIST

Colin Pattison, MD Capital Markets, Neueda

Turning Customers into Partners

Neueda’s Colin Pattison examines the value of customer partnerships

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n most sectors, when an organisation starts to regard and treat its customers as partners, it has an immediate impact on the mindset of all involved and a long-term bearing on the success of the relationship.

This isn’t just about semantics. Working in true partnership with a customer should cultivate all the qualities of a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship – openness, accountability, understanding, cohesion – and lead to better business results.

At Neueda, we made a conscious decision to embed a partnership approach into our service delivery at an early stage. We learned quickly through experience that in the fast-moving tech environment, both we, and our customers, benefitted from maintaining an open and honest dialogue from the outset - supported by a structured reporting and governance framework that works for everyone.

Engaging an external tech company historically would have involved the IT partner working from a distance to solve a customer’s problem. This has rightly evolved as organisations recognise the value of working in a more collaborative way.

Our agile approach to working sees us regularly create blended project teams – combining our team members with those of the customer, to work together on the project

and transfer our skills where necessary for future benefit. The customer gains from our tech expertise and we really get under the skin of their organisation – allowing us to make informed decisions and ultimately deliver better results.

“Adopting and maintaining a partnership service approach will undoubtedly be rewarded.”

The value of customer partnerships is not exclusive to the tech sector of course. Putting the groundwork into developing a partnership style of customer service may mean a project takes slightly longer to get off the ground or it may be more in-depth than once imagined.

However, ultimately it will be delivered more

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effectively, with no gaps, no surprises and no unexpected turns.

Employees are motivated as they deepen their understanding of the customer’s organisation and project they are working on.

They can view the benefits of their work firsthand and navigate any pitfalls as they arise.

Transparency with customers also fosters a similar culture internally, giving staff the confidence to own their decisions, challenge ideas and highlight opportunities or threats.

To really encourage a partnership approach with customers, I believe the basics are built around timely, honest communication and reporting. Mapping out regular checkpoints with key stakeholders and establishing a reporting programme that focuses on progress, issues and risks, sets a solid foundation.

Whether you’re working with a new client or wondering how to refresh an existing relationship, it’s never too late to start collaborating in a fresh way. Adopting and maintaining a partnership service approach will undoubtedly be rewarded through renewed business, positive referrals, a heightened culture of transparency – or, ideally, all of the above.

FEATURE

Stairway to Seven My seven steps for business success

Eamonn McCance has been the Senior Manager for Portadown Technical Recruitment team since 2014. Hays is the leading provider of technical skilled staff in the Mid Ulster and surrounding counties area covering engineering, property, operations, production and logistics.

He is responsible for the business development and service delivery strategy for a growing customer and candidate network, addressing specialist recruitment needs.

1. DON’T SHY AWAY FROM RISK

The world of work is inherently risky – you’re constantly dealing with shifting markets, competition and a host of internal factors. It’s easy to feel like leaving your comfort zone is an unnecessary gamble, but when you play it safe there’s only so far you can go. Those who take measured risks are most often the ones who reap the largest rewards.

2. NUTURE YOUR NETWORK

The right relationships help you progress, especially when you work in Northern Ireland where you’ll deal with most people in business more than once in your career. I would advise that you invest time in growing your network of mutually beneficial relationships, not just via social media platforms, but also face to face.

3. BUILD A WINNING TEAM

Whether it was joining a tight knit in my early days or making hiring decisions to build a team I can depend on, I think a key driver of my own success over the years has been the people I’ve surrounded myself with.

Today, I look to hire colleagues who have a vision for the future, both in terms of their own career goals as well as for how our business should adapt to win.

4. PLAN YOUR PROGRESSION

Of course, you can’t get to where you want to be without a considered plan in place. Focus on one task at a time and set yourself objectives with a specific timeline so you get it done,

and don’t be afraid to ask for guidance from a mentor on how to develop.

5. COMMIT TO CONTINUOUSLY LEARNING

Which areas of your job do you struggle with, and how could you develop? Think about your typical working day, and the tasks which tend to take longer because you find them difficult.

How can you improve in this area?

Make honest self-reflection and improvement a part of your everyday working life, no matter how far you get in your career.

6. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

Dwelling on a negative, whether it’s a mistake or a lost deal, can be detrimental

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to your progress and productivity. Don’t waste time or let it fester, learn quickly, take the lesson and move on. Trying to find the positive is better for your mind, mood and productivity.

7. MAINTAIN YOUR WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Of course, committing to your career success and following the above advice involves dedication, but don’t make the mistake of being so hell-bent on career success that you forget to take a break. Everybody needs time to relax and unwind, and everybody, no matter how successful, should maintain the right work life balance.

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COLUMnIST

By Conor Lambe, Chief Economist at Danske Bank

A Year of Modest Growth

Danske Bank’s Conor Lambe looks at modest growth for the UK economy, with much for consumers to monitor.

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ast year was challenging for the UK economy as Brexit-related factors took their toll on economic growth. In February, the Office for National Statistics published its first estimate of UK GDP in the fourth quarter of the year. This data release also included annual numbers for 2018.

UK GDP grew by 1.4 per cent in 2018 – the last time the economy grew that slowly was in 2012 and the last time it was weaker was in 2009, when output shrank during the global financial crisis. Looking at the figures in a bit more detail, it’s clear that both consumers and businesses found it a challenging year.

Household spending increased by 1.9 per cent between 2017 and 2018. This was the lowest rate of growth since 2012 and was brought about by above-target inflation exerting pressure on consumers’ spending power and high uncertainty levels making people more cautious when it came to making purchases.

Despite the rate of growth being relatively modest for consumer spending, at least it was still a positive number. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for business investment.

Capital spending by businesses fell in each of the four quarters of 2018 and the performance over the year as a whole was the weakest since 2009. Uncertainty around Brexit was the main reason behind the contraction in investment spending by businesses last year.

With regards to trade, the data for 2018 again showed a weaker performance. In 2017, many exporting businesses across the UK were able to reap some benefits from the low value of the pound as it made the goods and services they were selling more price competitive in international markets.

The global economy also had a reasonably strong year in 2017. A combination of these factors meant that net trade made a positive contribution to annual economic growth in 2017 – the first time this had happened since 2011.

However, 2018 saw a reversal in fortunes.

Global economic growth slowed slightly and the benefits of the weaker sterling began to fade. As a result, the rate of export growth in the UK fell sharply and net trade made a negative contribution to annual GDP growth.

Looking to the rest of this year, and assuming that a Brexit deal is reached (which at the time of writing hasn’t occurred), 2019 is likely to be another year of modest growth.

The gradual recovery in consumers’ spending power is set to continue but there is still expected to be some pressure on household

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budgets. Business investment is also projected to remain subdued as uncertainty around the UK’s future, long-term trading relationship with the EU persists. And net trade could contribute negatively to GDP growth again this year with global economic growth expected to cool in 2019.

In an update to its World Economic Outlook published in January, the International Monetary Fund projected that the rate of global economic growth would slow from an estimated 3.7 per cent in 2018 to around 3.5 per cent this year. Developments in the Brexit process and movements in the value of sterling are also likely to affect the international sales of UK businesses.

In 2019, Brexit is the main area that both consumers and businesses will be focusing on. But consumers are also likely to take an interest in whether wage growth remains strong and for businesses that export, the performance of the global economy will need to be monitored closely.

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07 Oct Report Writing 31 May Business Continuity Planning 08 Oct Professional Selling Skills

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09 Oct Conducting Investigations

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14-18 Oct

06 Jun Customer Service

14 Oct Event Management

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04 Apr Customer Service

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23 Oct Tender Evaluation

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23 Oct Xero Cloud Accounting

09 Apr Xero Cloud Accounting

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NOVEMBER 19

27 Mar Professional Selling Skills 28 Mar Presentation Skills

10 Apr Credit Management 10 Apr Proofreading 11 Apr Finance for Non-Financial Mgrs

Managing Successful Programmes

22 Oct Assertiveness Skills

10 Sept Managing Effective Meetings 11-15 Nov Managing Successful Programmes 13 Nov PA Development 10 Sept MS Excel Intermediate 10 Sept Finance for Non-Financial Mgrs

14 Nov Finance for Non-Financial Mgrs

12 Sept Effective Communication

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17 Sept PA Development Advanced

14 Nov MS Word Advanced

08 May Report Writing

18 Sept Customer Service

19 Nov Effective Communication

08 May Conducting Investigations

18 Sept Time Management

20 Nov Proofreading

09 May MS Excel Intermediate

19 Sept Presentation Skills

21 Nov MS Powerpoint Advanced

09 May Professional Selling Skills

20 Sept People Management

22 Nov GDPR Staff Awareness

23 Sept Proofreading

26 Nov Time Management

14 May Influencing & Negotiation

24 Sept Credit Management

27 Nov Create Video on Your Mobile

15 May Event Management

25 Sept Introduction to MailChimp

27 Nov MS Excel Intermediate

15 May Manager as a Coach

25 Sept LinkedIn

28 Nov Presentation Skills

16 May Tender Writing

26 Sept Create Video on Your Mobile

22 May Tender Evaluation

27 Sept GDPR Staff Awareness

12 Apr People Management

13-17 May

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FEATURE

Engineered for success Jim Downey, Plant Manager of Hyster-Yale Group, part of the 80 year old global supplier of material handling solutions, says his Craigavon-based operation has been a bit of a “sleeping giant” in Northern Ireland despite its 38 year history. Here he talks to Emma Deighan about why the plant is ready to come out of the shadows.

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yster-Yale Craigavon opened in 1981 under the Hyster brand and is the largest of the few forklift companies operating in the UK today.

Over the past four decades the plant has experienced continued success and currently resides on a 40 acre site employing over 670 people with some 62 people with 30 years service or more, including Jim. “We have been here since 1981 and the average service is 17 years. We are very much people-focused and we believe people are the strongest asset we have,” begins Jim. “What differentiates our workforce is that it is experienced and dedicated, and we spend a lot of time investing in our existing employees with most succession coming from within the internal employee pool.”

The Craigavon Plant has invested a significant amount of time developing its workforce through various initiatives over the years including a 13-step training program for all new starts, apprenticeship schemes, NVQ program’s, lateral development programs and more. Developing the workforce is seen as key to the future success of the Craigavon plant.

And as a Queens graduate of philosophy Jim

cites his own career as an example of how the organisation develops people from within and provides the training to work at all levels of the business.

“We offer people with the right attitude and the right competencies the time to develop and create opportunities for themselves in a global manufacturing organisation,” he says.

“Although we promote from within we also look externally to develop the future workforce. We are heavily involved in the graduate recruitment program and provide opportunities for 10-12 students every year.

We see this as increasing our talent pool and we have been very successful recently at bringing students back from our graduate programs for full time jobs. We believe we offer graduates a real opportunity for them to go into a global organisation, which offers opportunities to progress and develop longterm careers. We also signed up to the Stem Charter a number of years ago and have a Stem committee, which continues to develop activities to promote Stem subjects. As a team we are passionate about promoting Stem subjects at the youngest level to show that there are careers in manufacturing environments.”

Hyster-Yale Material Handling became an independently traded company in 2012, before that it may have been recognised in Northern Ireland as NACCO Material Handling (which was part of the North American Coal Company) although to many in the local area it is still known as Hyster.

Jim adds: “The Hyster-Yale Craigavon Plant itself is a fully vertically integrated Plant which means that we basically build the forklift from the ground up. We have significant footprint given up to fabrication, welding and assembly.

We have the capability of making over 100 forklifts per day with over 15,000 units planned to be built this year. We manufacture

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counterbalanced product in both Internal Combustion and Electric Rider ranges with capacities on both up to 5.5 ton. These are sold under both the Hyster Brand and the Yale Brand.

“We sell primarily into the Europe, Middle East and African markets and we have seen significant growth in these areas since the recession with the market closing at 563,161 units at the end of 2018 which was an 11% growth on the previous year. This growth is predicted to continue for the next couple of years.”

The sector owes its growth to the burgeoning e-commerce business, expansion of warehouse space globally and rising manufacturing industries. Other factors such as an increase in productivity, reduced injuries and accidents along with operator comfort are major factors that supplement the market growth and a demand, in line with stringent government regulations, is seeing model ranges grow with fuel-efficient factors key. Moreover, regulations related to carbon emissions has seen a rise in adoption of electric forklift trucks which are expected to fuel the forklift truck market growth in the future.

“We have invested recently in new technologies to support our future requirements including investments in new robotics and laser technology which is allowing us to be more agile and respond quicker to customer needs. We are also investing in new line design concepts to support the workforce of the future. We do not see technology and automation as a threat but as an enhancement with technology working hand in hand with an experienced employees,” Jim informs.

When asked about Brexit and the impact it could have on a predominantly European market Jim continues: “As a business we have taken a position not to comment. We have set up a Brexit committee and looked at the things we could influence and reacted to those.

However ultimately we have taken the position to continue to make ourselves competitive and to continue to improve our efficiency as a manufacturer of quality material handling products. We are looking to the future in our Craigavon facility and want to work to build the workforce of the future.

“We want to raise our profile in Northern Ireland. We want people to know who we are as an employer and what we can offer to those who want a career in manufacturing. We are very proud of what we do and have been doing in Northern Ireland over the last 38 years and we want that to be known within the Northern Ireland community.”

AMBITION special focus

THE FOOD & DRINK INDUSTRY

AMBITION TALKS TO SOME OF THE KEY PLAYERS

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the food & drink industry in focus

Re-Setting the Dial for Future Success

The food and drink sector generates £22bn in exports and directly employs more than 125,000 EU citizens. Here Partner and Sector Lead of BDO Northern Ireland, Francis Martin, as he looks at the impact of Brexit on the industry and how to focus on the future.

Food and drink from Northern Ireland is exported to over 70 countries, a £5 billion industry that employs over 22,000 fulltime employees, contributing significantly to the local economy. In 2016, the food and drinks processing sector estimated to have contributed approximately 2.2 per cent of Northern Ireland’s total gross value added.

The sector faces a number of critical challenges in 2019 and beyond, not least the impact of Brexit, but also the need for greater automation, recruitment and skills gap, productivity and product safety regulation. Tackling the likely impact of Brexit is the biggest challenge for the sector that generates £22bn of exports and directly employs more than 125,000 EU citizens.

The sector, in spite of these challenges, has remained resilient and competitive, continuing to invest, aimed at boosting productivity, developing its product offering and taking advantage of innovative new technologies to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

The NI Agri Food Strategy to 2020, Going for Growth, developed by the last Executive in 2013 aimed high with some ambitious targets, including a 60% growth in sales to £7 billion and a 75% hike in sales outside of Northern Ireland.

A large part of whether we are able to achieve these targets and the success of the industry beyond 2020 will depend largely on the outcome of trade negotiations between the UK and the EU. Great Britain is the largest channel for the Northern Ireland food and drinks processing sector with sales of £2million. The Republic of Ireland is the most important export destination and accounted for £646million in 2016.

Whatever the negotiations yield, the desire for a deal is there, but the possibility of a no-deal Brexit would be detrimental to businesses within the food and drink sector. Increased customs, tariffs and trade regulatory costs would lead to many businesses, particularly small to medium sized businesses unable to continue their operations.

Recruitment has been an ongoing issue for a number of industries in Northern Ireland in recent years with the skills gap, causing particular concern for many local businesses. The food and drink sector has historically relied on access to soft skilled overseas labour, with one in three workers

being from the EU. It is essential that access to this labour force is still available post Brexit, with the need for clarity on the future of EU member regions, the availability of labour and migration policies.

This is not just important for attracting the much-needed workforce for the sector,

are able to compete with their closest neighbours in the Republic of Ireland. Faced with similar recruitment issues they have introduced a sector-based scheme, which grants visas to non-EU workers. A similar approach will be required here to ensure we are competing on an equal footing.

Francis Martin, Partner and Sector Lead, BDO.

but it will ensure Northern Ireland continues to be an attractive option for those looking for somewhere to live as well as work.

Since the Brexit Referendum, the number of EEA workers here has fallen sharply by 26%, adding pressure to the existing labour market.

A further challenge for the food and drink industry is that so few of our companies operate in markets beyond Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Securing and sustaining business in more distant markets can be difficult and costly, particularly for small and mediumsized businesses.

It is important that businesses here

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It is, however, a testament to the quality of our local offering that our ability to compete with the Republic of Ireland remains strong despite our nearest neighbour working with significantly higher tourism budgets and the advantage of a lower VAT rate for the sector.

The commitment to invest and recruit within the sector deserves to be met with certainty around the availability of labour, scope to grow and develop and the opportunity to continue to be competitive in the market. It is time for the sector and government, working together, to re-set the dial for sustainable future success.

New ‘food trends’ and concerns for sustainability are making a mark on the food and drink industry. Here Chris Chidley, the new Managing Director of Compass Group Ireland, as he explores the new ideas and buying habits in this sector.

Chris Chidley, Managing Director of Compass Group Ireland.

As an industry leader, we’re continually evolving and adapting. The future is exciting, disruptive and full of opportunity and we are committed to constantly raising our game in every way and always improving what we do - day in, day out.

We know that there’s always an opportunity to do things better. Latest food trends, healthier food, tastier dishes, and innovative formats. Better service, improved processes and new technology.

Under the leadership of Ryan Holmes, our Culinary Director, we’re committed to developing our menus based on trends with seasonality and sustainability at their heart. I’m immensely proud of the trusted partnerships we have with our local suppliers and how closely we work together.

Not many people will know that we grow

our own potatoes! We support sustainable fishing with family run boats and we work alongside local coffee and sandwich suppliers. We truly value our relationships with local artisan and boutique suppliers, because we’re passionate about creating regionally inspired dishes that showcase the best of both traditional and modern food.

Our clients and consumers are challenging us more and more to come up with new and exciting food and drink menus, based on current trends within the industry. One that we expect to see a continued rise in will be the requirement for our non-dairy alternatives, which has now become a mandatory part of our drink offer, with our consumers actively choosing these products over dairy alternatives.

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This is such an exciting time for the food and drink industry, with some great key trends already in evidence this year.

We’ve replaced January with Veganuary and the rise of vegan cuisine is continuing to inspire many of our menu choices. As more people choose to go ‘meat-free’, we’re seeing exciting and inspirational dishes using misshapen fruit and veg that would otherwise end up going to waste – one reason that we’ll be supporting the forthcoming Stop Food Waste day on 24 April. We’re proud to be a verified member of the voluntary Origin Green Sustainability Programme, whose emphasis is on the commitment to sourcing sustainably in the local food service sector.

While we’re part of a bigger family – a large global foodservice provider - and the benefits that brings, we pride ourselves on offering the personal touch and values of a small company. That means we can be agile at tailoring bespoke catering solutions, as we recognise that not one size fits all.

Simply put, our business is helping them to make their business better; their success is our success.

An example of our great team collaboration was recently demonstrated in December 2018, when we mobilised a new contract win for a local pharmaceutical and biotech company. With only five days of ‘normal’ service under our belts, we launched straight into Christmas lunch service for over 3,500 colleagues – no mean feat!

This was a fantastic example of us being ‘people-powered’ - our people are the foundation of our business. They are passionate experts who are driven by a love of cooking delicious meals, creating magical experiences, optimising nutrition, designing great-value dishes, deploying smart technology, ensuring the highest standards of safety and hygiene and most importantly, making our customers smile.

And being people-powered means that attracting, retaining and developing great people is absolutely crucial to our success. We are committed to giving our people the safest and fairest environment to work in, the best industry training and the opportunity to build meaningful and rewarding long-term careers.

But we won’t stop there. We will continue to create experiences that brighten everyone’s day, every day. We’ll still be the enthusiastic advocates for locally and ethically sourced produce and proud supporters of our local suppliers and communities in 2019 and beyond.

the food & drink industry in focus

Food for Thought

the food & drink industry in focus

At your service Last year was a momentous one for Mount Charles as it celebrated three decades of history summed up by phenomenal growth, the successful diversification into new service lines and the introduction of a new Managing Director. Here Emma Deighan chats with the man at the wheel - Barry Byrne - about plans, challenges and more growth for one of NI’s most successful family businesses.

Barry Byrne.

Barry Byrne is well placed to take on Mount Charles’ objective of reaching a £100m turnover by 2025. The former MD of security firm G4S is no stranger to striking multi-million pound deals with some of the world’s biggest names. And when he was with G4S’s UK & Ireland business it was turning over £450m, with 19,000 employees so you could say he’s an asset to the Mount Charles family.

“I bring the corporate experience of having been in a complex global organisation so looking at our ambition, it is realistic.

I’ve been responsible for running much larger companies across multiple services and markets and I know the challenges,” begins Barry.

That £100m plan that Mount Charles is gaining momentum on is by no means a tricky objective for the firm as Barry informs that an updated strategy, ready for an April

launch, is “very clearly articulated” and makes the target achievable.

“We’re well on track to updating our strategy and it’s about making this business more scalable,” he continues. “The company has grown rapidly and we need to ensure all the necessary people, systems and processes are in place to make it more scalable.”

And recent performance figures back up that unwavering confidence.

Overall turnover for the Ormeau Roadheadquartered business has risen by 20% to £40 million last year and with employee figures growing to 2,500 in the same period, the company is firmly on the path to achieving its goal.

The thing about Mount Charles is, it’s a lot more than the catering empire that the local business world is familiar with. Over the past 30 years it has gone from a turnover

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of £183,000 in its first year of business to £40m. And it’s gone from sealing catering deals with establishments such as Titanic Belfast and local colleges, Moy Park, Bombardier and FlyBe to diversifying into cleaning, vending machines and standalone hospitality enterprises.

It has also expanded geographically and the rewards have been great. Its office in Dublin, which opened in 2017, has seen it invite a realm of new contracts to the value of €10m (£8.75m). These include the Pensions Authority, the National Aquatic Centre and the Abbey Theatre.

This impressive Mount Charles 30-year timeline is illustrated through artwork on the staircase of its £1.6m south Belfast base, which was also opened in 2017. Barry continues: “Those separate elements of what we do now - from catering to cleaning - are almost equally split. But we are more

because there is a lot of focus on healthy eating and that’s what we offer.”

It was last summer when Mount Charles announced a strategic partnership with Freshly Chopped. The deal will see it take an exclusive area development contract to rollout Freshly Chopped across Northern Ireland and Donegal. Initially, the deal will see six high-end standalone Freshly Chopped outlets open across Northern Ireland’s high streets.

Eaterie style setups might be new and an area of expansion for Mount Charles but growth in its core areas will also continue.

Those lucrative contracts with the public and private sector, including the £520,000 deal it struck with the Department of Finance last summer, or the multimillion pound agreement with airline Flybe recently, will continue but an air of modesty will safeguard those ambitious plans. “We’ve a raft of service points and there will be an

element of expansion but we won’t go away from our core catering and facility services,” says Barry about the future.

“We will put more into the retail side of the business but I want to maintain a mix with a long-term defensive strategy.

Our big focus is around consolidating the sectors we work in, and to make sure we do that well. Looking at where we are geographically, we are in GB but we’re fairly small, so we’re looking at that but we’re not trying to be a global player. Routinely we will come up against global firms and we have ambition to make this business significantly bigger but we also want to make it sustainable as a family business,” he says.

And with a background that includes a multinational security name to, more recently, fronting an energy start-up, finding balance is something that Barry Bryne is well able to manage.

Underpinning the future One of NI’s largest companies, Moy Park, has gone from producing three million chickens per year in 2011 to six million per week just last year. It’s a huge stride that has involved significant investment Prepared Foods Business Unit Director of Retail, Andrew Nethercott tells Emma Deighan.

The figures at Moy Park over the past two years illustrate the lightening speed of growth at the firm. Last year the company’s sales saw a rise of 8% to £1.5bn. Andrew says the jump can be attributed to increased product demand and big investments.

“The demand remains strong across all regions,” says the Director at Moy Park, which has its main headquarters in Craigavon. “We also have a strategic investment programme which was built to foster growth and that includes a £40m spend in 2017 across all our business units. It’s building the infrastructure for the future,” he continues.

One of its major cash injections in recent years has gone towards a new hatchery in Newark, England, in 2017 and further investment in its people has also played a significant role in growth.

“We continue to invest in our people and that is key to business,” continues Andrew.

“We’ve done this through development programmes, graduate management and the accelerate scheme which works with the leaders of our future. That focus on people and innovation gives us success,” he says.

Moy Park’s story is a long and detailed one.

Last year it celebrated 75 years in business.

It has gone from a small farming business in Moygashel in 1943 to a global enterprise

Andrew Nethercott.

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the food & drink industry in focus

than just catering and facilities. There is a complexity to what we do. We offer cleaning services but even that stretches beyond traditional office cleaning to specialist deep cleaning.”

Mount Charles’ love for food still continues as is evident by its latest hospitality venture, Freshly Chopped. Today it is behind four Belfast bricks and mortar food outlets; Fed and Watered at Belfast International Airport and Donegall Quay and, now, it has the NI franchise for ROIbased Freshly Chopped - the salad and healthy eating bar concept - which has two outlets in the city.

“Chopped opened its second store in Donegall Square and a lot of work went into it and we’ve been busy and the footfall proves that,” says Barry. And Chopped won’t stop there he says. “We have plans to roll out six stores and the next one will open at the International Airport which is great

the food & drink industry in focus

employing some 13,000 people. It owns 12 processing manufacturing facilities spanning NI, England, Holland and France. And its product portfolio extends well beyond poultry.

“We have a business unit structure, an agriculture business, which provides chicken, fresh business unit, prepared food business and a European food business,” explains Andrew.

He goes on to say that Moy Park produces 200,000 tonnes of prepared foods annually including beef patties for McDonald’s and products for the major multiples. It also produces dessert products such as donuts and apple pies for the European market, which are created in England, and it has a spring roll production line in Holland.

The company’s timeline also involves a series of buyouts and acquisitions which has further strengthened its role as a top global player in the food industry.

Most significant is the Pilgrim’s Pride acquisition of the firm from previous owners, Brazilian company JBS, back in 2017.

“That acquisition has given us a major boost,” says Andrew. “Pilgrim’s Pride is the biggest chicken company in the world and with that comes the opportunity for us to share best practice with operations in North America, Mexico and Europe to accelerate our growth plans. It also goes beyond sharing best practice to sharing manufacturing processes, consumer trends and insights.

“If you look at our manufacturing facilities, we have 12 in Moy Park, there are more than 40 outside of the business and when we look at those, we are able to benchmark and look at best practice.”

The latter benefits from that acquisition give Moy Park a good standing ground to forge further growth and it will do so through its core products but also adding to its product range and reassessing all elements of its production.

Andrew continues: “One of the big things we are looking at is convenience and health. They are a driver of growth.

“We would really orientate our investments around health because chicken is widely regarded as a healthy protein and an increasing number of consumers are concerned with what they eat.

“We also see a desire for products that are more convenient and that includes cook-in-the-bag products, breaded chicken, new coatings and more recently we’ve made significant strides in packaging.

“We’re keeping our plastics use down and working with suppliers to reduce plastic. We’re looking at options to make it more lightweight and and we have invested in the technology to do so.”

With the muscle of one of the world’s

biggest chicken producers behind it, and the cashflow to continue to invest, it would seem that Moy Park will continue on its upward trajectory, but that won’t be without challenges admits Andrew.

Despite being a powerhouse in its domain, complacency has no place at the firm.

“We are always trying to challenge ourselves to stand out from the crowd and we have to continue to do that,” he says.

“Effectively our market is global.

Our biggest market is the UK and Ireland retail and food service sector.

We send eggs to the Middle East, dark meat to the Far East and Africa and we’re looking at global trends and linking in with our colleagues on that.

“Closer to home we know that our consumers love fresh local poultry so we’re meeting their expectations by continuing to offer great value that is sustainable because if you look at the UK and retail, it’s highly competitive.

We are very much talking about our farming face base and being close to them. With that message people are close to the chicken and the farm and that promotes healthiness.”

Away from the consumer, factory and HQ-based investments will also be rife. It will continue on from a “number of investments across key pillars,” says Andrew. “From people to food safety, quality, agricultural heritage and excellence.”

Two new food lounges at its Grantham and Craigavon sites are among those expenditures. The creative spaces include state-of-the-art kitchens, BBQ areas, culinary libraries and a breakout area for customers. The Lounge will be used by the company for food innovation and development. They coincided with the Culinary Academy launch which is aimed at upskilling Moy Park’s teams.

It has also invested in its Dungannon factory and created a £12m ‘free-from’ facility at Grantham and, like all firms, IT has been a major focus for Moy Park.

“We’ve been investing in our IT systems in conjunction with Pilgrim’s,” continues Andrew who adds that turning transactions with its major customers into “partnerships” will, alongside investment schemes “really underpin our business for the future”.

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BOTTLED UP Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol bringing consumers a collection of brands including Guinness, Harp, Baileys, Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker and Tanqueray. Oliver Loomes, Country Director for Diageo Ireland speaks to Ambition about the company.

Oliver Loomes.

The company’s F19 half year results were published on 31st January 2019 showing organic net sales up 7.5%. Growth was broad based, across categories and regions, with standout performances from Johnnie Walker (up 10%) and Tanqueray (up 21%). Good momentum on Guinness delivered 4% growth and Baileys was up 3%.

Speaking to Ambition magazine, Oliver Loomes, Country Director for Diageo Ireland, said: “Globally we have developed a very strong first half to F19 and the same is true in Ireland where we have grown net sales by 5%. Beer grew net sales by 3%, driven by the launch of Rockshore lager and the continued growth of Hop House 13 Lager. In spirits, net sales grew double digit largely driven by Gordons and Baileys. As part of this, we have continued to see the Diageo Northern Ireland business in good growth with the company gaining market share.”

Diageo Ireland employs around 1,200 highly

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skilled people across five operations in Ireland, including brewing, production of liqueurs, marketing, sales and commercial support. In Northern Ireland, Diageo is an integral part of the community as a major exporter and employer with a significant economic footprint. The company employs over 345 people across three sites including the Baileys global facility at Mallusk, a bottling and packaging plant in east Belfast and the corporate HQ in Belfast city centre.

Baileys Irish Cream is the No 1 Liqueur brand in the world and is enjoyed in over 160 countries with the Mallusk facility producing 70% of all Baileys sold globally.

Liqueurs represent 6% of Diageo’s net sales and grew 3% driven by Baileys (F19 half year results).

The Belfast packaging facility at Marshalls Road is a 24/7 canning and bottling operation and is the only beer packaging site on the island of Ireland. Approximately 40% of output is shipped to GB and onwards to the US, Europe and Korea.

“As a global business, Diageo is well placed to respond to the possible Brexit scenarios that we may face after March 2019. At this stage, we do not see any meaningful risk in our ability to continue to trade and access the EU and the rest of the world. As an all-island company with a highly integrated supply chain clearly we want the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to remain as frictionless as possible, not just for us but for all businesses operating across the island of Ireland.”

The last 12 months have been an exciting time for Diageo Northern Ireland with a number of brand launches.

“Our focus in Northern Ireland remains on growing our commercial sales while building our reputation as a responsible employer and a major exporter. From a

commercial perspective, there have been a number of highlights in the last year or so, most notably the launch of Rockshore lager and Gordon’s Pink Gin.” Rockshore was launched in February 2018, spearheaded by Magherafelt native Niki MacCorquodale, Head of Beer Innovation for Diageo Europe. Meanwhile, the launch of Gordon’s Pink Gin in October 2017 has seen the brand currently breaking all sales records and is the company’s most successful launch since Captain Morgan.

“Both Rockshore and Gordon’s Pink Gin have been welcome additions to our portfolio with customers and consumers alike really taking to them. Hop House 13 which was launched in February 2015 continues to thrive and we’ve now sold 25million pints of it across Ireland.

“The Open Gate Brewery – the Guinness experimental brewery at St James’s Gate in Dublin – continues to produce an exciting variety of artisan beers including its most recent launch, Citra IPA.” “Local beer brand Harp has enjoyed a welcome revival and has recently undergone a rebrand. The brand’s ‘Pure Here’ campaign, which celebrates the people and places that make life in Northern Ireland so special, has been a hit particularly on social media.”

Diageo’s brands including Guinness, Harp, Baileys and Smithwick’s, are synonymous with the growing hospitality and tourism industry.

“Northern Ireland is enjoying record visitor numbers. As a company Diageo is committed to supporting the hospitality and tourism industry here and we do this by investing in our brands, our customers and through strategic partnerships.”

One such strategic partnership is Diageo’s sponsorship of the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards which take place in May 2019.

“We are extremely proud title sponsors of

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the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards. These Awards are an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the individuals, businesses and initiatives that have put Northern Ireland firmly on the tourism map and, in doing so, have proven to be significant economic drivers for the Northern Ireland economy.”

Another successful strategic partnership is with Visit Belfast, with Diageo committing continued financial support to their work in marketing Belfast as a world class destination to both domestic and overseas visitors.

“Food and drink are increasingly important to tourism and we are focused on working with Visit Belfast to enhance the overall experience for visitors, whether it’s offering food and drink pairings in local bars or ‘Taste of Belfast’ pub guides in the Welcome Centre.”

“Many bars and restaurants are now tapping into the increased emphasis on drinks pairing with food very successfully.

Last year we teamed up with The Cloth Ear to launch ‘The Irish Flight’ which features three small plates of the finest local produce, matched with three iconic Irish tipples, including Guinness, Hop House 13 and Roe & Co Irish Whiskey. From a tourist point of view, this is where it is at and there is a major opportunity for bars and restaurants to really capitalise on it.”

“Our big ticket brand sponsorships work extremely well and the uplift they provide to the hospitality sector is significant. We are extremely excited that Guinness is the new title sponsor of the Guinness Six Nations which is undoubtedly one of the world’s best attended sports events regularly attracting record TV and online audiences. This new partnership firmly cements the Guinness brand’s position as one of the game’s biggest supporters and we’ll be helping our customers to make the most of it.”

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Coca Cola HBC’s Go Green Ambition Magazine meets with Louise Sullivan, Public Affairs and Communications Director at Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland to understand more about the bottling company’s commitment to sustainability and minimising its impact on the environment.

Louise Sullivan, Public Affairs and Communication Director at Coca-Cola HBC Ireland.

Coca-Cola HBC is now in its 80th year of operation in Northern Ireland. In this milestone year, it is gratifying to look back on what has been achieved in these eighty years, and the role our business has played in shaping the local economy and the communities we serve.

We now employ approximately 470 people from our state-of-the-art facility in Knockmore Hill, Lisburn, Co. Antrim, and a further 280 through our operations in the Republic of Ireland. In the last year alone, we have made approximately £5million capital investment in our facility, which will support our continued growth and our sustainability agenda.

Our successful legacy in Northern Ireland is built upon our deep commitment to supporting and investing in our local communities. We strive to add value through programmes that we believe will have the most impact; our key focus areas are youth development and environmental stewardship.

In its third year, our #YouthEmpowered programme has trained more than 1,000 young people across the island who are currently not in education, employment or training, through workshops and our online training platform, the #YouthEmpowered Digital Hub. We also support projects that inspire and support young people with grants through our annual Thank You Fund.

For the past 15 years, we have also supported the Clean Coasts programme,

in partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and An Taisce. This programme protects and promotes our beautiful coastline by supporting clean-ups and behavioural change in relation to litter and waste.

I don’t believe that any market-leading business can operate successfully without an authentic commitment to sustainable and responsible operations. Sustainability is at the core of our values and is a key part of our business strategy.

Since opening our plant in Knockmore Hill, we have tangibly reduced our impact on the environment. In 2010, we set ambitious environmental sustainability targets and gave ourselves 10 years to achieve them. Targets were set against recycling and waste, energy usage and water conservation.

We are proud to report that we have already made extensive progress, even achieving some of our targets ahead of schedule.

We commit zero waste to landfill at our Lisburn facility; achieving this five years ahead of schedule. We have reduced our water usage by over 10% since 2010; improving our water ratio to 1: 1.53. This means that we now use just 1.53 litres of water to produce 1 litre of our beverages.

We have also reduced our energy usage by almost 19% since 2010. This has saved us more than 32 million megajoules of energy, which is not just good for the planet, but also makes business sense.

These results have been achieved through a firm prioritisation of our commitments from senior management to our factory floor. Everyone in our business understands that they have a role to play in helping to achieve our sustainability goals.

We are proud to say that our dedication to sustainability has been recognised both at a local and global level.

Our Coca-Cola HBC Group was recognised as beverage leader by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for four consecutive years.

Closer to home, our operations have also been recognised. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, we were proud to have achieved Platinum Status in the Business in the Community Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey.

In 2017, we were granted the Water Champions Award by the Consumer Council Northern Ireland. We have also been recognized as ‘Green Manufacturer of the Year’ by the Green Awards.

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In 2015, we also signed a Prosperity Agreement with the NIEA to drive improvements to our business, incorporating biodiversity and wider environmental projects. This work is underway and we are confident that all targets will be achieved by 2019.

We share public concern about plastic and the impact it can have on the environment when it’s disposed of incorrectly.

The majority of our consumers want refreshment in a light, resealable pack, and bottles continue to play an important role in getting our products safely to market.

However, we also recognise that we must show leadership in making our bottles as sustainable as possible.

That’s why, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, we launched our World Without Waste strategy last year, with localised commitments to make our packaging more sustainable.

This global strategy sets out an ambition to design more sustainable packaging; to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can we sell by 2030; and to partner with NGOs, customers and stakeholders to help clean up the planet.

The good news is that in Ireland and Northern Ireland we have already made significant progress to fulfil the ambitions of this strategy.

Across the island of Ireland, all the bottles and cans we sell are already 100% recyclable and should therefore never end up as litter.

We are also doing more to reduce the amount of plastic in our bottles overall and to integrate more recycled content into our packs to create a true circular economy for plastic.

We have already begun our journey to integrate recycled plastic (rPET) into our bottles, and by the end of 2019, we expect to have at least 25% rPET across our portfolio.

Over the last few months we have also focused on ‘light-weighting’ our packs, which means we’re reducing the amount of plastic we use across our supply chain overall. Last year alone, we reduced the plastic used in our bottles by 5% with the introduction of a smaller closure and we plan to light-weight our packs by a further 10% by 2030.

World Without Waste also sets out an ambitious global strategy in the area of packaging collection. By 2030, we will collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can we sell. To achieve this, we are exploring how best we can support reform of existing packaging collection systems

the food & drink industry in focus

and improvements in infrastructure for onthe-go packaging recovery.

And finally, we recognise that we can’t do all of this alone, so we are partnering with those groups and stakeholders that can help us have the most impact. We have worked with An Taisce and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful for more than a decade on the Clean Coasts programme – supporting

volunteers to keep our coastline free of litter.

Activities include Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week which encourages people to protect and celebrate their coastline. In 2018, we also contributed to the Big Beach Clean, which saw more than 400 employees across the island take to local beaches in a mass clean-up.

Talent, Efficiency, Innovation

Ambition speaks to Dale Farm’s Group CEO, Nick Whelan.

Northern Ireland-headquartered Dale Farm is the largest UK farmer-owned dairy cooperative and continues to follow an upward growth trajectory, having reported record results in the financial year ending 2018. Under the leadership of Group CEO Nick Whelan since 2016, Dale Farm has focused on maintaining sustainable growth through increased efficiencies, product and operational innovation and ongoing reinvestment. The results of this approach have allowed the cooperative to pay its farmer members the top rolling milk price on the Island of Ireland for several months, something its CEO cites as the core measure of its success: “The dairy farmers who own our cooperative and supply us with top quality milk are the lifeblood of our organisation,” said Nick Whelan.

“Our commitment to supporting their farm businesses through paying them the best possible milk price is central to every decision we make.

“That means building great brands and dairy products that meet the needs of today’s consumer.

“It means constantly reviewing our organisation at every level to identify how we can enhance our operations.

“Ultimately it is about us being more efficient, more sustainable and more effective.”

One major operational enhancement by the company in 2018 was the instalment of one of the world’s largest dairy solar energy plants at Dale Farm’s County Tyrone production site, Dunmanbridge.

The 37-acre solar farm, connected directly to the company’s network, now powers

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We are also using the power of our brands to encourage greater behavioural change and consumer awareness. We have integrated recycling messages across all Coca-Cola and Deep RiverRock advertising and on-pack, and we are working closely with our retail partners to raise awareness of our actions in-store, among consumers.

the cheddar plant in Cookstown, home of Dromona cheese. Set to reduce Dale Farm’s carbon footprint by 20%, the project will also deliver multimillion-pound savings in energy costs.

“We are extremely proud to have developed a green energy solution that positions us as leaders in sustainability in the global dairy sector,” Nick continues.

“We also invest heavily into improving economies of scale, increasing automation and minimising waste throughout our facilities – all of which is helping us work smarter.”

From a product perspective, the company continues to evolve its range of milk, cheese, desserts, yogurt and ice creams to reflect the changing needs of the modern consumer.

Its strength in traditional dairy categories continues but product innovation plays an equally important part of its strategy, with a large portion of Dale Farm products having been generated over the last three years.

An example of how the company is evolving its product portfolio is its longestablished yogurt range, Spelga. One of Northern Ireland’s iconic brands, Spelga has both undergone an image refresh and been enhanced from a nutritional perspective, with 100% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin D now included in each 125g pot.

Markets outside Northern Ireland,

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particularly Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, are fundamental to Dale Farm’s future growth.

Whilst 40% of its business remains within Northern Ireland, the GB market represents approximately the same percentage and the remainder is delivered through international export sales. Its iconic range of ice creams and ice lollies – much loved in Northern Ireland for decades – is now growing on an all-Ireland basis. As the summer season approaches, a heavyweight Ireland-wide marketing programme will launch to support the brand in a competitive marketplace. Its significant level of branded and own-brand business

in Great Britain continues to grow thanks to major retail and foodservice contracts and an international contract with Lidl, secured last year, represents the single biggest contract awarded by the retailer to a Northern Ireland agri-food company - bringing Dale Farm’s cheddar cheese to 8,000 stores across 22 countries. Looking ahead, Nick Whelan believes that the building blocks are in place to further solidify Dale Farm’s success: “Whilst the current political and economic uncertainties remain a major challenge for the agri food sector, we are focusing on our core markets and the quality and strength of our offer.

Keeping the brand front of mind

Co. Armagh based Porridge and Oat Cereal Producer, White’s Oats, has launched year two of its communications campaign under the umbrella of ‘Taste the Journey’, following its initial roll out in 2018.

White’s, an established brand leader of porridge oats and oat cereals in Northern Ireland, has an ambitious drive for growth extending its success in Northern Ireland into GB. With a longstanding tradition of provenance, quality and innovation, White’s has been investing in its branded communications, building on its authenticity but bringing a contemporary relevance to the brand.

The company has invested in its people, processes and products, and cumulatively these investments have reinforced White’s commitment to its markets. Following significant investment in a brand refresh and brand positioning, White’s has launched a digital communications campaign that not only works hard for the brand but instils a sense of pride and purpose for its people.

With over 175 years’ of heritage, expertise and craft going into every oat kernel, White’s overarching comm’s proposition highlights the time it takes to produce quality tasting porridge oats, championing its heritage and ‘heroing’ its Irish and British farmers.

The porridge and oat cereal category is replete with innovative start-ups and heritage brands, and with so much competition all vying for share of voice, White’s had to execute a big campaign idea that would capture consumers’ attention

online and play on the strengths of the White’s brand. Under a campaign umbrella of ‘Taste the Journey’, White’s creatively communicates the time it takes to bring its process and provenance to life, cleverly using illustration and typography that dials up cues of quality and heritage and ultimately providing the motivating reason to buy - ‘taste’. An illustrated oat kernel is brought to life through animation and acts as a common thread throughout the campaign. ‘’In activating the campaign online, it was twofold: to understand the experience consumers had with our brand and our products, and to challenge the perception of oats as being bland,” said Danielle Mc Bride, Brand Manager of White’s Oats. ‘’This led us to create a series of mini product recipe videos with clear USP on product and motivating reasons to buy, with our oat kernel tying the whole campaign together.”

White’s recognises that consumers are engaging with brands differently and the one size fits all model no longer applies.

Danielle continues, ‘’By using digital channels it has allowed us as a company to target specific audiences and specific parts of our market, helping us to deliver on our business objectives. Our ROI has been very strong, we’ve been able to isolate the effect of spend to measure the impact but most

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“Local provenance continues to remain a priority for retailers and consumers. We have local farmers producing milk, travelling a short radius to our factories, where we manufacture, package and dispatch our dairy products. That product journey is enormously valuable.

“Crucially, we have great confidence in the talent and passion of our people - and are proud to have some of the most innovative, experienced dairy farmers within our membership.

“These are the raw ingredients we need to face the times ahead with great optimism.”

importantly, gain valuable insights that we can take into year two of the campaign.”

White’s continues to focus its communications on delivering its marketing objectives: building a brand leader in its domestic market whilst in GB focusing on brand awareness. The campaign metrics to date have delivered very good ROI; recording year on year growth of 10% in Northern Ireland and a 50% uplift in branded sales in specific GB accounts. Moreover it has created new retail opportunities in GB, which now accounts for 45% of total company turnover. In January of this year, White’s announced investment in a new channel partnership with Empire Bespoke Foods, a leading UK importer and distributor of speciality foods for the retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors, and recently signed with Tree of Life to distribute six of its products into premium health and food outlets across the UK. ‘’The focus of White’s communications for year two will continue to align with the ‘Taste the Journey’ platform but utilise much more impactful messaging to land in busy digital channels. The campaign headline for year two ‘You Don’t Know Oats, Until You Know Ours’ heroes White’s Jumbo Organic Oats and aims to challenge consumer’s preconceptions that all oats are created equal. ‘Taste’ is still the over-riding message and this is reinforced through the copy while the overall creative conveys provenance and authenticity,” concludes Danielle. The medium weight campaign is being activated across multiple digital channels including, social, Google and YouTube; using 10-15 second animated GIFs, Facebook and Instagram ads; and geographically targeting White’s core NI and GB markets. Through effective segmentation and online consumer profiling, the campaign will travel to reach new audiences targeting interests relevant to the brand as well as traditional porridge consumers to encourage brand switching.

The Taste the Journey campaign will be supported through the line including PR, press, sponsorship and local events, reinforcing those key messages which are key to White’s online story and keeping the brand front of mind.

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BELFAST

FEATURE

My Ambition is to...

Nicola McKay, Associate Director, HLM

I

have always had an interest in architecture. The skills and expertise needed to design buildings have fascinated me from a young age and I am still continually inspired by the buildings around me.

I left school following my GCSEs to study a BTEC in Construction. Due to my strong interest within the sector I was eager to gain experience, along with relevant qualifications for the industry. One of my earliest career milestones was becoming the first student from the course to study an Architecture degree at Queen’s University.

I completed a placement year in a practice in London, a fantastic opportunity where I was afforded the opportunity to work on high-end residential buildings. I then moved to Edinburgh where I achieved a Masters in Urban Design and diploma in Architecture from Heriot Watt University and based my Masters Dissertation on the regeneration of Belfast’s Waterfront.

I returned to Belfast and worked on a range of healthcare projects including the New Cancer Centre at Belfast City Hospital. I spent a year in Australia working for the Buchan Group, on pre-fabricated buildings within the commercial sector.

After working in Belfast for a number of years, I embarked on a lecturing position at Southern Regional College and also carried out

freelance work on residential projects (while also working on my own home as a self-build project!).

I joined HLM’s Belfast studio in 2014 as the Clinical Lead Designer on Altnagelvin Area Hospital for the New North Wing, alongside high-end hospitality projects in Dubai.

“I believe success stems from hard work, ambition and integrity...”

In January 2017 I became an Associate at HLM and appointed to the position of Associate Director and Studio Lead in April 2018. My role at HLM is now a balance between Northern Ireland-based projects and running the Belfast studio. My main focus is on business development, bids, recruitment also supporting the work of national and international projects across all HLM studios.

When approaching a design project, the primary focus is on the operation

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functionality of the building, approached from the ‘inside-out’, and ensuring the building is aesthetically pleasing. My own personal traits of organisation and structure mean that I enjoy solving puzzles and creating solutions to challenges. In my new roles, I now approach challenges with a strategic overview from coordination and programming perspectives.

It is important to me that all team members are involved, creating a structure that allows everyone to participate. I believe success stems from hard work, ambition and integrity and I value communication and trust within my team. I also feel it is important to maximise people’s involvement to perform seamlessly as a unit, capitalising on the strength of developing others.

Our HLM Academy puts training and development at the heart of everything we do and enables everyone to work to the best of their ability, which I am passionate about.

We are committed to providing a place where everyone has the freedom to grow and be the best that they can be, I feel is the core to the success of any workplace.

Through my role, I wish to secure noteworthy commissions that are recognisable as HLM’s. My overarching ambition at HLM is to expand the practice and for it to be integrated into architectural fabric within Belfast, Ireland, the UK, and internationally.

Host with the Titanic Hotel Belfast Titanic Hotel Belfast is the perfect location to host your next event.

We have seven heritage rooms: from the breath-taking, cathedral like space of the Drawing Office holding up to 300 guests, to smaller more intimate meeting spaces designed to cater for all your business needs. We are centrally located in Titanic Quarter and only 5 minutes from George Best Belfast City Airport.

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COLUMnIST

Edel Doherty, Managing Director, Beyond Business Travel

Technology and the Future of Business Travel

Managing Director of Beyond Business Travel Edel Doherty explains how technology is changing the face of travel as we know it.

T

he world is changing and people are interacting differently than ever before.

The rise of smartphones, apps and online technology has changed how people manage their work and personal lives. While this presents the travel industry with a huge learning curve, it also presents us with huge opportunities.

Technology is changing the face of travel as we know it. Here are just a few ways: Artificial Intelligence in Corporate Travel What is Artificial Intelligence? Essentially, the phrase refers to computers or machines performing tasks that would normally require human intelligence to carry them out. For example chatbots and online customer service, voice assistants that can make phone calls and carry out simple tasks and programmes which carry out in-depth data processing and analysis. This year, Google Flights started predicting delays and announcing them before the airlines, all using AI. Personalisation One of the most exciting developments is the rise of personalisation through Artificial Intelligence, where travel management companies can easily tailor trips to suit personal preferences and tastes. Gone are the days of generic service and one size fits all solutions.By using AI to analyse booking

behaviours from you as a traveller, we can better predict your ideal hotel and flight options. The goal is to save travellers time and effort, by having the first options which are shown to them, perfectly suited to their taste and preferences.

We know if you prefer not to checkin luggage, want an aisle seat and usually opt for a hotel in the city centre. Our systems manage the details, meaning you get the best trip, every time. We can also use data from travellers within your business and companies in the same sector or area, to better target our service.

“Gone are the days of generic service and one size fits all solutions.”

Mobile Assistant The Mobile Assistant is also continuing to revolutionise business travel. 90% of business travellers spend more than 5 hours a week on their smartphone and Beyond Business Travel’s mobile app supports corporate travellers through every part of their end-toend journey.

We save your passport number, your frequent flyer details, we provide an up-todate and always to hand (literally) itinerary.

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If disruption occurs, our systems will alert travellers instantly and we’ll get straight to rebooking flights, rearranging transport and all without causing you any extra stress.

Mobile technology also means travel operators can offer even better support than before, particularly in times of emergency.

Internet of Things The Internet of Things is a term that is widely used to describe objects that connect to the internet and “talk” to one another. Think Apple Watch, Fitbit, Google Home and Smart Light Bulbs.

Travel companies are already experimenting with these. Last year Delta launched an IoT-enabled global bag-tracking system, so travellers can keep track of bags throughout their journey. Samsung Electronics and Qantas Airways partnered to launch an impressive virtual reality experience in 2015. The VR headsets offered by Qantas create an fully, one-of-a-kind immersive experience for travellers.

IOT technology will soon be used to send messages to airport users, advising them of queue times, marketing messages from nearby businesses and more.

Hotels are investing in systems where guests can unlock their room doors with a smartphone and sensory lighting and temperature systems change depending on a person’s movement and activity.

Our vision is to use technology to create the best business travel experience in the world.

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FEATURE

Building for the future Jackie Henry has been part of Deloitte since it first set up a residence in Belfast 30 years ago. She’s seen the NI arm of the business service provider morph from a small firm to the multinational’s biggest office outside London. And there are bigger plans ahead.

I

t was 1989 when Jackie Henry, Senior Partner, joined Deloitte, which was then based in the Robinson Cleaver building in Belfast city centre. Since then Jackie has been instrumental in growing every element of Deloitte in NI: from its staff to its services.

It now has three offices spread across some of key business areas in Belfast and a service portfolio that even Jackie couldn’t have envisaged back at the turn of the 90s.

“Deloitte’s story in NI dates back to 1989 when I joined the firm myself. We’ve seen such a massive amount of change since,” begins Jackie.

Deloitte in NI has grown significantly over the past three decades, most notably in 2014 when the leadership of Deloitte in the UK came to Belfast giving the team a further boost. “We persuaded them to make an investment into Belfast that added an extra 300 people. It was a new investment in growth here and a big endorsement of our plans. Now we have a team of 850 in Belfast.”

London “loved what they saw” following their investment in the city, which Jackie attributes to the unique qualities of the NI professionals at the firm. Their character and ability boosted the faith the company already had in the city.

“They loved what they saw and the quality of the people here. I think we’re a very gritty bunch and that honesty lands really well with clients across the UK, and across the globe. We bring ideas and fresh thinking and we innovate.

Getting first-hand experience of that made the UK leadership look at Belfast very differently and it became not just about the lower cost economy but the workforce,” continues Jackie.

Deloitte now offers a suite of services in Belfast that expands well beyond common perception. Its technology offering is expansive; from data analytics to cloud engineering, software testing to technology consulting. It’s a broad offering, and one that Jackie is keen to promote.

“We’ve grown our core services, such as

tax and audit, but, in addition, we have built a centre for technology consulting and human capital consulting in Belfast. We’re also a centre of excellence for cloud computing, cyber security, and robotic process automation,” she reveals.

Some of these areas have seen the firm work with “amazing clients” adds Jackie. “We are supporting the likes of Aldi’s customer online presence, and ‘B’ a mobile- and tablet-

“We have a campaign called Bring Your Whole Self to Work. People won’t thrive and succeed in an environment where they can’t be their true selves.”

based banking app for CYBG B - they’re good examples of who we are working with from Belfast.

“It’s a big shift from what we were and what we were known as and it creates a big

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challenge in terms of getting talent into the business,” Jackie adds. But the firm has wheels in motion to attract its future workforce.

“We’re an organisation that supports careers in emerging technologies. We open opportunities to people to invest in their careers with us and getting that known has been a big challenge so we’ve invested in a number of really interesting campaigns. They are authentic campaigns where people from Deloitte talk about their experiences and the opportunities they have been given,” says Jackie.

Deloitte is a huge advocate and supporter of career building in Northern Ireland. It has a generous amount of learning opportunities for school leavers and graduates.

“We needed to bring in young people, graduates and experienced hires to get the right level of talent into the business. I wanted to move quickly so we designed two new talent programmes; a graduate academy and our BrightStart programme, a higher apprenticeship for school leavers. The thinking was that if we can attract 18 year olds who were curious and open to learning in technology and service areas we could bring them in and offer them a good start in their career.

“We knew it would be an important alternative to university and so we decided to partner with Ulster University to provide a part-time degree. We pay the successful candidates and we pay the university fees,” explained Jackie.

The company was also the first to offer the Assured Skills Academy model with the Department for the Economy . To date Deloitte has delivered academies across a range of disciplines including cloud and robotics.

Alongside its apprentices and graduates, Deloitte has a vibrant workforce that is supported by in-house programmes and ideologies that ensure positive work/life balance, high job satisfaction and low staff turnover.

“We have a campaign called Bring Your Whole Self to Work. People won’t thrive and

Katy Best, Commercial Director, pictured with Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive, outside the new bar and restaurant, The Artisan.

succeed in an environment where they can’t be their true selves. So we want to offer a workplace where people can have their own identity and share any pressures they have; from women returning to work after having children to people from the LGBT community who have maybe faced discrimination in the past. It’s been really interesting and shone a light on the diversity of our workforce,” adds Jackie.

Supporting incoming and existing talent is essential for the firm which has massive plans for a move into what will be one of Belfast’s most impressive office buildings in 2021.

A Victorian linen house in Belfast city centre is to become the second largest UK hub of Deloitte where it can further expand its base.

Deloitte has signed up as the anchor tenant in the new £85m Bedford Square development, with the regeneration and refurbishment of the Ewart Building, which was formerly one of Belfast’s biggest linen mills, at its centre.

The vacant four-storey sandstone warehouse, designed by James Hamilton for the Bedford Street Weaving Company and completed in 1870, will host a state-of-the-art Deloitte Digital and Greenhouse space.

Jackie described the firm’s new home as a symbol of Deloitte’s commitment to the city,

which will “breathe life back into one of our beautiful but neglected heritage buildings” and help create hundreds of jobs.

The old building will be linked to an adjacent 17-storey office block by a second-floor walkway. Deloitte has leased almost half of the 213,000 square foot Bedford Square site and expects to have 1,000 employees based there by 2022, making it the company’s largest UK hub by headcount outside London.

“We have a great vision for it,” Jackie continues. “And I’m sure that we will challenge ourselves to move on and by the time we get there hopefully be even better than what we’re thinking of now.

“We have a new office in London and it is amazing in terms of the different working areas.

It encourages collaboration and integration.

That is all included in our Belfast vision but we will also move that on. We will have the Ewart building space as a wonderful area for the tech team. It will allow them to collaborate with all areas of business and our partners at the likes of Catalyst Inc and Ulster University. It will also provide a space for Deloitte Ventures, which works with fast growing SMEs and tech startups.”

Future jobs and talent is a passionate subject for Jackie. “It’s interesting isn’t it, when

57

you go back five years ago, did I know we would have an automation team, was that something we were starting to talk about then? That’s an example of moving on in five years into a new area and in a few years’ time there will be other new areas. The possibilities are endless.

We have to remember that 65% of our children entering primary school today, for them their jobs haven’t even been created.”

It’s all well and good projecting new roles, new sectors or tech divisions but Jackie says there’s still work to be done in terms of ensuring they have the workforce of the future.

“We have to invest in our own growth agenda for growing skills, developing and nurturing our own skills. It’s a continual investment in our Future of Work.”

Jackie says part of that is engaging with staff and giving them the workplace and flexibility they want.

She says a recent campaign allowed some of the staff’s children to imagine the future and capture their thoughts in a video. The result was imaginative ideas for flying doctors and self-emptying bins.

“We aren’t the archetypical accountancy firm,” adds Jackie. “We feel incredibly proud of where we’ve gotten to but there is still a lot more progress we want to achieve.”

COLUMnIST

Gerry McQuade, Chief Executive Officer of BT’s Enterprise Division

BT at the heart of Northern Ireland’s economic and digital future

Gerry McQuade looks ahead to economic and digital growth

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t the start of another new year at BT Group, we are looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead to drive economic and digital growth in what continues to be a rapidly changing business environment.

BT has been at the heart of the business community in Northern Ireland for decades and we continue to be one of the largest investors and employers in the region. BT Group recently announced the results of an independent report by Hatch Regeneris, ‘The Economic Impact of BT Group plc in the UK,’ showing that we currently employ 6,980 full-time staff in Northern Ireland through BT’s direct employment, its spending with contractors and suppliers and the spending of its employees.

As a Group, BT has contributed a £592 million GVA (Gross Value Added) boost to the Northern Ireland economy in the financial year 2017/18, which is £1 in every £65 of GVA created in the nation. We have also spent £154 million with local suppliers, recognising the quality of the people and the support we gain from all our partners. We remain committed to ensuring

that a thriving BT generates a more positive outcome for all across Northern Ireland.

We are also playing our part in re-imagining Northern Ireland’s digital future and for many years we have been at the forefront of innovation and investment in our local network infrastructure.

Working in collaboration with colleagues in the private and public sector continues to be key to our success in the marketplace.

With the digital economy expanding at an exponential rate, technology is constantly transforming how businesses interact. At the forefront of technological innovation, BT continuously invests in ever more innovative and efficient digital and mobile solutions, which deliver best-value for money for our business customers. We all share the same digital challenges and at BT, we can help Northern Ireland get better connected.

Having secured the nine-year, multimillion pound Northern Ireland Public Sector Shared Network (NI PSSN) contract from the Department of Finance (DoF) in December 2018, we will be working with the public sector to help them to connect and deliver services on a scale never seen before. The

This year, we’re also proud that Belfast has been chosen as one of sixteen cities across the UK where we will launch the first phase of our 5G roll out.

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new network will include 11 government departments – bringing the opportunity to digitally transform public services in Northern Ireland using state-of-the-art network and Unified Communication (UC) services, along with fully managed services and world-class network security. The potential benefits of this partnership are limitless.

This year, we’re also proud that Belfast has been chosen as one of sixteen cities across the UK where we will launch the first phase of our 5G roll out. BT, together with its EE mobile arm is launching this technology in Belfast where our 5G services for businesses will focus initially on providing even faster speeds and more capacity, delivering a better mobile experience for our customers. Over time however, 5G will support a new generation of converged applications with truly seamless connectivity across fixed, Wi-Fi and cellular technologies. This will allow our business customers to switch instantly, seamlessly and securely between networks so that they benefit from the best possible connection, whenever or wherever they are.

Bringing this latest technology to Belfast will further enhance the city’s credentials as one of the best places in the UK to live, visit and do business, supporting our digital strategy, investment in fibre networks, and the recently announced Belfast City Region Deal to create smart districts. This will support Belfast’s growing competitive advantages in connectivity and the knowledge economy.

We also believe passionately that by connecting people, great things happen, so we’re really pleased that we are launching the InLinkUK from BT service in Belfast this year too, making technology more accessible to everyone who lives and works in Belfast. The InLinkUK from BT service offers people the chance to benefit from free ultrafast Wi-Fi and phone calls and access to local information services via a touchscreen tablet - features that we hope will encourage trade back onto the high street. The new digital street units also have important social and public safety benefits, providing access to emergency calls and a vital lifeline to four charities: Samaritans, Childline, End Youth Homelessness and Runaway Helpline. The InLinks will replace BT’s existing payphones, and with BT removing two payphones, on average, for every InLink installed, the new service also frees up space on the high street, making it a more appealing place for shoppers.

We are excited at the possibility of being able to offer these wide-ranging benefits to businesses in the coming months to help to continue to make Belfast one of the UK’s most digitally connected cities.

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14/02/2019 16:21

FEATURE

The retail evolution The high street retail landscape has been plagued with closures, CVAs, takeovers and restructuring processes but there’s one Company Director who might just have the answer to inject some vibrancy into town shopping and that’s Adam Finlay, third generation of the Douglas & Grahame fashion firm.

Adam Finlay, Company Director.

D

ouglas & Grahame has been a respected name in men’s clothing in Ireland and the UK since the 1920s when it was a supplier of quality fabrics to the tailoring trade. Founded by Charles Douglas and Hugh Grahame in Belfast city centre, Adam’s grandfather Dixie Finlay joined in the 1940s and started the company on the journey to becoming a supplier of leading fashion brands when he began producing ready-made suits for a new generation of gentlemen’s outfitter.

Dixie eventually took over the firm in the 60s.

It’s gone on to become a multimillion-pound company selling its brands to multiple retailers and independents with one store to a collection of units. Among its brands are the recognisably sharp Remus Uomo, Douglas, Daniel Grahame and boyswear and schoolwear label 1880 Club.

“The core of the business is done through independent stockists across the different brands we offer. That’s 80-90% of our business and that has been built over a generation,” begins Adam when describing that successful business structure.

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Douglas & Grahame has around 350 stockists in the UK and Ireland who come to buy at the company’s HQ in Carrickfergus, UK Sales Office in the English Midlands or premium showrooms in Dublin, London or Glasgow.

It also has four Remus Uomo stores that it owns as well as two stores operated as franchises with trusted stockist partners.

Adam refers to those as the firm’s very own “retail footprint”.

It’s a format of trading that has served the company well. Staying loyal to its wholesale customer is at the heart of what Douglas & Grahame does, so much so that when it came to e-commerce, the company put its clients at the forefront and took on the internet market ‘sensitively’.

“It’s a delicate exercise going direct to consumer,” admits Adam who was instrumental in setting up an online shopping site for Remus Uomo five years ago. “If we had gone into e-commerce too quickly it would’ve been a threat to our retailers but we understand that for a brand to be taken seriously we needed to offer it. We have been careful not to be too aggressive and so it’s grown very organically.

Today it is two to three per cent of our business and we are content with that because it has grown 50% year on year.”

The growth of online shopping has been one of the biggest contributors to changing consumer trends in recent years. Many retail professionals say it is one of the most prominent challenges for bricks and mortar stores. And according to the Centre for Retail Research, since the recession, there have been 32 retailers forced to shut, most of which are in the multiple retailing sector. Among those names were BHS to House of Fraser and beyond fashion, stores including Maplin, HMV and Poundworld.

In recent weeks Paperchase announced it would downsize its portfolio. Adam is very much in tune with the peaks and troughs on the high street and he believes that the traditional retail model our high streets are familiar with is no longer cutting it. He anticipates that the brands who innovate and offer an experience will thrive and keep the physical shopping experience alive.

“We are coming into a very interesting time of change in the next few years when the high street will hit a crisis point that some of the big players won’t stave off,” he warns.

“It won’t die because there are brands

Douglas SS19 campaign.

working on their stores and adding value to encourage shoppers. It will be those who are active in developing and evolving who will survive and among those are some of our stockists. What’s clear to me is that all the troubles of the big multiples are not the same for our retailers. Their business is built on experience and customer service and what you find on an ongoing basis is that the better ones are adding to their in store offering with services like fitting a barber shop in their basement and things like loyalty nights that develop personal relationships with customers.

It’s those things that keep them coming back.

“On the traditional high street the current model is based solely on access to the goods that are there and too often I’ve gone into shops in Belfast and even London actively looking to purchase something and they can’t offer the service to convert you into a sale.”

It’s a very valid point. What’s to entice shoppers anymore into stores if they can access everything from their mobile phone device in the comfort of their own home? There has to be something more continues Adam, who cites Tommy Hilfiger as a pioneer in the evolution of high street shopping. He references it as “the benchmark for us all.”

“It brought back Tommy jeans from the 80s and launched that with great aplomb. It launched an in store environment to add a digital experience and the customisation of every garment. In its London store it has a cafe in the back with ‘on-brand’ reading material.

They’re making it a very enjoyable environment

Remus Uomo SS19 campaign.

to be in. They’re also leveraging interesting tech that is very innovative and fascinating and we are starting to see some of the ripple. For us they’ve blazed a trail.”

“We are thinking about the role of digital on the shop floor and how to tie up online and on-floor...”

It begs the question could the Remus Uomo offering be part of that ripple effect? “We are

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evaluating a number of things. We are thinking about the role of digital on the shop floor and how to tie up online and on-floor and how we can link up with our stockists across the island looking at ways to add value and experience to the brand,” hints Adam.

“Primarily our strategic outlook is about building brands for a start on the basis of our wholesale relationships and going into 2020 we are looking to build brands to have a richer and deeper consumer relationship. That is necessitated by being visible online but also developing our own retail units and having a deeper and broader distribution.”

It helps that three generations of one family have vested interests in developing the firm.

Both Adam and his younger brother have an input in operations but admittedly it is Donald Finlay who steers the boat says Adam.

“Within any senior team, to have a range of experiences to call on only helps to make the right decisions. I know for the likes of my dad, he’s enjoyed the shared conversations we’ve had about planning the future of our brand portfolio and he’s taken on new viewpoints but those new ideas aren’t always just from the younger generation. He counterbalances our enthusiasm with his experience,” Adam explains.

“We’re fortunate to have been around for 95 years and my family will be the third generation. Tomorrow will always present a different challenge. There is a need for a bit of grit, steadfastness and the wisdom to always be open to opportunities.”

COLUMnIST

Heather McGowan – American Future of Work Strategist

The Future of Work is Learning

American Future of Work Strategist Heather E. McGowan recently delivered a Keynote Address and series of workshops with the Ulster University Business School where she discussed ‘work to learn.’

W

e ask young people “what do you want to be when you grow up?” we ask university students “what is your area of study or major?”; and we ask each other “what do you do for a living?”

These inquiries limit human potential. Young people today will fill jobs that do not yet exist.

Most university students will not work in the field of their study and the Foundation For Young Australian research (on the outlook for developed countries) predicts that a young person today will have more than 17 different jobs across 5 different industries, yet we myopically focus them on their first job with few skills and behaviours to adapt to change.

For the current workforce, for which we have only digitized less than 20% of our economy, studies have shown that job loss takes twice as long to recover from a loss of a primary relationship because the loss of occupational identity is the loss of identity. The only thing moving faster than technological change is cultural change from gender identity, diversity in leadership, aging demographics, racial demographics, permissible behaviors, and overall cultural identities.

We need to build resilient and adaptive identities with learning agility and both market and self-awareness. Students must understand how to learn and adapt in a rapidly changing world with a clear understanding of

the market value of their contributions. We need to focus our educational systems and training on developing higher order meta cognition and social skills to prepare people to adapt to change. The future top ten skills lists by both the World Economic Forum and the Institute for the Future emphasize the importance of uniquely human skills like collaboration, creativity, social and emotional intelligence, and empathy. I see this entire structure like an iceberg with a resilient and adaptive identity deep below the water, an agile learning mindset as the next layer, at the waterline the enablers of uniquely human social skills, and above the water line the skills to do. Those skills to do will be changed, added and deleted, nearly as frequently as you add and delete applications from your phone.

from learning and evidence of capacity. This shift suggests rethinking all aspects of talent development especially education.

Changes to Work The Age of Accelerations has hit work because if it can be digitized, it will be digitized and anything mentally routine or predictable can soon be achieved by an algorithm. In this reality, companies are best served to focus their attention on learning and adapting

Business and University Partnerships One way to achieve some of these goals is to create programs that utilise business partnerships. The “BrightStart” Deloitte Ulster University Business School Partnership is one such example that engages students in work and study simultaneously. Students work in a functional area, such as human capital, engaging in multiple roles with multiple clients such that their university skills and knowledge are acquired alongside real world challenges and context in which to test and apply those skills.

I believe we are entering an age of abundance where technological advances will more than satisfy our economic production needs, and where if we are intentional and mindful, we can create more meaningful work with a more engaged workforce unleashing the potential of humanity.

“Young people today will fill jobs that do not exist yet” faster than their competition by focusing on developing their culture and capacity. Here solutions to market needs (products, brands, services, business models) are merely exhaust

Changes To Education As John Hagel of Deloitte says, “the era of codifying and transferring predetermined skills and existing knowledge is over.” The role of instructor moves from a teacher who trains in skills and disseminates content to a coach who inspires individuals to reach their highest human potential. If we expect people to learn for life we must connect them to their own internal curiosity, purpose and passion because as Marina Gorbis from the Institute For the Future says “Once we close the digital divide the next divide that appears is the motivational divide”.

www.heathermcgowan.com

WORK TO LEARN: Mental Model | The 4 Layer Iceberg 4 Skills to Do 

Skills

Enablers

Skills For Which You Are Hired

3 Uniquely Human Skills + Traits 

Mindset

What Makes You Better At Your Job

2 Agile Learning Mindset 

Identity

Your Ability To Learn And Adapt (To Make Changes)

1 Resilient And Adaptive Identity 

www.heathermcgowan.com

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|

Your Resilience And Understanding Of Your Purpose

www.work-to-learn.com | TWITTER: @heathermcgowan.com

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Samaritans - A key role in media reporting

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lthough best known as a place for those experiencing distress and despair to seek help and support Samaritans also work with media professionals to pursue the vision that fewer people will die by suicide.

As well as responding to over 5 million contacts per year, Samaritans work in many different kinds of partnership with industry and public bodies. A particularly successful body of work is our engagement with media professionals to help inform best practice.

Samaritans has been working with the media for more than two decades, distilling the essentials into the widely respected Media Guidelines for Reporting Suicide. Research has shown that inappropriate reporting of suicide may lead to imitative behaviour and an important aspect of this work is following up with editors when stories could be presented differently to better effect.

The flip side of such potential risks is that certain media, particularly popular drama, can help to encourage those who are struggling to reach out for support and raise awareness of sources of help. The ‘optics’ of a particularly challenging story may need great care and programme makers regularly consult Samaritans’ Media Advisory Team to make sure this is done in a safe and responsible way. For instance, the eagle-eyed may spot when characters struggling to cope getting little ‘nudges’ towards support in the likes of Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and even The Archers.

Across UK & Ireland, Samaritans trains, advises and supports journalists, production staff and writers for print and online

journalism or advising on portrayal of sensitive subjects in television and radio drama. The guidelines also underpin Samaritans’ contribution to the education of future journalists in local colleges and universities.

“The evidence is that responsible commentary and news reporting of suicide can help prevent these types of deaths in the future. No suicide is inevitable.” Luciana Berger, MP.

boosting the high street

By Cara Taylor, Business Growth Enabler, Ulster Bank Last year was a turbulent year for the retail industry and there seems to be little in the way of improvements forecast for 2019.

A string of prominent high-street retailers announced job losses and store closures and many more are struggling to meet the challenges currently facing the industry.

Ulster Bank Boost was created to support local business owners across Northern Ireland and for our next series of events, we are focusing on the local retail sector to help provide these businesses with the tools, knowledge and networks needed to survive the modern high street.

Surviving the High Street will be a series of regional Ulster Bank Boost events where retailers can come together and discuss the problems facing local high streets and draw from the recent experiences of successful retailers who have managed to overcome these challenges.

We hope to provide industry insight into the ever-changing nature of consumer trends and help entrepreneurs become more malleable so as to future proof their business. Attendees will hear from a panel of experts including representatives from local chambers and industry body, Retail NI, who will discuss how to maximise footfall while digital experts will cover how to boost SEO performance.

Many fear that as consumers move their spending habits online, clicks are overtaking bricks and posing a genuine threat to our high streets. We want to show retailers that they should be resilient to these changes and find ways their own retail offering can adapt to fit in better with the modern consumer’s lifestyle. Offering an experience that drives customer interest and encourages them to engage personally, will always be preferable in the eyes of the consumer.

Ulster Bank wants to work with local businesses to attract shoppers back into town centres and to uncover the breadth of choice and quality our sector has to offer. We have lined up many great examples of local businesses who are diversifying to help change the current perceptions of the high street. They have grasped the concept of demonstrating better

Ulster Bank’s Business Growth Enablers, Lisa McCaul and Cara Taylor.

value, service and in-store experiences to help distinguish them from their online counterparts. We hope that by listening to the positive experience of others, attendees at our events will grow to understand this.

The first Surviving the High Street event takes place in the Clandeboye Lodge, Bangor on Thursday, February 28 before travelling to Lisburn, as a partnership with Lisburn Chamber of Commerce on March 14th, and finally Enniskillen. Our Business Growth Enablers will be on hand at each of the events to offer practical, pragmatic advice for any retailers who are seeking support to take their business to the next level. To book your place at one of the events, contact cara.a.taylor@ulsterbank.com Our events run throughout the year and cover a wide range of topics and sectors. To find those which are relevant to you or to grow your own business network, visit: www.ulsterbank.co.uk/business/boost

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COMMON MISTAKES

BY EMPLOYERS WHEN MONITORING STAFF Michael Black is head of Cleaver Fulton Rankin’s Employment Department, and also leads the team’s niche consultancy, ‘CFR HR’. Michael is a Chartered Member of the CIPD and has specialised in Employment Law for 25 years.

Monitoring employees is standard practice in many workplaces, although the reasons for doing so can vary greatly.

Some companies may be under regulatory obligations to monitor, such as those in the financial services sector. Many companies primarily monitor to check employee performance. Although the advantages of monitoring may be obvious, the adverse impact of doing so is perhaps less apparent.

A company may view employee monitoring as essential to the efficient running of its business. However, if employees are permitted to use telephones, e-mail and the internet for personal use, it may be difficult to draw a distinction between work and private information and activity, and then limit monitoring to the former. Although employees may be aware and accept the monitoring of their work, monitoring of their private information and activity is likely to be much less welcome. A company’s failure to consider the adverse impact of monitoring on employees can interfere with, or ultimately destroy, working relationships.

One of the most common mistakes made by employers when monitoring employees, is the failure to recognise that this involves the processing of personal data. For example, when employees’ images are captured on a workplace CCTV system, this means

their personal data is being obtained along with other information about them, such as what they are doing and their location. The employer is processing personal data by capturing this information and this falls within the scope of the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’). A key principle of the GDPR is transparency: employers must inform staff when processing their data, what data is being collected, for what purposes and how long it is being kept. This information and also the statutory rights employees have over the data, (including the right to access it, correct it and erase it), must be clearly communicated to staff.

Many organisations fail to provide employees with all of the information about the monitoring activities undertaken. The same data protection principles apply to geotagging or geo-mapping and other person or vehicle location tracking devices, such as fingerprint recording systems used for building access and security purposes.

Employers can monitor employees covertly without complying with the principle of transparency, but only in exceptional circumstances. For instance, it is feasible where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting criminal activity or similar serious activity, when any notification would prejudice the prevention or detection of that wrongdoing. In these circumstances, covert monitoring is allowed, but it should be limited to the investigation of the wrongdoing

and it should cease immediately when the investigation has finished.

Another common pitfall is to then use the information obtained through the monitoring process, for purposes other than originally required. An employer that decides to install CCTV cameras following a workplace theft cannot use the footage in a disciplinary process for an unrelated and less serious offence that may be captured by the footage.

As well as informing employees about the monitoring, employers must undertake a Privacy Impact Assessment, particularly where they are monitoring publicly accessible areas as required under Article 35 of the GDPR. An impact assessment involves identifying the purposes of the monitoring and the benefits it is likely to achieve. The assessment also involves considering the likely adverse impact on employees and members of the public from the monitoring.

An employer must consider using alternative methods to the monitoring or ways in which the monitoring can be done differently to reduce any adverse impact, as well as considering how to keep the data secure and how long it should be retained. The employer must then decide, when assessing all of the relevant factors, whether the monitoring is justifiable.

This article has been produced for general information purposes and further advice should be sought from a professional advisor.

Cleaver Fulton Rankin is one of Northern Ireland’s leading commercial law firms combining over 125 years of heritage with an innovative approach.

With team members who are qualified in both England and Wales and in Northern Ireland we can offer our clients a comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional service.

To find out more please contact:

Michael Black – m.black@cfrlaw.co.uk or call 028 9027 1312 Cleaver Fulton Rankin, 50 Bedford Street, Belfast, BT2 7FW

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Apprenticeships For more info: email Apprenticeships@belfastmet.ac.uk, call 028 9026 5219 or visit www.belfastmet.ac.uk/apprenticeships 66

Planning success at the heart of economic growth

By Anne Donaghy, CEO of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

A good litmus test of any council’s credentials is to put its planning process under the microscope.

A lethargic, overly complicated and cumbersome system – as can often be the case - smacks of a lack of focus and shows scant regard for the priorities of a private sector already burdened with the challenges of global competition and an uncertain political environment.

One which places importance on efficiency in its planning process, which works with businesses to understand their needs and which is also effectively governed is much more in tune with the needs of a modern economy, and indeed society.

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has placed planning at the heart of our strategy to grow the economy in the surrounding area and to shoulder much of the growth of the Northern Ireland economy.

With that very clear vision, we made sure that since planning powers were passed to this and the other 10 local councils in 2015, we created the most efficient planning process possible.

Now we can boast that planning decisions in Mid and East Antrim are made faster than in any other council area in Northern Ireland, taking around six weeks to complete compared to a regional average of 15 weeks.

Major planning applications can be turned around in as little as three weeks and we are consistently ranked as the number one council in Northern Ireland for planning times.

That is quite an achievement, particularly as we have made sure it doesn’t come at a cost and have maintained our razor-sharp focus on sustaining, protecting and enhancing our natural environment, safeguarding our built heritage, driving retail growth and addressing our housing needs.

Our council leads the way in the transformation of planning in Northern Ireland and this is primarily due to the foresight, vision and ambition of our elected members and senior management.

How have we managed such a feat?

I took the decision to manage planning for the first two years of the transformation of services, personally shaping how we deliver planning in Mid and East Antrim.

Linda Williams, Siobhan Fisher, John McVeigh, Anne Donaghy, Louise Kennedy, Philip Thompson and Katrina Morgan.

I knew we needed to seek out best practice, identifying those areas where planning had been successfully aligned with economic development.

With that in mind, I led a delegation which travelled to Peterborough to learn from one of the most respected planning councils in the UK. The lessons we gleaned there were invaluable and we made sure to integrate them into our own system before testing it thoroughly in the run up to the introduction of planning powers.

Secondly, we realised that not every decision needs to go before a planning committee, so we worked closely with our elected members around a highly efficient and effective Scheme of Delegation.

Through this addition to the system, planning decisions which are considered minor can be made by highly skilled officers within the planning department rather than having to wait to go before councillors at a planning meeting.

We have also made sure to work closely with business and others on major planning decisions, ensuring open discussion from the very outset to the final planning decision, and offering pre-application meetings to assist our investors and deliver on our role as enablers and facilitators to economic development.

It is this pro-business attitude which has won us such plaudits over the last year for

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our planning process, encouragement which is not easy won by a council.

We have shifted the reputation of planning locally from being faceless and bureaucratic, to a system that works, and is seen as delivering for our community and business leaders, and supporting economic growth.

Our plans for the investment secured through Belfast City Region Deal are evidence of this innovation and dynamism, highlighting the roll out of more than £80m of investments in Mid and East Antrim across manufacturing, tourism, skills and employability.

An efficient planning system is crucial to win that investment and crucial to ensure the continuing efficient functioning of the economy in Mid and East Antrim.

Carry out a litmus test on this council and it is clear we have a planning system which is a model of best practice and which has the health of the local economy at its core, and one which is increasingly being used as an example from which others can learn and implement within their areas. www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk

FEATURE

Guiding the talent of the future...

Twelve years after South West College was formed from an amalgamation of Tyrone and Fermanagh-based further and higher education establishments, Chief Executive Michael McAlister talks to Emma Deighan about the college’s evolution into a hub for Mandarin and an important link to the future workforce here.

M

ichael McAlister has seen further and higher education transform in his 32 years in the sector. He’s been in his current role at the helm of SWC for 18 months and the future for his domain is both exciting and challenging.

SWC was formed in 2007 from a merger of three previous colleges in the region: Omagh, East Tyrone and Fermanagh, which were delivering educational services for 100 years.

And the decision to bring them together has been a wise one, Michael begins.

“There have been major benefits from that merger. We have grown substantially. We have 24,000 enrolments annually, we have 800 staff and a turnover of £42m. And we have links to over 40 countries, with more partnerships, memorandums and joint projects,” he says.

The academic muscle formed from that collective has made SWC something of a hub for many sectors. Firstly, Michael says, it’s the only Confucius College for Northern Ireland, which allows it to deliver Mandarin Chinese language to 4,000+ people every year. It has links to 60+ schools and provides access to the Chinese language through 12 tutors, funded by the Chinese Government.

The Confucius Institute was set up at Ulster University in April 2012 by the Chinese State Councillor Madame Liu Yandong and continues to grow and develop important cultural, academic and business relationships between China and Northern Ireland and outside of the university, and SWC is strengthening that goal with its Confucius Hub. Also, a result of this offering, SWC has “signed a number of memorandums with colleges in China including WUXI College to work together to develop a sandwich programme for automotive students” Michael tells Ambition.

The partnership will enable both institutions to work together to develop courses for that industry, as well as benefiting wider industry by helping to address a global skills shortage, particularly in relation to electric vehicles technology.

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“Wuxi College has an exceptional reputation in China having forged a close partnership with the BMW Group and the Chinese Ministry of Education,” adds Michael. “The college is also helping to carry out the development of a pilot project for higher level apprenticeships to train highly-skilled personnel in automotive technology and we are delighted to be involved in this partnership.”

Michael goes on to say that beyond Mandarin, a specialism in STEM projects at SWC is further supporting industries here and adds “but, increasingly, STEM is becoming STEAM and takes in the arts and digital media too. We have a lot of creative technologies and many of our enrolments are for those subject areas”.

He continues: “It’s a conscious decision for us to really focus on economically relevant topics of study, through professional and technical education and that’s also the focus of our sponsoring department, the Department for the Economy (DfE).”

SWC works alongside thousands of businesses to support them in nurturing talent of the future but also to offer access to research and development services. This includes companies like Terex in Dungannon and CDE Global in Cookstown.

“Engineering in this part of the world, MidUlster, is huge. 40% of crushing and screening equipment sold globally is produced here.

It’s a huge hotbed for that and we have 530 companies of that nature in Mid Ulster,” Michael adds.

The college is also working alongside the government on solutions for Brexit. Michael says the work, enabled by some £300,000 funding from DfE, “is focused on developing solutions in three key areas; skills shortages,

continuation of EU funding and cross border flows”.

“The Department for the Economy are very effectively engaged in planning for Brexit from day one and we are working in support. The project is delivered by college staff. They’re out researching and engaging, looking at the major pressure points to suggest and develop solutions that colleges and government might introduce at a local level. It’s been ongoing for the past five months and we hope to bid for funding to continue this work for the next 12 months,” explains Michael.

Brexit is a troublesome topic for a lot of colleges here. More so SWC, which has delivered numerous successful projects born from EU funding. “I think at the moment 60% of EU funding (2017) going into the further education sector goes into SWC, such is the level of activity that the College is engaged in,” says Michael.

“Brexit could mean that activities that we are currently involved in which rely on EU funding would have to stop. The UK Government is looking at Innovate UK as an alternative funding source that may channel funds into those areas but there are nonetheless some concerns.

“I think Brexit will mean operating a different model and it will be more competitive. If you think that in the period up until 2022 we will have had access to £21m of EU funding via Interreg, the European Social Fund and other funding streams, it just means that some of the things that we do now and believe are significant for industry will stop.”

Among those EU offerings is the college’s Renewable Engine scheme that allows six PHD students to deliver projects for NI companies.

“The company gets research, the student gets a PHD and the college gets very significant

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knowledge exchange and that project’s worth £8m,” says Michael.

There’s also the ERASMUS scheme that could be hit by Brexit. It allows for the free mobility of EU students. Michael says there are around 430 ROI students at the college and around 550 from outside the UK and Ireland.

But regardless of the challenges brought about by our exit from the EU, Michael is upbeat about the future of SWC. He says higher education delivered locally is a much more attractive model for students.

“It has very substantially changed. The premerger colleges wouldn’t have had the range or scale of programmes we have today and there’s a huge focus by DfE to drive that growth.”

He says there are a variety of reasons behind a 420% growth in higher education provision at SWC including an increase in tuition fees for university education, a more prudent student and new models that allow ‘earn-and-learn’ opportunities including apprenticeships and higher-level apprenticeships. “That makes it a whole lot more attractive,” he adds.

And with that growth it makes sense that SWC is looking forward to the opening of its new £30m Enniskillen campus in 2020.

The building will be one of a kind in the future of construction, using the PassivHaus Premium model, which means the building will actually generate more energy than it uses. “It will be a flagship building for this type of construction in Europe. And there will be no others on that scale with that level of performance or certification,” informs Michael who adds that a “major restructuring of the college” to align provision with the needs of industry will ensure that SWC will continue to support and future proof the economy here.

OFFICES: Antrim | Belfast | Cookstown | Dublin | Edinburgh CONTACT: +44 (0) 28 9448 5112 EMAIL: info@osgroup.co.uk

TAKING ACTION TO MAXIMISE STAFF RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT POST-BREXIT

IN PREPARATION FOR BREXIT, ROSEMARY LUNDY, AN EMPLOYMENT LAW PARTNER AT LEADING LAW FIRM ARTHUR COX, EXAMINES UPCOMING CHANGES TO IMMIGRATION LAW THAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF.

As the countdown to Brexit moves towards its concluding phases, employers are becoming increasingly active as they seek to retain key staff impacted by the UK’s exit from the European Union, while also ensuring future recruitment plans are not hindered.

The exact nature of the UK’s future relationship with the European Union will not become clear for some months, or even years.

However, changes to immigration law are set to come into force, regardless of the shape of future arrangements.

For example, the UK government has already laid out plans to implement an immigration system based on skills, following Brexit.

As such, it is anticipated that employers are likely to experience difficulties in hiring

semi-skilled or unskilled migrant workers.

Therefore, if a need currently exists for such workers, it would be prudent to try to complete recruitment prior to 29th March.

Hiring skilled workers is however expected to become easier. The current cap on Tier 2 visas, which limits the number of skilled workers from outside the EU, is to be scrapped.

Additionally, there will no longer be a requirement to carry out a resident labour market test, which compels companies to exhaust options from the UK workforce before seeking to recruit from further afield.

The post-Brexit immigration system will not differentiate between migrants from EU and non-EU countries, streamlining the process for employers sponsoring entrants.

Meanwhile, queries relating to settled

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status are amongst the most common currently being dealt with by employment lawyers.

Introduced under the EU Settlement Scheme earlier this year and due to be fully operational by 29th March, settled status enables EU nationals currently residing in the UK to seek indefinite leave to remain.

It is available to EU nationals who have lived in the UK for at least five years. If desired, these EU nationals can also apply for British citizenship, subject to certain requirements being met.

Those EU nationals that have resided in the UK for less than five years are eligible to apply for pre-settled status. This provides permission to remain living in the UK for up to five years, at which point, an application for full settled status can be made.

Given these fundamental changes, it is imperative for employers that have not already done so to conduct a full workplace audit to gauge the impact Brexit is likely to have on recruitment and retention of EU workers.

Appropriate staff communications should be considered to ensure EU employees are kept informed and reassured about Brexit developments and any action that they may need to take.

Many firms, whether companies headquartered in Northern Ireland or international corporations seeking to establish a base in the region, are opting to provide professional assistance to eligible EU workers or prospective staff. This includes providing help to apply for settled or pre-settled status.

While these are among the main changes to be aware of in relation to immigration, the UK government has confirmed that certain substantive EU-derived employment rights, covering key areas such as working time, holiday pay, TUPE, and agency workers, will remain following Brexit.

On the basis of the government’s timetable at the time of writing, employers have just weeks remaining until Brexit, but by seeking sound legal advice, organisations still have the opportunity to ensure they are as prepared as possible when the UK finally leaves the EU. The Employment Law Team at Arthur Cox is well positioned to advise on all aspects of employment law. Call +44 28 9023 0007 for further information from Rosemary or your regular Arthur Cox contact.

FEATURE

In the driving seat Colin McNab, Group Operations Director at Charles Hurst, takes a refreshing approach to gearing up for any issues our departure from the EU might present to his sector. “Control the controllables,” he simply tells Emma Deighan.

“

I’m an optimist I like to think we’re not going to have a doomsday situation when it comes to Brexit and I like to think it will be a softer landing than a lot of people are talking about,” says Colin when we approach the subject.

“The truth of it is we don’t know what’s going to happen and how it will affect the motor

industry and we can’t influence the future, all I can do is control the controllables,” he continues.

And he’s in a good position to dust off any concerns over Brexit. Colin, who is in the driver’s seat at Charles Hurst (at 30 acres Boucher Road is the biggest car retail site in Europe) has been embedded in the car sales

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industry here since the 1980s when the UK was going through one of many sensitive financial periods. But, even then, it didn’t phase the former apprentice mechanic.

“It was 1989 when I came into senior management and there were concerns of a recession but I was a little naive to understand that. I remember a manufacturer saying ‘you’re doing so well in a challenging market’ but I didn’t know there was a downturn. I carried on regardless and I continue like that. I don’t talk to the staff about downturns because that creates a mindset and it’s a question of if you dwell on it it will only get the better of you so we get on with it, do what we do and do what we do well,” he adds.

Well is a bit of an understatement for Charles Hurst’s performance. The firm, which is owned by UK car dealership Lookers, turns over £700m annually through its operations north and south of the border and includes an LCV Centre in Cardiff which comes under the Charles Hurst business umbrella! It employs over 1,000 staff members and is the chosen dealership for some of the world’s most prestigious marques including Bentley, Aston Martin, Ferrari as well as Jeep, Land Rover, Nissan, Toyota and Vauxhall.

It’s also about to mark the first anniversary of a £7.5m investment at its Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) showroom, which added a further 20 roles to its 100-strong team at that site.

The 40,000 sq ft showroom has also placed Charles Hurst top of Land Rover’s UK after sales operations in 2018.

Further investment is also due at the Citroen showroom, which Colin says represents “the guts of a million pound” and will kick off in March. The Nissan showroom in Newtownabbey has also had a makeover to the tune of £600,000.

“It’s critical to have an environment that people want to come into. You need a facility that people come to and have an experience.

We don’t want to bring customers into a

Head of Business Norman Fraser, Head of Operations Colin McNab and Christina Fickling, Regional Business Manager for Jaguar Land Rover at the new JLR showroom on Boucher Road.

substandard showroom which is why we reinvest,” adds Colin.

Beyond new car sales, significant investment has been made in after sales at the company, and a further £300,000 will be pumped into the Smart Repair business – known as Carsmetic – which specialises in alloy wheel repairs and minor bodywork repairs. Colin also reveals that extra space made available by the move of JLR to the former Diageo HQ has allowed him to enter into conversations with other manufacturers who we don’t currently represent in Northern Ireland, which means that the car dealer has many years of expansion ahead no matter what official car sales figures might indicate.

Recent stats for 2018 new car sales show that new sales here fell by 3.4% and were 24% below the pre recession peak but Colin is still comfortable with the performance and future at Charles Hurst despite that.

“If we look at our January 2019 sales we sold more new cars than last year, and slightly more used cars than the same time last year.

Our after sales revenue is also more than last January and and last January was a good January! The reality is if you continue to give people choice, convenience and value for money, that’s the ingredient of success.”

Colin points out that new car sales by no means occupy the biggest chunk of profit for the firm. Just 25% of the Group’s gross profit is from new cars, the rest is used cars and after

sales “so if new car sales are hit through Brexit, while it would put a big dent in profit, it only represents 25% of the Group’s gross profit”.

“It’s about what we can do today to make

“The reality is if you continue to give people choice, convenience and value for money, that’s the ingredient for success.” it better tomorrow and it is really refreshing when you sit down around the boardroom and talk to guys and people are talking about ideas

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to drive forward, there’s nothing more positive.

It’s great. There is nothing worse than trying to manage negative people with closed minds, I have no appetite for it,” Colin continues.

Throughout his years at Charles Hurst, Colin, who has been a car fanatic since he was a young child, has seen many trends come and go. He says the most current trend is the growth in the SUV category. “Everyone is doing a version of the SUV and that’s one of the growing sectors, up 9% on last year,” he adds.

The super minis and medium sized sector is where the most sales are focused, and represents 58% of the market, but that’s back 2.5% and 9.4% respectively on last year. The biggest downturn is the diesel market, back 30%, with electric vehicles and hybrids up 21%.

Every manufacturer is now investing in some form of EVs and hybrids. “Even luxury cars and performance cars are moving into AFV’s and models such as the new generation Jaguar XJ, which will be all electric when it comes to market.”

Trends may come and go says Colin, but one thing that hasn’t faded is his passion for the automotive industry.

“It’s been 45 years and I still have a buzz.

From I was very young I was passionate about cars and knew the names and makes and models of all cars on the road. I think if you’re passionate about what you do, you’ll be good at it.”

FEATURE

The next big thing?

By Gabi Burnside, Ulster Bank Entrepreneur Accelerator Manager.

“The training is intense and actionfocused but we are confident it gives entrepreneurs the chance to really evaluate whether or not they are in the right position to make this business work.”

Entrepreneurs are often portrayed as riskseekers. They think nothing of throwing caution to the wind and jump out of bed each morning with a carpe-diem attitude.

While there is an element of truth in this and a venturous outlook can certainly be a positive thing, you don’t have to throw all of your eggs in one basket in order to be a successful entrepreneur.

The biggest risk facing anyone who thinks they may have a great business idea is determining if their idea is viable. How do you know if you’re sitting on the next big thing?

Or, if it’s a strong concept in principle, but just won’t translate into a profitable business.

It’s a problem we have been faced with many times and so as the new year rolled around, we wanted to provide a programme that would almost act as a litmus test for those would-be entrepreneurs who wanted to validate their business idea before taking the plunge.

We’re currently half-way through our Ulster Bank Pre-Accelerator Programme in Belfast and have already found it to be extremely useful for those people who have had a great business idea but lacked the knowledge and skills to bring it to life. This is where we come in, providing a fully-funded 8 week programme to help get good business ideas off the ground.

The programme began with an exciting, immersive ‘ignition’ event where participants delivered their idea to a room full of mentors and peers, gaining valuable feedback and vital pitching experience. Everyone who takes part in the Pre-Accelerator has access to a

digital learning portal, a support network of like-minded people and crucially, access to a modern workspace environment with expert mentors on hand to give advice. Already our participants have been invited to events where they have learned about all aspects of growing and running a business – from marketing

Case Study 1: Sinéad McDermott, Owner and Founder, The Art and Design Factory tells Ambition about her journey on Ulster Bank’s Pre-Accelerator programme.

When I tell people I got my inspiration for my business idea after hosting a birthday party for my son and his classmates, I’m often met by a puzzled expression. From the party bags, invite list and entertainment, children’s parties have a reputation among parents as being a stressful rather than an enjoyable event.

My experience could not have been more different when I organised an art-themed birthday party for my son. After the party, I

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and pitching your idea to potential investors through to legal advice and managing HR. The training is intense and action-focused but we are confident it gives entrepreneurs the chance to really evaluate whether or not they are in the right position to make this business work.

If so, then we can help with the next steps and will encourage all graduates of the preaccelerator programme to apply to be part of the next intake to the Ulster Bank Entrepreneur Accelerator. We’ve already helped hundreds of people to start and scale their business, enabling them with the tools they need to grow and succeed.

At the end of the 8-week programme, entrepreneurs will have a much clearer idea of what they need to do to launch their new venture. Whether these next steps include more research, modifying certain elements or even going back to the drawing board, by carefully considering all the outcomes, they have managed to dilute the risk.

Throughout the year, we plan to deliver a series of Pre-Accelerator programmes in Belfast and beyond, aimed at making 2019 the year that potential ideas become great ideas.

• To find out more about the work of the accelerator or to join one of our preaccelerator programmes, visit www. ulsterbank.co.uk/accelerator

FEATURE

found myself sitting down to write a business plan rather than with a large glass of wine in recovery mode, as many of my friends and family had claimed I would be.

My background has always been in art so I suppose I had a little bit of a head start, but seeing how much my son and his friends enjoyed painting and creating got me thinking that I could offer this concept to other parents.

This is where the idea for The Art and Design Factory was born. I was confident I could deliver engaging art workshops for children of all ages, thanks to my extensive experience as an art teacher, but I had never run a business before and knew I would need some help in order to successfully monetise my passion.

Thankfully help was out there and when a friend recommended that I get in touch with the Ulster Bank Accelerator Programme, I knew it was the right place for me to learn the skills I needed to grow my business. So far the programme has opened my eyes to the

everyday challenges that are part and parcel of running your own business yet provided practical help and advice to overcome these.

Having access to a trusted support network of like-minded peers has encouraged me to develop my ideas significantly and I am now offering courses for adults and incorporating elements of my other main passion – mindfulness, into my business model.

I knew my idea had the potential to succeed and taking part in the Pre-Accelerator programme has given me the desire to scale The Art and Design Factory even further and deliver my creative workshops to a whole new audience.

A year ago I wouldn’t have dared leave the comfort and security of my previous role to go it alone but thanks to the support I’ve received as a participant on the Pre-Accelerator programme, I feel much more confident that I can make The Art and Design Factory a vibrant and engaging business venture.

Case Study 2: Cormac Venny, CEO HIPerformance tells Ambition about his journey on Ulster Bank’s Pre-Accelerator programme.

I have always been fascinated by athletes, and in particular, anything to do with the psychology of sport. Week in week out, elite men and women perform at an exceptional level, under enormous amounts of pressure and with stakes the everyday man on the street can scarcely imagine. For me, there is so much to learn from athletes and coaches and their outlook on performance, regardless of what field you are operating in.

This inspired me to complete both an undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science and a Masters in Sport Psychology.

Further to this with five years’ experience as a sports coach, my passion for helping children and adults learn more about performance psychology grew tremendously and I knew that this was something I wanted to make a career out of. I grew my knowledge of the field even further by spending a nine-week self-funded trip to the USA, taking in various high-performance environments.

HIP started on a relatively small scale. I began by visiting schools and amateur sports teams, delivering workshops which encouraged participants to focus on their performance and equip them with the tools needed to improve. Within 6 months I became part of the multi-disciplinary backroom team for the Ulster Rugby Academy. Four years later I am still supporting the players and staff in this high-performance environment. I also learned quickly that my workshops were proving to be very beneficial in an education setting. The workshops teach pupils, staff and parents tools to overcome the various school stressors. Our workshops range from coping with exam pressure, developing resilience, anti-bullying and instilling motivation.

My next goal was to roll these workshops out on a wider-scale

but when I set about doing this, I realised there was still so much I had to learn about devising an effective business model. Could I make this a success, and was it the right path to go down? I’ve found that having a genuine passion for something is half the battle but it still can’t guarantee success. In order to make a business idea work, you have to learn a whole new set of skills and language and venture into previously unknown areas such as HR, tax and accounting.

The Ulster Bank’s Pre-Accelerator programme was a logical step for my business. Through this process, I can access expert mentors who provide advice on all aspects of running a business. Working side by side with so many other energetic entrepreneurs has given me even more motivation to bring HIP to the next level and has helped me to develop new ideas for the business.

In the final term of 2018, I’ve helped over 2,300 participants at no less than 53 workshops in 38 schools across the country. Being involved with the Pre-Accelerator programme has shown me how far this business can go and I’m determined that HIP can grow even further this year. I would urge anyone out there who thinks they are sitting on a good business idea to get in touch with the programme and see where their business journey might lead.

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COLUMnIST

Gavin Kennedy, Head of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK

Managing change • Establish a presence in the EU, either through acquisition or setting up directly.

Irrespective of sector or size of business, there is a lot that businesses can do to prepare themselves to manage business performance whilst navigating a changing commercial landscape.

W

hether it is fluctuations in interest rates, currency volatility or delaying making investment decisions, all businesses agree they are looking for some certainty in an uncertain local and global environment. One such certainty is that companies will face a much tougher competitive landscape over the next 2/3 years and increasing competitiveness will be imperative going forward.

As a funder and partner to businesses we are seeing customers actively planning, working through change scenarios to be as best positioned as possible to meet the challenges and take on opportunities going forward. Here is a glimpse of the six key areas they are focused on: Supply chains: • Considering how their supply chain could be impacted.

• How could their suppliers’ supplier be affected? Talking to their suppliers to see how they may be impacted and what steps they are taking to address this.

• Considering how they could re-engineer their supply chain to reduce risk or costs e.g.: • Sourcing products or raw material from elsewhere e.g. outside the EU or elsewhere in UK.

Route to Market: • Some businesses’ route to market will be relatively straight forward, for example where they supply directly to a retailer or the end consumer. They can then assess their potential impacts on how they get their goods to market.

• However, route to market is more complicated if your business supplies components where you do not have a detailed knowledge of your customers’ customers, or the end market for the finished product that your component is used for.

• Talk to your customers, especially those in the EU or customers that trade with the EU. It is important to consider what your customers’ supply chain options are and if they can source from alternative suppliers.

Trading in areas with Tariff and Non-Tariff Barriers: • A business which exports should understand what the potential tariffs will be as this varies significantly across different products and countries.

• Understanding your supply chain and route to market is important in identifying if you sell a component for a finished product which is then sold into another region with tariffs on that finished product, as this could impact the price you can sell your product.

• If tariffs apply, can they be passed on to customers or would your business have to absorb the cost and what impact would this have on profit margins?

• It is important to also understand nontariff barriers (e.g. customs checks). What impact would delays in receipt of goods or in getting goods to your customer have? It may involve a business considering changes to its processes to mitigate this.

• There may also be documentary requirements importing and exporting.

Should the business invest and train staff to have the skillset to manage the potential documentary and logistical impact?

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Cash flow: A business should consider what impact the above may have on their cashflow.

• For example if there were delays in receipt of goods or in getting goods to market, what would be the cash flow impact of this or if any tariffs are applicable how to manage them in pricing and costings?

• Changes on when and how VAT is payable e.g. if it is payable at the point of entry. A business should assess what impact this would have on cash flow.

Efficiencies: • There may be cost implications resulting from disruption or delays in supply chain or route to market or from the potential imposition of tariffs and some are looking at opportunities to improve efficiencies to reduce the impact of these.

Market Diversification and Opportunities: • Companies are using this process to identify potential new market opportunities, diversifying and reducing reliance on particular markets, for example looking at the GB market to become the domestic supplier to larger GB market firms.

• They are also planning investment in skills, digital and technology enablers which increase productivity and competitiveness.

Businesses are looking to refocus on the fundamentals of what drives a competitive business. Bank of Ireland UK’s purpose is to enable our customers to thrive and we want to play our role to help to build confidence and support customers as they navigate through the changing commercial landscape. If you would like to talk about support around business growth, cash flow services and foreign exchange with one of our local business teams then drop into your local branch or business centre to speak to a member of our Business Team.

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Sue Wright.

THE RULES OF ORIGIN SURROUNDING GOODS AND FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS

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hen I wrote to you last time we were waiting to see where we would be with the BREXIT negotiations. Another 2 months on and the 29 March almost upon us and we seem to be no further forward.

One of the rather large issues that we face, one of many I hasten to add, are the Rules of Origin surrounding goods and Free Trade Agreements.

Rules of Origin are incredibly complex and they can have a significant impact on whether duty is payable at destination based on information under the Free Trade Agreements. These agreements are with the EU which means post BREXIT they will not technically apply to the United Kingdom.

The destination country could be in a position where they may have to pay duty on arrival for goods they purchase from the United Kingdom just as we would on receipt of goods from that country. There have been some negotiations and discussions with Switzerland for example, however the United Kingdom have a long way to go to renegotiate all of the current agreements and possibly make new ones. In the meantime however, while the politicians debate our fate, we do not know how this is all going to work.

Under the Free Trade Agreements, some of which are reciprocal, it is dependent on Proof of the Origin of the goods as to whether duty can be suspended.

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BORDER BASED CONSTRUCTION STARTUP EYES EXPANSION DESPITE BREXIT CONCERNS Contracting Management Development (CMD) has recently announced plans to expand their business after a busy year in business.

The Newry-based construction and fit-out specialists have seen their turnover push into the multi million bracket, allowing them to open two offices in Newry and Dublin and recruit ten new members of staff.

Since its inception, CMD has won a number of high profile contracts including the redevelopment of FBD Insurance’s high street outlets as part of their nationwide re-brand, including their flagship office on Baggot Street, Dublin.

Other high value contracts include a 37,000 sq ft fit-out in Belfast’s City Quays 1 for multinational company TSYS and a 5,900 sq ft fit-out for CDK Global at the Citywest Business Campus in Dublin.

Despite growing concerns over Brexit,

the border-based firm has ambitions to grow substantially in the coming years.

John O’Hanlon, Managing Director said: “There is no doubt that Brexit is a massive concern for startup companies like ourselves, based on the border.

“However, we are hopeful that we will continue to grow the business by implementing a strategy which sees the firm entering new markets and innovating to offer service levels over and above our competition.”

CMD plan to recruit additional staff this year and invest in new construction software technology which will enable them to offer their specialist services not only to clients in Ireland and the UK, but also to those further afield.

Niall Finnegan, Managing Director added: “The past year has been hugely successful for us and despite the challenges we potentially face in our area, we are determined to continue

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expanding our business and offer jobs to local people.

“We really enjoy working together with Irish firms such as FBD Insurance and we hope that having offices on both sides of the border will allow us to continue doing so.”

4A Monaghan Court, Newry, Co. Down BT35 6BH E: info@cmdconstruct.com T: +353 1 639 2949 www.cmdconstruct.com

appointments

New Appointments

Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry has made a number of recent appointments across the organisation. Pictured are Pedro Torres (Business Development Executive); Catherine Crilly (Delivery & Contracts Manager); Chloe Ferris (Business Development Executive) and Phil Murray (Programmes Manager).

Bronagh Clarke has been appointed Marketing Director at Kestrel Foods.

Dearbhla Lavery has been appointed Associate Solicitor, Defence Litigation Team, at Tughans.

Laura Connor has been appointed Associate Solicitor, Defence Litigation Team, at Tughans.

Matthew McKee has been appointed Manager, Forensic Investigation Services, at Grant Thornton.

Total Recruitment Solutions At PRL Recruitment we have been identifying and introducing exceptional talent since 1973 PRL Advert x 2 (MRR) V2.indd 6

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16/10/2018 12:42

Are you looking for your next move?

By Glenn McCormick, Interim Recruitment Manager NI, PRL Integrated Services.

Perhaps you are looking to make your next career move, or maybe just looking to see what opportunities are out there.

At PRL Recruitment we are committed to helping you find the right role for you, helping you to develop your career and

Patrick O’Hanlon has been appointed Legal Director in NI at TLT Solicitors.

let you reach your full potential.

So why should you use a recruitment agency on your search for a new job? At PRL we can give you multiple reasons. We have access to top quality companies and job-seekers, working in conjunction with them to bring them the best candidates for their position, therefore we could be your route into your dream job.

We have the potential to know what is best for you, even if you don’t know yourself. Some candidates know they want to seek out a new career, but sometimes don’t know exactly what they want or what they should search for. This is where recruitment agencies can step in and point you in a direction you might not have considered before.

We analyse your skills and experience to find a role that is best suited to you and suggest jobs that you may have previously overlooked.

Searching and applying for jobs can

Nigel Moore has been appointed Director in the Audit and Business Advisory Services Department of GMcG Chartered Accountants.

be a laborious and time consuming task, it can be hard to fit it into your busy, daily life. This is another benefit of approaching a recruitment agency, at PRL we do the hard work for you. Our team of highly-experienced recruitment consultants have a finger on the pulse of placement opportunites, employment trends and industry developments.

At PRL Recruitment we commit to always putting your needs first, we understand that confidentiality is paramount for you and your details and CV remain confidential until you give us permission to share your details with a client.

- To get more information on joining a recruitment agency email: glenn.mccormick@prl.uk.com

Rachel McErlean has been appointed HR Manager at GMcG Chartered Accountants.

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Robbie Milliken has been appointed Associate Director at GMcG Chartered Accountants.

4c executive: local knowledge, global reach Since its inception in 2013, 4c Executive has quickly established itself as the leading and largest provider of true executive search services in Northern Ireland. It has a proven track-record of working with exportdriven businesses to fill international senior-level, business-critical roles across a wide portfolio of sectors and industries.

Recent transnational roles filled by 4c include: • Head of Commercial Planning in Amsterdam • Country Manager in Germany • Vice President of Sales in Atlanta, USA • Country Manager Shanghai • International Sales Manager, Iberian Peninsula Managing Director, Gordon Carson, who himself has over 25 years’ senior-level experience in international manufacturing and services sectors, commented: “We specialise in researching the market, both locally and internationally, in order to uncover the best talent to fill senior-level, business-critical roles in companies across a wide range of sectors and industries.

Our reach extends internationally through a highly qualified team of researchers based around the globe, meaning that we are well-placed to find the best possible candidate, no matter where in the world they are based.

4c’s global expertise has seen it appointed on a high volume of prestigious strategic senior-level roles, specifically for

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export-driven businesses who are searching for the very best in international talent.”

For more information visit www.4cexecutive.com

INSPECVISION SCOOPS PRESTIGIOUS CIM IRELAND MARKETING AWARD

Mallusk-based company, InspecVision Ltd, was among the winners at the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)’s prestigious Ireland Marketing Awards on November 9th at Titanic Belfast. It was awarded winner of the category Most Marketing Impact on a Small Budget, sponsored by Ulster University Business School and judged by an esteemed panel of experts, including Nicky Jackson, deputy head of local campaigns for the Cabinet Office, and Ann McGregor FCIM, CEO of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The ceremony highlighted the new face of marketing, with digital innovation and multichannel customer experience at the forefront of this year’s winning campaigns.

InspecVision’s success was recognised by CIM for its unrivalled performance in achieving the most marketing impact on a small budget. The purpose of the campaign was to increase sales and brand awareness in the USA. InspecVision Ltd specialises in the design and manufacture of computer vision based 2D and 3D measurement systems for industrial applications. The Planar inspection system, for quality control and reverse engineering applications, is sold in over 30 countries worldwide. www.inspecvision.com

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SUMMIT TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE OF WORK Catalyst is joining with key industry partners to deliver the Future of Work Solutions Summit for 500 business leaders, education leaders and HR directors on 29 May at ICC Waterfront, Belfast.

Focusing on Future of Jobs, Growth and Learning, and Leading the Change, the Summit will connect business leaders and educators who are passionate about adapting and growing with the change that comes with the future of work.

Also including global keynote speakers, moderated panel conversations and breakout sessions, which will go deeper into the key themes to give attendees the tools to take decisive steps in their organisations.

One of the keynote speakers is Ravin Jesuthasan who has been recognised as one of the twenty-five most influential management consultants in the world. His most recent book Reinventing Jobs explores what the future of work will really look like, and how it will impact organizations as they seek growth and success in an era of change and digital transformation.

DELIVERING STRATEGIC AND VALUE-ADDED SERVICES Asdon Group have been supporting their clients and customers throughout the UK and Ireland for over 100 years consistently delivering strategic and value-added services.

Their principal activities are the provision of; - Unified ICT – Telecoms & IT Infrastructure - Office Products & Business Supplies - Business Improvement & Information Compliance services - Cyber Security - Business Continuity Planning Services - HR & Recruitment Support Their comprehensive and diverse portfolio allows them to offer their customers a truly unique solution for their business by leveraging their experience and expertise across a range of disciplines. Their range of integrated business services will allow your businesses to consolidate your supply chain, which will enable you to reduce supplier numbers. This, in turn, reduces your time spent managing suppliers services, reduces costs by leveraging all spend through a single channel and allows us to work closely with you on improving services and processes to make your business operationally more efficient.

Contact Asdon Group for a no obligation discussion on how they could implement this strategy for your company and the potential benefits including cost savings and high-quality centralised business support.

Elaine Smyth of Catalyst said, “The opportunity has never been greater for businesses in Northern Ireland to scale and compete globally as they embrace automation and upskill their workforce. The Summit has been designed to provide businesses with global insights and inspiration, along with tools to help them realise a step change in performance and productivity.”

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For more information visit www.futureofworkni.co

CFR HR - A HR CONSULTANCY SERVICE AND EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE OFFERING FROM CLEAVER FULTON RANKIN CFR HR is a pioneering HR Consultancy servicing clients throughout Ireland on a wide range of HR projects and requirements.

Their experienced team, led by lawyer Michael Black, deliver advice and HR consulting services to public, private and third sector employers on all areas of HR and employment law which continues to be one of the most rapidly developing and challenging areas of legal practice. Cleaver Fulton Rankin clients benefit from cost effective support on HR and employment law matters such as: • Conducting workplace investigations covering areas such as Disciplinary, Harassment and Dignity at Work and Grievances

• Organisational Restructuring and redundancy • Bespoke HR and Employment Law Training (equal opportunities, social media, GDPR) • Managing poor performance and sickness absence • Developing policies and procedures They also offer an Employment Law Helpline with 24-hour response and more importantly, Employment Protection Insurance cover to protect against Tribunal Claims. They understand the concerns many employers face when dealing with a tribunal claim and are there to guide you through the process. You can be rest assured that they will be able to represent you in Tribunal and

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you will retain access to their team of highly qualified employment lawyers, assisting and supporting you throughout the process.

Their Employment Protection Scheme insurance cover will give you peace of mind knowing that if a Tribunal claim arises, your costs and most types of compensation that a tribunal can award will be covered, subject to the limit of indemnity that you can choose.

Contact Michael Black on m.black@ cfrlaw.co.uk or 028 9027 1312 or CFNI-HR@cfrlaw. co.uk if you are interested in any of these services.

COLUMNISTS

Sync NI’s Brendan Drain

Techie Talk Time Northern Ireland’s tech startups are exploring the use of blockchains in the food and drink industry.

Could blockchain be the answer?

Food waste and illegal poaching are on the rise, and mislabelled food is illegally entering supply chains.

The food and drink industry ships millions of tons of produce around the world every year, and the logistical challenge of keeping track of that system has allowed some very serious problems to occur. Research has found that as much as a third of all fish sold globally could be being mislabelled and sold to consumers as a different variety, even in countries with strict import laws and regular testing.

The supply chains for producing any given food or drink product can be composed of dozens of companies all around the world, all operating under different legal systems and environmental standards. Many points in these supply chains are vulnerable to accidental or deliberate mislabelling, with companies misleading customers about where their product comes from and whether it’s been produced sustainably.

The issue is that a system to maintain a fully verifiable chain of custody for any product would be impractical and costly to implement.

The current system relies on trust between all people and companies in the supply chain and on limited testing of products to catch mistakes, but those engaged in illegal poaching or mislabelling products are perfectly willing to breach that trust.

That’s why organisations such as the WWF are now investigating the potential use of blockchain technology to revolutionise food supply chain management.

Blockchain is just a system for storing and reconciling transactions, but every transaction on the system is inherently traceable and transactions can’t be altered after they are added. This wouldn’t eliminate the logistical challenges that currently exist in supply chain management, but it would make it much easier to maintain clean records demonstrating the entire journey your food has taken to get to you.

This would help customers be reassured that produce marked as organic or sustainable hasn’t been mixed with other sources, and that their fish really is the species it says on the package. It would also eliminate the ability of people to modify records after the fact, and make it easier for authorities to investigate contamination incidents and identify companies dumping excessive waste.

Why use blockchain at all?

While a blockchain-based solution would be inherently traceable and resistant to manipulation, a similar result can be achieved with a standard database system. The WWF and various food standards organisations would already have to get entire supply chains to adopt a new logging system in order to make either solution work, so why bother with blockchain at all? It’s a matter of trust.

The defining feature of blockchain technology that makes it very attractive for solving global problems such as poaching and environmental issues is that there’s no central authority. It’s a decentralised system in which over 50% of the participants in the system must agree that a

transaction is valid before it’s added to the chain, so no one country or company would control the database. It’s designed to eliminate the need for trust between any participants, making it ideal for getting countries and companies with competing interests to work together.

The blockchain itself could also be made publicly accessible, allowing independent organisations to read the database and providing a clear public audit trail in case of misconduct.

With consumers now more concerned than ever about where their food comes from and ethically sourcing produce, it’s easy to see why organisations such as the WWF are betting big on blockchain.

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Want to be the first to find out what’s happening in Northern Ireland’s tech scene?

Stay up to date with www.syncni.com or follow us on Twitter @syncni

Business Class Motoring

By James Stinson

18 Boucher Way, Belfast, BT12 6RE W: agnewleasing.com

Sponsored by

LIFESTYLE

James Stinson

French flair

DS7 targets premium brand buyers, writes James Stinson

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here’s volume in small cars but the profits are in bigger ones. It’s why, in part, German car makers, which have majored on the latter, have been more successful than their French counterparts.

You could name any number of cracking little Peugeots, Citroens or Renaults over the years but struggle to think of any similarly compact and striking Mercs, Audi, or Beemers… And even when they do, they have a distinctly upmarket feel and price.

And that’s the story behind this DS7

Crossback. It’s Citroen’s entry into the increasingly popular and lucrative SUV market through its upmarket offshoot DS brand. DS has been around for a few years but up to now has pushed out a small number of essentially rebadged up-styled Citroens.

The DS7 is different because it’s the first all-new DS – and the first in a line of six new models that will be released over six consecutive years, with electrification set to play a key role in the brand’s future offerings.

The hope is that in time, DS will come to rival the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes for premium brand desirability and profitability.

And as first efforts go, this isn’t a bad one.

It’s a large SUV and, like a number of its rivals, makes use of a big, stylish front grille, wide air intakes and a high waistline. It’s handsome but not different which is a little disappointing given Citroen’s knack of making incredibly distinctive cars in years gone by.

Inside, it’s a little more interesting, with lots of stylish, diamond themed knobs, switches, and dials while higher spec versions come with swathes of Alcantara or leather covering most everything including the dashboard.

Importantly, it feels stiff, comfortable and well put together, which will have been high up the project manager’s to-do list.

It’s roomy too front and back, and with

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a decent sized boot. The seating position is nice and comfortable and well suited for long journeys. Rear-seat passengers are well catered for with great legroom, aided by a flat floor. The cabin feels quiet and refined.

Another box ticked.

The range is relatively simple with just four trim levels – Elegance, Performance Line, Prestige and Ultra Prestige – and a similar number of engines: a 128bhp 1.5-litre diesel, a 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel and a 1.6 litre petrol with either 222bhp or 178bhp. For the time being, they’re all front-wheel drive only but a 4x4 hybrid version is due later this year.

The 1.5 litre diesel has low emissions, with a mere 101 g/km CO2 and a claimed 68.9 mpg though will obviously deliver less in real world driving. Performance is sedate with a 0-62mph time of 11.7 seconds.

In entry level Elegance trim, it costs from £28,635, which looks reasonable when you clock the standard kit that includes rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring, keyless start, a leather steering wheel and a leather gearlever.

Mid-range versions, with more power and luxury, start from around £35,000, which doesn’t look quite so tempting compared to established premium brand rivals.

Affinity Car Scheme Any make, any model Contact Agnew Leasing on affinity@agnews.co.uk to find out more

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To find out more or register interest for your company, please contact us on affinity@agnews.co.uk

LIFESTYLE

THE BMW X5 - WHERE LUXURY LIVES

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t’s nearly 20 years since BMW launched the original X5, figuring there might be a market for a big 4x4 that majors on looks and comfort more than off-road driving prowess.

BMW sold X5s by the shipload while everyone else scurried to jump on the bandwagon. The fourth generation version continues the theme with comfort front and centre of the X5’s attributes.

So, the windscreen is now made of “quieter” acoustic glass, the suspension is pneumatic; there is electronic roll stabilisation on some models; and passengers can enjoy four-zone climate control and an enlarged panoramic glass roof.

It’s a little bigger and roomier than before with the option of a third row of seats. Nice touches including the split rear tailgate are retained. All versions come with four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

For the time being, engine options include a 3.0 litre petrol or two 3.0

litre diesels but others are on the way,

make up the bulk of sales.

including a plug-in hybrid. Despite the adverse, and somewhat misplaced publicity around diesels, these will still

The smallest and cheapest 265bhp motor will propel the two tonne plus frame from rest to 62mph in a fleet 6.5 seconds while

MAZDA’S SPACE MACHINE

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states aren’t as popular as they used to be but they make sense for people who want some extra space but without the bulk and numb driving experience of an SUV. But unlike the SUV market, there’s relatively few stand out models. The VW Passat and Ford Mondeo are popular but the pick of the bunch is this Mazda 6 Tourer. In its latest guise, it has slick looks, great engines, decent load carrying space and offers a neat driving experience.

Mazda’s low emissions, fuel sipping engine technology is worth a special mention. Most models feature the 2.2-litre SkyActiv-D biturbo diesel with a choice of two outputs. You can also order a 2.0 litre petrol engine in two outputs, and all engines are available with sixspeed manual transmissions.

The smaller 148bhp 2.2-litre diesel is the most efficient, returning an impressive 67.3mpg and 110g/km of CO2, which means lowest running costs in this class.

It’s no slouch either with a 0-62mph time of 9.2 seconds.

On the road, the Mazda 6 Tourer is at the sporty end of the estate spectrum. Steering is direct and responsive while the suspension does a great job of soaking up bumps and still feeling planted when it comes to the twisty stuff.

It’s arguably the best looking of the current crop of estates too with Mazda’s eye-catching grille and trademark creased bodywork.

It’s well equipped, with 17-inch alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel, DAB radio with Bluetooth, air-con, cruise control,

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Electronic Stability Control, six airbags and hillhold all coming as standard.

The big selling point though is the Tourer’s extra practicality. There’s good legroom all round and extra headroom in the rear, where three adults can sit comfortably. Some estates have bigger boots but 522 litres is still decent.

Moneywise, it stacks up well against SUV and estate rivals, with entry level petrol versions costing from £23,975. Diesels will still likely make up the bulk of sales, with prices from £26,245.

Affinity Car Scheme Any make, any model Contact Agnew Leasing on affinity@agnews.co.uk to find out more

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From a fleet of one to a fleet of many, we’re here for you.

Whatever your company requirements, be it one car or many vehicles, at Fleet Financial we pride ourselves on having the right solution for your business.

Call us on 028 9084 9777 or visit fleetfinancial.co.uk

The INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY FOR THE ISLAND OF IRELAND Dublin Airport is an essential piece of infrastructure and the main international gateway for the island of Ireland with connections to over 200 destinations in 43 countries operated by 47 airlines.

A record breaking 31.5 million passengers travelled through Dublin Airport in 2018, which was the eighth consecutive year of growth at the airport.

The airport is a key economic engine for Ireland and last year’s traffic growth helped deliver a record year for Irish tourism bringing additional jobs and tourism spending through the island.

Further growth is expected this year with 21 new routes and services including seven new long-haul destinations include Calgary, Dallas-Fort Worth, Halifax, Minneapolis-St Paul, Montreal, Hamilton Ontario and Shenzen. The Short-haul network is also expanding with 14 new scheduled flights to new destinations such as the Sardinian capital Cagliari, Kyiv and Gothenburg.

To help cope with this huge growth in traffic and to also enable the airport to expand to handle 40 million passengers per year, daa is currently consulting on a major capital investment programme.

The centrepiece of the plan is a 900 million capital investment programme to deliver new boarding gate areas, aircraft parking stands and many other significant improvements. The plan also includes about 200 million in airfield works and annual investment of about 120 million on repair and maintenance and revenue generating projects.

The contract to construct Dublin Airport’s North Runway was awarded to Irish-Spanish consortium Roadbridge and FCC Construcción. Mobilisation works are underway and ground works will start in the coming weeks. Construction of the new runway is due to be completed in early 2021 followed by a ninemonth commissioning period.

For more information visit www.dublinairport.com

SPECIALISTS IN CONSTRUCTION AND PROCUREMENT LAW

BREXIT IS LOOMING

Quigg Golden has been providing NI with market leading Construction and Procurement law expertise for over 20 years.

From the beginning, Edward Quigg and James Golden understood that a successful business like Quigg Golden relies on trusted partnerships with clients. This requires a cross-functional team of highly qualified professionals who deliver excellence in their work, who value teamwork and integrity and who keep the commercial interests of the client in clear focus.

That Quigg Golden continues to grow is testament to their adherence to these core values. With an established client base across Ireland and the South East of England, the increased size of the firm has seen the recent appointment of Gavin Hendrie as a Director.

With Brexit looming and the potential for import duties and VAT to be paid, Exporter Services have a service to assist with the range of Special Procedures and Customs Authorisations, which are available to British importers and exporters. At Exporter Services they can help you take full advantage of these mechanisms by suggesting the most appropriate one for your business and help you through the application process.

Contact Exporter Services on 028 9532 0818 for more information.

www.quigggolden.com

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The home for your business Granite Exchange is the ideal choice for any business requiring city centre office space in Newry. Granite Exchange provide clients with the professional and sleek image they envisioned for their business.

Choose from a luxurious personal office suite, or alternatively a co-working office, perfect for team workspace or one-person use. At Granite Exchange, your monthly fee is all-inclusive giving you peace of mind that you can just get on with running your business. Each office has automatic lighting, air-conditioning, key fob entry, high speed internet and Wi-Fi access as well as having the availability of print, copy and scan facilities. Granite Exchange also has shower facilities and two ultra-modern fully fitted kitchens. Granite Exchange have meeting rooms available to hire. Whether you need a large room for an interview, a consultation or group meeting, they have three rooms for their clients to avail of on either a half or full day basis. With the use of hi-tech sound/ visual equipment and support team on hand to ensure everything runs seamlessly, their meeting rooms are perfect for you to impress potential clients or future business partners. Newry is perfectly situated just off the M1 between Dublin and Belfast, this makes Granite Exchange the ideal meeting location.

To arrange a tour or to enquire about Granite Exchanges services call Colleen on (028) 3044 2500 or email colleen.ohare@granite-exchange.com

SUPPLYING THE HIGHEST QUALITY MACHINE TOOLS Lister Machine Tools NI have been supplying the highest quality machine tools into the local market for over 60 years. With 19 service & application engineers based all over Ireland and NI, and over half of the total 45 staff dedicated to aftersales, spare parts and service, they recognise that the initial sale of the machine tool is only the start. As one of the oldest Trumpf agencies in the world, they have built a strong reputation for supplying the worlds most productive 2D & 3D laser processing, punching and bending solutions. LMTNI also supply a full range of CNC Machining & Turning Centres from Goodway & AWEA. Their unique, local applications support enables them to

help their customers to be global leaders.

Lisburn based Ad-Vance Engineering recently installed an AWEA AF1250 machining centre.

As well as class leading rapids of 48m/min, the applications support from LMTNI has helped Ad-Vance to increase productivity and maximise actual cutting time. The staggered delivery of training has allowed Ad-Vance to move away from programming at the

machine in favour of off-line programming, rethinking set-ups and tool use, giving them the confidence to run un-manned, “lights-out” and thus massively increasing throughput. With every finished workpiece being a one off, and some valued at £100k+, this is testament to the quality of the AWEA machine and also the training and support delivered by Lister Machine Tools NI.

For more information visit www. listermachinetools.co.uk

BUILDING UP YOUR NEST EGG IS MORE DISCIPLINE THAN DIFFICULT For today’s retirees, retirement has changed almost beyond recognition since their parents’ day. Building a retirement fund requires saving enough money to pay your bills and continue living comfortably when you are no longer drawing an income. The thought of it may be daunting; it can feel like an impossible mission. But with early planning, building up your nest egg is more discipline than difficult. The process of building a retirement fund typically involves a combination of consistent saving and long-term investments. But first, you have to figure out how much you need in order to set a goal. The key lies in considering a number of different factors, such as risk appetite, timescales, inflation and diversification. Keep in mind that there are no hard and fast formulas to how you build your retirement funds but keeping the above factors in mind will definitely help you work towards achieving your retirement goals. Want to review how to enhance your retirement plans?

Get in touch with #TeamNewbridge: working together to achieve your financial goals.

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£45,000 DELIVERY FOR NORTHERN IRELAND CHILDREN’S HOSPICE FROM riverridge Four years of fundraising by RiverRidge, Northern Ireland’s leading waste management company, has resulted in more than £45,000 being donated to the very worthy Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

The Hospice is the only service of its type in Northern Ireland and four years after the decision to concentrate all charitable efforts in support of their much-needed work, RiverRidge is more committed than ever to supporting a charity whose services they have witnessed first-hand.

Brett Ross, CEO of RiverRidge said, “We are very proud to be able to make a significant contribution to this charity and its wonderful work for children and families throughout Northern Ireland.

“Over the years we have seen Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice at work first hand and were amazed by the support and advice available to people in their most difficult times. This significant donation would not be possible without the support from our corporate partners, suppliers and the many businesses of Northern Ireland associated with RiverRidge. We are stunned by the generosity shown from the business Brett Ross, CEO, RiverRidge along with Jonathan community here.”

Lamberton, Corporate Engagement Executive, Jonathan Lamberton, Corporate Engagement Executive at Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

Children’s Hospice, commented, “I want to say a huge thank you to the team at RiverRidge for their continued support over the last number of years. This amazing donation will help the Hospice to continue to provide specialist palliative care to children across Northern Ireland living with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. It will and has made a real difference to lives.”

For more information visit www.riverridge.co.uk

from banks to bars, from belfast to barcelona They say variety is the spice of life and McCue Crafted Fit have had more than their fair share throughout their 60 plus years.

The award-winning fit-out and refurbishment company has completed many reputable projects in the corporate, finance, retail and hospitality sectors, which has taken them throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe. In 2018, the company completed the refurbishment of Danske Bank’s headquarters in Belfast.

The branch was redesigned with a new look and layout to meet the needs and expectations of the bank and their personal and business customers. This project followed McCue’s work at seven of the bank’s regional branches. Other corporate and financial clients have included Ulster Bank, Santander, KPMG and Arthur Cox. McCue has completed work for a number of global retailers including Anthropologie that recently opened their first Spanish store in Barcelona; Free People, whose first stand-alone store opened in Amsterdam in November, as well as many Urban Outfitters stores across Europe and the UK. Cosmetics giant, Lush, entrusted McCue with many of their fit-outs, including their award-winning flagship store on London’s Oxford Street and more recently, their Castle Lane Belfast store. Servicing the hospitality sector, McCue’s latest projects includes the refurbishment of the award-winning Harp Bar, Henry’s and the Jailhouse and Pug Uglys in Belfast, as well as Café en Seine in Dublin. There is no doubt that McCue is the number one fit-out company for transforming space into your place, regardless of sector or location.

TUGHANS MAINTAINS TOP LEGAL ADVISOR (NORTHERN IRELAND) RANKING FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR Tughans has topped the ‘Experian MarketIQ UK and RoI M&A Review’ Northern Ireland league table for the fourth consecutive year. The firm was credited with 59 deals last year, representing 27% of all Northern Ireland deals reported.

The report, which tracks corporate deals over £500,000 and real estate deals over £15m showed Tughans to be Northern Ireland’s busiest legal advisor by deal volume accounting for deal volumes almost 50% higher than the next placed legal advisor.

Tughans’ submissions to Experian came from a broad range of sectors and included the purchase of Grafton Recruitment by Staffline plc, the acquisition of English company Guardman Group

by Westland Horticulture, Henderson Foodservices acquisition of RoI based Barbarrie Duckling Limited, investments into UForm, Elite Electronics and B-Secur, the sale of Farmvet Systems to international pharmaceutical company Vetoquinol and the sale of Camperco to Australian company Apollo. John George Willis, Head of Corporate, Tughans, says, “It has been another busy year for the firm which is clear from the Experian results. The feature of this year has been lots of mid-market activity rather than the big one-off deals, which is a positive sign for the Northern Ireland economy. Alongside the M&A activity we also continue to see a lot of investment into local companies from various funds from across the UK and RoI attracted to our local talent.”

For more information visit www.mccuefit.com

For more information visit www.tughans.com

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SD Aw esign ard Par s W tne in n r s hi er p

Lillie Square, London

The Harp Bar, Belfast

Corinthia Hotel, London

Henry’s Bar, Belfast

Res t au Aw rant & ard s W Bar D inn esig er n

Mei Ume, The Four Seasons Hotel, Ten Trinity Square, London

Res t au Aw rant & ard s W Bar D inn esig er n

Tommy Hilfiger, Ballymena

The Four Seasons Hotel, Ten Trinity Square, London

Collins Room, The Berkeley Hotel, London

Tullyglass Hotel, Ballymena

Danske Bank, Belfast

With over 60 years’ experience specialising in refurbishment and fitting out, McCue Crafted Fit has the necessary equipment and skills to deliver even the most unique and challenging of interior projects across a wide range of sectors including Retail, Hospitality, Hotels, Leisure, Prime Residential and Marine.

McCue Sloefield Drive Carrickfergus Co. Antrim +44 (0)28 9332 9000

London Office 53 Chandos Place Covent Garden +44 (0)20 3675 4568

mccuefit.com mccuemarine.com

Visit us at:

WHY COMPANY CARS COULD SAVE MONEY FOR YOUR BUSINESS

BELFAST MET DRIVING NEW STRATEGIC COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS FOR EMPLOYERS

In recent years, there has been a recorded increase in the number of vehicle fleets acquired by businesses across Northern Ireland. It could be said that this is due to a rise in the number of SMEs being established, alongside the growth of large-scale enterprises. As a result, fleet providers are now required to ensure vehicles are available through various routes to market - be it purchase, finance or lease - if they are to appeal to a growing customer base. It is important for customers to feel confident in their choice of vehicle financing option, ensuring that their individual needs, financial and tax position are taken into consideration when making informed choices. Donnelly Fleet guides and assists business customers all over Northern Ireland to ensure the vehicles selected are fit for purpose and to offer the customer finance products that are affordable, flexible and suitable to the company and its budget.With a number of different purchase methods currently available to businesses, including; Business Contract Purchase, Lease Purchase and Personal Contract Purchase and outright purchase, the choice can be daunting for businesses to navigate alone. Donnelly Fleet sales teams have extensive knowledge of the various finance and leasing options available - allowing them to help select the most appropriate vehicle and the most cost-effective option for each individual business, no matter what their size, location or industry.

With a vision to be a world-class college that nurtures the talent and ambition of the city of Belfast and beyond, Belfast Met provides a range of skills necessary to support employers. The college has invested significantly in its Centre for Skills and Apprenticeships to support those interested in training, apprenticeships and Higher Level Apprenticeships and offers a range of pathways to help advance their education and career. Apprenticeships are a proven solution to tackling staff turnover, with 80% of companies who invest in apprentices reporting an increase in staff retention. So, whether you’re already a supporter of apprenticeships or are dipping a toe for the first time, the college’s aim is to provide employers with the opportunity to create new apprenticeship roles or to upskill their current workforce.

For information on Belfast Met’s Centre for Skills and Apprenticeships, please contact the employer engagement team on 028 9026 5219 or apprenticeships@belfastmet.ac.uk

For more information on Donnelly Fleet please visit www.donnellygroup.co.uk/business/donnelly-fleet, or to speak to a member of the sales team call 028 9590 7994

car leasing for employees What is the Affinity Scheme?

Agnew Leasing’s Affinity Scheme has been designed to enable companies and organisations across the UK to offer employees/members a secure, online quotation system to help them find their perfect car. Created as an added benefit for employees, the quotation system will enable users to select any make or model of vehicle and establish monthly costs that suit their budget by adjusting deposit, term, and mileage per annum on the selected vehicle.

Affinity Scheme users can benefit from additional manufacturer support, over and above normal levels, making rentals extremely competitive in the marketplace.

At the end of the contract, customers hand their vehicle back, without any hassle or concerns over depreciation.

The system is fully automated. Simply choose your vehicle and rental options, place an order for the vehicle, and secure finance approval by submitting a finance proposal online. With a fully secure site, your details will be safe and protected. The finance documents will be sent to you electronically and we will be on hand to liaise with you regrading vehicle delivery, when the time comes.

Users can generate an unlimited number of quotes, to make sure you find the perfect solution to suit your needs.

Key Benefits • Configure & Order Car Online • Secure Platform • Flexible Deposit, Term & Mileage • Automated Finance Decision • Full Maintenance (Optional) • RFL Included for Contract Term

• Accident Management • Breakdown Recovery • Enhanced Support Terms • Competitive Rentals • Hassle-Free

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Should you require any assistance, Agnew Leasing will be on hand throughout the entire process. You can get in touch via the ‘Contact Us’ section of the website or call 028 9038 6600 to speak to a member of Affinity Team.

LIFESTYLE

Magic sparkles again as Chris Rees, Head Chef at the River Room Restaurant at Galgorm Resort and Spa, serves up a cheese and onion tart

Dine & Wine Cheese and onion tart with butternut squash and Périgord truffle - SERVES 4

This is a winter vegetarian dish from the River Room menu, it consists of a sweet and sharp onion jam, rich Irish cheddar sauce and baked discs of butternut squash and is topped with roast onion and thin slices of winter truffle for that touch of extravagance.

Small flan tins will be required for individual tarts or a large one can be made in a bigger tin and portioned after.

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash • 20g fresh truffle (truffle oil can be added at the end if these are unavailable) • 4 onions • Splash of sherry vinegar • 60g sugar • 100g hard Irish cheddar, like Coolea (Comté or Gruyère will do also) • 100ml cream • 3 eggs • 8 sheets filo pastry (about 20cm x 20 cm) • 80g melted butter for brushing • Spoonful honey • Olive oil • Salt & pepper

For the butternut squash

• Firstly, cook the butternut squash, start by slicing the whole vegetable lengthways into pieces around 1cm in thickness, place these on a baking tray brush with oil and honey.

Season with salt and pepper and cook in a low oven (120c) until just soft. Remove and allow to cool then using pastry cutters cut into discs about half the diameter of the flan tin.

For the onion jam

• Slice 3 of the onions very thin, use a mandolin or Japanese slice for best results.

Add to a warm pan with a little oil, salt and pepper. Cook the onions slowly for about

40 minutes until reduced and very soft, add the sugar and allow to caramelise then add the vinegar and continue to cook gently until soft and sticky. More sugar or vinegar can be added to taste.

For the cheese sauce

• Place a pot of water on the heat and allow to boil, then place a metal bowl over the water to create a bain-marie. Add the cream, eggs and grated cheese to the bowl and gently whisk over heat, continue to cook until the sauce has thickened to a custard consistency then remove from the heat.

For the pastry

• Lay out 4 of the sheets of pastry then brush with butter and season, top each sheet with another one to create 4 double layered sheets, cut into circles about 2cm bigger than the baking tins and carefully press into the base of the tin, put another tin on top

to hold it in place while cooking. Bake in the oven at 150c until lightly golden and crisp.

For the roast onion

• Cut the remaining onion in half and in a heavy based pan, add a little oil and butter over a medium heat, season, then place the two halves cut side down in the oil and butter, allow to colour then place in an oven to cook until very soft at 160c. Once cooked, allow to cool then cut each half again so that there are 4 quarters.

To assemble the dish

• Lay out the crisp tart cases then put a layer of the onion jam in the base of each one, add a good layer of cheese sauce then slices of the squash on top, place a piece of the soft quartered onion on top and warm through in the oven. Just prior to serving shave thin slices of truffle over the tart and finish with a few fresh leaves.

Need the perfect pairing?

Drinking good wine with good food is one of life’s great pleasures. The River Room Restaurant’s resident wine expert, Andrea Mola, recommends the perfect wine to accompany Head Chef Chris Rees’ delicious main course.

Santa Alicia Chardonnay The vineyards are located in the Maipo Alto area of Chile, at the foot of the Andes Mountains. The soil of alluvial origin is very permeable, with medium intensity. The lack of precipitation from November to March produces grapes of excellent health and quality, with well-developed aromas and flavours.

100% Chardonnay, grapes are handpicked to avoid damaging the clusters at the end of March. 80% of them are fermented in fine grain French oak barrels and kept with its lees for 6 months. The other 20% are fermented in stainless steel tanks.

Golden yellow colour with greenish hues. The complex aromas exhibit great intensity and notes of tropical and citrus fruit, nicely balanced with notes of toasted oak, hazelnuts, cinnamon and vanilla. A delicate and elegant wine in the mouth, with a fine balance between the fruit and the wood, nice acidity and persistent finish.

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COLUMnIST

Jim Fitzpatrick, Journalist and Broadcaster

The idea of a ‘thief’ is changing, Jim Fitzpatrick explores this new problem.

Daylight robbery Think of your childhood image of a thief. Do you see a guy in black stripes with a mask, a cap, and bag that says “swag” on it?

It’s a cartoon image that says something about how we view thieving. It’s almost a distinct career with its own uniform and rules of operation (night work, steal only from the rich, and when caught remember to say “fair cop”).

But in my experience the most successful thieves don’t conform to this stereotype, or anything like it. In fact, they wear suits and ties. They don’t carry swag bags. They operate in broad daylight. And they steal from whoever they want – often the poor and vulnerable. And they don’t ever say “fair cop”, largely because they rarely have their well-ironed collars felt.

I was talking to an insolvency expert recently and discussing the shocking activities of a company that had gone bust. The firm had left a trail of destruction in the millions and money had disappeared overseas. It looked suspiciously criminal. And yet, my insolvency expert was not shocked. He was weary. He told me nothing would be done about it. And he was right.

The sad reality is that “white collar crime” very often pays. It can pay very well. And the risk/reward ratio is skewed heavily towards reward with little risk for those who have the morals that comply.

This is a problem for society. It’s also a big problem for business – the legitimate part, because the public perception of business and corporate life as one of greed and graft is fuelled by the many stories of illegal and bad behaviour that are reported.

I would venture to suggest that the vast majority of members of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce are fine upstanding businesses and individuals who pay their taxes and run their affairs according to both the spirit and letter of the law.

steal, break the law with dedication and commitment and you can expect to reap rich monetary rewards and pay no penalty.

I asked my insolvency expert why this was the case. Why were the authorities not interested? How could this be allowed to continue unchecked?

His answer – it was too complicated for the authorities to be bothered. The costs of investigation and prosecution for “white collar crimes” are high and the failure rate is equally high. That means ambitious police and

“The sad reality is that “white collar crime” very often pays.

It can pay very well.”

So how do they feel to know that there are businesses and individuals who don’t pay their taxes; who steal from their customers; who break the law; and whose owners live the highlife in the confident expectation that they will never be troubled by inquiries from the law?

Fail to pay a parking ticket or submit your taxes late and you can expect to pay a penalty, no negotiation. But set out to deceive and

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prosecutors look for easier wins that chalk up the scoreboard of justice while advancing their careers.

Meanwhile, the honest guys in business – big and small – continue to pay the bills and stick to the rules. They should do nothing less.

But they should also do something more – demand better laws and better enforcement of laws for those who don’t.

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