Ulster Business - September 2016

TM

SEPTEMBER 2016 Price £2.30 (€3.75)

Entrepreneurial Practice Richard Gillan reveals the secret behind Grant Thornton’s phenomenal growth

Energy & Waste: Are we doing enough to avoid landfill?

Tech arrival: What drew one of the world’s biggest financial brokers to NI?

ISSN 1363-2507

9 771363 250005

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Contents 8 News

52 Employment Law

76 Motoring

All you need to know about everything that’s going on

What does Brexit mean for EU nationals working here?

The thinking woman’s motoring journalist Pat Burns burns rubber

26 Waste

60 Conferencing & Events

82 Appointments

John Simpson rolls his sleeves up and gets recycling

How to plan and execute the perfect event

Who has moved where? And why?

It’s all here

40 Information Technology

70 Celebration

90 Events

We find out more about Tullet Prebon’s new Belfast IT centre

Ulster Business holds its own compact and bijou event

Were you out and about last month?

You might be here

47 Word from the Wise

74 Business Breakfast

94 Travel

Peter Russell from BT offers a few tips from his years of experience

We break bread with Paul Black and talk desks, chairs and Scotland

We’re off to sunny Spain – well Menorca to be precise

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For more information contact: Richard Houliston | Partner T 0333 006 1176 E richard.houliston@TLTsolicitors.com

Belfast | Bristol | Edinburgh | Glasgow | London | Manchester

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Ushering in the new term

W

elcome to the September edition of Ulster Business. We come to you at a time which feels like a back-toschool period for all of us, not just the thousands of school children who are still getting used to oversized blazers and new pencil cases.

Ulster Business has moved into a newly-fitted out office in Belfast Telegraph House in Clarendon Dock in Belfast, as we join our colleagues at our parent company Independent News & Media.

We have a brilliant view of the colossal amounts of commerce taking place each day in and around Belfast and the harbour area, have made full use of the additional editorial and other resources available to us as part of a larger publishing organisation and are positioned only footsteps away from a steady supply of coffee.

Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland economy seems to have slowly returned from its summer break to stretch and take stock of the real impact of June’s Brexit.

It might come as a shock to learn that the EU Referendum wasn’t just an end-of-term prank which went wrong,

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

Independent News & Media Ltd © 2016. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Independent News & Media Ltd.

SEPTEMBER 2016

but hopefully that shock is being mitigated slightly by some of the data which is beginning to emerge.

There seems to be plenty of resilience – from an active commercial property market, relatively strong economic growth and an obvious boon for the tourist and export sectors from the fall in the value of the pound – but it is still too early to tell how deep the economic impact of leaving Europe will cut.

Economic data is notoriously out of date, so the next few months will be telling, but hopefully strong leadership from government – which provides a clear roadmap to the divorce – will allay fears, boost confidence and keep the levels of investment coming to Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK. For now, we’re going to enjoy the view from our new office and hope that the economic view is just as impressive.

Until next time.

David Elliott

Editor David Elliott

Art Editor Stuart Gray

Manager Sonia Armstrong

Production Manager Stuart Gray

Deputy Manager Sylvie Brando

Cover Photography PressEye

Sales Executive Sarah-Ann Gamble

Free to download. Free to read. ulsterbusiness/app 7

NEWS

The Big Numbers 1.852m The population of Northern Ireland at 30 June 2015, representing an increase of 11,100 people (0.6%) since mid-2014.

Around 80% of the population increase is attributed to natural growth, with net inward migration accounting for the vast majority of the remainder of the increase.

Prosperity edges higher on wage, GDP growth Jonathan Dobbin from Barclays Wealth.

35,560 The number of people in Northern Ireland claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, a decrease of 5,590 since May 2015.

26.4% The economic inactivity rate in Northern Ireland, 1.1% lower than a year ago but still much higher than the UK average of 21.6%.

24,215 The number of births registered in Northern Ireland last year (12,493 males and 11,722 females), two out of every five of which occurred outside of marriage.

£123,241 The standardised price of a house in Northern Ireland, according to the Residential Property Price Index. It ranges from £102,715 in Derry City and Strabane to £148,600 in Lisburn and Castlereagh.

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he population of Northern Ireland is earning more, contributing more to the economy and living in a more valuable home, according to new data from Barclays Wealth.

he said. “It is more important than ever that business leaders and policy makers continue to create new opportunities to keep our region, and the UK as a whole, ‘open for business’ and continuing on this trajectory.”

The Barclays’ Prosperity Map said average wages have climbed by 9% compared to last year’s study, more than any other region of the UK, to £23,643 while GDP per capita has jumped by 11.3%, more than the 8% increase in London.

Mr Dobbin also pointed out Northern Ireland scored highly in the classroom.

Meanwhile, house prices increased by 4% over the last year to £119,500, more than in Scotland, Wales and northern regions of England.

The uplift comes despite what the bank calls “uncertain economic conditions during the year caused by volatile stock markets, China’s slowdown and the lead up to Brexit”.

Jonathan Dobbin, Head of Wealth and Investment Management NI at Barclays, said it’s important that the business community do their best to help maintain the upward trajectory of prosperity.

“With positive growth in prosperity recorded across the UK, it is clear that Northern Ireland is playing a key role in this trend,”

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“In 2015, we had the highest levels of educational attainment right across the UK regions; an increase in GDP and average earnings, and a reduction in unemployment.

“It’s clear that we have the skillset to compete with other regions when it comes to providing the right conditions to start and grow a successful business and drive prosperity more widely.”

But while the prosperity of the overall population is improving, the number of millionaires here has fallen by 1,000 over the year.

There are now 13,000 millionaires living in Northern Ireland, 2% of the UK total of 690,000.

The number of millionares in the UK has risen by more than a third since 2010, despite dipping by 3.8% in the last year.

NEWS

Retail rate reduction scheme re-launched Since launching in 2012 under its previous guise – the Small Business Rates Relief Scheme – nearly 500 businesses have been able to take advantage of the rate cut.

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir launched the rebranded scheme at General Merchants cafe on the Ormeau Road in Belfast this week: “We all want to see our town centres and shopping areas thriving. This excellent rate support scheme aims to bring vibrancy, footfall and investment back to our high streets while providing businesses with a boost in their first year of trading.”

General Merchants Cafe opened in June 2015 in Ballyhackamore and due to its success, a second cafe was opened on the Ormeau Road in April 2016.

Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is pictured launching the rebranded Back in Business rate support scheme with Jane Hodgers, Manager of General Merchants Cafe, Ormeau Road Belfast.

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he Finance Minister has re-launched a rate reduction scheme aimed at getting empty retail properties filled. The Back in Business rate support scheme gives business owners which occupy a retail property which was previously empty for 12 months or more a 50% rate reduction.

Intelligence isn’t always about giving the right answers.

Sometimes it’s about asking the right questions.

Manager Jane Hodgers said the Back in Business scheme was a big help: “General Merchants is a tremendous example of the benefits of this scheme. The difference that a bustling business can make to a once empty property on a main thoroughfare is striking. I would urge anyone planning to start a business or expand an existing business to consider setting up in an empty unit and avail of the support on offer from Back in Business.”

Walk us through it. Run it past us.

Tell us what’s up. Or what’s down.

Because before we can give you the right answers, we ask the right questions.

We listen longer.

We think harder.

We talk straighter.

We do it this way to understand more.

And the more we understand, the better we can help, plan and protect.

Welcome to a different Risk Management Service. One that applies intelligence long before it comes up with the right answer.

028 9032 9042 www.willisinsurance.co.uk

Insurance

SEPTEMBER 2016

Consulting & Employment Services

Accident Investigation Services

Wealth Management

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NEWS

Quotes of the month “Despite the uncertainty that has prevailed since the Brexit referendum, the market looks set for a busy selling season between now and year end.”

CBRE’s managing director Brian Lavery expects a busy few months for Northern Ireland’s commercial property market.

“Frankly, the Irish government should turn around - they shouldn’t even appeal the decision - they should just write a letter to Europe and tell them politely to f*** off.”

Boss of Ryanair Michael O’Leary proffers a little advice to the Dublin government following what he called a “bizarre” ruling by the EU which forces Apple to pay €13bn in back taxes.

“To shore up confidence across the economy, the Government must clearly communicate plans for negotiations to leave the EU, and demonstrate its commitment to stimulating growth and driving investment with an ambitious Autumn Statement.”

Anna Leach, CBI Head of Economic Analysis and Surveys, calls for a helpful budget.

“It will take time before we see any possible effects from the Brexit vote, but it is clear that the market is firmly open for business in Northern Ireland.”

Derek Wilson, CML Northern Ireland chair, reacts to a jump in lending for home purchase in the second quarter.

Marriott confirms first Northern Ireland hotel on Belfast waterfront A computer-generated image of the new Marriott on Belfast’s waterfront.

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arriott has confirmed it is to open its first hotel in Northern Ireland on Belfast’s waterfront, creating 115 new jobs.

The 188-room four-star AC Hotel by Marriott will be run under a franchise agreement by Interstate Europe Hotels and Resorts, a seasoned operator which works alongside other global hotel brands in the UK, Europe and Russia.

Due to open in early 2018, it will be situated in Belfast Harbour as part of the City Quays 2 development which is currently under construction.

Belfast firm Gilbert-Ash has been appointed contractor for the £25m project which is expected to create 180 jobs during the construction phase.

Robert Crook, Managing Director of Interstate Europe Hotels and Resorts, said he was looking forward to making a mark in Northern Ireland.

“We’re thrilled to be operating the first Marriott International-branded hotel in Belfast,” he said.

“It’s a fantastic development for the city’s tourism industry, catering for both the leisure and corporate markets, and with all

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that Belfast has to offer on its doorstep, we’re sure its arrival will be a success.”

Although Marriott’s first hotel in Northern Ireland, there are two in the Republic: the Shelbourne Dublin and Powerscourt Hotel in Co. Wicklow. In London, it runs the five-star JW Marriott Grosvenor House and St Pancras Renaissance Hotel.

Graeme Johnston, Belfast Harbour’s Property Director, said the name is a boon for business here: “Marriott has a very strong presence in the business market which will complement the wider office developments planned for City Quays – the first office is already fully let to four US firms employing 800 people. The hotel will also be well placed to tap into Belfast’s growing reputation as a conference destination with the newly refurbished Waterfront Hall just a short riverside walk away.”

Ray Hutchinson, managing director of Gilbert-Ash, said the build is a big piece of local work for the firm: “There are a number of major construction projects under way in Belfast at the moment which will substantially change the face of the city in the coming year. Few buildings are able to capitalise on a view over the River Lagan and we think that this hotel and its riverside terrace will allow locals and tourists alike to enjoy one of the city’s greatest assets.”

NEWS

Cloughbane Farm Foods signs £450,000 deal

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County Tyrone meat producer has signed a £450,000 contract with Tesco which will create five new jobs.

The deal for Cloughbane Farm Foods, which makes ready-to-eat meals, represents a 60% hike in trade with the supermarket and will see it introduce 11 new lines.

It currently employs 47 people and sources meat from the within 50 miles of the company’s farm base in Pomeroy.

Sandra Weir, fresh food buyer at Tesco Northern Ireland, said the firm is answering changing consumer demands: “This new range from Cloughbane Farm Foods is in response to growing food trends and demand for traditional, homemade meals, that are quick and convenient to prepare,” she said. “Cloughbane took advantage of this gap in the market and the feedback on the new products has been excellent.”

The 11 new meals include Lasagne, Beef Stroganoff, Bangers and Mash and Steak, Onion and Mushroom Pie. Husband and wife duo Lorna and Sam Robinson, along with their two sons Richard and Robert, have been supplying Tesco NI since 2012.

From left: Richard Robinson, Director of Cloughbane Farm Foods with Graham Agnew, Store Manager of Tesco NI store in Dungannon.

Lorna Robinson said Cloughbane Farm Foods have focused on convenience: “We know it can often be difficult for families to find the time to cook traditional and healthy meals, yet the desire for homemade meals still remains,” she said. “We wanted to cater for those busy, working families with our convenient new Ready Meal range.

Pick a city break From Belfast City Airport to Europe with KLM Visit klm.com

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SEPTEMBER 2016

23/08/2016 13:42

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NEWS

SDC Trailers bags £6.8m contract with haulage company Eddie Stobart

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ne of Northern Ireland’s biggest engineering companies has bagged a multi-million pound order with Eddie Stobart.

SDC Trailers, based in Tooebridge, has signed the £6.8m deal with the famous haulage company for 240 lorry trailers.

It’s the first major order for SDC since it was taken over by Chinese firm CIMC earlier this year.

The order is for 50 gooseneck skeletal trailers and 25 extendable skeletal trailers for Eddie Stobart’s port logistics, 125 curtain siders for retail operation and 40 brick/block trailers which will be put to use in the operator’s new aggregate division.

The deal represents a significant investment by the haulier who acquired 650 SDC curtainsider and boxvan trailers earlier this year.

“It’s been a busy and momentous year for SDC to date, with an expansion to our production facilities, the launch of our pioneering new KERS trailer, our acquisition by CIMC and now the IAA show and Trailer Innovation Awards,” Mark Cuskeran, CEO of SDC Trailers said.

“The hard work and investment SDC have put into practice over the

Mark Cuskeran, CEO of SDC Trailers.

last few years has allowed us to secure continuing relationships with our customers and be recognised as one of the leading trailer brands in Europe.”

SDC employs over 900 staff at their plants in Toomebridge and also at a bse in Nottinghamshire.

Overseas visitors flock to Northern Ireland helping to sustain valuable employment in local communities,” Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland said. “And, I am pleased to report that sentiment in general for 2016 from our tourism partners overseas (including tour operators and carriers), as well as our industry partners (including hoteliers and visitor attractions), is largely optimistic.”

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ore visitors from overseas are visiting these shores and spending more when they

get here.

That’s according to the latest figures from government body NISRA which reported an 8% jump in tourists from outside Northern Ireland to 400,000 in the first three months of 2016 compared to the same period last year.

Those visitors spent £93m in the first quarter,

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a 10% jump on last year and a sign the region is becoming a firm tourist favourite.

Meanwhile, visitors from Great Britain also jumped by an impressive 31%.

The news was welcomed by the body responsible for bring tourists here which said the industry is blooming.

“Overseas tourism delivers about £454m per year for the Northern Ireland economy,

Tourism in the UK in general is expected to get a boost from the sharp fall in the value of sterling since the Brexit vote, as well as from promotions by the industry body.

“Tourism Ireland is determined to ensure that tourism growth continues and we are rolling out an extensive programme of promotions throughout 2016, to highlight Northern Ireland around the world. Our activity includes a major focus on this special Year of Food & Drink. This spring, we joined forces with Game of Thrones creators HBO once again, leveraging the huge popularity of the TV series to showcase Northern Ireland.”

NEWS

Export Technologies signs major deal with global beauty company

Attracting the next generation of finance professionals

By Luke Fuller, Director at Hays Northern Ireland

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n recent weeks young people across Northern Ireland have been receiving their GCSE and A-level exam results.

Life-changing decisions are now being made on whether to apply for professional qualifications, apprenticeships, training or further education. This represents a fantastic opportunity for employers, educators, professional bodies and recruiters to actively engage potential new entrants into the finance industry.

Pictured are Leanne Blair and Karen McMinnis from Export Technologies.

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Belfast high-tech business has invested £150,000 in staff, infrastructure and research and development after signing a deal with one of the UK’s largest beauty companies.

Export Technologies, based in the Titanic Quarter of the city, tied up the contract with TAM Beauty which distributes its brands to over 50 countries as well as selling its own range of products; Makeup Revolution, Freedom Makeup London, I Heart Makeup and DGJ Organics.

It will supply its IRP (International Retail Platform) e-commerce platform – which helps online firms buy and sell – to the beauty company.

TAM Beauty e-commerce manager Billy Breckenridge said the new platform will help it grow: “We had outgrown our previous platform and the IRP fitted well with our long-term business objectives. We have our sights set firmly on international expansion and having an e-commerce platform provider and consultancy that takes a global approach offers us a great opportunity to do this.”

Chris McEldowney from Export Technologies said the system is a big help in boosting sales: “Having the right online platform and strategic approach has a direct impact on sales,” he said.

SEPTEMBER 2016

From my perspective within accountancy and finance recruitment, demand is high for new entrants into the market. We are seeing a rise in both permanent and temporary vacancies registered and while the gap between demand and supply is slowly narrowing, it is still significant.

For this reason there is a lot of opportunity for new entrants to succeed in the profession.

Firstly, it is well understood that different generations have differing aspirations. For example, ‘millennials’ – the connected generation born after 1980 for whom ‘digital’ is a native language – prioritise work/life balance, clear career paths and company image. Talk to millennials that are already in your organisation and they will better understand the needs and interests of new entrants, and how best to calibrate your pitch to school leavers.

Secondly, it is important to possess the most up-to-date information about the recruitment marketplace to remain competitive. At Hays we produce an annual salary guide that enables employers to assess their salary and benefits offering and employees to match themselves against their counterparts in the rest of the country.

Using this information can help those in the profession to persuade new talent to enter the industry and begin to bridge the skills gap.

There has never been a better time to train for a career in finance. I hope that’s a message which industry bodies and professional organisations are able to convey and that it resonates with young people as they consider their next steps.

To find out more and to access previous Hays UK Salary and Recruiting Trends surveys visit hays.co.uk/salary-guide

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NEWS

House prices jump 12% in a year

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he average price of a house in Northern Ireland has risen by 12.2% in the last year, according to new research from Ulster University, with most of the increase coming in the last quarter of the year.

Its Quarterly House Price Index Report pegged the average price of a house here at £155,528 at the end of June and revealed that the bulk of that increase – 8.8% – occurred in the preceding three months.

The latter move goes against other evidence which suggested uncertainty surrounding the EU Referendum, which took place on June 23, had kept a lid on the housing market.

Prices are now at the highest level since June 2010, although still some way off the peak reached before the credit crunch in 2007.

In terms of property type, terraced and townhouses performed most strongly over the year, climbing 27.3% to an average of £102,197, closely followed by apartments which jumped 18.9% to £125,145 and semi-detached houses which were up 14.3% at £149,153.

When it comes to region, prices in Belfast were up 11.1%, in North Down they were up 7.9%, in Lisburn up 7.8%, in Antrim/ Ballymena up 20.2%, in Coleraine/Limavady/ North Coast up 1.8%, the West up by 5.2%, Enniskillen/Fermanagh/South Tyrone up 6.8%, Craigavon up 13.2%, Armagh up 10.4%, Mid & South Down up by 9.6%.

But not all regions performed as well with prices in East Antrim falling by 1.2% and in Derry/Strabane they were down by 5.5%, The survey said the percentage of properties sold at or below £100,000 has dropped from 32% to 26% on a quarter-byquarter basis, a result, the report said of higher demand from first time buyers.

Lead researcher, Professor Stanley McGreal from Ulster University said the mood is buoyant but Brexit may dent sentiment.

“The research is developed with support from estate agents across Northern Ireland, and most paint an optimistic picture about the market. However, a number of agents expressed concern that the increased uncertainty stemming from the EU referendum may impact on

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the market over the coming quarters if purchase decisions are delayed.

But there are positives to take from the fallout from the EU Referendum vote.

“At the same time low interest rates are reducing the cost of mortgage repayments, which is making the property market more attractive.”

Joe Frey, the Housing Executive’s Head of Research, said Brexit won’t be a big influence on Northern Ireland.

“There may well be a downturn in the UK’s housing market as a whole over the next year, partly as a result of the Brexit vote, but given the sustainable rate of price increases in recent times in Northern Ireland, it is unlikely to impact significantly on the local market.”

he Bar of Northern Ireland has taken up space in an office building in Belfast City Centre which will become the base for a new specialist Mediation Centre – the first of its kind for Northern Ireland. CBRE facilitated the letting. The organisation has taken a 4,000 sq ft space in The Boat office building, a prime City Centre location in Queen’s Square, with views onto the River Lagan and in close proximity to the Bar Library and Laganside Courts. The set-up of prime office space solely for the purposes of mediation is in response to heavy demand for a tailored and bespoke mediation location in Northern Ireland. Pictured are David Mulholland, Chief Executive, The Bar of Northern Ireland and David Wright, director, Office Agency at CBRE unveil plans for a new Mediation Centre for Northern Ireland at The Boat Building in Belfast.

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Tailoring Tomorrow’s Talent Ulster University Business School’s goal is to build the skills of exceptional young people from diverse backgrounds, to fulfil their potential. Working with Deloitte towards this shared goal, we helped them deliver their strategic ambition, through developing the next generation of world class leaders.

Creating innovators tailor made for your workplace ulster.ac.uk/shapingbusiness

COVER STORY

A Different Perspective 16

COVER STORY

Richard Gillan can empathise with his clients like few can. A chartered accountant who forged a successful career outside professional practice, he understands the challenges and rewards of running and selling his own businesses. Almost two years since his return to practice as Managing Partner of Grant Thornton (NI), Ulster Business talks to Richard about his different approach to business advice which has delivered phenomenal growth for the firm in a short period

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here is no doubt Richard Gillan has achieved a lot in his career and has led Grant Thornton’s resurgence in Northern Ireland.

One which seems to have stirred the pot in the business advisory world here.

To do that in such an established market requires a very different approach and perspective.

“I thought it would be much more enjoyable selling my own company, rather than someone else’s! So, after 10 years in practice, I re-mortgaged my house, borrowed funds and, together with a partner, bought a company in Mid-Ulster which manufactured timber fire surrounds and furniture.

Unique experience

“Maybe I was being a little naïve, but I didn’t really view it as a risk. I had done my homework and was confident that the business would grow – that it would prove to be a good acquisition.”

Richard may be the Treasurer of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, but to say he’s not your typical business advisor or accountant is something of an understatement.

Richard spent a lot of time travelling around Britain and Ireland over the next few years, selling his products to retailers, and the company began to grow as he’d hoped.

In 1994, on completion of his accounting studies at Queen’s University, Richard joined an established global firm, not dissimilar to Grant Thornton. Nothing unusual about that, you might say. But Richard quickly set about broadening his experience.

“I spent time on secondment in places like Luxembourg and London, and worked in Johannesburg on the float of mining company, Anglo American.

I really enjoyed doing something that was a little bit different. I also got some great experience in areas like transaction support and corporate acquisitions, disposals and finance raising.”

The business had expanded significantly by the time it was sold in May 2007.

“Negotiating the sale of your own business is an experience like no other. You want to realise best value for your considerable efforts but there is also a strong emotional tie to the business and its employees. And, in the meantime, you need to remain focused on running the business.”

Empathy with clients It is experience such as this which perhaps sets Richard apart in terms of the understanding and empathy he now shares with his clients.

Richard’s next acquisition followed quickly.

Being involved at a high level in the corporate deal-making environment had, by 2004, stirred the entrepreneur in Richard.

SEPTEMBER 2016

“A call centre based in Bangor was in administration. I spoke with management

and felt there was a good core business – within two weeks we had acquired it.

“The early days were a battle. Creditors had lost money and we needed to rationalise the business to make the model work. The phone system and network providers were threatening to withdraw their services, and I remember thinking that a call centre without a phone system wouldn’t be great!

“But after six months, and an awful lot of hard work, it was clear the business had turned round and was highly profitable. Sometime later, we were approached to sell the business and eventually agreed to do so.”

A return to practice Then, in the summer of 2014 Richard met with Paul McCann, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton Ireland.

“I was impressed with his approach. The firm had become the fastest-growing practice in Ireland built around a culture which nurtures individuality and encourages doing things differently. I really empathised with the entrepreneurial ethos of the place and felt that the success of the firm down South could be replicated in Northern Ireland where the brand was arguably under-exploited,” said Richard.

“I also felt the time was right for me to return to practice. I felt that my own experience in business might be of benefit to those who sometimes complain that >

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COVER STORY

Richard Gillan, Dame Mary Peters and Máirtín Ó Muilleoir at the Grant Thornton Runway Run at Belfast City Airport.

advisers don’t understand industry. I have been on their side of the fence.”

“We are so hungry for the business. Then the service we deliver is helping us to gain traction.

Phenomenal growth Since his arrival, Grant Thornton in Northern Ireland has witnessed remarkable growth with revenues doubling since 2014.

“As I see it, Grant Thornton is addressing a gap in the Northern Ireland market. There is huge potential for a global firm to have a Belfast office focused solely on the local market – and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

“That comes from the energy and drive of the partners and staff at the firm,” according to Richard.

Doing things differently

“Growth has come across the board.

The audit and tax teams are performing very strongly.

“The advisory side of the business has also recently been involved in a number of landmark deals, including the management buy-out of TBF Thompson, and we were appointed liquidators of Xtra-vision, and Administrators of Met Steel Limited and Lisburn Glass Group. Meanwhile, the firm is continuing to build a sizeable Forensics and Cyber-security team, one which is finding favour in the marketplace.”

Grant Thornton was recently awarded Large Practice of the Year at the 2016 Irish Accountancy Awards.

But what’s fuelling all this growth?

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The firm also recently welcomed snooker legend Dennis Taylor to the office to hand out a few lessons to staff on the pool table in the staff break-out area. “To be fair, he didn’t let me pot a ball!” admits Richard candidly.

Richard sums it up. “We don’t want to be stereotypical – and we want people who will challenge the accepted norms.”

As Richard points out, none of this would be possible without empowering the Grant Thornton team.

All of this comes as part of a global firm which can call on a wealth of resources in other jurisdictions.

“It might sound obvious, but our focus is on bringing in the right people. The only ‘products’ we have to sell are the skills and expertise of our team. We want people who can thrive within the entrepreneurial environment we have created.

Ahead of the curve

“That culture permeates throughout the entire business, with everybody encouraged to look from another perspective and find alternative ways to approach ageold problems. I hate to hear the phrase ‘but we’ve always done it that way’.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that Grant Thornton does indeed do things differently – like the Grant Thornton Runway Run at Belfast City Airport.

When Richard joined the firm back in November 2014, he set about developing a strategy for 2020.

“We’re already well ahead of those targets.

I didn’t think it at the time, but perhaps I wasn’t ambitious enough!” He is already looking at premises options as they outgrow their current city centre facilities.

Richard ends on a sobering note. “We will continue to challenge, innovate and do things differently to ensure that we give our clients the best possible experience… but there is no substitute for hard work.”

At that, I left him to it.

For those who dare to live life to the full.

Jason Smyth Determination. It goes a long way. And Allianz sports and brand Ambassador Jason Smyth has shown it more than most.

A visually impaired sprinter, Jason represented Ireland at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Paralympic Games, setting records and winning T13 gold in both the 100m and 200m events.

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With you from A-Z

PROFILE

KPMG focuses on future ambitions KPMG’s Northern Ireland boss John Hansen underlines the firm’s experience, achievements and growth plans

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rriving to interview the Partner in Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, this reporter is fairly sure there’s one subject above all others which he may not want to talk about.

However, John Hansen proves to be something of an exception to the rule in that he makes sure there’s no elephant in the room right from the off.

“Four partners retiring from the business was a significant event and put us in a unique position,” he said, referring to the firm’s former executives who retired earlier this year during an ongoing investigation

by HMRC. “Like every big event, it brings challenges but it also brings opportunities.”

“The encouraging thing has been the reaction of our clients and staff, as well as the wider business community. Continuity is essential in business and we have maintained our strong client base and their support which has been exceptional. Meanwhile our staff have shown a huge willingness to ensure that there was minimal disruption in the day-to-day business.

“Our focus has been to reinforce the depth of experience in KPMG and build on the real commitment of our fantastic staff.”

John is the Partner in Charge of Northern Ireland operations, as well as heading up KPMG’s Deal Advisory team in Northern Ireland. He is also heavily involved in all aspects of Restructuring and Forensic assignments on an all-island basis.

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He has over 30 years’ experience in Restructuring and Forensics and has been with KPMG for 10 years. However his veteran status is dwarfed by fellow partners such as John Poole, who is Head of Audit and has notched up 21 years, and Head of Tax Johnny Hanna who has 14 years at KPMG to his name. Although John jokingly points out that he feels duty bound to say that he has a few more miles on the clock than they do!

It’s a similar picture in other areas of the Belfast office. “Right across the business we have a very strong and experienced team of Partners and Directors; many of the team have been with KPMG since they were trainees. In fact we worked out that 5 Directors in the Audit team have 90 years of experience between them”. This experience is bolstered by a new advisory board consisting of some big names in the Northern Ireland corporate world.

It includes Rotha Johnston, Sir Bruce Robinson and Dr. David Dobbin. Shaun Murphy the Managing Partner of KPMG in Ireland is also a member and the group is chaired

by Shaun Kelly, the Global COO of KPMG International and a Northern Ireland native.

Whilst not involved in operational matters, the board will assist KPMG in further developing its connectivity with the Northern Ireland business community across its Audit, Tax and Advisory practices.

Pulling together such a strong team reveals the ambition behind the firm.

“We want to be the number one professional services firm in Northern Ireland, providing the best service to our current clients and growing the business,” John said. “We believe that our unique selling point is our people and they have, and will, stand us in good stead.”

It’s because of those people that KPMG has worked on some of the biggest deals in Northern Ireland over the last few years across all divisions.

The Transaction Services team advises on local deals and carries out due diligence on major international transactions. In the last 12 months they supported the $1.5bn acquisition of Northern Ireland’s biggest company Moy Park by JBS. The Tax team in Belfast has been involved in many of the major M&A deals within the local market. “I firmly believe we have the strongest tax practice in Belfast – they work across all tax areas and industry sectors”.

The Restructuring team handled the administration of the three companies which control the Obel building in Belfast and the Lough Erne resort in Enniskillen, the latter one which John himself had handled along with Stuart Irwin.

When it comes to corporate finance, the team has carved out a strong market leading position in the energy and renewables space, led by Russell Smyth.

PROFILE

An example of one of the projects it has been involved in is the £107m Full Circle Generation state-of-the-art wasteto-energy gasification plant, currently under construction in Belfast Port and due to become operational in 2017.

In addition, KPMG has worked with Par Renewables, based in Coleraine, which was one of the first 500kW farm-scale anaerobic digestion projects developed in Northern Ireland as well as with Evermore Renewable Energy, an £81m, 15MW wood-fuel power station in Derry.

meeting the needs of companies from all sectors and of all sizes in Northern Ireland.

“Being part of an all-island firm brings experience in everything from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to multinationals and that’s a great benefit, both for us and for our clients,” John said.

Meanwhile, KPMG’s Audit team has secured Moy Park as one of its clients. “We are currently strengthening our team at a number of levels – by September we will have over 100 staff in the audit team.”

John mentions Brexit as a big unknown for the economy here and called on strong political leadership to lead the business community through these uncertain times.

These are just some of the specialisms which KPMG offers and it’s clear the firm is well ahead of the curve when it comes to

But he was clear that KPMG is well positioned to support the economy in whatever happens in the future.

SEPTEMBER 2016

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THIRD PLACE Working WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW what implications does this have on our offices?

Well, in the early stages of adoption, people saw the Third Place as a means of escapism – a way to get out of the second place and get closer to the first place. As we became increasingly more digital in the way we work, this got easier as the years went by.

Notable benefits were; • Increased Creativity – being office bound is not always conducive to the creative process. Getting up and going for a walk, or sitting outside immediately helps kick start our creative juices • Close and Cost-Effective – Most workers select locations that are still close to the normal working environment, while also helping to remove some of the costs-per-head from the office premises (electricity, internet, space).

• Positive Atmosphere – Coffee shops and parks naturally have a less stressful environment than a packed office.

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or years we have operated under the presumption that we occupy two main places: home and office.

Our lives have been structured around the places that we occupied throughout our day. We had our work place, or office, that we occupied for eight or nine hours until we got home and occupied our living space, or home, for the remainder of the day. We have spent decades orienting our responsibilities around these places and attempting to perfect the “work/life balance”. However, the landscape of the contemporary office is beginning to change.

In recent years a new place concept has arisen – the Third Place.

The Third Place is where the home and office integrate, and the lines are blurred between where we come to work and where we come to relax. In the beginning, the concept of “Third Place Working” was structured around getting out of the office and finding an in-between environment, like a local coffee shop!

What about now?

Major corporations across the world are starting to see the benefits of Third Places, and have begun to create environments on site that echo this philosophy. They are creating comfortable, coffee shop style areas to allow people to escape their desk and change their posture for a while. Some companies have started to engineer a more natural environment for their staff to use, introducing plants, wall graphics, natural floor finishes and an abundance of natural light.

These shifts in our perceived environment have knock-on benefits across the spectrum. Staff can use a variety of spaces to achieve maximum effectiveness and creativity, this also alleviates pressure in the “Second Place” environment. With people seeking a different way of working, desk positions can become less permanent and individual ownership can be made redundant – why not share a desk that you use 40% of the time, or even better, hot desk! Overall this reaps benefits for the company, as staff become more effective and begin to alleviate costs per head, as use of space becomes more diverse and more efficient.

To find out how you can make the most of Third Place Working, why not get in touch with Innov8 Office Interiors, Ireland’s leader in workplace innovation.

Work the way that works

for you www.innov8office.com hello@innov8office.com

Belfast Showroom 1-3 Glenmachan Street Belfast BT12 6JB T +44 (0) 28 9023 8180

Dublin Office 77 Sir John Rogersons Quay Dublin 2 T +353 (0) 1 649 9054

Business psychology

Time for a management MOT? Paul Grant, Business Coach at CCO (Int) Ltd, looks at the importance of emotional quotient to your business CCO (Ltd) is a team of business coaches who work particularly with boards, CEOs and senior managers on developing leadership, communication and teamwork traits. We have seen how people with good EQ behave and react in a powerful, passionate, yet empathic manner – and we’ve seen how this informs great leadership.

In our experience, there are five components to EQ.

Paul Grant

Y

OU’VE almost certainly heard of the benefits of having a high IQ - but what about your EQ or emotional quotient, more commonly known as emotional intelligence?

And are you aware of how important emotional intelligence is in developing better leadership skills?

It is now recognised that the most effective leaders have a high degree of emotional intelligence, reinforcing the extensive research that EQ is a much more reliable prediction of how a person will perform and achieve in the workplace than their IQ. According to Daniel Goleman, an ex-NY Times science reporter and ‘father’ of EQ, the skill involves the ability to monitor your own feelings and emotions, and those of others around you - and recognising when you need to take action to control your emotions and thus your communication and actions.

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The first is self-awareness - understanding your strengths and weaknesses, being honest about how you are perceived by others and the effect you have on them. This means assessing the level of confidence you have in your strengths and importantly, being able to ask for help when you need it.

The next step is self-regulation - having the discipline not to be distracted by disruptive impulses and taking control.

It’s a common fault in the workplace to confuse being assertive with being aggressive or passive. Self-regulation means you act with integrity and in a principled way and are comfortable with change in any given situation.

Thirdly, there’s motivation. People with a high EQ have a passion for work and they want to excel. This motivation is apparent in the drive and determination to achieve beyond expectations and continually ‘raise the bar’ - both personally and company-wide. Alongside this motivation comes the desire to learn new things, to stretch themselves and others.

Also important is empathy - getting into

the heads of others and having a profound understanding of where they are ‘coming from’. It’s crucial to be able to read between the lines of what’s being said, to gauge body language and tone of voice and to offer support as opposed to being a constant ‘people-pleaser’. Empathy helps people to consider others’ feelings when making decisions and can enable them to give constructive feedback effectively.

Finally, there are those social skills. Good leaders need to be experts at building teams and managing relationships, developing collaboration, being assertive and persuasive and recognising that everyone has something to offer.

There are no quick fixes, it takes persistence and practice to develop your EQ, but it definitely works.

Start by seeking feedback from your colleagues and peers about your own skills and leadership styles - if it’s time for a management MOT, then it may be time to start upgrading your emotional intelligence.

It’s never too late to learn emotional intelligence - it can be developed by breaking old behaviour patterns and learning new ones. We have seen how one-to-one coaching can be highly effective in developing EQ within individuals and organisations.

For further information about CCO and how to develop your leadership capability through emotional intelligence, log on to http://cco.uk.com/

Energy & Waste

Energy & wastE

Muck, trash and disposable throw aways - valuable assets?

John Simpson asks if we’re doing enough to turn the world of waste into the world of valuable assets

waste and devise disposal and development systems appropriate to the material.

If surplus materials have a commercial value, the owners will not usually cause any disposal problems. It is worth their while to route the surplus to another user, possibly on a commercial basis.

John Simpson

E

very business is adding almost every day to a problem that is not immediately recognised and frequently ignored, until overtaken by other events. Not only is this a feature for all businesses, it is also a characteristic of domestic households. The business or households which can claim to have an orderly collection and disposal system for waste of all kinds are the exception.

Whoever invented the term ‘spring clean’ had the right idea. The seasonal urge to refresh appearances, renew the décor, or update the equipment may be a genuine seasonal urge but, in logic, the ‘spring clean’ psychology is best regarded as an all-year challenge.

If surplus materials, redundant equipment, and unusable rubbish are a storage nuisance (or worse) then, as a modern community with improving standards of public amenity, some order must be applied to what could become a disorderly outcome. The easy logic is that the creator of the surplus ‘rubbish’ should be responsible for orderly disposal.

Major modern issue Waste or rubbish disposal has become a major issue. Critical elements are conspicuous and compelling since the sheer volume of materials and their potential dangers in careless storage simply could not be ignored or left to the unfettered behavioural preferences of the owners. A complete ‘freefor-all’ would generate excessive amounts disposed of cheaply at the cost of destroying amenity and concealment of hazards.

In contrast, the expertise of special providers points to the intrinsic value to be recognised or enhanced in a large proportion of what would otherwise be deemed waste. The conventional, or former, approach that consigned waste items to land-fill sites has been displaced and recognised as impractical, wasteful and dangerous environmentally.

The disposal of waste materials of all kinds has been a growing problem in terms of its sheer volume and also in terms of the different mixes of content. The immediate policy question, for Over the last 25 years, official policy has business, households and public administration, focused on minimising the use of land-fill is how to minimise the volume of (so-called) for disposal and taking care that any land-fill >

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Energy & waste

SEPTEMBER 2016

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Energy & WASTE

landfill. Environmental awareness has created a perception of landfill as being undesirable.

The right balance of policy, content and location for landfill remains for debate.

Landfill has, in places, served a useful purpose. Large areas of Belfast foreshore have been turned to good use. The content of landfill seems more troublesome than the creation of good foundations in reclaimed areas, as is already seen in Belfast where extraction of combustible gas is a byproduct now generating a partial return.

is consistent with good land management on a sustainable basis. Official policy has increasingly sought to encourage selective and discretionary approaches to segregating (so-called) waste.

domestic household waste have now improved dramatically.

First, domestic waste is handled by local authorities as a service, financed through the rates. This has the effect that random A major lesson from the experience of evolving or covert dumping of domestic waste is not waste management policies has been the need on the scale that would happen if disposal for official policy to be designed in ways which of domestic waste was subject to item by discourage cheating. If acceptable disposal is item charges. Indeed, local authorities will difficult or expensive, there is an incentive to hope to retain a disposal service free as a any easier or cheaper alternative, especially, if marginal service when needed because of the environmentally or scientifically unwelcome, perverse effects of possible charges per item. it is not readily identified by its source.

Second, local authorities are successfully The worst feature of unacceptable waste developing waste disposal services on a management is dumping, or dumping with selective basis that segregates and identifies concealment as in the burial of waste material different streams of waste material so in usually rural sites, sometimes with support that those with commercial potential from land-owners in return for payments. are exploited. Depending on location As has been discovered in Northern Ireland, and local authority, the colour coding of illegal dumping has, in recent years, had a waste collection is evolving positively. cross-border trail and, for some older evidence, has linked to long-gone chemical products.

The (Belfast) ‘blue-bin’ to collect specific recyclables, including paper and paper Commercial scale waste management can products, has offered a major diversion usually be deterred by the detection of illegal from landfill options. The (Belfast) ‘brownbehaviour and the application of waste bin’ is a diversion of large amounts of disposal charges, themselves structured to garden and other green waste. the levels of environmental or chemical risk.

Policy frontiers Improving policies Procedures for the disposal of

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Government has introduced charges to users, including local authorities, for tonnage sent to

“Local authorities are successfully developing waste disposal services on a selective basis that segregates and identifies different streams of waste material so that those with commercial potential are exploited.”

More importantly, town planners and local councillors are learning to rely more on good scientific evidence for location decisions on biomass, energy from waste, and gas extraction for electricity generation projects.

Has our community developed enough now to offer a more sympathetic response to the proposals some years ago for energy from waste proposed by groups of local councils in Northern Ireland or, also, the positive potential of the landfill proposals, as was, for the Magheramourne big quarry hole?

Waste is rarely completely without sensible alternative usage. Waste can be a valuable input to a large range of positive uses. Time has come to allow the scientific know-how to be applied, encouraged and incentivised.

Comprehensive Cost Effective Waste Management

028 9084 4445 | islwastemanagement.co.uk

ENERGY & WASTE

Waste not, want not The company is firmly focused on helping businesses identify ways in which they can move away from expensive landfill options and extract savings and new efficiencies from recycling.

Brett Ross, Managing Director of RiverRidge Recycling said: “Recycling gets to a point where you can do no more. When you take all parts which are recyclable out of waste, there is a further residue which has been going to landfill, with the extra cost being passed on to the consumer.

Brett Ross

T

urning other people’s waste into a valuable resource, is the overriding aim of RiverRidge Recycling, a company which has been instrumental in transforming the way Northern Ireland deals with the waste products businesses and households produce on a daily basis.

Now based across four sites in Belfast, Coleraine, Derry-Londonderry and Portadown, the company treats over 400,000mt of waste from local councils, private and public customers across the whole of Northern Ireland. With the capability of extracting all recyclables from the incoming waste streams, as well as creating a fuel from the residual fractions remaining, the company diverts over 180,000mt from landfill each year.

In doing so, it has answered the needs of a huge number of stakeholders; from businesses which need to dispose of waste in an environmentally-friendly and cost-efficient manner, to councils which are coming under increasing pressure from government to reduce landfill volumes, to manufacturers which need a stable supply of good value energy.

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“Where we saw our niche was to move in line with the rest of Europe and start engineering that residual waste into a fuel.

Our main product is known as a refusederived fuel (RDF), a fuel produced to a specification for use in a waste to energy facility to create electricity and heat.”

The company’s expertise in this area means it is now the biggest exporter of RDF in Northern Ireland with markets as far afield as Germany, Holland and Spain.

RiverRidge is unique in that it is able to deliver a service directly to 95% of Northern Ireland’s postcodes. RiverRidge has become an essential part of many of Northern Ireland’s largest multi-site operators such as Kerry Foods, Bombardier and Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care Trusts.

RiverRidge employs a highly trained and professional customer service and business development team.

“We’ve been successful on the back of talking and communicating with our customers to make sure we’re giving them what they need at all times, and doing it in a professional manner,” Brett said.

“More recently we’ve developed our call centres to ensure all customer issues are dealt with effectively and efficiently. Our customer relationship software will also

allow us to track and monitor customer issues and as a result continuously improve our service and product offering.”

And if that wasn’t enough, RiverRidge Recycling is also the lead partner in a consortium which is developing Northern Ireland’s first large scale waste to energy facility. The £107m facility is to be located adjacent to Bombardier’s Wing Assembly facility in Belfast.

“We’ve been successful on the back of talking and communicating with our customers to make sure we’re giving them what they need at all times.”

The Full Circle Generation Energy from Waste Facility when operational will generate enough power for over 21,000 households and recover energy from waste generated by over 155,000 Northern Irish households. The facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2017.

“The construction of the Full Circle Generation Waste to Energy facility will allow the industry to gain access to a piece of crucial infrastructure which until now had required waste management operators, including RiverRidge, to export waste derived fuels and consequently energy to other European countries.”

“By rethinking resources, we have developed cradle to grave solutions for waste. We believe we’ve created infrastructure, investment, energy and jobs in Northern Ireland, all from the rubbish people throw in their bins.”

Alan Egner, Power NI

ENERGY & WASTE

Power NI 1 – Jet Stream 0

S

o the barbecue summer we were promised didn’t quite materialise, but at least Power NI’s April price cut brought a little bit of cheer for local businesses.

Its 10% reduction* in small business and farm tariffs followed a 9.2% price cut last year.

This ‘double dunter’ of price reductions means that in real terms Power NI’s tariffs are now back at 2008 levels, which is probably the last time we had a decent heat wave to speak of.

Alan Egner, Power NI’s Commercial Sales & Marketing Manager comments: “Our most recent price cut will save a typical small business around £200 a year*. It’s mainly down to lower wholesale fuel prices, especially gas, which is the main fuel used in power stations to generate electricity.

So are SME customers of other suppliers seeing a similar decrease? “That all depends”, continues Alan, “on whether they are in a fixed price or market tracker contract.

Fixed price deals mean that customers are protected from any price increases but

32

the downside is that these customers may miss out when prices start to fall.

Of course, it’s not all about price and Power NI have come out top for the fourth year running in Consumer Council NI research that looks at the complaint levels of each of the local suppliers.

Alan says: “Having the lowest level of complaints per 100,000 customers for four years running is something that we are extremely proud of. It doesn’t happen by accident and is a result of the training, dedication and talent of our Customer Care Team in our offices in Antrim, Belfast and Omagh.

“We’ve also invested in our online services and Energy Online, our paperless billing service is now better than ever with new features and responsive design that makes it compatible with PCs, tablets and smartphones.

“As a result of our price announcement, we have naturally seen an uplift in calls from small businesses interested in switching back to Power NI. With lower prices, great

discounts, a shiny new online billing option and excellent customer service, there’s never been a better time to come home to Northern Ireland’s leading electricity supplier.

Alan concludes: “After 15 years of competition, Power NI remains the leading energy supplier here and more customers continue to trust us with their energy needs than any other supplier. We’re still the real home of Business Energy in Northern Ireland.

So, even if the jet stream let us all down again this year, at least the summer of 2016 wasn’t a complete washout, thanks to Power NI.”

Whether you’re a small start-up business or an established larger user, call the Power NI Business Hotline today on 03457 455 455 or visit www.powerni.co.uk/welcomehome

*Price cut effective 1 April 2016 to Power NI’s regulated small business and farm tariffs only, for customers using less than 50,000 units a year. Average price cut of 10% based on typical Popular tariff customer using 15,000 units a year. Actual savings dependant on customer tariff and consumption.

We’ve welcomed home over 500 businesses and farms in the last year to: Lower prices Great discounts No. 1 customer service* Visit powerni.co.uk/welcomehome and switch today

*Lower prices – average 10% price cut to Power NI regulated small business and farm tariffs, effective 1 April 2016. No. 1 customer service – Millward Brown Research 2015 (average 808 respondents) – 63% for Power NI as No. 1 for customer service versus three main competitors.

The real home of Business Energy

ENERGY & WASTE

Action needed to keep the lights on Robin McCormick, Director, Operations, Planning & Innovation and General Manager at SONI Ltd, explains why the north/ south interconnector and an all-island Single Electricity Market are essential to the future of the Northern Ireland economy

A

s the dust settles after the Brexit vote, many remain uncertain of the impact it may have on their lives and businesses. Many are struggling with uncertainty, market volatility and political changes.

As the business that operates Northern Ireland’s electricity grid, we value certainty but we are always planning to deal with the unexpected.

Everyone benefits from being confident that when we flick the switch, the lights will come on.

While Brexit has created uncertainty in many areas, let’s reflect on how we can continue to be confident that we can ‘keep the lights on’.

Northern Ireland is facing an energy supply crisis, as old conventional fossil fuel generators retire.

Our modelling of electricity demand and available generation capacity tells us that over the next five years we will be at a point where we are in an energy generation deficit.

As the system operator, I cannot be confident that we would be able to ‘keep the lights on’.

It has been possible to temporarily defer the problem with a short-term solution with a local power station.

However, this safety net is costing Northern Ireland consumers an additional £8m per year and is not a sustainable solution.

These are the facts, but the problem can be addressed by delivering the North South Interconnector.

Customers in Northern Ireland will benefit from having access to the most economic generation capacity available on the

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Robin McCormick, Director, Operations, Planning & Innovation and General Manager at SONI Ltd.

island and we can be confident that we can ‘keep the lights on’. A proposal for the project is in the planning system.

The scheme will provide a high-capacity connection between the electricity grids north and south, ensuring that we have the secure supply we all need. It can be in place by 2020, avoiding more expense to Northern Ireland customers.

The interconnector has been in the planning process since 2009 and Brexit does not change the need for this vital project. It is essential and is supported by Northern Ireland’s Executive and business leaders.

The North South Interconnector is also important to an efficient all-island Single Electricity Market (SEM) which has been run by SONI in Belfast and our colleagues at Eirgrid in Dublin since 2007.

Both SONI and EirGrid (high voltage grid operator in the Republic) are now working

towards the introduction of a new market in 2017 that is designed to bring further benefits to electricity users across the island. It is anticipated the Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM) project will bring many benefits including: • Increased access to cheaper sources of electricity; • Access to a larger market into which we can sell our electricity; • A more open and efficient pan-European electricity market; • A trading platform for the development of intra-day, forward futures and derivative markets that enable investors and operators to manage risk.

These ambitious plans improve the wholesale electricity market arrangements and provide greater opportunities for trading, particularly renewable energy, into the wider UK and European energy market. This will bring further benefits to customers. Brexit should not deflect from delivery of these two critical projects.

The current. The future. soni.ltd.uk

HEALTH

Take control of your workforce future health today

G

overnment-led salary sacrifice schemes have for years allowed companies nation-wide to contribute what they normally pay in tax towards pensions, childcare vouchers or the bike to work scheme.

Thanks to this government-led initiative for all UK businesses, both employers and employees can also take advantage of this tax benefit scheme that allows individuals to invest in their health and wellbeing.

The ability to simultaneously improve wellbeing and save money is exactly what Randox Health is delivering through its Workplace Wellbeing programme.

By taking what you would usually pay as tax and investing it in your health instead, employees can save up to 62% on their income tax and National Insurance and employers can save 13.8% on their National Insurance Contributions.

Jason Webster, Business Manager of Randox Health, said the significance of the company’s Workplace Wellbeing initiative is that by taking a simple, yet sophisticated blood test, employees not only benefit financially, but also gain personal insight to prevent ill health and disease at a stage when corrective action can be taken.

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“The health benefits of our Workplace Wellbeing scheme are endless. Many of us pay money into an ‘insurance pot’ which can take care of us if we fall ill in the future. But at Randox Health we believe in going one step further – actually preventing illness before it happens.”

The payment plan for the scheme operates on a monthly basis, which means that the cost is spread over 12 months. No need for cash or card transactions, monthly payments are transferred at source.

Depending on tax bracket savings of up to 62% can be made on the cost of a Randox Health preventative programme.

“The Randox Health Workplace Wellbeing programme is the most advanced diagnostic service in the world. Both employers and employees can have access to our unique premium service at a fraction of the cost, as a completely tax-free initiative at no extra cost to the business. In addition to this, taking care of the health and wellbeing of your employees will reduce absenteeism and costs, resulting in improved productivity making this a win-win programme,” says Jason.

an in-depth, confidential, full body health screen, giving answers that no-one else can. From a simple blood test, which can take place within the workplace, results can comprehensively identify the health and function of your organs, cancer surveillance, nutritional health, sexual health and fertility amongst our portfolio of 150 disease indicators. This is followed up with a scientific report, personalised health plan, consultation with a GP and ongoing retesting where necessary for each employee.

This holistic style of testing ensures that the patient understands their full body health in great detail in order to prevent as many problems as possible in the future.

The Randox Health Workplace Wellbeing programme can save you from potential illness and disease in the future. Empower your employees to find out how healthy they really are and how they can continually improve their wellbeing. Don’t leave the health of your workforce to chance. Let Randox Health Workplace Wellbeing take control of your future business health.

For more information contact the team at Randox Health now. Tel: 0800 2545 130,

The scheme is managed entirely by Randox Health for your company. Guaranteeing

Email: wellbeing@randoxhealth.com, Website: http://www.randoxhealth.com/

WORKPLACE WELLBEING YOUR BEST BUSINESS DECISION...

...SAVE MONEY WITH RANDOX HEALTH Contact the Corporate Team today or request a pack to learn how Workplace Wellbeing saves money.

randoxhealth.com

0800 2545 130

INSURANCE

The Insurance Act 2015 – what does it mean to businesses?

By Richard Willis, Managing Director

can be downloaded from the news section on our website) we are advising businesses to focus on two key areas: 1. Disclosure – tell your broker anything you feel may be relevant to an insurer no matter how small. Use a broker who specialises in commercial insurances and who will help to ask the right questions in order to disclose the right information.

2. Involve all senior management in the process – in an owner/manager business it is likely that you will know your business inside and out. In larger businesses, you may well have a Health & Safety team, Head of HR or an Operations Manager etc. Seek their thoughts on how each element of their work could have an impact on the business and therefore the insurance programme. This will help with point 1.

Richard Willis

T

he Insurance Act 2015 is new legislation which affects all commercial policies taken out, renewed or amended from 12th August 2016.

It represents the biggest change to legislation for over 100 years and replaces the previous Act (Marine Insurance Act 1906) but how will it affect your current insurance programme and your internal processes?

The new act focuses on fairness, transparency and certainty between commercial policyholders and insurers. You (the insured) are still responsible for informing your broker of ‘material facts and circumstances’ but now insurers will also seek clarification on anything you’ve told them previously that maybe unclear and deemed important information going forward.

The changes have been designed to make the act more relevant for 21st century interpretation. The volumes of data and information available to both insurer and insured and the complexity of commercial business has increased substantially in this time.

Whilst the act focuses on three main headings; Fair Presentation; Warranties; and Fraudulent Claims (a guideline to the act

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Failure to disclose all known ‘material facts’ could result in insurers voiding policies and not returning premiums, claims not being paid or proportionately reducing a claim payment... in essence, not doing what the policy was taken out for.

As one of Northern Ireland’s leading commercial insurance brokers, we take pride on asking questions to ensure our clients are insured correctly. This is something that we prefer to do face-to-face or whilst walking around your premises.

We can help advise you on how best to fulfil your obligations under the Act. We will work closely with you to make sure you have consulted with all parties relevant to the insurance programme and help you understand the relevant information to disclose, ensuring ‘fair presentation’ requirements are met.

Should you have any queries or concerns regarding the Insurance Act 2015 please contact us at www.willisinsurance.co.uk or on 028 9032 9042

willis Insurance & Risk Management

Flags, firebombs & flashbacks

ICT Quarterly

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Loved by hardworking companies. Loathed by hardworking criminals.

ICT QUARTERLY

Broking the deal Ulster Business speaks to Luke Barnett from Tullett Prebon, the London firm which announced the creation of 300 new jobs at a new IT hub in Belfast, to find out what drew the broking firm to these shores

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SECURE

The Nitec Security Suite 028 9442 7000 | nitec.com

SECURE

Loved by hardworking companies. Loathed by hardworking criminals.

ICT QUARTERLY

T

he name Tullett Prebon doesn’t mean much to those outside the world of financial markets but, for those in the know, it’s a household name.

It’s a broker, an interdealer broker to be precise, which matches up buyers and sellers of financial instruments – primarily foreign exchange and energy – between companies, banks and any other organisation that has a need to trade.

For instance, an oil company would use Tullett Prebon to handle the sale of its crude and gas on the futures markets and might also use it to buy and sell foreign exchange.

It doesn’t actually invest in markets but matches up buyers and sellers, taking a small fee for each transaction it completes.

As such, it’s very much focused on the major financial centres around the world such as London, New York and Singapore so on first glance its plans to set up a base in Northern Ireland may have seemed a little misguided.

However, while firms such as Tullett Prebon might need to position their so-called front office staff in the major financial hubs to be near their clients, the geography of their quite considerable IT departments isn’t quite as crucial.

As a result, Tullett is following in the quite considerable footsteps of US-bank Citi, financial exchange CME and insurer Allstate in shifting a large part of its European IT functions to Belfast, cementing the view that Northern Ireland is an IT hub.

That cluster of skills is one part of the reason for the firm’s arrival here but only one of many, according to Luke Barnett, Group Chief Information Officer of Tullett Prebon.

Speaking to Ulster Business from Chicago, he said the competition was stiff.

“We had been looking at this for 18 months and had evaluated a number of different locations in Asia, in Europe and in other parts of the UK. The reasons we decided on Belfast were the skilled people, the widespread financial market >

SEPTEMBER 2016

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SECURE

Loved by hardworking companies. Loathed by hardworking criminals.

ICT QUARTERLY

knowledge combined with the support from government and the excellent education.

“It has been a long process and we spoke to the likes of Citi and others in the technology sector to get a feel for the city.”

Rosemary Gormley, who previously worked for CVS Health, Captia and BT, has been appointed as Site Lead for the Belfast IT development centre and is in the process of hiring others.

It’s using a temporary office in the short term but is on the hunt for new premises with a number of options under consideration.

The plan is to build an office of 300 people which, when they’re all in place, will contribute nearly £10m in annual salaries into the Northern Ireland economy, an average of £33,000 a year each. Rather than a subsidiary of the company, it will be a key part of the firm’s global presence, Mr Barnett said.

First Minister, Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness join Invest NI, CEO, Alastair Hamilton, Tullett Prebon, Group CIO, Luke Barnett, and Economy Minister, Simon Hamilton at Invest NI headquarters in Belfast.

to these shores, with £2m going towards the creation of the new jobs and £400,000 from the Department for the Economy Assured Skills programme for the associated training.

Referendum vote, the arrival of Tullett Prebon has been much vaunted by the First Minister as an example of how Brexit won’t stop inward investment to Northern Ireland.

“It will play a key role in the delivery of our global technology strategy, transforming the way our teams collaborate within the business and with outside partners, and will help us deliver on key business goals.”

“We’ve been very well supported along the process by the Northern Ireland government and, in particular, by Invest NI who have made the process very easy.”

That’s because her party the DUP got behind the Leave campaign.

Of course, the assistance of Invest Northern Ireland helped tempt the company to come

The first major investment by an overseas company since the European Union

Factfile What does Tullett Prebon do?

The business is an interdealer money broker. In essence it acts as an intermediary in the wholesale financial markets between banks which trade in foreign exchange and other financial instruments such as bonds, commodities and more complex products such as credit default swaps. It has a global presence in 23 countries but is headquartered in the City of London and can trace its history back 150 years.

In addition to its brokerage services, Tullett Prebon offers a variety of market information services through its established IDB Market Data division; Tullett Prebon Information, which collects, cleanses and distributes real-time information to data providers.

Tullett Prebon has its principal offices in London, New Jersey, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo, with other offices, joint ventures and affiliates in Bangkok, Frankfurt, Houston, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Luxembourg, Madrid, Manama, Manila, Mexico City, Mumbai, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto, Warsaw and Zurich.

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“Tullett Prebon leads the way in the financial services sector and the company’s decision to establish its new IT development centre in Belfast is a vote of confidence in the ability and quality of the Northern Ireland workforce,” she said.

“Northern Ireland has an enviable reputation for hardworking, innovative, committed employees and I can assure you that we will prove, once again, we are good for business.”

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who had been behind the Remain campaign, said it was the skills base in Northern Ireland which brought Tullett Prebon here.

“The Executive for its part will continue to make every effort to ensure our people have the right skills and qualifications which, combined with our low cost base, makes us a compelling location for international companies to locate.”

INTERNET

EMAIL

SECURE

NETWORK

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SECURE

Loved by hardworking companies. Loathed by hardworking criminals.

ICT QUARTERLY

Final call for entries for 2016 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards

•

•

Lighting up the launch of the 2016 Fast 50 awards are: Mark McCann, head of development and director at Flint Studios, Brendan Monaghan, managing director of Neueda, and Peter Allen, partner at Deloitte.

C

ompanies in software, hardware, communications, media, cleantech and life sciences sectors are being given a final reminder that the deadline for one of the most prestigious technology contests in Ireland is fast approaching.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards, now in their seventeenth year, rank Ireland’s fastest growing technology companies and recognise the indigenous technology companies that have demonstrated exceptional growth in turnover over the last four years.

Cumulatively, the 2015 Fast 50 winners generated approximately €480 million in total annual revenues in 2014. The average revenue of companies featuring on the 2015 ranking was €9.5 million, while the average growth rate of the companies over the last four years was 540%.

Eleven companies from Northern Ireland

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made it into the Fast 50 last year. They were: First Derivatives, Neueda, Learning Pool, Ozaroo.com, Instil Software, Leaf Consultancy, Novosco, Path XL Limited, Seopa, Seven Technologies and Tascomi. eShopWorld based in Swords, Dublin, secured the top spot in the 2015 ranking.

The company achieved a strong growth rate of 9,909% over the last four years.

Following the successful addition of five new awards categories last year supported by leading multinational companies in Ireland, the 2016 Technology Fast 50 will once again allow featured companies to compete to win the prestigious Deloitte 2016 patron awards: •

•

•

The Innovative New Technology Award, in association with Google The Export Award, in association with Intel The R&D Award

in association with LinkedIn The Impact Award, in association with PayPal The Leading Female Award, in association with Vodafone

Peter Allen, partner at Deloitte said: “The Technology Fast 50 awards have celebrated innovation, entrepreneurship and intellectual property in the technology sector in Ireland for almost 20 years. These awards offer a glimpse into the future of the technology market for venture capitalists and multinational companies and also provide an excellent opportunity for businesses to highlight their achievements and their future ambitions and aspirations in the global marketplace. Many inspirational companies from across the technology landscape have won this award. The class of 2016 will be in good company, and this year’s awards will identify the next generation of dynamic Irish technology companies.”

Two companies were awarded Rising Star awards last year. This category recognises younger companies with the fastest growth in turnover over the past three years. Flint Studios, a digital agency, was Northern Ireland’s winner.

Mark McCann, head of development and director at Flint Studios commented: “The business has experienced a tremendous level of growth in a very short time frame. We have gone from five staff to 23 in just two years. Winning the Rising Star award last year was a great recognition of our hard work.

“The Fast 50 awards are held in high esteem and to be honoured by a company such as Deloitte meant a lot to the business.”

For details of how to enter, please visit www.fast50.ie. The closing date for entries is 16 September 2016 and the winners will be announced on 4 November 2016.

Office 365 and security combined I

t is pitched as “the best-in-class, integrated, cloud-based productivity tool for small and medium business”. So it is little wonder that Microsoft Office 365 is such a popular choice for businesses who want the flexibility of their email and other applications in the cloud.

Each user can install Office 365 on five PCs or Macs, five tablets and five phones, providing the flexibility of working from virtually anywhere.

Delivered in the cloud, it provides secure, always-on email, without the need for expensive and complicated email infrastructure.

The integrated collaboration services means teams can securely access and edit documents in real-time.

Yet, even with the countless benefits delivered by Office 365, many businesses can profit further from solutions that compliment this productivity software.

Skype functionality makes it easy for people to connect online from wherever they are on multiple devices.

Unlimited Data Backup The unlimited data backup is an easy to use, self-managed product, giving the organisation full control so that they can retrieve their data in moments. It covers email, calendars and contacts with no data limits.

Office 365 Enterprise Security Bundle from P2V Systems P2V Systems has developed a unique offering for businesses. We have combined Office 365 with the added features of email management, security and backup in one affordable bundle.

The bundle features include: Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise E3 Plan As well as a host of other benefits, the plan includes access to the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, OneNote, Access and Skype for Business.

File storage and sharing is also provided with 1 TB of storage per user.

Mimecast Email Security & Continuity Mimecast works seamlessly with Office 365 allowing businesses to tailor a perfect solution for their risk free move to the cloud. It makes email safer and easier to manage by integrating email security and continuity in a single service.

Mimecast protects from spam, malware, advanced threats and zero-day attacks whilst providing uninterrupted email access should Office 365 go down.

Support Phone and email support is provided by our in-house helpdesk team for the lifetime of your product engagement with us.

Our Office 365 bundle is ideal for SME’s who want to move their email and applications to the cloud or are already using these cloud services, but want that added element of security, ease of management and data backup.

For more info or to arrange a free demo of our bundle, contact us on 028 9252 8528 or email: sales@p2vsystems.com

(l-r) - Mark Goldsbrough, Sales Director at AJ Hurst; Matthew Brown, Director at Connect Telecom; Scott Ritchie, Director at Connect Telecom

Vodafone appoints Connect Telecom as Implementation Partner

V

odafone has appointed Belfastbased Connect Telecom as Implementation Partner as a result of the company’s ongoing success, and one local company is already reaping the benefits.

The leading independent business-to-business telecoms and IT provider, which has grown its number of customers and connections by more than 50% in the last year, is now authorised to install Vodafone solutions, such as One Net Business and is one of just two Vodafone partners in the UK to hold the status.

A team of locally-qualified engineers has been recruited by Connect Telecom and put through the rigorous Accreditation Programme with Vodafone. The engineers are set to deliver this new service which significantly speeds up the process for customers, and establishes Connect Telecom as the one point of contact for sales, installation, account management and aftersales.

Director at Connect Telecom, Scott Ritchie, who acquired the business last year following a multi-million pound investment, said: “As Implementation Partner, Connect

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Telecom is now the one-stop-shop for new and existing business customers on the Vodafone network whether that be through fixed lines, mobiles or broadband.

“Ultimately, it provides us with greater control over the customer account to make sure all is as it should be for the customers, meaning they spend less time worrying about their IT and telecoms systems and more time focused on running their business.”

AJ Hurst is one company already benefitting from Connect Telecom’s Implementation Partner status.

As one of the UK’s leading suppliers of electrical, lighting, communication and power system equipment, the Belfast company relies heavily on its telecoms and IT. Mark Goldsbrough, Sales Director at AJ Hurst, said: “Unfortunately after moving premises several years ago, our telecoms systems, which were through another provider, were no longer fit for purpose.

“We engaged with the team at Connect

Telecom and were really impressed, so made the switch to Vodafone for our broadband and all mobiles and fixed lines.

The process only took one day and was seamless, with not even one call missed.

“Within days of installation we really noticed an increase in the efficiency of the business. As a company, we were able to provide answers and solutions to customers quicker than ever before. Those time savings alone are hugely beneficial to the company, but for us what is most significant is the increased level of customer service we will now be able to provide to our customers.

“Moving forward, the advantages will set us aside from the competition and allow us to be an even better company.

The process with Connect was really straight forward and the results have been so obvious, we’re excited to continue the partnership.”

Connect Telecom, which is based on the Lisburn Road, remains the only company in Belfast, to hold the coveted Vodafone Implementation and also Platinum Partner status.

PROFILE

Name: Peter Russell Position: General Manager, BT Business Northern Ireland

A word from

The Wise How did you start out in business?

I joined Northern Bank – now Danske Bank – after school and my first role was a cashier at the Ballyholme branch – I’ve some great memories of my time there and gained a lot of experience which has been invaluable throughout my career. I worked in a number of roles after I left the bank and now currently hold the position of General Manager BT Business Northern Ireland.

What did you find most challenging during your years in business?

Leaving the bank after 17 enjoyable years was extremely challenging and really pushed me way outside of my comfort zone. However, during my time there I was fortunate to gain experience in Computer Operations and also completed a 1st Class Honours Degree in Business. This gave me a great foundation for the future and allowed me to pursue an opportunity with Bull Information Systems as a Project Manager, then to Microsoft as a Sales Director and then finally my current role as General Manager BT Business.

How would you describe your management style?

I would hope people see me as challenging but fair... but maybe best to ask them! I’m also a firm believer in leading by example and would not ask any of my team to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.

What would you change if you could go back and do it all again?

Good question – I should probably have made the transition from Danske

SEPTEMBER 2016

The column with an ear for experience...

Bank earlier but hindsight is a wonderful thing. However, I’ve no regrets as everything I have done to date has helped me to get to where I am now.

Have you done it all on your own?

Definitely no – I have a fantastic family who have given me so much support and in each of the businesses I have worked – Danske Bank, Bull Information Systems, Microsoft and BT – I have been extremely fortunate to have great mentors and support from outstanding people.

How would you like your business career to be remembered?

Successful, a strong legacy, no regrets and made some great friends. I’m particularly proud of the work we’re doing at the moment within the BT Business team.

Over the past decade, BT’s core business in Northern Ireland has developed well beyond telecoms and network provider and we are now increasingly delivering transformational IT services to many of our Private and Public Sector customers.

Seeing the positive impact this has with our customers and the pride of the BT teams involved, is extremely rewarding.

What piece of advice would you give a 20-year old you?

Everyone is different but definitely make sure you have the necessary qualifications for whatever career you want to follow. And if you don’t know – which is probably the case for many 20 year olds – don’t worry, just work hard, get on with people and be resilient – then opportunities will come.

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Business consulting

The tender process Noel Brady has the Midas touch when it comes to helping companies, big and small, win public sector tenders. We get some insights into what he regards as an “art form” from the man himself.

N

oel Brady from Consult Nb1 has helped a large number of businesses win public sector contracts valued at hundreds of millions over the last 30 years. His advice to clients is always clear and focused on a single objective: what do we need to do to win the tender we are applying for?

Over a 40-year career split almost equally between the public and private sectors, the Belfast-born businessman has built a substantial network of contacts and gained wide-ranging expertise that makes him ideally placed to advise companies across many business sectors. An experienced CEO, the work he does for clients tends to fall into three categories: introducing companies to new partners or markets; business development and sales activity advice; which almost always leads to “his favourite part” - assistance in writing successful public and private sector tenders.

When Brady set up Nb1 12 years ago, much of his work involved helping companies arriving in Northern Ireland from the Republic, UK and Europe for the first time to meet the right people and get embedded in the Northern Ireland marketplace. But in the last six years his workload has swung increasingly toward the complex, detailed and often painstaking process of public sector tendering.

Brady says: “Public sector tendering is a very specific and exact discipline and one which cannot be taught overnight but which can be honed. I regard tendering as a process and I help people “unlock the process”.

Brady uses his extensive list of contacts to discover where and when projects

SEPTEMBER 2016

might be coming up – anything from IT projects to town centre redevelopments, road building or hospital builds.

“A lot of my work involves research to establish where and when large projects will be undertaken in both the private and public sectors and when they are likely to come to market. The timing must be right to get in and talk to people and it also gives me time to find potential customers who are interested in these projects.

Bidding for government work costs time and money, yet Brady says he finds many firms still take a scattergun approach – applying for all sorts of tenders without a good qualification process to properly assess the ones they should enter for and those which would be a waste of time and resource.

Brady believes firmly that networking is a major fundamental of business success.

While the idea of networking is sometimes maligned, Brady believes this is usually by people who don’t understand its true value or don’t know how best to make it work for them. “I am absolutely against the concept of saving money by not attending events and opting out of business networking organisations. Yes, take costs out but don’t reduce business development and sales activity, because that is the lifeblood of the company.

“Networking is a life skill. Some people like doing it and some people don’t. Those who don’t, tend to make very poor sales people.”

The companies who are out there aggressively looking for business and which incentivise their people to find business SMEs have an important role to play in tenders. are the ones which will succeed.”

Being able to work with other companies in strong consortiums has already become a key facet in advancing through the tendering process, as it is unusual for one firm to be able to cover all aspects of a project which might require everything from IT to construction.

“Quite often when I work with a client, we conclude that we need other companies to form a successful consortium for a private or public sector project. My job is to find those partners, put the consortium together and then help the consortium prepare their proposal or tender,” says Brady. “I encourage SMEs who feel they are not big enough to take on a contract, to work with larger partners. They can get a good share of a large contract and also their name gets recognised as being able to take on larger projects.

With a broker in the middle it is easier for companies to work together on a project.”

“Networking is a life skill. Some people like doing it and some people don’t.

“Those who don’t tend to make very poor sales people. Networking needs to be very focused and you need to treat your contacts with integrity. You can’t just use people and not treat them properly and still expect them to help you.”

That personal attention to clients is also reflected in the way Brady runs his own business. “If you buy Nb1 you buy me, just me,” he says. “I use associates but I don’t employ people to take on work I’ve agreed to. I devote my personal attention to all my clients.”

More information about Nb1 can be found at www.nb1.co.uk.

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Pictured launching the Danske Business Lab at the Ulster University’s sports centre are Austin Coll, Senior Manager, Business Banking at Danske Bank and John Knapton, Director of Springboard.

BUSINESS START-UPS

Danske Bank launches accelerator programme to help innovators Danske Business Lab partnership with Catalyst Inc unique to Northern Ireland

L

ocal start-ups with high growth potential will be given the chance to get their companies fit to compete with the best in the world by taking part in a new business accelerator programme launched today by Danske Bank.

The Danske Business Lab is a unique partnership between Danske Bank and Catalyst Inc’s hugely successful Springboard programme, a well-proven mentoring process open to innovative companies with high growth potential.

Danske Business Lab participants will go through a rigorous 16-week process during which every aspect of the business is analysed, including finance, value proposition, sales, marketing, corporate governance, growth and go-to-market risk. Panel sessions, mobilising Northern Irelands most experienced business leaders both challenge and

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support participants to build robust business strategy before determining if the company will graduate as ‘really’ investor ready.

John Knapton, Director of Springboard commented: “Springboard provides ‘tough love’ through a peer coaching programme uniquely tailored for each company.

Access to proven, experienced experts and mentors is priceless but effective. Of the 61 ‘graduates’ of the programme since 2008, 96 per cent are still active, nearly 90 per cent of those seeking capital have successfully raised it and combined, they are supporting well in excess of 700 jobs.

“The Danske Business Lab is a natural fit for Springboard. Danske Bank is well known for providing support to local businesses and by aligning itself even more closely with Springboard the bank will be helping to ensure that more of our high potential indigenous companies get access to the

right resources and expert mentors they need to push them on to the next level.”

Austin Coll, Senior Manager, Business Banking at Danske Bank explained: “Northern Ireland is rich with scalable companies and talented individuals that have the potential to grow into market leaders. The Danske Business Lab will help high growth potential companies to harness their true capabilities and provide them with some of the tools needed to drive towards their business goals.

“Springboard has built an excellent reputation for success and we are excited at the prospect of helping place more entrepreneurs on Northern Ireland’s most credible accelerator programme through Danske Business Lab. Danske Bank continues to prioritise support for SMEs, so partnering with Catalyst Inc and its unrivalled network on this initiative makes perfect sense.”

Employment Law

EMPLOYMENT LAW

The Brexit fallout Amanda Ferguson explores what the Referendum result means for EU nationals working in Northern Ireland and the companies which employ them

>

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EMPLOYMENT LAW

T

he prospect of Brexit has thrown up a big question mark over some of Northern Ireland’s most essential workers.

Companies which employ EU nationals are considering what the UK’s vote to withdraw from Europe and possible new regulations regarding the right to work here mean for them and their workers.

Article 50 – the formal mechanism for leaving the European Union - has not yet been triggered and firms are limited in what they can practically do to prepare, but the future is on their minds.

Some commentators have suggested now is the time to act as any limitation on the flow of labour from Europe could dent productivity.

In August, First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness wrote to British Prime Minister Theresa May outlining their five priorities - the border, the energy market, draw down of EU funding, the agri-food sector and trading costs.

The Stormont politicians, whose parties campaigned for Leave, such as the DUP, and Remain, such as Sinn Féin, in June’s EU membership referendum, spoke of the importance of being fully involved in negotiations regarding the UK’s future relationships with the EU so the resulting split has minimal impact on Northern Ireland.

They emphasised the need to “allow access to unskilled as well as highlyskilled labour” as both private and public sector employers are “heavily dependent on EU and other migrant labour”.

Nichola Waide is operations director at Industrial Temps recruitment agency which finds work in Northern Ireland for a broad range of EU nationals from countries such as Poland, Slovakia and Lithuania.

She says employers here “would not have been able to expand their businesses without access to EU migrants and you can be sure that from an employee point >

SEPTEMBER 2016

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EMPLOYMENT LAW

of view, EU workers form an important part of their future plans for growth”.

Ms Waide believes ending free movement and restricting low-skilled migration “will damage business in some of our main key business sectors” and praised the first ministers for stressing the importance of retaining access to labour from the EU in their letter to British Prime Minister Theresa May. She said with tens of thousands of people in Northern Ireland signing on, and a number not actively looking for work, “it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that it is imperative that employers locally maintain access to the single market for workers, particularly unskilled labour”.

She explains that up to this point firms in Northern Ireland operating in labour intensive industries such as agriculture, food processing, manufacturing, logistics and services would have experienced “severe labour shortages and struggled to remain competitive, never mind expand and grow given that 38% of workers in the food manufacturing sector are foreign-born”.

“Employers want to recruit as many locals as possible but there simply are not enough available to fulfil low-skilled requirements.

It has never been about so called ‘cheap labour’ rather do candidates want the work and can they do the job and be relied upon to turn up to do the work.”

“Temporary hiring is on the increase as businesses seek to meet increasing demand while retaining the ability to react quickly to any threats that might be around the corner.

“The impact therefore of ending free movement of labour for Northern Ireland’s key employment sectors would be significant and very damaging.

“Evidence suggests that the UK’s flexible labour market already strikes the right balance between providing flexibility for employers and

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employment rights for workers.

“We need to ensure that businesses continue to be able to get the people they need to fill the jobs available.”

Finance minister Maírtín Ó Muilleoir told Ulster Business he values the contribution EU nationals make from both a societal and economic point of view.

“As we move forward, I am keen to see the rights of EU nationals protected so they can continue to choose to live and work here.

But this section of the workforce could now find an increased demand for its services if the flow of labour from abroad is impacted after Brexit, Richard Ramsey, Chief Economist at Ulster Bank, said.

“What companies are going to have to do is contemplate looking at a source of labour they have shunned up until now, the economically inactive. Some firms might need to start to look at embracing this now by linking in with apprenticeships and government and trying to get those people who are long term unemployed or economically inactive back into work.”

He said companies may have to consider how to tempt people back to work.

“They have a period of time to do that because it’s not as if the shutters are going to come down immediately.

“As well as enhancing diversity and enriching our culture, they form an important part of the skills mix in our workforce,” he said.

“Then the challenge is get them to do the jobs that people from Northern Ireland maybe didn’t want to do, whereas people from outside were prepared to do them.”

“As we move forward, I am keen to see the rights of EU nationals protected so they can continue to choose to live and work here.

When it comes to the prospects for EU nationals who are already working here, not much is likely to change.

“The global companies based here want access to the best talent available, especially at the highest levels of their operations, and I’ve no doubt they will be pushing hard — as I will — to ensure that we don’t lose our attractiveness to those mobile and talented individuals.

“The current stock of EU nationals will more than likely be ok. It’s going to be future flows and changes to that stock which could be curbed.”

“I have always argued that part of the solution to our many challenges is to look outwards but it’s equally important that we open our doors to others who have much to contribute to our transformation.”

Up until now, the EU workforce has helped make up for a lack of labour in some sectors as a result of Northern Ireland’s high level – the highest of all UK regions - of economic inactivity, those of working age who choose not to work such as students, those who are looking after family or are long-term sick.

CBI senior policy adviser for Northern Ireland, Iain Hoy, called on government to provide guidance on the flow of EU labour swiftly.

“Firms are looking for a clear plan from the Government to maintain the openness of Northern Ireland’s economy.

“As part of that, the Government must confirm that those people from the EU who are already working in the UK can stay.

“Business stands ready to work together with politicians to make Northern Ireland, and the whole of the UK, grow and prosper.”

Why companies must ensure transparency of ownership of a trust or firm which is not a legal entity but would itself satisfy any of the foregoing conditions, are also considered of ‘significant control’.

From 30 June 2016, organisations falling within the SBEEA remit were obligated to include historic and current PSC information disclosures in their Companies House filings, including details such as name, date of birth, residence and nationality, which will be made public.

A safeguard exists within the Act to protect information such as residential addresses from public access, except to certain public authorities and credit reference agencies, and those who can demonstrate that they are at serious risk of violence or intimidation can request that their PSC information doesn’t appear on the public register.

I

n an effort to increase transparency in company ownership, the reporting requirements on ownership introduced by the government in the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (enacted last year) now apply to companies in Northern Ireland from 30 June 2016. William Curry, Corporate and Commercial Partner at Arthur Cox, examines the PSC (‘persons of significant control’) Register requirement and its practical implications for local businesses.

and accountability were identified as priorities.

In order to combat unlawful activities such as money laundering and tax evasion, the government implemented the Small Business Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 (SBEEA) which set requirements for directors to record and disclose more information about those with significant influence over their companies.

Speaking in the wake of the UK-chaired G8 Summit in 2013, the then Prime Minister David Cameron talked of the essential components required for global economic success, highlighting the ‘three Ts’ of fairer taxes, open trade and increased transparency.

The act, which affects almost all UK limited companies and LLPs – with a few exceptions such as sole traders, ordinary partnerships and limited partnerships – creates a new administrative obligation for those organisations to maintain a register of persons with ‘significant control’. Namely, those who, directly or indirectly, hold more than 25% of the shares or voting rights in the company and hold the right to appoint or remove the majority of directors.

Although the UK is considered one of the world’s leading forces against corporate corruption, greater corporate transparency

In addition, those who hold the right to exercise, or actually exercise, significant influence or control over the activities

SEPTEMBER 2016

The former Minster for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs, Jo Swinson, has stated that the Act would ensure the UK is seen as an ‘open and trusted place to invest and do business’.

This issue of corporate transparency has perhaps assumed even more importance in the wake of the EU referendum as the UK risks losing some of the protections afforded by EU Legislation.

Firms that have yet to begin the register process are encouraged to seek legal advice in order to discuss the SBEEA criteria. They can then take the required action to ensure they meet the requirements outlined in the Act, as penalties for failure to discharge all required information exist and will be enforced.

The wide range of advisory teams at Arthur Cox are well positioned to advise on all areas of corporate and commercial law in Northern Ireland. For further information, please call William Curry on +44 28 9023 0007.

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RISK MANAGEMENT

Protect against risky business Accidents happen in the workplace. Andrew Stevenson, Managing Partner at Caulfield Corporate, reveals how an employer can protect themselves when they do The importance of risk management As an insurance advisor, we can help our clients to transfer and mitigate risks through the development of a risk management strategy both internally and via professional strategic partnerships including: 1. Loss prevention including to for example employee safety advice and training.

2. Loss reduction such as medical management services, crisis management, driver profiling and licence checking services.

3. Risk avoidance.

4. Risk financing through non-conventional and self insurance programmes.

There are many benefits for a company adopting a good risk management strategy, not just its positive impact on their insurance programme: 1. Demonstrates the professionalism of your organisation within your industry sector to the wider insurance market to engage greater interest from Insurers.

2. Provides insurance company underwriters with increased confidence often reflected in lower rates.

3. Fewer and less severe claims.

4. Improved efficiency, compliance and greater profitability.

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So what are the basic stages of dealing with an Employers Liability (EL) claim?

Key factors to consider when dealing with an EL claim include: 1. Early communication with our clients from the outset.

2. Establish the facts from the documentation held by an employer/client.

3. Once all information is available – discuss findings with our client, with insurers and relay thoughts on liability together with insurer’s reasons behind this.

4. If liability is to be conceded insurers will invite medical evidence.

5. If liability is to be denied we work with our client’s and insurer’s to strengthen our defence.

settlement and reduce unnecessary costs.

3. Negotiations ensue and we work with the client’s Insurer and Solicitors protecting their position.

What can you do as a company to help defend claims?

1. Ensure good housekeeping.

2. Suitable and sufficient risk assessments are in place and are periodically reviewed.

3. Appropriate training and indeed refresher training is provided (signed).

4. Robust system of inspection and maintenance in place with records to document.

5. Suitable and sufficient PPE is provided.

6. Ensure supervisors do not condone common practice without procedures.

Causation Causation and liability are two completely separate matters.

1. Medical evidence is key by way of expert reports, hospital notes and GP records Are there any underlying issues which the plaintiff that may not have disclosed?

2. Consider the medical evidence, reference will be made by insurers to the “Green book” and claims reserves set – consult with insurers and our client to ascertain if they wish to put forward an offer in

Our role as an insurance advisor and the importance of risk management A good insurance broker just doesn’t negotiate, provide and service insurance coverage. A good insurance broker understands their clients and the exposures to their business i.e. legal, physical, financial or operational... which includes employment practices to assist in the prevention and mitigation of claims against employers.”

Back to the future Michael Black, Head of Employment and Equality Law at Cleaver Fulton Rankin, takes a look at the world of Employment Law in Northern Ireland after Brexit

T

he PM has recently reiterated her intention to “press ahead with Brexit” during a cabinet meeting at Chequers.

Until the UK notification under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty occurs, little will change in respect of labour law in Northern Ireland.

Indeed, it is likely that it will take some time for change to happen after the withdrawal process gets underway. The earliest date by which the UK could cease to be a member (without agreement of the UK and a qualifying majority of EU states) would be two years after the Article 50 notification.

High level negotiations will follow setting out the arrangements for Brexit and future trading agreements.

While many areas of Northern Ireland employment law such as anti discrimination law, TUPE (transfer of undertakings), working time and the laws governing agency workers have been heavily influenced by the EU, there is a significant number of employment laws that are not based on EU Directives.

‘Domestic’ employment laws include rights under unfair dismissal, national minimum/ living wage and unlawful deduction of wages.

There are also legal rights such as the statutory minimum holiday entitlement, shared parental leave and paternity pay which go beyond the level of protection provided for in EU law.

Brexit will not have any bearing on these matters.

Many of the rights mentioned above are deeply embedded in the workplace culture and have become contractual for many employees and it is difficult to see these rights being removed.

However, a future government could repeal certain laws without having to worry about being in breach of EU legislation.

Undoubtedly, the UK will seek to maintain strong relations with Europe.

This will be more important for Northern Irelad as we are the only part of the UK to share a land border with the EU. In this context, it is possible that the UK may follow a “Norwegian” type arrangement by becoming a member of the EEA or by entering into bilateral trade arrangements where it agrees to be considered as a member state for the purposes of certain pieces of EU legislation.

It is impossible to predict how our employment laws may be affected by Brexit but the employment protections that are likely to be amended to some degree include TUPE, aspects of the Working Time Regulations, and agency workers. We could also see a cap on discrimination awards. It is likely that we will see stricter controls on EU workers entering the UK to work. However, again it may be the case that in order for the UK to gain access

Michael Black

to the single market it may need to provide a certain level of freedom of movement.

In the short term, the employment law landscape will be unchanged and, beyond that, it is likely that any changes to EU based rights will take place only in respect of certain areas. There is now an opportunity for employers to lobby strongly for a reduction in red tape and for business friendly changes.

Please note: The content of this article is for information purposes only and further advice should be sought from a professional advisor before any action is taken.

If you require employment law or HR advice please contact Michael Black on 028 9024 3141 or via email m.black@cfrlaw.co.uk

Legal Excellence

+

Commercial Sense

EMPLOYMENT LAW

Annual leave – what should an employee be paid?

Maxine Orr, a Partner in Worthingtons Commercial Solicitors in Belfast specialising in Employment Law, tackles the holiday dilemma

The case law from Europe has, in effect, required our domestic legislation to be “rewritten” or to have words inserted into it, to the extent that the Working Time Regulations in its current wording does not reflect the law on an employee’s entitlement to annual leave.

Maxine Orr

T

he law on how to calculate annual leave has been changing and continues to trouble and cause confusion for employers. This is due to the practical difficulties in the implementation of the Working Time Directive and the case law from the European Court of Justice.

There is an entitlement under the legislation, namely, the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 that states employees have an entitlement to 5.6 weeks annual leave, equivalent to 28 days.

The question which has been vexing employers is what is to be paid to an employee when they are on annual leave especially in circumstances where their pay fluctuates on a weekly or monthly basis, for example; based on commission payment, shift payments, overtime or any additional payments received in connection with their work or working hours.

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“The case law from Europe has, in effect, required our domestic legislation to be “rewritten” or to have words inserted into it, to the extent that the Working Time Regulations in its current wording does not reflect the law on an employee’s entitlement to annual leave.”

The European Court of Justice has stated that an employee who is on a period of annual leave is entitled to his/her “normal remuneration” and a recent decision from the Employment Appeal Tribunal in England and Wales, namely, Lock v British Gas has confirmed that this includes commission.

Mr Lock had a basic monthly salary

but 60% of his actual pay was the commission he earned as a trader, which naturally fluctuated on a month to month basis, depending on his sales.

When he was on a period of annual leave he received the commission for sales achieved prior to that date, however on his return from annual leave his subsequent pay would have been reduced in light of the fact that he had not been making sales during his period of annual leave. The European Court of Justice held that this was a deterrent to employees exercising the right to take annual leave and therefore commission had to be included in the calculation of his pay when he was on leave.

However this decision has left employers with the difficult, practical consequence of how to calculate what that entitlement is during any period of annual leave or thereafter and what is the reference period over which this is calculated. The Lock decision was recently heard in the Employment Appeal Tribunal which referred to an average payment on annual leave over a 12 week reference period prior to the date of taking annual leave, however for most employers this is rarely a simple calculation especially in the event that an employee has different hours of working and different rates of pay due to overtime and other working supplements.

Employers should always take advice to ensure they are not acting illegally in the payment of annual leave as this would allow an employee to bring an unlawful deduction from wages claim.

Conferencing & Events

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CONFERENCING & EVENTS

What an event Planning an event for your business might seem easy but there’s a lot more to it than it first appears. Seasoned event managers give their top tips to Joanne Sweeney on how to make sure your event runs without a hitch…

A

s Albert Einstein is reputed to have said, “Plans are nothing.

Planning is everything”, he could well have been talking about the science behind the staging of a successful event or conference.

Northern Ireland, and Belfast and Londonderry in particular, have developed an international reputation for the successful staging of major events and conferences bringing millions of pounds into the local economy.

Belfast has staged major sporting and music events such the MTV Music Awards in and as the Giro D’Italia in 2014 and Gran Fondo in 2015-16 while Londonderry staged the Turner Prize award and Radio One’s Big Weekend and many events during its 2013 UK City of Culture.

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Visit Belfast has said that the city as a venue has attracted £110m into the economy between 2011-2015, so successful conference and event planning as a bottom line value.

While not all businesses have the need to stage events or workshops for hundreds or thousands of people, the basic principles of hosting a successful event remain the same, according to one experienced event manager.

Barrie McQuillan has been Event Planning Manager at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast for the last six years and has worked in the venue in a variety of positions over the last 18 years.

He believes that understanding the aim behind the event which is being planned is fundamental to its ultimate success.

“My team’s role is to work with the client to find out how best we can stage their event in our venue,” he said.

“We deal with a massive range of clients but my approach is that they understand their event and we understand our venues. >

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CONFERENCING & EVENTS

“Even for a small meeting, the organiser should know what it’s for so when we work with clients we aim to make our services and facilities work the best for them to achieve their aim.”

“I also work closely with our PR and content marketing teams at J Comms to deliver high quality integrated events.

“I have organised events of all shapes and sizes; from classic, black-tie dinners to launching a wind farm on top of a mountain in Country Tyrone.

“The most important thing is to simply plan, to write things down from the outset.

“The event organiser has to understand why the event is being held, it could be constitutionally required, or for education purpose or entertainment or for sales or promotion.

“Having a vision for your event is also key. We work closely with the client and to find out what success looks like for them, and it may not be what you would immediately think of, but it’s important for event organisers to know how they will judge success.”

Leo Callow of Callow Event Management knows only too well how to bring the precision of a military-planned event to a successful execution.

A former colonel in the Royal Irish Rifles, Leo has over 20 years of experience and is known for, amongst other events, for the bi-yearly Waterloo Ball organised for the Lord Taverner’s which is attended by up to 1,000 guests.

It will be held next May in Titanic Belfast for the first time.

“Our maxim is the seven Ps – Prior planning and preparation prevents pxxx poor performance,” said Leo. “It’s all about hard-nosed forward planning.

In the past, people in Northern Ireland would have been tempted to leave things to the last moment as venues and suppliers were not under a lot of pressure.

“But now you really need to plan ahead to get the right space, the right entertainment and production in place. For a big event, you almost have to plan two years ahead to ensure that big stuff works and works well.

“From my past work where I got to travel the world and attended many events, I got

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“Even though the events may change, the essential skills required for successful execution remain the same. It may sound clichéd but being extremely well organised and having a good eye for detail are paramount.

Sarah Weir, Senior Events consultant with J Comms.

to know how important attention to detail really is.

“There’s nothing better than having a very small events company that has a great family of suppliers around them and that’s why people come to us.

“The relationship between suppliers and venues is really important when we want them to go the extra mile for our event.”

Sarah Weir is Senior Events consultant with J Comms (the newly-rebranded JPR) and has 12 years’ experience under her belt.

“Even though the events may change, the essential skills required remain the same. It may sound clichéd but being extremely well organised and having a good eye for detail are paramount.”

“Event management can be very stressful but for me there is nothing more satisfying than seeing months of hard work culminating into a room packed full of guests, having a great time,” she says.

“Each year I’m lucky to work on the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life suite of awards ceremonies including the Sports Awards, Business Awards, Woman Awards and the Sunday Life Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards which, as a televised awards ceremony, brings its own set of challenge.

“Thankfully, I have established a great working relationship with all of the various suppliers who are always quick to come to my aid and help pull everything together.”

One of Belfast’s newest event companies Libra has organised exhibitions with 10,000 attendees and festival’s with a 12,000 audience.

Directors Ross Licence and Judith Brannigan have jointly over 30 years in event management between them.

Judith says: “I suppose the lesson I’ve learnt is not to be afraid to delegate. Better to do that than something fall through the cracks just because you are too busy to notice.

“It’s easy to underestimate how much time organising even the smallest aspect of an event can take. I’ve personally been guilty of trying to do everything myself.

“When you are managing a large event there are many stakeholders to consider such as the client, sponsors, exhibitors, delegates, speakers etc. all of which require individual attention and management. This can be very time consuming and you can easily become swamped in emails.”

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Belfast Waterfront: making a difference a wide range of requirements. It can cater for large conferences with accompanying exhibitions, large exhibitions with attendant meetings, or large conventions with separate break-out rooms.

S

ince its opening back in April, Belfast Waterfront’s new 7,000m2 conference facility has made a hugely positive impact on the events sector both locally and internationally.

For the first time, local businesses can choose a venue which can cater for up to 1,000 dinner guests within a single space with ease. The addition of Hall 1, a multipurpose space spanning over 1,800m2 with a ceiling height of 9m high, provides the perfect blank canvas for creating a fantastic event. Add a high specification of audio visual technology and a mouthwatering menu of locally inspired cuisine, and voilà, an event worth shouting about.

In addition Hall 2, measuring over 700m2, provides the perfect setting for those smaller celebrations for up to 450 guests.

With such a fantastic new product offering, it comes as no surprise that its popularity as a venue for gala dinners and award

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ceremonies has dramatically increased. Belfast Waterfront has already welcomed the NI Chamber Champions Dinner, RSUA Design Awards, Halo NI Awareness Dinner, CBI Northern Ireland Annual Dinner and the NI Responsible Business Awards Gala Dinner.

However, the venue’s impact stretches well beyond offering that extra capacity, in fact it has empowered many to make their own history.

Northern Ireland Chamber Chief Executive Ann McGregor commented: “Having this state-of-the-art facility in the city has given us the ability to deliver a truly spectacular and memorable evening for our members, and the largest event staged by the chamber in its 233-year history.”

Hall 1 may be a major asset to the venue, but the new Belfast Waterfront offers clients a lot more besides. It provides a mulitude of flexible spaces for events with

As well as broadening clients’ horizons, its choice of spaces has proven invaluable in helping the city attract many events for the first time. “We never considered Belfast as a host city before, but during my first FAM visit to Belfast, I could see at first-hand how the city and centre fitted our event perfectly. Moreover the opening of the city’s new conference facility meant our specific requirements could be accommodated and Belfast could be considered as a host destination,” said Kathryn McAleese, Events Officer at the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME).

The new conference facility was pivotal in securing the 2016 World Credit Union Conference which brought 1,900 delegates from 55 countries to the city in July – generating £3.7m for the local economy. Brian McCrory, President of the Irish League of Credit Unions, explained: “I’m a member of the WOCCU board and I have lobbied for seven years to bring our annual conference to Belfast, subject to the opening of the new extension at Belfast Waterfront. The opening of a 7,000m2 conference facility made Belfast a serious contender as a host destination...”

If you would like to learn more about Belfast Waterfront’s new facilities or to talk to us about booking an event, contact the sales team on 028 9033 4400; email conference@waterfront.co.uk; W: waterfront.co.uk or Twitter @BelWaterfront

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Anne Doherty, MD of Happening Conferences and Events (right) alongside Celia Lloyd, following the acquisition of Intelligent Events. The move opens up new opportunities for Happening in the Scottish market.

Happening upon a great event Happening Conferences and Events are going from strength-to-strength.

Having created events with a global character around the United Kingdom and Ireland for the past two decades, the company is now expanding and delivering major international events overseas. Happening Conferences and Events managing director Anne Doherty reveals more...

O

ver the past year, the company has acquired a new business and expanded into Scotland.

As a result of the merger, Happening will now operate from offices in Belfast, Dublin, London, Liverpool and now Dunblane, near Glasgow.

Headcount has increased to 18 and the team now boasts a broad skills base running the spectrum from finance through to communications and management.

In addition, the company has now launched a new website and branding.

Happening has been involved in some of the UK’s most prestigious projects. In the last three years Happening has managed conferences for the Atomic Layer Deposition Congress at the Convention Centre Dublin; the Horasis Global Business Meeting at the new Exhibition Centre in Liverpool; World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology congress at the Convention Centre in Liverpool; the Commonwealth Law Conference at the

Scottish Exhibition and Convention Centre in Glasgow; the International Commission on Alpine Rescue in Killarney, and European City Marketing Congress in Belfast.

But now the company is focusing on developing more international overseas conferences.

International conferences Managing Director Anne Doherty says the company has always created international quality conferences throughout the British Isles.

Having demonstrated their credentials with events at this level, Happening has also successfully delivered around Europe.

“Over the space of a couple of months, we will deliver the International Congress for Alpine Rescue in Borovets, Bulgaria. After this we’re back in Belfast for the Belfast Media Festival and the Royal Television Society Northern Ireland Awards. Closely following this Happening will travel to Niagara Falls, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong to bid to bring international conferences to Ireland”.

Making things Happen

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stablished in 1995, Happening has emerged as the leading international Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) specialising in associations, initiated conferences, production and management of conferences and events.

The company specialises in the creation, production and implementation of both regional, national, European and international meetings.

Next year begins strongly for the company as Happening will be delivering a series of events throughout Europe for a leading US corporation.

“Having the support and expertise of Celia Lloyd of Intelligent Events since the merger, we are now even better equipped for the international scientific conference market, especially in Europe and North America.

We have also strengthened our team with the recent addition of experienced senior conference manager Karen Hoey.

She added: “Thanks to new technology, the world is now a much smaller place and setting up a conference is the same, whether it is in Belfast or Bulgaria.

“While the logistics can be challenging, we have an excellent team that can deliver a memorable event for delegates and hosts, no matter where the location.”

“Events need original thinking, strong financial control and the passion, creativity and inspiration to provide an outcome that meets the needs of all participants, supporters and organisers.”

Anne Doherty, Happening Conferences For international conferences, it is common for the planning stage to begin up to three years in advance of the event, with the income only beginning to appear in the last three to six months. We are currently bidding for a number of international events with delegate numbers up to 5,000 as far in the future as 2023.

“Although this comes with some implications for cashflow,” says Anne.

“Outlays are required for venue deposits, literature production, website design and marketing – not to mention the organising and committee expenditure.

We specialise in organising financing for events and can take this burden away from clients. It’s an area of expertise which sets Happening apart from competitors.”

Funding for conferences Happening specialises in delivering association and trade events. In many instances, organisers will be internationally recognised experts in their fields and more than capable to producing a conference with well-crafted content.

However, they are often less confident in how to risk-plan and deliver a financially sustainable conference which generates revenue and which meets the needs of sponsors.

According to Anne: “A great event not only showcases your organisation but it also generates revenue for organisers and the venue city. We work with committees on setting delegate fee income, sponsorship and exhibition sales as well as exploring the option of subventions through local authority or government assistance.”

“We are well-used to helping clients look at funding and sponsorship elements and ultimately making challenging parts of event management run smoothly.”

Happening’s expertise lies in transforming “a two-star budget into a five-star extravaganza.”

“We negotiate contracts and deals with third party suppliers to reduce the overall costs on venue. We regularly stretch the budget and make the impossible possible,” said Anne.

Legacy According to Anne, Happening aims “to create events which create impact and leave a legacy for the organisations and venues which host them”.

“We aim to build a sustainable revenue model for clients so that they are able to return year after year. This represents a win for the organisers but also for the host city through both job creation and visitor spend,” she said.

Future growth With an ever-growing client base, Happening has proved its ability to deliver big trade association conferences around the UK and Europe.

Reducing risk Depending on the scale of event, the cost of delivery can rise to millions of pounds.

Happening routinely offers a range of options to clients to mitigate the risks, such as a setting up an appropriate single purpose vehicle such as a limited liability company and working with suppliers to arrange staged payments.

Insurance as well as health and safety are also paramount, further to the Corporate Manslaughter Act which came into effect in April 2008.

With a track record of creating sustainable gatherings which lead to onward spend and employment, Happening frequently receives repeat business – and the merger with Intelligent Events ensures an exciting future lies ahead for the company.

For further information about Happening Conferences and Events log on to www.happeningconferences.com/ or Twitter @happeningevents or Facebook: Happening Conferences

Making an Intelligent acquisition

E

arlier this year, Happening achieved a major new milestone when it acquired Intelligent Events – a specialist in association conferences in Scotland.

Not only will the move create a major new presence in the region, but it will also bring together two of the UK’s most experienced events management professionals.

Jointly, Anne Doherty of Happening and Celia Lloyd of Intelligent Events have over 45 years’ experience of managing conferences in the UK, Europe and North America.

Anne and Celia have delivered events for over 60 associations including the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology, the Commonwealth Law Conference, the European Association for Urogenital Radiologists, the Atomic Layer Deposition Conference and the International Symposium for Paediatric Neuro Oncology.

TOP 100 EVENT

Top time celebrating the Top 100 Photography: Elaine Hill

The Top 100 Northern Ireland Companies 2016 edition of Ulster Business was ushered in at a small gathering last month at The Ivory restaurant in Belfast. Moy Park were placed first in the list for the fifth consecutive year while turnover for the Top 100 as a whole climbed by 1% on the year

Richard McClean; Independent News Media, Sylvie Brando and Sonia Armstrong, Ulster Business, Peter Stafford; A&L Goodbody and David Elliott; Editor of Ulster Business.

Sonia Armstrong; Ulster Business and Barry Blakely; Nitec

Adrian Green Jackie Smith and Susan Dunlop; G McG Chartered Accountants.

James and Gladys Greer; Greer Publications and Richard McClean; Independent News Media.

Iain Stuart and Paddy Wallace, PwC.

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Caroline Harris and Karen McBride; Cleaver Fulton Rankin and Jonathan Acheson; Randox Health.

Judith Totten and Alan Wardlow; Up Stream Working Capital.

Darren Campbell and Kyle McBride, O Plan

TOP 100 EVENT

Clare Bonner; Morrow Communications, Noel Brady; NB1 and Valerie Meek; Echo Managed Services.

Gareth Hanna and Peter Stevens; 4C Executive Search and Jonathan Ireland; Lanyon Communications.

Stephen McCann and Jackie Wilson; P2V Systems.

Sharon Brown and Clare Galloway; Magic Beans and Sylvie Brando; Ulster Business.

Roger Wilson; Armagh Borough Council and Garath Keating; Armagh Borough Council Lord Mayor.

Gerry McMullan and Claire Gallagher; SSE Arena, Liam O’Loane and Nichola Waide; Industrial Temps.

SEPTEMBER 2016

Glenda McStravick; A&L Goodbody and Julie Thompson; KPMG.

David Elliott, Ulster Business.

Kevin Duffy, Accenture; Sylvie Brando, Ulster Business; Noel Brady; Claire McBride, Olenick, Paul McIlwaine, The Mac.

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Experience the difference

Situated in the heart of Craigavon and just minutes from the M1, Craigavon Civic & Conference Centre is one of Northern Irelands most superior conference and function centres.

With stunning views over the picturesque Craigavon Lakes, the Conference Centre offers great location, excellent facilities and expert service to create the ideal environment for a productive, successful and enjoyable business or social event.

With a variety of spacious, multi-purpose rooms combining comfort and state of the art facilities, we can cater for between 10 and 300 delegates for a wide range of conferences and events including – seminars, meetings, exhibitions, gala dinners, awards ceremonies and concerts with a maximum seating capacity of 500.

The Centre also provides a range of in-house support services with experienced staff offering expert knowledge of the building, products and services, all of which can be tailored to meet your expectations and requirements.

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REVIEW

Business

Breakfast

By David Elliott

The column that doesn’t have time for lunch...

Diner: Paul Black, Alpha Office Furniture Restaurant: Quartisan, Waring St, Belfast

I

f you didn’t know Paul Black’s profession before you met him, you wouldn’t have to wait long before he gave you a very big hint.

A journalist might give the game away with a pen behind the ear, a reporter’s notebook and a long lunch; a banker with a pinstripe suit, a precisely split bill and a look of relief; and a pig farmer with a pair of welly boots, the pungent smell of ammonia and a high risk profile.

Paul, however, arrives at Quartisan in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, shakes the hand of your reporter and, with a deft move which wouldn’t be out of place in the gymnastics hall at the Rio Olympics, whips the chair in front of him upside down to check where it was made, nods his head, replaces it on the floor and sits down.

“Not one of ours,” he said, confirming he was indeed the man who heads up Alpha Office Furniture and not part of an odd cult which goes to great lengths to think up outlandish greeting rituals.

The story which unfolds over a not inconsiderable breakfast - a hot ham and cheese croissant for the furniture guru and a bowl of porridge for yours truly – is one of chairs, tables, economic cycles and the second city of Scotland.

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It starts over 45 years ago when Paul’s father founded the company in Belfast, supplying businesses throughout the region with everything they need to kit out their workspaces.

Now the business is the largest office furniture provider in Northern Ireland and trades across Scotland and England.

It employs 92 people across the Alpha group and, as well as the headquarters in Belfast, has an office on Glasgow’s West Regent Steet having taken over the business from Steelcase earlier this year.

The firm also has an office design arm, 1080° which offers an interior design and fit out service and, as a group, saw its busiest year on record in 2015 with revenues climbing 12%.

The addition of the new Glasgow business mean sales are expected to increase further, with £20m annual turnover the new target.

That’s quite a business and one which has grown steadily since starting out.

Paul has been at the helm for much of that time, entering the business on the shop floor and steadily making his way up to the top, a path which means he knows every aspect of the business intimately.

Being a supplier to offices, the Alpha has been closely linked to the fortunes of the economy and although the credit crunch and subsequent downturn in the years following 2007 proved tough – particularly for trade south of the border - it didn’t lose its focus, using the time to reorganise itself

and look for good value acquisitions.

That focus has meant it was primed for the recovery which followed and has risen to the challenge of helping indigenous companies expand or renew their premises and inward investors to arrive in grade A offices to grade A furniture.

“We’ve put in a lot of hard work to make sure we deliver a great service to our customers and it has paid off,” Paul said. “That’s down to the great staff that we have in the business who have gone above and beyond when it comes to keeping on the right side of the customer.”

And he said the last year has been particularly strong.

“2015 was a fantastic year for us,” Paul added. “We saw significant wins in all parts of our business. Our workplace design team 1080°, for example, completed the design and re-fit of C&H Jefferson’s new office premises in Belfast, as well as Workday’s office in Dublin. In addition to large contracts, we also added a sales office in Oxfordshire to avail of growing opportunities in England.

“With our new business in Scotland, we are well positioned for further growth across Great Britain. We are a Northern Ireland-based company, but we are always looking for ways to grow and expand.

Our acquisition in Scotland is an exciting new chapter for the Alpha Group.”

With that it’s time to go, Paul to his Dargan Road base and Ulster Business back to the office to turn our own chair upside down to find out its provenance.

Flags, firebombs & flashbacks

Executive Motoring

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The HR-V portrays a characterful poise, with the distinctive, boldly sculpted lines of a coupé merged with the tough, solid stance of a robust SUV.

The Advanced Driver Assist System package, which employs a camera and mid-range radar, incorporates a comprehensive suite of advanced safety technologies, some of which are new to the crossover segment.

Inside, the HR-V offers occupants classleading space and – thanks to Honda’s innovative Magic Seat system – high levels of versatility. High quality soft-touch materials and sophisticated design define the HR-V’s interior, where Honda’s designers married expansive spaciousness with the feel of a sporty, enveloping cockpit.

The new Honda Connect app-based in-car infotainment system is operated through a seven-inch touchscreen display in the centre

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The new HR-V is available with a choice of highly responsive and efficient 120 PS 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel or 130 PS 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol engines, both part of Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology series.

Each of the 60:40 split Magic Seats in the rear can adopt numerous configurations to maximise the versatility of the spacious interior. In ‘Utility’ mode, the rear seat back folds forward as the seat base lowers to create a long, flat floor. In ‘Tall’ mode, the rear seat base is locked in a vertical position to leave space from floor to ceiling. ‘Long’ mode sees front and rear passenger seat backs fold forward to a horizontal position.

At the centre of the dash is a seven-inch Honda Connect touchscreen that is fitted as standard on grades above entry level (Sport and Executive) providing advanced connectivity and infotainment. A five-inch screen is available on the Comfort grade.

Comprehensive active safety systems combine data from radar sensors and forward and rear facing cameras. Other than the entrylevel model, all grades will be fitted with Honda’s Advanced Driver Assist System as standard. This suite of safety technologies includes Intelligent Speed Assist, City Brake Active Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition system, and High-beam Support System.

Honda’s City-Brake Active system is fitted as standard on the HR-V. Available here with front-wheel drive only, HR-V features a refined and smooth six-speed manual transmission, and the 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol can also be married with a smooth CVT automatic.

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EXECUTIVE MOTORING

New 7 Series is a technological tour de force

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he sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series is a true flagship of the range, blending comfort, style, dynamic ability and cutting edge technology in equal measure to create an inspiring mode of luxury transport.

a car of elegance, refinement, advanced technology and high quality workmanship.

Thanks to the use of multiple materials in the construction of the body, including carbonfibre for the Carbon Core, the new BMW 7 Series is both stronger and up to 130kg lighter than its predecessor. This advanced construction is complemented by six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines taken from the latest generation of BMW power units.

The M Sport models include an M aerodynamic body styling package comprising model-specific front/rear aprons and side skirts, plus 19-inch M alloys and illuminated door sill finishers bearing the M logo.

With a wealth of interior comfort and driving features, from new ConnectedDrive technology to the sumThe design of the new BMW 7 Series is a thoroughly modern interpretation of luxury. Every detail has been executed with meticulous precision, clearly positioning the new BMW 7 Series as the flagship model of the current BMW range:

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Like its predecessor, the new BMW 7 Series is offered in two body variants. The wheelbase of the extended version is 14cm longer.

The six-cylinder in-line engines, with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, that are fitted in the new 7 Series range stem from the BMW Group’s latest generation of engines.

The 3.0-litre petrol unit under the bonnet of the BMW 740Li produces an output of 326hp. The diesel unit powering the 730d is a 3.0-litre producing 265hp. Peak torque is now 620Nm, which translates into formidable pulling power. What’s more, fuel consumption and emissions are considerably lower as well.

There are also two new plug-in hybrid models: the 740e, and the 740Le xDrive.

The intelligently controlled interaction between a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric drive unit produces a total system output of 326hp, it returns a combined fuel consumption of 134.5mpg in the guise of the BMW 740e. CO2 emissions are just 49g/km.

The 7 Series has pioneered landmark innovations such as the onboard computer with outside temperature display in 1980, Park Distance Control in 1991 and a built-in navigation system in 1994.

The new BMW 7 Series is the first production car in the world that can be manoeuvred into and out of forward parking or garage spaces without the driver even having to be sitting inside the vehicle. The process is activated by the driver from outside the vehicle using the new standard BMW Display Key and then performed semiautonomously by the vehicle.

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EXECUTIVE MOTORING

Niro – Kia’s First Hybrid

By Pat Burns

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ia has entered the world of hybrid vehicles with the launch of the all-new Niro, priced from just £21,295.

Niro combines the in-demand styling of a compact crossover vehicle with the low emissions and high fuel economy of a hybrid car. With CO2 emissions as low as 88g/km and fuel economy of up to 74.3mpg, Niro will make a significant contribution in helping Kia meet its pledge to reduce the average emissions of its range by 25 per cent before 2020.

Niro is not based on any other Kia but is a dedicated hybrid model with an all-new platform which will only ever be used for electrified vehicles. It also has an all-new powertrain featuring a 1.6-litre, 104bhp internal combustion engine and a 43.5bhp electric motor driving through a six-speed double-clutch automatic transmission.

With its crossover design it is anything but a run-of-the-mill hybrid, however. The sleek crossover profile has a class-leading low drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.29, while extensive use of high-strength steel and aluminium in the body construction helps to keep down weight. Both are significant factors in Niro’s impressively low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Niro comes in a four-model line-up badged ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘First Edition’. All are comprehensively equipped with comfort, luxury, connectivity and driver assistance features. Every version has a Lane Keep Assist System, Hill-start Assist Control, Cruise Control and a Speed Limiter. Every Niro also has a DAB radio and is able to support Bluetooth smartphone connectivity and music streaming.

Niro is the first Kia with Android Auto, which works with Android smartphones running 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher. Android Auto connects the user’s smartphone to the car’s infotainment system and, through pre-downloaded apps, gives access to a variety of services such as Google Maps navigation, Google Play music, hands-free calls and texts and voice recognition.

In addition to its connectivity and driver assistance systems, grade ‘1’ comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, a high-gloss black radiator grille with a black and chrome surround, dual automatic air conditioning, an automatic windscreen de-fogging system, LED daytime running lights and tail lights, a 3.5-inch TFT supervision cluster, all-round electric windows and electric exterior mirror adjustment, USB and AUX ports and a trip computer.

Autonomous Emergency Braking and Smart Cruise Control are optionally available on grades ‘1’, ‘2’ and ‘3’ in an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) package. With these features fitted, Niro has been awarded a five-star crash-test rating by Euro NCAP.

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Niro’s powertrain, like its design, marks it out as something different from the norm in dedicated hybrid vehicles. While it pairs a petrol engine with an electric motor like the majority of hybrids, drive to the front wheels is through a six-speed double-clutch automatic gearbox (6DCT) rather than the more commonly favoured continuously variable transmission (CVT). This gives more direct and immediate response with greater refinement, and incorporates a Manual Sports mode to allow keener drivers to select gears manually.

The petrol engine is a new 1.6-litre direct-injection (GDI) unit, specifically engineered for use in hybrid cars. It develops 104bhp and 147Nm of torque, and conforms to Kia’s policy of adopting high-efficiency downsized power units for all new models.

The combustion engine is paired with a 32kW (43.5bhp) electric motor developing 170Nm of torque and powered by a 1.56kWh lithium-ion polymer battery. Together, the two power units produce 139bhp, with 265Nm of torque available in first gear for rapid acceleration from standstill.

Niro is a parallel hybrid, which means that most of the time the petrol and electric power units work together. However, it can operate in all-electric mode for short distances when setting off, under gentle acceleration and when descending slopes or braking. A brake energy recovery system recoups energy normally dissipated as heat and stores it in the batteries for use later. The switch between all-electric, hybrid or petrol engine-only modes is seamless and varies according to the load being placed on the powertrain at any given time. This advanced powertrain ensures Niro is capable of up to 74.3mpg, with CO2 emissions from only 88g/km.

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EXECUTIVE MOTORING

Megane moves upmarket

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he dynamic-looking, highquality, All-New Mégane is loaded with technology features from higher-segment cars.

The new Mégane is based on Renault’s Common Module Family (CMF) vehicle architecture, which makes it possible to offer high-tech features normally available only in cars from higher segments. A number are segment firsts, including a full colour head-up display, a 7-inch colour Thin Film Transistor (TFT) instrument display, a portraitformat 8.7-inch R-Link 2 touchscreen and 4Control four-wheel steering for the GT. The six highly-efficient engines currently available have power outputs ranging from 90 to 205hp, with fuel consumption and CO2 emissions as low as 85.6mpg and 86g/km for the ENERGY dCi 110.

The new Mégane is 64mm longer and 25mm lower than the third-generation Mégane, and has a 28mm longer wheelbase which is greater than that of rival models.

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Special focus has been placed on the finish, quality of materials and harmony of the cabin. The soft-touch dashboard extends in a continuous sweep to the top door cappings.

It also runs from the lower edge of the dashboard to the centre console. High-end versions feature a full-grain Nappa leathertrimmed steering wheel with elegant chrome detailing, which is echoed on the instrument, air vent, console and switch surrounds.

The new Mégane’s boot capacity of 434 litres is the second largest in the compact car sector and is complemented by interior stowage space totalling 25 litres. Rear knee room of 175mm is a 20mm improvement over that of the third generation Mégane, while shoulder width (1,441mm at the front, 1,390mm in the rear) is amongst the segment’s best.

Renault’s innovative Multi-Sense technology allows users to personalise their driving experience by modifying accelerator pedal and engine response, adjusting the speed of the gearshifts performed by the Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) automatic transmission and controlling the massage function of the

seats and the cabin lighting environment. The Multi-Sense button on the centre console provides instant access to these functions.

The system offers a choice of five different driving modes – Sport, Normal, Comfort, Perso and Eco. On the GT version, Eco is replaced by an R.S. Drive mode.

The new Mégane is available with six highly-efficient engines – three ENERGY dCi diesels delivering 90, 110 or 130hp, and three TCe petrol units with outputs of 100, 130 or 205hp. The EDC dualclutch automatic transmission will be offered with the dCi 110 (six-speed) and the TCe 130 (seven-speed) engines.

The core of the range will be the ENERGY dCi 110 diesel engine with a six-speed manual gearbox. This version of the new Mégane emits just 86g of CO2 per kilometre and has NEDC combined fuel consumption of 85.6mpg, meaning it is ECO2-listed.

A ‘Hybrid Assist’ diesel will be added early in 2017.

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EXECUTIVE MOTORING

Ford gets the Edge in SUV market

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he all-new Ford Edge enters the surging SUV market priced from £29,995.

This sophisticated new SUV from Ford – offers class-leading space for up to five passengers, segment-first technologies and refinement to rival premium competitors. It joins the increasingly popular Ford Kuga ‘family-sized’ SUV and EcoSport compact SUV to complete Ford’s three-car SUV line-up.

The introduction of the stylish Edge SUV is another important moment for Ford and its dealers. Joining performance products like Mustang and Focus RS and new luxury products like Mondeo Vignale already in showrooms, the Edge makes the Ford product line-up for 2016 never stronger.

Available in Zetec, Titanium and Sport series, the all-new Edge is wellequipped as standard, offering Ford intelligent all-wheel drive, Active Noise Control, Pedestrian Detection, Ford DAB Audio with SYNC 2 connectivity system, privacy glass and 19in alloy wheels. Design The all-new Ford Edge exterior is carefully sculpted and athletic with strong ‘shoulders’ and a muscular, more compact bonnet.

To improve efficiency, unique air curtains are positioned on the lower part of the fascia to guide air from the front of the vehicle, out through the front wheel wells and down the vehicle side.

The interior has been designed with high-quality materials throughout, including soft-touch trims on the dashboard and centre console, highgloss piano black surrounds on the switch bezels and a satin silver

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metal finish for the door handles, air vent bezels, glovebox trim and steering wheel detailing. The spacious Edge is also offered with heated and cooled front seats and heated rear seats from the Titanium series.

The Edge will be offered in the UK with a choice of 180PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine with six-speed manual transmission, or 210PS bi-turbo 2.0‑litre TDCi diesel with sixspeed PowerShift automatic transmission. Both powertrains will aim to deliver 48.7mpg fuel efficiency and 149g/ km CO2 supported by Auto-Start-Stop technology.¹ The Edge will offer new Ford technologies, including Adaptive Steering, which automatically optimises the steering response according to vehicle speed, making it easy to manoeuvre at low speeds, while remaining precise and intuitive at higher speeds; and Front Wide View Camera, which makes restricted visibility junctions or parking spaces easier to negotiate.

Ford’s new SUV debuts segment-first Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection; a camera- and radar-based system that can operate at speeds from 5mph to 110mph to detect vehicles and people in the road ahead. The system can automatically apply the brakes if a potential collision is detected and the driver does not respond to warnings.

The Edge will also feature Ford’s Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (AWD) technology as standard, delivering a seamless transition between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive performance to provide a more secure footing on the road especially in slippery conditions.

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APPOINTMENTS

Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall has announced the appointment of Catherine Toolan as Managing Director.

Kirsty Finney from Michael Chandler Estate Agents has been appointed Joint Executive for Northern Ireland for the National Association of Estate Agents.

Karen Arbuckle has been appointed Chair of Co-operative Alternatives, the only body in Northern Ireland entirely devoted to developing successful co-operatives and community benefit societies.

Lawrence Jackson has been appointed Group Director of Organisation Development at Choice Housing.

Turner & Townsend has appointed chartered surveyor Conor Kelly as Associate Director. He will be responsible for driving the Cost Management service.

Kevin McNaull has joined Turner & Townsend as Project Manager. Kevin boasts 10 years’ experience in project management.

Helen Brogan has been appointed Sales Support Advisor at Continu Ltd. Helen will be responsible for supporting Continu’s growth in Northern Ireland’s IT sector.

Patricia Cunningham has been appointed Senior Graphic Designer with ASG & Partners.

Craig Hepworth has been appointed as National Sales Manager at online car servicing company MyCarNeedsA.com.

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APPOINTMENTS

Brendan O’Neill has been appointed Vice President of the Northern Region of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP).

Jonathan McWhinney has been appointed Tesco NI Packaged Food Buyer. Jonathan joined the firm six years ago.

Wrightbus have announced that Damian McGarry, who most recently led Wrightbus International, will take over the helm of the Customare aftersales division.

Wrightbus have announced that Ian Downie, previously head of Customcare, is to focus on sales and marketing for the company in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Alan Johnston has been appointed Sales Executive at Sortsy. Alan has been a sales professional for 26 years.

Brenda Arbuckle has joined Sortsy as Sales Advisor. With over 14 years working in sales and customer support, Brenda has extensive experience in customer service.

Chris McClune has joined Sortsy as QA/ Software Tester. Fresh out of Queen’s University Software Development MSc course.

Claire Carson has been appointed Junior Marketing Manager at Sortsy.

Claire’s previous experience in the Retail sector has supported the progress of her communication skills and project management capabilities.

Conall McErlean has joined Sortsy as Junior Sales Manager. Conall recently graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with an MSc in Marketing.

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PHOTOCALL 1. From left, Natasha Owens of Alexander Mann Solutions, Greg Liddle of Ulster Bank, Megan Noble of Arup and Gareth Nutt of Capita join Ruth Cooper of The Prince’s Trust to launch the 2016 Million Makers fundraising challenge.

2. Economy Minister Simon Hamilton is pictured with Thales Advanced Weapon Systems UK General Manager Philip McBride during a visit to the company’s Belfast facility. Following a tour of the factory the Minister received an update on its range of defence systems.

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3. Pupils from St Louise’s Comprehensive College in Belfast having fun in maths class with the help of interactive learning resource Izak9. Izak9 was invented by a former school teacher from Derry and was presented at the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) in University College Dublin.

4. Donaghadee Cricket Club and The Belfast Telegraph recently raised over £1,000 in a social game of T20 cricket in aid of Marie Curie. Pictured, from left, are Jordan McCluskey from The Belfast Telegraph, Jody Waterworth, from Pier 36, and Richard Carson from Donaghadee Cricket Club.

5. Bubbacue’s creator and founder John Blisard is pictured at the newly reinvented Bubbacue based in Belfast. A recent refurbishment and expansion has led to the creation of four new jobs.

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PHOTOCALL 6. Hagan Homes has announced that their annual home completions for the 2015/16 financial year were up by 65% on the previous year, the company’s second biggest year since being established in 1988.

Pictured centre is Jamsey Hagan, the firm’s managing director.

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7. Tech startup Limejar founder Debbie Craig, a mother of four from Belfast, has combined her experience of raising her autistic son with her skills in software development to create a platform to support families and employers living with autism, called Boop. Debbie is pictured with her son Nicholas who inspired the Boop software.

8. Fresh Trading Managers Steven Kennedy and Iain Dickson join Neal Kelly (centre), Fresh Foods Director at Henderson Wholesale, part of the Henderson Group, to celebrate winning their first ever Great Taste stars as part of the Great Taste Awards of 2016.

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9. Belfast-based SALIIS has secured a £500,000 loan from the Growth Loan Fund that will be used as working capital for upcoming projects and created 15 new jobs. Pictured are Jenna Mairs, Investment Manager at WhiteRock Capital Partners; Michael Burke, Managing Director at SALIIS and Craig Holmes, Managing Director of the HNH Group.

10. Conference organisers, Roseann Kelly of Women in Business Northern Ireland and Professor Tom Millar of Queen’s University Belfast, are collaborating to bring two days of conferences to Belfast on 22 and 23 September which will focus on advancing women in leadership and in business.

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PHOTOCALL 11. The recently restored last floating survivor of the 1916 Battle of Jutland, HMS Caroline, has been awarded a five-star visitor attraction rating. John McGrillen, Chief Executive Tourism Northern Ireland presents Jamie Wilson, General Manager of HMS Caroline with the five star visitor attraction rating.

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12. Helping to launch Round 2 of the Skills & Opportunities Fund is Sharon McCullough (left) Training Manager with Lenadoon Community Forum and student Natasha Lawless who studied computerised accounts through the Forum. The bank is calling for new applications for the funding programme.

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13. Eimear Kearney is pictured toasting the inaugural Eel-Eat week which saw restaurants from across Northern Ireland serve eel in a variety of dishes. A group of Northern Ireland restaurants added the delicacy to their menu and diners voted with their tastebuds, confirming that eels are tasty.

14. Titanic Creative Management founder Nuala Campbell launches a new studio space which trebles the size of the social enterprise to meet student demand. The social enterprise provides local emerging artists wanting to work in makeup, hair and costume design in the creative industries.

15. Danske Business Lab aims to help high potential businesses get into peak condition to compete with the best in the world. Pictured launching the Danske Business Lab at the Ulster University’s sports centre are Austin Coll, Senior Manager, Business Banking at Danske Bank and John Knapton, Director of Springboard.

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PHOTOCALL 16. Ulster University architecture student Bradley Lynch has been named as one of Northern Ireland’s most exciting new design talents by a leading architectural firm. He’s pictured, left, with Seamus McCloskey, Partner at Hamilton Architects.

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17. Gareth Bradley (left) managing director of Woodford Bourne NI celebrates with new partners Treasury Wine Estate’s country manager for Ireland Jake Cole and Wolf Blass chief winemaker Chris Hatcher. The winemaker flew in from Wolf Blass’ famous Australian vineyard, to announce that Lisburn-based Woodford Bourne has secured distribution rights in Northern Ireland.

18. A stellar line-up of energy experts and advisors has been assembled by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, in collaboration with Manufacturing NI, to give practical advice and assistance to better manage energy needs.

Pictured are Lord Mayor Cllr Garath Keating (bottom right) are (from left to right) Darren Johnston, Jamie Delargy, Nicola Wilson and Stephen Kelly.

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19. Belfast Lord Mayor, Alderman Brian Kingston and Titanic Belfast Chief Executive, Tim Husbands MBE, welcomes the three millionth visitor Kathy Jefferson and her son Jake at Titanic Belfast.

20. From left: Jonathan Stewart, Deputy Director, British Council Northern Ireland, Diane Roberts, CEO, Xcell Partners Ltd and Mark Roberts, Director, Xcell Partners Ltd at an IAESTE reception at Belfast Castle.

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PHOTOCALL 21. Head of Marketing at Dale Farm, Caroline Martin, joins Brian Conway, Asda Buying Manager Northern Ireland, in celebrating the addition of Dale Farm Quark to the co-operative’s range available in Asda stores across Northern Ireland.

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22. Pictured is Dave Linton, founder of Madlug, a Craigavon Community Interest Company which launched a year ago. The company has also beaten over 1,000 nominations to gain UK-wide recognition as one of the UK’s 2016 top 50 ‘new radicals’. Each sale is matched with a donation of a bag to a child in care.

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23. Pictured at the launch of Tomorrow’s World Responsible Business Summit, taking place at Belfast Waterfront Hall on Wednesday 5 October are Jenni Barkley, Belfast Harbour; Katherine McDonald, Carecall; John Brolly, The Irish News; Gillian McKee, Business in the Community; Richard Donnan, Ulster Bank; Ann McGregor, NI Chamber of Commerce; Joe McDonald, ASDA; and Claire Hutchinson, Diageo.

24. Rebecca Maguire joins Colin Neill, CEO Hospitality Ulster and Olga Walls, Chair, Hospitality Ulster to launch the Pub of the Year Awards 2016.

25. With less than a month until schools across the country are back to porridge, Pete Snodden, host of the Cool FM Breakfast Show, has teamed up with the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) to call upon young people across the region to take part in the next event.

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PHOTOCALL 26. Kieran Kelly, CEO of arc-net, which is creating 50 new jobs, with Lynsey Cunningham, Entrepreneurial Development Manager, Ulster Bank. The company is now set for significant growth after graduating from Entrepreneurial Spark, which has a ‘Hatchery’ in Belfast, powered by Ulster Bank.

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27. Minister of Health, Michelle O’Neill, with Andrew Greer, SSE Airtricity General Manager.

Following a major procurement process, SSE Airtricity has emerged as the key provider of electricity and gas to the Health & Social Care Trusts (HSC) and other related HSC organisations.

28. From left: Baker Lucys Kowalska, Managing Director Jackie Reid, and New Product Development Manager Laura Browne from Warrenpointbased Past Tense Treats celebrating their Great Taste Awards success with the 2 star-rated Salted Caramel Chocolate Brownie.

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29. Connswater has signed a deal with global coffee house chain Starbucks that will see the company open its first ever drive-through store in Northern Ireland. Ryan Kee, director of retail agency at Lambert Smith Hampton, and Gerry Monaghan, manager of Connswater Shopping Centre and Retail Park.

30. Nigel Maxwell, SuperValu sales director of Musgrave NI joins SuperValu ambassador chef, Noel McMeel to launch SuperValu’s Best Beef Ever Campaign as part of Northern Ireland’s Year of Food and Drink’s ‘Love NI Meat’ theme for August.

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EVENTS

Canapés and cocktails The cream of the last month’s business events

Leading a horse to Drink

Cheesed off

From left, Mike Todd, General Manager at Down Royal, Pamela Ballantine, Chair of the Hospitality Committee at Down Royal, Trevor Annon, Chairman of Mount Charles and Jim Nicholson, Chair of Down Royal celebrate the launch of Mount Charles ‘Drink’, which will service bar & beverage contracts for external events. The company won a three-year beverage contract with Down Royal worth £400,000 a year.

From left, Nick Whelan, Dale Farm Group Chief Executive; Economy Minister, Simon Hamilton; Alan Harte, Site Manager at Dunmanbridge; John Dunlop, Chairman of United Dairy Farmers; and David Dobbin, retiring Dale Farm Group Chief Executive, unveil Dale Farm’s state of the art cheddar processing and packing facility

Battle of the bar people Getting fresh Pictured are the North Down Group winning Foodservice Supplier of the Year at the Fresh Awards 2016. From left to right Richard Barret, Ivan Martin, Peter Robinson, Rhonda Thompson and Perry Donaldson with Event Compere, Craig Charles (fourth from left), and Ross Goatham from award sponsor, AC Goatham & Son (back row)

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Vincent Borjon-Prive from Hennessy (2nd left) joins this year’s Hennessy Connoisseurs winners Jonathan Magennis from Deanes EIPIC, Ryan Adair from The Merchant Hotel and Darren McEvoy from The Albany, Belfast. Designed to uncover the movers and shakers in Northern Ireland’s cocktail scene, the annual Hennessy Connoisseurs Challenge was created by drinks company Dillon Bass and took place in Belfast with eleven bartenders battling for the title.

EVENTS

Crisp drive

Meat month memories

Pictured about to tee off in the Pro am competition at the recent Tayto NI Open is the Tayto team, (l-r) Alan Fitzsimmins, Hendersons; Chris Fitzsimmins; John Hann, US golf professional and Tommy Charteris, Innovation Director at Tayto. The Tayto team placed second in the competition, narrowly losing out on the top spot.

The Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink 2016 continued in August with a ‘Love NI Meat’ theme. Tourism Northern Ireland held a special event at The National Grand Cafe in Belfast where local meat and beer producers showed local media why they are so special.

Battle of the bars

Pictured, left to right, are Mark Uprichard from Farmageddon, Rachel Quigg from Tourism NI, Chef Chris Martin from The National and Stephen McKenna from Clearsky Brewing.

The search to discover Northern Ireland’s best pubs, hotels and restaurants is now on, as Hospitality Ulster launched its annual Pub of the Year Awards for 2016.

Pictured, left to right, are Northern Woman’s Toni Crowe, Rachel Quigg from Tourism NI and Russell Campbell from Licensed and Catering News.

Terence Brannigan, Tourism NI, John McGrillen, Tourism NI, Colin Neill, Hospitality Ulster and Paddy McKenna, Diageo.

Pictured, left to right, are Sylvie Brando from Ulster Business, her partner Bülent Yükser and Mark Glover from Hospitality Review NI. Emer Dooris, Blogger and Alyson Magee, Hospitality Review NI at the launch the Pub of the Year Awards 2016.

Arlene O’Connor, MCE Public Relations, John Mulgrew, Belfast Telegraph and Chris Brown, MCE Public

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Pictured are Kathryn McKeown from Fabulous and Something and Louse Vance from The Real Elle Woods.

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TECHNOLOGY

Tech on the town

By Adrian Weckler

Best fixed-lens digital camera ever made Leica Q Price: £3,230 from Jessops Rating: 5 Stars

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eica’s Q is probably the best fixed-lens digital camera ever made. I don’t say that lightly: Canon, Panasonic, Sony, Fuji and Nikon all make excellent machines. But I can honestly say that I have never used a single compact(ish) camera that gives you so much quality from casual snaps.

Yes, it costs an absolute fortune. Yes, it only has one focal length. But once you see the quality of the photos from this thing, you can see why people start to dream about owning one at some stage. (I’ll post an extended review online in the coming weeks with sample shots from the camera).

The Leica Q is a 24-megapixel camera with a stabilised Summilux f1.7 lens. It’s significantly bigger than most compact cameras, mainly due to the longer fixed 28mm lens. But my God, is that lens worth the trade-off in size. I was still able to take the Q around with me more easily than a full-size DSLR and got photos that no other premium compact camera – not even Sony’s magnificent 35mm RX1r2 – could match.

conversation: “You just want to hug the photo.” (Conaghy was talking about beautifully rendered photos, not Leica camera shots in particular.)

I found I wanted to hug the Leica Q’s photos.

Even bad shots I took had a beautiful tone, a story they seemed to want to tell.

It’s more than just accuracy or resolution.

There was a warmth and an atmosphere to the photos that you normally only see with much bigger lenses attached to much bigger cameras.

And while some of that quality is down to the camera’s large (“full frame”) sensor, most of it is due to Leica’s utterly superior glass lens built in. A lens is always the most important part of a shot’s quality, but this one is surely a benchmark reference for a camera you can slot into a bag.

As the Sunday Independent’s photo editor, Dave Conaghy, recently described it to me in

The jaw-dropping quality was enough to make me completely forget any notional

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compromise I was making by going out with just one fixed, non-zoom lens.

And I also completely forgot any worries I had about 28mm being ‘too wide’. This is because of the lack of any noticeable distortion off the centre of photos. Normally at any focal length below 35mm, you’ll see a little warping or bending because the lens is trying to get as much in to the shot as it can. But I took portraits of people who were sitting almost at the edge of the frame and there was practically no distortion.

I pretty much fell in love with this device.

And it’s not because of any trendy Leica brand. It’s simply because it’s a superlative camera that takes beautiful photos, even by non-experts.

TECHNOLOGY

Dyson revs up the power, but at a price Dyson V8 Absolute Price: £490 from Dyson Rating: 4 Stars

for hard floors, a ‘direct drive’ cleaner head for carpets, a ‘mini motorised’ tool for grittier tasks and combination and rigid crevice tools for counters and corners.

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hen I first started using cordless vacuum cleaners, you typically got around 10 minutes from a single charge. Things have changed. D ­ yson’s new V8 Absolute lasts almost 40 m ­ inutes per charge.

That’s enough to do the b ­ asics around the house a couple of times over. It’s also twice as long as some of the other ­ cordless vacuums in Dyson’s range, such as the V6 Fluffy (which costs €420).

You can also connect it to a nice docking station that’s mountable on a wall in a utility room, cupboard or kitchen corner.

Dyson says that the V8 has more than twice as much suction power on carpets than its previous V6 model. But if that still isn’t enough, it also has a ‘max mode’, giving it a suction boost. The trade-off here is that it uses around five times as much power, meaning you’ll only get about seven minutes out of a full charge in this mode.

As you’d imagine, the main benefit to a rechargeable cordless cleaner like the V8 is the lack of a heavy cylinder to lug about.

There’s no plugging or unplugging from room to room and you don’t have to have a civil engineering degree to negotiate stairs.

Dyson throws a few extra bits in. For example, its cyclone filters purportedly take a lot of allergens and micro-particles out of the air as you’re vacuuming. This can be an issue for people who find that they start sneezing a few minutes into the vacuuming.

One nice ergonomic feature that Dyson cordless cleaners have is the way in which they turn into Dustbuster-type handheld devices when you need them to.

These filters are also damn handy in households like mine, where a vacuum is constantly at hand to clean up the endless hair-shedding of two dogs and a cat.

If you live in an apartment or a small house without much heavy duty soilage or spillages occurring, this is the kind of vacuum cleaner you need.

You get five different heads in the box with the actual V8 vacuum itself: a ‘soft roller’

For more conventional householders, this might be a handy aide (albeit a pricey one).

Cybercrime on the rise

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usinesses are being warned about an increase in ransomware attacks that force them to pay thousands of euro to cybercriminals.

A new report claims that incidents of ransomware, which is computer malware that locks a PC’s files until a ransom is paid online, have increased fourfold in the last year.

The Arctic Wolf Networks survey is backed up by new data from the US Department of Justice and security experts in Ireland, who say that there has been an “unprecedented” rise in ransomware attacks on companies.

“In the last six months, we have seen an exponential rise in the number of ransomware incidences,” said Conor Flynn, chief executive of the Dublin-based firm Information Security Assurance Services.

“There’s a new arms race. It’s the first time we’ve seen the real monetisation of malware. They’ve found a way to get mass market penetration.”

SEPTEMBER 2016

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London Calling!

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TRAVEL

Menorca: Nothing minor about this beautiful island Áine O’Conner kicks back on a beautiful Balearic island that has a holiday character all of its own

O

nce upon a time, a friend with no discernible sense of humour cracked a joke.

Having been dumped by a long-term girlfriend, he took a solitary holiday and his joke was that it was a measure of his despondency that he went to Minorca (as it is in Catalan) instead of Majorca.

Geddit? The clue is in the title and Menorca is the smaller of the two central Balearic Islands, and while it is about the same size as Ibiza, which lies further south, there the similarity ends. This quietly beautiful Mediterranean island has a lot to offer on its own terms.

While many Spanish resorts are living to rue their haste to become cheap holiday destinations, Menorca has been practising its own brand of eco-friendly, sustainable tourism for decades. We arrive in the capital, Mahon, in under three hours from Dublin. The 40-kilometre trip to the Binimar Complex on the west coast takes as many minutes. The route is via the island’s one main highway, a mostly good, single lane road that branches off for some of the bigger towns, but otherwise the gems of Menorca are reserved for those willing to walk or cycle.

Our base, Cala en Blanes, is a tourist town, and, like Binimar, caters largely for English speakers. It is mainly pitched at families; there are three pools, activities and games, and nightly entertainment in the bar area, but silence does descend at 11pm. It’s two-star, so the apartments are small, simple and clean. There is no air con, however, which might be an issue when temperatures rise, as they did last July, to 40-odd degrees.

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There are half- and full-board options available within the complex, and although the local restaurants and shops are a little steeper than normal Spanish prices, there are lots of good value options to eat and drink and self-cater outside it.

The Forum restaurant was our first taste of what’s on offer. The menu is huge and the food is great but what we notice most is something that will be a feature of the entire trip, the locals are just incredibly nice. It can be an issue in touristy places, a kind of rudeness from staff who seem to resent tourists, but in Menorca we met one cranky bugger who was remarkable simply because everyone else was so nice.

Cala en Blanes is a largely purpose-built extension of the island’s old capital, Cuitadella, which is easily accessible by a

regular local bus service (€1.80 adult single) or taxi (€8.50); there’s a coastal walk to it too.

A harbour, Ciutadella is a pristine town with beautiful and beautifully maintained historic buildings, there is no neon, few chain stores, even the Burger King whispers rather than shouts that it is the home of the Whopper.

There is virtually no litter and absolutely no begging, or busking. A taxi driver explained that this is because the rules against it are strictly enforced, anyone found breaking the rules is arrested and immediately deported to whence they came and banned from re-entering the island. I ask what happens if they’re locals and he tells the story of a man, a local, who was convicted of domestic violence. With several previous convictions behind him the judge sentenced him to exile, had him sent to Barcelona and banned from re-entering Menorca for five years.

Fly from Belfast City Airport to London City and London Heathrow

TRAVEL

It seems a curiously arcane, if effective, system that ties in with the island’s varied history. It is full of prehistoric monuments; ten minutes drive up the coast from Ciutadella, in a village called Cala (cala means ‘cove’) Morell, there is a 14-chambered necropolis which dates from the preTalaiotic period and was in use up to the second century AD. While many of the best spots, like Cala en Turqueta, are accessible by walking, bikes (approx €12 per day) or boat tour, my cycling legs weren’t up to anything too strenuous, so we hired a moped which, at €30 a day, is roughly the same price as car hire, necessary to do the longer journey up to Fornells in the north east.

A fishing town, all painted white like everywhere on the island, it has a five-kilometre harbour, some extraordinary views and, again, some great restaurants.

On a rooftop terrace in the restaurant Sa Taula, they did twists on local cuisine like courgette carpaccio, and back in Ciutadella El Hogar del Pollo was a local bar that served fantastic tapas, boquerones, chorizo en vino, almejas, pimientos del padron, tortilla de patatas, all that good stuff beautifully done and for a good price.

Indeed, all over the island the food was fantastic, fresh, clean, simple. The local hard cheeses are excellent and the menus often come, thanks to the Spanish tradition of getting your kid to do the translation, with some odd enough things on offer in English, hen instead of chicken, knives instead of clams, marinara sauce can be “to the nautical” and on one extreme occasion grilled monkfish was translated as “rape on the board.”

Anyone disinclined to drive can use the regional bus service to get around, the local markets always prove popular and in bigger towns stalls open all evening in summer.

Belfast City Airport ranked in top 10 for supporting disability or reduced mobility

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elfast City Airport ranked one of the top 10 airports in the UK for supporting passengers with a disability or reduced mobility.

Findings from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Report on Accessible Air Travel, which rates airports on quality of assistance for Mark Beattie passengers with a disability or reduced mobility, has highlighted George Best Belfast City Airport as one of the top 10 airports in the UK. Under European regulations, airports and airlines must provide help and support to disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility, to better enable this group of people to travel by air.

During 2015/2016 the CAA established a new performance framework and worked with 30 of the busiest UK airports to assess each of them against a number of key measures. These include how long passengers have to wait for assistance, levels of passenger satisfaction with the assistance provided, how much consultation airports had with disability organisations regarding assistance services, what consultation methods were used, if issues were addressed and what, if any, action was taken.

There are day tours as well. We went to Mahon which, with the world’s second deepest natural port, is worth seeing. It isn’t as beautiful as Ciutadella but it has good shopping and the glass-bottomed catamaran trip out into the harbour, included in the day trip, was interesting and informative. Menorca has been passed around between many a conqueror, Cretan, French, English and Spanish all of whom left traces. But it retains its own identity and was gearing up for the big festival, San Juan, on June 23.

A relic of its time as a British colony is the local gin and lemon juice cocktail Pomada. The day trip includes a trip to the the Xoriguer gin factory and shop where you can sample and buy the different variations on the local tipple

Mark Beattie, Director of Operations at George Best Belfast City Airport, said: “We warmly welcome the findings of this report which ranks Belfast City Airport as one of the top 10 airports in the UK for supporting passengers with a disability or reduced mobility.

The weather in early June was really nice, chilly in the evenings and occasionally a little windy but during the day perfect for lying on the many, varied beaches and for swimming, although there were quite a few little jelly fish.

But jelly fish aside, Menorca proved a really nice surprise.

“We are particularly pleased that our passenger surveys have revealed a high level of satisfaction with our product and services. We look forward to working closely with the CAA in the future to maintain this standard of support.”

SEPTEMBER 2016

“Providing the best possible assistance to all our passengers, including those with mobility restrictions, is of the utmost importance to Belfast City Airport.

“As such, we are delighted that the CAA has recognised our efforts to consistently provide a high level of assistance, maintain regular consultations with disability organisations and to publish up-to-date information on our website.

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SPORT

MCE Ulster Grand Prix heads to sports conference in Las Vegas

T

he high profile SEAT Consortium Sports Tech Conference, which took place in July, hosted a keynote speaker from the world’s fastest road race, the MCE Insurance Ulster Grand Prix.

Held in Las Vegas, it enabled 1,000 sports professionals to network, share insight and gain knowledge into the decision-making processes from professionals in the sports and entertainment industry.

Geoff Wilson, Brand Manager for the MCE Ulster Grand Prix, said: “The SEAT Consortium was a great opportunity to showcase Northern Ireland at an international event.

“A conference of this size and scale was the perfect platform to share the brand story of the world’s fastest road race, an event whose profile has been transformed over the last few years.

“The team at the MCE UGP worked hard to ensure the brand reflected all that the event has to offer and told a global audience about what makes our event, and indeed Northern Ireland, so special, will be an incredible experience,” added Mr Wilson.

Christine Stoffel, CEO and founder of SEAT, said: “The Sports and Entertainment Alliance In Technology Consortium was a fantastic way for sports professionals to network and learn from

Geoff Wilson

one another. We were delighted to have speakers from as far and wide as Northern Ireland attending our Las Vegas event and look forward to hearing the story of the world’s fastest road race.”

Further details on the event can be found at www.seatconsortium.com; For details about Ulster Grand Prix 2016, visit www.ulstergrandprix.net or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @UlsterGrandPrix.

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RO12 Rugby has announced that Guinness will continue as title sponsor of the Guinness PRO12 Rugby Championship for another four years until 2020, continuing the strong partnership with the competition that began in 2014.

The 2016/17 season of the Guinness PRO12, which involves the top rugby clubs from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales, starts on September 2 and as well as announcing the sponsorship extension it was also confirmed that the Championship’s flagship event, the Guinness PRO12 Final, will be held at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on 27 May 2017.

Pictured are Martin Anayi, Managing Director of PRO12 Rugby, left, and Oliver Loomes, Country Director at Diageo Ireland.

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MY DAY

Uncovering the 9-5

11.00am I dial into a weekly global communications call with colleagues in Chicago, New York, London, Miami, Hong Kong and Singapore. Then a telephone interview set up with a partner based in Australia and a journalist in the States. I spend a lot of my day counting through time-zones backwards or forwards – but you soon get to know almost on auto-pilot, the time in several countries and what will work for an interview. It usually means some one is in their pyjamas somewhere.

1.00pm

Name: Kerry Thomson Position: Senior Global Communications Manager, Baker & McKenzie

6.00am I have a very important job – I’m mum of two, so, like many colleagues, my day starts early and well before I am at the office!

I ‘like’ (I use the word loosely) to get up just before 6.00am before the rest of the house wakes. I catch the news, and do a quick skim through emails and our global media monitoring for anything urgent from overnight. My role can be quite reactive so I like to know what the day’s looking like.

That probably sounds hectic – but that’s where teamwork (and IT!) comes in.

Our Global Communications team is based all around the world, including five of us in Belfast, so there’s always someone, somewhere awake to help while you’re asleep. Or while you’re making the Weetabix.

There are lots of working parents in Baker & McKenzie and the firm genuinely understands that most roles need some agility – it works both ways. I have

flexibility if I need it, but I am also extremely committed to my role and expect the same of my team. We all understand that if a call needs to happen, or something needs done urgently, we do everything to make it work.

8.30am At desk and I work with the team on a ‘Daily News’ summary. Reputation and profile raising are key responsibilities and Belfast teams work closely with Communications, Business Development, Marketing colleagues, partners and firm leadership to position the firm positively with the world’s media. Our thought leadership campaigns allow us to comment on global economic issues like Brexit or cross border investment trends, as well as setting up media interviews for partners when they attend global events.

We recently announced our global revenue results to the world’s media and while it was a busy morning, it is pretty cool to see the news feeds come in from everyone from the FT to the Wall Street Journal to local NI publications.

Our Executive Director calls the Senior Management Team together for an informal lunch with our Chief Financial Officer who is visiting from Chicago – we share a chat on the roof terrace with beautiful views of whole city. It’s something the leadership team are very good at doing here – making sure we get the chance to connect face-to-face. The technology in City Quays is amazing but it makes a huge difference on a video call if you’ve already shared a bag of Tayto with them here!

3.00pm I meet with some of my business development and marketing colleagues to talk through their plans for comms across our global practice groups. Business Services accounts for about half of the office here – and it is always fascinating working with local colleagues from such a wide range of disciplines – many of them not from the legal world.

5.00pm I grab a taxi to get to a drinks reception to welcome new joiners. We’ve expanded considerably in Belfast so there are always lots of new faces. The taxi driver asks me where I work. I tell him, “a big global law firm...” And he asks me if I’m a lawyer...

Then it’s home to the family. There’s nothing like a quick rendition of Frozen’s ‘Let It Go!’ to help you decompress before another global day kicks in.

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