September/October 2016
www.iod.com
Published for members of the Institute of Directors Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland’s gateway –
Belfast Harbour
INSIDE
Page 18-21
02-03 Your diary dates
05
14
Chairman’s message
Innovation Ireland – the Fusion Programme
24-27 In conversation with the Private Equity sector
30
A new Business School for Belfast
32
When good boards go bad
34
Fair enough? – 40 years of tackling
discrimination
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IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
Events
Diary dates
(CPD hours)
September
13 **New member lunch
15 The Resilient Leader (4)
22 The Competent Board Chair (4)
27 IoD Annual Convention (London) (7)
30 **The Effective Board:
Board Financials (2)
The Competent Director Series
IoD Annual Convention
27 September
Annual Lunch
14 October
If you haven’t been before, then the IoD
Convention at the Royal Albert Hall in
London is well worth attending. There is a
range of interesting speakers, topics and
exhibitions. Speakers and topics include:
Northern Ireland born Mike Brown MCO is
guest speaker for this year’s Annual Lunch
sponsored by Rainbow Communications.
Mike, Commissioner of Transport for
London (TfL) will talk about how he
deals with the challenges of leading one
of the world’s most complex transport
infrastructure organisations.
October
06 The Competent Director: leadership & change (4)
14 The Annual Lunch
19 The Competent Director: strategy
20 **The Effective Board:
the Challenge function (2)
20 **New member lunch
21 UK Director of the Year
Awards (London)
25 **New Directors Boot Camp (Newry) (4)
• Digital opportunities for SMEs with
Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Airbnb and
Alibaba
November
08 **The Effective Board:
ensuring Diversity (2)
16 The Competent Director’s Update: with Garry Wilson (4)
23 The Competent Director: finance (7)
28 **New member lunch
Book online at www.iod.com or email
[email protected] to enquire about
other Northern Ireland members attending.
• Kevin Roberts, Chairman, Saatchi &
Saatchi on leadership in a crazy world
• Lord Lamont and Yanis Varoufakis on
Europe post-referendum
• Dr Dambisa Moyo on the economy and
new models of capitalism
• Finance for business with Hitachi
• Cyber security with NCC Group
Mike is responsible for making sure TfL
provides world-class transport services
that keep London working and growing.
He oversees TfL’s investment programme,
which includes some of the largest and
most complex engineering projects in
Europe.
The organisation manages virtually all
of the city’s transport, including London
Underground, the bus network, the DLR,
and London Overground and is also
responsible for the Congestion Charging
scheme, road safety and schemes to boost
cycling and walking.
The Competent Director Series developed by IoD Northern
Ireland helps business leaders at all stages of their leadership
career to develop their core competencies as directors. Within
the Series, The Effective Board sessions will take an interactive
approach to how a good board should run its business. These
will be led by Alan Taylor of Arthur Cox.
The Competent Chair sessions will provide development for
current and aspiring chairmen to help them be more effective in
chairing their Boards.
The Resilient Leader
15 September
Presented by Ricky Drain of Toward
Limited, this half day workshop will begin
the process of equipping delegates with
a toolkit to develop personal resilience as
well as the resilience and culture of their
organisations. A personal behavioural
profile (worth £290) is included in the
course materials.
Marketing with IoD
For information on advertising with
IoD in IoD Northern Ireland News,
the IoD website or emails, and
sponsorship opportunities, contact
Linda Brown on 028 9068 3224 or
email [email protected]
If you are serious about gaining
professional development in your role
as a director or leader, you can use
IoD activity to do so. CPD hours are
indicated (in brackets) in the list of Diary
Dates in IoD Northern Ireland News.
The Competent Chair
22 September
Mike Brown
The role of the Chair is crucial to creating
an effective Board. This half day workshop
with Joy Allen of Leading Governance will
cover how to run and plan effective Board
meetings and managing relationships with
other board members.
IoD events also provide valuable
opportunities to network with and learn
from other business leaders.
@iodni
Follow IoD Northern Ireland on Twitter
Flexible and affordable
postgraduate study
at Ulster
ulster.ac.uk/learnyourway
*Exclusions apply. Terms and conditions apply.
2 — September/October 2016
from
£171.66
per month
Discounts
available
for a part-time
master’s
degree
Flexible
payment
plans
The Competent Director and
strategy
19 October
Deciphering financial reports can be
daunting for the non-financial Board
member but cannot be glossed over. In
this session, delegates will be guided
through the key financial matters you
need to be aware of.
In today’s disruptive and fast-changing
world, can you seriously imagine any
successful company that does not regularly
revisit and review its strategy? This
workshop is about your role as a company
director in relation to strategy. We explore
what models you can use and what
questions you need to ask. Presented by
Richard O’Rawe of Stellar Leadership.
A half day workshop that will help you
use change positively as a catalyst for
personal growth and development.
Sharing best practice in organisational
change, understanding the human side
of change, and increasing your resilience
as a leader through change. Presented
by Anne McMurray.
Book online at
www.iodni.com/events
Committed to CPD
The Effective Board – Board
financials
30 September
The Competent Director –
leadership and change
6 October
**free to IoD members
If the event you are looking for does
not appear online, please telephone
the IoD office at 028 9068 3224.
Thanks to the support of Arthur Cox and Ulster Bank, several
events in The Competent Director Series will be delivered free of
charge to IoD members.
THE COMPETENT DIRECTOR EVENTS
15 Sep The Resilient Leader
22 Sep The Competent Board Chairman
30 Sep The Effective Board: Board
Financials
06 Oct The Competent Director –
leadership and change
19 Oct The Competent Director and
strategy
20 Oct The Effective Board: the
challenge function
08 Nov The Effective Board: ensuring
diversity
16 Nov The Competent Director’s
Update : with Garry Wilson,
Endless private equity
23 Nov The Competent Director :
finance – one day course with
Stephen McNamee
Document Storage
Safe. Secure. Sorted.
The Effective Board: the
challenge function
20 October
It is not always understood by directors
that they should leave their ‘function’ hat
outside the boardroom door. This event
explains how non-execs must challenge
what they are hearing from the executives,
while executives must also be willing to
challenge what is happening if they feel
it is not in the company’s best interests.
Presented by Alan Taylor of Arthur Cox.
morgandocumentsecurity.com
September/October 2016 — 3
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
MEMBER COMPANY NEWS
Origin Digital achieves
50% growth
Origin Digital’s Jerry Staple, Technical
Director (left) with Jill Robb, Digital
Marketing Director and Jonny Kelly,
Creative Director
Holywood based digital agency, Origin Digital, have announced a 50% increase
in turnover over the 2015-2016 financial year as the award-winning company
marks its tenth anniversary in providing innovative digital strategy and
marketing services to businesses in Northern Ireland and beyond.
Origin Digital specialise in delivering valuable digital experiences and strategies
for clients in a wide range of sectors, on web and mobile platforms. Most recently,
they crafted effective strategies and campaigns for Danske Bank, Abbey Insurance
Brokers, BBC NI and NI Water, amongst many others.
Earlier this year it was revealed that they had partnered with Belfast-based
advertising and marketing agency, ASG & Partners, to offer clients a comprehensive
marketing service, both on- and off-line.
The IoD Northern Ireland Committee
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
The chairs of our five sub-committees and
the Young Directors’ Forum are selected
by the Chairman from members of the
Northern Ireland Committee.
Education & Skills: Geraldine Gordon CDir,
Gordon Business Consultancy
MEMBERS
Chairman: Ian Sheppard, Bank of Ireland
Immediate past Chairman:
Paul Terrington, PwC
Honorary Treasurer
Geoffrey Henderson CDir, TotalMobile
Members
Norah Anne Barron, PI Communications
Noel Brady, Consult NB 1 Ltd
Ashleen Feeney, KPMG
Declan Gormley, Brookvent Limited
Caroline Keenan, ASM
Business Environment: Bill Beers CDir,
Beers Engineering Consultancy
Connecting: Colin Coffey CDir, RDA Group
Developing: Gordon Milligan,
NITHCo Translink
Economic Strategy: Dr Joanne Stuart,
Catalyst Inc
Young Directors’ Forum: Adrian Allen,
The Tomorrow Lab Create Limited
Louise Kelly, Grant Thornton NI LLP
Mervyn McCall, MNV Ltd
Alan McKeown, Dunbia
Rose Mary Stalker, Catagen
Alan Taylor, Arthur Cox Belfast
PAUL JOINS COUNCIL
After an open recruitment process,
immediate past IoD Northern Ireland
Chairman Paul Terrington has been elected
to the Institute’s national Council, which is
the guardian of IoD’s constitution, ensuring
that the objectives of the organisation’s
Royal Charter to “promote for the public
benefit high levels of skill, knowledge,
professional competence and integrity on
the part of directors,“ and “foster a climate
favourable to entrepreneurial activity” are
delivered.
Welcome to the IoD
We welcome our new members of IoD
Northern Ireland and welcome back a few,
who have been away for a while.
Robert Bell, SD Bell & Co Ltd
Paul Boylan, Special EU Programmes Body
Shauna Burns, QA Travel Limited
Robert Creagmile, Atlas Fire & Security (NI) Ltd
Paul Dalzell, Milecross Financial Solutions Ltd
Eamonn Donaghy, Bona Fide Consultancy Ltd
John Ferguson, Ferguson Sports Group Ltd
Pamela Gillies, BDO Northern Ireland
Paul Harper, Jacobs
Jill Harrower-Steele, Lagan Construction Group
Adam Holland, Fast Engineering Ltd
Sarah Hughes, Ava Creative Consulting
Blinne Lappin, BNL Training Ltd
Paul Lemon, Equiniti
4 — September/October 2016
Stephen McConnell, Atlas Fire & Security (NI) Ltd
Shane McCrory, Garvagh Investments Ltd
Jim McIlroy, Warner Chilcott UK Ltd
Alison McMullan, Abbey Gymnastics CIC
Gary McQuoid, Atos IT Services UK Ltd
Gavin Mitchell, RSA Group
Brendan Muldoon, Warner Chilcott UK Ltd
Jennifer Neeson, Thornton Roofing (Ireland) Ltd
John Nesbitt, Atlas Fire & Security (NI) Ltd
Matthew Nicholl, PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP
Christopher O’Neill, Redgrove Computing Ltd
Brian Reid, Deli-Lites (Ireland) Limited
Stephen Thornton, Thornton Roofing (Ireland) Ltd
Graeme White, Atlas Fire & Security (NI) Ltd
All members – including new members - are
welcome to submit a Member Profile for
inclusion in IoD Northern Ireland News.
by Ian Sheppard, IoD Northern Ireland Chairman
Over the last few months two key topics
have dominated our agenda – Brexit and
the Northern Ireland Draft Programme for
Government.
As I said in my last message the Brexit
Referendum outcome was not what the
majority of our members wanted. However,
as the shock impact and immediate market
volatility have receded and a measure
of political stability has been restored in
London, we have had a little more time to
digest events and plot the course ahead in
our respective businesses.
And there is more to come as turnover is expected to grow an additional 38% by
mid-2017, with plans to recruit more staff.
The Northern Ireland Committee directs
and oversees the activity of the Institute in
Northern Ireland. Members are elected at
the Annual Members Meeting held in May
each year and serve a three year term; they
may be appointed for a second three year
term but thereafter must stand down for at
least one year.
Chairman’s message
Send a profile of around 150 words
and a separate jpg photograph to
[email protected] to be included
in the next available issue. New member
lunches, organised every 2-3 months, allow
our joiners to meet other new members as
well as IoD Northern Ireland Committee
members. See the Diary Dates on page 2 for
upcoming lunches.
Refer a new member
If you know someone who might enjoy IoD
membership, then remember there is a
referral membership form that will give you a
choice of gift - contact our Head of Business
Development, Lisa Keys, at [email protected]
Despite the immediate and understandable
concerns, it has been my experience
that NI business leaders recognise that
we will remain members of the EU for at
least another couple of years and that
the fundamentals of driving a successful
business haven’t changed. Uncertainty
is a given in the business world and the
great leaders and their teams never allow
their decision-making to be paralysed by
external events.
Brexit
Significant debate has started on what the
UK’s relationship with the EU will be post
Brexit. What is clear is that we are unlikely
to have clarity or certainty in the short
term. Consequently strong business and
political leadership will be vital and it will
be particularly important that the region’s
specific economic and sectoral interests are
strongly represented in future negotiations
with the EU.
If the UK government seeks control over
sovereignty and migration then we will have
to acknowledge that restrictions to access
to the single EU market will likely result.
It is therefore vital NI businesses plan and
act now. Areas for consideration include:
• Board review of current strategic plans.
• Identification of additional non-EU export
markets and how to access those markets
in the near term.
• A reassessment of the scale of
opportunity to increase penetration in the
GB market
• Active engagement with key European
customers and suppliers so NI companies
have strong relationships which can
be relied upon when the new trading
environment is known.
• What opportunities do the new currency
exchange rates create?
• A review and audit of key workforce
skills and availability of labour to cover
important roles.
Brexit will present both opportunities and
challenges for local businesses but I am
confident that Northern Ireland’s business
leaders and companies can adjust and
adapt to the new emerging landscape and
will continue to enjoy success.
Draft Programme for Government
The IoD welcomed the new outcome based
approach and commitment to engagement
on the Draft Programme for Government,
and over the past month or so, a number of
our members have represented the Institute
in various Government engagement
sessions and provided extensive feedback
including:
• The need for a clear Vision for the future
of Northern Ireland.
• The importance of delivering a successful
economy as the top priority and
something which will underpin a range of
other public policy areas including health
and education
• The 14 outcomes in the draft Programme
are too generic and not specific to
Northern Ireland.
• There should be 4 or 5 specific outcomes
which will drive the key benefits for
Northern Ireland and the focus should be
directed here.
• The setting of measurable targets under
the outcomes, coupled with clear and
regular monitoring of progress and
accountabilities, will be fundamental
to the success of the Programme for
Government.
While Northern Ireland has enjoyed a strong
recovery in jobs in recent years, as recent
independent research reports have again
demonstrated, the centre-piece of Northern
Ireland’s economic strategy must be one of
enhancing regional competitiveness. We will
continue our engagement and ensure our
members’ feedback is provided in a positive
manner and ultimately reflected in the final
Programme for Government.
Annual Lunch
An important element of our development
as business leaders is to share leadership
experiences particularly with leaders who
have been successful in their careers outside
of Northern Ireland.
Our guest speaker at the Annual Lunch
on 14 October is just such a leader. Mike
Brown is the Commissioner of Transport for
London overseeing and leading one of the
world’s most complex transport infrastructure
organisations.
So please join us at the lunch both to hear
Mike’s views and also to network with other
local business leaders. I hope to see you
then.
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September/October 2016 — 5
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
MEMBER COMPANY NEWS
McCue refit of Queen Mary 2
The IoD Committees – working on your behalf
Programme for Government
Following input from our various subcommittees and individual members, a
response was made to the draft Programme
for Government framework. Thanks to
everyone who took the time to contribute.
We have also contributed to a consultation
on revising the Northern Ireland Economic
Strategy to reflect the new environment
created by Brexit.
We now look forward to receiving an
implementation plan from the Northern
Ireland Executive.
McCue Marine has successfully handed
over areas on board Cunard’s luxurious
flagship, the Queen Mary 2, as their part
of the iconic liner’s 25 day refit.
Corporation tax
The 2,620 passenger ocean liner was in
dry-dock at the Blohm & Voss Shipyard in
Hamburg, Germany for a £90 million refit
that was the largest overhaul ever taken by
Cunard.
IoD member, Stephen Mills, McCue
Marine’s Business Development Manager,
reports that the initial contract with Cunard
doubled in value when the company
was asked to tender for more areas on
board the ship. Originally, the McCue
Marine contract was for upgrading the
Queen’s Grill, Princess Grill and Verandah
restaurants, in addition to the Grills
Lounge, however, they were then invited
to tender for work on the retail areas of the
cruise liner, the Mayfair Shops, due to the
company’s broad work and knowledge in
the retail industry.
The work was done in partnership with SMC
Design and Harding Retail.
The Institute continues to participate
in GROW NI, the campaign to ensure
that the promised reduction in the rate
of corporation tax in Northern Ireland is
implemented as agreed in 2018. Elsewhere
in this issue of IoD Northern Ireland News
you will find an article from IoD NI past
Chairman, Mervyn McCall, who has become
the spokesperson for the campaign on why
we need to make sure the rate is reduced.
GROW NI have requested a meeting with
all the Executive Ministers to re-emphasise
why this is still an important issue,
particularly following the Brexit vote.
Engaging with Central Procurement
Summer
S TA R T S H E R E
IoD members Mark Spence and Richard
O’Lone from our Business Environment
Committee have spent some very productive
time with senior officials at the Central
Procurement Directorate (CPD) discussing
issues around the e-tendering process and
came away encouraged by the reception to
executivelounges.com
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6 — September/October 2016
Perhaps even more encouraging was the
wider discussion around streamlining
tendering processes, specifically reducing
the duplication on PQQ stage processes
and being open to listening to the bidding
community. Specifically, IoD has been
asked to make representations to CPD to
engage on procurement practice and share
experience as they are planning to invite a
wider range of parties to engage.
As a result of the positive engagement
between CPD and IoD, the following
changes have been discussed, with some
already implemented and others due to be:
• Increasing browser options to include
Chrome
• Moving away from the Java based system
which was causing slow responses
• Increasing input screen size to improve
interface
• Separation of PQQ and ITT stage
documentation and responses
• Replacement of limited clarification
functionality with more useable
messaging system
• Introduction of improved search engine
• Improvement to user homepage to
provide meaningful dashboard to users
and ability to rink and filter lists
• Emphasis on Contracting Authority
training to ensure the system is deployed
correctly
• e-attestations functionality to upload
once standing information for later
reliance by Contracting Authorities
is underutilised at present, meaning
duplication of effort remains an issue
Richard and Mark believe the outcome
will be a greatly improved experience for
regular users, a less daunting experience
for new and occasional users resulting in
a better engagement with a wider supply
pool for the NI public sector.
Invest Northern Ireland
As part of their strategy to engage
even more effectively with the business
community, Invest Northern Ireland has
identified one of their senior team to liaise
with the various business bodies. Our
contact is Olive Hill, Executive Director for
Strategy and we will be keeping in regular
touch with her in addition to our normal
engagement with the Invest NI Chief
Executive Alastair Hamilton CDir and his
management team. Olive’s previous roles
in Invest include Director of Innovation
and Technology Solutions, and Director of
Trade.
Olive Hill
60th Anniversary
Whatever the reason for your journey,
there is no better place to begin than
in an Aspire Airport Lounge
Relax and refresh with complimentary drinks and
snacks and above all a comfortable seat, or if you
really have to work, then stay connected with
the free WiFi. Find us in airports across the UK
and Europe including George Best Belfast City,
Manchester Terminal 1 and Heathrow Terminal 5.
the points we made earlier this year (many of
which have been enacted), and the forward
action list to further improve the service.
2017 marks the 60th anniversary of the
formal establishment of an IoD presence
in Northern Ireland.
New iod.com
Although business leaders from Northern Ireland had
been members from the earliest days of the Institute
(which was formed in 1903), no formal entity existed in
Northern Ireland until moves began in 1956 to set up the
Northern Ireland Branch that was created in 1957.
The IoD website www.iod.com has
recently been upgraded. We hope you
enjoy the new website and find it easier
to navigate.
The Branch later became a Division with local staff in 1987 and is now one of the IoD’s
three Nations along with Scotland and Wales, which comprise the IoD in the UK along
with the eight English Regions.
If you haven’t already done so, it would
be helpful if you take a few moments to
log onto www.iod.com and check that
your data is up to date.
We are planning a number of events to mark our ‘Diamond Jubilee’ and if any readers
of IoD Northern Ireland News would like to share their recollections about the Institute
over the past 60 years – or perhaps those of family members or older colleagues – we
would be delighted to receive them. Email [email protected]
September/October 2016 — 7
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
MEMBER PROFILE
MEMBER PROFILE
Francis Martin
Louise Kelly
Louise is the Belfast-based Audit Partner at
Grant Thornton, Ireland’s fastest growing
professional services firm, delivering solutions
to challenges faced by businesses of all sizes
from a variety of sectors.
She joined Grant Thornton as a trainee in the
firm’s Dublin office in 2000. After nearly 14 years
in Dublin, Louise moved back to her native
Northern Ireland and was appointed Audit
Partner in Belfast in 2014. Having developed a
wealth of experience working with public and
privately owned companies, north and south
of the border, Louise prides herself on being
accessible to her clients, adopting a practical
approach and being very solution-driven.
To date, she has headed up Grant Thornton’s
Risk, Compliance and Professional Standards
department, where she gained extensive
technical expertise in Irish and UK Generally
Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP) and
company law.
Louise has also lectured in Auditing and is the
author of ‘Advanced Auditing and Assurance’
which is the text used for the Chartered
Accountants Ireland Final Admitting Examinations.
Recently Louise was elected to the IoD Northern
Ireland Committee and is also a member of
the Member Services Committee in Chartered
Accountants Ulster Society. Outside of work,
Louise is a new mum of one, and enjoys
spending time with her family.
Louise can be contacted at:
[email protected]
Cathy Doherty
Cathy is MD of the HR consultancy, Practical
People Solutions Limited. A CIPD Qualified
HR Consultant with extensive experience
in providing sensitive, objective advice to
businesses ranging from SMEs to major
national and international companies, and
the public sector, Cathy believes that HR
should enable businesses to be successful
through their people.
Cathy’s early career and education were in
financial services, including analytics. These
skills - along with many others she has gained
since - mean that she is extremely talented
in helping clients save time, money and most
importantly their hard earned reputation. She
does this while using her remarkably perceptive
understanding of people to improve the
workplace and working relationships.
Growing up in a successful and highly
reputable family business, Cathy knows
what makes business and people tick. She
understands the inherent pressures, how
HR and people management need to be
integrated throughout an organisation and
that solutions must be timely, effective,
realistic and practical.
With an impressive breadth of knowledge and
experience gained through working with and
for a wide variety of sectors and industries,
both local and international, many of whom are
unionised or going through change, Cathy’s
clients trust her to help them navigate the
HR minefield and to get the job done to the
satisfaction of all parties.
NEW MEMBER PROFILE
Lisa McLaughlin
Previously Director of Herbert Smith
Freehills’ Belfast office, Lisa became Director
of Legal Services, UK, US & EMEA, for the
firm’s global Alternative Legal Services
business in May 2016.
The Alternative Legal Services offering was
created in response to client demand for topquality legal products and services provided in
the most efficient, technologically-advanced
and cost-effective way. The global team works
closely with partners and associates to provide
an innovative, 24/7 service to key clients of the
firm.
After completing her legal training with
Herbert Smith Freehills, during which time she
served as a Judicial Assistant to the Court of
Appeal in London, Lisa practised international
8 — September/October 2016
arbitration for six years. At this point in her
career, she spent a year on secondment to a
leading global consulting firm, working with its
in-house disputes team. Since then, Lisa has
acted on many complex, high-value arbitration
matters and a number of commercial litigation
and expert determination disputes.
Lisa regards developing the HSF Belfast
office’s initial legal processes as one of the
most exciting chapters in her career, having
recruited and upskilled the inaugural legal
team, which has grown in five years from 26 to
240 members. The team forms an innovative
and rapidly-evolving part of the firm with an
increasingly global focus. Looking towards
the future, Alternative Legal Services has some
significant initiatives planned over the coming
months – even more exciting times lie ahead!
A chartered accountant by profession,
Francis is a Partner in BDO Northern
Ireland, a member of the global
accountancy and business advisory firm,
where he is Head of Corporate Finance and
of Global Outsourcing Services. He served
as Managing Partner between 2008 and
2013.
Northern Ireland President in the 156 year
history of the UK organisation.
Since 2012, Francis been a member of the
Agri-Food Strategy Board, established by
the Northern Ireland Executive, to lead
the development and implementation of
a Strategic Growth Plan for the Agri-Food
Sector in Northern Ireland to 2020.
One of the province’s leading business
advisers, Francis has over 20 years’
experience in corporate finance and business
strategy development, advising our largest
organisations as well as SMEs across a broad
range of sectors. He was awarded Northern
Ireland Dealmaker of the Year 2016 and is a
Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
He was also invited by the Executive
in 2014 to join the Advisory Board to
the Stormont Committee charged with
undertaking, and implementing the findings
of, a detailed review
of Red Tape. The results were
published in early 2016.
Francis was a Board Member of the NI
Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2009
to 2015 and served two years as President.
A Board Member of the British Chambers
of Commerce since 2012 and Vice President
from 2013, he recently became the first
Francis is Chairman and
Director of Lagan College,
Northern Ireland’s leading
integrated, all ability,
all religions, co-educational
school.
MEMBER PROFILE
Adam Holland
Adam is General Manager of Fast
Engineering and a Chartered Civil Engineer
with 20 years’ experience in design
consultancy, contracting and manufacturing.
Starting out as a Drilling Engineer on North
Sea offshore production well projects, he
moved into civil engineering consultancy with
RPS Group and delivered multidisciplinary
maritime, port and offshore renewable
energy projects as Technical Director.
More recently working for McLaughlin
& Harvey Ltd, he was responsible for
the company’s innovative subsea drilling
R&D initiatives as well as a wider business
development role in the Civil and Marine
Construction Division.
Roisin Murray
Since becoming General Manager at Fast
Engineering in 2015, he has started to deliver
the company’s ambitious plans for growth
including diversification into new sectors and
regions plus development of new products
through innovative R&D.
Fast Engineering Limited based in Antrim is
the designer and manufacturer of the award
winning FASTANK® and FASTASLEEP®
product ranges.
FASTANK® modular containment systems
include portable storage tanks, pollution
control bunds and oil/water separators. The
products are lightweight, robust and can be
erected without tools in minutes. The tanks are
Roisin is Programme Director of Tascomi Ltd,
which specialises in innovative, web-based
software solutions providing an in-depth
business understanding, coupled with
exceptional service and support. Tascomi
has become a market leader in the provision
of web-based ‘mobile’ applications, in both
the public and private sectors.
A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast with
a BSc Hons in Computer Science with Business
Administration, Roisin’s first management
position was in a local manufacturing company
as part of the Queen’s Knowledge Transfer
Programme (KTP), where she undertook an
initial IT related project. After four years in
manufacturing, Roisin decided to pursue a
more technology focused role and in 2007
joined Tascomi as a Business Consultant.
used in many applications including oils spill
response, disaster and aid relief, aquaculture
and construction.
FASTASLEEP® is a range of anti-vandal, tear
resistant and fire resistant bedding used in
custody suites and secure environments by
police services, prisons and the health sector.
Roisin was responsible for all aspects of
Product Delivery, from Sales and Account
Management, to Implementation and Support
of the Tascomi Government product range –
then a 100% Northern Ireland Customer Base.
She now heads up a growing team of
nine people, responsible for Product
Delivery, Customer Experience and Product
Management across the UK and Ireland.
Joining the Tascomi Board In 2015 as
Programme Director, Roisin is able to channel
her passion for the organisation’s People,
Products and Services and to continue to
forge strong partnerships with their growing
Customer Base, as well as continuing to make
a significant contribution to the company’s
strategic direction and growth.
September/October 2016 — 9
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
Marketing – the Core of your Business!
By Russell Moore, Levy McCallum
Everybody reading this article wants more
sales. Of course we do, this is the IoD
Northern Ireland magazine for goodness’
sake – we’re all in business and the purpose
of business is to get sales. Right?
Well, maybe not entirely right…
I am a passionate advocate for that
strange and often misunderstood thing
called ‘Marketing’ and spend a lot of time
wondering why many local businesses still
focus on ‘sales’ instead of a more strategic
and planned Marketing approach.
Marketing isn’t just that bit about sticking
leaflets under windscreen wipers or sending
emails that nobody wants to see - Marketing
is the very core of your business!
Marketing is where you identify who you want
to do business with, find out what they want
or need to come up with the best-matching
product or service idea and then engage with
your customers to tell them what you’ve done,
find out if they’re happy and then what they
want you to do next!
Sales are important, but are really only an
outcome of the wider Marketing strategy
and the ironic thing is that if you build your
business around Marketing then sales happen;
better, faster, more efficiently and much, much
more profitably!
Northern Ireland companies have a number
of fine, local advertising agencies at their
disposal but at Levy McCallum we prefer
to look that bit deeper into our clients’
business and believe that, if we can help
you understand and deliver the right thing
for the right customer in the right way,
you’ll never have to sell another thing in
your life!
If you’re interested in finding out what
strategic Marketing could do for your
business, get in touch with Russell at
Levy McCallum on 028 9072 6070 or
[email protected]
IoD member Russell is Managing Director
of marketing & advertising agency Levy
McCallum in Belfast and a Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Alcohol in the workplace
Innovative new Toolkit launched
IoD charity of the year, Addiction NI
along with Business in the Community and
the Social Research Centre has launched
a new Drink, Work and Me Employers’
Toolkit to help businesses review, develop
and implement an effective substance
misuse policy within their organisations.
The toolkit has been developed as part
of Drink, Work & Me, an employer-led,
pioneering programme that seeks to
help employees understand the wider
impacts of alcohol, assisting them to make
informed choices when using it. Nineteen
companies have already participated in the
programme, which is supported by the Big
Lottery Fund.
Alcohol is the third biggest cause of
death in Northern Ireland and a major
issue in our society, and its misuse is the
second greatest risk factor for cancer after
smoking.
As Addiction NI CE Thelma Abernethy
points out: “With the heaviest drinkers
tending to be concentrated among those
of working age, we believe the workplace is
the ideal setting to focus on the issue.
10 — September/October 2016
With almost 30 years in business and
servicing over 250 customers, Mount
Charles is one of Ireland’s leading
foodservice, cleaning, security and
vending companies.
Its client base spans business, industry,
education, healthcare and government, and
the range of services the company offers
is continually growing; it now also includes
integrated business support services such
as reception staff, maintenance, helpdesk,
portering, waste management and a
remote switchboard service
A passion for customer service is at the
heart of the Mount Charles offering
and regardless of the size or scope of a
contract, the company mission is to deliver
a quality, cost-effective solution that frees
the customer to maximise the potential of
their own core business.
Celebrating the launch of Mount Charles ‘Drink’ at Down Royal are: Mike Todd, Pamela
Ballantine, Chairman of Mount Charles Trevor Annon and Jim Nicholson
Catalyst
Survitec Group, led by IoD member Moya
Johnston, was among the first cohort of
businesses to participate in the Drink, Work
& Me project with all staff receiving the
training. Moya is a strong advocate for
the programme, explaining that Survitec
became involved in Drink, Work & Me
as part of a wider employee health and
wellbeing approach. “It has helped us to
create a culture where employees feel free
to confront any difficulties they may be
experiencing. Drink, Work & Me has allowed
us to address what is often a contentious
issue from a strategic perspective whilst
bringing a range of positive benefits to staff
wellbeing.”
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Mount Charles
Mount Charles has been on a growth
trajectory for the past five years, both in
terms of business revenue and employees;
indeed it was named the UK’s fastest
growing independent foodservice company
in the Foodservice Growth Report 2015.
“Many employers want to support staff, who
are experiencing alcohol-related harm but
are unsure where to start. Drink, Work & Me
is not an anti-alcohol campaign; it’s about
ensuring employees in Northern Ireland
have access to appropriate information
and guidance at the right time in their lives
to enable them to make informed choices
about their alcohol use.”
For more information, visit
www.drinkworkandme.com
MEMBER COMPANY PROFILE
1800 and rising
The company now employs in excess of
1,800 people across Ireland and will, by the
end of 2016, see that number rise to almost
2,000 employees.
In the last year alone Mount Charles has
won over £7 million of new business, with
one of the most significant wins being
a three-year deal worth £3.5 million to
supply professional contract cleaning to a
government body.
Other significant contract wins across
Ireland include Ladbrokes, Translink, South
Eastern Regional College, the Western
Health and Social Care Trust and Glanbia.
This summer, the company announced
the launch of a brand new division, Mount
Charles ‘Drink’, which will service bar and
beverage contracts for external events.
quickly in a marketplace that is dominated
by multinational service providers, with
the company attributing its success in
this highly competitive field to its local
approach combined to a dedication to
excellence that is world-class.
The catalyst for this new division was the
success of their beverage contract with
Ulster Rugby at the Kingspan Stadium
which has been in place since July 2013
and with the decision taken to create a
dedicated team to concentrate on this area,
Mount Charles has gone on to win contracts
with the international motorcycling
event the north West 200, and with the
prestigious Down Royal racecourse.
Over the past 18 months Mount Charles has
responded to rapidly growing demand for
outsourced business solutions in Ireland by
undergoing an expansion strategy to grow
the business in the Republic of Ireland.
In both Northern Ireland and the Republic,
Mount Charles is operating and growing
Mount Charles Managing Director Cathal
Geoghegan
(from left) Gordon Milligan of Translink,
Thelma Abernethy of Addiction NI, Denise
Cranston from Business in the Community
and Chris Lyttle MLA
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September/October 2016 — 11
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
Corporation tax can
still work for NI
4G Calling...Can you hear it?
Stuart Carson, Rainbow Communications
The quality of mobile calls is getting
substantially clearer; the question is, do
you have the right platform to take full
advantage of the shift in quality? The
answer to that lies in your access to 4G
technology.
by Mervyn McCall, spokesperson for GROW NI
The plan to reduce Northern Ireland’s rate
of Corporation Tax can still be the policy
intervention needed to move the region
onto a new economic footing and GROW
NI has written to the First Minister and
deputy First Minister to request a meeting
with the entire NI Executive about this
issue.
proposals. Here in NI however, our structures
and legislation are already in place and we
are on course to have a lower tax rate of
12.5%, by April 2018, irrespective of what
might or might not happen in the rest of the
UK. This lower, certain approach will put us in
a very positive position.
Previously 2 and 3G LTE (Long Term
Evolution) platforms provided the mobile
technology to make calls. Now with the
advent of 4G, those capabilities have been
substantially extended to facilitate a ‘voice
over’ element known as VoLTE. Currently
LTE networks only carry data, leaving voice
calls to be carried by older 3G networks.
With VoLTE, voice and data will travel
through the same network.
Not enough
In the wake of June’s EU referendum, we
acknowledge the current uncertainty created
by the Brexit result and the sooner we get
a clearer picture of the political outworking
of the vote the better for the economy. In
the meantime though our focus remains very
clear – the implementation of a 12.5% rate
of corporation tax in NI from 1 April 2018.
The battle to secure the power to set our
own Corporation Tax rate was long, drawn
out, and required a unified political and
business voice in our dealings with the UK
Government. It remains a viable and relevant
policy tool.
The fact that prior to leaving office the
previous Chancellor George Osborne
signalled an intention to reduce the national
level of Corporation Tax shows that we in
Northern Ireland are right to view reduced
tax as a incentive to attracting investment
and to supporting economic regeneration.
However the exact rate and the date
of implementation of this proposed UK
wide rate were not set and it is currently
unclear whether Phillip Hammond, the new
Chancellor, will follow his predecessors
We are equally clear that a reduced
corporation tax rate on its own will not be
enough to ensure that we maximise our
potential. Increased high quality inward
investment will depend on and look for a
high quality talent pool across a range of
sectors and will demand that our physical
and communications infrastructure is fit
for purpose. That will require continued
investment in our universities and FE colleges,
as well as our roads and rail network.
The business community is standing
alongside our political representatives, in the
Executive and in opposition, as they focus on
the need for investment and jobs. In a postBrexit environment we in Northern Ireland
need to carve out our own future and make
long term investment plans which will help
us realise our economic potential and create
a significant number of long term, high value
added, well paid jobs. We look to a new
Programme for Government that supports
this investment and this future for all citizens.
A successful economy can be the driver of a
successful Northern Ireland and that means
that all Departments and all Ministers need
to work together with a collective vision. We
have written to the First Ministers requesting
a meeting with the entire Executive as quickly
as possible, to engage with all Ministers and
contribute to the debate about how to make
Northern Ireland work.
That prize is still within our own grasp.
GROW NI is the umbrella group which
represents business organisations employing
over 200,000 people across Northern Ireland.
Good luck in London!
We wish our nine shortlisted finalists all the best
for the IoD UK Director of the Year Awards in
London on 21 October:
Colin Coffey CDir, Flint Studios
Alastair Hamilton CDir, Invest Northern Ireland
Gareth Loye, M&M Contractors
Paul McElvaney, Learning Pool
Brian McErlain CDir, Genesis Crafty
Brendan McGurgan CDir, CDE Global Ltd
Brendan Mooney, Kainos Group plc
Brian Murray, The Workspace group
Carla Tully, AES UK & Ireland
Joining the category finalists in London will be
Allen Reid CDir of Henry Group and Mark Fegan
CDir from Bunzl, who have been shortlisted for
the New Chartered Director of the Year award.
12 — September/October 2016
IoD NI Directors of the Year 2015-16
The clearest benefit for consumers will be
higher-quality voice calls, otherwise known
as HD Voice. Calls made between VoLTE
devices will have clearer audio with less
background noise. They’ll also have less
dropped packets, which is when a call cuts
out for a second. The big advantage of
VoLTE is that call quality is superior to 3G
or 2G connections as far more data can be
transferred over 4G than 2G or 3G. Up to
three times as much data as 3G and up to six
times as much as 2G to be precise, making it
easier to make out not only what the person
on the other end of the line is saying, but
also their tone of voice.
The 4G voice connectivity
also enables access to
documents, the web or
emails in call at 4G speeds
as opposed to the current
3G speed. This all means
improved productivity
on the go, with greater
call clarity and access to
information.
Furthermore, VoLTE can
connect calls up to twice
Stuart Carson
as fast as the current
methods and as 2G and
3G connections will still be
available when there’s no 4G signal it simply
means that there’s greater mobile coverage
overall. Anyone who currently uses 4G
could also find their battery life increased
with VoLTE, as right now whenever you make
or receive a call your phone has to switch
from 4G to 2G or 3G. All that switching,
plus the need to search for a different signal
each time, can put a significant drain on
battery life.
EE has one of the best 4G networks
currently rolled out in Northern Ireland with
98% coverage*. 4G Calling is available to
EE Pay Monthly, Small Business and Large
Business customers using an iPhone 6,
6 Plus, 6S, 6S Plus, SE, Lumia 550, 650,
950, 950 XL and the Sony Xperia X. There
is no additional cost to use the 4G Calling
service as it’s a feature of Pay Monthly and
Small Business plans. Calls and texts come
out of your monthly allowances as normal,
with anything outside of that being charged
at the standard rates. EE currently covers
60% of the UK land mass when it comes to
4G and it wants to jump to 92% by the end
of 2017, and 95% by 2020. So, if calls are
important to you and your business, isn’t it
time you made the right call on 4G?
Stuart is Sales & Marketing Director of
Rainbow Communications.
*http://goo.gl/WPkKX7
MEMBER PROFILE
Rory Clarke
Rory is Head of Corporate Acquisition at
Danske Bank, Corporate and leads the
award winning Corporate Acquisition team
that is focused on developing and winning
new relationships with Northern Ireland’s
leading businesses. The team won the
title of Corporate Banking Team of the
Year in the Insider Dealmakers Awards in
2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
Rory’s experience includes working with
large corporates and SMEs across a broad
range of sectors. He was formerly a
Corporate Financier with broad experience
of successfully leading and delivering across
a wide range of funding transactions.
You can contact Rory on 028 9004 7149,
07423 439 377 or [email protected]
Flexible and affordable
postgraduate study
at Ulster
ulster.ac.uk/learnyourway
Master’s degree
from
Discounts
available
£5,150
in total
Flexible
payment
plans
*Exclusions apply. Terms and conditions apply.
September/October 2016 — 13
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
FUSION CASE STUDY
Innovation
Island?
In light of the recent BREXIT
referendum decision, a key objective for
InterTradeIreland is to ensure that crossborder trade continues to grow and SME
benefits are exploited. Cross-border
trade in goods and services on the island
of Ireland has grown exponentially over
the past twenty years and now stands
at circa £5bn Sterling or €6bn Euro
equivalent.
Over this period cross-border trade has
proven to be robust, recovering strongly
from other shocks such as the banking
crisis. While local businesses have proven
to be resilient so far, companies should
not expect to compete on price and trade
alone but focus on creating new and
unique innovative products and services.
Taking a planned approach to exporting
based on innovation, diversification and
scenario planning will be key.
The Challenges
Of course there are challenges to both
business and academia including a lack
of trust over issues such as intellectual
property, uncertainty about the potential
benefits of working together, and the
difficulty on both sides of finding the time
for initial exploratory conversations and
completing an application form.
3 Firms are engaging in many different
types of innovation
While over two thirds of innovative firms
have an ambition for growth, those who
have a formal process in place to manage
development in the business are in shorter
supply.
Some companies need specialist support to
help them to rethink products and services,
develop new ones entirely or to embed a
proven, reliable and repeatable innovation
model into their business and this is where
InterTradeireland can help.
Eileen Beamish
FUSION benefits
The graduate is employed by the company
and is based there throughout the project
(12 - 18 months) with mentoring from the
academic partner and InterTradeIreland
FUSION consultant.
It is this mix of ‘Knowledge Transfer’ that
sparks truly innovative successes for the
companies who participate on the FUSION
Programme.
Innovation means growth
Knowledge Transfer - a key to innovation
A report on All-Island Innovation by
InterTradeIreland* revealed that businesses
that are innovating and doing things
differently are three times more likely to
grow. Innovation has become the key
differentiator for firms seeking to thrive and
compete more effectively.
Technology or knowledge transfer between
academia and industry can be defined as
the means by which expertise, knowledge,
skills and capabilities are transferred from
a knowledge centre (university, college
or research centre) to a firm in need of
that knowledge. Thus the purpose of
technology and knowledge transfer is to
catalyse and facilitate innovation.
FUSION
The findings were based on insights from
1,100 firms across the island, North and
South, and confirm that:
1 Innovative companies can be found
across all sectors of the economy in
Northern Ireland and Ireland
2 Innovation activity is not dependent
upon the presence of dedicated R&D
staff
InterTradeIreland’s hugely successful
‘FUSION’ Innovation Programme has been
helping local companies over the past 15
years to develop new products, or improve
existing products and processes, by
helping them to fund a high calibre science,
engineering or technology graduate
and partnering them with a third level
institution with specific expertise.
However the skills and knowledge obtained
by both parties are invaluable. Having that
additional resource to help rethink your
products and services can greatly change
your commercial path. Innovation and
product development requires specialist
skills both from within your company and
from external supports which is where
Academia is invaluable.
Times have changed with trends in
innovation now moving from being
generated within a firm to being driven by
external resources including knowledge
centres, such as Institutes of Further and
Higher Education and research centres as
well as being facilitated by Government
Business support agencies.
On average, each company taking part
on the FUSION programme benefits from
over £1 million worth of sales or efficiency
savings in the three years following the
project.
Funding available:
18 month support package - worth up
to £44,250 typically in the area of new
product/service development
12 month support project – worth up to
£31,000 typically in the area of process
improvement.
Interested? How to apply
First – Check that you meet the
eligibility criteria for the Programme
on the InterTradeIreland website www.
intertradeireland.com/fusion
CD Enviro,
Cookstown
Co Tyrone-based CDEnviro Ltd, sister
company of CDE Global, whose MD
is IoD member Brendan McGurgan
CDir, was awarded the prestigious
‘InterTradeIreland FUSION Project
Exemplar’ award in 2015, which was
presented to only five companies
in total across the island. The
‘Project Exemplar’ award recognises
exceptionally high levels of innovation
and collaboration between a firm,
their graduate and an academic as
part of the InterTradeIreland FUSION
programme.
CDEnviro Ltd. offers a range of products
proven to bring significant efficiencies
to the waste water treatment industry
due to their capability to maximise
material recovery and minimise waste
volumes. The company’s client base
includes many major water utility
companies across the UK as well as
consultants and contractors to the
industry.
The FUSION project involved CDEnviro
partnering with the Civil Structural &
Environmental Engineering School of
Trinity College, Dublin with the support
of InterTradeIreland graduate, Sean
Dobbs. Sean worked for CDEnviro for
the 18 month duration of the project,
which was completed in March 2015,
and has since been offered a role as a
product development engineer with the
company.
Kevin Vallelly from CDEnviro says: “We
are delighted that our innovation has
been recognised and are proud to
accept our Exemplar award. The level
of innovation achieved in this project
has surpassed even our expectations,
highlighted by the fact that there are 2
patents pending on the core technology
developed.
The FUSION project has brought us
a great deal of new knowledge and
the original scope of the project
shifted to address an issue we were
having with part of our road sweeping
recycling washing plant. We were
able to focus on this and a new
prototype is performing well, giving
us the confidence to implement new
processes into other live projects. We
are delighted that involvement in this
project also has allowed us to anticipate
an increase in sales by more than £1/2
million by year three.”
Second – If you meet the criteria call
028 3083 4189 to speak to a member
of the FUSION team to discuss your
requirements further. Or you can email
[email protected]
Third – A FUSION consultant will make an
appointment to come and meet you at your
premises where the process of application
and matching with the correct academic
partnership will begin.
Local IoD Contact
Alternatively, if you would like an informal
and confidential chat around FUSION
with a local IOD member, Eileen Beamish,
FUSION consultant, can be contacted at
[email protected]
14 — September/October 2016
(from left) Kevin Vallelly and Sean Dobbs of CDEnviro Ltd, with Thomas Hunter McGowan
CEO of InterTradeIreland and Laurence Gill from Trinity College Dublin.
September/October 2016 — 15
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
Discover what’s possible
The Key To Innovation
Success
Innovate or die
by Noel Branagh, Bunzl McLaughlin
Business leaders have long
been told that innovation is the
key to achieving sustainable
competitive advantage especially
in today’s globalised economy
but innovation isn’t something
that can suddenly be switched
on overnight; it must be
embedded in the culture of an
organisation. Success does not
mean implementing an innovation
strategy or creating an innovation
department. The mind-set of
being innovative has to permeate all
facets of the business from the top down,
and the bottom up.
‘Innovate or die’ is the mantra business
leaders both fear and encourage but what
does it actually mean to be an innovative
business?
Take the example of my own company,
Bunzl McLaughlin. We supply catering
and cleaning disposables, and in 2012
created a spin-off business: Bunzl Catering
Design Solutions (CDS). The plan was
that Bunzl CDS would use innovation and
thought leadership to take on the market of
designing, sourcing and project managing
the installation of commercial kitchens and
catering areas.
Looking to grow and develop your business?
We provide innovation support to identify new all-island opportunities.
Creating and embedding a culture that
encourages the sharing of ideas is critical
in an innovative business. Old hierarchal
structures and established business practices
are too cumbersome in a fast moving
innovative business. We have flat structures,
delegated responsibility and good teamwork
Bunzl CDS convert the 3D model into a movie
and using tablet or virtual reality technology
give the client a realistic view of their new
workspace before final decisions are made
to speed up the collaboration process where
failure is embraced as a learning opportunity
and everyone is encouraged to try new ideas.
Resource is always the most important
aspect of any successful business. We have
made investment in recruiting talent with
cutting edge ideas and skills and finding
ways to integrate them into an existing
team whose main asset is their experience.
enabling them to constantly develop new
ways to differentiate themselves in their
marketplace and sustain their competitive
advantage.
If you would like to talk to IoD member
Noel, who is Managing Director of Bunzl
McLaughlin, he can be contacted at
[email protected] or 07826 927 485.
Samples of Bunzl CDS’s portfolio
of work can be seen on
www.cateringdesignsolutions.net/
So to answer the original question: what
does it actually mean to be an innovative
business?
Innovative businesses are those that are
open enough to encourage everyone
to try new ideas, quickly learn from
the failures and try again. They have
innovation, creativity and collaboration
embedded firmly into their culture,
Bunzl CDS has built up a team of 6 project
managers, 3 CAD designers, 2 service managers,
2 sourcing specialists and a network of 100
engineers covering the whole island of Ireland
Rethinking your products and services is the key to unlocking commercial success.
InterTradeIreland can help by providing specialist Research Development & Innovation skills.
HOW?
Technology transfer support up to £44,250 to help fund a high calibre science, technology
or engineering graduate to work on an innovation project. A FREE innovation programme,
‘Challenge’, for SMEs providing them with a proven, reliable and repeatable innovation process
to bring ideas to market quicker and with less cost. Horizon 2020 support for North South
applications from SMEs and Researchers to help them access vital European funds.
Interested? Talk to us today.
Bunzl Catering Design Solutions create an initial digital sketch onsite and convert it into a fully rendered 3D model of the new kitchen
For more information visit: www.intertradeireland.com/innovationsuccess
Intelligence
16 — September/October 2016
•
Funding
•
Contacts
intertradeireland.com
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IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
Northern Ireland’s gateway
City Quays 1 fully let within 9 months
The Harbour Estate
Harbour Estate and 23,000 people come to
work and learn here every day. The Port
and Harbour Estate, which we continue to
develop, is the heart of the NI Economy
and Victoria Channel its main artery,
pumping over £25 billion worth of trade in
and out of NI every year.
Challenges are only opportunities yet unrealised according to Belfast
Harbour CEO and IoD member, Roy Adair CBE.
“The only thing certain about the past
few weeks is the uncertainty, yet for
over 400 years Belfast Harbour has
witnessed many periods of growth and
decline, turbulence and renewal and it’s
still here.
That is no mean achievement and we
are confident that our ambitious capital
investment strategy will continue to allow
us to support the regional economy and
will continue to develop the prosperity of
Belfast and Northern Ireland.
The Port is, in many ways, a weather vane
for the local economy. It carries 70% of
NI’s seaborne traffic and 20% for the island
of Ireland. Some 23 million tonnes of
cargo and 1.4 million people pass through
the Port annually and we have invested
some £400 million in infrastructure and
projects over the past twenty years
resulting in 2015 being a record breaking
year for us.
Trade
grew by 13% to 843,000 tonnes as oil prices
fell, driving liquid bulk imports to a five-year
high of 2.3 million tonnes.
We have recently reported our 2015
financial results announcing Turnover at
the Harbour up 3.4% to £54.3 million and
Operating Profit also up by 3.4% to stand at
£28.7 million. Profits before Tax rose 2.3%
to £29.9 million.
Northern Ireland firms exporting
construction materials also had a good year
with stone exports rising by 6% to a record
1.5 million tonnes. Exports of cement
products were up 84% to 199,000 tonnes,
the highest level for seven years.
At the start of the year we revealed that
the Port handled 23 million tonnes of cargo
during 2015, similar to the throughput for
2014. The tonnages suggest a varying
performance between sectors in the
wider Northern Ireland economy with
commodities linked to the energy and
consumer sectors growing, and the agrifood sector declining.
Animal feed imports, however, fell back by
9% as the local agri-food sector reacted
to well-documented difficult international
trading circumstances during 2015. These
included Russian economic sanctions on EU
food products, and falling demand from
Chinese and Middle East markets.
The number of freight vehicles handled
- an indicator of consumer confidence increased by 5,000, surpassing 480,000 for
the first time. Imports of home heating oil
Today, more than ever, Belfast Harbour
looks to the future and the creation of a
modern, high wage economy. More than
700 businesses are based in the 2,000-acre
Partnership
The life of the city, Northern Ireland and
the Harbour are intertwined by the people
who made Belfast the commercial and
industrial hub that it continues to be.
We are also connected by the stories of
people who toiled here digging channels,
reclaiming land, loading and unloading
cargos, building ships and creating what is
now, for its size, the most successful port in
Britain and Ireland.
18 — September/October 2016
Job creation
Today international names like NBC, Baker
and McKenzie and Boston-based tech firm
Cayan have found a home in Belfast through
the development opportunities created
at the City Quays development. Belfast
Harbour, working closely with Invest NI and
Belfast City Council, is committed to secure
further investment and build a sustainable
private sector economy, generating higher
wage jobs. We believe that what we offer
to foreign direct investors is unique and
competitive, evidenced by the letting of all
of City Quays 1 in just nine months. Success
has been the product of a forward thinking,
innovative investment strategy, identifying
market opportunities and delivering for our
tenants and the regional economy.
New opportunities
In recent weeks we have announced a
commitment to new projects totaling £100
million which are either underway or due to
commence within the next six months - all
made possible by the ambitious and can-do
approach taken by Belfast Harbour, which
reinvests every penny of its earnings in
developing the Port and its wider estate to
the benefit of the local economy.
In collaboration with Belfast City Council,
we’ve leased a site at Giant’s Park on the
North Foreshore to develop a new purpose
built film studio made up of two sound
stages, workshops and offices, which will
place Belfast at the centre of the European
film industry.
Belfast Harbour is the largest local investor
in the Northern Ireland economy and is
making a major contribution to the renewal
of Belfast and Northern Ireland. The pieces
of the jigsaw are now forming a picture of
the future. The Port is like a living organism,
continuing to recreate and reinvent.
A new four-star AC by Marriott hotel is
currently under construction at City Quays,
complementing the existing provision at
Titanic Quarter and the new hotel at the
iconic H&W Drawing Offices.
Cruise expansion
It’s worth recalling that a little over 115
years ago the world saw its first purpose
built cruise ship, the Princess Victoria
Louisa, but having built some notable
liners such as the Canberra it was not until
1997 that Belfast saw its first two cruise
liners visit the city. Over 80 ships are
expected to visit Belfast Harbour this year
carrying around 145,000 passengers from
around the world on some of the cruise
industry’s best known operators including
Celebrity, Princess Cruises, Fred Olsen and
About Belfast Harbour
Belfast Harbour is a trading company created by statute. It is required to behave
commercially and is 100% self-funded. Its task is to operate, maintain and develop
Belfast Harbour assets for the benefit of port customers, other stakeholders and
consequently the wider economy. As a Trust Port, all profits are retained and re-invested
within the business.
The Harbour’s business focus is upon delivering best-in-class infrastructure, built assets
and services to support:
1.Exporters and importers as Northern Ireland’s primary gateway to the world and its
primary logistics hub
2.Ferry and Cruise ship operators
3.Companies providing services to shippers and cargo owners
4.Estate tenants, both current and prospective
Over 30% of Northern Ireland’s Gross Domestic Product is supported by Harbour
activities (source: Centre for Economics & Business Research).
September/October 2016 — 19
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
The Caribbean Princess berthed in Belfast
P&O. Most of the major lines operating in
Western Europe now call at Belfast and it’s
particularly pleasing that year on year they
have increased the number of passengers
they bring to the city.
August 2016 will be our busiest cruise
month ever with 25 calls expected. During
the year there will also be a number of
cruises embarking from the Port, and we
are currently going through the planning
consent process for a dedicated cruise quay
and simultaneously assessing the viability of
such a scheme.
20 — September/October 2016
The Belfast Harbour Studios
Renewable Energy
In 2012 Belfast Harbour committed £50
million to an Off-shore Wind Terminal for
DONG Energy, the world’s number one
developer of off-shore wind farms. Since
May the site has again been operational
with MHI Vestas tower components for
DONG Energy’s Burbo Bank 2 wind farm
in the Irish Sea arriving in Belfast Harbour.
This will be the first commercial installation
of the V164-8.0 MW turbine, the most
powerful wind turbine in the world and
they are expected to be loaded to be taken
out to the project site in September.
Community
Belfast Harbour is very much part of
the local communities it serves and is
committed to not just to create quality
jobs for local people, but also help build
capability in the communities which make
up our city and wider region.
We commit more than 1% of Profit before
Tax to Corporate Responsibility initiatives
working with more than 25 partners
delivering programmes across the city
and the region, supporting employment
opportunities, education, diversity
awareness, community participation and
access to arts and culture.
age has thrown up new challenges and
those challenges have had to be embraced
and dealt with. We continue to make
decisions that will help shape and sculpt the
future of the Port and the city of Belfast for
many years to come.
Harbour is highly regarded as a commercial
operation, but is equally highly respected
as one of the great institutions of Belfast,
where the traditions and dignity of the past
are melded with the changing values of
each succeeding generation”.
Recently we were the first company
in Northern Ireland to achieve the
Gold Standard in the Business in the
Community CORE – Responsible Business
Standard benchmarking process,
underpinning how seriously we take
our commitment to the environment,
the communities around us and our
employees.
The narrative of ports is that they are
defined by both their tragedies and
triumphs. As one former Commissioner
in the 1990’s said of Belfast Harbour: “It
was an ever changing scene at an ever
increasing pace”, but he added: “The
I think it’s fair to say that whatever
the future holds, Belfast Harbour will
maintain its tradition of being a successful
commercial operation as it continues to
evolve with the changing needs of the
coming generations.”
In recent years we have made the Harbour
Office available to community groups,
organisations and charities which can
benefit from the use of our space to host
events. During 2016 we are on course to
help more than 100 organisations in this
way.
The Future
Belfast Harbour, as its colourful history
proves, has survived famine, revolutionary
change, expansion, trade wars, world
wars, recessions and civil unrest. Each
Belfast Harbour in Numbers
3,000 acres of land & sea
£400m invested in 20 years
70% of all NI’s seaborne trade
£120m investments committed
23m tonnes handled annually
700 tenants employing 23,000
1.4m passengers annually
10m sq ft developed in 20 years
8km of quays
30km of roads
210,000 sq ft Grade A office
space under construction/
committed to
September/October 2016 — 21
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
The Chartered Director Programme –
an insider’s view...
Do you remember your last exam? For
many of this year’s cohort on the IoD’s
Chartered Director Programme, it was at
university.
So it was with some trepidation that we
undertook the Certificate exam in early
March followed by the Diploma in June.
The Certificate exam was 48 multiple
choice questions covering the four areas
we had studied - the Role of the Director
and the Board, Finance for Non-Financial
Directors, the Director’s Role in Strategy
and Marketing, and, finally, the Director’s
Role in Leading the Organisation.
The Diploma examination was somewhat
more testing. A complex company case
study, with full financial results, from which
we had to identify the pertinent issues and
develop a strategy taking into account the
areas we had studied during the course.
Challenging but rewarding
There’s no doubt the Chartered Director
Programme was challenging, but incredibly
rewarding in so many ways.
Long-standing Course Director Peter Martin
assembled an outstanding programme of
engaging and knowledgeable speakers,
whose enthusiasm for their areas of
expertise eased the learning process.
In total the course covers 12.5 days, mostly
held in two-day residential blocks at hotels
across the Province, with the final objective
of becoming a Chartered Director.
working effectively, establishing an audit
and risk committee as a result.
The 15 directors in this year’s programme
come from all sectors of the economy and
I garnished some thoughts from my fellow
students over dinner on the final residential
evening.
Don’t wait!
Everyone was in agreement that the course
had been challenging but extremely
rewarding.
Theory into practice
One director had begun the process of
restructuring his company armed with
the knowledge acquired during the
programme.
Another had undertaken an evaluation
of her company’s board to ensure it was
Participants from the public sector believed
that getting exposure to a more commercial
mind-set from others on the course had
changed their own mind-set in terms of
problem solving and felt they had become
more entrepreneurial in their outlook.
The presenters are excellent, they
know their topics very well and are very
passionate - which significantly aids
understanding.
I have enjoyed the learning as it’s so
relevant, but also enjoyed mixing with
directors from other sectors, which has
provided wonderful insight into other
industries.
Places are already filling up for the next
course, which begins in January.
My biggest regret is not completing this
course 10 years ago - don’t make the same
mistake.
Next Chartered Director Programme
– starting 25/26 January 2017
For information about the Programme, contact Peter Martin on
028 9064 1131 or [email protected]
Role of the Director & the Board 2 days
Certificate Exam Preparation Session The Director’s Role in Strategy & Marketing delivered as a 2 day session and a later 1 day session
3 days
Certificate examination (21st June 2017 - morning)
Finance for Non-Financial Directors 2 days
Diploma Exam Preparation Session The Director’s Role in Leading the Organisation 2 days
Diploma examination (8th Nov 2017 – afternoon)
22 — September/October 2016
Jane Wells and Chris Harrison of communications agency JPR were
awarded the professional distinction by the Chartered Institute of PR
(CIPR).
CIPR says that Chartered status represents the highest standard of
professional excellence and integrity. As well as reflecting the breadth of
experience and achievements of the PR professional, it shows that they
keep pace in a fast-moving profession, updating their knowledge and
skills through CPD.
To become a Chartered PR practitioner, candidates are rigorously
assessed on their skills, knowledge and competencies in ethics, strategy
and leadership by a team of expert assessors.
Jane Wells and Chris Harrison, who are also Fellows of the CIPR,
are pictured with their Chartered PR Practitioner certificates
IoD ‘chiclet’ recognised
The local business accelerator,
Entrepreneurial Spark has provided a
substantial boost to Northern Ireland’s
entrepreneurial environment in the first
six months of its operation.
At the initiative’s ‘Entrepreneuring Awards’,
hosted in the Hatchery on Lombard Street,
Belfast, £30,000 in prizes were distributed
to chiclets in various categories, rewarding
their business acumen, professional
development and collaboration with others
taking part in the programme.
Developing Board Performance
delegates may sit in on one of the three
Dublin cohorts running in the same Jan-Nov
2017 period, though note that the exams
run on the same dates everywhere.
1 day
2 days
half day
For information about the programme,
contact Peter Martin on 028 9064 1131 or
[email protected]
Well done to new
Diploma holders!
Congratulations to the following
participants on the 2015-16 Chartered
Director Programme, who passed their
Diploma examination held in June.
And a special mention to Mark
Prentice on passing with a Distinction.
Paul Goodchild, founder of Fernleaf
Systems, with Lynsey Cunningham,
Entrepreneurial Development Manager at
Ulster Bank
The main award of the evening,
Entrepreneur of the Moment, was awarded to IoD member, Paul Goodchild, founder of
Fernleaf Systems. The award included a cash prize of £10,000 to help take his business
to the next level.
Entrepreneurial Spark is the world’s largest free business accelerator for early stage
and growing ventures, in partnership with Ulster Bank. It has provided significant
opportunities to almost 80 early stage and scale-up businesses since its arrival in
Northern Ireland in February this year.
Programme structure
Two day modules are residential and based
in hotels outside Belfast, while the shorter
sessions and exams are held in Belfast. If
any Northern Ireland dates do not suit
Two IoD members have become amongst the first in the UK to secure
Chartered Status from the PR industry’s professional body.
Fernleaf Systems provides a plug-in to manage large numbers of Wordpress websites
from one central location. Fernleaf also has the number one rated security plug-in for
Wordpress, which powers more than 30 per cent of the world’s websites.
The next Northern Ireland IoD Chartered Director Programme will
start in January with the multiple choice Certificate exam in June
and the case study-based Diploma exam in November 2017. No
modules will take place in July or August.
The Programme equips successful candidates with the Certificate
and Diploma in Company Direction and prepares them to apply for
Chartered Director, the highest qualification for board directors. 5
modules are delivered over 11 days in 1 or 2 day blocks with two
examination preparation sessions. Exams can increasingly be taken by
computer with participants using their own laptops wherever they are.
Chartered status for JPR
Bonnie Anley, Londonderry Port and
Harbour Commissioners
Jeremy Biggerstaff, Flint Studios
Jayne Brady, Kernel Capital
Graham Glover, Johnston Campbell Ltd
Clare Guinness, Fane Valley
Co-operative Society Ltd
Stephen Martin, PSNI
Dominic McClements, North-West
News Group
Chris McDowell, Kilwaughter
Chemical Co Ltd
Iain Miller, HMC Global Ltd
Brian Murray, The Workspace Group
Mark Prentice, Bord Gais Energy
Denis Reeves, BVL
Our newest Chartered Director
Michael Bell has become the latest Northern
Ireland member to gain Chartered Director
status, following successful completion of
the challenging interview process. He had
previously achieved the IoD Certificate and
Diploma in Company Direction.
As Executive Director of the Northern Ireland
Food and Drink Association for over 20 years,
Michael plays a key role in supporting the
important food and drink sector here.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science
and Technology (FIFST), a Chartered (Food)
Scientist (CSci) and holds a Leaders in Industry
programme Food and Drink Manufacturing
sector award from Queens University.
Michael is Chairman (Designate) of the NI
Agricultural Research and Development
Council, a member of Safefood Advisory
Committee, a member of the NI Food and
Feed Advisory panel for the Food Standards
Agency NI, a board member of Agri-Quest the Food Innovation Competence Centre and
an elected Trustee of the Northern Ireland
Assembly and Business Trust.
September/October 2016 — 23
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
We look at investing to create value and if you
create value and grow great companies, …..
the exit tends to look after itself.
Allen Martin, Kernel Capital
don’t figure that out, you haven’t got much
of a road map as to how you are going to
plan the development of the business. You
are better off considering your exit strategy
at an early stage and then trying to execute
a strategy that will deliver it.
In conversation with the
private equity sector
Business Advisory firm Grant Thornton has partnered with the IoD to host a series of roundtable discussions exploring the
opportunities and challenges faced by local businesses.
In the last of this roundtable series,
Richard Gillan, Managing Partner at Grant
Thornton NI, was joined by five leading
figures from the Private Equity sector
at the firm’s Belfast office to discuss
investment opportunities, the future of
the industry and the impact of Brexit.
Participants included Allen Martin, Senior
Investment Executive at Kernel Capital; Neil
Simms, Investment Director with Clarendon
Fund Managers; Colin Walsh, Chief
Executive and founder at Crescent Capital;
Mark Flood, co-founder of Renatus Capital
Funders; and Kevin MacSweeny, Head of
New Investments for Dublin based private
investment firm, Broadlake.
RG: What does the ideal investment
opportunity look like for you?
Richard Gillan, Grant Thornton
24 — September/October 2016
AM: At Kernel Capital, we invest from
half a million up to three million pounds
in our companies. We look for ambitious
teams and for companies that aspire to sell
products into global markets. Where there
is intellectual property or strong technology
around it, that is also an attraction and
carries more potential to invest.
MF: At Renatus we are more “private
equity” than “venture capital”. There
are three types of transactions we are
interested in: a management buyout, the
backing of new management to acquire a
business, or supporting a trade acquisition.
In each case, there is a finance requirement;
senior debt will do part of it and there will
be an equity gap which we seek to fill.
AM: We are not particularly exit-focused
when we go in to any investment but
our fund is a ten year fund and there is
obviously a need for an exit - that is the
world we operate in. We look at investing
to create value and if you create value and
grow great companies, our experience
would be that the exit tends to look after
itself. By creating value, you will attract
buyers.
KMS: We believe in full alignment of
interest with existing shareholders and
management teams. We invest on the same
terms as them and will only exit when it is
right for the business. We can take a longer
term view on investments if required as we
are personally investing our own capital.
Open discussions around exit timeframes
and strategies with management teams
both pre-investment and throughout the
RG: The banking environment has
changed significantly in the last couple
of years. What impact does that have on
your fund?
Allen Martin, Kernel Capital
AM: In the context of Northern Ireland, it
has probably created the opportunity that
the private equity venture capital sector was
looking for. Private equity is an immature
market and part of the reason for that is that
you had a banking sector that was providing
funding with an equity risk - certainly during
the boom period, when property prices
were high and banks were tending to lend
on the back of inflated property prices.
Post financial crisis there has been an
increase in alternative funding sources, from
crowd funding to asset finance and venture
capital. There are lots of different funding
models and certainly in a lot of our deals
you have bank debt, equity co-investment
and potentially grants as well. The challenge
now is for entrepreneurs to be aware of
what is available, because the funding
market is considerably more complex now
than it was.
NS: The market in Northern Ireland has
been distorted for so long by cheap debt
and grant availability. Some companies
aren’t looking for equity because they are
so used to availability of cheap debt. It
is going to take some time to rebalance
expectations.
KMS: We are focused on later stage
opportunities to invest £2-10m into
established businesses to partner with
ambitious people. We like export-focused
businesses where there are opportunities to
grow in new markets or where there is an
opportunity to support the company with
strategic acquisitions.
RG: Northern Ireland corporates have
often stood accused of being reluctant to
embrace venture capital or private equity.
Do current activity levels suggest that
anything is changing?
MF: We are obviously operating on both
sides of the border in Ireland and I think
the guys in southern Ireland are a lot more
reluctant to ”give away” equity than their
counterparts north of the border. It is an
emotive thing, equity; it is like taking a
partner in marriage, it shouldn’t be done
lightly! A lot of people accept that their
equity can facilitate growth and value
creation. Equity does not just unlock the
transaction, it also creates value. Sensible,
ambitious people are typically open to
equity and they are the type we want to
work with, particularly in Northern Ireland.
CW: I don’t think that business people are
intuitively any different North or South.
What I do think has happened in the
North is that there have been a number
of technology transactions where people
have realised significant gains and this has
Open discussions around exit timeframes
and strategies with management teams …..
are very important to us for that full
alignment of interest.
RG: Do you like to have a discussion
with a management team pre-investment
around exit time frames?
CW: You have to do that because if you
journey are very important to us for that full
alignment of interest.
Kevin MacSweeny, Broadlake
Kevin MacSweeny, Broadlake
September/October 2016 — 25
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
The participants
Richard Gillan
Managing Partner
Grant Thornton NI
Richard joined Grant Thornton in 2014 to
lead the Belfast office’s Advisory offering.
In March 2015 he was also appointed
Managing Partner of Grant Thornton
in Northern Ireland. Richard advises
companies on strategic and corporate
finance issues, including acquisitions,
finance raising and business disposals.
He previously personally acquired and
managed manufacturing and services
companies prior to successfully exiting
them.
Allen Martin
Senior Investment Executive
Kernel Capital
Allen is a Chartered Accountant who
joined the Kernel Capital team in 2014
from Invest NI where he was an executive
for five years within Invest NI’s Corporate
Finance Division, responsible for leading
and project managing key elements of
Invest NI’s Access to Capital Strategy.
Prior to this Allen worked in corporate
finance for three years at Ulster Bank and
in his early career he worked for three
years at Grant Thornton.
Neil Simms
Finance Director
Clarendon Fund Managers
Neil is Finance Director of, and an
Investment Manager with, Clarendon
Fund Managers Ltd having joined the
company in 2002. He has a BSc (Hons)
in Economics and Econometrics from
Nottingham University and is a member of
the Institute of Chartered Accountants in
Ireland, having trained and qualified with
Ernst & Young in Belfast. Neil has either
led or been heavily involved in negotiating
and completing multiple investment
rounds, and exits, in over twenty Northern
Ireland based SMEs, across a broad range
of sectors and he currently represents
Clarendon’s interests on the Board of four
portfolio companies.
Colin Walsh
Chief Executive and founder
Crescent Capital
Colin is Chief Executive and founder of
Crescent Capital and has been an active
venture capital investor in the local high
tech sector for the past twenty years. He
leads a team of investment professionals
who have completed investments for
Crescent in over thirty companies in
Northern Ireland. He is currently chairman
of Acheson Holdings Limited and also
holds directorships at NiSoft Limited,
Fusion Antibodies Limited and Replify
Limited. Colin recently completed a twoyear term as CBI chair for Northern Ireland
and is also the trustee for NI on the UK
board of Barnardos.
26 — September/October 2016
It is an emotive thing, equity; it is like
taking a partner in marriage, it shouldn’t
be done lightly!
Mark Flood, Renatus Capital Funders
Neil Simms, Clarendon Fund Managers
Some companies aren’t looking for equity
because they are so used to availability of
cheap debt. It is going to take some time to
rebalance expectations.
Neil Simms, Clarendon Fund Managers
helped educate the market. People can see
that the common denominator between
some of these companies has been the
injection of equity investment.
RG: Educating the market has been a
theme for quite some time, years even.
What more can we do?
CW: I have been educating the market for
so long that I feel like an evangelist in a
big tent. I was talking to people that didn’t
want to listen for quite a while; people who
didn’t want to be converted. The passage
of time brings about change eventually.
The difference 20 years ago is that we
didn’t have role models. Now the benefits
of equity investment are crystal clear. I do
not know that there is a whole lot more that
Mark Flood
Co-Founder
Renatus Capital Funders
Mark is a co-founder of Renatus Capital
Partners and takes a leading role in all
investments. Prior to establishing Renatus
Capital Partners, Mark spent seven years on
the senior management team of the Racing
Post in various operational and commercial
roles. Most recently he was Managing
Director of the Racing Post’s Irish operation.
Prior to his career in the Racing Post, Mark
was the first employee of FL Partners, an
Irish based international Private Equity
firm, where he was actively involved in over
€300m of transactions.
we can do; we are a small region and there
is only a minority of transactions that are
suitable for venture or private equity. Our
concern should be about the overall size
of the economy which would drive more of
these transactions.
KMS: The awareness of the different types
of equity funding and the strategic value add
of each type is very important. Awareness
is helped by the increased number of active
equity funds in the market and choices of
other forms of equity alternatives. Broadlake
started in 2009 and at that time we were
arguably the only equity fund active in
the Irish Republic. Until there were more
equity funds available, there was very little
happening. The greater the availability of
equity, the greater the awareness of its
Kevin MacSweeny
Head of New Investments
Broadlake
Kevin is Head of New Investments for
Dublin based Private Investment Firm,
Broadlake. Broadlake focuses on investing
€2-10m of equity into established ambitious
businesses with headquarters in Ireland or
the UK. Kevin heads up new investment
origination for Broadlake and also works
closely with Broadlake’s portfolio companies
on corporate development projects such as
strategic acquisition opportunities. Kevin
previously work with Noonan on Corporate
Development helping source and complete
strategic acquisitions for the Group.
value, the greater the number of transactions
that happen.
RG: Do you find that management teams
are typically aware of the potential to
become involved in a buy-out situation,
where such an opportunity exists?
KMS: It is very important for any person or
management team to have a commercial
adviser to unlock an opportunity. I think
Management Development programmes
can really help unlock and give teams the
confidence to think about a buy-out also.
On the point of Management Development
we run what we call Broadlake Insight Days.
We bring management from our investees
companies in for a day; depending upon
the topic, it may be say CFOs or CEOs or
marketing directors. They get to talk to
each other, then we bring experts in to
discuss a specific topic with them. On the
whole, promotion of education and selfawareness supports confidence which can
unlock opportunities.
CW: I have a very high regard for
development programmes. I would have
to say that what the IoD does with the
Professional Director and the Chartered
Director programmes is best in class. Some
of the very best management talent that we
have backed have done these programmes
and it has empowered them immensely.
MF: Both management teams and
companies should really enlist the
advice of experienced advisors such as
Grant Thornton. A lot of people we see
are advised by people who don’t have
experience of mergers and acquisitions. If
you are taking advice, make sure that they
have recent, relevant experience in the
field.
RG: How can the Northern Ireland
Executive help to grow business?
KMS: It is back to that point of programmes
and education. It is something that is
heavily promoted down South, led by
Enterprise Ireland. I think it is important
to encourage education and development
opportunities for senior management and
teams, that has to be the priority.
CW: They are going to have a lot less
cash to throw at the problem than they
did before. The Executive had significant
resources, much of which was EU sourced,
so that is going to be restricted going
forward. And management teams are no
use if they cannot get a workforce that has
the appropriate skills to do the roles. We
have not been good in Northern Ireland in
Mark Flood, Renatus Capital Funders
getting those two things aligned. The need
to address this will be more important than
ever in the next few years.
RG: The UK has voted to leave the
European Union. What impact will that
have on how you invest your funds?
MF: The potential for exchange rate
volatility is a lot higher so anything with that
exposure might be considered high risk.
CW: The whole access to capital is now
threatened. How we are going to finance
the smaller deals is the $64,000 question.
NS: There are layers of complexity here;
it is like a Rubik’s cube and very difficult
to call. The issue for Northern Ireland is
that so many projects were dependent
on the EU and its funding. We have been
talking about the A5 and the A6, York
Street Interchange and all those projects
never started, so how are they going to
be financed in this new scenario? At the
moment we just don’t know.
What the IoD does with the Professional
Director and the Chartered Director
programmes is best in class.
Colin Walsh, Crescent Capital
Colin Walsh, Crescent Capital
September/October 2016 — 27
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
Good communication is like
good comedy
Living in
interesting times
For over 25 years, Nuala McKeever has
been writing and performing comedy on
television, radio and stage (McKeever,
Give My Head Peace, In The Window,
The Ulster Kama Sutra, The Wilsons, etc).
But what you mightn’t know is that she
also delivers highly-acclaimed training
workshops and conference presentations
on Mindful Communication, Public
Speaking and Assertiveness.
Eamonn Donaghy of Bona Fide
Consultancy reflects on that old Chinese
curse, “May you live in interesting times”,
and what it means in a world of instant
gratification and unlimited download
capacity.
“Communication
is at the heart of
what we all do –
in work, at home
and even when
we’re on our
own.”
Nuala is a born communicator with a
passion for understanding what makes us
all tick and a desire to share what she’s
learned over many years of personal
development training.
“Communication is at the heart of what
we all do – in work, at home and even,
surprisingly, when we’re on our own.
How we speak and listen to others is crucial
to a happy, confident work experience.
And how we treat others is directly
connected to how we treat ourselves.
Good communication, like good comedy,
is based on observation. When we see and
understand what we’re doing and why, then
we can transform it.
Out of focus
Imagine you’re in a cinema and the film is
out of focus.
“It doesn’t take much reflection to realise
that interesting times might not be just as
attractive as they first seem.
How do you fix it?
If we cut out certain aspects of modern
life such as the latest show-biz gossip, who
will win the next big sporting event and
the alarming rise in a world chasing virtual
‘pocket monsters’ (aka Pokemon), and
focus on ‘real’ world events, it’s clear that
interesting does not automatically mean
pleasant, prosperous or beneficial.
When we simply concentrate on changing
what we do, without looking at why we do
it, it’s like trying to fix the film by fiddling
with the screen. It doesn’t work.”
“Humour is a great leveller and a
useful way to put people at their ease.
Participants enjoy themselves while
learning practical tools for effective
communication.”
Learning with laughter
Nuala’s workshops are suitable for Team
Managers, HR Managers or anyone in a
Nuala McKeever
Photo by Noel Thompson
leadership position. She also delivers
workshops and bespoke one-to-one tuition
in Presentation Skills and Public Speaking.
Nuala has successfully worked with Citi,
Allstate, Musgrave, The Belfast HSC Trust,
DELL, DENI, IoD, Concern, NI Hospice and
many more...
If you or your business would benefit from
some learning with laughter, contact Nuala
on her website: www.nualamckeever.com
“It’s not about learning more, it’s
about knowing how to use what
you’ve got, to get what you want.”
ANA
Need help driving traffic to your website?
Contact us today.
the web bureau
28 — September/October 2016
TIMEBOUND
MEA
SURA
BLE
All this is undoubtedly ‘interesting’, but also
shows why our Chinese cousins don’t get
excited about ‘interesting’.
Uncertainty
Do you go down to the front and start
fiddling with the screen? No. You go back
to the projector, because that’s where the
problem lies.
Nuala uses the tools of character-writing,
comedy and improvisation, to get under
the surface of how we all talk and listen.
With humour, she engages participants
to ensure they have fun while trying
something new in a safe, respectful
environment.
While uncomfortable with the rise of
‘super bugs’, we quickly dismiss them as
tomorrow’s issue, yet antibiotic-resistant
bacterial infections could expose us to a
global pandemic that could wipe out billions.
ABLE
HIEV
AC
ION
www.thewebbureau.com
LTAT
U
S
CON
LYSIS
LTS
RESU
Tel 028 9073 1190
The rise in ‘global’ terrorism, with its
incessant ability to deliver fear through
high and low tech methods, is something
civilised societies have yet to effectively
counteract. Indeed our leaders are
increasingly admitting that there is no
quick or completely effective solution on
the horizon. We are being warned that
this will be a ‘long game’ scenario with no
one being able to predict how or when a
solution will be found.
We appear to have become immune to the
impact of global warming, pollution and
the depletion of natural resources in the
shape of a scorched earth or a cataclysmic
rise in sea levels. Are we standing by and
watching Rome burn whilst playing virtual
fiddles on our iPhones?
Narrowing the lens a bit, it is accepted that
business does not react well to uncertainty,
which means unpredictable outcomes and
more risk. And whilst risk in itself is not a
bad thing, it causes delays, inefficiencies
and increased costs. So if we increase the
level of interesting events, then inevitably
we increase the level of uncertainty and
thus risk, so ‘interesting’ is unlikely to
deliver a good result for most of us.
What will businesses in the British Isles
have made of the last 3 months of
‘interesting’ events? We have seen a vote
for Brexit (but not everywhere!), a change
in UK Government, significant increased
terrorism in Europe and even GB, volatile
currency exchange, rumblings of significant
constitutional change in the UK and the
largest single drop in the purchasing
managers’ index on record.
Interesting and important events, but do
we want them?
Change is part of everyday life and will
always occur, so the pace and scope of
Eamonn Doherty
change become the key factors. Policy
makers, business chiefs and entrepreneurs
can all scenario plan - up to a point
(although there was little evidence post
the Brexit vote of any planning for the UK
leaving the EU!). For most busy people
however, the capacity to scenario plan
is limited and as a result many business
people are reactive rather than proactive.
In such times, maybe it’s worth going back
to ‘low tech’ basics:
• Measure twice and cut once
• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
• A stitch in time saves nine
This advice may not be found in the
latest business App or Harvard Business
Review, but I suggest that when living in
‘interesting’ times it’s wise to hark back
to basics that have stood the test of many
‘interesting’ times.”
Tell us what Brexit means for you
IoD and IoD in Ireland are to undertake a common survey of
their respective memberships on their attitudes towards Brexit.
This issue is clearly a significant concern for both countries given
the strong trading links and the UK’s only land border. We
particularly want to hear the views of Northern Ireland members.
You can give your views through our online Policy Voice,
which is the IoD’s authoritative public policy panel. Through
a programme of short monthly online surveys and quarterly
discussion forums, Policy Voice connects members directly to
the IoD policy and parliamentary affairs team, allowing them to
shape the IoD’s approach to key business issues that affect their
organisations.
To find out more about Policy Voice and to sign up to
participate, go to www.iod.com/news-campaigns/policy-voice
September/October 2016 — 29
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
110 years and still leading
Business Development …
One hundred and ten years ago, the City
of Belfast had the foresight to undertake
the establishment of the Belfast Municipal
Technical Institute to underpin skills and
business development in engineering,
ship building, textiles and general
manufacturing.
In the intervening period to the present
day, the Institute has gone through
various innovations to become the Belfast
Metropolitan College. As one of the largest
Further and Higher Colleges in the UK,
Belfast Met continues to push the boundaries
in education and business programmes
contributing to the economic and social
development of the City and the Region. The
opening of Belfast Business School (BBS) in
September 2016 harks back to the history
of the Institute and looks forward to the
possibilities for the future.
Changing with the times
For over 60 years the College led on the
development of business and management
programmes which were important to the
growth of the City and Northern Ireland.
Back in the 50’s and 60’s the College of
Commerce led on business, banking and
administration programmes. In February
1971 the College of Commerce changed
its name to the College of Business Studies
and in 1972 a number of College Higher
Level Business programmes and staff were
transferred into what later became the Ulster
Polytechnic.
At this time the Board of Governors,
commented: “If the College of Business
Studies has the backing of the business
community it can be a success and Belfast will
have a College which can make a valuable
contribution to the community”.
The College of Business Studies continued
to enjoy the support of a wide range of
key stakeholders and it is this long lasting
commitment which has encouraged the
College to commit to a new venture.
In recent years with the completion of the
iconic TQ Campus in Titanic Quarter and e3,
Belfast Met has won regional and national
awards for services to business, education
and the community.
Belfast Business School
According to the Head of the Belfast
Business School, Christine Brown: “The
launch of Belfast Business School expands
MEMBER COMPANY NEWS
Members’ companies partner up
the range and quality of study and short
course programmes and increases access
and participation for Higher and Further
Education, upskilling and CPD. In the last two
years the College has progressed over 500
graduates through high level Assured Skills
Academies delivering employees to some of
the most successful companies in the City.
“Building on this success Belfast Business
School has been working to develop a suite
of blended learning programmes across a
range of subject areas including: strategy,
leadership and management, project
management, community development,
consulting skills, sales, digital marketing,
creativity and innovation.
“The launch of Belfast Business School
coincides with a £1 million investment in
upgrading the teaching and training facilities
in the e3 building at our Springvale campus
to accommodate a wider range of academic
professional short course programmes with
digital technology at the core of delivery. “
Investment
Damian Duffy, Director of Development for
the College said: “The College will have
invested £19 million in the development of
our e3 building which will be the spiritual
home for Belfast Business School and this will
further reinforce the resources to enhance the
employability of learners, stimulate enterprise
through innovation and business incubation
and support local economic and social
development”.
With the ongoing reforms in Further, Higher
Education, Training and Apprenticeships,
linked with the introduction of the
Apprenticeship Levy, there is clearly renewed
appetite for new business and skills solutions
delivered in top class facilities and in more
flexible ways using digital technology.
Celebrating its 110th anniversary this year, the
launch of Belfast Business School continues
to build on the proud history of the College
and its experience to provide top class
teaching and ensure an unparalleled learner
experience that will be successful in Leading
the City to Work. With ambitious plans for
the future, Belfast Business School looks
forward to providing a great platform for the
College to develop and deliver these learning
solutions for the next 110 years.
30 — September/October 2016
ASG and Origin Digital have joined forces
in a new partnership in the latest stage of
ASG’s current strategy to offer clients and
enhanced and comprehensive service from
one source.
Long-standing IoD member Colin Anderson,
Chairman of ASG & Partners said, “The
focus of our partnership strategy is to
embrace the best of the best in specialist
marketing services in Northern Ireland. By
building an unrivalled and tight–knit network
of top providers, we can each seamlessly
offer these complementary marketing
services to our respective clients.
“In a marketplace this size, no individual
company has the scale to be a specialist in
everything – to believe so is a folly. Through
ASG’s partnerships, we are able to harness
the very best talent in the market for our
clients, whilst each partner continues to
grow and develop their own specialism.”
Origin Digital - whose Marketing Director
Jill Robb was till recently a member of the
IoD Northern Ireland Committee - specialise
in delivering valuable digital experiences
and strategies. The multi–award–winning
company has been leading the way in digital
marketing in Northern Ireland for 10 years.
(from left) Kirk Moffatt and Valerie Ludlow of ASG with Jonny Kelly, Jill Robb and
Jerry Staple of Origin Digital
Fenix celebrates first decade!
Can you remember the year Italy won the World Cup, when Internet
Explorer still dominated the web, when flip phones where still
“cool” and the Nintendo’s Wii took the world by storm? Hard to
believe that it was ten years ago.
It may only seem like yesterday we sold our first telephone system but
here we are celebrating Fenix’s 10th birthday. We also celebrate our
amazing customers who have been there throughout the journey and the
successes, milestones and accomplishments of our incredible staff. “
For one IoD member, Kieron McGuire, 2006 was particularly special
because it marked the beginning of an incredible journey for his
company, Fenix Solutions.
Contact Fenix on 028 9040 0400.
Over the last ten years, Kieron says that Fenix has grown exponentially
to become one of Northern Ireland’s top telecommunications
companies.
“We have also seen our fair share of technological innovation over the
years from traditional systems to the latest in hosted and cloud based
technology. As such we understand the importance of updating our
services to incorporate the latest in communications technology, that’s
why we only stock systems from leading global brands such as EricssonLG, Avaya and Panasonic.
It is guaranteed that technology will always change and evolve,
that’s just a given in our industry. However, what will always remain a
constant in Fenix is our commitment to providing our customers with
a high quality customer service. What makes us different from other
telecommunication providers is we don’t hide behind call centres or
automated messages. We guarantee a human response at all times
because we believe in building personal relationships with our customers.
Fenix Solutions’ MD Kieron McGuire (right) and Gareth Thompson,
Operations Director
September/October 2016 — 31
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
When good Boards go bad
Few things can do more damage to an
organisation than a dysfunctional Board.
Recent examples have shown that when
a board performs badly (whether through
incompetence or deliberately), it can
destroy a brand, slash company value and
tarnish reputations.
Boards can become dysfunctional for many
reasons. It could be a disagreement over
how to raise funds or where and when to
invest, Directors with their own agenda or
just unconstructive behaviour by some Board
members.
Kylie Hammond, CEO of Board Portfolio in
Australia, says that when a Board becomes
dysfunctional, nine times out of ten the
problem is simply that the wrong mix of
people is in the room. “People become
Board members because of their expertise,
experience, great reputations and networks,
and often due to their strong personalities.
This mix can create its own challenging issues.
“It really depends on why people signed up
to the Board. Some do so because it will look
good on their CV or for their ego, rather than
out of a true interest in contributing and doing
their fair share. Sometimes people are not
remunerated properly or they’re a volunteer
and the Board becomes a lower priority for
them. And sometimes it’s simply the lack of a
good Chairperson to keep everybody in line
and to direct the conversation.”
• Continually disappointing financial results
compared to the rest of the industry
Whatever the causes or symptoms, a
dysfunctional Board is damaging and there
isn’t always an easy solution. Removing and
replacing or retraining Directors takes time,
during which more damage can be caused.
So it is essential for a Board to identify and
address potential problems by regularly
reviewing its own effectiveness.
The good Chair
The Chair should oversee each meeting
keeping discussions on track and on topic.
They should recognise when there is an issue,
when a topic is too big to be solved within one
meeting and when offline meetings, or further
information-seeking sessions, are required.
Essentially the Chair takes the lead in the
Boardroom and makes sure the Directors
perform. A good Chairperson will recognise
when specific Directors are struggling, or
not pulling their weight, and take action.
He or she will recognise if Board members
don’t fully understand an issue and will draw
out conversation around it. They will seek
opinion and encourage robust discussion.
And if certain Directors are overly forceful
in their opinions, a great Chair will restore
balance and ensure every voice is heard
before a decision is made.
Fixing a broken Board
Signs of Board dysfunction can include:
• Churn in the boardroom and amongst
senior management – constant comings
and goings are not a good sign
• The CEO often being seen to struggle as
they have little support – or the opposite,
when a CEO has too much power and runs
rampant
• A constant, failing battle to meet key
objectives – particularly when competitors
are performing well
32 — September/October 2016
The best option is obviously prevention
rather than cure. And that means carrying
out a regular review of Board performance.
This could be as simple as sitting together to
discuss how the Board is working together,
or doing a self-evaluation exercise using a
structured questionnaire.
Try the IoD’s Director’s Insight Tool at www.
iodlearningzone.com/insighttool for a simple
check on your effectiveness and your Board’s.
Alan Taylor of Arthur Cox and IoD NI Director Linda Brown (seated)
with Briege Bradley and Sheila Donaghy from Ulster Bank
Of course, the more complicated and larger
the business, the more regular and thorough
the review should be. In this case, you might
go for an extensive review by an external,
independent consultant, including off-therecord interviews with Board members. Such
a review should result in recommendations
around what the Board is doing well and
where it needs to improve.
A Board review may result in a Director
being asked to leave or taking the decision
themselves that it is time to stand down. As
long as nothing untoward has been going
on this change should be managed with the
greatest care to protect the reputation of the
Director and of the organisation.
Don’t just say yes
While it’s flattering to be invited onto a
Board, don’t accept just because of the
flattery. Be aware that taking a seat on the
wrong Board can be a bad career move.
Before you join a Board, you should conduct
due diligence. Ask to see copies of Board
minutes from the last 12 months and study
them to see what has been agreed and
achieved, how many Directors actually
showed up to meetings, and whether
decisions were reflected in the company’s
strategy and performance.
The Effective Board
The Effective Board events examine how
we can raise the bar in relation to the
effective running of boards. The first
session in The Effective Board series which is part of the IoD Northern Ireland
Competent Director Series of professional
development events - was on the subject
of Board Dynamics.
Presented by Alan Taylor of Arthur Cox,
Board Dynamics aimed to provoke thought
amongst the attendees in relation to how
their board works, including the part that
the Chair plays. The lessons apply whether
the organisation is in the private, public or
third sector.
meeting and speaks to every member of
the management team over two days in
advance of the board meeting. He then
goes into the meeting with a checklist of
what he wants to achieve.
This Chairman looks like he hasn’t prepared
and yet meetings close with consensus,
everyone has had their say and feels they
have been listened to, and the chairman
achieves everything he wanted to achieve.
Such attention to preparation applies to all
members of the board – read the papers
and note down any queries you have before
you arrive at the meeting.
There is a tendency for a strong-willed
person on the board – whether the
founder, owner or major shareholder or
just someone who thinks their views are
more important than others – to dominate
meetings. Alan focused on doing the job
right rather than what can go wrong.
If there is someone round your boardroom
table who is only there for the kudos,
money or apple tart and cup of tea, then
you might want to reassess their value to
the board.
He pointed out that effective meetings
don’t happen by accident, they happen
by design. Using examples from his own
experience, he explained that the key to
successful meetings is preparation. The
Chairman in Alan’s example goes into every
issue that might be raised at the next board
An effective board can contribute to
company success but the board is not a
club or a meeting between friends. Alan
highlighted the 6 Cs for an effective board:
The 6 Cs for an effective board
• Commitment – every board member
should know and implement the
company’s mission, value and strategy.
• Character – every board is a social
enterprise that takes on the character of
the organisation.
• Collaboration – team work, strong
communication skills, enthusiasm and a
sense of humour are important.
• Competence – you need the confidence
that board members know what they are
doing.
• Creativity – board members should
challenge conventional wisdom, think
outside the box, and facilitate change.
• Contribution – board members should
bring a tough-minded independence to
board deliberations, no group think.
A board is only as good as its members – so
choose wisely!
More Effective Board sessions
Board Financials is the next in the series.
Check out the Diary Dates and Events
on pages 2 and 3 of this magazine and
www.iodni.com/events for details of these
events, which are free of charge to IoD
members
The Competent Director Series is
sponsored by Ulster Bank and Arthur Cox.
Check out the calibre of the other Board
members, too. Find out what experience
they have, what they have done in their past
careers and what their reputations within the
industry are. Most importantly, check out the
Chairperson. Often a Board’s performance
will reflect the talent and management
abilities of its Chair.
For information about the support that the
Institute of Directors can provide to its members
around good governance and building better
boards, email [email protected] or
call 028 9068 3224.
Christine Naylor, Rockport Ventures and Shelly Martin, 4Beauty Group
Frank Bryan, Frank Bryan Consultancy (left); Jonathan Knight, Knight
Systems and Kevin McElroy, Deemtree
September/October 2016 — 33
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
Fair enough?
The Science in the
Art of Selling
by Dr Evelyn Collins, CBE, Chief Executive of the Equality Commission
Evelyn reflects on 40 years of the Sex
Discrimination Order and the original Fair
Employment Act.
How many IoD Northern Ireland News
readers will remember a time when a woman
had to give up her job when she got married?
Or when you could lawfully be refused a job,
just because of your religion?
That – and much else besides – was changed
when two of pieces of equality legislation,
the Sex Discrimination Order (NI) and the Fair
Employment Act, were enacted 40 years ago,
in 1976.
If discrimination and prejudice aren’t
acceptable in work, it makes it easier to
get the message across that they are not
acceptable anywhere, so the changes that
were brought about in the workplace had an
influence in changing attitudes right across
society.
Game-changer
The Sex Discrimination Order 1976 was a
game-changer across the UK, in establishing
the right not to be discriminated against on
grounds of sex. But even after 40 years, the
Commission still gets more complaints about
sex discrimination than on any other ground
except disability. Consistently it accounts for
an average of 27% of all complaints every
year, with concerns about the treatment of
pregnancy and maternity issues topping the
list.
Childcare remains one of the biggest issues
not just for families, but also for employers.
Accessible and affordable childcare provision
in Northern Ireland, as well as providing for
the child, would increase opportunities for
parents and benefit the wider society and our
economy.
By Mark Fegan, Bunzl
Ask any sales person and they will tell you
that selling is an art.
Spend any time with them in front of
customers and you will realise they are right.
Any role where the main skill is building
relationships with people is an art.
We have been working with employers to
improve on the ratio of male to females
employed in science, technology, engineering
and mathematics industries, which is currently
3 to1. This, also, is not just a gender equality
issue but has broader economic benefits and
would impact on wider business growth and
development.
Fair participation
The 1976 Fair Employment Act was the first
measure enacted in the United Kingdom to
combat discrimination on grounds of religious
belief or political opinion, and to promote
and secure fair participation in employment
for both the Protestant and Roman Catholic
communities in Northern Ireland. It focused
attention on the issue, promoting objective
recruitment and selection procedures.
The 1989 Fair Employment Act led to the
introduction of compulsory workforce
monitoring and a range of other important
measures.
Last December’s monitoring report marked
25 years of FE monitoring and showed that
the composition of the monitored workforce,
with 52.6% Protestant and 47.4% Roman
Catholic, closely mirrors estimates of the
composition of those available for work in
Northern Ireland.
Equality for all
The Equality Commission has been calling for
the extension of FE workforce monitoring to
include nationality and ethnic origin, enabling
employers to make more accurate and
meaningful assessments as to whether they
are providing fair participation, by community
background, in their workforces. We have
also consistently called over the years for the
removal of the exception of teachers from FE
requirements.
Forty years on from these ground-breaking
pieces of legislation, it’s vital that we all
continue to work to promote ‘equality for all’
in Northern Ireland.
Brian joins ICONI Board
Chartered Director Brian Reid has been appointed as a NonExecutive Director on the board of ICONI Software. He has been
tasked with driving the company’s three-year growth plan and
supporting the management team in all aspects of governance.
Brian will look to make a significant contribution in maximising
the opportunities for growth while delivering senior expertise on
strategy, finance and governance.
However if we do spend some time (and
finance resource) to help our sales people
think, plan and share ideas, we will have a
healthier more profitable order book and a
healthier more sustainable sales force.
According to ‘Cracking the Sales
Management Code’ by Neil Rackham, the
sales plan only needs 4 headings:
1.Market Capacity: Have you the right
number of sales people in the right places?
It doesn’t take a lot of research to pull
together a rough estimate of the number
of customers in each area, whether you
divide your sales effort geographically or
by market sector. You can easily take this
further by figuring out what determines
the potential sale from each customer, eg
number of bedrooms in a hotel. Taking an
existing customer where you know you have
all the business, you can roughly work out the
potential and scale it, eg a £25,000 customer
with 500 bedrooms – use £500 per room as
your rule of thumb. You can now convert your
customer number data into sales potential.
Stand back and ask – have you the right
number of sales people in the right places?
If you want your sales team selling and not
order taking, why not allocate them where
the potential is, rather than where today’s
sales are?
Sales Capability
There is not a lot that finance can help with
here other than noting that we often recruit
our sales people based on who they know
rather than what they know. This will only get
them so far. Investing in product knowledge
and – yes - selling skills will allow them to
better form those relationships.
Using the information from our
Market Capacity work, we can
start to build a sales plan that
supports our sales people.
It is cost effective to use a school leaver or
graduate to add depth to this information
by phoning each potential customer on the
list and finding out, for example, who the
influencer is, email addresses, who currently
supplies them, and so on. This database
will be one of the most valuable assets your
business will own.
This potential customer list can be prioritised
and managed through a monitored journey
plan and pipeline. Your Finance or Sales
Support team, using simple software and
persistent monitoring, can make sure your sales
teams are calling on the right people regularly.
You can get further value out of your
salesforce by co-ordinating the sale long
before they arrive at the customer’s door.
Find out what a target group of customers
are interested in; use cost effective software
like mailchimp to capture that interest;
monitor the customers who open the email
and click on different features to find out
more; get your internal sales staff to call these
customers, establish a relationship, qualify the
interest and set up a meeting with a sales rep.
Product Development
There are a lot of good and cost effective
sales management tools on the market. The
best software will let you set alerts. This
allows you to ask questions about your
existing customer base - such as who bought
a barbeque from us but hasn’t bought
charcoal? - to find the gaps in your current
sales profile and more importantly, tell you
exactly how to fill them.
An alert such as this can either be
downloaded from the system and used by
your internal sales staff to make the call and
close the gap, or appear on a journey plan
note for your sales rep to ask the question
next time they call.
He has been an IoD member since 1999 achieving Chartered Director
status (CDir) in 2006 and serves on the Institute’s NI Professional
Development Committee. He was elected an IoD Fellow in 2014.
34 — September/October 2016
Selling is a career where sweat is more highly
valued than brains. Sales people are at
once the most highly valued people in the
businesses and the most poorly thought of.
‘Just get out and sell’. ‘Don’t waste time
thinking, planning or sharing ideas, just sell’.
Market Capacity
Customer Development
Brian has worked in the IT industry for over 35 years and is an
outstanding, experienced business professional with a strong
background in sales and marketing. His experience in the industry
has included working with multi-national corporations including
Kainos Software, Hewlett-Packard and Fujitsu.
ICONI’s Managing Director, Liam Jordan, is also an IoD member.
However, sales people usually tell you that
selling is an art so that you will leave them
alone to do the job they way they want to do
it …….. as long as the sales keep coming in.
This gives sales people enormous freedom
(and power) but also enormous responsibility
(and pressure).
2.Sales Capability: Do your people have the
skills they need? Do you match their skills
with the job you need doing? Are all sales
jobs the same?
3.Customer Development: Getting new
customers
4.Product Development: Filling the gaps.
Selling more to the existing customer base.
ICONI’s Liam Jordan (left) with Brian Reid CDir
Treating more than just your sales team as
your sales team will allow you to use science
to maximise the art of selling.
September/October 2016 — 35
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
NI student company win top UK award
by Mark Dougan, The Prince’s Trust
Young Enterprise NI company Enlighten Hope have beaten off
competition from 13 other student company finalists to be named
Young Enterprise UK Company of the Year 2016. The exciting
finale took place at the Emirates Stadium, where Enlighten Hope
competed against companies from Scotland, Wales and England.
It is the first time that a company from Northern Ireland has
progressed this far in the competition in over 20 years.
Enlighten Hope have written and illustrated a series of three short
stories that deal with the side effects of both chemotherapy and
radiotherapy in a child friendly way. They have expanded their product
internationally – visiting publishers in Dublin and New York, and
securing a deal to sell the books on the Amazon Kindle Store.
This group of determined young entrepreneurs even took it upon
themselves to purchase an ISBN for their products. They recently
secured a deal with Libraries NI to stock the books in six libraries across
Northern Ireland. The books can be borrowed from Belfast Central,
Coleraine, Derry Central, Dungannon, Enniskillen and Portadown
Libraries for free and can be requested through any public library in
Northern Ireland.
young people through participation in our Company programme, and
highlight how important it is that every child in Northern Ireland should
get this opportunity.”
The team also achieved international success claiming third place
out of 36 entries at the Junior Achievement European Company of
the Year Competition in Lucerne, while Enlighten Hope’s Managing
Director, Iveta Liovinaite, collected the Alumni Leadership Award,
supported by AXA, along with 9 other young leaders.
Over a third of Northern Ireland’s young
people do not achieve 5 GCSEs grade A*- C
and those from disadvantaged backgrounds
consistently do less well than their peers.
There is an unacceptable gap in attainment
and achievement between children from our
most and least advantaged backgrounds
and that gap is wider than in some
comparable European countries.
The Enlighten Hope team were mentored along the way by 2 business
advisors from HSBC, who offered their wealth of business experience
to the company.
IoD member Carol Fitzsimons, CEO of Young Enterprise Northern
Ireland, was delighted with Enlighten Hope’s success. “This is truly
an inspirational group of young people. Their Company programme
journey began with us in September 2015 and their passion, work ethic
and determination to succeed has impressed throughout. They are a
shining example of the workplace skills and confidence developed by
The Enlighten Hope team at the JA Europe Awards
2017 Arts & Business NI
Awards launched
Arts & Business Northern Ireland has launched the Allianz Arts & Business
NI Awards for 2017 to identify more pioneering partnerships between the
worlds of arts and business.
Entries from business and arts partnerships should cover the period between
1 September 2015 and 31 August 2016.
Six awards will be presented to businesses, including the highly sought
after ‘Business of the Year Award’ awarded to a business that has excelled
through integrating Arts & Culture through different facets of its business
strategy.
‘Arts Board Member of the Year Award’ will be presented to an individual
who in a voluntary capacity has added outstanding benefits to an arts
organisation in a governance role.
The Awards ceremony for the Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards will be held
on 19th January 2017.
Launching the Awards were IoD member Mary Nagele, Chief
Executive, Arts & Business NI and Helen Hutchinson, Business
Development Executive of Allianz
36 — September/October 2016
Achieve with The Prince’s Trust
The categories include:
• Corporate Responsibility
Cultural Branding
• Sustained Partnership
• Employee Engagement
• New Sponsor
• Arts Board Member of the Year
• Business of the Year Award
Employers are unsatisfied with school leaver’s
personal, social and employability skills and
there is an urgent need for those at risk
of underachievement to access support in
order to reach their potential. This is why
The Prince’s Trust developed the Achieve
programme (launched in August 2016),
building on the legacy of the xl programme
which supports young people to fulfil their
potential and succeed in education.
Flexible choice
Achieve will offer a more flexible choice of
activities for 13-19 year olds either in school,
with alternative education providers or
through after-school clubs. It incorporates
The Trust’s experience of delivering the xl
programme over the past 17 years to young
people at risk of underachievement or
exclusion from mainstream education and to
those who have been excluded.
Achieve seeks to have a positive impact
on four challenges that young people
may be facing in Education: Attainment
– Attendance – Engagement - Personal &
Social Skills. The programme promotes a
flexible approach, using experiential learning
to support achievement in a range of
personal and employability skills.
Employer involvement
Where possible, Achieve offers enrichment
and added value services such as
adventurous activities, industry days, work
placements and digital skills. For example,
Northern Ireland’s leading digital technology
company, Kainos, delivers digital skills
training through a series of workshops
in coding, CV building, interviews and
presentation skills. The Prince’s Trust young
people are introduced to coding through
CodeBugs – a programmable and wearable
device designed to introduce simple
programming and electronic concepts.
In 2016 over 3,000 young people were
participating in an xl club across 91 schools/
centres in Northern Ireland, with 91%
achieving a positive outcome in education,
training and employment. Achieve will be
available to our existing Education partners
delivering the xl programme. Over the
next three years our ambition is to increase
the number of new school age young
people we support to 6000 and to work
with more employers to develop pathways
into employment for young people who
otherwise may leave school with little or no
qualifications.
Racing for
charity
A team from GMcG Chartered
Accountants took on the Dragon Boat
Race in Antrim’s Loughshore Park and
raised £700 for their official charity,
Cancer Fund for Children. Pictured
are GMcG Partner Michael Gibson
with Cancer Fund for Children’s
Sorcha MacLaimhin
Visit www.ArtsandBusinessNI.org.uk for further information
September/October 2016 — 37
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
Special offers for IoD members
The benefits of IoD
membership – are you
making use of them?
• Local and national networking with
fellow business leaders at IoD events
(many foc)
• Access to local and national LinkedIn
network
• Opportunities to contribute
to economic growth through
participation in our committees and
discussions with senior business
leaders, politicians and business
organisations
• Access to a comprehensive range of
professional development through IoD
Northern Ireland
• Free business information service –
use of professional researchers
• Free advisory service – tailored advice
on law, finance, marketing and HR
• Free legal helpline and tax helpline
• Access to our extensive online
business support resource
• IoD magazine – Director and IoD
Northern Ireland News
• Updates on local and national IoD
lobbying activity, legislative and
regulatory changes
• Access to IoD premises in UK and
Regus premises worldwide
• Local and London based professional
development courses, conferences
and seminars
• Access to airport lounges including
the Aspire Lounge at George Best
Belfast City Airport
• CPD – many IoD events count towards
your CPD requirement for professional
bodies
• Send a member/company profile
and member/company news for
publication in IoD NI News
Are you using your
member benefits?
‘We’re here to support you in
every way we can and are proud
to present to you the current
range of handpicked offers’
Simon Walker, director general, IoD
To find out more, visit
iod.com/preferred
Directors Liability
Insurances
Quantum
Home and Contents
Insurance
Hiscox
Car Rental
Hertz
Health Plans
Westfield Health
• Attendance for recent joiners at a
New Members Lunch (foc) at Riddel
Hall
To view all of the IoD Preferred Programme benefits, visit www.iod.com/preferred.
• Use of facilities at Omagh Enterprise
Centre and Catalyst Inc in Belfast and
Derry/Londonderry
IoD Advisory Service – free to members
Of interest mainly to our younger
members is the opportunity to
access a mentor from amongst the
IoD Northern Ireland membership or
indeed outside the membership.
This informal service allows members to
talk through some of their business and
professional development issues with a
business leader who has been through
similar experiences.
For more information, contact the IoD
NI Director, Linda Brown.
Tax relief on
IoD fees
Airport Lounge
deal extended
Tax relief can be claimed on IoD
membership if:
IoD Northern Ireland members only are
able to use the Aspire Lounge at George
Best Belfast City Airport through a special
arrangement to 30 April 2017. For access,
you will need to obtain a special card
issued by the IoD Northern Ireland office in
conjunction with a valid IoD membership
card. Contact [email protected]
• IoD membership is essential to do
your job or is helpful for your work
• You (not your employer) pay your
subscription
“At Proparamedics our staff are at the core of the patient centred care that we provide and in
March this year we were delighted to be awarded Investors in People accreditation. As the
Director of Proparamedics responsible for Operations and Human Resources, I need to ensure
we remain up to date and follow current best practice in how we deal with HR issues. We
used the Institute of Directors Advisory Service for guidance on a complex contract matter that
needed specialist advice. The service we received was comprehensive and immediate. We
were extremely happy with the advice we received and would have no hesitation either using
the service again or recommending it to others.”
Heather Hamill, Proparamedics Ltd
The IoD membership
Our members lead
organisations that employ:
up to 10 people
10 to 50 people
50 to 100
people
100 to 500
people
more than
500 people
unspecified
15%
7%
21%
12%
Don’t forget that you can attend events
in any IoD country, region or branch
around the UK. Search iod.com with the
postcode or town for information.
Disclaimer
Articles are published as a contribution
to discussions about business issues.
They represent the personal views of
their authors and do not necessarily
reflect Institute of Directors’ policy.
Contact IoD
24%
21%
Send us your news
All IoD Northern Ireland members are welcome to send us views, news and profiles
about themselves or their organisations. Just email [email protected] with
text and photographs (of at least 300Kb).
38 — September/October 2016
Want a mentor? –
let us know
Director:
Linda Brown
[email protected]
Head of Business Development: Lisa Keys
[email protected]
Administrator:
Julie-Anne Clarke
[email protected]
IoD at Riddel Hall
185 Stranmillis Road
Belfast BT9 5EE
Tel: 028 9068 3224
September/October 2016 — 39
IoD NORTHERN IRELAND NEWS
40 — September/October 2016