Membership is on the menu this month!
New Member Lunch
It was great to meet so many new and existing members at the latest ‘New and Renew’ member lunch at Pinsent Masons on 6th September. This lunch provides the perfect opportunity for members to hear more about membership benefits, upcoming events and our professional development offering via IoD Academy. You can also meet the IoD NI Team and connect with fellow members from Day 1 of your membership. Check out future dates here.
Young Directors Forum – Food for Thought: The People behind Boojum
Almost 80 of our members were treated to a delicious Boojum lunch in the fabulous new Allstate building on 14th September. David Maxwell (MD, Boojum) told us about his journey from Aeronautical Engineering to Arizona and back to Belfast, growing Boojum from 5 to 18 stores across Ireland. David talked about the importance of an inspiring culture, investment in his team and a consistent brand. The EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 finalist left our young directors feeling inspired , with a great taste in their mouths…
Private Dinners
Quite often, we will be asked to coordinate a private dinner with 20 delegates in an intimate setting under strict Chatham House Rules.
These dinners will have a theme and a guest speaker and encourage open discussion and idea sharing amongst NI leaders.
September was a busy month for private dinners, covering a range of topics from ‘Women in Family Business’ and
‘How to attract and retain high performing ‘non-family’ talent’ (in association with Investec Wealth and Investment),
Women’s in Leadership (in association with Tughans) and a Finance Director series (in association with Beyond Business Travel).
Hearing from women in senior leadership roles in NI, such as Barbara Gray (T/Assistant Chief Constable) and Anne Dargan
(Rapid Change Consultancy), we heard about their challenge to succeed in male dominated industries. William Barnett (CEO and
Director, W&R Barnett) spoke about the importance of family businesses in NI, the backbone of our economy. Neil Gibson (Chief
Economist, EY) shared some of his economic insights with 18 of the top finance directors in NI, reflecting on a difficult year for NI
business and the looming Brexit deadline. Neil was quick to highlight the resilience of NI business, commending those who continue
to invest in their businesses and plan for uncertain times ahead.
Coming Up....
New Director Bootcamp
This Bootcamp is for new Directors, anyone soon to be appointed to a board or any Directors who would like to brush up on their responsibilities
(public, private and third sector). Lynsey Mallon (Partner, Arthur Cox) will tell delegates about the legal responsibilities of a director and we will
hear from Judith Totten (Upstream Working Capital) and Paddy O’Hagan (Neueda Consulting) on ‘The Effective Board’ Spaces at this event in
Arthur Cox are limited (9 remaining as of 29/09/2018) so secure your place now!
Connect and Influence: Permanent Secretary in Department for the Economy
- Noel Lavery
IoD in partnership with SONI are delighted that Noel Lavery, Permanent Secretary for the Department for the Economy will join members
for our next Connect & Influence series.
Limited to 50 guests, this event allows you to engage with the Permanent Secretary on a range of issues from Skills, Brexit, Further and
Higher Education to Energy policy. Book now!
Leadership Lunch - last tables remaining!
IoD members tell us that their immediate challenges are skills shortages, gaps and the cost of inflation are major concerns. We also know
that Northern Ireland lags behind the rest of the UK when it comes to productivity, significantly damaging the competitiveness of our businesses
and placing a sharper focus on the quality of management and leadership as a result.
This thought-provoking event, which will launch the findings of IoD and Baker Tilly Mooney Moore research exploring the importance of
management and leadership training to the local economy, will provide inspiration, tools and resources for your business to support its journey
of addressing skills and productivity challenges.
Impress your clients and book your table now!
Connect & Influence - Focus on Brexit
IoD NI members and their guests are invited to a lunch where a panel of experts will give an informed view on UK Brexit negotiations after
the EU Summit on 18th & 19th October.
Sponsored by BDO and Carson McDowell, this event will include a two course lunch at the prestigious Merchant Hotel. A panel of speakers
will include, Tony Connelly, Europe Editor for RTE News and Allie Renison, Head of Europe & Trade Policy, Institute of Directors.
Book now.
Housekeeping
Did you join in 2018? Have you sent in your New Member Profile for the directorNI magazine? If not, please send to lisa.maltman@iod.com
by 30th November 2018.
Did you know that you can increase your understanding on key business issues and make informed decisions by gaining access to our award
winning Information and Advisory services? Find out what else is included in your IoD membership and come along to the next ‘New and Renew’
Member Lunch in Pinsent Masons on 15th November 2018 at 12:30 – book your place now!
Membership Health Check
Make the most out of your membership this year and contact me to find out more about upcoming events and opportunities –
we want to hear from you!
Lisa Maltman