Chartered Accountants Ulster Society has called on the political parties to waste no time in getting the restored institutions to deliver for the economy. Ulster Society Chairman Richard Gillan said there’s a long list of measures on the ‘to-do’ list that require urgent attention. Health, education, policing, rights issues and investment in roads and water infrastructure are rightly prioritised and speed of delivery will demonstrate commitment and determination. Mr Gillan welcomed new accountability measures and rules for Ministers and their special advisers, saying the steps were important to restore public confidence and trust. Mr Gillan said: “There is a clear objective to publish a new strategic level, outcomes-based Programme for Government. This will be informed by detailed stakeholder engagement and Chartered Accountants Ulster Society will want to participate in this important process. “We will be seeking early meetings with newly appointed Ministers to set out our views and to offer our professional assistance and advice. “Considerable investment will be required to lift the Northern Ireland economy from the economic doldrums. The lack of leadership for such a long time has had a very negative effect on the local economy, on business confidence and on the provision of public services. “Our members will be expecting our local politicians to put division aside and to deliver for all the people of Northern Ireland. We are hopeful that this can be the start of a new era of our politicians working positively together to secure a brighter future. The negotiation of ‘additional flexibilities and sensible practical measures’ with regards to trading with the EU, as outlined in the New Decade, New Approach document, must be a priority.”

Ulster’s Chartered Accountants gave out some Christmas presents and provided a boost to local children’s charities by presenting hundreds of toys to the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul Family Appeal.  Chartered Accountants Ulster Society raised a total of £19,500 with support from event sponsor Barclays. This total will be shared between Friends of Kiwoko Hospital in Uganda and the Alzheimer’s Society.   The toys and funds were collected at the Society’s Christmas Charity Lunch at the Europa Hotel in Belfast, attended by over 500 Chartered Accountants.   Richard Gillan, Chairman of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society said: “Our Charity Lunch is one of our most important events and a fantastic opportunity to make Christmas a little bit brighter for a lot of families. “Chartered Accountants have raised money and donated toys which will bring some Christmas sparkle to children this Christmas. This event is always one of our busiest and most enjoyable events and it’s especially important at this time of year that we can support fantastic charities which make a big difference. We’re particularly pleased that with the support of Barclays we have been able to make this a record year in terms of funds raised.” John Mathers, Corporate Development Director of Barclays said: “Barclays is delighted to support the Ulster Society Christmas lunch, in this our fifth year of doing so.  The lunch is a highlight of the calendar for members and welcomes in the festive season.  Guests have once again been extremely generous in their donations of toys and money, helping to make a real difference to many both locally and further afield.” Pictured before the charity lunch with just a few of the toys collected are Richard Gillan, Chairman, Chartered Accountants Ulster Society; Zara Duffy, Head of Chartered Accountants Northern Ireland; and John Mathers of event sponsors Barclays.

‘Leadership on the Line’ Conference brings sporting and business leaders together in Belfast A Conference in Belfast next week will examine the leadership parallels between business and high-level sport.  The Leadership on the Line Conference, taking place at Kingspan Stadium on Tuesday 15th October, will examine how leaders of elite sports teams create a winning culture and how those lessons can be applied to business. The Conference, organised by Chartered Accountants Ulster Society in partnership with Danske Bank, will hear from Andrew Trimble, former Ulster Rugby star and founder of Kairos Software; Arlene Boyles, Assistant Coach of the Ireland Hockey Team which reached the Women’s World Cup Final in 2018; and Bryn Cunningham, former player and current Operations Director of Ulster Rugby. Delivering a keynote address at the conference will be Dr. Phil Glasgow, Head of Rehab and Physiotherapy with Irish Rugby and formerly Chief Physiotherapy Officer for Team GB at the Rio Olympics. The event will be hosted by Andrew Toogood of Proclaim Consulting. Richard Gillan, Chairman of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society said: “Culture and teamwork are as vital to the business world as they are on the playing field. Whether it’s in business or in sport, results matter. “Watching from the stands or reading a ghost-written autobiography may be as close as some of us get to understanding the mindset that is required to compete in elite sport. Most of us, however, understand the importance of either leading or contributing as part of a team in our working lives. “The ability to leverage the potential within our organisations is more important than ever before. Leadership on the Line will be a fascinating insight into team and leadership dynamics, and I hope that it can make a real contribution to the discussion around creating a winning organisational culture.” Shaun McAnee, Managing Director of Corporate and Business Banking with Danske Bank said: “Danske Bank is once again delighted to be sponsoring the Ulster Society’s annual conference. Through the bank’s many sports sponsorships we have learned over many years that business can learn a lot from the world of sport and I look forward to hearing the speakers’ views on successfully leading and inspiring high-performance teams. Strong leadership is always important to business growth, and that is particularly true in the current economic and political climate.” The Leadership on the Line Conference takes place at Kingspan Stadium on Tuesday 15th October. More details and booking available at our events page Pictured ahead of the conference are Shaun McAnee, Danske Bank; Zara Duffy, Chartered Accountants Ireland; and Richard Gillan, Chartered Accountants Ulster Society.