On 16th November the Ulster Society held a webinar introducing HM Government's Trader Support Service (TSS). The webinar was delivered by representatives of a consortium selected by Government to deliver the TSS.  This session covered: What the Northern Ireland Protocol means for your business How to prepare for the changes that result from the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol What the Trader Support Service does (including what it doesn’t do), and how it will work as a customs intermediary service for NI trade What you need to do to be ready to keep your goods moving from 1 January 2021. A recording of this webinar is available to view on demand and for free HERE. A pdf copy of slides from the TSS presentation is available HERE A Q&A of questions submitted by the audience during the webinar is available HERE

Paul Henry, Director of Osborne King and President of Chartered Accountants Ireland has been named as Chair of CCAB for 2020/22. CCAB (The Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies) is an umbrella group of the accountancy profession in the UK and has a combined membership worldwide of 408,000. Its core purpose is to promote sustainable growth in the economy through the accountancy profession. Paul Henry takes over as Chair from Mike McKeon CA, President of ICAS (the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland). During his two year tenure, Paul will lead the CCAB’s work in identifying and capitalising on the opportunities that the rapid pace of change in the business and accountancy world brings in 2020. Equally he will lead the CCAB’s response to the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19 for its members and the wider business community.  Commenting on his appointment, Paul said: “I look forward to engaging with as many members and stakeholders as possible in the coming months to help our profession to adapt to all the changes that affect us, from rapid technological advancements to increased regulatory requirements. This of course all takes place in the context of a business community worldwide that is facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on the way we all live and conduct business.  “Another area of focus for me in the coming 2 years will be strengthening the reputation of our industry to ensure that we can attract the best and brightest individuals. The lifeblood of any profession is the young talent that chooses to join its ranks.” Paul Henry is a Director with Belfast based property consultancy Osborne King and has extensive experience of real estate, insolvency and corporate finance. A resident of Belfast, he qualified with Pricewaterhouse in 1989. Prior to his current role, he held positions with the Industrial Development Board, Enterprise Equity, PricewaterhouseCoopers and ASM Chartered Accountants.  He also served as Chairman of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society in 2014.  The CCAB was established in 1988 to coordinate the representation functions of the participant professional bodies in areas of common interest to the profession. It has a number of committees which respond to Government and regulatory initiatives in their respective areas.

Maeve Hunt has been elected Chair of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society at its 113th Annual General Meeting. The Ulster Society represents 4,700 local Chartered Accountants and is a district society of Chartered Accountants Ireland, the largest and oldest professional accountancy body in Ireland. Ms Hunt, who takes over as Chair from Richard Gillan, is Associate Director with Grant Thornton in Northern Ireland. She becomes the fourth female Chair of the Ulster Society and follows in the footsteps of her father, James Hunt, who served as Chairman of the Society in 1990. Addressing the Society’s AGM, held virtually for the first time due to COVID-19 restrictions, Ms Hunt said that the key priority would be to help the local economy to recover: “I know that in the year ahead, Chartered Accountants have a crucial role to play in terms of helping Northern Ireland to bounce back from the current health crisis. “Around the world, people are still coming to terms with the impact and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our key aim will be to support our members and their pivotal role in business and the public sector during these unprecedented times. “Bouncing back from this health crisis while dealing with the realities of Brexit will be the challenge of a generation. The skills and leadership of our profession are needed now more than ever. We will be there to give our support.” Ms Hunt said that in the year ahead the Ulster Society would seek to support, inspire and evolve: “As well as supporting members and the economy, we need to inspire the next generation to join our profession and we need to use our voice to inspire our political leaders to make the most of our restored Executive and a new Programme for Government. “As a professional body, we must evolve so that we find new ways to meet the needs of our members, so that we can help Chartered Accountants to meet the challenge of our times. We will be an effective voice for our members, and the wider business community in Northern Ireland. Together we have a key role to play in helping our economy to bounce back.” During her first speech as Chair, Ms Hunt acknowledged her father as an inspiration, having served as Ulster Society Chairman 30 years ago: “I’m very proud to be following in my dad’s footsteps. I’ve grown up watching his dedication and commitment, and I will be doing my best to demonstrate those qualities during my own term as Chair.” Ms Hunt trained as a Chartered Accountant with Hill Vellacott after completing a Law and Accounting degree at Queens’ University. She has a particular interest in the education of trainee Chartered Accountants and is a past pupil of Rathmore Grammar School in Belfast. Pictured after the Ulster Society’s Virtual AGM is new Chartered Accountants Ulster Society Chair Maeve Hunt, with her father James Hunt, who served as Chairman of the Ulster Society in 1990.