In a comment piece for the reknowned International Business Times Mr. Moran describes euro-sceptic Schadenfreude at the current crisis as a ‘Pyrrhic victory’ but sharply critcises the failure to adhere to the Stability & Growth pact.

To view the article visit http://www.christophermoran.org/news/christopher-moran-comments-in-international-business-times-on-euro-debate/

Following in the footsteps of Chief Executive Brian Conlon, who played at senior level inter-county for Co. Down no less than six of First Derivatives financial consultants form the backbone of the team that defeated teams from Gothenburg, Malmö Oslo, Tallinn and Helsinki in the hotly contested tournament.

Kerry natives David Crowley (Midfield) and Colin Courtney (Forward), Ken Feely (Back) from Roscommon, Draperstown’s Mark O’Kane (Back), Declan Graham (Forward) from Co.Antrim and Drumaness’ Ciaran Madine (Back) each played an integral part in the tournament win.

Mark O’Kane said “We are delighted with the win, particularly defeating fellow Swede rivals Malmo & Gothenburg. Playing Gaelic Games abroad is a great way of making friends and expressing your own cultural identity.

“For decades everyone has known about Gaelic Games in traditional emigrant communities like London and New York. But it is amazing the rate of their growth in places where you would least expect to find them. Plenty of European cities now have Gaelic and Hurling teams and if young people are working overseas they should seek out opportunities to play, or even create them by starting a team.

Company Chief Executive Officer Brian Conlon  congratulated the team saying “As a company First Derivatives encourage people to get involved in sporting and social activities and we are happy to assist and support the team. As a Newry headquartered firm we are delighted our boys have gone one better than Down last year and lift a championship trophy. Today we toast their success.”

The finals of the Championship were played in the Swedish capital and Stockholm Gaels now look forward to a strong run in the Pan-European Gaelic Tournament Final in Limerick on 5 November.

International soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa performed at the celebration, along with LSO Principals and Young Singers from the Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.

The event, in aid of the London Symphony Orchestra, was kindly hosted by Mr Christopher Moran in his Crosby Hall home. Mr Moran offered the magnificent venue through his association as a Director and Chairman of the Finance Board of the LSO.  

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa’s personally selected reportoire included three Mozart concert arias, two Strauss lieder and Mozart “Dove sono” from Nozze di Figaro.

Once home to Sir Thomas More and currently being meticulously restored by Mr Moran, Crosby Hall has a memorable place in Sir Colin’s career as he conducted his first opera in the house more than 60 years ago.

You can learn more about Crosby Hall by visiting www.christophermoran.org

Stakeholder have been backing the campaign and attending the launch event Managing Director Brendan Mulgrew said “Working with businesses both large and small in a range of sectors we understand the impact reducing Corporation Tax could have on the local economy. That is why we were happy to bring our experience and insight to this unique campaign – the largest coming together ever of the NI business community – and help transform NI plc’s future. Over the next month we will be urging all clients and contacts to get involved, to make their voice heard and to ensure we don’t miss this rare opportunity.”

Speaking at the launch of GROW NI Eamonn Donaghy of KPMG said, 

“We are closer now than ever to realising the long held aim of gaining the power to reduce corporation tax which can help rebalance the NI economy, grow the private sector and create long term, sustainable, well paid high quality jobs. That is the goal and that is within reach.

“The business community is absolutely united, across all sectors of the economy, large businesses and small, indigenous companies and those from outside NI, retail and service sector alongside manufacturing and industrial. The political parties are all pledged in principle to the reduction of corporation tax and we have a champion at the heart of the UK Government in the guise of Owen Patterson. The Secretary of State has pledged to carry our argument within Treasury and Downing Street – it is up to us now to give him as strong a voice as possible, by responding positively to the consultation before consultation closes on 24^th June.”

Business organisations represented today include: NI Chamber of Commerce, CBI, IOD, Arts and Business Northern Ireland, the Construction Employers Federation, Enterprise Northern Ireland, The Federation of Small Business, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association, The NI Hotels Federation, The NI Manufacturing Group, Momentum NI, Northern Ireland Retail Trade Association, Quarry Products Association NI, The Pubs of Ulster, The NI Centre for Competitiveness, Ulster Society of Chartered Accountants, The Law Society, Queen’s University Belfast, University of Ulster, and accounting firms KPMG, Ernst & Young, Deloitte, BDO, and Grant Thornton.

Business owner Jim Sammon, MD of Sammon Chartered Surveyors, and Padraig Canavan, Managing Director of Singularity set out how a reduced tax would benefit each of their businesses and increase the strength of the private sector.

Eamonn Donaghy outlined the potential benefits of a reduced tax,

“Today is not about the detail of implementing a reduced rate of corporation tax. That debate can take place, and indeed should take place, once the Assembly has the power to vary the corporation tax rate. Today and the next four weeks are about achieving the ability to vary the rate, then we can have the detailed debate about rates and timescale.

“The NI Economic Research Group has estimated that a reduced level of tax to 12.5% could lead to the creation of 90,000 new jobs over 20 years and the NI Affairs Committee in the House of Commons has endorsed that view. There has been a campaign ongoing at different levels now for more than 10 years on this issue and at this moment the end line is in sight. Today GROW NI is calling on all businesses, employees, job seekers, representative bodies and others to input into this debate.”

The Treasury consultation paper can be accessed at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/consult_rebalancing_ni_economy.htm

The Evolve event, hosted by seasoned observers CEO Tom Kelly & MD Brendan Mulgrew provided those attending with detailed examination of the results of the NI Assembly election and some insightful analysis of trends within the local political scene.

Guests compared & contrasted the relative fortunes of each of the main parties and there was plenty of engagement when speculating on the make-up of the next executive.

Questions were raised about the long-term direction of the UUP & SDLP along with admiration for the bounce-back of DUP leader Peter Robinson from his political nadir 18 months ago. Sinn Féin’s steady progress was also noted as well a recurring benefit for Alliance whenever mainstream unionism shifts to the right.

Tom Kelly said ‘At Stakeholder we are enthusiastic about politics, and we like our clients to enjoy it too. We were delighted once again to be joined by political social media commentator Mick Fealty from Slugger O’Toole to give his view on what had been termed the first ‘Twitter election’.

We hope to see all those who came along back at the Newsroom at our next Stakeholder event.”

You can view the presentation on the link below.

Evolve-election2011

Leading young entrepreneurs visit their alma mater and give insight into new restaurants 

Lower Sixth Business Studies students at Bangor Grammar this week got the chance to hear first hand about setting up a business from two of the school’s former pupils Conall Wolsey and Luke Wolsey. Students from the A level course heard Conall and Luke, of Little Wing Pizzerias, outline their experience of starting a business. The first Little Wing pizzeria opened in October 2009 in Belfast with the fourth restaurant opening in Bangor in October last year.

To assist with their current coursework on business planning, Conall and Luke, who both studied at the school, provided students with financial information on all aspects of setting up a business including projected turnover, cash flow and profits for Little Wing in Bangor.

The pair have visited a number of schools including Methodist College and St Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar School.

Speaking after the event Luke Wolsey said: “At Little Wing we are committed to the communities where we’re based. It is vital that today’s students become tomorrow’s business leaders and I am delighted to be here today at my old school to outline our plans for Little Wing, both here in Bangor and further afield. Not only does this give students a unique insight into setting up and running a business, which is useful for coursework, it also means they can develop an early understanding of the hospitality industry and maybe think about setting up their own company.

“Little Wing’s first few months in Bangor have been a great success. In the week before opening we held a number of fundraisers for local charities and sports groups helping them raise over £3000. Working with local schools and supporting local charities is a key part of how we at Little Wing contribute to the communities where we’re based,” he added.

Sammy Sinclair Business Studies teacher at Bangor Grammar said: “I was delighted to welcome Luke and Conall back to their old school and their success is an inspiration for many of the boys who have ambitions to start their own business in the future.

“Giving pupils a full financial breakdown means our students develop a deep understanding of business planning, a central part of the coursework they’re currently undertaking. They were extremely enthusiastic after the talk and had lots of questions for Conall & Luke and we look forward to visiting the restaurant to see how it operates,” he added.

Little Wing is a traditional style Italian pizzeria which produces healthy pizzas with fresh ingredients. The Bangor restaurant sits 60 people and is the fourth to open, and first outside of Belfast.

Leading young entrepreneurs visit Methody College Belfast to give insight into new restaurants and starting a business.

Lower Sixth Business Studies students at Methodist College Belfast this week got the chance to hear first hand about setting up a business from leading young entrepreneurs Conall Wolsey and Luke Wolsey. Students from the A level course heard Conall and Luke, of Little Wing Pizzerias, outline their experience of starting a business. The first Little Wing pizzeria opened in October 2009 on Ann Street in Belfast with a further three opening on Lisburn Road and in Ballyhackamore and Bangor.

To assist with their current coursework on business planning, Conall and Luke provided students with a full rundown of the marketing and branding activity undertaken by Little Wing. The pair have visited a number of schools including Bangor Grammar and St Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar School.

Speaking after the event Luke Wolsey said: “At Little Wing we are committed to the communities where we’re based. It is vital that today’s students become tomorrow’s business leaders and I am delighted to be here today at Methodist College Belfast to outline our plans for Little Wing. Not only does this give students a unique insight into setting up and running a business, which is useful for coursework, it also means they can develop an early understanding of the hospitality industry and maybe think about setting up their own company.

“Little Wing’s first years in business have been a great success. In the week before opening each restaurant we hold a number of fundraisers for local charities and sports groups and have helped them raise over £20,000. Working with local schools and supporting local charities is a key part of how we at Little Wing contribute to the communities where we’re based.

“Our quality produce and commitment to traditional Italian pizza means we are very proud of the brand we have developed. Ensuring new and existing customers know as much about us as possible is vital and marketing is of critical importance. I was delighted to give students an insight into exactly how we go about this,” he added.

Paddy Armstrong, Business Studies teacher at Methodist College said:

“I was delighted to welcome Luke and Conall to Methody and to get their insight into how they built and marketed the Little Wing brand. Our students were extremely enthusiastic after the talk and had lots of questions for Conall & Luke. I know the pupils look forward to applying what they’ve learned today to their studies.” he added.

Little Wing is a traditional style Italian pizzeria which produces healthy pizzas with fresh ingredients. The Bangor restaurant sits 60 people and is the fourth to open, and first outside of Belfast.

Christopher was invited to be Executive Chef for the day and lead the team of staff who prepare the school meals by canteen operators Mount Charles. School friends are not the only ones to be impressed with Christopher culinary skills as he recently picked up the NI Future Chef of the Year title, after preparing Slow Cooked Lamb with Baby Gem fricassee.

Going on to represent Northern Ireland at the national final in London his Sea Bass with potato fondant, Oyster mushroom and caramelised onion with Tomato and Basil Veloute attracted high praise from celebrity chefs Ainsley Harriot & Brian Turner.

Mount Charles Education Regional Manger Caitriona Lennox congratulated Christopher on his achievements, “Clearly Christopher has a bright future ahead of him in fine cuisine. At Mount Charles we thought today would be a fun way of letting him experience the unique pressures involved in large-scale catering. He certainly coped well with the challenge producing healthy & balanced Mexican Chicken Fajitas and we noted a lot of clean plates afterwards.”

Afterwards Christopher said he enjoyed the challenge and it gave him an even greater appetite to indulge his passion for food hospitality. “I was a bit nervous cooking for my friends, but I hope they enjoyed their lunch. It was great to get some experience of how a large-scale kitchen works and it is really different to cooking on your own! “

Principal Matthew Pitts at Wellington College said, “Understanding food and cooking is a skill for life that young people need to lead a healthier lifestyle. We hope Christopher’s flair and undoubted talent will inspire more of our pupils to experiment with cooking from fresh & basic ingredients. Wellington College are tremendously proud of him and hope he will maintain strong links whenever he reaches the heights of gastronomy.”

Founded in 1988 Mount Charles has grown to become Northern Ireland’s largest independent and locally owned catering company employing 1,000 personnel. Its extensive range of services includes catering, cleaning, vending and associated services to industry and commerce, education and healthcare. The company has a growing division within the retail sector operating outlets in Forestside Shopping Centre, Junction One and Belfast’s historic St George’s Market. Mount Charles also operates other public sites such as the Waterfront Hall, and City of Derry and Belfast International Airports.

The company enjoyed success in the coveted NI Corporate Finance Advisory Team of the Year 2011 category and scored its second gong of the night when picking up, along with Mills Selig, the NI Deal of the Year Award for the purchase of O’Kanes Poultry Ltd by Moy Park Ltd.

Other winners included Arthur Cox for Corporate Law Firm of the Year, Crescent Capital for Business Funding Team of the Year, Northern Bank for Corporate Banking Team of the Year and Kevin Kingston for Dealmaker of the Year.

The gala awards ceremony attracted almost 200 professionals who gathered to celebrate the corporate finance industry’s successes. Johnny Webb, BDO Head of Corporate Finance, who was also shortlisted for Dealmaker of the Year,  said “We are thrilled that our efforts over the years to be a proactive and energetic team focusing on the needs of local ambitious businesses has been recognised by our peers.  We try at all times to bring a holistic One Firm approach to the needs and challenges of our growing clients – be it M&A, finance raising or indeed tax planning, wealth management or audit”

The ceremony was a culmination of the Insider’s Northern Ireland Business of Finance Conference 2011 which provided companies with expert guidance on how to fund growth. Delegates heard from Colin Walsh, non-executive chairman of Andor Technology and managing director of Crescent Capital.

This was the first time the Insider Dealmaker Awards held a regional final in Northern Ireland and Johnny said the event was a tremendous success. “Setting up, financing and closing deals is the essence of business. As Northern Ireland’s economy rebalances we must recognise the important role played by those who advise companies, and how they can accelerate this process. Celebrating success and best practice plays an important part of this and I hope 2012 will see this well established UK regional event return to Belfast”.

“Often we hear the charge that Irish America is an indulgence of misty-eyed sentimentalism. However in 2009 U.S. exports to Ireland were valued at $10.41 billion, with over $40billion of trade in the other direction, proof if any were needed that our relationship with the US continues to be of critical importance for trade and enterprise.

He argued given that there are over 40million people in the U.S. who claim Irish ancestry it was unsurprising to find many had risen to the top of powerhouses within the American economy.

“These Irish are keenly aware of their heritage and the Irish Technology Leadership Group is one of the many examples of how those on both sides of the Atlantic in business seek out like-minded experts and entrepreneurs. Sited in the heart of Silicon Valley and linked to Ivy League Stanford University it is an invaluable network for accessing decision makers and contacts within key technology firms. Glancing across its board you see Presidents, CEOs & COOs from global brands like Google, Apple, Cisco, Intel and a multitude of others.”

Brian Conlon also explained that the Ireland Day event at the New York Stock Exchange delivered the strong message that Irish firms have the ability and talent to be strong partners and service providers in some of the world’s most complex sectors.

Signalling the company’s ambitions he said “At First Derivatives our focus on the North American market has never been greater. In recent years we’ve made important acquisitions in the North American market and are already seeing a return on this $ 40m+ investment. We intend shortly to add more capacity to the US operation.  Our trajectory is clearly aimed with rapid expansion in the last five years seeing staffing levels increase from just under 100 to over 600 and we recently announced a further 359 jobs over the next three years meaning by 2014 we will employ in the region of 900 people.”

Urging Irish companies to increase their own links with the US he said, “The networks are out there. The challenge for each company is to tap in and reap the commercial benefits of these business and cultural relationships. Be it on a national scale of the Ireland Chamber of Commerce (U.S.) or State or City level as Irish businesses we must put our strategic advantage to work.”