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As a result of increased opportunities in the fincech sector Ulster University Business School have designed a bespoke postgraduate programme for Newry's multinational software and consulting firm First Derivatives.
The Masters in Global Capital Markets will take up to three years to complete part-time. Teaching will be supported by the University’s digital learning platform.
Adrian Toner, Chief Operating Officer, First Derivatives, commented “The demand for highly skilled capital markets graduates is now higher than ever on the island of Ireland and we are excited to be a part of the development of this forward-thinking programme and progressive approach.”
The programme has been designed for those who not only wish to develop a career in financial services but with the number of optional modules offered also allows for skills development in project management, technology and accounting. Alongside their academic studies students may also achieve complementary professional qualifications such as Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment Operations Certificate; Prince 2 Foundation; and Professional Risk Manager Designation.
Professor Gillian Armstrong, Director of Business Engagement at Ulster University, explains, “First Derivatives has successfully grown year on year to now employ 2,400 across its global operations with plans to recruit another 1,000 staff by 2021. Such sustained expansion puts huge demands on the skills market relating to financial and associated professional services. Whilst Ulster University Business School offers related full and part-time courses First Derivatives’ requirements necessitated a whole new approach to curriculum development.”
“Alongside the company’s HR team, we have co-created an MSc in Global Capital Markets which perfectly fits the specific skills needs of First Derivatives both for now and anticipated for the future. We firmly believe that the flexibility provided by such a targeted approach will be the educational route of choice for businesses going forward and we look forward to developing similar bespoke programmes for other organisations.”
First Derivatives have begun a period of induction with 40 employees this month with an expectation that a total of 60 employees will begin the programme itself in January 2019.
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Close to 1000 people crowded in to the Canal Court Hotel on Thursday night for the 19th annual Newry Chamber Charity Christmas Dinner, raising the incredible sum of £78,830 for local charities.
This year funds were raised for 19 charities, Action on Elder Abuse NI, Air Ambulance NI, Bite and Banter, Clanrye Group, Community Rescue Service, Daisy Hill Children's Ward, Down Right Brilliant, Ellen's Journey, Life and Time, MS Society NI, Newry Helping the Homeless, PIPS Hope and Support, Rathore School, Space NI, St Mark's High School ECPD Dept, St Vincent DePaul, Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, Salvation Army and Women's Aid Armagh Down.
Several children with life challenging difficulties were also honoured on the night.
President of Newry Chamber of Commerce, Paul Convery welcomed everyone and spoke of how the night was an opportunity for the Chamber and local businesses to give something back to the local community that supported them through the year.
Entertainment on the night was provided by Wine O'Clock duo Rozlyn Sheridan and Teresa McBride as well as world renowned singer Peter Corry.
Abbey Grammar School, St Colman's College, St Joseph's Convent PS, Windsor Hill Primary School, St Patrick's PS and Newry High School all helped with the organisation of the night providing the elves, music and entertainment.
Once again the massive annual toy mountain took pride of place towering over the hotel foyer. Toys will be distributed by St Vincent DePaul, the Salvation Army and Newry Junior Chamber to children who would otherwise go without this Christmas.
Speaking of the toy mountain, President of Newry Chamber of Commerce, Paul Convery said "Nobody does it better than the people of Newry. Since it started, thousands of children have benefited from the generosity of Newry businesses and this year’s mountain is bigger and better than ever.
"A big thank you to everyone who brought a toy. You will have brought real Christmas joy and happiness to the lives of the children and their families."
To date almost £1.4M has been raised by this incredible Christmas event, something that Newry inc can be incredibly proud of. Newry.ie Salute You.
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Newry's MJM Group has established a presence in Poland with the opening of an office in Pruszcz Gdanski.
The office will be primarily a Design and Administrative hub which will support key activities and projects at the company’s headquarters in Newry.
Speaking at the official opening of the office, Gary Annett, MJM Group CEO, commented: “MJM Group has a long and proud association with Poland. Many of our employees in Northern Ireland are originally from Poland and we have very strong Polish supply chain. We are delighted to open an office here in Pruszcz Gdański and cement our relationship with Poland.”
“MJM Group has recorded significant growth over recent years which has seen our workforce and our global reach strengthen,” adds Mr Annett. “In 2018, we have expanded our workforce in Northern Ireland and we have opened an office in Southampton, England. Opening a branch in Poland is part of our global expansion plans and a reflection of our commitment to attracting a talented pool of people and a robust supply chain from Poland and other EU countries. As the UK continues to navigate its way through the Brexit negotiations it is prudent for MJM Group to expand our global reach to ensure we have the resources to continue to grow as a leader in the global marine outfitting market.”
Mr Annett was accompanied by the Mayor of Pruszcz Gdański, Mr Janusz Wróbel who welcomed MJM Group’s expansion plans.
“We are pleased that MJM Group, a company which has been linked to the Pomeranian region for more than 10 years through its support of our local supply chain, has now decided to establish a permanent office in our city. Pruszcz Gdanski, which is within the Baltic Investment Zone, has become one of the most important locations for foreign investments in the region thanks to our infrastructure – we are at the intersection of the A1 motorway and close to an international airport which makes us a very attractive location for leading global companies to invest. We wish MJM Group every success here in Poland and in their global operations.”
MJM Group is a world leader in marine outfitting and has refitted some of the world’s largest cruise ships. In 2018, it completed its first ever contract in China and currently has a strong pipeline of projects for 2019 and beyond.
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Two local Newry businesses, Corn Dolly and Bogart Menswear took time out from the busy Christmas rush to attend First Trust Bank’s special Christmas Market in Belfast.
The companies were two of ten local businesses invited by First Trust Bank to set up stall in their Head Office for the special Christmas market celebrating the best of local businesses.
As well as purchasing goods in time for the festive season, staff and invited guests raised support for the Northern Ireland Hospice and enjoyed Christmas songs performed by the Belfast School of Music.
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Warrenpoint Port have announced that they will no longer pursue proposals to change how it deals with dredged material following initial studies which indicated that the change could have a detrimental impact on Carlingford Lough.
The port is the fifth largest in Ireland with £6.2billion worth of goods passing through in 2017.
Authorities at the Port had been considering the feasibility of a new placement site in the mouth of Carlingford Lough between Cranfield Point and Greencastle.
The plans will not proceed however, following the initial findings of site surveys.
Clare Guinness, CEO, Warrenpoint Port said “Early results from our site characterisation study have shown the proposal would potentially have an unacceptable detrimental impact on the ecology and aquaculture within the lough.
“Throughout the process, we have been clear that should the scientific research identify the potential for such an impact, then the proposal would go no further.
“We are pleased to deliver on this commitment, in our role as conservators of the marine environment, and will immediately cease pursuit of a revised dredging proposal.”
A copy of the findings of the site characterisation study is available to view at www.warrenpointport.com
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A Christmas Window Dressing competition organised by Newry BID has seen McEvoy's in Monaghan Street take the winning spot despite some fierce competition from 18 local businesses.
Newry’s City Centre businesses went all out this festive season with some magical window displays!
Newry BID decided to create some friendly competition and organise a Window Dressing Competition with all their members. The local businesses creating magical scenes to attract customers into their very own Winter Wonderland.
Newry BID had an independent judge visit all stores and make their decisions based on the theme, promoting their product and overall look of the display. It was a very tough decision to place the top 3.
Taking first place was Mc Evoys, with Newry Credit Uniontaking second and third place going to Joanna McCartney Hairdressing.
Newry BID were delighted to see the involvement from their members to help showcase Newry in it’s best light, working inline with their theme of Improving how Newry Looks.
Congratulation’s to all the winners!
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A County Armagh retailer has been awarded two Category Star Titles at the Independent Achievers Academy (IAA) Gala Dinner, held in London recently.
Terry Mulkerns, owner of Mulkerns EUROSPAR at Forkhill Road, Newry took to the stage to collect his awards for Best In-store Display and a second for Staff Development, in recognition of the positive working environment he has created.
Terry has always taken a comprehensive approach to staff development, delivering a robust induction programme to all new colleagues, regardless of their previous experience. All staff are enrolled in a vigorous customer service course and receive one-to-one coaching from Terry himself on the job. Regular team meetings and a weekly staff newsletter help ensure all staff are fully aware of everything that is happening in the store.
As the only Northern Ireland winner recognised on the night, Terry Mulkerns said it was a huge honour to have won in two categories.
“I’m extremely proud to have been recognised by the Independent Achievers Academy and won two retail stars. This is testament to the hard work that has been done throughout our store by all our staff throughout the last year.
“It’s particularly special to be recognised on a national stage and for me reinforces the message that our stores in Northern Ireland can compete on the very highest level and come out on top.”
The IAA win rounds off an incredibly successful year for Terry and his team who have also picked up wins at the Forecourt Trader Awards for Best Food-To-Go Outlet, Retail Industry Awards for Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year and the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards for Community Store of the Year as partly voted for by the public, making them the most successful store in 2018.
Terry has no plans to rest on his laurels however, and plans are already afoot to build on this success in 2019.
“The award wins have been a huge boost for the whole team and while we’re incredibly proud of everything that has been achieved to date, especially against such a competitive market, we want to develop this success and continue to improve for our customers.”
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Newry company Autoline is set to join Prestige Insurance Group in a deal that is hoped will deliver enhanced oportunities and benefits to customers and staff. The deal, which is subject to final approval by regulatory authorities, would see Prestige Insurance Holdings acquiring the full shareholding of Autoline’s parent company, with the expanded Group employing a total of over 700 employees.
Autoline was established in Newry in 1975 and was acquired by Michael Blaney in 1997. The successful insurance broker provides a wide range of personal lines, business and commercial insurance and the award-winning Chilli Drive young driver app.
Prestige Insurance Holdings earlier this year announced a major investment by US-based investor, Capital Z. The firm was established in Newtownabbey in 1973 and provides a wide range of insurance services including broking, underwriting, insurance software and claims management.
Trevor Shaw, CEO of Prestige Insurance Holdings said, “Following the investment brought by our new majority owners, Capital Z, we have openly stated that we have ambitious plans for growth of the Group. Very much like our own business, Autoline has a customer-centred approach and a strong reputation, which makes it an excellent fit and an obvious choice for acquisition. As a newly combined management team we will utilise the knowledge and experience of both businesses for the benefit of our customers and for maximum growth in Northern Ireland and beyond.”
Michael Blaney, Managing Director of Autoline said, “We believe this is the right and best approach to building on the value we have created in recent years for our customers and employees at Autoline. I am confident this will deliver enhanced opportunities and benefits for both customers and staff going forward.”
Prestige CEO Trevor Shaw added that the newly expanded business will be firmly focused on ensuring business as usual for all customers and staff and that customers can be confident their current insurance cover will not be affected by this move.
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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council was delighted to recently host two Chinese delegations from the Ministry of Commerce, China and a group of postgraduate medical students from the Second Hospital of Jilin University.
This is the second time the Council has hosted Chinese guests since it signed an Executive Programme of Friendly Exchanges Agreement with Changchun city in October 2018. Changchun is the largest city in Jilin province.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairman, Councillor Mark Murnin and President of Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade, Mr Colm Shannon welcomed the delegation from the Ministry of Commerce at Council offices in Newry. During their visit the senior officials discussed trade, the Council’s position on the border and the political impact of Brexit on local businesses and residents.
The Chinese medical students from the Second Hospital of Jilin University were on a seven day study tour in Northern Ireland, during which time they undertook some medical study at the University of Ulster. As part of their trip, the Council facilitated a visit to Daisy Hill Hospital where they met hospital directors and representatives from the Human Resources department. The students then met with Dr Patrick Lynch, Global Launch Excellence Manager at Norbrook Laboratories, who provided an overview of the company’s development across the pharmaceutical sector.
Following the visits, Chairman, Councillor Mark Murnin said, “I am delighted to welcome both the Chinese officials and the Jilin University medical students to our district. These visits further enhance our existing relationship with China and they demonstrate how we all can work together to develop meaningful and lasting benefits for us all.”
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