IoD Members' Update
February 2021
We are delighted to announce that our 2021 Workshop Programme has commenced. It will take place online due to current restrictions. Our first workshop, ‘Great Strategy in Uncertain Times’ with Dr Simon Haslam CDir, is already booked out and a waiting list is in operation (please see below).

We will be announcing further online workshops and online networking events in the coming weeks and months, and we will bring these to the attention of members at the earliest opportunity.

With the first month of the new year behind us, the indicators at the moment suggest the COVID-19 numbers are heading in the right direction, albeit slowly, and international trade is gradually adjusting to the post-Brexit challenges.

Reasons for some optimism, then, as we move through the first quarter of the year.
Director Factsheet:
The Brexit Deal: Impact on Financial Services
The latest Director Factsheet, courtesy of McCann FitzGerald, addresses the new Brexit deal and its impact on financial services.

The 11th hour trade deal announced by the EU and the UK on Christmas Eve looks quite similar to a no-deal in so far as financial services are concerned. In particular, EU/UK firms have lost the right to passport, meaning that they can no longer provide financial services in each other’s territories on the basis of their home country authorisation. Moreover, while the EU/UK have agreed to discuss how to move forward with equivalence determinations, it appears that these determinations will continue to be made on an exclusively unilateral basis, at least for the immediate future.

Our sincere thanks to McCann FitzGerald for their ongoing assistance in producing the IoD Factsheets.

Please note: To read this members’ only content, you must be logged into the members' area of our website.  For more Director Factsheets, please visit our website.
IoD Webcast: Irish Property Update
In this IoD Webinar recorded on Thursday, 14th January 2021, Marian Finnegan, Managing Director of Residential and Advisory, Sherry FitzGerald Group, presented her timely webinar entitled 'The Irish Property Market Outlook'.

Marian Finnegan delivered an up-to-date commentary on trends in all sectors of the Irish property market and offered an assessment of the prospects for the sector in 2020 and beyond.

This webinar is part of our Briefing Series, and is sponsored by Accenture.

Please note: To view this members’ only content, you must be logged into the members' area of our website.  For more webcasts, please visit our website.
Director Sentiment Monitor - IoD Members' Survey
If you have already completed our Director Sentiment Monitor survey covering the period Q4 2020, thank you.

If you would like to complete the survey, please click on the button below. The survey will close on Thursday, 4th February.

The survey addresses a number of key areas/issues, including business confidence, financial performance, governance, gender pay gap legislation, COVID-19, Brexit, and international trade. The average completion time is under 4 minutes and all responses are anonymous.
IoD Workshop: Great Strategy in Uncertain Times
*Booked Out: Waiting List in Operation*
We are delighted to recommence our workshop programme in 2021.

Our first workshop of the year will be hosted online - on Monday, 15th February - and is entitled, 'Great Strategy in Uncertain Times'. It will be presented by Dr Simon Haslam, Chartered Director, and Director, FMR Research Ltd. 

Please note: This workshop is now booked out and a waiting list is in operation. If you wish to be added to the waiting list, please email our Training Team. Thank you.

Further additions to our 2021 workshop programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
Meet a Member
For the past five years, Filipe Infante has been Country Manager of HMR (Health Market Research) in Ireland and is Chairman of the Management Team.

Over the past 20 years, Filipe has dedicated his career to Healthcare, aspiring to contribute to the improvement of people’s lives working across the Pharmaceutical industry, Pharmacy sector and Data Science areas.

What qualities do you think a business leader should have to succeed in business?
You need to have a passion for what you do, always be honest and work hard.

What do you hope to gain from your membership with the IoD?
There are the obvious gains for the business, but I really look forward to developing relationships with the IoD members, gaining a better understanding of the organisation and, over time, building friendships. 

What, in your opinion, makes a great leader? 
Acknowledge that people are the key to success. By understanding this principle, you will surround yourself with great people, who you can cultivate into a team of competent, confident individuals who can deliver. Ultimately, creating and nurturing other future leaders is what makes a great leader.
The IoD Blog:
How to Make Your Team More Productive with Their Time
In this blog, James Brogan, co-founder and CEO of PepTalk, and co-founder and former Managing Director of Legacy Communications, offers his expert insight into the more productive use of your team's time.

'Considering people are already dealing with bigger workloads and longer working hours, we can’t ask them to ‘do’ much more. But what we can do is try and influence how they use a portion of their time to become more productive.'

Previous blogs are also available on our website. If you are interested in contributing to our blog or for further information, please contact Paul O'Mahony at [email protected] or call 01 411 0010. 
Welcome to Some of Our New Members
A warm welcome to some of our newest members:

  • Carla Mooney, Executive Producer/Co-Founder, Cardel Entertainment Ltd
  • Mary Darlington, Darlington Consulting
  • Garrett Harte, Managing Director, Harte Media
  • Marian Jennings, Academic Lawyer and Non-Executive Director, Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin)
  • Tom Finn, Founder & Industrial Engineer, Tom Finn Lean Solutions LTD
  • Ronan White, Chairman, Moneycorp Technologies Limited t/a Moneycorp
  • Filipe Infante, Country Manager, HMR Ireland
Deliver Results for Your Board: IoD Ireland Board Evaluation Service
Avail of the IoD Ireland Board Evaluation Service to learn how effectively your board is executing its roles and responsibilities.

Through the lens of best practice governance standards and your organisation’s business context, IoD Ireland's experienced Board Assessors examine how effectively your board and board committees are operating.
 
The service is efficient , robust , and completely confidential. It has an average completion term of just six weeks. Furthermore, the entire process can be undertaken virtually.

Our team of Board Assessors include Chartered Directors and/or governance specialists - Dr Margaret Cullen, Carol Bolger CDir, Marie Collins CDir and Clare Duignan. Our Assessors have worked across sectors as diverse as telecoms, financial services, hospitality, property, healthcare, communications, construction, energy, and education.
On the Bright Side…
Positive News in Business
While there may be many negative business stories in the news recently, there are also plenty of positive ones. Here are just a few stories we have selected:
IoD Webcast: Governance Challenges for Boards - Looking Back to Look Forward
In this IoD webinar, recorded on 17th December 2020, Dr Margaret Cullen, Founder and Principal, Think Governance Ltd, and IoD Board Assessor, discussed the governance challenges of operating in a virtual world and what positives boards can take from this, as we move forward.

Dr Cullen also explored a range of behavioural, operational, processual and strategic governance related issues.

Please note: To view this members’ only content, you must be logged into the members' area of our website.  For more webcasts please visit our website
Policy and Announcements Hub
The Year Ahead - Statement by Central Bank of Ireland Governor Gabriel Makhlouf
On 25 January 2021, the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland, Gabriel Makhlouf, delivered an address at the University of Limerick in which he looked at the economic outlook and the priorities of the Central Bank in the year ahead. The Governor noted that, 'The Central Bank’s priorities for 2021 will be dominated by the response to the pandemic and, ultimately, by our ongoing focus on the welfare of the people as a whole.'

Brexit Business Supports
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment provides a range of supports to help businesses of all sizes navigate Brexit changes.

Access2Markets Online Portal
Mindful of the challenges that COVID-19 and Brexit continue to pose for Irish companies, Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD, has reminded businesses of the Access2Markets online portal Access2Markets Welcome home page (europa.eu) to assist small and medium businesses grow their trade beyond the EU’s borders.

Enterprise Ireland's Export Compass Webinar Series
Enterprise Ireland has commenced a series of five webinars aimed at helping Irish businesses to grow through export. The remaining four webinars are: 11th February - Who is your ideal customer? Culture and doing business in other countries; 25th February - How to prepare for export. Sales and marketing to win export customers in a digital world; 11th March - How to finance your export plan. Finance management through funding and pricing; 25th March - Bringing it all together, followed by a Q&A session.

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Statement of Strategy 2021-2023
The new Statement of Strategy (2021-2023) of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was published on the 19th January 2021. Building on the Department’s record since its establishment nearly ten years ago, the Statement of Strategy sets out the strategic direction for the Department over the next three years.

Extension of 'Interim Period' of Companies Act 2020
The Institute of Directors (IoD) in Ireland welcomed the announcement from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment that the interim period of the Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Covid-19) Act 2020 has been extended to 9th June 2021, following Government approval in December 2020. In particular, the IoD has welcomed the impact this extension of the interim period will have on AGMs, specifically the hosting of virtual AGMs.
IoD and Members in the News
Business & Finance: New Horizons (Maura Quinn, CEO, IoD Ireland, is included on page 28)
RTE Radio 1: Remote working discussion - Jean Callanan (broadcast link no longer active)
IoD Member Benefit:
The Business Post Digital Subscription
There is an exclusive subscription rate for IoD Ireland members to the Business Post digital subscription.

IoD members can subscribe to the digital edition of the Business Post for €90 + VAT (9%) for 12 months. This is reduced from the current special offer of €149 for 12 months.

Each digital subscription will include: full access to the Business Post website with daily news updates; access to the Business Post e-reader; access to daily newsletters from Monday-Sunday; access to the archive; and access is also available on three different devices.
Director FAQs: IoD Ireland Website
The Director FAQ section on the IoD Ireland website is designed to help your journey as a director.

This area includes specific questions and answers related to being a board director, such as questions to ask before joining a board; applying to a state board; board diversity; and much more.

Please note: To view this members’ only content, you must be logged into the members' area of our website. 
COVID-19: Information and Resources
Latest Government Public Health Guidance
On 27th January, Elizabeth Canavan, Assistant Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach, delivered an update on the Government's response to COVID-19, including information on business supports, non-essential travel, and the national vaccination strategy.
Get the Most Out of Your Membership
with the New IoD Ireland Website
Have you reset your password and accessed the new IoD Ireland website? If so, you will have already gained access to our exclusive member only content, such as webcasts, Director Factsheets, blogs and much more. 

If you have not yet created your new login details, please follow the below steps to get the most out of your IoD Ireland membership:

Step one: browse to this IoD Ireland website page and on the left hand side of the screen in the 'Returning Members' section please press the 'Password Reset' button. Please then enter your email address to reset your password.

Step two: you will receive a ‘Password Set Request’ email. Please click on the link in this email to create your password and login to access the exclusive members’ area of the IoD Ireland website. 

If you have any queries or issues regarding the above, please contact the IoD Comms team.
Connect with the IoD
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Follow our latest updates at @IoDIreland and #IoDevents.