IoD Members' Update
July 2020

With the recovery stage for society and business now underway, following the unprecedented challenges of the last four months, the coming weeks will need to be faced with positivity and optimism. This is a time for leaders to lead from the front, and to make difficult decisions if required, while mapping the journey back to some semblance of normality, albeit in a much-changed world. As a majority of 71% of respondents recently told us (in our IoD June snap poll), a recession is expected but they believe it is to be of a shorter duration than ‘traditional’ ones. Nonetheless the possibility of a ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 and the threat of a no-deal Brexit must be factored into all scenario planning.

The role of our new Government will also be pivotal in the recovery, and the stimulus packages must be effective and timely in their support of business and society. In this respect, a look at our latest monthly Directors' Factsheet (below), produced in partnership with McCann FitzGerald, will no doubt be of particular interest to members.

Our exclusive and insightful webinars have proved hugely popular over the last few months and we invite you to look again, or to look anew if you missed them, at our most recent recordings featuring Mairead McGuinness MEP on 'Will COVID-19 and Brexit define the EU of tomorrow?' and Economist and Media Commentator, Jim Power, on 'Our Economy and COVID-19'.

Stay safe and well. 
Directors' Factshee t : The Programme for Government: What Should Employers Expect?
McCann FitzGerald Factsheet
July 2020
 

The Programme for Government (“PfG”) agreed between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party negotiators on 15th June 2020 was ratified on Friday, 26th June 2020. The document provides an interesting insight into some of the policies that may be implemented by the newly formed Government. McCann FitzGerald outline below some of the key policies that will be of interest to employers.

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.       If you have trouble with the below link, please login and browse to the Directors' Factsheet section.
IoD Webinar Recording:
 'Will COVID-19 and Brexit define the EU of tomorrow?' with Mairead McGuinness MEP
I n this webinar, recorded on Friday, 3rd July as part of our Lunch Bites @ the IoD series, kindly sponsored by IQ-EQ, Mairead McGuinness MEP , First Vice-President of the European Parliament, talked us through the next steps on Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic from the EU perspective.

During the course of the webinar, she also addressed what these events are likely to mean for the future of the EU. 

Please note: To view this members’ only content, you must be logged into the members' area of our website.  If you have trouble with the below link, please login and browse to the Webcasts of IoD events section.
The IoD Blog: Supporting Irish Business Expansion During COVID-19 
‘ We essentially share our networks and our local knowledge with our clients in order to help carve a safe passage for them into Ireland,’ writes Joanne McEnteggart , Managing Director, Ireland, IQ-EQ. Joanne also notes in this interesting blog that, despite COVID-19, her organisation is 'still seeing many international businesses progressing with their plans to set up and/or grow their operations in Ireland'. 

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.  
IoD Webinar Recording: 'Our Economy and COVID-19' with Jim Power
In this exclusive webinar, held and recorded on Thursday, 25th June,  Jim Power , Economist and Media Commentator, discussed and assessed the following key elements of 'Our Economy and COVID-19':

  • The impact of COVID-19 to date, globally and domestically
  • The global and domestic policy response
  • The prospects for domestic recovery as well as outlining what will be needed to re-boot the economy
  • The longer-term legacy of COVID-19 on the Irish economy.

The slides presented during this webinar are also available to view at the below link.

This webinar was kindly sponsored by Mazars as part of the IoD's Morning and Evening Briefings Series. 

Please note: To view this members’ only content, you must be logged into the members' area of our website.  If you have trouble with the below link, please login and browse to the Webcasts of IoD events section.
Meet a Member
Andrew Bradley is Managing Director of Bradley Brand. Soon after qualifying as a designer from the NCAD, Andrew realised that his interests lay in assisting companies develop their own unique design and, so, he set up his own design management consultancy. Today, Bradley Brand works with those who have an entrepreneurial spirit and seek to harness the potential of creativity to enhance the customer experience. 

Since joining the IoD, how have you benefitted from your membership?
As a ‘creative’, I initially felt like a fish in the wrong pond, but soon realised that all Directors share the same issues regardless of their sector and can benefit from the sharing of ideas. Now I feel more comfortable in the company of accountants and lawyers!
 
How has your business evolved and adapted as a result of the COVID-19 crisis?
We used to encourage working from home when you wanted some peace and quiet to think! Now, we encourage a few of the team at a time to return to the studio to work in peace and open collaboration. We’re working on finding a balance that provides a better lifestyle for all while, at the same time, maintaining a high level of creative energy.

What advice would you offer to new or aspiring directors in Ireland?
Being a director is not for everyone. We all look to leaders for the answers. If you’re not comfortable in the spotlight, find a colleague who is and celebrate them. Your position in the company will become stronger as a result.
Internal Communication: From Necessary Function to Critical Organisational Priority
'Outside of crises or industrial unrest, internal communication is often regarded as a priority only for Human Resources' directors. Yet, internal communication is an increasingly sophisticated aspect of public relations and no less business critical than corporate communication.'

So writes Martina Byrne , CEO of the Public Relations Institute of Ireland ( PRII ) and the Public Relations Consultants Association ( PRCA ) in this exclusive blog on the importance of internal communications.

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.  

Please note: To view this members’ only content, you must be logged into the members' area of our website.  If you have trouble with the below link, please login and browse to the articles and blogs section.
Newly Qualified Chartered Directors
The Institute of Directors (IoD) in Ireland is delighted to publish its list of recently   qualified Chartered Directors . 
 
As part of this qualification,  Chartered Directors  may also use the designation  CDir  after their name.
 
The   Chartered Director Programme   is a unique qualification for directors and strategic business leaders combining learning and professional experience. This sought-after programme has been running in Ireland since September 2008 and is delivered exclusively by IoD Ireland.
 
The Chartered Director Programme has two commencement points in each calendar year, January and September. This latest list published by IoD Ireland is mainly comprised of directors who have obtained their Chartered Director accreditation in recent months.
 
IoD Ireland offers its congratulations to all of our newly qualified   CDirs .
IoD June Snap Poll: Results
A snap poll survey by the Institute of Directors in Ireland in June found that nearly 1 in 8 (12%) of IoD members believes all staff will be back in their companies’ office/workspace once the COVID-19 lockdown is lifted. Another finding revealed that 31% are either planning to downsize their office space or having it under consideration.

In addition, nearly 30% of the respondents assessed their current office
space/working environment as NOT conducive to implementing Government-approved social distancing measures.

Furthermore, 71% of members acknowledge that a recession is imminent but that it will be a short-term one.

The results of the survey made national headlines (see below). Read the press release , which includes the results of the snap poll.
Policy and Announcements Hub
Central Bank Quarterly Bulletin: Q2 2020
'In terms of its impact on the economy, COVID-19 has triggered an extremely severe economic shock that is fundamentally different in nature and scope from types of shocks previously witnessed.' Read the latest CBI Quarterly Bulletin .

Tariff Suspension/Quota Schemes
On 1st July, the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, announced a new round of the tariff suspension/quota schemes and has encouraged manufacturers in the chemicals, microelectronic and related sectors to apply.
 
Key Supports for Reopening your Small Business

European Innovation Scoreboard 2020
Ireland has placed 9th in the European Commission’s annual European Innovation Scoreboard and remains in the group of Strong Innovators, performing above the EU average.
IoD Member Benefits
Glennon Insurance - D&O, Car, Home
Glennon Insurance   has created a tailored insurance solution for individual directors in Ireland, available only to IoD Ireland members.
 
This exclusive insurance scheme covers executive and non-executive directors, and senior management against legal actions and their costs, and helps protect personal assets.
 
Glennon Insurance is delighted to offer IoD members a complimentary and confidential consultation regarding Directors and Officers' (D&O) insurance.
 
In addition, Glennon Insurance has negotiated exclusive car and home insurance schemes for our members and their spouses or partners.
 
For more information on the above offers, please visit the IoD   website .
IoD and Members in the News
RTE Morning Ireland: IoD call amendment to company law on virtual AGMs (RTE Player link expired)
Transport.ie: Members of the Tourism Recovery Taskforce (Ken Spratt and Niall Gibbons)

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RTE Morning Ireland: Focus moves from office working
Newstalk Breakfast: News items (recording links expired)
Sunday Independent (Richard Curran column): Hold on to your hard hats if construction slows down next year

Further coverage of the IoD's snap poll incuded items from Today FM, Q102, Midlands 103, Galway Bay FM, Red FM (Cork), iRadio, LMFM, Northern Sound, Shannonside radio stations; Dundalk Democrat; Kilkenny People; Leinster Express; Leitrim Observer; Longford Leader; The Kerryman; and ThinkBusiness.ie.
Health and Wellbeing
COVID-19: Recovery Phase for Society and Business
Phase 3 Measures for Reopening Society and Business
We are now in Phase 3 of lifting the public health restrictions that were put in place to protect us all from COVID-19. They have come into effect on top of the measures announced as part of Phase 2. View the Phase 3 measures, which are part of Ireland's roadmap for reopening society and business .

There is also an additional document, Economic Considerations for Reinstating Economic Activity: Update for Phase 3 , which provides an updated assessment of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and considers a number of issues relevant to Phase 3. It also outlines a number of considerations that should inform policy as the economy moves into the recovery phase.

Guidance on the Safe Use of Face Coverings
With face coverings widely expected to become mandatory on public transport this week, the Department of Health has issued guidance on the safe use of face coverings . The Department has also issued a video on how to safely wear a face covering. See video above.

National Return to Work Safely Protocol
The Return to Work Safely Protocol is designed to support employers and workers to put measures in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The Protocol comprehensively sets out the steps and processes that businesses must take to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. Read the Protocol .    
IoD Ireland's Exclusive ‘COVID-19 Resources and Guidance’ Online Hub
The ‘COVID-19 Resources and Guidance’ Online Hub has been created to provide timely expertise, resource documents and newly commissioned content.

It can be accessed directly through the Members’ Area of the website and new content will be promoted weekly with members through our COVID-19 ezines. 
 
The hub already contains helpful resource documents from Mazars, McCann FitzGerald, Grant Thornton, Mason Hayes & Curran, Duff & Phelps, Hayes Solicitors, and more. Additional resources will be added regularly.

The hub also contains exclusive blogs by Niall Gibbons , CEO, Tourism Ireland; Tony Smurfit, CEO, Smurfit Kappa; Marian Finnegan, Managing Director, Residential and Advisory, Sherry FitzGerald; Colm O'Reilly, CEO, Business Post; Jim Power, Economist and Media Commentator; Siobhan Byrne Learat, Founder and CEO, Adams & Butler; Conor Brophy, Director, Teneo; Martina Byrne , CEO, Public Relations Institute of Ireland; Alan Holmes , INED and Executive Director, Websure; Simon Keogh, CEO, Rugby Players Ireland; Feargal Purcell , Head of Public Affairs, Edelman ; and David Fitzsimons , Former Founder and Group CEO, Retail Excellence.

Please note: To view this members’ only content, you must be logged into the members' area of our website.  If you have trouble with the below link, please login and browse to the 'COVID-19 Resources and Guidance' section.
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