Growth from Recovery 26 May

The pandemic has significantly altered the way we live, work, and do business. This webinar is aimed at all SMEs and focuses on how businesses can change and adapt to overcome adversity and capitalise on opportunities for growth, as we continue to emerge from the effects of the pandemic and face off into new headwinds.

The event held in conjunction with Ulster Bank Ltd brings together three local Business leaders operatingin the areas of Retail & Hospitality, Agriculture and Manufacturing. During the discussion panellists will share their experiences of how they successfully navigated the challenges of the pandemic and how they continue to deal with the current challenges of supply chain disruption, inflation, labour shortages, cost of living crisis and climate concerns.

In addition, Ulster Bank’s local Business Manager Ciaran McLaughlin willprovide a summary of the varying financial supports available to meet your business needs.

 
Speakers
Anna Doherty

Anna was appointed Interim Chief Executive of the Londonderry Chamber in March 2022.

Anna re-joined the Chamber team in February 2020 and worked closely with outgoing CEO, Paul Clancy, to support and inform members throughout the Covid pandemic. She previously worked with Chamber as Events Manager from April 2013 to July 2015 and spent the intervening years working in various membership, trade and awarding bodies, including BritishAmerican Business, the American Chamber in London.

Prior to 2013 Anna ran her own foodbusiness producing delicious ready-made cooking sauces for sale throughout Donegal and owned the award-winning Rusty Nail Pub and Restaurant in Clonmany for some years with her husband.  She also had sales and marketing roles in a number of Inishowen hotels.

Ciaran McLauglin

Ciaran McLaughlin is a Senior Relationship Manger with Ulster Bank Ltdbased in Culmore Rd , Derry. Ciaran has 20 years’ experience in Retail& Commercial Banking and currently works with SMEs across the North West area with a particular focus in Agriculture , Health Care , Manufacturing and Retail & Hospitality sectors.

Selina Horshi

Having graduated from Cambridge University, Selina’s career started at The Times Newspaper where she worked in international sales including 6 months in Dubai setting up the UAE edition commercial operation, as well as a stint in the US to advise on the set up of the New York edition. She then worked at The Economist, setting up ‘The Ideas People’ digital advertising network across Europe.

Selina has taken on the family business and is currently the Managing Director of the 4-star White Horse Hotel where she in undertaking a refurbishment of the hotel, already resulting in a new bar and restaurant, and the addition of Spa facilities. Selina sits on the Hospitality and Tourism Skills ‘Attract’ committee, and is a Director of Les Foyer Des Artistes as part of her commitment to developing Tourism in Northern Ireland.

Currently the Vice President of The Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, Selina will assume the role of President in 2023. Her duties include advocating for local business, press engagements, and promoting the Derry City Region as an amazing place to live and to do business.

Gareth Wilson

Gareth is a Director of Wilson Agri, the second generation to run his family business. Beginning as a dairy farm he with his brother and parents recognised aneed in the global market to improve the comfort of dairy cows, and organising extensive research of their products is an important part of Gareth’s role in the company. Day to day, Gareth manages the warehousing andmanufacturing that is carried out in N.Ireland. Gareth ensures that products are of the highest standard and meet the customers needs.

Annette McIvor

Director, North West Restaurants Ltd t/a McDonald’s.

We are a franchised McDonalds Restaurant Group.  We opened our first restaurant on the 25th September 1995 at the Foyleside Shopping Centre. Over the past 25 years we have grown our business and we now operated 8 restaurants across the province with 4 of these restaurants within the Council District of Derry/Strabane. We have worked with and supported the Chamber over many years. Their work in advocating for our regionensures that we businesses in the North West have a voice which speaks out for and lobbies for the economic development of our region. The Chamber has been especially helpful for businesses during the challenging times aswe all struggled to survive the Covid pandemic.