Banking, and the role of banks in growing the economy, was examined at Queen's University on 18 October 2010, when Angela Knight, CBE, Chief Executive of the British Bankers' Association, addressed members and guests of the Chief Executives' Club at Queen's. The British Bankers' Association is the voice of the UK banking and financial services industry.
As the global economy struggles out of recession, attention has remained firmly fixed on banking as a symbol of the crisis.
Local business leaders had the opportunity to hear from Angela Knight on the role of banks in growing the economy.
She also reported on:
Ms Knight stated that banks understand their societal responsibilities and are committed to constructive and productive relationships as the right way forward. She said: "Banking is always evolving to meet its customers' needs and that is the case today as much as in the past.
"Our members are fully aware of their responsibility to their customers and to our wider society. We want to play our full part in helping customers thrive and grow and to help finance the private sector recovery through the work of the Business Finance Taskforce. We recognise that, along with government and the regulators, we must take responsibility for our part in past mistakes. We have already made great changes to how we operate and are at the table for further change."
This event was chaired by Sir David Fell, Pro-Chancellor of Queen’s University, and a Director of National Australia Group Ltd and Clydesdale Bank plc, as well as Chairman of Goldblatt McGuigan, Chartered Accountants.
The Club's 12th Annual Black Tie Gala for members and guests took place in the Sir William Whitla Hall on Friday 3 December 2010.
This prestigious and hugely enjoyable occasion is an eagerly anticipated social event on the local business calendar and is ideal for entertaining business contacts, guests and staff.
Despite a heavy fall of snow that afternoon, guests enjoyed warm hospitality in the Whitla Hall.
After the splendid Christmas banquet was served, everyone was entertained over coffee by local comedian, Neil Dougan. A raft of great prizes was then raffled, meaning some guests went home with an early Christmas present. After that, big band, The Phat Katz took to the stage and guests took to the floor to dance until the early hours of the morning.
Click here to download Sir Graeme Davies' presentation
Guest speaker, Sir Graeme Davies, addressed CEC members and guests (including Northern Ireland Secondary and Grammar School Principals), at Queen’s on Tuesday 1 February.
After a period of growth, very radical changes are being proposed for higher education funding. Sir Graeme explored how these changes are likely to affect UK higher education institutions in the future. Professor Peter Gregson, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University, explained what the proposed changes may mean for Queen’s University and its students.
Sir Graeme Davies recently completed his term of office as Vice-Chancellor of the federal University of London, chaired the Steering Group preparing the 10 year strategy for higher education in Northern Ireland, and is also is Chairman of the Higher Education Policy Institute.
Almost 150 private and public sector senior business leaders from across Northern Ireland attended 'The Big Debate: Corporation Tax' event, which was hosted by the Chief Executives' Club at Queen's in partnership with Clarendon Executive.
The interactive debate saw delegates hear views on corporation tax from a panel of five leading industry experts, alongside live audience polling and comment. The panel included Peter Bunting of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions; David Dobbin, Group Chief Executive of United Dairy Farmers; Professor Michael Moore, Director of Research at the Queen's University Management School; Stephen Kingon CBE, Chairman of Invest NI and Chair of the Centre for Competitiveness in Northern Ireland; and Eamon Donaghy, KPMG Partner (Tax Division).
The event sparked some lively discussion among the panel and audience alike. Seventy-five per cent of those attending voted in favour of cutting corporation tax in Northern Ireland in a bid to secure foreign direct investment (FDI) and grow the local economy.
Robert Brunner’s presentation in the Sonic Arts Centre to University staff and business guests - including many from the design industry - was as stimulating, visual and exhilarating as you would have expected from one of the world’s most exciting product designers.
Robert, who has collaborated with Lady Gaga and Dr Dre to develop some of this century’s most iconic products, shared his ideas on the importance of good design and showed many examples of his own work at an event hosted on 12 May by the Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s and the Northern Ireland Technology Centre.
Founder of San Francisco-based design company Ammunition – and having also worked previously as Director of Industrial Design with Apple - Robert Brunner flew to Belfast for two days at the invitation of the Queen’s Northern Ireland Technology Centre (NITC).
“We met Robert at the Ammunition studio last summer when we visited the States with a group from Colleges Northern Ireland as part of a ConnectED funded project,” explained NITC Manager, Colm Higgins. “We are delighted that he was able to accept our invitation and make his first visit to Northern Ireland and to give his first address at a UK University.”
Some of Brunner’s most exciting projects include collaborating with pop star Lady Gaga to develop a wearable camera in the form of a pair of sunglasses with embedded LCD displays, which was launched earlier this year. He also worked with record producer and rap icon Dr Dre to develop the popular Beats by Dr Dre headphones – now the most sought after brand in personal audio.
Speaking about how ‘ideas not objects’ are driving change in the market, Robert explained his belief that good design plays a key role in making a product succeed by becoming desirable through connecting emotionally with those purchasing it, as well as being usable and useful. He said: “A successful product must be more than just a thing. It must be desirable as well as functional, embodying an idea that people can understand and emotionally connect with. A well designed product will create an experience that will delight costumers and, ultimately, achieve business success.”
"Robert is the first in a range of creative industry key speakers that we hope to bring to a local audience of industry and academia,” said Stephen McGilloway of NITC. “ We hope that the relay of their individual experiences and provision of further insight into the benefits of the Design Process in striving for product or service differentiation for strategic competitive advantage is both helpful and inspiring."
Professor Shane O’Neill, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, introduced Robert Brunner at the evening lecture.
Earlier in the day, students from Queen’s, the University of Ulster and Colleges of Further and Higher Education around Northern Ireland, also had a chance to attend a workshop with Robert Brunner.
The 50th anniversary of the inauguration of John F Kennedy was marked at Queen’s University Belfast by one of the world’s most eminent US Presidential historians, Professor Robert Dallek.
Professor Dallek, an authoritative figure on President Kennedy and author of his biography, An Unfinished Life, which was number one on the New York Times Bestseller List, delivered the John F Kennedy Memorial Lecture at Queen’s on Thursday May 26 – to a capacity audience. Professor Dallek’s visit came in the same week that President Obama, who many have compared to President Kennedy, made a historic visit to the Republic of Ireland and the UK.
Speaking of Professor Dallek’s visit, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Gregson, said: “Queen’s is fortunate to be playing host to one of the most authoritative writers on Kennedy. The University is also very proud of its links with the United States. American academics and students contribute significantly to the life of Queen’s, which has many connections with prestigious institutions such as Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University and the National Cancer Institute. The Kennedy Memorial Lecture Series, which began in 2009, strengthens these links further and we are delighted to welcome a speaker of Professor Dallek’s calibre to Queen’s.”
Established in 2009, the Kennedy Memorial lecture attracts world class speakers to share insights and knowledge on the legacy of President Kennedy and the Kennedy family. Previous distinguished speakers of the Kennedy Memorial lecture include Dan Fenn, former staff assistant to President Kennedy, who was one of the 35th US President's closest aides in the White House. During his visit to Belfast Mr Fenn, who was the founding director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, brought artefacts from Kennedy’s visit to Ireland in 1963 which form part of a small John F. Kennedy Collection in Queen’s University’s McClay Library.
Professor Dallek thrilled the audience attending with his insights and knowledge into the leadership qualities of President Kennedy and his lasting legacy. He said Kennedy’s message of hope and vision for the future still resonated with people throughout the world and in Northern Ireland in particular.
