Deloitte launches 2022’s Best Managed Companies Awards and urges NI firms to apply

Deloitte has launched its 2022 Best Managed Companies Awards by urging more businesses from Northern Ireland to submit applications to be named one of the top companies on the island of Ireland.

The awards, held in association with Bank of Ireland, recognise and celebrate indigenous businesses from Ireland/Northern Ireland that have demonstrated innovation, resilience, exceptional business performance and significant growth in today’s challenging business landscape.

Now in its 14th year, the Best Managed Companies network includes 139 businesses from a variety of sectors including manufacturing, retail, construction, hospitality and technology, including 27 companies from Northern Ireland. This network of companies has a combined turnover of €8.5 billion and employs a total of 40,000 people.

Last year, three companies from Northern Ireland achieved Best Managed status for the first time – mechanical and electrical specialist contractors Dowds Group, field services management software provider TotalMobile and recruitment agency MPA Recruitment, joining longstanding Best Managed winners such as CDE Global, Henderson Group, Henry Group, Portview Fitout, Wilsons Auctions and Mount Charles Group.

In a rigorous judging process, applicant companies’ business performance is measured using a range of criteria including the calibre of their management abilities and practices, strategy, capability, innovation, culture and financial performance of their companies.

Aisléan Nicholson, partner at Deloitte in Belfast, said: “In the past two years, companies across the island of Ireland have shown great bravery and innovation in the face of big challenges and taken new opportunities to deliver their goods and services. While last year’s programme was all about the resilience of our indigenous companies, this year’s will focus on how they are preparing for future success.

“The judging process takes a 360-degree view of the company, and we are looking for all-rounder businesses that can demonstrate not only their commitment to growth and financial performance, but also to their staff, culture and management practices.”

All applicant companies are guided through the process by coaches from Deloitte and Bank of Ireland who help the management team carefully analyse and scrutinise their own strategy, performance and business plan providing valuable insights into the ingredients for long-term success.

Harry Goddard, CEO, Deloitte Ireland and judging panel member, explained: “We’re thrilled to be launching the 2022 Best Managed Companies programme at a time when the easing of Covid restrictions means that many businesses are getting back to what they do best. As we begin to recover and move beyond the challenges posed by the pandemic, the rapid digitisation and pent-up customer demand we have witnessed over the last two years present a whole new set of opportunities. We look forward to hearing about how companies plan to take advantage of these, as well as how they plan to apply the lessons learned during the pandemic, in the face of the continuing climate crisis and other future challenges.”

Nikki Canavan, senior director, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking, added: “After an extremely challenging few years, it is important to celebrate the spectacular work being done by Irish businesses every day. Ireland’s Best Managed Companies programme is robust and comprehensive: it benchmarks management practices against strategy and identifies areas that may need increased focus and attention. It can play a very constructive role in making sure businesses are ready for the next step in achieving their objectives, and build confidence within the organisation to really deliver on its objectives. We very much look forward to working with the applicant companies and hearing their stories again this year.”

Winning companies join a network of top firms in the exclusive Best Managed Companies Club providing access to year-round events such as CEO roundtables and fireside chats with leading business figures, as well as the Best Managed Symposium hosted in partnership with the programme’s academic partner, the Irish Management Institute (IMI) and the annual Gala Awards.

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