Celebrating, Learning, Growing – October Was Epic at VANRATH! (Newsletter)
Publish Date:Posted 2 days ago
Author:by VANRATH
What a month it’s been at VANRATH!
October at VANRATH? Let’s just say if there was a trophy for ‘Most Events Packed Into One Month’, we’d be hoisting it high. We tackled everything from swanky award ceremonies and industry summits to office buffets and first-aid training that hopefully we’ll never need (but hey, we’re ready!).
Here’s the lowdown on the wild ride that was October.
Awards Galore!
Business Eye Awards
Another year, another fabulous evening at the Business Eye Awards, where more than 600 glamorously dressed guests swarmed ICC Belfast.
We didn’t snag a win this time, but the thrill of being finalists (three categories, thank you very much) kept our spirits high. Employer of the Year, Small Business of the Year, and Outstanding Leadership for Barbara McKiernan—next year, trophies, you’re ours.
Big cheers to all the winners and finalists (and to us for gracefully clapping in defeat.) 🥂
VANRATH were finalists for two awards: Best Employer of the Year and Best Business Leader of the year (Barbara McKiernan).
No wins for us again but we still had a spectacular night - and Custom House were awarded with "Highly Commended" for the Business Premises of the Year award! 🎉
These awards are a great opportunity for us to celebrate the achievements of our local business community here in Belfast and we were honoured to be a part of it this year! 😊
Emer Maguire was a riot as host, keeping the crowd entertained and the noise down (truly, shushing was needed at some times).
Congratulations to all the winners and those who were awarded highly commended certifications! 🍾
All things Tech 💻
October has been an exceptionally busy month, with multiple events keeping the schedule full. Below are just a few of the highlights.
Women in STEM Networking Night
Our Operations Manager, Emma, headed to Queen's University Belfast for the Women in STEM QUB Networking Night.
It was a full house of brilliant undergrad and postgrad women, all ready to change the world.
Nothing makes us prouder than backing these Women in STEM events as it's the least we can do to inspire future female STEM professionals and leaders.
Matthew Eversand Barbara McKiernanspent the day chatting with employers and job seekers on all things related to a career in STEM!
And later Matt took to the stage to chair a panel discussion on "Attracting Female Talent in Tech", where the speakers (Janine Crosbie, Eve Brennan, and Rossita Maclean) shared advice and offered valuable insights into what candidates seek from employers. 👩💻
One of the most exciting aspects of the summit was the networking opportunities. It was a great chance for us to connect with talented individuals, industry leaders, and organisations that share a common goal: promoting the visibility and success of women in STEM.
The Women in STEM summit opens doors for personal growth and inspires the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators. 👩🔬
VANRATH are particularly passionate about empowering future female leaders and so it’s important that we continue to encourage and inspire young women to explore careers in STEM – fields that will define the future of industries, technology, and society.
Women in STEM face unique challenges, and it’s up to all of us to ensure that the environments we create, whether in the workplace or at events like this, are empowering and inclusive. 🤝
Ever feel like you’ve done something remarkable? Ruth McGuinness definitely has. As one of only 11 women in Europe to win Microsoft’s Power Women in Tech Award, Ruth inspired us all.
Kainos hosted an incredibly inspiring event to celebrate Ruth McGuinness's remarkable achievement.
The event included a thought-provoking discussion with Jayne Brady and Catherine Doyle, who shared valuable insights on leadership and personal growth. Catherine’s advice about understanding oneself and recognising personal triggers to better manage others provided a practical approach to effective leadership. Meanwhile, Jayne’s message of aligning one’s values, believing in oneself, and practising kindness resonated deeply with anyone aspiring to lead with authenticity.
Overall, the event was a fantastic example of empowering conversations, celebrating women in tech, and offering practical advice for those pursuing success in the technology sector.
Big Data Conference
The first was the Big Data conference hosted by Analytics Engines. The event offered fresh perspectives on why Data and AI should be central to every business plan. Gareth Kelly shared valuable insights on EY’s work in this space and the exciting practice they are establishing in Northern Ireland. Jordan McDonald also delivered an excellent talk on the steps organisations need to take to gain a panoramic view of AI adoption and integration.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
DEI in NI: Untold Stories
"DEI in NI: Untold Stories" focused on DEI and was hosted by Equitas. This event featured two thought-provoking panel discussions led by Laura Lavery, whose passion for this topic was evident. The discussions offered inspiring real-life stories about the challenges faced in DEI and what can be done to move forward.
Congratulations to all involved for putting these critical issues at the forefront. While no one claims to be an expert in this space, a core takeaway was that it's all right to still be learning, as tackling these challenges head-on is a shared journey.
Sandra Lee led a really engaging session and our Operations Manager, Emma Wilson, personally enjoyed hearing from the other attendees around their diversity journeys 👍
Diversity Mark Summit
EDI will always be an important topic within the workplace. 🤝
Our Operations Manager, Emma Wilson, attended 2024's Diversity MarkSummit which is an event that takes place bringing more than 300 businesses and diversity leaders together at the beautiful Titanic Belfast.
It is NI's largest equality, diversity, and inclusion conference.
When chatting to us this morning, Emma mentioned that the key takeaways for her were "the importance of creating safe spaces for colleagues to support and enhance a sense of belonging e.g. staff network and employee resource groups."
Her other key take-aways were:
-Approaching EDI in the workplace requires thought so take time to think and take it one step at a time
- We are all leaders in ensuring EDI and can influence change whether we’re at work or at home
From practising CPR to understanding how to respond in emergency situations, everyone was hands-on, and we’re proud to have added these life-saving skills to our team’s toolkit.
They each gained invaluable knowledge about how to perform basic first aid and learned some pretty interesting facts and figures, too. Fun fact: the first portable defibrillator was invented in Belfast!💡
Hopefully, we'll never have to put what we learned to use, but if we do, we're ready!
We had the absolute joy of welcoming our work-from-home furry co-worker into the office when he dropped by for a surprise visit.
His stay was brief, but he brought enough cuteness to last us until the next quarter.Cheers, Henry—you’re the real MVP of VANRATH.
Massages and Treats!
Earlier in the month we had the team at VANRATHwere treated to a buffet of food including sandwiches, chicken curry, chicken strips, sausage rolls, sausages, and fresh fruit. 🍛
Not long after, we had the masseuses from Therapies At Home NI came in to treat our team to an afternoon massage, and it was unreal.💆♀️
Safe to say, everyone was ready for a good snooze after all that...
If you're interested in joining a company where they offer their team monthly treats "just because", then you should reach out to Damian Della Croceat VANRATHbecause we're always interested in expanding our team.
Right now, we're continuing to grow our recruitment teams, so if you're interested and have some experience in recruitment, give Damian a shout at damian.dellacroce@vanrath.comor phone 028 90 330 250!
As we wrap up October, we’re grateful for all the amazing experiences and connections we've made this month. From celebrating local talent to supporting diversity and fostering well-being in our own workplace, it’s been a time of growth, fun, and community. We’re excited to keep the momentum going into the next few months, so stay tuned (and if you’re interested in being part of a team that values community and development, reach out to us!)
