At the AGM, three new Board Members were elected.

Alban Maginness MLA, Judith Cochrane MLA and Alan Dickson of PricewaterhouseCoopers were welcomed to the Board by outgoing Chairperson, Chris Lyttle MLA.

A Chair and Vice Chair will be elected at the next Board meeting on 3^rd June 2013.

Following the AGM, a panel debate took place on “Corporation Tax, where do we go from here?”

Daithí McKay MLA, Chairperson for the Committee for Finance and Personnel, Dr Esmond Birnie, Chief Economist with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Roger Pollen, Head of External Affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses formed the panel.

Dr Christopher Stange, Chairman of Fairtrade Belfast, and Jacqueline Gibson, Sustainability Coordinator at Graham Construction, led a discussion on the importance of Fairtrade to the local business community.

Michael Bell, NIABT Board member, Chris Lyttle MLA, NIABT Chairperson, Jacqueline Gibson, Graham Construction, Minister David Ford MLA and Dr Christopher Stange, Chairman of Fairtrade Belfast.

On Thursday 7 March 2013 the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Right Honourable Theresa Villiers MP was keynote speaker at the annual dinner.

NIABT President William Hay MLA, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Right Honourable Theresa Villiers MP, NIABT Chairperson Chris Lyttle MLA and NIABT Vice Chairperson John Rooney.

NIABT Board meets with Secretary of State

Secretary of State with NIABT Board members

Secretary of State addresses the NIABT at the annual President’s Dinner