Employee Ownership Ireland is delivering an autumn roadshow series for business leaders who want to better understand why employee ownership is becoming increasingly popular in Northern Ireland.
Titled ‘Discover the Rise of Employee Ownership’, the seminar will be held in the MAC in Belfast city centre on Wednesday 15th October at 8.30am before travelling to the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh for an afternoon event at 1.30pm.
Both events are targeted at businesses who want to find out why more and more companies are choosing to sell to their employees and also those working in advisory roles, such as lawyers and accountants, who may be supporting clients to prepare succession plans.
Former Tyrone GAA Manager and local solicitor, Fergal Logan, will host the afternoon event in Omagh where attendees will learn more about the benefits of transitioning to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) model.
The discussions will shed light on how effective a tool this can be for succession planning, for injecting wealth into regional economies, securing local jobs, and keeping businesses rooted within their areas of origin.
Already a number of businesses across Northern Ireland have made the transition to an EOT including Adman, Patrick McCaul Environmental Consulting Engineering, White Ink Architects and S&W Wholesale.
Also among the line-up of speakers will be Andrew Harrison, an Employee Ownership expert from Co-ownership Solutions and Karen Maguire, Chair of Employee Ownership Ireland.
Looking ahead to the roadshow events, Karen Maguire said the board of EOI was looking forward to engaging with business, across all sizes and sectors, and encouraging them to think seriously about the model.
“Making the move to employee ownership is a great way to futureproof your business and while momentum around the movement is on the up, we are still trying to increase awareness of EOTs and highlight the many benefits this can bring to local businesses.
“Our next roadshow series will be a great opportunity to engage with business leaders of all sizes and sectors and whether you are actively thinking about stepping into your EO journey or simply want to discover what it means, come along, hear from the panel of experts and take the opportunity to speak to other business leaders who have already made the move.”
Established in early 2025, Employee Ownership Ireland is a business group aiming to create 10,000 employee owners in Northern Ireland by 2030. In June 2025, the work of the group was boosted when the Economy Minister, Dr. Caoimhe Archbald MLA, announced a funding plan to promote EOTs across the region.
Board members at Employee Ownership Ireland have used this support to provide resources and mentorships to businesses making the transition and to provide fully funded feasibility studies, which will help to ascertain if the move is a suitable one for individual organisations.
More information about the support EOI can provide and information on how to apply for a feasibility study will be provided at the roadshow event and be posted onwww.employeeownershipireland.com
Registration details will be posted on the group website and social media channels.