irishtimes.com

American Businessin Ireland 2016

July 1st, 2016THE IRISH TIMES

Copyright © 2016 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., One Merck Drive, Whitehouse Station, New Jersey 08889, USA. All Rights Reserved. CARD-1088502-0008

/MSDinIrelandBUSINESSIN THECOMMUNITYIRELAND

For the last 125 years, a very special passion has driven the people of MSD. A leading global healthcare company,we have a longstanding presence in and commitment to Ireland and aspire to be the best human and animalhealthcare company in the country.

Recognised as Ireland’s Pharma Company of the Year and one of Ireland’s top five corporate CSR contributors in2015, MSD’s many business areas include manufacturing sites, global financial services and commercial operations.We are proud to be one of Ireland’s leading exporters, developing, manufacturing and packaging many of ourleading products in Ireland for the world’s markets.

Due to continued growth, we are currently expanding our team across all disciplines spanning Operations, Quality,Engineering, Commercial, Regulatory and Supply Chain and are recruiting experienced professionals in severalof our locations across Ireland including Carlow, Cork, Tipperary and Dublin.

To learn more about MSD in Ireland and view all of our open roles, visit www.msd.ie

MSD – be part ofmaking a difference

The success of US companies inIreland can be viewed throughmany lenses. You can look at thegrowing number of companies,now over 700, who call Ireland

home. Or consider what they produce,which amounts to annual exports fromIreland around the world that exceeds¤100 billion. But to my mind, the true storyof this remarkable relationship’s success istold through the people who benefit fromit.

Over 140,000 people are now employedby US companies across Ireland. Whenyou take indirect employment into ac-count, that number soars further, mean-ing US companies account for 20 per cent,or one in five, jobs in the private sector.

It is the quality of this workforce that isdriving the growth of US FDI in Ireland.Consistently we hear the CEOs and presi-dents of some of the most cutting-edgecompanies on the planet paying tribute tothe Irish workforce. And when a companyannounces a new investment, regardlessof its sector, this talent is acknowledged asone of the key factors for companieschoosing Ireland.

Thankfully, these new investments havecontinued to be remarkable in 2016 both inthe scale and quantity. Last month, Ama-zon announced 500 new jobs for its Dublinoperations, while companies such asHubspot, Oracle and Facebook are grow-ing at a similar rate, meaning that over2,000 jobs have been added to the capital’sbooming tech sector this year.

This is certainly not a Dublin phenome-non, as we have seen many big invest-ments nationwide, such as First Datacreating 300 jobs in Tipperary; MSDadding 200 jobs nationwide; healthcarecompany Opko seeking 200 people inWaterford. While in my home town ofCork, Eli Lilly is investing $35 million innew technologies and Tyco has justopened its new HQ.

Over the coming years, maintaining thestrength and growth of our multinationalsector must be a national priority. TheAmerican Chamber will work to ensureIreland remains the global location ofchoice for US investment. This will requirea thoughtful approach and a wide consen-sus. We look forward to working with ourmember companies and the Governmentto achieve this.

Our focus will be on areas such asplace-making, building our competence asa global hub for the digital economy, and,of course, cost-competitiveness. Fosteringour reputation as a country that caninnovate and create new products andservices, and ensure we have all theingredients to deliver these services andconduct the most advanced manufactur-ing is crucial. Getting this right is what willultimately see us continue to create morejobs, and continue to grow the family ofpeople working within US companies inIreland, which is already 140,000 strong.

–BobSavage, president, AmericanChamberofCommerce Ireland

InterestingtimesFionaReddanonhowUS-Irish relationsarethrivingdespite a volatile external environment.

CareermovesWhat is it like towork for aUSmultinational?

AmericandreamTips for start upsonattractingaUS investor

RacetoInnovateR&Dhas ledmanymultinationals to expandbeyond recognition

Roomto improveMinisterMitchell-O’Connor oncompetitiveness

Ireland’scallJohnHoldenasksUScompanieswhy theychose to locate here

InvestinginruralIrelandThebenefits of locatinga company outsideDublin

MeithealmentalityAmericanChamberchiefMarkRedmondcites a‘can-do’ attitude aas key to Ireland’s popularity

Stemdilemma.Why it’s vital to invest in our education andinfrastructure

WhyIreland?Somepeople in the know tell uswhy itmakessense to locatehere

DiversitymattersAn inclusiveworkforcebenefits a companyanditsworkforce

LookingbackUSAmbassadorKevinO’Malley onhis time inIreland

EditorEdelMorganProductionAnnaKennyCover IrishTimesPremedia

ContactThe IrishTimes, 24-28TaraStreet,Dublin 2Email: specialreports@irishtimes.comAdvertising018930000

American Business in Ireland 2016

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irishtimes.com

American Businessin Ireland 2016

July 1st, 2016THE IRISH TIMES

11Growth of USmultinationals is a priority

THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016 |3

US presidential elections, zerointerest rates, sluggish Europe-an growth and turbulent mar-kets: the old Chinese aphorismof “interesting times” may nev-

er have been more apposite when it comesto US-Irish relations.

However on June 24th, it just got a bitmore interesting when the UK voted toleave the European Union.

Indeed the wider impact of Brexit, aswell as its effect on foreign direct invest-ment (FDI), remains to be seen but the in-vestment case for US companies looking toaccess the European market from Irelandremains – the market has gotten smaller.

Despite the volatile external environ-ment, US companies are still looking to Ire-land as a gateway to both Europe and thewider EMEA region.

It’s a startling fact that US companies in-vest more in Ireland than they do in the eco-nomic engines of the emerging nations,with some $116 billion (¤102 billion) invest-ed by US companies in Ireland between2008 and 2014, compared with just$73.8 billion into the Brics (Brazil, Russia,India, China and South Africa).

And the investment shows no sign ofslowing down. “We’ve seen no diminutionin foreign direct investment (FDI) in thefirst six months,” says Martin Shanahan,IDA chief executive.

Of note is the number of projects choos-ing locations outside of Dublin to set up.Most notable perhaps is Apple’s decision tobase its new data centre in Athenry, Co Gal-way, while in one week in June, for exam-

ple, the IDA announced four projects, andthree of these – Surmodics in Ballinasloe,Co Galway, Eurofins in Dungarvan, Co Wa-terford, and Zeltiq in Galway – were out-side of Dublin.

Technology continues to dominate theprojects coming to Ireland, followed bypharma and financial services, with KPMGpartner Anna Scally pointing to the oppor-tunity that the fintech sector presents.

“With financial stability and a renewedenergy in the economy, creating the kind ofenvironment that supports the emergenceof entrepreneurship in fintech presents thevery real prospect that Ireland will play aleading role on a global scale,” she says.

In the run-up to the Brexit vote, PwCmanaging partner Feargal O’Rourke sayswhere it impacted was on the UK-Irishfront, where he did notice a slowdown on in-vestments between the two countries.

As the UK now prepares to exit the EU,Shanahan notes: “The context maychange, but regardless of what that con-text, is we will continue to market Irelandas a location for FDI.”

EconomicstabilityPerceptions of Ireland as a location for FDImatter. Back in 2010, when the troika wasin town, O’Rourke found himself downplay-ing what the move meant while visitingstateside. “Their perception was worsethan the reality,” he recalls.

Now, however, the US sees Ireland as theposter child of Europe, the one who lis-tened to its stern parents, took the austeri-ty cuts on the chin, and came out the otherside, at a time when other so-called “Piigs”are still languishing in recession.

The truth, of course, is that while GDPgrowth is motoring ahead, at more than anexpected 5 per cent for 2016, the economy

still has problems. “Now the perception isbetter than reality,” notes O’Rourke.

Nonetheless, there is still a lot to be posi-tive about.

“The growth in the Irish economy, whichis still outstripping the rest of Europe, edu-cated workforce and a very competitive cor-porate tax rate are just three of the reasonsIreland is seen as the gateway into Europefor many large US businesses,” says JulianYarr, managing partner of A&L Good-body.

ChallengesBut, as ever, there are challenges on the ho-rizon – wage inflation pressures and officeshortages to name just two. Externalthreats are also ever-present, with Yarr cit-ing political instability in Europe and with-in the euro zone as a threat.

Interestingtimes

Despite uncertainty on several fronts, US firmscontinue to invest here, writesFionaReddan

Despite a volatile external environment,US companies are still looking to Ireland

US sees Ireland as theposter child of Europe, the

one who listened to its sternparents, took austerity cuts on

the chin, and came out theother side

“

OVERVIEW

4 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

Chris EnrightHewlett Packard Ireland

Chris Enright has worked in HP for 20years. After graduating in science fromDIT and Trinity College, the Dublinerspent four years in the pharma sector be-fore joining HP as an engineer, working ontechnology transfer and starting up manu-facturing and test operations at the firm’splant in Leixlip.

He took on his first management role af-ter just four years. “The business was goingthrough a significant expansion, and myrole was to enable new processes and capa-bilities to support capacity expansion. Iwas able to take on new roles that focusedon breakthrough process development,product development and R&D.”

Taking on international assignmentswithin HP also reaped longer-term careerrewards. He spent a year working on tech-nology transfer at the firm’s base in SanDiego, California, and three years in HPBarcelona managing R&D for a differentbusiness unit before returning to Leixlip in2010 to become a department manager forR&D. He was appointed director of R&Dfor inkjet supplies last year.

Enright rates the support he has re-ceived from HP in developing his careerover this time as “tremendous”, and includ-ed supporting him in completing a mastersdegree in management at UCD, a postgradprogramme at the Irish Management Insti-tute and a programme on innovation lead-ership at Stanford University in California.

“The internal training programmeshave also been very good – over the last 20years I’ve received training on several tech-nical, business and personal skills pro-grammes that have been excellent. Thecompany has pulled in industry-leading ex-perts for several development pro-grammes.”

Enright believes that, as well as having astrong career development focus, US multi-nationals typically have a scale and diversi-ty that enables employees to move acrossdifferent departments in a way that buildsvaluable multi-disciplinary experience. “Ipreviously worked for a Swiss pharma com-pany that was more limited in mobilityacross the company as well as internal de-velopment opportunities.”

Katie DoyleTwitterTwitter is Katie Doyle’s second turn on theUS multinational career merry-go-round.The 33-year-old Ballinteer woman previ-ously worked as a strategic account manag-er for eBay before becoming one of the firstmembers of Twitter’s sales team in Dublinfour years ago, and where she now worksas sales manager for the UK and Ireland.

“Twitter has given me the opportunity towork with the best of the best,” she says.“This was a first for me. Our hiring stand-ards are high and we all benefit. I’velearned so much in the past four years.

“The company has also helped me devel-op from great constructive feedback. I’m in-debted to the managers and peers who’veshared honest feedback about areas I needto improve and my strengths. Without thisI wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Doyle believes US firms place a “veryhigh focus on career development”.

“Outside of core one-to-one meetingswith managers, employees have separatecareer development sessions. They ownand steer these, however, and their manag-ers support them.”

The kinds of people who work in the firmare high-calibre and keen to learn andgrow, she says.

“Thankfully our business has that scope,whether it’s to move into a different func-tion, work in an another office around theworld or move into management like Ihave.

“This, coupled with the fact that we’re di-rect and thoughtful with our feedback,helps people progress.”

Barry BolgerMSD

US firms with manufacturing bases hereseem more than happy to make the consid-erable investment to help high-calibreworkers transition from one very special-ised or technical area to another. That way,they get to grow talent within their organi-sations, but also enable those same individ-uals to share the firm’s learning and devel-opment culture.

After a four-year technician apprentice-ship at MSD’s pharmaceutical manufactur-ing plant in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow, thecompany sponsored Barry Bolger to do adistance-learning degree in mechatronicengineering at IT Sligo. At the same time,he gained automation experience by work-ing on a number of short assignments withother engineering teams in the company.

Although he wasn’t looking to move toanother site, he was keen to develop hisskills in the automation field, so when theopportunity to work on the start up of anew biologics plant in Carlow came up, hewent for it.

“It was at this time that I started to seebenefits to expanding my knowledge andexperience the biologics area,” Bolgersays. “Carlow was a new site and a numberof processes and procedures were still be-ing developed within the automationgroup so I felt I was able to bring a level astandardisation from Rathdrum since itwas a well-established MSD site.”

Bolger, who is now associate director ofmanufacturing automation in Carlow, de-scribes the transition from API manufac-turing to biologics as a “completely new ex-perience” and “a steep learning curve”, notleast in that it gave him the opportunity tomove into managing people as well as pro-cesses.

“Management at both Carlow and Rath-drum were extremely supportive in thetransition between the sites and made theprocess very straightforward.”

CAREERS

IamoriginallyfromIndianapolis,Indiana,inAmerica’smidwest.IfirstmovedoverheretotakeupagreatopportunitytohelpestablishtheUniversityofNotreDame’sIrelandProgram.Eighteenyearslater,withanIrishhusbandandfourAmericanIrishchildren,Dublinisverymuchhome.Ihavehadmanyverydiverseroles

sincefirstarrivinginIreland.AndwhatisinterestingaboutmycareerjourneyisjusthowimportanttheIrish-USrelation-shiphasbeen.EachofthepositionsI’vetakenhaveanAmericanangle.Fromworkingwithmyalmamater,NotreDame,toworkingontheestablishmentoftheChildhoodDevelopmentInitiativewithDrKatherineZappone,whoisofcoursenowMinisterforChildrenbutisoriginallyfromSeattle.MostrecentlyIheldafascinating

positionintheOfficeofPublicAffairsintheUSEmbassy.Representingyourhomecountryinyourhostcountrywasagreathonourandprivilege.AndsinceMarchIamDirectorofSpecialProjectswiththeAmericanChamber,thevoiceofover700UScompaniesinIreland.IamexcitedbytheopportunitiestodevelopnewprogrammesandprojectswiththisgreatteamthatwillsupporttheworldleadingcompaniesthatarebasedinIrelandtohelpthemgrow.WhatIloveaboutworkinginIrelandis

thepeople,theyaresomeofthemostgenuine,friendlyandtalentedpeopleontheplanet,nevermindtheirwitandhumour!TheyloveAmericaandworkdiligentlytomaintainthedeepconnec-tionsbetweenourtwogreatnations.Afteralmosttwodecadeshere,Iamproudtobeoneofthem.

Katie Keogh, Director of SpecialProjects, American Chamber

BORN IN THE USA

8 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

PEOPLE. PASSION. POSSIBILITIES.

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As anewbiopharmaceutical company,AbbViecombines the expertise and stability of a long-standingpharmaceutical companywith thefocus and innovative spirit of biotech.Withthe strengthof over 28,000employees aroundtheworld,weareunitedbyour purpose –to improvehealthcareonaglobal basis.

If youwould like tomakea remarkable impactonpeople’s lives visitabbvie.ie/careers

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START-UPS

It’s the Irish start-up’s version of theAmerican dream: start a business,grow it and have a major US companycome snap it up.

At this stage, however, things canturn nightmarish, with the founding teamtypically departing before the ink on theterm sheet dries.

Not so for Annrai O’Toole, whose 1999enterprise software start-up, Cape Clear,was acquired by US company Workday in2008. Not only did the top team stay putbut they have stayed on ever since, helpinggrow Workday into the international or-ganisation it is today.

That Cape Clear was successful is unsur-prising to those who track start-up teams,given O’Toole and many of his colleagueswere ex-Iona Technologies, anotherhome-grown success. O’Toole was thatcompany’s chief technical officer. Todayhe is CTO of Workday in Europe.

One of the main reasons for the successof the acquisition, for both sides, was thegood cultural fit between the US and theIrish organisations. “What Workday want-ed to achieve in enterprise applications res-onated with our team and we had the samegoals and desire to succeed in a world thatwas hurtling towards cloud computing,”says O’Toole.

“Pretty much every single person whohad originally worked with Cape Clear is to-day still working with Workday. That’show Workday has grown from a handful ofpeople to over 400 people today in Dub-lin.”

For Irish start-ups looking to follow inhis footsteps, his advice is simple: “Focuson solving big problems. It’s all aboutchanging the world. Look at problemswhich technology can solve at scale. Theworld probably doesn’t really need anotherphoto-sharing app.”

Do that and suitors will follow. “Compa-nies shouldn’t be founded with the sole ob-jective of being sold, although there is noshame in knowing when to accept an offerfrom a bigger player,” says O’Toole.

That’s something the team behind Gena-ble can attest to. A bio-pharmaceuticalTCD spin-out develops therapies for thetreatment of genetic diseases. In March, itwas acquired by Spark Therapeutics, a UScompany specialising in gene therapy de-velopment.

Genable’s product “has and will contin-ue to greatly benefit from Spark’s knowl-edge and technology platform,” says Gena-ble co-founder Prof Jane Farrar at the timeof the announcement. Now a wholly ownedsubsidiary of Spark, Genable is to remainin Ireland.

Through industry partnerships and tech-nology transfer offices, third-level institu-tions like Trinity are well placed to put inno-vative start-ups in touch with possible part-ners around the world, including the US.“Right now, one of our technology transfermanagers is in Washington state, for exam-ple, spending three months working withthe tech transfer office of a universitythere,” says Kevin Ennis of TCD’s Corpo-rate Partnership and Knowledge Ex-change Office, which fosters such linkages.

Innovative ag-tech start up MagGrow isbased at NovaUCD, the Centre for NewVentures and Entrepreneurs at UniversityCollege Dublin. It too has attracted US at-tention.

MagGrow, creator of a patent-protectedmechanism for saving water when spray-ing crops, is one of just 12 companies partic-ipating in a prestigious US start-up acceler-ator programme called Thrive. Located inSalinas, California, it is backed by SVG Part-ners, a Silicon Valley venture capital com-pany, with participants pitching competi-

tively for seed funding of up to $5 million.For founder and chief executive Gary

Wickham, MagGrow represents a secondbite at the entrepreneurial cherry. He is al-ready co-founder of StayCity, a web-basedserviced apartment solution with revenuesof in excess of 130 million a year, which heexited to start MagGrow in 2013.

As a seasoned campaigner, he knowswhat it takes to attract US investment. “Inthe US you need teams with previousstart-up and scaling-up experience. Morethan here [in Ireland], they look at the teamrather than at the product. What they wantto know is ‘Can these guys do this?’. Trackrecord is hugely important. At home, inves-tors do look at the team, but they are morelikely to look at the product first,” saysWickham.

Do your homework. “Prepare like mad. Ispent a year tailoring my pitch for a US au-dience. If you’re not sure, find people whohave done it before over there and askthem what they wish they had done differ-ently.”

In theory, there shouldn’t be a differencebetween pitching to Irish and US investorsbut sometimes there just is, according toDublin’s Start-Up commissioner, entrepre-neur and investor Niamh Bushnell. “Inves-

tors are all looking for the same thing –great teams, huge opportunities and chan-nels for making money, but in the US theyhave a much bigger pool to choose from.The supply of start-ups is so large and thatmakes it very competitive,” she says.

“You’re facing intense competition sothat, in a very short time, you have to createan emotional engagement with investors.People invest in people. It’s not about end-lessly talking but about very succinctly tell-ing them what you are doing, why you willbe successful at this – as opposed to some-one else – and why you are the right peopleto deliver. Trying to do that succinctly andin an emotionally engaging way is challeng-ing.”

Be aware that US investors are locallyminded. “They are not interested instart-ups that are not local so your custom-er strategy needs to be local, your anec-dotes need to be local. I know one US VCwho asks ‘Where do your kids go to school’,that’s his way of establishing just how localyou are. So you need to ‘be local’ very quick-ly. And you need to be building for the USmarket. US investors are not interested inEuropean companies building for Europe-an markets,” says Bushnell.

In terms of US acquisitions, Ireland’sstrategic advantage as a hub for EMEA op-erations can give Irish-based start-ups addi-tional tailwind. “This is where all the bestUS companies come to scale into Europeand the rest of the world, and from a prod-uct perspective now too, as well as a salesand marketing one. That credibility ishere.”

She too has a caveat however. “Irish com-panies should not set out to be acquired.The aim is to innovate and grow great busi-nesses,” she says.

Once that happens, the exits look afterthemselves.

American dream

Attracting US investors is the dream of many Irish start-ups. But how to go about it?Some entrepreneurs give their tips for success, writesSandraO’Connell

You’re facing intensecompetition so that, in a veryshort time, you have to create

an emotional engagementwith investors. People invest in

people

“

10 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

I’mfromNYCbywayofBoston.I’vebeenwiththeteamfortwoyearsnow.Iworkinventurecapital,whereweinvestinveryearly-stagetechstart-ups.Ifind,havingbeeninVCinboththeUSandhere,thatIrishentrepreneurstendtobeabitmoremodest.Theycansometimesundersell,whereasAmericanfoundersareoftentoldtogobigandperhapsevenover-exag-gerateorembellish.Irishfolksaresuper,superfriendlyand

open–it’sneverdifficulttomeetnewpeopleandstrikeupconversations.Ihavefound,however,thatitistoughertomakeyourwayintofriendgroupshere.Ithinkit’sbecauseitseemslikeeveryonehasknowneachothersincetheywereinprimaryorsecondaryschool,whereasinmostofmyfriendgroupsinNYC,every-oneisfairlynewand‘strangers’ insomesense.Ifindthat,generally,theworkcultureis

abitmoreprofessionalhere.HavingbeeninNYCtechfornearlymyentirecareer,Iwasusedtoamorerelaxed,informaltechculture(perhapstoomuchso!).ThatischangingeverydayinDublinthough.Ittookmesometimetogetusedtohow

muchofeverydaylifeisquite‘offline’–ieopeningabankaccount,filingforaPPSnumber,etc. IwasreallysurprisedthefirsttimeIcalledasupportlineandlearnedthattheoperatorswereoffonlunch!EverythinginNYCfeelssoauto-mated,instant,and24/7,whereassomeofthatstillrequiresaformalprocesshere.

SandraO’Connell

Top: Niamh Bushnell; right: Annrai O’Toole; above: Gary Wickham

Kim PhamHead of platform at Frontline Ventures

BORN IN THE USA

THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016 |11

The names above the doors mayhave stayed the same, but behindthose doors, some of the earliestUS multinationals to establish inIreland look very different to

when they first arrived. Many have evolvedtheir operations over the years, from carry-ing out back-office or manufacturing func-tions to high-value work founded on inno-vation and research that frequently contrib-utes to key strategic product lines for theirparent companies.

IBM, which dates back in Ireland to1956, now has 2,000 employees engaged inresearch and innovation here, says manag-ing director Peter O’Neill.

The company had a recent win at the2016 US-Ireland Research InnovationAwards with a big data research project inassociation with UCD. This and the nomi-nation for the US multinational corpora-tion research in IoT and cognitive comput-ing are just two examples of progress in in-novation and research at IBM in Ireland,he says.

Its innovation work in Ireland focuses onareas ranging from healthcare, social careand education to energy, water and trans-port. IBM Ireland receives on average onepatent per week, representing a widerange of inventions but showing a growingfocus on cognitive computing and cloudplatforms. The company’s Irish R&D labsincludes experts in security, analytics,high-performance systems, machine learn-ing, large-scale modelling, data mining,deep semantic reasoning and natural lan-guage processing.

Another longtime presence in Ireland,Analog Devices is 40 years in Limerick this

year. Its Cork R&D facility employs nearly100 people and the company has had closeto 300 US patents granted to ADI inven-tors based in Ireland. This is nearly 20 percent of the total US patents held by the com-pany.

Semiconductor maker Xilinx’s20-year-old Irish operation has both a prod-uct engineering team, and the company’sonly corporate research team outside itsUS headquarters. Last year, it won the inau-gural US-Ireland Research Innovationaward for its programmable chip that has

since been adopted by some of its biggestcustomers, says Kevin Cooney, managingdirector for Xilinx in EMEA.

“We have continued working on it andevolving it to make it more improved and ef-fective over time, all carried out in Ireland.This is a corporate product, part of our cor-porate roadmap today and into the future,it’s not some niche area,” he says.

It’s a sentiment echoed by Mark Gantly,director of Hewlett Packard Enterprise inGalway. “I don’t think of us as a subsidiaryof corporate. We’re part of the deci-

INNOVATION

The race toinnovate

“

The first US multinationals to set up in Ireland may have started smallbut many have expanded beyond recognition, writesGordonSmith

I don’t think of it as a Galwayoperation; I think of it as

people in Galway who areleading global teams from

here

12 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

Continuing to deliverconstruction solutionsBuilding in Irelandfor 60 years;it’s in our DNA

www.bamireland.ieContact: Mike Jones 087 6297738

sion-making, we’re part of the definition ofnew products. We chase down blind alleysin our research and go after new opportuni-ties, just as they do in corporate headquar-ters. I don’t think of it as a Galway opera-tion; I think of it as people in Galway whoare leading global teams from here,” hesays.

That being said, there are some distinc-tive projects that are clearly associatedwith the company’s Irish operation, suchas a patented global product authentica-tion service that was innovated and incubat-ed out of the Galway site.

This began as a social innovation projectfor Africa to allow people to check by textmessage if a pharmaceutical product wasgenuine and not counterfeit. HPE hassince repurposed this to authenticate prod-ucts of any type to the end user, includingits sister company’s printing ink. Consum-ers can scan the QR code on the packaging,send the image to a secure cloud serviceand instantly see if the product is real orfake.

“For a manufacturer of products, this isa very useful service. It provides peace ofmind, particularly around something likedrugs and pharmaceuticals, and obviouslythe food industry is very interesting fromthat point of view,” says Gantly.

Many of these local operations could nothave exceeded their original brief withouta high-quality talent pool and it’s a recur-ring theme among senior management inthose companies. “The qualities of theworkforce that have sustained us in ourtransformation and allowed us to carry ourinnovation and R&D is our ‘can-do’ flexibleattitude and our ability to embracechange,” says IBM’s O’Neill.

Innovation within an international cor-porate structure rarely takes place in silos,and this also plays to Irish strengths, Coon-ey adds. “You need the ability to work aspart of a team that’s local or multinational.In Ireland, we’re very good at that ability tobe connected outside the island. You needto be personable, a good communicator,and comfortable working in an environ-ment where you might not see the personevery five minutes,” he says.

Gantly agrees. “There are locations thatare cheaper or closer to HP’s enterprisecustomers, but what we have in Ireland is aproposition around a combination of ‘soft’skills and technical skills. It makes us goodat doing new things and the product au-thentication solution is a good example ofthat.”

Another factor in Ireland’s favour iswhat Gantly calls Galway’s ‘X’ factor,which can be helpful in attracting skilledworkers from continental Europe and else-where. “We have relatively low attritionrates and that’s important because whatwe do here takes time to get to a certain lev-

el of productivity,” he adds.US multinationals aren’t just interested

in cultivating innovation within their ownwalls. IBM’s Peter O’Neill points to the com-pany’s collaboration with universities andresearch institutes, as well as partnershipinitiatives with other large companies andinnovative SMEs who can bring niche ex-pertise to IBM projects. “We also havesome great entrepreneurs and small tech-nology-based businesses in Ireland and weneed to continue to attract and develop ourrelationship with them,” he says.

Other than the bottom-line benefit to thecompanies themselves, there is a wider eco-nomic uplift to carrying out innovation inIreland, according to Stephen Merriman,tax partner with PwC. “It encourages eco-nomic growth through the creation of jobs.The benefit of jobs created through re-search and innovation is that they tend tobe higher value so the level of salary is high-er, and they’re much more sustainable. Soyou move the economy onto a more sustain-able trajectory and you’re not just relyingon the old construction and manufacturingstreams.”

Merriman says there is a multiplier ef-fect to the foreign direct investment hap-

pening in Ireland because it creates jobs,boosts exports and the companies under-take expenditure within Ireland. Their con-tributions to the Irish exchequer come notjust as corporation tax but also as PAYEand PRSI.

“The intangible benefit of FDI is aboutknowledge transfer and scalability. TheFDI players really stimulate new sectorsand they accelerate critical mass. If youlook at our history with the FDI communityand the likes of Intel coming to Ireland,that fuelled the tech industry we now havewith Google, Facebook, and so on – whichin turn has led to sectors like fintech andthe technology start-up incubators. If youget the right FDI that is sustainable and hassubstance, you’re going to create a clusterand convergence effect. You’re forcing acollision of ideas, people and talent thatfuel productivity,” says Merriman.

Another benefit to carrying out innova-tion-driven work in Ireland is that these op-erations become more shielded fromchanges in economic headwinds, saysCooney. “It’s a very big deal for me and theteam here that we consistently generatenew patents in Ireland because that’s thekey to the future of innovation for us here.I’ve always said you need to create thetypes of opportunities that can withstandthe downturns. You need to build theteams that are core to the business evenwhen times get tough,” he adds.

Mike ChenHR manager Groupon

The benefit of jobs createdthrough research and

innovation is that they tend tobe higher value so the level of

salary is higher

I’maHRmanageratGroupon.I’mfromChicago,Illinois,andcametoIrelandinSeptember2014,withmywife,whoworksinspecialneedseducation.Wehadnopreconceptionsaboutthecountryatall,andhadonlyexpressedaninterestintakinguparolewithinthecompanysomewhereinEurope.We’vebeenreallypleasantlysur-

prised.We’relivinginaone-bedroomapart-

mentinHarold’sCrosswhichisfine.Thebiggestdifferencewefoundwhenwegotherewasthelackofaccommodation.Thevalueyougetforwhatyoupayisn’tsobadbutwewereamazedthatateveryplaceweturneduptolookattherewere30or40otherpeoplelookingtoo.I’mprobablyoneofthefewpeoplethat

findstheweatherhereanadvantage.Athomewehavefourseasons,hereit’smuchmoreevenallyeararound,thoughsometimesitseemslikewegetfourseasonsinaday.I’dhappilytradethebitingwintersof

Chicagoforthat.Thebiggestculturaldifferencewe’ve

foundhasbeenthatwehaveamuchbetterwork-lifebalancethanathome.AthomeIthinkpeoplelivetowork,hereit’smoreaboutworkingtolive.SincewemovedhereI’vetakento

cyclingintheWicklowandDublinmountains.WhenyoucomefromoneoftheflattestplainsinAmericait’sjustgreattohavehills.Andwelovetheaccesstothebeach

andthefactthatwecanhireacarandbesomewhereliketheringofKerry,orsurfingatLahinch,inacoupleofhours.

–SandraO’Connell

INNOVATION

BORN IN THE USA

Another factor in Ireland’s favour is whatGantly calls Galway’s ‘X’ factor, whichcan be helpful in attracting skilledworkers

‘‘

14 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

MaryMitchell-O’Connor:“Ireland has a longhistory of deeppolitical, culturaland commercial tieswith the US.”

Room toimprove

Newly appointed Minister forJobs, Enterprise and Innova-tion Mary Mitchell-O’Connorbelieves competitiveness is inte-gral to job-creation, exports

and economic growth, and improving Ire-land’s competitive performance is a key pri-ority for her.

“Ireland’s competitiveness ranking asmeasured by IMD improved by nine placesto seventh in the world and first in the euroarea this year,” she says. “As recognised bythe IMD, Ireland’s strengths lie in our com-petitive taxation system, highly skilledworkforce, and pro-enterprise business en-vironment.”

According to Mitchell-O’Connor, theGovernment’s objective now is to deliver abusiness environment which enhances na-tional performance. “The National Com-petitiveness Council has already noted thatwe cannot afford to be complacent, think-ing that all of the hard work is done,” shesays. “Further action is required to main-tain Ireland’s competitiveness – we knowthat all of our competitors are also con-stantly seeking to improve their businessenvironments, so standing still is not an op-tion.”

CostsperformanceShe points to room for improvementacross a number of areas, particularly in re-lation to infrastructure, skills and costs per-formance. “There is a need to prioritiseand target capital investment in competi-tiveness and productivity enhancing infra-structure and in research and develop-ment,” she adds.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) natural-ly plays a central role in job creation, withAmerican investment being particularlyimportant. “The US continues to be the

largest single investor in Ireland, account-ing for over 70 per cent of investments wonsince 2010,” she says. “US corporations cur-rently employ over 135,000 people directlyin Ireland and IDA Ireland estimates showthat for every 10 jobs provided by FDI, an-other seven indirect jobs are generated forthe Irish economy.”

But the relationship between the twocountries is more than just about invest-ment into Ireland. “Ireland has a long histo-ry of deep political, cultural and commer-cial ties with the US,” she says. “In 2015, Ire-land exported goods to the value of nearly¤27 billion to the US and imported ¤11 bil-lion worth of goods in return. The US is Ire-land’s number one goods export market.

“The European Union and the UnitedStates are currently negotiating a tradeagreement, the Transatlantic Trade and In-vestment Partnership, which will be theworld’s biggest bilateral trade and invest-ment deal,” she adds. “Given our deep com-mercial ties, Ireland is particularly wellplaced to take up opportunities to trademore easily with the US.”

Mitchell-O’Connor cites an independentstudy carried out by Copenhagen Econom-ics which estimates the benefits to Irelandfrom an EU-US trade agreement will beproportionally greater than in the EU as awhole. “It estimates somewhere between5,000 and 10,000 additional export relat-ed jobs could be created. The findings arebacked up by the recent interim independ-ent report carried out by Ecorys Consultan-cy, which was contracted by the EU Com-mission, which estimates that an EU-USfree trade agreement would boost IrishGDP by 1.4 per cent.”

FDI remains critically important ofcourse, and Mitchell-O’Connor believesIreland is well-placed to maintain its

strong record in this area. “Almost every as-pect of a country, from its infrastructurethrough to its quality of life, is key when itcomes to the decision-making process be-hind choosing a location for FDI,” she says.“Despite an increasingly competitive glob-al FDI environment, Ireland remains veryattractive to overseas companies. Whileour corporation tax rate attracts a lot of me-dia commentary, the reality is that multina-tional companies choose to invest in Ire-land for many reasons.”

Top-levelgraduatesAmong these reasons are Ireland’s strongpool of highly skilled workers andfirst-class education system that producestop-level graduates.

“Our country benefits as well from fa-vourable demographics – over 40 per centof our population is under 29, making oursthe youngest in the EU. Establishing in Ire-land also offers barrier-free access to theEU, and we also benefit from being the onlycountry of native English speakers in theeurozone.” But she is also aware of the com-petitive challenges facing the country.

“IDA Ireland posted record results in2015. However, I am not complacent aboutthis performance. Ireland remains a rela-tively high-cost location and I will be work-ing hard to create a pro-enterprise environ-

ment to ensure Ireland’s attractivenessfor FDI is maintained.

“In the future, the ability to remaincompetitive and retain a pro-enter-prise policy environment, as well ascontinuing to invest in education and

skills, infrastructure and enterprisesupports will be important if Ire-land is to continue to build on thecurrent success rates for foreign di-rect investment.”

INTERVIEW

“Ireland remains a relativelyhigh-cost location and I will be

working hard to create apro-enterprise environment

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation MaryMitchell-O’Connor believes we cannot be complacent if

we are to continue to attract FDI, writesBarryMcCall

16 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

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Dublin’s seagulls are not happy.Multinationals from aroundthe world continue flocking tothe capital’s docklands – and be-yond – leaving precious little

room for the birds. Ireland’s open econom-ic policy approach is now enjoying two dec-ades of success.

And like a fine wine, it is improving withage. The healthy combination of innova-tive start-ups working in close proximity tovarious major multinationals that are nowwell established here, is giving us the kindof critical mass seen only in places like Sili-con Valley or Singapore.

But unlike California, the cost of livinghere hasn’t skyrocketed. While Dublin isby no means the cheapest city in Europe, itis still relatively affordable when com-pared to many other tech hubs globally.

Money aside, the reason for Ireland’s suc-cess in attracting and keeping multination-als has been consistently happy clients.

The continued favourable tax environ-ment combined with an English-speaking,highly educated workforce are major fac-tors. But we cannot underestimate the val-ue of Ireland’s ‘soft’ skills.

Aside from being one of the most beauti-ful countries on earth, the Irish are fre-quently voted as some of the friendliest and

most welcoming people in the world.It’s easy to be cynical about such things

but the numbers don’t lie. Various impar-tial international tourism surveys have con-sistently ranked Ireland as one of the topspots to visit in the world, largely becauseof its people. When you talk to companieswho have only recently joined the party,they say the same thing.

NiallO’LearyVice-presidentandsiteheadindustrialoperationsandproductsupply,Regeneron

“How has Regeneron found Ireland as aplace to do business? Outstanding! The lo-cal towns and businesses have been great.It’s like being at home when you walk into alocal business. They greet you by name andupdate you on their lives.

“Local universities [LIT and UL] havebeen extremely supportive in proactivelyworking to develop curriculum to driveworkforce development. Last, and certain-ly not least, it is important to note that wecouldn’t be happier with the support wehave received from the Irish Government,IDA, Limerick city and Limerick county.Their involvement has made, and will con-tinue to make, a huge difference.

“We have been able to identify and hiretalent much faster than expected, creatingover 450 full-time positions and, at peak,1,200 contractors were on our site in Ra-heen to support realisation.

“In just over two years, we have turnedthe old Dell computer factory into the larg-est bulk biologics production facility in Ire-land. This is an unprecedented accomplish-ment and a testament to the skills, driveand talent of our people. We are excited tocontinue hiring and expect to have another50 to 100 full-time Irish employees by theend of 2017.”

“We looked at potential sites across Eu-rope and Asia and kept coming back to Ire-land as the best location to build a bulk bio-logics production facility. Ireland was aneasy choice due to its proximity to Europe-an markets, pro-business climate, thrivingbiotech community, excellent educationsystem and access to talented people withthe right skill sets.

“We looked at over 20 facilities in Ire-land, and when we first saw the former Dellsite, it was love at first sight. Although itwas great that the Raheen site had thestructure, capacity and access to the utili-ties we needed to accelerate the projecttimeline, it was the feeling we had for theMunster region that personalised our deci-

It’s not just the favourable tax environment that attracts multinationals toset up here. JohnHolden finds out what else we have to offer

FDI

Ireland’scall

‘‘How has Regeneron foundIreland as a place to do

business? Outstanding! Thelocal towns and businesses

have been great– Niall O’Leary

18 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

sion to establish a site in Limerick. Oncethe work commenced, the talent, work eth-ic and warmth of the people here was palpa-ble and confirmed we were wise to chooseLimerick.”

AidanMcLaughlinDirectorofinternationalcommunications,Indeed.com

“When considering Dublin as a location forIndeed, we were already well aware of itsgrowing reputation as the location ofchoice for tech companies from all aroundthe world. The Irish Government and Stateagencies put some strong foundations inplace over the last decade or so, which hasled to the positive trend for tech companiesto group in innovation ‘districts’ such asthe docklands in Dublin. This concentra-tion is good for all of us. It gives us opportu-nities to foster a culture of innovation andcreativity.

“Dublin is a young, vibrant city locatedwithin easy reach of Europe’s capitals, andwith well-established global flight connec-tions. It is already home to an enviable clus-ter of the world’s tech companies, and assuch has developed both a reputation as atech city, but also as a source of highlyskilled graduates in the areas we are look-

ing for.“Dublin’s third-level institutions pro-

duce almost 27,000 graduates every year,offering a wealth of talent. In addition, thecity’s location allows us to recruit from allover Europe also.

“The capital is also a draw for young grad-uates as the culture and lifestyle of Dublin-ers is attractive. With an accessible city cen-tre, well-developed infrastructure and awealth of social and sporting opportunitieson the doorstep, it makes things that bit eas-ier to convince people to come here.

“Indeed now employs over 400 people inDublin. This is a strong endorsement of thequality and availability of talent in the Irishmarket.

“However, there is definitely competi-tion for the best people and we work hardto communicate to potential recruiters

that by joining Indeed in Dublin they are atthe centre of decision-making for theEMEA region and can be part of an excit-ing growth story in a very entrepreneurialculture.”

SaraCohenDirectorofcommunications,Etsy

“Etsy is a global business that is growing in-ternationally, and we have communities ofsellers and buyers in nearly every countryin the world. We are proud to be building ateam in Dublin that is working to deepenthose local communities.

“We made Etsy Ireland our non-Ameri-cas headquarters because of the educated,multilingual, pan-European workforce,the large amount of skilled technology pro-fessionals, and the cost of doing businessrelative to other European cities. Our Dub-lin office is a crucial part of our internation-al operations and we are committed to con-tinuing to building a strong presencehere.”

Maureen GiffinSenior director of human resources forthe EMC Ireland Centre of Excellence

BORN IN THE USA

Dublin is a young, vibrant citylocated within easy reach ofEurope’s capitals, and with

well-established global flightconnections

Indeed staff andAnTaoiseach, EndaKenny, pictured at Indeed’s announce-ment of 300new jobs forDublin inNovem-ber 2012.

‘‘

AfterhavingworkedforEMCCorpora-tion,basedinMassachusetts,fornearly18years,IrelocatedtoCorklastJuly.My16-strongteammanagestheHRfunctionforover3,000EMCemployeesinIreland.HavingtravelledtoIrelandforbusi-

nessanumberofyearsago,IwasexcitedtohavethechanceandtakeonthechallengeofcomingtoIrelandonalong-termassignment.SimilartotheUS,thereisavery

entrepreneurialandcan-doattitudeinIreland.TheIrishareambitious,haveastrongworkethicandlovetolearnanddevelop.TheIrishplacemoreemphasison

buildinglastingrelationships,withmuchworkdoneface-to-faceratherthanoverthephoneandemail.Thisisimportantasitencouragescollabora-tion,problem-solving,learning,creativi-tyandinnovation.Buildinganetworkofpeopleisimportanthereandleveragedforopportunitieswithmuchsuccess.Thereisaclose-knitbusinessand

politicalenvironment,withseniorpeopleinbothbeinghighlyaccessible.Successbreedssuccessandmeetingandlearningfrompeopleiskeyinadevelopingsociety–somethingthatisamajoradvantageinIreland,particularlyfortheyoungergeneration.IhavebeenfortunatetomeetTaoiseachEndaKennyandotherseniorcabinetMinistersduringmyshorttimeinIreland!Ienjoythework-lifebalancethat

Irelandoffers.TheIrishworkhard,whilealsofindingahealthybalanceandappreciatetheirpersonaltimewithfamilyandfriends,whichIfeelisimpor-tant.

SandraO’Connell

THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016 |19

FDI

While the attraction of a citylike Dublin for any interna-tional company is clear,there are many reasons toconsider locating outside of

the major urban centres.“We have seen an increasing number of

new investments being announced by UScompanies outside of Dublin,” says NicolaQuinn, PwC Cork tax leader. “These invest-ments are across all sectors and geogra-phies. Some examples of these invest-ments are new data centres in Galway,Louth and Meath, medical device compa-nies expanding in Galway, cybersecuritycompanies locating in Cork and healthcarecompanies expanding in Waterford. Therecontinues to be expansion in the interna-tional financial services sector and onethird of all international financial servicesjobs in Ireland are now located outside ofDublin.

One of the principal reasons more com-panies are opting to locate outside of Dub-lin is cost. “From a cost-competitivenessperspective, the regions are very attractiveto potential investors,” explains SéamusHughes, general manager of Zeus Industri-al Products and chair of the AmericanChamber of Commerce northwest region.

“With a lower of cost of living and lowercost of property as a result, there can beconsiderable savings for employers. Aver-age incomes in the northwest are approxi-mately 17 per cent cheaper than the Stateaverage. The northwest has an average ask-ing price for houses ranging by countyfrom a high of ¤132,442 to a low of ¤114,102for the region, compared to the average na-tionwide of ¤210,000.

“Commuting times are lower, resultingin a better standard of living for employeesbeing able to spend time with families rath-er than in traffic. And this too can make iteasier for companies to find and recruit thetalent they need,” says Hughes.

“Development land and office space arecheaper away from Dublin and, with the rel-evant infrastructure and route to market in

place, considerable savings can be made byinvesting regionally,” explains Julian Yarr,managing partner of A&L Goodbody. “La-bour costs tend to be less costly too andwith a good spread of third level collegesand universities around the country, inves-tors are still tapping into a knowledgeableworkforce but at less of a cost.”

This is not happening piecemeal. TheGovernment and IDA have been activelypursuing a strategy of more balanced re-gional development for some timesays IDAchief executive Martin Shanahan. “Lastyear, every single region in Ireland report-ed net gains in jobs from foreign direct in-vestment. In 2015, 53 per cent of all jobscreated by IDA clients were based outsideof Dublin, compared to 49 per cent in theprevious year.

“This year started strongly too in termsof regional wins, including Uber investingin a centre of excellence in Limerick; FirstData setting up a data hub in Nenagh, CoTipperary; Shire investing ¤400 million ina biologics campus at Piercetown, CoMeath; Opko Healthcare creating 200 newjobs in a product development centre inWaterford; Wayfair expanding its opera-tions in Galway with a new operations cen-tre, SurModics Inc creating 100 new jobs inBallinasloe, Co Galway, investing ¤7 mil-lion in facility development and a further¤9.5 million in two significant research

and development projects there; and Euro-fins Lancaster Laboratories in Dungarvan,Co Waterford, announcing an expansionof its facility with the creation of 165 newjobs on top of the 175 jobs added there inthe past two years, to name just a few impor-tant regional wins.

“In addition, Apple is committed to build-ing an ¤850 million data centre in Athenry,Galway, and Facebook is pressing aheadwith its plans for a data centre near Clonee,Co Meath.

“The benefit of FDI to local communi-ties, particularly outside of greater Dublinand Cork, is immense,” says Hughes.“They benefit in many ways, providing valu-able employment and supporting dozensof local SMEs who offer essential servicesto companies such as office stationery andfood provisions for employees. There is amultiplier effect: the result of job creationby American companies in Ireland.

“The expenditure on payroll is considera-ble and this too has a big spillover effectinto local economies.”

“Spin offs from multinational investingcompanies can create indigenous enter-prises and spawn new local industries,”says Yarr. “Significant FDI can also attractfurther investment in the regions in theform of transport and telecoms infrastruc-ture from national and local government .”

So what’s needed to keep all this crucial

FDI coming in the future?“Access to reliable and fast broadband is

probably the most important element need-ed to secure future rural development,”says PwC’s Nicola Quinn. “In addition, se-curing good transport links – for exampletransatlantic flights from Cork to the US –are key in terms of easy access for US com-panies to the south of Ireland. Continuedand improved investment in our road infra-structure is also important.

According to the American Chamber’smid west chairman Barry O’Sullivan, man-ufacturing and service companies , wheth-er locally or foreign owned are mostly do-ing well, “just look at all the job announce-ments of the last few years.

“If we think long term, it’s all about skillsand entrepreneurship, supported by goodinfrastructure, consistent government poli-cies and a competitive supply of credit.

“If we had to prioritise one thing it wouldbe the skills, as everything else will fall intoplace eventually – they are just enablers –its all about people and what they can do toshape their own future that matters most.”

Investing in rural Ireland

Apple is committed to building an ¤850million data centre in Athenry, Galway

US multinationals areincreasingly discoveringthere are many benefits tolocating outside Dublin andother major urban centres,finds JohnHolden

20 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

Dublin • Galway • Limerick • London • Warrington • Glasgow • Brussels

Over 50 years’ experience in providing engineering andconstruction services to US companies working in the

Pharmaceutical, Medical Technology, Mission Critical &Manufacturing sectors.

COLLABORATETRUSTINNOVATE

Mark Redmond:“Ireland is top ofthe list on thetalent front.”

The importance of US foreign di-rect investment in Ireland is wellunderstood but what is some-times less well appreciated isthat the US-Irish business rela-

tionship is very much a two-way street.“US FDI is very strong here now and

thankfully there is a wonderful pipeline ofprojects coming through, across all sec-tors. But what is also super is that Irish com-panies are also doing amazing things in theUS. Indeed, Irish companies are now em-ploying almost as many people in the US asUS companies are in Ireland. It’s verymuch a two-way relationship,” says MarkRedmond, chief executive of the AmericanChamber of Commerce Ireland.

What’s more, investment in Irelandyields additional dividends to US compa-nies. “What we hear time and again fromUS companies that come here is that theychoose to locate here because of the highlevel of skills and the ‘can-do’ attitude theyfind. It is why we are also seeing so manycentres of excellence and centres of leader-ship being established by US companieshere in Ireland.”

Ireland has become the country ofchoice for US companies looking to run op-erations across Europe, the Middle Eastand Africa. “Amazon has just announced itis to hire another 500 people, and theycalled out talent as their reason for doingthat here. Ireland is top of the list on the tal-ent front. We are told repeatedly that thetalent pool here is one that has a tremen-dous ability to solve problems, to work inteams and be collegial,” he says.

In a world of fast-changing technologies,

that ability to work together to adapt and in-novate is held at a premium. “The ability tobe collegiate is in the Irish DNA. WhenMary McAleese was president she used totalk about the Irish ‘meitheal’ mentality,that when the harvest was ready the entirecommunity would help bring it in,” saysRedmond.

This community element is important toUS companies that locate here, he pointsout, which is why, in turn, those companieshave traditionally been keen to engage atcommunity level. Research into the socialcontribution made by US companies in Ire-land, undertaken in 2012, found that some4,000 community projects were support-ed by US companies here.

“US companies coming here don’t justhave a legal licence to operate here, but asocial and community licence to do so.They are always blown away by the helpthey get from all aspects of the community,from local authorities to local schools, areal willingness to be of assistance. Itmeans that when people come here, theylove it. That’s a real strategic advantage Ire-land has.”

It is part of the reason Ireland has beenable to establish global leadership acrosssectors such as pharmaceuticals, data ser-vices, medical technology and informationand communications technology. “It is thisclustering approach that leads to excitinginnovations,” Redmond says.

There are practical advantages to locat-ing here, such as the fact that our time zonemakes it possible for team leaders to man-age teams ranging from the US west coastto the Far East with relative ease.

Ireland is also the only English speakingcountry in the eurozone, and a gateway tothe EU’s 500 million population. Econom-ic and political stability is very importanttoo, he says, as is the ease of access to deci-sion-makers that comes of being a small, so-cial country.

That, allied to our ‘can do’ attitude, en-sures that despite having a population ofjust 4.6 million, Ireland has attracted UScompanies that employ 140,000 people di-rectly here, plus another 100,000 indirect-ly through suppliers.

This puts the total value of US invest-ment in Ireland at $310 billion, “which isbigger than total US investment in theBRIC countries combined. That’s a mas-sive strategic vote of confidence,” he says.

And when they come, US companiestend to stay. IBM has been here 60 years,starting with just three people here andnow employing 4,000. What’s more, those4,000 “are at the very leading edge” ofIBM’s activities, he says.

“That’s what gets a cluster effect going.For example, Google’s success in the digi-tal space has led to all other players want-ing to be in Dublin’s digital docklands too,leading to enormous vibrancy. We’ve seenthat replicated right across the country,whether in relation to pharma or cyber se-

curity in Cork or med tech in Galway.Our role at the American Chamberis to be the voice of these great UScompanies operating in Ireland,and our mission is to ensure Ire-land remains the global locationof choice for US business invest-ment.”

‘Meithealmentality’

INTERVIEW

American Chamber chief Mark Redmond cites a ‘can-do’attitude and community spirit as key to Ireland’s

popularity with US companies, writesSandraO’Connell

“What we hear time and againfrom US companies that come

here is that they choose tolocate here because of thehigh level of skills and the‘can-do’ attitude they find

22 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

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EXPECTOPPORTUNITY

Clodagh LogueFitbit

WHY IRELAND?

The longevity of our relationshipwithAmerican firms isakey factorin Ireland’s favourwhen it comes toattractingUS investmentaccordingtoFitbitHRdirectorClodaghLogue.“Wearenow in the thirdor fourthgenerationofpeoplewhohaveworked forUSmultinationals”, shesays. “Thismeans thatwearenowreallyhitting thesweet spot asacountry todobusinesswith forUSfirms.TherearenotmanyEnglishspeakingcountrieswhich cansaythat.”That relationshipoffers asense

of security to potential investors.“That track recordgivesUS firmsconfidence that theycan tap into anestablishedecosystemwhichincludesorganisationssuchas IDAIrelandand theAmericanChamberofCommerce.”Anotherkeystrength is the talent

base. “There is avery strongworkethichereandcompaniescomingto Irelandhaveaccess towell-edu-

catedEnglishspeakinggradu-ates.”Personal tax ratesarean issue,

however,when it comes to retain-ing talent andattractingpeoplefromoverseas. “Companiescom-ingherearen’t only looking for Irishpeople towork for themand theirability toattract leadership levelpeople in fromabroad ishamperedbyourpersonal tax rates.People dolookat their quality of lifewhenconsideringmoving toanewcoun-tryandwescorewell therebut theylookat take-homepayaswell andthat is an issue.”Another issue is access toeduca-

tion.Peoplearrivingherewithyoung families can find their choiceof schools limiteddue to religiousfactors. “Westill havea longway togo in that respectwithoureduca-tionsystem. It is thenorm forushere in Irelandbutpeople comingherecannotunderstand it at all,”shesays.

THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016 |23

‘We have had a fantastic ex-perience in Ireland,”says Sharon McCooey,senior director of inter-national operations at

LinkedIn, the social networking websitefor business people.

LinkedIn opened in Dublin six years agowith a staff of three people and now hasmore than 1,000 people from 48 countriesworking here.

“We are delighted that our internationalheadquarters is based in Dublin, the heartof a thriving tech ecosystem in Europe,”says McCooey. “One of the main reasonswhy we choose to establish our internation-al headquarters in Dublin was because ofthe pool of talented professionals in thecity.

“Ireland has a thriving digital sector,which we hope will continue to flourish. Inthis regard, we hope to see policies and sup-port in place which continue to underpinthis success. We are pleased to repay thesupport shown to us by the Irish Govern-ment and the IDA by continuing to investand grow in Ireland, whilst also creatingeconomic opportunities for our members.”

A hi-tech company with a significantlylonger track record of operations in Ire-land is MSD, which has had a presence herefor more than 50 years and, at present,more than 60 per cent of MSD’s top 20products globally are manufactured here.

“Ireland plays a really key role in MSD’sworldwide operations,” says MSD Ire-land’s managing director of human health,Louise Houson.

“We have five sites in Ireland – located inDublin, Carlow, Cork, Tipperary and Wick-low – employing almost 2,000 people. Ire-land remains an integral part of the MSD’sexpanding global presence. Over the pastfive decades, we have invested more than¤2.2 billion in Ireland, significantly contrib-uting towards making the pharmaceuticalindustry the country’s leading export sec-tor.

“Ireland has a vibrant pharmaceuticalsector, employing about 25,000 people di-rectly and many more working in servicessupporting the industry. Talent and skillsremain a key draw of any multinationals op-erating in Ireland. MSD’s recruitmentneed globally and domestically requires aspecific type of employee, which we havefound in Ireland and, more importantly,these skills have been outlined as a nationalobjective across the education system andof strategic importance to Ireland.

“The strong pipeline of talent and solidinfrastructure in Ireland has made it a goodplace to build a business, and is why wehave continued to invest in our presencehere.

‘CementIreland’sposition’“To cement Ireland’s position as a goodplace to do business, encouraging the devel-opment of future skills needs for the indus-try will continue to be important. The re-cruitment of highly skilled employees is al-ways competitive, and this is particularlytrue when it comes to demand for specialistskills. Work is currently being done to en-courage interest in Stem [science, technolo-

gy, engineering and mathematics] subjectsamongst students at all levels. This is criti-cal to ensure that the talent pipeline contin-ues into the future. We are very active with-in this area and work with local schools andcolleges to encourage an interest in Stem.”

CRM software company Salesforce hasbeen in Ireland for 16 years and in that timethe company has seen growing numbers ofmajor tech companies choosing Ireland asa base.

“It’s fair to say that this has put pressureon the commercial property sector andcompetition for office space is at an all-timehigh,” says SVP for Global Renewals DavidDempsey.

“At the same time, it’s meant that Ire-land has seen an influx of top tech talent at-tracted by the growing number of oppor-tu---bre people and top businesses has alsoincreased the competition for talent.

“We need to sustain and develop this tal-ent resource pool because the opportuni-ties in the tech sector will only grow and

grow. Hardly a week goes by without atleast one announcement of a new local in-vestment by the tech industry. As a result,the search for suitably qualified peoplewith the right skills has created a new warfor talent in Ireland.

“We’re expanding in EMEA and have an-nounced plans to hire more than 1,200 newpeople in the region this year. In Ireland,we’re currently hiring for roles across engi-neering, sales, customer success and busi-ness services.

“Ultimately, the challenge for us is thesame as every other company in the techsector and that’s to find the right peoplewith the right skills.

‘Coreskill’“To ensure continued growth and talent inIreland, we need to ensure the younger gen-erations are equipped with the knowledgeand talent ready to enter this new-age, digi-tal workforce. This means placing a focuson the promotion of Stem amongst theyounger, school-going generation. Tech-nology should be taught as a core skill, likereading, writing and maths.”

While Ireland compares very wellagainst the 40 other countries where thePM Group is active, the engineering firm’sbusiness development executive directorLiam Foley says we need to maintain our fo-cus on improving essential infrastructure.“We benchmark very well against othercountries in terms of the availability of utili-ties like power, water, waste water and fi-bre connectivity, but in any field where youare very successful, further improvement

‘Focuson Stemis critical’Ireland must invest further in education andinfrastructure if it is to continue to attract foreigndirect investment, writesCianMolloy

‘‘We need to sustain anddevelop this talent resource

pool because the opportunitiesin the tech sector will only

grow and grow

INFRASTRUCTURE

24 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

is achieved in incremental steps.”At Kirby Engineering & Construction,

group managing director Frank Fawleyalso says Ireland has the infrastructure inplace to continue to attract FDI invest-ment.

“But what really sets us apart from ourEuropean counterparts is our young, high-ly-educated workforce and our world-classeducation system, particularly third-leveland our R&D system.

“For example, the National Institute forBioprocessing Research and Training (NI-BRT) is a renowned global centre of excel-lence for training and research in bio-processing and US pharmaceutical compa-nies send their personnel to NIBRT for ad-vanced training.

“Ireland’s highly regulated and robustenergy network and focus on renewable en-ergy is also very attractive to the ICT sec-

tor, in particular data-centre develop-ments.

“Dublin and the eastern region haveseen a significant inflow of capital invest-ment in recent years and it would be impor-tant so as to maintain an equal or increasedamount of FDI going forward that the infra-structure in terms of energy, transport,housing and in particular trained resourc-es is managed carefully so as not to dimin-ish the region’s attractiveness.

‘Balancedregionaldevelopment’“It is important, however, for balanced re-gional development that, where possible,FDI is distributed outside of Dublin and itsenvirons. Critical to this being possible isthe necessary infrastructure being inplace.

“Investment in transport infrastructureand fibre connectivity is still an issue in thewest and between the Limerick to Cork cor-ridor. This needs to be addressed for theseregions to secure their fair share.

“The Irish Government, the IDA and oth-er State bodies have been very successful interms of attracting FDI and promoting Ire-land as a great place to live, work and in-vest. To sustain this, the Government mustcontinue to invest in infrastructure, re-search and development and education.”

“The Government must continue toinvest in infrastructure, research anddevelopment and education.”

Why Ireland?

ArthurCoxmanagingpartnerBrianO’GormanbelievesIreland’straditionalstrengthscontinuetoplayakeyroleinthecountry’sattractivenessforUSinvestment.“Ican’treallyaddmuchtowhathasbecomeawell-troddenpathatthisstage,”hesays.“Taxispartofitofcourse.Thereisourgeographicposition;thelinksintoIrelandareveryimportantandtheinfrastructuretherehasimprovedmassivelyovertheyears.Ourskilledandflexibleworkforceisalsoveryimportantandthemobilityoftheworkforceisanotherpositive.”Thelegalsystemalsocomesintoplay.“Itmay

notcomeveryhighupmanypeople’slistsbutthelegalenvironmentisalsoafactor.OurcommonlawlegalsystemisverysimilartothoseoftheUSandtheUKandUScompanieslocatinghereareveryfamiliarwithit.”Hebelievescost-competitivenessisanissue

whichneedstobedealtwith.“Between2004and2008weallowedourcoststogetoutofcontrolandwelostmuchorourcompetitivenessasaresult,”hesays.“Iknowwhatfollowedwasaterriblerecession

butatleastithelpedgetourcostsbackontrack.InternationalFDIisahighlycompetitivebusiness

andwhenIheartalkofnationalwageagree-mentsandthingslikethatIfearforthefuture.Tomymind,thatisthesinglebiggestthreattoourcontinuedsuccessinattractingFDI.”Theotherissuethatconcernshimisthe

regulationofbusinessesinthebroadfinancialservicessector.“WearegettingalotoffeedbackfromclientswhoaresayingtheenvironmentinIrelandcomparesunfavourablywithourinterna-tionalcompetitorswhenitcomestodealingswithregulators.Thisissomethingwhichshouldbeexaminedaswedon’twantanegativeperceptiontotakeholdinthisvitalareaforFDI.”

BrianO’GormanManaging Partner Arthur Cox

A can do attitude? The competitive tax rate? Quality of life? Three experts tell us whyIreland is a desirable location, and why we can’t be complacent

MickMurrayHead of AIB International Corporate Banking

“

WHY IRELAND?

InarecentAIB-commissionedIpsosMRBIsurveyofmultinationalsinIreland,themainreasonsforsettingupherewereaccesstoEurope,workforcetalent,corporatetaxrate,andthatweareEnglish-speaking.Some86percentofcompaniesstatedthataccesstoEuropewascriticalorimportanttosettingupinIrelandwhile97percentwouldrecommendIrelandasacountrytolocate.AccordingtoAIBheadofinternational

corporatebankingMickMurray,Ireland’sotherstrengthsincludeitspositionasanaturalgatewaytoEuropeandtheonlyEnglish-speak-ingcountryintheeurozone.Otherfactorsareoureducatedandadaptableworkforce,attractive12.5percentcorporatetaxrate,andapro-businesspolicyenvironment.“Thereisa‘can-doculture’inIreland–

similartotheUSA,”headds.“Also,asacountrywewelcomenewcompaniesintoIrelandandtakeprideinthemsettinguptheirEMEAheadquartershere.TheIDAdoesafantasticjobpromotingIrelandandattractingnewandexistinginvestment.”

HebelievesIreland’sexcellenttrackrecordinattractingUSFDIisatleastinpartduetotheexperienceofAmericanfirmshere.“ThesuccessandpositiveexperiencesofexistingUScompaniesinIrelandmakesitalogicalstepforotherAmericancompaniesexpandingtofollowandofcourseitreducestheriskforcompaniesinvestinginnewgeographies;successbreedssuccess.WehavealsobuiltanecosystemaroundFDIfirms.”Otherissuesalsocomeintoplay.“Ireland

alsooffersagoodlifestyle,”hesays.“Theintangiblesandthequalityoflifeavailableareimportanttoretainingtalent.Ourbeautifulcountryaddsarichnesstodowntimethatissimplyunmatched.”Butthereisaneedtocontinuetoensurethe

countrycancontinuetoattracttalent.“TheSpecialAssigneeReliefProgramme(SARP)isataxreliefdesignedtoboosttherelocationofkeytalentintoIreland,”Murraynotes.“ItisverywelcomeassomeoverseascompaniesperceivepersonaltaxationhereashighandSARPisastepintherightdirection.”

International FDI is a highlycompetitive business and

when I hear talk of nationalwage agreements and thingslike that I fear for the future

AccordingtoKPMGmanagingpartnerShaunMurphy,CEOsweighuptherisksandrewardsattachedtovariousloca-tionswhenconsideringwheretoinvestandthegoodnewsisthatIrelandscoreshighlyinthisregard.Butthereisabsolute-lynoroomforcomplacency.“Apartfromcrunchingthenumbers

relevanttotheirownuniquecircumstanc-es,CEOswillalsolookatissuessuchasthetrackrecordofaparticularcountryorcity–whoelsehaschosenthatparticularlocation?Howlongaretheythere?Whatlevelsofinvestmenthavetheycommittedto?Howattractiveisthelocationforseniormanagement?”hesays.“Inotherwords,ifyourindustrypeer

grouphasconsistentlychosenaparticu-larinvestmentlocation,thenit’sastrongindicatorofitsappeal.We’veseenthevalueofthisasparticularsectorshaveclusteredinIreland–whetheritbepharmainCork,medtechinGalway,ITinDublinetc.TheseareallrelevantthemesininfluencinginvestmentandtheyhavebeenusedexceptionallywellbyIDAandotherstoshowcaseIreland.”Hefirmlybelievesthevalueofpeople

cannotbeunderestimatedinhelpinginfluenceinwardinvestmentdecisionsinIreland’sfavour.Thisisnotjustaboutsellingthequalitiesofatalentedwork-forcethatabusinesscanaccessif itchoosesIreland,althoughitisofhugeimportanceofcourse.“It’salsoverymuchabouttheoverall

experienceofIreland,”Murphycontin-ues.“Thisincludesthequality-of-lifeexperiencebutalsothesupportofferedbyStateagencies,theeffortsandinflu-enceofIrishexpatriatesinplacessuchastheUStomakeconnectionsandpromoteIreland’sappealandthecalibreofourprofessionalservices.ThishighlyattractivemixofreasonstochooseIrelandneedstobecontinuallyrefinedasanationalpriority.Itrequiresanall-roundefforttoavoidcomplacency,rewardenterprise,buildstrongerlinkagestodomesticbusiness,andtostayaheadofthecompetitioninunderstandingtheimpactoftechnologicalchange.”

ShaunMurphyManaging partner, KPMG

26 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

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US companies in Ireland serve aglobal and diverse market-place and place a strong em-phasis on promoting diversityand inclusion among their

teams and their wider communities.They have also played a leadership role

in creating a greater understanding of thebenefits that come from supporting diversi-ty and inclusion – to both business and soci-ety.

Louise Phelan, PayPal’s vice-presidentof global operations for Europe, the MiddleEast and Africa says diversity of thought iscritical to corporate success. PayPal em-ploys 2,400 people in Ireland across its Eu-ropean operations centres in Dundalk andBallycoolin Business Park, Dublin.

“Our customers are diverse and corpo-rate decision-makers should be too. At Pay-Pal, inclusion is one of our cultural values.To us, inclusion is about respecting and val-uing uniqueness and diversity of thought,”says Phelan.

Shaun Murphy, managing partner,KPMG, says there are lots of reasons diver-sity in the workplace matters. KPMG is aglobal network of professional firms pro-viding audit, tax and advisory services.There are 78 partners at KPMG and morethan 2,000 staff employed in Ireland.

“There’s lots of reasons why diversitymatters – apart from it obviously being theright thing to do, it’s also the bright thing todo. One of the most compelling reasons isthat it helps business secure the most tal-ented people,” he says.

To show its commitment to inclusion,PayPal celebrated its very own ‘Diversityand Inclusion Week’ in June and spon-sored the Pride Parade in Dublin.

For Phelan, being able to be yourself atwork is one of the true benefits of diversityat work. “Ideas are richer and execution isstronger when everyone feels included andthat helps companies grow. Having a di-verse workplace and an inclusive culturemeans having productive, engaged employ-ees and that helps companies attract and re-tain top talent.

PayPal was crowned ‘Diversity Champi-

on 2016’ at the Irish HR Champion Awardearlier this year.

Phelan believes Irish workplaces shouldlearn from their American counterparts byinvesting further in diversity programmes.

“We created our own tailor-made Diver-sity and Inclusion workshop training. Wealso support women in business, both inPayPal through our women’s group Unity,and in the industry through sponsorshipand outreach events,” she says.

For Phelan, workplace diversity policiesmust go beyond window dressing and ef-fect meaningful impact on employees’lives.

“At PayPal we don’t just talk the talk, wewalk the walk. That was evident in Aprilwhen we decided against moving forwardwith our planned expansion in North Caro-lina in response to the introduction of newlegislation there that removed certainrights for the LGBT community. We madethis decision on the basis of our inclusivevalues and our strong belief that every per-son has the right to be treated equally andwith dignity and respect. No companyshould be involved in diversity for windowdressing – they should be living diversityand inclusion policies because it’s the rightthing to do,” she says.

Murphy believes Irish businesses have

moved beyond window dressing and thatpolicies are implemented. “Policies to cre-ate a more diverse workplace have to bevery transparent and require the absolutecommitment of leadership. In my discus-sions with clients, diversity is also one oftheir top priorities and CEOs are very sin-cere in their desire to move the agenda for-ward in a real way,” he says.

Miriam O’Keeffe, programmes directorat the American Chamber says diversity isnow a “hot button” issue for all of theirmembers. “This is no longer considered a‘nice to have’ but is a clear business impera-tive,” she says.

The Chamber’s #AmCham4Balance,programme is aimed at inspiring and cele-brating excellence in diversity. “There is aparticular focus on women in global organi-sations, as some of the traditional challeng-es for women can be amplified in global or-ganisations.”

Phelan says while women have brokenthe glass ceiling in many respects, there isstill a way to go. “We still need to see morewomen at leadership tables right across Ire-land. As a mentor to eight female entrepre-

neurs, I’d love to see more women in the en-trepreneurial space. I believe that, with eve-ry woman that makes it to the top of their in-dustry, we get that bit closer to changingthe status quo,” she says.

Murphy is also of the view we cannot becomplacent when it comes to full diversity– particularly with regard to having morewomen employees. “Much progress hasbeen made but no one should be compla-cent about how far business still needs togo and how long it will take. For example,we’re heavily involved in the 30% Club initi-ative but it, and other organisations, existpartly because there is still so much work todo to. The good news is that business realis-es that to succeed you have to eliminategender bias - but as long as we’re talkingabout the issue it proves that challenges re-main. “

‘‘

DIVERSITY

No company should be in-volved in diversity for window

dressing – Louise Phelan

“There’s lots of reasons why diversitymatters – apart from it obviously beingthe right thing to do, it’s also the brightthing to do.”

DiversitymattersAn inclusive and diverse workplace benefits both acompany and its employees, writesÁineMcMahon

28 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

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SerialentrepreneurBrian Caulfieldon fuellingIreland’sstart-up

obsession

US ambassador Kevin O’Malley tellsBarryMcCallabout the unique relationship between the two countries

INTERVIEW

US ambassador Kevin O’Malleyhas thoroughly enjoyed histime in Ireland since arrivinghere in October 2014. “I cansay without fear of contradic-

tion that Ireland is the most welcoming andwarm place I have ever been in my life,” hes a y s . “ T h a t ’ s a n a b s o l u t e‘take-it-to-the-grave’ truth. People havegone out of their way to be so welcomingand kind to me since I arrived here as therepresentative of President Obama.”

A frequent visitor to Ireland prior to hisappointment, he has found his stint as am-bassador quite special. “It’s more fun to vis-it as US ambassador,” he notes with a hintof humour. “There have been many greatmoments bordering on priceless includingmy very first visit as ambassador. The pro-tocol when you arrive is that you visit thehead of state and present your credentialsfrom your head of state. In my case, I waspresenting my credentials from PresidentObama to President Higgins. That was the

day after I arrived in Ireland and I was still alittle bit jet-lagged.

“As we stood on President Higgins’s bal-cony in Áras an Uachtaráin looking acrossat my new home in the Phoenix Park, asmall company of soldiers from Cork in fulldress played my national anthem. At thatmoment, all I could see were my grandpar-ents’ faces. I knew them both; they camefrom Westport and emigrated to the Unit-ed States. What would they think if theycould see their grandson representing thecountry which had given them refuge tothe country of their birth? When you thinkof it. In just two generations I got to comeback as the representative of my country.That says a great deal about Irish DNA andthe opportunities which exist in the US.”

This has resonances in the present day.“As we approach the 4th of July when wecelebrate our independence and the free-doms we have in the US, you think abouthow two penniless emigrants with sevenchildren could survive and prosper in a

new land. That certainly gives you pausefor thought. But this is not an uncommonstory and it is one of the reasons theIrish-US relationship works so well; thereis so much shared DNA between our twocountries.”

Another stand-out moment for O’Malleycame during a visit to an archaeological digin Roscommon last year. “The dig was be-ing carried out by a group of American andIrish students. As we pulled into the town,the streets were lined with schoolchildrenwaving American flags. That was a reallytouching moment for my wife and I. Ire-land is the most welcoming place on earthand all my colleagues and other visitorsfrom the US who I have met all talk aboutthat.”

The economic recovery which has gath-ered pace since his arrival has also im-pressed him. “As I look at what’s happen-ing here in Ireland and I see such creativity,a great spirit of entrepreneurship, andsuch mature risk-taking in business. Thefeeling is so profound, it is almost palata-ble. There is a swagger in the step of theIrish people now that the economy is recov-ering. People not only have jobs, they havegood jobs working for internationally re-nowned companies, creating great prod-ucts and services and working onworld-class projects.”

Looking to the relationship between Ire-land and the US, he believes it is as strongas ever but that we can’t afford to be com-placent about it. “There is a great relation-ship between Ireland and the US which be-gan hundreds of years ago with poor emi-grants from this country who didn’t forgetwhere they came from. That developedinto the enduring economic relationshipwe have today which is responsible for hun-dreds of thousands of jobs on both sides ofthe Atlantic.

“That relationship would be hard to im-

prove on but it is not guaranteed to take usinto the future,” he adds. “We can’t sit backin 2016 and say that because there aremore than 700 US companies here in Ire-land and 250 Irish companies in the US em-ploying more than 250,000 people be-tween them, that the relationship will re-main the same. Ireland is changing and be-coming more globally focused and the USis changing as well. That’s why the Ameri-can Embassy has started a programmecalled Creative Minds. This engages promi-nent US and Irish innovators and artists toconnect the next generation of Irish andAmerican leaders.”

The Creative Minds Series is a cross-cul-tural programme launched in 2015byO’Malley which invites prominent USartists, writers, filmmakers, digital cultureinnovators and musicians to share their ex-periences with young Irish students and au-diences. The mission of the ongoing seriesis “to find ways to create new collabora-tions and encourage more creative eco-nomic linkages between young people inthe United States and Ireland.”

He believes initiatives like this will be vi-tally important in sustaining the evolvingrelationship between the two nations. “Wecan’t rely on shillelaghs, shamrocks, festi-vals and parties any more. That’s what Cre-ative Minds is all about. We are giving peo-ple the chance to meet up and look forwardto how the relationship is going to evolveand change and what it will be like in 10years’ time. Those connections will changein ways we can’t even imagine now. Wealso want to demonstrate that Ireland hasno better friend than the United States ofAmerica.”

‘We can’t sitback in 2016’

US ambassador to Ireland KevinO’Malley. PHOTOGRAPH: ALAN BETSON

30 |THE IRISH TIMES Magazine | July 1, 2016

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