Interviews

Interview: Oliver Zimmermann, CEO, Condair

Condair Group is the world’s leading manufacturer of industrial and commercial humidification and evaporative cooling solutions. Its administrative head office and main R&D center are located in the Swiss Canton of Schwyz. What is your outlook for humidity solutions in the USA? Condair offers a complete technology portfolio for all industries, and promotes the benefits…
Switzerland is a Global Innovation and Technology Leader

Interview: Simone Wyss Fedele, CEO, Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) An increasing number of American technology companies are setting up offices in Switzerland including well-known giants such as Google, Microsoft, eBay and Biogen. Simone Wyss Fedele, CEO of Switzerland’s official trade and investment promotion organization, explains why. What are the strengths of Switzerland as business…
Interview: Lars Van Der Haegen, CEO, Belimo

Belimo is the leading global manufacturer of innovative actuators, valves and sensor solutions to control heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. How do you assess Switzerland’s business ecosystem? Switzerland is an effective business location from an administration point of view. The business-friendly environment facilitates global networking and offers excellent access to the European market. An…
Strengthening Swiss-American Relations

With informal conversations surrounding a free trade agreement, the bilateral relationship has much to gain What are the Swiss economy’s strengths? Switzerland has proven itself very resilient in the face of multiple global economic downturns. Our federal government has been working with a budget surplus for the past 12 years, before COVID-19, and the debt-to-GDP…
Interview: Martin Sauter, CEO, Sauter Bachmann

Based in the Canton of Glarus lies Sauter Bachman, an indigenous family owned success story with nearly 100 years of history. The Swiss precision manufacturing company produces multifaceted high-quality gears, gearboxes and complex systems for customers in industry and aerospace. GE Aviation, Pratt Whitney and other USA clients rely on Sauter Bachman as a crucial…
Interview: Gilbert Ghostine, CEO of Firmenich

January 23, 2020 Founded in Geneva in 1895, Firmenich is the world’s largest privately-owned company in the perfume and taste business. It has designed many of the world’s best-known perfumes and tastes. The ingredients created by Firmenich are utilized by four billion consumers daily around the world. Firmenich invests 10% of its USD 3.7 billion…
Interview: Ciarán Hayes, Chief Executive, Sligo County Council

Sligo Witnessing Unprecedented Investment Ireland’s new hub for innovation? Sligo is not only a stunning location for tourism, but also a highly practical destination for business, with attractive incentives, high levels of infrastructure, and the ambition to become a ‘smart city.’ What is Sligo’s track record for attracting multinationals? Sligo has an established track record of…
Interview: Seamus Neely, Chief Executive, Donegal County Council

Donegal’s FinTech Hub Develops Letterkenny designated Regional Growth Center in the National Planning Framework How do you assess Donegal’s economy? Donegal’s economy is performing strongly, and employment is on the rise. The county has a thriving fin-tech hub, and a significant FDI track record. 75% of investors are continuously growing their operations and Donegal’s indigenous…
Interview: Dr. Pat Gallagher, Chief Executive, Westmeath County Council

Westmeath: In the Heart of Ireland How do you assess Westmeath’s economy? Westmeath’s two biggest towns, Athlone and Mullingar, have their own distinct economies that have developed backed by the regions central location, developed motorway network, excellent utilities, and highly educated workforce. Mullingar is one hour from Dublin by car, train or bus and has…
Interview: Joan Martin, Chief Executive, Louth County Council

Louth County: The Land of Legends Although Louth may be Ireland’s smallest county, it has plenty to offer. It is the second most densely populated county in the nation, outside of Dublin. The majority of Louth’s population resides in its two largest towns of Drogheda and Dundalk. Joan Martin, Chief Executive of Louth County Council…
Interview: Moira Murrell, Chief Executive, Kerry County Council

Kerry: A Stunning Place to Work Quality of life, the availability of a skilled workforce, ease of access, fiber-based broadband and government incentives combine to provide a positive business environment How are Ireland’s rural regions developing? There currently is a strong national focus on the development of Ireland’s regions and their improved interconnectivity. Kerry increasingly…
Interview: Daniel McLoughlin, Chief Executive, South Dublin County Council

How is SDCC preparing to accommodate future FDI? SDCC is home to Grange Castle Business Park, the largest wholly owned local authority FDI site in Ireland. It has become the location of choice for world-class multinationals such as Pfizer, Microsoft, Amazon and Google. It is a world class facility with investments of over 5 billion…
Interview: Mark Foley, Group CEO, EirGrid Group

Powering Ireland’s Economic Development What advantages does Ireland offer energy intensive industries? We have a proud history of supporting FDI in Ireland, and the nation remains the premier European country in terms of attractiveness. It started with the pharmaceutical industry, then the tech firms, and more recently the data center industry has arrived. Ireland’s transmission…
Interview: Michael McAteer, Managing Partner, Grant Thornton Ireland

Grant Thornton Ireland: Driving Business with Purpose How do you assess Ireland’s economy? Ireland is a small and open economy that it is heavily affected by global economic events. It is the reason why our economy was severely impacted a few years ago, and is now experiencing such a strong rebound. Brexit is Ireland’s biggest…
Interview: Nicholas Butcher, Managing Partner, Maples and Calder Dublin, Maples Group

Ireland Set to Become the Largest Common Law Jurisdiction in the EU Post-Brexit There is a strong initiative across the Irish legal sector to promote Ireland as a convenient and appropriate hub for international transactions Maples Group is a leading service provider offering clients a comprehensive range of legal services for the British Virgin Islands,…
Interview: Martin McVicar, Co-Founder and CEO, Combilift

Innovative Solutions for Warehouse Management Combilift’s space saving solutions captivate European clients, while improved safety allures US clients How is Combilift developing its business services to bring additional value to clients? We have an established warehouse design department with nine engineers exclusively working on aiding our clients to design and create more efficient warehouses, saving…
Interview: Michael Burke, Founder and Managing Director, Chanelle Pharma

How has Ireland’s pharma sector developed? Nine of the ten largest pharmaceutical companies in the world are present in Ireland. The sector has matured rapidly and is a significant contributor to Ireland’s economic success. Chanelle Pharma is unique as it remains an Irish owned company, and is heavily committed to R&D and exporting to over…
Interview: Joe McGinley, CEO, Iconic Offices

Dublin’s Most Iconic Flexible Workspace Increases its Unique Property Portfolio In a complicated business world, flexible workspace solutions are a tactical advantage How do you evaluate Dublin’s property market? Dublin is in the latter stages of a cycle, and sourcing new locations is increasingly complicated. Wealthy, primarily technology, companies are driving up prices and tenants…
Interview: David McRedmond, CEO, An Post

Building a European E-commerce Logistics Hub The development of ‘An Post Money’ and ‘An Post Commerce’ is future proofing the business for the long term How has the digital age impacted An Post’s development? Digital communication has substituted physical letters, which translated into a fall in revenue for An Post in the letter delivery business.…
Interview: Anthony Smurfit, Group CEO, Smurfit Kappa

Irish Roots with Global Reach From humble beginnings as a small box-making factory in Rathmines, to becoming the first Irish multinational, Smurfit Kappa is an innovative world leader in corrugated packaging How has Smurfit Kappa evolved across the years? We have been in business since 1934, starting out making cardboard boxes and packaging for the…
Interview: Mark O’Sullivan, Partner, Matheson

A decade after the financial crisis, Ireland retains a strong globalized business model. Corporate business investment is at record levels and collectively, US multinational investments amount to $387bn, representing 67% of all foreign direct investment in Ireland and 12% of US investment in the EU. What core facts best highlight Ireland’s role as a gateway…
Interview: Lazar Petrović, CEO, Delta DMD

As a leading logistics distribution company, what key challenges need to be overcome in the region? Serbia is definitely a growing market and it is going to continue to be. I strongly believe that we are going to be a part of the European Union eventually. Especially for IT companies, Serbia is the best place…
Interview: Miroljub Jevtić, Director General, Infrastructure of Serbian Railway (IZS)

How is Serbia’s railway transport segment evolving? Serbia’s railway infrastructure system in 2018 offers safe and reliable services. It is efficient and successfully caters to a growing segment. Overall, Serbia is investing nearly EUR 5 billion to improve the transport network. This can be seen very clearly within the railway sector. Serbia continues a series…
Interview: Violeta Šestic, Head of Local Economic Development Department, City of Šabac

What makes Šabac a smart choice for investors? An interesting fact about the city of Šabac is that it was the first city in Serbia to meet the international standards ISO 9001:2000 which is a testament to our efficiency as an organization and our dedication to customer satisfaction.Besides, the City is a carrier of a…