Divide + Conquer

DIVIDE

conquer

THRIVING MULTINATIONALS OPERATING IN IRELAND ARE OFTEN ENCOURAGED BY THE IDA TO OPEN A SECOND SATELLITE OPERATION, PREFERABLY OUTSIDE DUBLIN TO STIMULATE JOBS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW TALENT POOLS. IT’S A POLICY THAT HAS HELPED BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO TOWNS AND CITIES ACROSS THE MIDLANDS AND WEST AND HAS IN TURN ALLOWED GLOBAL FIRMS TO GROW AND DEVELOP.

DENISE MAGUIRE asks three global firms what they see as the benefits to having multiple sites around Ireland.

Operating in Ireland since 1997, SAP began its journey as a 30-strong company in East Point Business Park, Dublin. Today, SAP has three office locations in Dublin and Galway and employs up to 1,200 people. The decision to open a facility in Galway was fuelled by the company’s rapid expansion. A new multilingual support team was required and Galway was deemed the most advantageous location. “We interacted with the IDA who encouraged us to investigate areas outside Dublin. Galway had the critical mass with options to grow and hire and it also had a large multilingual community,” says Liam Ryan, Managing Director, SAP Labs Ireland. A thriving university infrastructure was also a major factor when it came to choosing Galway as a second site. “You had GMIT as it was called at the time and UL which was the only university back then that offered a whole degree programme in technical communication. To this day, we have really strong links with UL that benefit both the students and us,” says Rachael Hewetson, User Assistance Development Manager at SAP. A major advantage of having an additional site in Galway is the new talent pool it has opened up to the company. “It has also given employees a choice. We had several members of staff based in Dublin who were from the West. With the Galway site, we were able to retain those staff that wanted to relocate back home. It’s another reason why employees should continue to work with SAP as they have that choice of location,” says Liam.

Established in Galway in 1994, Boston Scientific has become synonymous with Ireland. With three locations across the country (Galway, Clonmel and Cork), the company exports approximately 10 million medical devices worldwide annually including stents, balloons, platinum coils, catheters, inflation devices, pacemakers and ICDs. A large cohort of people studying similar disciplines and working in similar areas is something the company has leveraged over the years, says Sean Gayer, VP Operations in Cork. “The three locations are served very well educationally and that obviously helps us. All of the educational facilities in the area collaborate with us to ensure they’re offering their students the right type of courses so they’re better placed to work with us in the future.”

For a US company locating in Ireland, integration into local communities is crucial. “Over the past 10 years, our charity endeavours in Cork alone have raised over half a million euro. Our staff are also heavily involved in volunteering, which is just as important as funds raised. Some of the ideas from our charity team have been really innovative. A few years ago, they asked if they could raffle off the two parking spots nearest the employee entrance. You had 1,000 people that really wanted those two spaces! I thought it was brilliant in its simplicity,” says Sean at Boston Scientific. The company is also one of the key sponsors of the College of Medicine and Health interdisciplinary Seed Awards at UCC and all three sites work with local schools to encourage children to get involved in STEM.

Liam Ryan, Managing Director SAP Labs Ireland Sean Gayer, VP Operations, Boston Scientific, Cork

A much-improved road network and proximity to regional airports have helped make Ireland an attractive location for multinationals. With remote working looking like it’s here to stay for many companies, connectivity has never been more important. “We still have a bit of work to do in terms of broadband in certain areas, but I think our mindset of connectivity is perhaps even more important and I think that has improved hugely since the pandemic hit. We have four employee resource groups that work across the three sites and in terms of keeping us connected and promoting diversity and inclusivity, they’ve never been more important,” says Sean at Boston Scientific. In 1996, Fidelity Investments, the Boston headquartered financial services company, chose Dublin as its first global

“We have four employee resource groups that work across the three sites and in terms of keeping us connected and promoting diversity and inclusivity, they’ve never been more important.”

Penny Bryant, Director of Communications and Penny Bryant, Director of CSR at Fidelity Communications and CSR at Fidelity

Yvonne McArdle, HR Director at SAP

“It has also given employees a choice. We had several members of staff based in Dublin who were from the West. With the Galway site, we were able to retain those staff that wanted to relocate back home.”

Liam Ryan, Managing Director, SAP Labs Ireland

location. A site in Galway followed, opening up a whole new talent pool for the company. “Having hubs in Galway and Dublin has allowed us to offer roles on either side of the country and it has also given us access to a much broader talent pool. On the practical side, it’s only two hours between Dublin and Galway so it’s easy to stay connected,” says Penny Bryant, Director of Communications and CSR at Fidelity.

Employing approximately 1,300 people in Ireland across its two sites, Fidelity has made a concerted effort to ensure there’s no trade-off between rural and regional locations. “As a leading fintech, we have the technology to facilitate that. Video conferencing has always been a way for us to connect and with everyone working from home now, I think in some ways we feel more connected than ever.” The company has also worked hard on its CSR strategy to ensure it reflects the company’s core values. “Part of that was ramping up our community work around education and employment readiness. Covid has forced us to adapt the ways in which we service our community and our staff have been fantastic in helping us innovate and digitise online. We’ve also provided refurbished laptops to local schools in Galway and Dublin to help kids study from home.”

Integration into local communities across both sites has also been a priority at SAP. “We hold various fundraising events throughout the year and we also organise a number of volunteering events to help our chosen charities. During Code Week, our employees visit local primary and secondary schools to teach coding from scratch. It’s a great way to get involved in the local schools and make them aware of SAP. We return each year so we’re teaching the same kids in the next class so they’re continually learning,” says Yvonne McArdle, HR Director at SAP Ireland.

Through their multiple sites Fidelity, SAP and Boston Scientific have cemented their positions across the country and have shown the rest of the world that Ireland is a great place to do business. By extending their reach across the country, the three global firms have strengthened their brands and will, undoubtedly, continue to do so over the coming years.

Right now, wellbeing in the workplace is a hot topic but at Fidelity, it’s taken very seriously. “We have a motto here – find your fidelity – which is all about finding the greater meaning in your job and figuring out how it improves the lives of others. Wellbeing may have different meanings for different people and at Fidelity, we offer a range of benefits from financial to health to community. It’s also not just about what we offer as a package but the benefits of working for a company that has a strong focus on inclusivity and community.” Throughout the pandemic, associates have been given time off to cope with the added pressures of life during Covid. At SAP, a culture of inclusion and a focus on health and wellbeing is helping to ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can operate at their best. “We’re very active when it comes to promoting diversity, inclusion and social justice. A good example is our Autism at Work programme, where we hire people from the autistic spectrum. For some autistic people, noise might be an issue so eating lunch in the canteen mightn’t be an option. We ensure quiet meeting rooms are provided for those who want them,” says Yvonne McArdle, HR Director at SAP Ireland.

“Having hubs in Galway and Dublin has allowed us to offer roles on either side of the country and it has also given us access to a much broader talent pool. On the practical side, it’s only two hours between Dublin and Galway so it’s easy to stay connected,”

Penny Bryant, Director of Communications and CSR at Fidelity