Into The West

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,” said Penny Bryant, Director of Communications and CSR at Fidelity.

Employing approximately 1300 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,” said 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 he 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,” said 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

The West of Ireland is buzzing with international companies, start-ups and micro enterprises that have recognised the area as a great place to do business. With so many multinationals across the IT, medtech and fintech industries dotted around the region, it has become a hub of innovation and an attractive geographical proposition for graduates looking to start or advance their career. Multinationals like to base themselves in bustling areas and develop T alongside other multinationals; they thrive off each other and the West of Ireland has WHAT MAKES THE proved an ideal region for companies to accelerate that growth. It’s also a region

WEST OF IRELAND SUCH A GREAT PLACE FOR

MULTINATIONALS TO DO BUSINESS? DENISE MAGUIRE CAUGHT UP WITH

ONE COMPANY THAT HAS MADE THE WEST ITS HOME

Adrian Furey, VP Global Supply Chain & Logistics at Zimmer Biomet in Ireland, that has become internationally recognised for its research excellence. Both NUIG and GMIT collaborate closely with industry and boast successful research centres, such as the Insight Centre for Data Analytics. Indeed, both are renowned as expert research-led institutions. Organisations in the region benefit from several research facilities including National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science (NCBES), Regenerative Medicine Institute, Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB), Centre for Chromosome Biology (CCB) and Galway Medical Technologies Centre (GMedTech).

Zimmer Biomet, a global leader in musculoskeletal healthcare, is one such company that has benefitted from basing its Irish facility in the West. With two stateof-the-art manufacturing facilities in Shannon and Oranmore, Galway along with a professional education centre, the company attributes its success in Ireland to its talented employees, a focus on quality and investment in leading edge technology. Adrian Furey, VP Global Supply Chain & Logistics at Zimmer Biomet in Ireland, says the region’s talent pool is a major advantage.

“I’m from the West so I might be a bit biased but we have a huge access to talent here. When Zimmer Biomet was choosing its first location in Ireland, a key consideration was ensuring we selected an area that had the right people with the right capabilities. Ireland in general had a good cluster of medical device companies already in place so we knew we were on the right track. With University of Limerick, GMIT, LIT an NUI Galway, both Shannon and Galway have a tremendous university infrastructure. It’s also easy to get around in terms of commute and we have a lower cost of living. Having the airport close is obviously another big plus.”

Zimmer Biomet is a huge local employer across the two regions. “The medical device factory in Shannon is located in an area where there aren’t many similar facilities so I think in terms of opportunities for graduates in that field, we’re seen as playing a very significant role.” Over 750 people are employed between the two facilities. Over the years, Irish staff have taken up prominent roles in US branches of the company. “At the moment, a guy originally from Waterford is running one of the New Jersey operations. Being able to export our talent like that is great for Team Ireland. I myself held the role of Vice President of the Americas for two years. it was an incredibly positive experience.”

The company has taken the idea of integration into the local community very seriously. “We do a significant amount of community outreach work with local enterprises and we’re also involved in charity

“When Zimmer Biomet was choosing its first location in Ireland, a key consideration was ensuring we selected an area that had the right people with the right capabilities”

INTO THE WEST

There’s no shortage of things to see and do in the West of Ireland

• Bunratty Castle & Folk Park

– Originally a Viking trading camp, take a tour of this iconic fortress and hear stories of battles and bravery • Cliffs of Moher – Rising to a height of 214m high and 9 14km long, views from the Cliff don’t disappoint • Galway city – In the City of the

Tribes, enjoy the brightlypainted pubs, street performers and countless festivals

• Burren National Park – This landscape dominated by rocks, unusual formations, and dramatic cliffs allow for some fascinating walks and hikes • Dingle, Co Kerry – this remote seaside town offers some the most charming local pubs, seafood restaurants and striking scenic drives

organisations too. It’s important that we’re part of the community and do our bit,” says Adrian. The facility at Oranmore runs on a 24-hour shift pattern. “That’s almost unique in orthopaedics. It’s also completely paperless, an attribute that appeals to millennials and helps us to attract top talent. The Galway facility was paperless from the start and Shannon went paperless in 2015. It’s a facet of our sustainability ethos that we’re really proud of.” Zimmer Biomet’s young workforce contributes to its positive culture, says Adrian. “Our culture is not about rearview traditional manufacturing. Our aim is to predict what is going to happen on the shop floor rather than reacting to something that has already happened and all our processes support this approach.”

Like all companies, Zimmer Biomet has had to adapt to Covid. “Behaviours that people would have thought impossible at the start of the year were implemented overnight and our team members took responsibility instantly. Once our key managers were educated, we educated everyone on the floor. We showed them that this is how you protect yourselves, your colleagues and family and this is how you protect the factory, thereby protecting our patients. It’s more challenging working this way and we look forward to a time we can put this behind us, but we’ve managed the adjustment well.”

A much-improved road network and proximity to regional airports have helped make the West of 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. “Years ago, our road network might have been a liability but now it’s an asset. We couldn’t operate Oranmore and Shannon without the dual carriageway. When our US visitors come over, we try and get them to Shannon but if we can’t, we’re only a spin from Dublin.”

With floor space still available, Zimmer Biomet has plans to bring in more products into both the Shannon and Oranmore facilities. In addition, the company will invest $10 million in 3D printing as a core technology this year alone. “To facilitate that technology, we will require highly technical staff. We’re proud to be bringing these high level jobs into the West of Ireland. We’re still growing and we feel we have huge potential. We’re here for the long-term.”