Ireland Gateway to Europe - London 2022

Ambassador Martin Fraser with Conor Healy, CEO Cork Chamber.

Ireland Gateway to Europe (IGTE) is a not-for-profit annual trade mission made up of professional advisory firms who promote bilateral trade between Ireland and the UK and US. The organisation is now in its 10th year of US, UK and global trade missions.

Cork Chamber, represented by CEO Conor Healy, joined the IGTE trade mission to London in October as part of our two-year membership. The group which included 50 Irish and US business leaders were accompanied by The Business Post and the team from The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk. There were a number of events held over the two days with over 300 guests in attendance.

On October 19th The Boston College Ireland Business Council Global Leadership Dinner which took place in The RAF Club in London. There were fascinating conversations with Dame Sharon White, Chairman John Lewis & Partners, Conor McEnroy, Founder and owner Sudameris in Paraguay and Warren Zola, Executive Director, BC Chief Executives Club.

The next day there was a full house for the Boston College CEO Club Lunch, hosted at the offices of Bloomberg. Guests from London, Ireland and the US attended to hear about global economic trends and the energy crisis in Europe from industry experts such as Fernando Vicario, CEO, Bank of America Europe, Sonya Twohig, Secretary-General of ENTSO-E and, Gerard Reid, Co-founder, Alexa Capital.

The delegation also visited the London Irish Centre, an established charity in Camden which offers advice, support, culture and community services to the Irish in London.

The Irish Centre has often been the first stop for Irish moving to London for the first time throughout the years and is the primary reason Camden has such a rich Irish heritage.

The few days were appropriately rounded off with a visit to Ambassador Martin Fraser at the Irish embassy in London.