Head of Civil Service welcomes announcement of US Business Delegation to NI

Head of Civil Service Jayne Brady has welcomed the announcement of a senior Business Delegation to Northern Ireland by Joe Kennedy, the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs.

Head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady, with US Special Envoy Joe Kennedy and Harland and Wolff Group CEO John Wood, pictured during a previous visit by the Envoy.

Speaking after Special Envoy Kennedy confirmed the first four members of the delegation, which will take place later in the month, Jayne Brady said: “When President Biden came here in April, he spoke of plans for a trade delegation and this announcement reflects the continued commitment of both President Biden and Special Envoy Kennedy to showcasing this place as an attractive location for US investors.

“This is another significant opportunity for our key economic sectors as well as for our academic, cultural, creative and tourism industries.  The delegates attending are some of the most innovative, influential, and successful US business leaders to have ever visited us, and I look forward to welcoming them here and showing them everything we have to offer.”

Special Envoy Kennedy confirmed that the Honorable Thomas P. DiNapoli, Comptroller, State of New York, Mark Hartney, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, John Murphy, President and Chief Financial Officer, The Coca-Cola Company and Tim Sweeney, President and Chief Executive Officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance, will be joining the delegation.

They will arrive on October 24 for a number of days to meet local business leaders to hear first-hand about our homegrown talent, world-leading R&D and strong entrepreneurial ecosystem. They will also meet established US investors who will share their experiences of success and growth in NI.  The delegation will also engage with politicians and well as exploring key tourist attractions.

Notes to editors: 

1. Photo caption: Head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady, with US Special Envoy Joe Kennedy and Harland and Wolff Group CEO John Wood, pictured during a previous visit by the Envoy.
2. 30,000 people in Northern Ireland are employed by US Corporations.
3. In the past decade US business has generated almost two billion dollars in investment in NI.
4. 1200 international companies currently operate in Northern Ireland, including major US companies like Microsoft, Allstate, Aflac and Seagate, with over 70 per cent of new investors choosing to re-invest further down the line. 
5. NI is a global cyber security hub, with specialist university research centres, innovative start-ups delivering global cyber security solutions and a cluster of international cyber security investors - which is why it is the #1 international investment location for US cyber security firms;
6. NI is a hotspot for cyber security firms, which includes leading international companies such as Proofpoint, IBM Security, Rapid7, Imperva, Microsoft, Nvidia and Synopsys. It is also home to a range of leading international growth companies such as Anomali, Contrast Security and Cygilant;
7. In addition to cyber security product development companies, NI is also an international investment location for US cybersecurity services projects, such as Allstate, CME and Citi who have invested in cyber security operations in Belfast. US insurance firm Aflac has opened its Global IT & Cyber Security Innovation Centre in Belfast.

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