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TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY has welcomed the opening of Morgan McKinley’s offices in Shanghai.
The opening represents a €5 million investment by Morgan McKinley in its Chinese operations and also an expansion of staff numbers there from 70 to 200.
It is the first Irish recruiter to establish a presence in mainland China, with a network of offices also in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Dubai, Ireland, France and the UK, managed from the company’s corporate and administrative headquarters in Cork.
The event was atended by senior Chinese and multinational business executives and took place during the Taoiseach’s four-day trade mission to China, which follows the recent visit to Ireland of Mr Xi Jinping, Vice-President of the People’s Republic of China.
Speaking at the event, the Taoiseach said that Morgan McKinley “is a great example of how Irish companies can compete and win business anywhere in the world with innovative products and services”.
Their success in China shows us how Irish services companies can become multinational players, bring inward investment into the country and create jobs. The Government will continue to support the international growth of Irish companies and relentlessly promote the message that now is the time to invest in Ireland. I congratulate Morgan McKinley on their achievements to date and wish them continued success.
Kenny was accompanied by Richard Bruton, TD, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, and Frank Ryan, Chief Executive of Enterprise Ireland.
They were welcomed to Morgan McKinley’s Shanghai office by the Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Pat Fitzgerald and Managing Director of Morgan McKinley China, Vivian Ng.
Enterprise Ireland said it has strongly encouraged and supported the company’s international growth and expansion. Morgan McKinley employs 635 globally, of whom 200 are based in Ireland.
Initial success in the highly competitive Chinese market has led to recruitment contracts for Morgan McKinley with a large number of organisations in China including multinational businesses. Its clients in China include PricewaterhouseCoopers, Johnson & Johnson, Hang Seng, Giorgio Armani, Barclays and Pepsico, among other corporations.
Pat Fitzgerald, CEO Morgan McKinley said that in promoting the Pudong area of Shanghai as a location for foreign businesses to locate and develop, the Chinese government has given the company an opportunity to thrive in this region.
We are very happy to be part of the Chinese business community and look forward to seeing Shanghai continuing to grow as a leading international financial centre over the coming years. In turn we will play our part in that growth through our professional services recruitment expertise.
Kenny told a networking breakfast in Shanghai this morning that Ireland’s economy had returned to positive growth.
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The Republic of Ireland is ideally placed to develop as an entrepôt between China and Euroland/the European mainland. We speak the international language of business, English.
However we need to open more Confucius centres for learning in Ireland and set up more Chinese language and culture courses in our universities and technical colleges. When I left Ireland in 2006, there were tens of thousands of Chinese in Ireland studying English. What a splendid resource! Tap into it. We can train some of them to teach our primary school kids and secondary school young people both the Chinese language and script, immerse them in the language and culture from an early age, preferably kindergarten.
Ireland’s biggest markets are still the UK and EU. All this talk about China is in the main hot air, just like all the knowledge economy baloney over the past decade.
Chinese language? Really Paul. You know better than that. ..
@ Susie: Anyone in business will tell you, you have to promote yourself first before you get the rewards in business. Jobs just can’t be created out of thin air and its good to see the Taoiseach promoting an Irish company. This type of meeting allows Irish businesses and State Agencies to meet businesses to attract to Ireland. If we all taught but and maybe’s in a negative way no one would bother ever setting up a business.
Eugene O ‘Rourke
I understand that ,but what is Kenny doing to create jobs for the unemployed, here and now, in Ireland . Why is he gone on this trade mission ? Does he not trust his Minister? I am not being negative ,or try not to be , but I had to borrow money to put petrol into my car this week and because I don’t have a medical card I have to find €116 to pay for my son’s Leaving Cert this week too. Where is the fairness in all they are asking of us .
@Susie. He was given an invitation to come personally by the Chinese Government as a thank you for the trip with there delegation here last month. It would have been madness and rude to turn down that opportunity to promote Ireland in the largest population in the world. We could also get extra tourism out of it too (Olympics next year in UK and Ireland is looking to get the extra tourism from Asia etc as visa’s are not required as far as I know once cleared UK immigration to get people here). I have sympathy for your situtaion but I don’t understand what it has to do with the trip only that it might create jobs and help you back to work (assuming you are not working). The new Government have done more than the previous Government with reducing PRSI for employers, no corporation tax for I think 3 years for new companies, you can claim back your tax to invest in a new company, there is now the refferal scheme for job creation. Susie what would your suggestion be to do? people are very quick to give out but they are not coming up with any other solution. (without the usual tell the bondholders to get lost as its just not going to happen as the EU have no appetite for it and they are the ones with the money and if €100 household charge seems bad imagine if they turned the tap off?)
Thanks Eugene . Have a nice evening :)
This man really knows how to sell our country? Rita Cahill
Ah I get it now . Kenny is Growing jobs …….in China .
It is HERE we need them …Plank !
He is promoting an Irish company expanding into a new market. The new jobs might be in Chine but it is good to see and Irish company expanding into a country we need to get into. Morgan McKinley might help other Irish companies in China which in turn will create jobs here.
This is great to see. Revenues are returned to this state, that’s ow countries get well to do and have sustainable wealth. The brother of this fellow is behind Abtran, which employ nearly a thousand peope in the state from their HQ in Cork. Both of their companies are less than 20 years of age. Great going and shows us why home businesses and jobs are always better than multi national ones in the long run.
It is all if’s but’s and maybe’s . Jobs are wanted here . Now .
@ Susie: Its great that an Irish company is growing like this. Don’t be so negative all of the time.
Ryan Allen
It is fantastic to see any Irish company growing . Wonderful news. (I am not ”always negative ”.)
I am amazed that the jobs will be in China tho !
I would rather see job creation in Ireland .
Susie. Will youstop that rámeis.. There isn’t much demand in Cork or Dublin or Belfast for Chinese Recruiters in Shanghai.
This is great to see, it brings revenue and money in to the country, that funds taxes and jobs. Think about the bigger picture instead of getting your self worked up over good news.
If this like this do not happen, then this country is truly and utterly screwed.
At it again i see Susie.Your a sad case..
We just about speak English properly and I would like to see more effort going into English than wasting good money on Irish. It is possibly our biggest asset in China and many other countries. What use is Irish – nice language but it is a hobby and a luxury that needs to be supported by the enthusiasts not the taxpayers.
You remind of those obsessives who try to bring the Jews in every comment section on the financial crisis.
Your Sincerely
Seán óg Seppowitz
Conradh Na Gaeilge
We have a great double combination: English as our native language and membership of the Euro! We should milk it for all it’s worth.
Yeah lets milk the china dragon,you really need to lay off the cool aid.
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