Fortune 500 CEO is 'impressed' by city

September 27, 2007

Northern Ireland has "a unique window of opportunity" to attract significant economic investment from overseas, particularly from its many friends in the US, the head of a multi-billion dollar global corporation claimed yesterday.

Co Armagh-born Edmund F Kelly - chairman, president and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Mutual - said there was an "effective momentum" in place, which was a lure for potential US investors.

Mr Kelly was speaking during a whistle-stop visit to mark the 10th anniversary of the opening of Liberty Information Technology, the software development subsidiary of Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group, whose main business is selling insurance.

His stop-over coincided with the official opening of Liberty IT's new 44,000 sq ft premises in Adelaide Exchange, which houses around 240 staff.

Stormont trade minister Nigel Dodds was among more than 100 guests at the opening, but it was Mr Kelly - who left Belfast in 1970 - who wowed the audience.
He said the 10th anniversary and opening of Liberty IT's impressive new building was "a real sense of accomplishment" as well as a deep appreciation for the city of Belfast, its government, business leaders and institutions.

"Simply put, Belfast is now a good place to do business," he said.

He said the north possessed a strong talent pool, solid work ethic, excellent educational system and an environment that is welcoming to business.

"I must also express my gratitude to Liberty IT's management and employees, whose dedicated efforts make this operation a vital contributor to the Liberty Mutual Group," he said.

Liberty's burgeoning Belfast division provides a range of software application development and related IT services to the four strategic business units at Liberty Mutual Group, which ranks 95th on the Fortune 500 list of largest US corporations and has a payroll of 40,000 staff in more than 900 offices worldwide.

Mr Kelly, a renowned global ambassador for Northern Ireland, is adamant there is vast potential to further grow the company locally, and said he was "highly impressed" with the management structure and ready availability of quality people in Belfast.

Liberty IT's managing director William Hamilton said: "This substantial investment by our parent group is enabling us to focus on a range of initiatives, which will assist in expanding our product off-ering, developing our IT capabilities and sharing our technical expertise, and this will allow us to grow the company beyond 300 employees by 2010.

Minister Dodds said: "The future prosperity of Northern Ireland rests on our ability to create and sustain a high value-added, internationally competitive, export-led economy.

Irish News, 25th September 2007,
Business by Gary McDonald Business Editor