include Global Services, High Tech Manufacturing,
R&D and Innovation. This growth will be aided by
Ireland’s increasing competitiveness and ready supply
of skilled labour.
Please outline the services that the AIB FDI team
supply to companies that invest here.
A:
The AIB Foreign Direct Investment team
provide financial services to more inward investment
companies in Ireland than any other financial
institution. We are the only Irish bank with a
dedicated Foreign Direct Investment team, with over
30 years of specialist sectorial knowledge spanning
many industries eg. Life Sciences, Med Tech, Pharma,
ICT, Digital Media, Business Services, Cleantech and
Consumer Products.
Our unique customer-centric relationship model,
encompassing one single point of contact, is one of
the reasons foreign multinationals choose AIB as
their banking partner. Building and developing strong
relationships is central to our approach.
We ensure that one dedicated Relationship Manager
provides the single point of contact for all AIB
products and services, and tailor our offering to suit
each of our customers’ different requirements.
How does that differentiate you from the
competition?
A:
Our key competitive advantage is this
customer centric relationship model. We spend
significant time getting to know each of our
customers’ businesses so that we can ensure
a partnership approach and provide the most
appropriate services to them. Our Relationship
Managers are the single point of contact within
AIB for our customer. This ensures that every
customer request is dealt with in the most efficient
way possible. Our Relationship Managers also
spend significant time travelling to meet the parent
companies of Irish FDI clients throughout the
world, be they in Europe, the US, or Japan. This
further reinforces the strong relationships we have
with each FDI client. In summary, AIB’s business
model is to provide a ‘One Stop Shop’ relationship
banking approach to international companies setting
up in Ireland with a single RM contact point who is
responsible for overall credit and service delivery.
Cleantech is an area of specific interest for many
of the readers of this publication. Please outline
the FDI team’s experience in this area.
A:
Ireland has clearly defined renewable energy
and carbon targets, which means the Cleantech
Sector will continue to grow and AIB wants to play
its part in supporting both domestic and international
companies who operate in this Sector. The island of
Ireland has what are regarded as some of the best
conditions for wind energy projects in Europe.
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