President's welcome

I am honoured to take on the role of President of the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce (FICC) for 2023/2024 and to follow in the footsteps of Margot Slattery, who has done an exceptional job in leading the chamber over the past  two years.

My vision is to build on our position as a valued player and influencer in business relationships between Ireland and France in 2023. There is an ongoing need to encourage growth in both countries, and the FICC is an essential ingredient in making this happen.

France is now Ireland’s nearest EU neighbour, but the connections between these two nations run much deeper which is clearly demonstrated in the companies which make up FICC membership. Our raison d’être is to support, enable and empower strategic partnerships within the Franco-Irish business community in Ireland.

The FICC runs an extensive programme of events annually to build connections between our member companies and with the team in the French embassy, as well as other organisations in the France-Ireland business ecosystem. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible at these events.

In many businesses, success is all about having the right people. Recruitment and retention relies on working with the widest possible talent pool and offering the best possible development opportunities. I hope that the FICC can continue to help members to connect with the right people to allow your business to expand and in particular remain a strong, inclusive voice which is essential to achieving a diverse workforce in which everyone can thrive.

I also want to ensure that sustainability and climate response continues to be top of the agenda. Sustainability and climate change are critical issues for all of us but also present huge opportunities. This is a key focus for me in my day job with Veolia, as well as in my role as President of FICC, and I hope to bring a sense of urgency to our plans to become more sustainable, not just as individuals or businesses, but as a society.

The chamber already has a climate response working group, of which I am deputy chair and there are a number of events being planned for the year, to ensure this remains at the forefront of our activities and our members have the opportunity to learn from each other.

FICC also has a number of other working groups such as SME & Entrepreneurs - "Le NETwork", CEO Forum, Tech Working Group, West and South Region Working Group, and Climate Response Working Group - "La Vie en Vert". These groups continue to offer an excellent opportunity for members to collaborate and shape bilateral trade. Many members are already actively involved in these groups and I would encourage others to consider joining them.

In meeting members of FICC over the years, I am struck by your incredible level of innovation. Many companies in the Chamber are doing amazing work here in Ireland and also in France. This is something that we should be very proud of. It is important that Government, state agencies and other organisations recognise the value that the Ireland-France business community brings to Ireland and I see my role as helping to promote your work as well exploring the potential that is there to boost this further.

I look forward to working with all of our members to help them take full advantage of the bilateral trade opportunities between our two countries, along with the outstanding FICC staff, Executive and Council Members. Please don't hesitate to contact me whenever you need support, assistance, or with a suggestion.

With thanks,

Aine Murray – President France Ireland Chamber of Commerce