The sun shone to welcome the first members of the Swiss Irish Business Network at the inaugural event in Basel on the last Thursday in August. The event, hosted by Enterprise Ireland, the Irish state development agency focused on transforming Irish industry, attracted influential and successful members of the Irish Swiss business community based in Basel and surrounding areas.

According to records, the Irish community in Switzerland is over 4,000 strong, making it the third largest Irish community after England and Germany. However, the Swiss IBN attracted members not only from this pool of professionals but also the wider Irish circle of influence, namely the “Friends of Ireland”. These are people with a strong interest in Ireland and its economy, whether through family connections, a previous period of residence in Ireland or a personal interest in elements of culture, economy or law. These members provide the network with an added layer of diversity and value and will be a key factor in the success of the network.

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The honest opinions of an Irish person in Switzerland!

Valerie Gürtler-Doyle

Valerie grew up in Dublin, Ireland, where she studied in the Department of Biochemistry at University College Dublin. She completed a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. In 1982 she moved to Basel and began post doctoral research at the Hypertonic Labour ZLF, followed by further research in the Cardiovascular Department of Sandoz Ltd. She currently works in the Market Access department of Region Europe for Novartis Pharma AG.

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