Irish ex-pats continue to top the list of non-British UK based company directors, according to new research. Iain Lovatt, executive chairman at Blue Sheep
“The research provides a fascinating and valuable insight into how prominent Irish directors are in the UK today. Adrian Brady, chief executive of Eulogy!
The research, commissioned by Eulogy!, the largest Irish owned PR agency in the UK, shows that Irish directors make up 19% of the total number of non-British directors in the UK, more than those from India, Australia and America combined – which make up the second, third and fourth rankings.
Nationalities of non-British UK company directors:
| No. | Country | Count |
| 1 | IRELAND | 44,352 |
| 2 | INDIA | 15,852 |
| 3 | AUSTRALIA | 12,228 |
| 4 | U.S.A. | 10,362 |
| 5 | NIGERIA | 10,001 |
| 6 | ITALY | 9,773 |
| 7 | FRANCE | 9,090 |
| 8 | GERMANY | 8,076 |
| 9 | POLAND | 8,044 |
| 10 | SOUTH AFRICA | 7,503 |
Source: Eulogy! / Blue Sheep
When plotting the geographic locations of Irish directors, London and the South East were most heavily populated with over 30% of Irish-owned company directors being based in these regions. The North West, South West and West Midlands were next most popular with Irish directors, and there are even three who reside in the Shetland Isles!
The research also reveals that over 40% of Irish company directors are female.
The most highly populated age group is between 41 and 45 – with more than one in five falling into this age bracket. However over 25% of Irish company directors are under the age of 40, which demonstrates the young Irish entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and thriving.
Adrian Brady, chief executive of Eulogy! comments: “The research provides a fascinating and valuable insight into how prominent Irish directors are in the UK today. The economic climate has seen a number of businesses face enormous challenges; however it has also provided a great deal of opportunities for many organisations. The figures continue to show an encouraging year-on-year rise in the growing numbers of young Irish directors making an impact in the UK.”
Giles O’Neill, UK director at Enterprise Ireland comments: “The research confirms the great business links which exist between Ireland and Britain. This research should give us confidence that we can continue to trade successfully together through these challenging times.”
Iain Lovatt, executive chairman at Blue Sheep comments: “This research sheds significant insight into the importance of international company directors and the role they play in UK economy as a whole.
As the world pulls itself out of a difficult recessionary period, it is clear from these findings that the UK cannot see itself as an island. Input and investment from directors hailing from all parts of the globe will be incredibly important when looking to rebuild our economic strength.”
