Call to use docklands as financial hub

CORK’s docklands provides a unique opportunity for the aggressive development of a major financial services industry in the region, Cork Chamber president Joe Gantly believes.

The new president, Joe Gantly, was elected last night at the 188th annual general meeting of the chamber in the Imperial hotel. He takes over from Roger Flack.

Mr Gantly called for continued improvement in infrastructure to help the development of indigenous industry, continued attraction of foreign direct investment and further growth in tourist traffic into the region.

“Principal among this has to be the Docklands area which provides a unique opportunity to accelerate the growth of the Financial Services industry in Cork in a manner similar to that being achieved in Dublin,” he said.

The new president pledged that the Chamber would continue to support its members with appropriate lobbying and assistance in areas that sustain the growth and development of their businesses.

He is the chairman and CEO of Sensl, a High Technology company engaged in the design and development of Light Detection Devices and is currently chairman of Cork Airport Authority.

He is the former managing director of European Operations for Apple in Europe. He began his career with the Westinghouse Corporation in Pittsburgh where he held a number of senior engineering management positions. He joined Apple in 1990 and in 1998 was appointed senior managing director of European Operations and Service with responsibility for all of Apple’s European Operations functions. He is a board member of the Tyndall Institute in Cork and the Governing Body of UCC.

Mr Gantly is an Engineering graduate of Trinity College Dublin and has an MBA in Business Administration from University College, Galway. He also qualified in Computer Systems at the University of Pittsburgh.