Columns - Irish Examiner

John Whelan

An expert in Irish and international trade, John Whelan is a former Chief Executive of the Irish Exporters Association, a role he held for more than a decade and previously served as an export industry adviser to the AIB Bank Group.

Trump's protectionism might be a bitter pill for Irish pharma sector

The IDA, which attracts foreign companies to Ireland, has included in its mid-year report Novo Nordisk's €432m investment in manufacturing capacity in Athlone. The site is the focal point of the Danish company's Irish operations.

Fri, 03 Jul, 2026

Inside Anthropic Headquarters As It's Testing A Different Version Of Leadership

John Whelan: US moves to control AI tech causes turmoil for Irish businesses

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's sudden suspension of access to a powerful new AI software platform has thrown many firms across Europe into turmoil

Sun, 28 Jun, 2026

John Whelan: How Ireland can retain the tech giants of the future

Europe and Ireland are producing world-class companies but outsourcing too much of their scale-up and value creation to foreign capital

Sun, 21 Jun, 2026

John Whelan: How Ireland can reap reward of a single market for capital

Seamless flow of capital is needed for start-up funding - while Ireland is a leading player in Europe's fund and asset management sector

Sun, 14 Jun, 2026

S John Whelan: Falling whiskey demand forcing more distillery closures

2026 whiskey brands and exporters will have to keep international trade policy at the forefront of their strategy

Mon, 08 Jun, 2026

John Whelan: Irish firms set to benefit from EU's Mexico deal

Ireland’s trade with Mexico is already robust and heavily weighted in Ireland’s favour

Sun, 24 May, 2026

John Whelan: High electricity costs threaten Irelands data centre and AI expansion

Ireland lags behind in the total number of data centres and is likely to continue to fall behind if the cost of electricity is not brought down

Sun, 17 May, 2026

John Whelan: Aviation leasing companies reap rewards from Iran conflict

Dublin-based companies, AerCap and Avalon Aviation, indicate that higher funding costs and tightened aircraft availability reaching levels not seen in years, are enabling higher lease rates

Sun, 10 May, 2026

John Whelan: Can Ireland make most of big tech's huge AI spending splurge?

Global investments have seen job cuts but opportunities will emerge for Irish talent

Sun, 03 May, 2026

President Trump Holds "Make America Wealthy Again Event" In White House Rose Garden

John Whelan: Irish exporters set for payback of ‘Liberation Day' tariffs

Some exporters may have to rely on shipping companies to get money returned

Sun, 26 Apr, 2026