We are delighted to welcome Minister of State Josepha Madigan, TD and Ambassador of Ireland to Switzerland, Aoife McGarry. Minister Madigan will be introduced by Ambassador McGarry and will provide opening remarks.

Where: Zunfthaus zur Saffran, Limmatquai 54, 8001 Zurich

What to Expect:

The event will take place at the beautiful and traditional setting of Zunfthaus zur Saffran, representing the charm and sustainable craftsmanship of traditional Zurich architecture. 

We have put a four-person panel together to discuss Ireland and Switzerland’s current and future footprint in terms of sustainable supply chain, energy practices, manufacturing, urban and territorial design, moderated by Zurich Chaper Co-Lead Róisín Daetz O’Donovan.

Our Distinguished Panel:

Paul Kearney, Co-Founder and Partner at Solas Capital AG which provides financing solutions for projects, working with energy service companies, equipment manufacturers, project developers and the public sector towards the common goal of decarbonizing our economy to reach net zero. Paul worked in alternative investments at JP Morgan and SUSI Partners before setting up Solas Capital AG. 

Stephen Keane, The Fuzzy Logic Company GmbH, Capital Investment Programmes Specialist. Stephen has worked on mega capital expenditure projects in the pharma/ biotech industry for almost 30 years, working on high profile projects for companies like Amgen and Lonza in Ireland, Singapore and Switzerland. Stephen has unique insights into such mega projects, the employment they create and their social and environmental impact on local communities.

Alice Clarke is a Swiss-based Irish architect, specialising in urban and territorial design. As co-founder of Both And Group, Alice has exhibited at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale as a response to the Curator’s Special Project: Food, Agriculture and Climate Change’ within the overarching theme ‘The Laboratory of the Future’.

John Kelly is the Managing Director Cocoa Horizons Foundation & Customer Solutions Director for Sustainability at Barry Callebaut Group/ Co-Founder Connie’s Kitchen GmbH. John is a sustainability, innovation and business strategy professional with over 20 years international experience in global consumer goods and B2B companies. John works with customers to help plan and achieve their corporate commitments in areas such as human rights, forest conservation, living income and net zero roadmaps. He is also a passionate entrepreneur and co-founder of an organic healthy sauces company, and mentor to many foodtech and sustainability start-ups.

Registration:

Our Saint Patrick’s Day reception on Thursday, the 14th of March, is now fully booked. Please note that registrations made after this point will not be considered valid and registration at the venue is not possible. 

For those who have successfully reserved a spot, we eagerly anticipate meeting you on Thursday.