AN ANNUAL campaign to encourage ex-pats coming home for Christmas to consider returning for good received backing yesterday from the highest level.
Both Employment Minister Sir Reg Empey and Invest Northern Ireland Chief Executive Alastair Hamilton gave their full support to the ‘Come Back to Your Future’ initiative started four years ago by executive search consultancy Clarendon Executive
Th
e campaign is intended to get people who left the Province to work thinking about the career opportunities opening up in Northern Ireland as Ciaran Sheehan, Managing Partner of Clarendon explained.
“At Christmas thousands of highly qualified professionals fly back to Northern Ireland to be with their families. In some cases the link with Northern Ireland may be through a partner, originally from Northern Ireland and keen to move back. We are hoping to convince a good number of them to stay.”
Political stability and positive news stories such as the imminent arrival of the New York Stock Exchange, whose new Belfast base is due to open in the spring, or the expansion at Citi also make Northern Ireland a more attractive destination for ex-pats, he added.
“Our network of local companies wanting to recruit ex-pats who are highly skilled in various sectors is growing, so we are confident that we are already aware of many positions from middle to senior management, suitable for professionals thinking of making the move in 2010.”
The campaign is set to run today and tomorrow and will be based at Belfast International, George Best Belfast City and City of Derry airports.
