I Interviews and Insights

Kevin O'Connor from Shannon (Ireland) is an experienced Special Economic Zones, Foreign Direct Investment and Economic development adviser with over 40 years of experience in the public and private sector. Currently he is engaged with IDI Ireland as a Strategic Adviser on a range of projects and international training programs. He has worked in Botswana where he was part of an IDI team implementing a five year Special Economic Zone development strategy in eight locations throughout the country. Prior to that he undertook a three year project in Lagos, Nigeria where he was the Managing Director of the Nahco Free Zone. Previously, he worked with Shannon Development Ltd., the former regional economic development agency for Ireland's mid-west region. He has also completed a review and assessment of the new Zone development programme in Ghana for the Ministry of Trade and Investment of Ghana. He has extensive international and EU projects consultancy experience undertaking a wide range of long and short term enterprise and economic development assignments in over 15 countries including all CEE countries. His work included working closely with Free Zone promoters in strategic planning promotion and project implementation. Currently he is a Chairman of the Bunratty Economic Development Association. As a graduate of the University of Limerick, he also holds qualifications in Business Management, with a Master degree in Regional and Local Economic Planning from the Dublin Institute of Technology.