Open the European office with someone who has done it.
Many companies pick Dublin as their EU base. The decision is easy. Running the first year well is where the effort goes.
What makes the first year hard
The case for Dublin is sound. The ground work is what catches people out:
Nobody senior is on the ground
Head office makes the calls, and the Dublin team waits for a decision that comes at the wrong time of day.
The entity needs setting up properly
Incorporation, tax registration, payroll and banking each take longer than the plan allowed.
The first hires set the culture
The people you hire in the first months shape the Irish business, and head office rarely knows the market well enough to choose them.
EU customers need EU answers
Data protection, contracts and invoicing for European buyers have to be right from the first deal.
With a fractional executive, someone senior is in Dublin within weeks. They set up the entity with your advisers, make the first hires and build the local operating rhythm, reporting to head office in the form head office reads.
Who this is for, and who it is not
Best for
- International companies opening their first Irish entity
- Entrants who need speed and local knowledge from day one
- A launch that needs commercial, finance and operations led at once
- Businesses testing the market before committing to a full local C-suite
- A distributor or partner in place, but no one owning the market strategy
Not for
- A pure legal or licensing task an adviser should handle
- Businesses with no product or offer ready for the market yet
- A one-off market study with no intention to enter
- Companies wanting a nominee rather than an operating leader
What we add to a Dublin launch
A new EU base needs a senior person on the ground in Dublin and a party on your side keeping the plan honest. That second role is ours for the whole of the entry.
Milestones reviewed with head office
We review progress with head office and the executive at each milestone, and call out any gap between plan and reality while it is small.
Help across Europe
When the Dublin base starts selling into the UK or the rest of the EU, your executive can ask peers in our collective of 800+ who know those markets.
A changeover we manage
If your executive leaves before the Dublin office can stand alone, our set-up notes feed the next search and we manage the changeover.
Matched to head office
We match for people who can speak head office's language and still read an Irish team. Both matter in the first year.
Market entry works in phases, not a single launch
From pre-entry setup to an established business, with the scope adjusting as you go.
Pre-entry: setup and strategy
Entity structure recommendation, regulatory navigation, early relationship building, and market intelligence gathering, before you arrive.
Landing: first 90 days
Commercial engagement begins. Operational infrastructure established. Team building starts. Financial and compliance framework is operational.
Traction: months 3–12
Commercial pipeline develops. Operational model proves out. Team grows. Leadership needs evolve and scope adjusts.
Establishment: months 12–24
Business is established. Revenue is evidence-based. Specific functions may transition to full-time hires. We advise on when and how.
The market-entry leadership stack
Most entries need more than one function led at once. Start with the one under most pressure, then add others as you establish.
Market entry needs leadership across commercial, finance, operations and people
Start with the function under the most pressure, then add others as the entry matures.
Our executives bring market-entry experience from
