Zurich has a well-established history as a hub of international finance and activity. Representation in the region goes back more than 50 years and while in the early years transactions were regularly handled by International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) offices in Piraeus and London, the need for local representatives, to strengthen local relationships with the international and Swiss financial sector was evident. Opening with just three individuals, the Zurich office initially focused on providing corporate services and handling corporate documentation.
“Switzerland has always been a hub of international financial activity, but the Swiss market is truly local and there was a need to have local representation, in the local languages,” noted IRI president Bill Gallagher. “Opening the office underscored our commitment to the corporate market, strengthened relationships with one of the world’s leading financial centers, and allowed the registry to be locally accessible when our clients needed us.”
Today, Zurich is one of IRI’s 28 full-service offices while remaining true to its roots as a specialized corporate office – handling corporate marketing, business development, document production and more in conjunction with other offices. Zurich works closely with IRI offices throughout Europe and the Middle East and has expanded to handle new markets.
“In the last 15 years, the corporate market has shifted and there are new opportunities opening in regions not possible in the past,” said Susanne Andersson, IRI’s Director of the Zurich Office. “RMI offers a lot of what entities in these regions desire – international recognition as a politically stable country, compliance with international guidelines for corporate governance, transparency in operations, and yet a flexible and confidential structure that is easy to establish and maintain,” she continued.
Local relationships allow the Zurich office to facilitate client services with several local financial institutions, opening a path for entities in lesser developed economies to interact and do business with large international finance houses.
“Clients appreciate our quality, speed, client services and of course, our flexible structure that meets specific needs,” Susanne noted.
Susanne sees opportunities on the horizon from the Middle East and Africa. Thanks to Zurich’s close relationship with the Dubai, London, and Piraeus offices, existing relationships are building interest and awareness of Registry services and benefits throughout the region.
Earlier this year, IRI formalized the Corporate Services Group (CSG) under the leadership of Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Piraeus, Theo Xenakoudis.
“Formalizing the CSG was a significant step forward in providing unified strategy and effort across the corporate services team,” noted Susanne. “The CSG allows us to strategically manage existing and emerging markets, to define our areas better, and to ensure we are meeting client expectations at every turn.”
Susanne and her team in Zurich expect to remain a central and specialized corporate office, especially as Zurich continues to play an important role in the international finance sector and new opportunities continue to open throughout Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
