MARY O’Riordan Rogers is the founder of Stateside Solutions, a company that serves as a bridge for foreign owned small and medium businesses entering the U.S.
O’Riordan Rodgers attended the National University of Ireland and the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, earning a BA in economics and a diploma in marketing. Graduating in 1993, when prospects of work in Ireland were limited, she held a U.S. passport and headed to New York where she remained for 15 years and continued her career as a vice president with Credit Suisse.
Upon returning to Ireland in August of 2007, O’Riordan Rodgers identified a niche in the market and noticed that there were a lack of companies specializing in U.S. market entry, lead, support and executive search. With her knowledge and expertise of the U.S. market and knowing what businesses need to succeed, Stateside Solutions was created. “After some early jobs I was fortunate to establish my career with the guidance and support of the Irish network,” she says.
“Nearly 20 years on, it is interesting to see the cycle is repeating itself and how the Irish diaspora is once again supporting each other and the new Irish emigrants here in America. There is a great willingness to help and see each other succeed.”
O’Riordan Rodgers has worked with clients from Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and IE Singapore, and runs U.S. market entry programs both on a voluntary and paid basis for companies considering entering the U.S. marketplace.
“You can never be too prepared. Companies need to take the time to understand both the opportunities and the cost of doing business in the U.S. Pre-planning will lead to increased efficiency and a faster return on investment,” she says.
With offices in New York and Galway, O’Riordan Rodgers splits her time between both offices. She and her husband Charlie have two girls, Lauren and Grace.
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