RACHEL Shelly is the vice president of IDA Ireland based in New York. IDA Ireland is the economic development agency of the Irish government, with responsibility for attracting inward investment from overseas companies. IDA provides support and services to 1,000 multinational companies with operations in Ireland, around half of which are headquartered in the U.S.

A native of Dublin, Shelly is a graduate  of three Dublin institutions — the College of Commerce in Rathmines, the Institute of Technology in Tallaght, and DIT in Aungier Street. She holds a bachelor’s in marketing management, and a master’s in strategic management. Shelly moved to the U.S. in 2006 to work as a marketing executive in IDA Ireland’s New York office. She is a member of the Irish Network New York City (IN-NYC).

“Ireland has a long and storied history, from the ancient myths and Celts, to the island of saints and scholars, to the vibrant and cosmopolitan country we have today,” Shelly says of her native land.

“Irish people have long combined resilience, hard work and tenacity with creativity and a little bit of magic. And we have always shown great pride in being Irish — pride in our small country’s openness and adaptability, and pride in our contribution to the world at large.”

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