Tag: expands

CCI Global Expands European Operations at Platform94, Galway

Just six months after opening its first European base at Platform94 in Galway, global customer engagement leader CCI Global have announced a major expansion, moving from a 3-desk startup space into a 30-person office unit. The new office space will provide the capacity needed to support CCI’s ambitious growth plans in the region, with room to scale their team steadily over the coming months.

CCI Global operates across key African markets including Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Egypt and South Africa, with Botswana launching soon. With over 15,000 employees across 15 sites on the continent, the company’s expansion into Galway marks a strategic step in building distributed global tech hubs. Galway’s vibrant talent pool, innovation-driven culture, and strong connectivity make it an ideal European base to complement CCI’s growing African operations.

The expansion was officially announced at a private event today at Platform94, with speakers including Mervyn Pretorius, Group CTO and CCI Ireland Lead and Marie Donnellan, CEO of Platform94. The event was also attended by IDA Ireland.

Martin Roe, Group CEO of CCI Global commented: “This strategic move has been thoughtfully planned and is a key step in our global growth. We chose Ireland as the home of our IT Hub because of its strong reputation for tech talent and the incredible support from the government and local ecosystem. We’re excited to be expanding into a larger space in Galway, strengthening our IT capabilities, and creating more high-quality jobs here in Ireland.”

Mervyn Pretorius, Group CTO and Ireland Lead, added: “Establishing our European base at Platform94 is a strategic move for CCI as we continue to grow our global delivery capability. The team here is already contributing to key areas of our technology and client support operations, and this expansion positions us to deliver even more value to our partners worldwide.”

Marie Donnellan, CEO of Platform94, welcomed the news:
“The speed of CCI’s growth speaks not only to the strength of the local ecosystem for ambitious global tech businesses, but also to the calibre of the team they’ve built here in Galway. We’re proud to support them on this journey and excited to see what’s next as they scale their European presence from their base here at Platform94.”

Denis Curran, Head of Emerging Business at IDA Ireland said: “CCI Global’s expansion in Galway is a strong endorsement of Ireland’s position as a strategic location for ambitious, growth-focused companies. Our pro-business environment, combined with access to skilled talent and a supportive innovation ecosystem, continues to attract firms from across the globe”

This expansion marks a significant milestone for CCI Global. Galway’s rich talent base and dynamic innovation ecosystem have positioned it as a cornerstone of CCI’s global growth strategy.

Future Planet Expands Strategic Sustainability Leadership With Four Key Hires

Future Planet, the leading AI sustainability software company, has announced the addition of four key strategic appointments in response to significant market demand for sustainability software solutions.

The new roles and appointments are Orla Carolan as Executive Director of ESG Strategy & Compliance; Colum Kenny as Director of Sales; Mary White as Operations Manager and Simpal Sharma as Sustainability Solutions Lead.

Companies are under increasing pressure to implement robust sustainability strategies and comply with regulatory pressure like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). These four appointments will accelerate Future Planet’s vision to help companies achieve sustainable performance and compliance.

With nearly two decades of experience, Orla Carolan brings a wealth of knowledge from senior roles at Grant Thornton and JPMorgan Bank (Ireland). She recently worked on secondment with the EFRAG (European Financial Reporting Advisory Group) secretariat on the development of the sector-specific European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Orla is one of Ireland’s leading authorities on the CSRD and her leadership will be instrumental in helping Future Planet’s customers with ESG strategies and compliance.

Speaking on her new appointment, Orla said: “As a customer of Future Planet in my last role, I saw first-hand the benefits companies can get from a combination of sustainability expertise and smart software. I had to join the company. I’m delighted to work with Future Planet’s amazing team and their state-of-the-art technology to ease the compliance and reporting burden for more clients, and help these clients develop and achieve their ESG strategies.”

Drawing from over 12 years of multifaceted experience across research, engineering, and management consultancy, Colum Kenny joins Future Planet as Director of Sales to drive the company’s growth trajectory and solidify its position within the market.

Also joining Future Planet are Mary White as Operations Manager and Simpal Sharma as Sustainability Solutions Lead. With a career spanning more than two decades in people, communications, DEI and culture management, Mary’s expertise will be pivotal in overseeing day-to-day operations and spearheading strategic initiatives to propel Future Planet’s continued success.

Leveraging extensive experience in the manufacturing industry and a deep understanding of ESRS and CSRD regulations, Simpal’s proficiency in conducting research and benchmarking across multiple sectors will be invaluable in driving sustainable solutions forward.

On the new appointments, Debbie Power, Chief Commercial Office of Future Planet said: “The time is now. Companies are under pressure to embrace ESG strategies, not only as a compliance measure but as a core component of their business. However, while there has never been so much awareness, there are very few sustainability solutions to ease the burden. At Future Planet, we are here to help. Each of our new team members will be instrumental in empowering our customers to transform, as we help them shape their sustainability strategies, support their compliance requirements and simplify their ESG data management, to deliver real and tangible change.”

Future Planet was co-founded by software entrepreneur Donal Daly and sustainable supply chain expert Ingrid De Doncker in 2021. Learn more at futureplanet.com.

Danish Car Subscription Service Expands in Europe with New Franchisee

Dribe, one of Denmark’s leading car subscription services, has entered a franchise agreement with Greek car distributor Kosmocar. The partnership marks the first milestone in :Dribe’s international expansion, driven by an ambition to fulfill a global demand for a strong, digitally driven concept for simple and flexible car access.

As a first in Europe, the Greek car distributor Kosmocar enters a franchise partnership with :Dribe, a Danish tech innovator within car subscription services for private consumers and businesses. Kosmocar is now unveiling :Dribe’s concept and digital platform, enabling simple and intuitive management of car subscriptions, while short 30-day binding periods provide subscribers with great flexibility and freedom.

The partnership is the first step in :Dribe’s international expansion, where the company plans to enter franchise agreements in the UK, the Benelux, France, German, and more. Their international roll-out will cater to the dynamic, urban lifestyle through simple and flexible car access. Yiannis Emirzas, CEO of Kosmocar, is optimistic about the new partnership.

– With this franchise agreement, we are taking a confident step towards meeting the evolving needs for simple, flexible, and sustainable mobility solutions. :Dribe offers us valuable knowhow in addition to a robust, highly advanced IT-platform and a plug-and-play model that is easy to implement, says Yiannis Emirzas. He adds:

– By adding a well-tested, customer-driven subscription model to our existing business, we’re expanding our mobility services, and we are putting the power of mobility back into the hands of people. We’re excited to embark on this journey and shape the way people move in Greece.

According to a 2024 report from McKinsey Digital, digitalization can significantly increase profitability in the Greek retail sector. The report further notes that Greece’s digitalization is lacking behind that of its European peers. It’s no coincidence that :Dribe looked to Greece as the first destination in :Dribe’s European expansion. Jesper Hill-Kjærsgaard, CEO of :Dribe, says:

– We see a substantial, unrecognized potential in Greece, where we have a competitive edge in having built a powerful digital platform that allows for efficient administration of an extensive fleet of vehicles. Our :Dribe-platform facilitates a subscription-based business model that requires minimal manual intervention and optimizes resource utility, says Jesper Hill-Kjærsgaard. He adds:

– We immediately saw a perfect match in Kosmocar. Like us, they are digital natives who adapt to new technologies and are passionate about meeting market demand for simple and flexible car access.

An Important Milestone

:Dribe is owned by Semler Group, one of the biggest players in the Danish automotive business. Ulrik Drejsig, CEO of Semler Group, agrees that the new franchise agreement is an important milestone.

– During our century-long history, our company has experienced first-hand the constant change that occurs in the auto business. We have invested in :Dribe’s car subscription-model to embrace a relational business method. Now, five years into our journey, we are taking the first important step into the European market, and we are proud to have Kosmocar by our side, says Ulrik Drejsig.

The new franchise agreement between :Dribe and Kosmocar is founded on a common set of values.

– Innovation, trust, cooperation, and accountability are four values that we strive to demonstrate daily to our customers and business partners. We consider it as a major perk to have found a franchisee who shares our values, and we are very excited about our partnership, says Jesper Hill-Kjærsgaard.