News & Events

Irish Entrepreneurs - Surviving Overseas Markets'

On Thursday 11 May, Professor Joe Lassiter from the Harvard Business School, delivered the third Mason Hayes & Curran sponsored masterclass at the DCU Ryan Academy for Entrepreneurship.

The masterclass entitled "Going Global - Staying Local" looked at how Irish business can survive the transition to overseas markets.

To demonstrate his point Professor Lassiter provided case studies focusing on three companies, OfficeTiger, Steinway & Sons and Icebreaker.  Each of these companies are somewhat unique in their own right, however, Lassiter used the case studies to highlight a common ground for companies looking at overseas markets. 

Lassiter went on to explain that each of these companies faced the usual overseas problems of global competitors, barriers to entry, and the perils of using offshore suppliers.  Prices may fall and loyal customers can leave, whilst at the same time costs may also rise.  These competing pressures can often mean that every company just becomes another faceless commodity supplier.  According to Lassiter "we need to make sure we understand how mportant the global landscape is whenever there are too many competitors chasing every order in a market."  Companies looking at overseas markets need to work out what their competitive advantage is and understand what makes them so different to the rest. Lassiter further remarked that "if Irish companies are to be successful in diversifying into overseas markets they must retain their local ethos and values."

Professor Lassiter teaches Entrepreneurial Marketing in the Harvard MBA Program and Marketing Strategy in the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School.  His research focuses on high potential ventures including those formed as new companies as well as within existing organisations.

Lassiter is also well known to Irish entrepreneurs and business people through his appearance on the Entrepreneur of the Year television series on RTE 1.

Pictured above are, from left to right: Joe Lassiter,(Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School); Terri scott (CEO of Ryan Academy) andDeclan Moylan (Managing Partner Mason Hayes & Curran).

If you are interested in attending further masterclass events please contact Sharon Glennon on 01 614 5000.