IQ-EQ’s growing Irish platform
This is a sponsored article.
Tom Berrigan is Managing Director of IQ-EQ, Ireland having previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Davy Group’s Super ManCo and Asset Management business. An industry veteran, he has over 30 years’ experience in financial services with extensive knowledge of the investment funds sector. In this Q&A, Berrigan provides an insight into IQ-EQ’s newly expanded offering in Ireland and outlines his hopes for the future of the business.
You were previously CEO of Davy Group’s Super ManCo business in Ireland which was acquired by global investor services group, IQ-EQ, earlier this year. Can you tell us about the alignment between your part of the business and its new parent company? What does this mean for your clients?
Being part of IQ-EQ presents significant opportunities to meet the growth ambitions of our clients and the career aspirations of our people. Not only does IQ-EQ have an established business in Ireland but we are now part of a global investor services group with over 4,300 professionals located across 24 worldwide jurisdictions. We’ve joined a well-funded, highly entrepreneurial organisation committed to growing its fund services business globally. Locally, the acquisition has expanded our offering in Ireland which means we’re now able to offer a fully integrated range of services to our clients.
Tom Berrigan, Managing Director, IQ-EQ: 'As part of the continued expansion of our Irish footprint, IQ-EQ has decided to base its European debt servicing centre of excellence in Ireland. This will further support our client base in another growth area whilst offering potential career opportunities to new and existing staff.'
Tom Berrigan, Managing Director, IQ-EQ: 'As part of the continued expansion of our Irish footprint, IQ-EQ has decided to base its European debt servicing centre of excellence in Ireland. This will further support our client base in another growth area whilst offering potential career opportunities to new and existing staff.'


How does your new role differ to your previous role? And how have you found the first few months of integration?
My previous role was very Irish-centric, whereas the first few months in my new role have been focused on meeting our new colleagues across the globe and educating them on our expanded offering in Ireland. It’s been really interesting and thankfully we’re already seeing positive results. I’m now responsible for the broader IQ-EQ platform in Ireland which encompasses our AIFM and UCITS Management Company offering as well as Fund Administration and Corporate Services. There hasn’t been a dull moment so far!

How has your team responded to the experience of joining a new, global organisation? Are there plans to grow IQ-EQ’s footprint in Ireland?
We’ve had a very positive response from our employees to the acquisition. For our people, being part of IQ-EQ presents greater opportunity for professional development, career progression and mobility. As I said earlier, we were previously a very Irish-centric organisation and there is a sense of excitement about being part of a global Group and the additional opportunities that this can provide.
As part of the continued expansion of our Irish footprint, IQ-EQ has decided to base its European debt servicing centre of excellence in Ireland. This will further support our client base in another growth area whilst offering potential career opportunities to new and existing staff.

How would you describe the culture within IQ-EQ and do you think this can be a positive for clients?
The rest of the Group has been very welcoming and keen to learn more about the unique skillset and capabilities that our team brings to the table. As the name IQ-EQ suggests, the Group places equal value on intellectual and emotional intelligence, so clients benefit not only from the technical expertise of our people but their interpersonal skills too. Internally, IQ-EQ’s Group values further encourage our people to be authentic, bold and collaborative, with the aim of nurturing a vibrant corporate culture that brings people together. IQ-EQ also has a Group-wide commitment to ESG which underpins activities across all jurisdictions. It’s important that both our people and our clients can see that we have a global approach to sustainability, which in turn, guides our decision-making in relation to business ethics and compliance, people, culture and community involvement.

What has been the biggest surprise – and challenge - since joining IQ-EQ?
In terms of surprises, how readily myself and my colleagues have been accepted by our new colleagues, both in Ireland and overseas, coupled with the level of interest in the services that we offer in Ireland. The challenge has been transitioning from an organisation of c.800 people based predominately in Ireland to a Group of over 4,300 people based in 24 jurisdictions across the globe. However, it’s been brilliant so far and really interesting.

IQ-EQ has recently moved to impressive new offices in central Dublin. Why was this building, and location, chosen?
There were a number of reasons why we chose our new office. Located on the banks of the River Liffey on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, it’s in a prime location with excellent transport links and is close to many of the financial services organisations that we engage with regularly throughout the course of our business. It has also allowed us to accommodate all our Dublin-based staff in one place which has really been helpful in terms of integration and knowledge sharing. The new building itself is a state-of-the-art, Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) Gold certified space, boasting a BER A3 rating (usually given to urban homes powered by solar panels) which in turn further reflects IQ-EQ’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

How do you keep yourself motivated? Just as importantly, how do you motivate the team around you?
I very much enjoy engaging with our clients, many of whom have been with us for several years. It’s also great to be able to bring new ideas and services to them which hopefully makes their lives easier. In terms of our people, we truly have a brilliant team here in Ireland, who again, are very client-focused, so it’s not difficult to motivate them.

How do you balance the demands of leading a growing business with your home life? What advice would you give to others?
I have grandchildren now so the things you didn’t do with your kids due to work pressures, you tend to make amends for with your grandchildren. That keeps things balanced. It’s also important to have downtime, so myself and my wife Anne tend to travel as often as we can, even if it’s a mini break in Ireland. I also think the flexible working routine that has evolved post-Covid has helped us all to achieve a better sense of work/life balance, particularly for those with young children.

Finally, what does the future look like for IQ-EQ in Ireland? Where do you see business in twelve months’ time and what does longer-term success look like?
We currently have a combined team of about 130 people based in Dublin and Shannon which will increase further as a result of our business pipeline and the addition of the new debt servicing business. I have always believed the client comes first and our people have the same attitude, so, as long as we continue to adopt this approach, I believe our clients will stay with us and hopefully recommend us to others. I feel confident that being plugged into the IQ-EQ global network will continue to generate opportunities for our Irish business too.
This article appeared in the December 2022 edition.