We are a steward of the assets of 50 million clients around the world. What’s important to them is that we are a trusted organisation, and the products and services that we offer are trusted. The UCITS framework, as overseen by the Central Bank of Ireland, has the interests of investors at heart. What Ireland offers is a robust and retail-oriented regulatory framework aligned to what we want to offer to our clients.

Lisa Harlow

Head of Ireland, Vanguard.

Why Ireland for Vanguard

The Vanguard Group is an American-registered investment advisor and is one of the world’s largest investment management companies, with more than $11 trillion in assets under management. Founded in Pennsylvania in 1975, it has 50 million investors worldwide and employs 20,000 people. 

Building on its Irish presence

Vanguard has had registered funds in Ireland since 1998 and in 2019 it opened an office in Dublin. Amongst the reasons for expanding was the desire to establish a local team to oversee its Irish funds and ETFs. The business is in a strong growth phase and Vanguard’s workforce in Dublin is close to 100 people. 

Another important factor in choosing Ireland for a base was the robust and retail-oriented regulatory landscape, the company says. The UCITS framework, as overseen by the Central Bank of Ireland, is a brand that has the interests of retail investors at heart. There’s a strong regulatory framework to make sure that those products are safe for retail investors. What Ireland offers is a robust and retail-oriented regulatory framework aligned to what we want to offer to our clients

As a relatively small but growing business in Ireland, Vanguard also values the strong partnership from IDA Ireland, with ongoing dialogue on a range of matters from attracting talent, developing skills within the business, sourcing property, or connecting with peers in the market. 

How Ireland helps Vanguard

• Active in Ireland since 1998 formal office set up in 2019
• Dublin operation employs close to 100 people
• Ireland’s robust regulatory landscape a key factor 
• IDA Ireland support vital for sourcing talent, upskilling, and more