By Business & Finance 
LinkedIn’s new EMEA headquarters at Wilton Place opened by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste
The new building is the first that LinkedIn has built outside the USA, and is the result of an €85 million investment. The development was undertaken in order to meet the needs of LinkedIn’s growing workforce in Ireland, which has increased from three employees to 1,200 in just seven years. The company continues to grow its Dublin workforce, currently hiring for another 70+ positions.
Speaking at opening ceremony, an Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD said: “This new EMEA HQ is the first such building outside the United States for LinkedIn and is a strong endorsement of the Government’s economic and job creation strategy because it reaffirms that Ireland is the perfect location for investment.
“When LinkedIn first came to Ireland in 2010 we were in the middle of one of our darkest periods economically. But today, thanks to the sacrifices of the Irish people and the policies pursued by the Government, our economy has recovered, and we are now facing the future with renewed confidence. Over the last seven years, the LinkedIn workforce here in Dublin has grown from just three staff members to 1,200. Indeed, LinkedIn’s belief in Ireland as a location for investment has contributed to our economic recovery.
An Tánaiste and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald TD added: “I’m hugely impressed with the accelerated growth of LinkedIn since locating here in Ireland seven years ago. The Government and the agencies in my Department are working hard to keep up and continue to attract highly innovative and high quality foreign direct investment. LinkedIn is now one of Ireland’s leading technology employers, with employees from 55 nations which reflects the diversity that Dublin has to offer. I look forward to our mutually beneficial relationship continuing to develop in the years ahead.”
Sharon McCooey, Head of LinkedIn Ireland, commented: “With our new EMEA HQ in the heart of Dublin, we have an office that we are proud to call home, and we are honoured that An Taoiseach and An Tánaiste were able to join us for this landmark moment for our growth in Ireland. The level of our investment reflects our commitment to Ireland and the great work our amazing team in Dublin does every day.”
Martin Shanahan, CEO IDA Ireland, added: “LinkedIn’s ability to grow its team in Dublin at such an impressive rate in recent years is a great endorsement of the talented workforce in the region. The significant investment in the construction and fit out of this new EMEA HQ is a clear demonstration of LinkedIn’s long-term commitment to Ireland.”
The LinkedIn Headquarters is the first in the world to be commissioned and owned by LinkedIn, and as such presented an opportunity to create a unique space customised to the needs of the business, the teams who are based here and the clients and markets served across the EMEA region. Across six floors the building includes work spaces for more than 1,000 employees, a restaurant quality café, a state of the art gym and fitness studio, bike parking for 250 bikes, electric car charging points, a music room and a rooftop barista with an extensive roof terrace with unique views of the city. As the EMEA HQ, the building’s interior is designed to be truly international, with artwork commissioned by artists from across the region as well as distinctively Irish works, most notably the LinkedIn logo by Áine Dunne, a fine art weaver and a pencil drawing by Monika Mitkute.
The new LinkedIn headquarters will be open to the public as part of the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Open House weekend. Admission is limited and via a lottery for tickets which can be entered here.
