By Business & Finance 
Pictured (L-R): Alison Dunn, Country Manager, Amazon Ireland & Niamh Gallagher, Country Lead, AWS Ireland and EMEA Director, Infrastructure Public Policy.
At the 51st annual Business & Finance Awards, Amazon Ireland won the FDI of the Year Award, in association with IDA Ireland. The award recognises Amazon Ireland’s contribution as a foreign direct investor, reflecting the scale of its investment in Ireland, its role in job creation, and its long-term operational commitment to the Irish economy.
By Héloïse Chaudot
Alison Dunn is the Country Manager for Amazon in Ireland, overseeing Amazon.ie and the company’s retail business. She has been at Amazon for almost a decade, working across a variety of roles in retail, including vendor services, marketing, product management, and customer experience. Her expertise further expanded during her tenure as Digital Innovation leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she worked closely with C-suite executives from some of the world’s largest corporations, pioneering the development of industry-first Generative AI solutions across multiple industries.
Niamh Gallagher is EMEA Director for Infrastructure Public Policy at Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing division of Amazon.com, where she leads a team of infrastructure, energy, and sustainability policy specialists focused on delivery across 11 EMEA data centre regions. She also acts as Country Lead for AWS in Ireland. Niamh Gallagher joined Amazon in 2018 as Head of Public Policy for Ireland.
What was the biggest challenge your organisation faced this year, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge in 2025 was successfully launching Amazon.ie while simultaneously scaling AWS infrastructure and services to meet Ireland’s rapidly evolving digital needs.
On the retail side, we partnered with Enterprise Ireland to create the dedicated ‘Brands of Ireland’ store, giving over 1,000 Irish SMEs access to 200 million potential customers.
On the AWS side, we opened the AWS GenAI Loft to accelerate AI adoption among Irish businesses and published “Unlocking Ireland’s AI Potential 2025” to provide thought leadership on Ireland’s digital transformation.
This dual approach—enabling Irish businesses through both e-commerce platforms and cutting-edge cloud infrastructure—wasn’t just about launching services; it was about building an ecosystem that serves Ireland’s economic growth.
How does this award reflect your current strategic priorities, and how will it shape your next 12–24 months?
This award validates our 20-year commitment to Ireland as a strategic hub for innovation and growth. Our priorities centre on three pillars: enabling Irish businesses to scale globally, investing in sustainable infrastructure, and developing Ireland’s tech talent.
Over the next 12-24 months, we’ll expand these efforts by continuing to invest in our world-leading cloud infrastructure, as well as our Amazon LEO satellite broadband networks, to bridge the digital divide. We will continue to develop our AWS GenAI Loft to accelerate AI adoption among Irish startups, and deepen our many community investments through programs like the GAA Glór na nÓg Programme, Regional Creatives Fund and EdTips initiative.
What role does innovation play in your success, and can you share an example from the last year?
Innovation is fundamental to everything we do. A standout example from 2025 is the Tallaght District Heating Scheme—Ireland’s first low-carbon heating initiative using recycled heat from our AWS data centre. This represents innovation beyond technology: it’s about reimagining how infrastructure can serve multiple purposes.
How do you see your organisation contributing to the broader Irish business landscape and community now that you’ve received this recognition?
This recognition reinforces our responsibility as Ireland’s partner in digital transformation. We’re contributing across multiple dimensions:
Economically, Amazon has invested €22 billion in direct investment since 2004 and €11.4 billion in increased economic output since 2012. Supporting Irish SMEs – with over 1,200 Irish small and medium businesses now selling on Amazon, creating more than 3,500 jobs and recording €150 million in export sales—a 25% increase from 2021. In addition, more than 3,000 people work for AWS suppliers and subcontractors in Ireland, and AWS investment has enabled over 500 homegrown suppliers to expand and grow in Ireland and abroad.
Through our growing Brands of Ireland partnership with Enterprise Ireland, we’re making it easier for Irish businesses to reach customers both domestically and globally, helping local brands achieve greater scale and success.
Socially, through initiatives like delivering free digital kits to every primary school ahead of the Digital Learning Curriculum, and Strategically, by publishing thought leadership like “Unlocking Ireland’s AI Potential 2025” and partnering with Deloitte on e-commerce impact research.
We’re not just operating in Ireland—we’re investing in Ireland’s future competitiveness and empowering Irish businesses to thrive on the global stage.
What drives Amazon Ireland’s continued investment here, and how do you assess the impact on the local economy?
Three strategic factors drive our continued investment in Ireland: the country’s world-class talent ecosystem, its position as a gateway to European markets, and the critical role Irish operations play in Amazon’s global cloud infrastructure. Ireland isn’t simply a location for us—it’s a strategic hub where innovation, sustainability, and economic growth converge.
The economic impact is both substantial and measurable. Since 2004, we’ve invested over €22 billion directly in Irish operations, with €3 billion invested in 2023 alone.
Beyond direct investment, we’re creating an ecosystem of opportunity. AWS directly supports over 10,000 jobs across different parts of the economy, with more than 3,000 additional jobs generated through our suppliers and contractors.
We’ve enabled over 1,000 Irish SMEs to reach global scale, selling more than 5.5 million products on Amazon and creating more than 2,500 jobs to support their businesses. These SMEs recorded over €170 million in export sales in 2023, with more than €100 million in exports outside the EU. As mentioned above, AWS investments in Ireland have had a positive impact on our suppliers’ ability to specialise and achieve the scale required to open up significant export opportunities. Companies like Hanley Energy and Danann Air have expanded internationally alongside AWS investments.
How are you balancing global corporate goals with Ireland-specific commitments in areas like skills development and sustainability?
Ireland isn’t just benefiting from our global commitments—it’s helping shape them.
On sustainability, 100% of electricity consumed by Amazon was matched with renewable energy sources in 2024, and Ireland is leading the way with unsubsidised corporate power purchase agreements for wind farms in Cork, Galway, and Donegal, plus our €2.5 million investment to restore 500 hectares of peatlands in Galway.
For skills development, we run localised global programs: our Data Centre Technician Scholarship Programme won a National Education Award. For eligible employees, Amazon’s “Career Choice” is an education benefit that empowers employees to learn new skills for career success at Amazon or elsewhere. It pre-pays 100% of tuition (up to a yearly maximum) and reimburses approved books and fees.
Read more:
Highlights of a spectacular 2025 Business & Finance Awards, in association with KPMG Ireland
