Fitbit, Inc. is opening its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. In conjunction with the opening, the group appointed a new Managing Director, Des Power.
Ireland’s reputation for being the center of innovation and providing top technology talent were important factors, the company explained, and will enable Fitbit to further expand in the region as part of its global growth strategy.
The Dublin office will serve as Fitbit’s EMEA headquarters and will house the strategic business functions for the region, including senior management, sales, marketing, operations, finance and customer service, which will provide targeted support to the millions of Fitbit users across the region.
The company expects to grow to approximately 50 people by the end of the year and has room for up to 100 employees by the end of 2017.
The EMEA headquarters opened on August 31 on Baggot Street where the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD, said, “Today’s announcement is a further recognition of Ireland’s appeal as an international hub for successful companies such as Fitbit. Fitbit is one of the world’s most popular and fastest growing health and wellness companies, and I am delighted that they have selected Ireland as the location for their EMEA headquarters as it will provide exciting employment opportunities for our skilled workers. I wish Des Power and his team the utmost success in the coming years.”
“We look forward to building a strong team here to complement our offices around the world,” said Fitbit CEO and Co-Founder, James Park. “I’m excited to welcome Des to the team and back to his native Ireland. I have great confidence in our ability to further expand our business and help people across EMEA lead healthier, more active lives.”
As part of his new responsibilities, Power is tasked with expanding the company’s presence across the region. He brings more than 30 years of experience of leading teams and driving strong regional and global performance across Europe, the Americas and China. He’s held various leadership roles at Philips and Harman International and spent much of his career driving regional and global strategies across a range of popular consumer products from flat screen televisions to consumer audio products.
