IORMA – The Global Consumer Commerce Centre expands into Central and Eastern Europe

IORMA – The Global Consumer Commerce Centre
expands into Central and Eastern Europe

London, 20th September 2016


Central & Eastern Europe 2j

IORMA CEE – Where Global Consumer Networks matter 

With IORMA now even more strongly placed to help international businesses in markets most important to them, September 2016 will see the appointment of Martin Oxley as IORMA Director for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). His remit will initially cover Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania. 

Martin brings top level CEE business experience to this role in addition to 10 years spent on leading British trade and investment at the British Embassy, Warsaw and the British Polish Chamber of Commerce. During his watch bilateral trade grew 5 times. Martin has also worked with most of the leading UK based international companies entering the attractive markets of Central Europe. He is passionate about trade growth, digital and making a difference to international markets.

‘IORMA is a game changer and trend setter in creating multilateral trade opportunity. Putting the consumer at the heart of business opens up a whole range of new multilateral business opportunity which is multiplied when you bring different sector experience together.

Transferring variable pricing, from the airline business into an international omni-channel retail setting opens up a world of opportunity. Digitally managed supply chains create increased headroom for UK companies to pursue international growth. Mobile apps are going to revolutionise how sick people are treated.

IORMA brings together technology, innovation and omni-channel to transform consumer experiences. ‘I am very excited about this new opportunity’, enthused Martin, talking at the June eTail Forum at the QEll Centre in London.

John Andrews, Chairman and CEO IORMA has a clear and incisive vision for the organisation he has created:

‘IORMA is all about building global consumer networks and transforming consumer experience. We’re creating a network of people who can make a difference. Digital is impacting every aspect of consumer activity from retail to health to travel and security – all the ways we live our lives. IORMA’s business is to make sure that today’s innovation impacts the consumer positively, working with government, business and consumer organisations. We are international by nature and have great growth ambition.’

THE BUSINESS VALUE OF CENTRAL AND EAST EUROPE

The 200 million consumers in central and eastern Europe are a driving force in the global community. At around 60% of Europe’s wallet, an established manufacturing centre and a global BPO (business process outsourcing) hub, Poland and the broader CEE region sit right at the centre of EU trade and geo-political action.

The region is a nascent hotbed of consumer expectation and demand. There is an opportunity to quadruple UK trade in CEE from £15bn to £60 over the next 10 years. For exporters, CEE markets are within easy reach of the UK. Outsourcing development, IT and manufacturing to the region can bring significant cost savings. In a post Brexit world CEE is a really ally and business partner in Europe.

A DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY ACROSS CEE? CEE is a latent passion for innovation and technology. Digital is going to be a key driver and enabler of growth. We are about to see a trade and investment revolution in all ways of doing business. That means you can get your product manufactured efficiently in CEE, sell it and ship it from your mobile to other markets in Europe, reaping the incremental margin of doing so, at the same time as using the same cost efficient manufacturing as a route to market in the CEE countries. You win both ways. E commerce is doomed to succeed! Why? n 2014, online retail sales were a mere 3% in Poland and Romania, 4.5% in the Czech Republic, compared to 9% in Germany and 17% in the UK. This is rapidly changing though. The scale of the opportunity is enormous – a market worth £15bn in 2012 predicted to grow to £35bn in 2017 and up to £50bn in 2020. And it’s not just banking and retail that are being impacted by digital and mobile technologies.

Today’s healthcare markets are rapidly going digital. We are starting to live in a world of patient centric treatment and personalised medicine, bringing together diagnostics, apps and medicines to offer the consumer a better option for their health.

Another big area is security, one of the key Brexit discussions. In a digitally connected world it is not territorial boundary that will determine our safety – is more about the virtual networks which are being created, how they are used and more to the point who uses them.


  About Martin Oxley, Regional Director, IORMA CEE

Born and educated in the UK, Martin Oxley has worked in international markets for the last 30 years of which the last 20 years have been spent living and working in Central Europe, based in Poland. He has led a number of highly successful companies in the region, was CEO of the British Polish Chamber of Commerce and until recently worked for the British government as Director of UK Trade & Investment at the British Embassy in Warsaw. He is a passionate believer in international partnerships, digital and innovation as drivers of multilateral economic growth. Martin has a wealth of experience which can contribute to IORMA and their partners’ growth in this high potential region.


Contact

IORMA CEE: Martin Oxley | Regional Director | IORMA CEE

t: (0048) 608608414 | e: Martin Oxley | w: IORMA 

Translate »