Caption: (L-R) Committee Member of the Irish Club, Dermot Murphy; Caoimhe McCarthy, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Ireland; Andrew McDowell, Director General of EIB Global; Ambassador Jean McDonald; Credit: Embassy of Ireland

On Wednesday 24 September 2025, the Irish Young Professionals Network (IYPN) hosted a fireside chat with Andrew McDowell, Director General of European Investment Bank (EIB) Global, which took place at the Foyer Européen in Luxembourg-Gare and was organised with the support of the Irish Club of Luxembourg.

The event, attended by around 40 young professionals working and living in Luxembourg, opened with an introduction from Irish Ambassador to Luxembourg Jean McDonald, followed by remarks from committee member of the Irish Club, Dermot Durby. Afterwards, Caoimhe McCarthy, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Ireland, led an interview with Mr McDowell about his insights into international career paths, professional challenges and life in Luxembourg through the experience of a senior Irish figure in European finance.

Mr McDowell outlined his background, noting his studies in commerce and economics at University College Dublin and postgraduate work at Johns Hopkins SAIS in Bologna, Italy, where he first felt drawn to politics. He later returned to Ireland, working in economic policy and public advisory, as well as economic adviser to Taoiseach Enda Kenny. After relocating to Luxembourg, his career has included senior positions as Vice President of the European Investment Bank, partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and his current role at EIB Global.

In recounting his professional journey, he highlighted the unexpected turns of his career, encouraging participants to always remain flexible: “Stay open to opportunity. I do not think any of us have the capacity in this day and age to say, ‘I know this is what I’m going to be doing in the next 20 or 30 years’ and that’s okay – it’s exciting.”

He compared working in different sectors, noting the agility and entrepreneurial culture of private firms versus the consensus-driven pace of public institutions, and highlighted Luxembourg’s distinctive international environment as “a place that is open, diverse and welcoming”, where hard-working professionals from abroad can prosper.

Asked about qualities valued in recruitment, Mr McDowell noted: “Perseverance, resilience, doggedness… evidence of an ability to overcome challenges.” He added that his personal preference lies in a bright personality, which he considers equally important, explaining that interviews often depend on whether the candidate feels like the right colleague in the daily work environment.

The official programme concluded with a networking reception, allowing attendees to connect with peers and members of Luxembourg’s Irish community.

EO