Three questions to Matt Julian, Director USA

The GGBa is comprised of a network of experienced and passionate investment promotion professionals located around the world. We recently caught up with Austin-based Matt Julian, Director USA at GGBa, to talk about the impact of the pandemic on his daily business activities, the current trends in FDI, and the challenges he has addressed over the […]

The GGBa is comprised of a network of experienced and passionate investment promotion professionals located around the world. We recently caught up with Austin-based Matt Julian, Director USA at GGBa, to talk about the impact of the pandemic on his daily business activities, the current trends in FDI, and the challenges he has addressed over the recent months.

How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected your daily life and job?

Like everyone, I’ve adapted to working from a home office and converting much of our traditional face-to-face activities into a virtual environment. The transition was a bit difficult at first, considering a big aspect of our business is customer-facing.  However, it is feeling quite routine and effective these days to engage using the various virtual tools that we have at our disposal.

New restrictions are coming into force across Europe as a second coronavirus wave grips the continent. What is the situation like in Texas?

At present, Texas is also experiencing an overall increase in cases but, as Texas is such a large state, some regions are being impacted more dramatically than others.  Here in Austin, we experienced a spike in the beginning of summer but with tighter restrictions that were implemented then, in terms of masks, social distancing and group gatherings, the increase in cases today is growing at a relatively slow rate.

Many companies around the world have postponed their investment plans – or canceled them altogether – under the influence of the economic crisis driven by the pandemic. What trends have you observed in the US?

For certain, the pandemic and economic uncertainties have weighed heavily on corporations’ ability to implement their strategic expansion initiatives.  Current travel restrictions as well have all but curtailed several of the key components that are characteristic to corporate expansion. In contrast to that however, we are experiencing an uptick in the number of companies we are engaging with as well as the level of due diligence that they are performing regarding potential opportunities in Switzerland. We are successfully bridging the divide as much as possible through virtual tours, meetings, and such, and have a sense that once conditions improve, we will experience a substantive increase in expansion activity.