Meet the Team: Mitch
ROI’s Meet the Team Series is meant to showcase some of our exceptional team members and share in their passion for all things economic development. We also have a little bit of fun to help you get to know the ROI Team more personally.
Meet Mitch, our Director of Client Services for EMEA at ROI. From our Amsterdam hub, he's pioneering programs across the EMEA region with a keen eye on economic development. Mitch's journey from a business graduate fascinated by global development to a key player at ROI showcases his deep commitment to economic growth and client success. Whether it's strategizing for European clients or bridging continents, Mitch excels in uncovering unique opportunities and delivering exceptional results. Dive into Mitch's world and the economic development trends he's leading.
Tell us about the role you play at ROI as Director, Client Services, EMEA?
As Director, Economic Development, EMEA (Client Services), I’m based in the Netherlands where I head our Amsterdam office, as well as manage and contribute to programs across a portfolio of clients with mandates focused on the EMEA region (European, Middle-East, and Africa).
I manage a range of programs from governmental or non-profit clients, including agencies on the national-level, regional or state-level, and municipal-level. While many of these programs are with European-based clientele, often our clients also include North American or Asian based regions which are targeting EMEA. For example, North American clients leverage our Amsterdam team to maintain an in-market presence in Europe.
Alongside scaling our European team and footprint, I wear multiple hats and am regularly involved in a range of services – including in-market representation, market research programs, training & development, investment prospecting, as well as event marketing and operations.
Can you tell us more about yourself and how you discovered the world of economic development?
I joined ROI back in 2019 shortly after completing my BCOMM in International Business from Montreal’s John Molson School of Business (Concordia University). My university experience gave me a unique window into the world of economic development with a key focus on foreign direct investment, political science, and global development. It was here, in Montreal, where I became fascinated with cross-cultural business and economic development, and particularly the influence state actors can have to build a better tomorrow for their local communities.
Before joining ROI, I worked in the real estate and property development sector, as well as support roles for start-up accelerators and venture capital ecosystems in Montreal. Economic Development seemed like a natural fit to combine my experience, my education, and interests – and so the story begins!
What are some emerging industries or advancements in Economic Development that you find particularly exciting?
The landscape of Economic Development has undergone pivotal changes through my tenure at ROI – with key events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the advent of artificial intelligence reshaping the industry. While many see these events as challenges, I think they also present exciting opportunities for regions and communities to reinvent themselves and find success in an increasingly globalized world.
The pandemic reshaped investment attraction like never before, with remote work and the restructuring of global supply chains taking center stage. These two factors allow communities which previously might have considered themselves “uncompetitive” to be “competitive” – service and technology related investment inflows are more regionally agnostic, while industrial supply chains now need to be more local than ever. It’s been exciting to work with regions to reshape their investment attraction strategy for this new reality – particularly preparing and prospecting for the remote reality and local global supply chains. At ROI, we are seeing increased levels of remote expansion strategies and medium sized investments, as opposed to the fewer but large-scale investments of last decade.
Could you share an example of a successful contract or mission you've managed in your role?
It is difficult to pick just one because there are many successes that come to mind! Some of my personal favourite successes are programs that blend traditional investment attraction with real tangible value-added services for companies. In December last year, we worked with Toronto Global and provided inward investment lead generation services for Toronto Global’s Supply Chain, Onshoring, Resilience, and Expansion (SCORE) program. Based on the critical issues and supply chain gaps local Greater Toronto Area companies faced, ROI was tasked to identify foreign solution providers that can address these gaps and build resilience in the Toronto regional supply chain. Because the program offered a unique value beyond traditional investment attraction, we were able to connect with and attract interest from some of the world’s industry leaders across key sectors including e-mobility and food/beverage manufacturing. It’s programs like this that can really differentiate a region from another, and pave the road for success.
If there was one thing you wish everyone knew about economic development, what would it be?
Be pragmatic and fully embrace the new trends of the global economy. Many of these changes like remote work and industrial automation are here to stay, and investment attraction strategies will only find success if they cater to these new realities. Too many times I see regions ignore these trends and remain focused on what worked in the past. These regions will miss out on the future of FDI and investment if they fail to innovate and adjust the approach.
Can you share an example of a contract where you had to adapt your approach to meet the unique needs of a client?
Recently, Team Europe and I delivered a unique project for a Middle East client at MIPIM focused on attracting investment and partners for several of their real estate development mega-projects. Alongside the program’s unique focus on real estate development and investment, we worked under an unprecedented timeline – with less than 6 weeks to identify over 100 qualified leads for 7 different mega-project stakeholders. Due to the rapid timeline and unique target sectors, this required us to develop an entirely new database management system, research strategy, and streamlined communication channels. The program also required on-site support to facilitate the meetings across multiple pavilions at MIPIM.
What made this project especially challenging – each of the seven stakeholders were also under a 6-week time crunch – this meant we had to constantly adjust our research criteria and targeting as each stakeholder adjusted their own criteria’s throughout the program based on incoming results. Ultimately, the team uncovered phenomenal end results with crucial inward investment focused meetings from Fortune 500 companies and some of the world’s largest property developers across residential, commercial, hospitality, and industrial real estate.
Describe the best piece of advice you've ever received, and how has it influenced your life and career?
Just do it – Nike… swoosh …. Kidding, but this does have some merit. I remember when I first started at ROI, and one of my mentor’s, Gabriel, explained to the new trainees that we are all now professional economic developers; that we were all hired because of our skillset and knowledge, and are on our path to being the industry’s best. This has stuck with me, because confidence in one’s own ability is crucial to the service delivery, especially in the demanding industries of foreign direct investment and economic development. If we don’t believe in ourselves, and our ability to solve issues for the most challenging of regions and programs, then how can we find success? Success only comes if you believe in it.
What's a destination you've always wanted to visit, and what intrigues you about it?
Torngat Mountains National Park (Labrador Peninsula). Working in a fast-paced, human-first world of economic development, I find it crucial to fully disconnect and fully immerse in nature. The Torngat Mountain’s are one of the last untamed unsettled places on earth - about as remote as it gets! no roads, no cell service, no internet! This has been on my list for a long time now, and I’m steadily training for the immense expedition it will require.
What's a hobby or passion you enjoy outside of your professional life?
Might sound a bit much.. but Urban Planning & Development! I’m a huge nerd for anything about the built environment – community and city building, mobility, and sustainable design. I find the way societies are built – from the social infrastructure to the physical roads and rails that link us together fascinating. On a Sunday afternoon, you can often find me reading urban planning and transit books in the park.
Recently I’ve begun reading “The Power Broker” by Robert Caro – the biography on the infamous urban planner, Robert Moses, who changed NYC forever. One of my favourite podcasts “99% Invisible” is hosting a Power Broker Book Club this year with regular episodes covering the book – highly recommend!