- CEO Jonathan Johnson and CTO Joel Weight visit Irish headquarters to celebrate milestone
- Executives attribute growth of Irish office to positive team culture and company’s close links to local community
Jonathan Johnson, CEO of Overstock – which now operates as Bed Bath & Beyond - paid tribute yesterday (THURS) to the work of its Irish staff at a special 10th anniversary event marking the opening of its Irish headquarters in Sligo. Johnson is visiting the company’s Irish headquarters in Sligo this week with Chief Technology Officer Joel Weight.
This visit is on the heels of the company’s recent acquisition of and rebrand to Bed, Bath & Beyond, a leading US home furnishings brand acquired by Overstock earlier this year. Bedbathandbeyond.ca launched in Canada in June and bedbathandbeyond.com and its mobile app launched in the US in August.
The Utah-based company currently employs 82 people in Sligo. Johnson has attributed the growth of the Irish office to the commitment of senior leaders, a positive team culture, and the company’s close links to the local community. After setting up in 2013, the Sligo office initially served as Overstock’s European Development Centre before its remit grew to include functions and roles in data engineering, machine learning engineering, and site reliability engineering.
“I’m delighted to be with our Sligo team to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this important office,” said Johnson. “Ireland is known across the world for the depth of its technology talent pool, which is what initially attracted us to open an office here. However, we’ve gained much more over the past decade than we predicted. The passion and dedication of our senior leaders and the superb technical skills of the Irish team have been instrumental in the success of the company,” he continued. “We’re extremely proud of the Sligo team’s achievements and look forward to continuing to grow the business here into the future.”
David Kenny, Vice-President – Ireland and Site Lead pointed to the company’s relationship with local schools and the Atlantic Technological University, as well as its sponsorship of Sligo sports clubs and sporting events, as a sign of Overstock’s support for the local community.
“Overstock has become embedded in the Sligo community through our partnerships, sponsorships, and support for local causes,” Kenny said. “Whether it’s our sponsorship of this year’s Warrior’s Run in Strandhill, local rugby and soccer teams, or our desire to share the passion we have for a career in technology through providing work experience to secondary school students and internships and work placements to those in third-level education, Overstock continues to play an active and vibrant role in Sligo life,” he said. “Our people are our representatives, and they also get a lot of fulfilment from the active role they play in running coding workshops, supporting local migrants searching for IT roles, and encouraging women and girls to study computer science.”
Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary TD said: “I wish to congratulate all the team at Overstock on their 10 years in Ireland. The operation has grown from a small office in Atlantic Technological University (ATU) to a state-of-the-art campus in IDA’s North-West business park employing over 80 people, a testament to the work of the whole team in Sligo who have been instrumental in the success of Overstock, now operating as Bed Bath & Beyond. I also want to welcome Jonathon Johnson and Joel Weight who have travelled to mark this milestone event and to see for themselves the high calibre of talent we have in Sligo, and indeed in the North-West region. The Irish Government, through IDA Ireland, remains committed to creating employment opportunities in every county of Ireland. The success of Overstock over the past decade demonstrates the North-West as an excellent place to establish and grow a business. I wish the Overstock team continued success for the years ahead.”
IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan paid special tribute to the Overstock team in Sligo who have for the past decade ‘thrived’ under the leadership of David Kenny, Lucia Macari and Patrick Quinn. He added: “Overstock’s decision to locate in the North West of Ireland is central to IDA Ireland’s strategy to win jobs and investment for regional locations. Since 2013, Overstock - now Bed Bath & Beyond - has been a valuable reference client for IDA, in showcasing the benefits and attractions of establishing operations in regional locations. I wish the entire team, in Sligo and globally continued success.”