FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. & BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) has selected Markus van Tilburg, a foreign direct investment (FDI) professional, to run the FCEDA office in Germany and work with European companies considering expansion to the United States.
Van Tilburg is managing director of Global Aldea Consulting in Berlin. He holds master’s degrees in economic geography, political science and economics from the RWTH Aachen University in Germany and from the Polytechnic University of Valencia in Spain.
With exceptional knowledge of corporate location strategies, business development and international expansion processes, he will provide support to European companies planning to establish a presence in Fairfax County.
“The key driver of foreign investment by companies today is access to market opportunities,” van Tilburg said. “As economic growth in many regions of the world is facing uncertainty, I believe that knowledge and technologic leadership are advantages and an increasingly important driver of FDI decisions, as companies seek to manage overall profitability and balance their global location footprint.”
Prior to founding Global Aldea, van Tilburg worked in Berlin for a U.S.-owned consulting firm that worked for business and government clients and also assisted European companies interested in Virginia locations. He also worked with the chamber of commerce in Aachen, supporting German companies operating internationally.
He has assisted many corporate clients in implementing global investment strategies and selecting locations for their businesses. This year he spoke at the London International Training Seminar and moderated a panel of economic development leaders from across Europe in a session entitled “The Changing World of FDI and Investment Promotion.”
Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the FCEDA, noted the importance of a strong link on the continent. “Europe traditionally is one of our largest and strongest sources of companies interested in establishing U.S. operations, and Mr. van Tilburg’s history of working on foreign direct investment projects will be an invaluable resource for European companies that will find Fairfax County the ideal location for a U.S. presence,” he said.
The FCEDA opened a continental European office in 2000 to complement a London office that opened in 1998. More than 400 foreign-owned firms have operations in Fairfax County.
Time magazine called Fairfax County “one of the great economic success stories of our time.” The award-winning Fairfax County Economic Development Authority promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. In addition to its headquarters in Fairfax County’s largest business district, the FCEDA maintains marketing offices in six important global business centers: Bangalore, London, Los Angeles, Seoul and Tel Aviv, as well as Germany. Follow the FCEDA on Twitter and LinkedIn.
