Founder and CEO of iWORLD Group, Andreas W Gerdes, was recently featured as one of the 101 leaders of the New Economy in the Financial Times, Germany. Andreas was interviewed by journalist Thomas Mersch at the Gzira offices of iWORLD Group, whose subsequent article highlighted Malta as an ideal location for New Economy companies to set up in.
The article was published just a few days prior to the opening of the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, where Andreas formed part of an Industry Vision panel during the opening session of the conference. Over 22,000 delegates attended this year's edition of the gathering that has become the world's GSM meeting place, and attracts speakers like Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Group, Jim Healy, Chairman of the GSM Association and Hans Snook, CEO of Orange. The interest generated by the FT interview was abundantly evident at the conference, as Andreas became the focus of many journalists and industry leaders's attention both during his speech and throughout the duration of the conference.
iWORLD Group is an e-mobile business builder, whose focus is on creating profitable, mobile commerce companies with global potential. The company has the first two spin-off companies on the verge of graduation into their initial European launch markets this spring, and several others at various stages of development. The shareholders of iWORLD Group include Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, Hikari Tsushin, Paine Webber and McCaw, and the management team includes Founder and CEO Andreas Gerdes, as well as veteran telecoms expert, Malcolm H Ross.
FT Germany dedicated a full page to the interview with Andreas Gerdes, in which Mersch highlighted the informal and innovative atmosphere that pervades iWORLD Group. Starting with Andreas unusual dress code of pink shirt, elastic braces and baggy blue jeans, Mersch was clearly intrigued by his visit to iWORLD's Gzira offices, where young people from all over the world sit at desks made of stacked obsolete Maltacom telephone directories topped with glass plates. Laptops, mobile phones and wireless LAN give staff the facility to move around the offices at will, taking their work with them. Personal belongings are stored in cardboard boxes labeled with names, and four covered beach chairs pushed together form a comfortable and unrestricting conference area.
Mersch's imagination was also caught by the image of Andreas sipping cappuccino on a pavement table at the Rising Sun Bar at Marsaxlokk; in his article he described the colourful yet peaceful environment of the fishing village, where the 34-year old Chief Executive goes to unwind as antidote to his busy international schedule. "e; I come here, ` Mersch quotes him, ' when I return to Malta after conferences in Tokyo or London in order to reconnect with real life. "
Andreas Gerdes is not a new name to German media; besides being renowned for having set up Germany's first ever mobile service provider, ABC Telekom, in 1987, he has since become a sought-after advisor for major national telecom players establishing their multi-billion dollar international operations. He is a member of the World Technology Network, and was nominated last year as one of the seven finalists of the European award ` Elite of the Millennium ' .
Andreas set up iWORLD Group in mid-2000 with the mission to become the world's leading e-mobile, or mobile commerce, incubator. "e; Companies are our only product, he explained during the interview, and the forty-plus people employed with iWORLD Group are all focused on the creation of fast and profitable e-mobile businesses. "e;
The international partners that have invested in iWORLD Group incilude solid institutions like Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, Hikari Tsushin, Paine Webber and McCaw, who paid over $37 million for their shareholding, and acquired just over 10% of the company.
Asked why he located his New Economy business incubator on the island, Andreas replied that a combination of tax benefits and lower wages, plus 300 days of sunshine a year made the island a compelling choice.
iWORLD Group is preparing to launch its first two spin-off companies this May, Andreas told the Financial Times. The services will first be tried out on test markets, and then launched on a global scale to conquer the world market. Our target, added Andreas, is to build profitable businesses, that offer a real service and that generate revenue from the customer, and not from investors.
In the meantime, scores of talented and highly qualified young people from all over the world congregate in Malta to combine their expertise with iWORLD's inspirational setup `the sun and sea,' conclude both Andreas and the Financial Times, add the immeasurable quality of magic to the enterprise.