Invest NI’s new chief executive Alastair Hamilton has hit the ground running by officiating at the opening of a new software centre on his very first day in post.

Mr Hamilton (43), formerly a senior BT executive and an economic adviser to the Rev Ian Paisley, was appointed last December to the £160,000 a year job.

He succeeds Leslie Morrison (61), who retired on Tuesday after seven years in the job.

Mr Hamilton was on hand yesterday for the opening of the BTI Systems European Headquarters and Software Centre of Excellence at Montgomery Street in Belfast.

Mr Hamilton said the agency remained more focused than ever on winning high quality inward investment projects.

He said: “Only five months after announcing the integral role that Northern Ireland would play in its future global expansion, BTI Systems’ new European headquarters and software centre of excellence is already in operation.

“By 2011, 60 people will be based here, engaged in software development and the delivery of advanced technical solutions for a prestigious client base.”

Gregory Koss, chairman and CEO at BTI Systems, said: “This new headquarters and software centre will ensure that we can provide an even more rapid response from an accessible European location and maintain our commitment to delivering technology that maximises our customers return on investment.

“We have been immensely impressed by the calibre of people recruited to date and are confident that, working in partnership with our main development centre in North America, our R&D potential can be maximised.

“This is the beginning of a new phase in our expansion, with Northern Ireland playing a key role in the delivery of best-in-class technologies and solutions for our European client base.”