Colm Kelleher to be honoured at the FS Awards 2026 in association with KPMG

This year, Colm Kelleher will receive the Pádraig Ó hUiginn Outstanding Contribution to Financial Services Award at the 2026 Business & Finance FS Awards, in association with KPMG. The prestigious accolade recognises individuals who have made a significant and sustained impact on the financial services sector. Entries for the 2026 FS Awards are open until 31st July.

Colm Kelleher

Colm Kelleher will be honoured with the Pádraig Ó hUiginn Outstanding Contribution to Financial Services Award at the 2026 Business & Finance FS Awards, recognising his distinguished career and significant contribution to the financial services industry in Ireland and internationally. 

Until 2019, Kelleher served as President of Morgan Stanley, a large American multinational bank, overseeing the firm’s Institutional Securities and Wealth Management divisions. Before becoming President, he held a series of senior leadership roles, including Co-President (2010–2012), President of Morgan Stanley Institutional Securities (2013–2015), and Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Stanley International (2011–2016). Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Financial Officer and Co-Head of Corporate Strategy (2007–2009), following his tenure as Head of Global Capital Markets (2006–2007).

More recently, he was elected to the Board of Directors of UBS Group in April 2022 and serves as Chairman of the Board. UBS is a leading global wealth manager and Switzerland’s foremost universal bank. The firm also offers diversified asset management solutions and focused investment banking services. As of the first quarter of 2026, UBS managed approximately US$6.9 trillion in invested assets.

Kelleher also chairs the Corporate Culture and Responsibility Committee and the Governance and Nominating Committee.

In addition, Kelleher is a Visiting Professor of Banking and Finance at the Business School of Loughborough University and an Honorary Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. He holds a master’s degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Kelleher serves on the boards of several international organisations, including the Swiss Finance Council and the Bretton Woods Committee.

Pádraig Ó hUiginn 

The Pádraig Ó hUiginn Outstanding Contribution to Financial Services Award is a prestigious accolade which recognises individuals who have made a significant and sustained impact on the financial sector. 

Named for Senior Civil Servant, Padraig Ó hUiginn, a host of notable figures have been honoured with the award since its inception in 2022.

As Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach from 1982 to 1993, Ó hUiginn played a key role in advancing major national initiatives, including the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), Temple Bar, and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA).

He also held senior international positions with the United Nations and the European Council of Ministers before later contributing to the private sector as a director of Esat Telecom. Ó hUiginn passed away in 2019 at the age of 94, leaving a lasting legacy in Ireland’s economic and social development.

FS Awards

The FS Awards celebrate the achievements of individuals and organisations driving progress in areas such as Fintech, ESG, Compliance & RegTech, AI, and more, hosted in association with KPMG Ireland. 

The Awards strive to continue the commitment to recognising innovation, leadership, and transformation across Ireland’s financial services sectors. 

2026 Categories

Enter the Awards

The Financial Services Awards entries are open until 31st July. If you wish to enter the nominations, please see the FS Awards website.

For partnership opportunities, please contact Brian Kearns at brian.kearns@businessandfinance.com. Visit here for further information on nominations. 

Read more: 

Entries now open for the Financial Services Awards 2026, in association with KPMG