By Business & Finance 
Pictured (L–R): Daniel Kelly, IRG Programme Manager, Indeed; Brian O’Neill, Head of Communications, Sponsorship & Corporate Social Responsibility, Aviva and Tam Hanlon, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at Indeed.
This year’s Business & Finance Awards, in association with KPMG, took place on December 1st at the Convention Centre, Dublin. Diversity and ESG were recognised at the ceremony with Aviva, Fineos, AIB Group Plc and Abbot winning awards.
The 48th annual Business & Finance Awards, in association with KPMG, hosted over 1,000 leading Irish business figures including President Ursula von der Leyen, former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, Ukrainian ambassador Larysa Gerasko and Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
A number of industry leading business figures and companies were recognised for their outstanding contribution to Irish business throughout the night.
Partners for this year’s programme included Ibec, IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Coillte, Indeed, Sia Partners, Expleo, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, I-RES, Smurfit Kappa, Arachas, Salesforce, Sky Ireland, CPL and Aviva along with Business for Good Partner, UNICEF.
Awards
Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award (D,E&I)
The D,E&I Award was presented to Aviva who have been a leading light with regards to equal opportunities for employees. Through a number of successful initiatives and a company culture that promotes and facilitates diversity, the firm has made huge strides in D,E&I.
Brian O’Neill accepted the award on behalf of Aviva as presented by Daniel Kelly, IRG Programme Manager and Tam Hanlon, Diversity & Inclusion Manager at Indeed.
“Aviva represents each of the company’s 1450 employees through their Pride, Balance, Carers and Avivability committees,” the judges said in their comments.
“Aviva has achieved increased gender parity in leading roles, with women now in the key roles of CEO, CFO and CRO.”
The D,E&I award celebrates companies that contribute to improving the lives of their employees while also enhancing the civic environment in which they operate. Northern Trust received the award at the awards ceremony in 2021.
Elevation Award
Fineos were named as the 2022 Elevation Award winners as they continue to expand on a global scale, a fact mentioned by the judges.
“Fantastic to see an Irish company lead the way in software as a service. Last year was characterised by a strong expansion in turnover, staff and product capabilities.”
“Its potential to scale globally is clear, as evidenced by a doubling of sales over the last 3 years – Fineos technology solutions are used by some of the largest accident & health insurers in the US, Canada and Australia today.”
Ian Lynagh accepted the award on behalf of the financial services company as presented by Leo Clancy, CEO, Enterprise Ireland.
The Elevation Award recognises Irish companies that are fast-growing and with significant potential to continue to scale globally, focused on Irish companies achieving up to €350m in revenue. APC Ltd. won the award at the 2021 event.
Pictured (L–R): Leo Clancy, CEO, Enterprise Ireland and Ian Lynagh, Chief Commercial Officer, Fineos. Photo: Andres Poveda
Environmental & Social Governance Award (ESG)
AIB Group Plc won the ESG Award having also been the recipients in 2021, and the judges cited their commitment to climate action as a key factor in their selection. The award was presented by Imelda Hurley and accepted by Pat Horgan of AIB.
“AIB have made Climate Action their most urgent responsibility and have set targets for carbon neutrality by 2030. They robustly support green business practices and have delivered €6 billion in green finance since 2019,” the judges said.
The ESG Award recognises companies making exceptional contributions across ESG by having a clear strategy across environmental, social and governance indicators. It seeks to highlight that ESG has now become a key component in business strategy.
Pictured (L–R): Imelda Hurley, CEO, Coillte & President, Ibec and Pat Horgan Head of Business Banking, Capital Markets, AIB. Photo: Andres Poveda
Foreign Direct Investment Award (FDI)
Abbott were named as FDI of the Year after further cementing their position in the Irish business landscape in 2022. Adrian McMorrow collected the award presented by Mary Buckley, Interim CEO, IDA Ireland.
The judges commended their contribution to employment in Ireland along with their long-standing presence here.
“This year, the company began construction of a new base in Kilkenny and made plans to create 1,000 jobs across its bases in Ireland. Abbott made its first investments in Ireland more than 75 years ago and currently employs over 5,000 people.”
“Through continued investment in the firm’s Irish facilities, Abbott has made a great contribution to the development of Ireland’s regional economy.”
The FDI Award recognises the contribution of foreign companies based in Ireland to the Irish business landscape with Pfizer recognised with the award at last year’s ceremony.
Pictured (L–R): Mary Buckley, Interim CEO, IDA Ireland and Adrian McMorrow, Divisional Vice President European Operations, Abbott. Photo: Andres Poveda
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