Business News

GALLERY: DCU Leadership Circle dinner

By Business & Finance
03 July 2014
Pictured: Professor Brian MacCraith; Corporate Leadership Award Winner, Openet’s Joe Hogan; Larry Quinn.

His Excellency Carlos Garcia de Alba, Mexican Ambassador to Ireland addressed 180 business leaders at the tenth annual DCU Leadership Circle dinner in the Helix on June 27th, acknowledging the university’s role in using key knowledge to address pressing social and economic issues.

The event is held every year to thank the supporters of the University and to acknowledge the remarkable generosity and achievements of individuals who are driving forward DCU’s ambitions for the future. Speaking on the night, Larry Quinn, chairman of the DCU Educational Trust paid tribute to the DCU community of friends and supporters: “These are the people who lead by example and who support the university through their giving, friendship, their advice and support”.

Larry Quinn and Professor Brian MacCraith, president of DCU, presented Leadership Circle awards to three friends of the university in recognition of their dedication to DCU over many years.

Openet, one of largest privately-owned software companies in Ireland, was presented with the Corporate Leadership Award. The award was accepted by its founder and DCU graduate, Joe Hogan, who has supported DCU in numerous ways, including his participation in the Citi Speaker Programme and the CoderDoJo competition and most recently, through Openet’s support of the DCU School of Computing.

Marianna O’Dwyer was recognised for her long-term support of the university as a trustee on the Board of the DCU Educational Trust. O’Dwyer created the Frank Durkan Memorial Scholarship, which, every year, supports a law student enrolled on the DCU Access Scholarship Programme.

Dr John Doyle, executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, received the Staff Leadership award for his contribution to teaching and research in the area of International Relations and his leadership of the International Institute for Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction.

On the night, guests were treated to a viewing of the latest acquisitions to the university’s growing art collection. Professor Brian MacCraith spoke of the university’s plan to create an art collection on campus, which will be accessible to students, staff and the Dublin community. Key pieces in the collection include ‘Suave Auxiliary’ by Mick O’Dea and ‘The Cardinal’ by Paul Nugent.

Entertainment was provided in the form of two musical numbers performed by DCU students James Hazelett, Noelle Brennan and Jade Young and produced by Lauryn Gaffney, student of St Patrick’s College and director of Big Shot musical production company.

Ronan O’Dalaigh, a final year Business and Irish student, addressed the audience on the role played by clubs and societies in the rich student life at DCU and thanked supporters for their involvement in the future of the university by concluding: “Tonight we are celebrating the community of DCU, a community to which I am very proud to say I belong. The shared passion that we are displaying for our community tonight gives me great ambition. It gives me ambition because I am absolutely sure that this room of people and the wider DCU community have the potential to achieve even more, to greatly expand our impact, to overcome whatever challenges we face.”

GALLERY