By Olivia DeWan 
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power has been named the 2026 recipient of the TK Whitaker Award, recognising her outstanding contribution to public life, diplomacy and human rights.
Samantha Power, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, has been named the 2026 TK Whitaker Award recipient, recognising her contributions to diplomacy, human rights, and public service.
The award will be presented at the annual Business & Finance Awards on 10 December before more than 1,000 business, political, and civic leaders from Ireland and around the world.
The TK Whitaker Award for Outstanding Contribution to Ireland & Public Life recognises individuals whose leadership, vision and service have made a lasting contribution to public life in Ireland and internationally.
Amb Power is the Anna Lindh Professor of the Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and the William D. Zabel Professor of Practice in Human Rights at Harvard Law School.
Throughout her career, Samantha Power has advocated for women’s rights, atrocity prevention and efforts to combat human trafficking and global corruption. She was called by Forbes “a powerful crusader for U.S foreign policy as well as human rights and democracy” when it named her one of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.”
Born to Irish parents and raised in Dublin’s Ballsbridge, Power emigrated to the United States with her mother and brother at age nine, settling in Pittsburgh and later building a career that would take her from war reporting and academia to the highest levels of U.S. foreign policy.
Power has spoken about the influence of her Irish upbringing on her career in public service and advocacy.
The TK Whitaker Award was established in 2016 in honour of Dr Ken Whitaker, and previous recipients include President Michael D. Higgins, Peacemakers John and Pat Hume, Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Former President Mary McAleese, Loretta Brennan Glucksman, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, presented by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
The TK Whitaker Award forms part of the Business & Finance Leadership Awards Program, which was established in 1974. The Program has hosted and recognised some of the most outstanding leaders of our time including President Clinton, former British Prime Minister, Sir John Major; former President, Mary Robinson; the former head of the UN, Kofi Annan; former Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi; President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; President Carnegie Foundation, Dame Louise Richardson; Speaker Emerita, Nancy Pelosi; President of the ECB, Christine Lagarde; and, Secretary Hillary Clinton.
“As someone whose journey began in Dublin, Ireland has always remained central to my identity and values. Dr TK Whitaker’s vision, leadership and belief in public service transformed a nation and continues to inspire people far beyond Ireland’s shores,” Ambassador Power said. “To receive an award bearing his name is both humbling and profoundly meaningful.”
After graduating from Yale in 1992, Power interned for a year at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, working alongside the former Assistant Secretary of State Morton Abramowitz. There, her passion for helping those in need was strengthened, and she went to Bosnia as a college sports journalist to report on the atrocities unfolding before her.
The experience shaped the trajectory of her career.
Samantha Power became a freelance war correspondent covering the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and later became the founding executive director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard Kennedy School. From 2009 to 2013, she served on the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights.
Power subsequently served as U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and a member of President Obama’s Cabinet from 2013 to 2017. A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, she wrote the bestselling books “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide and The Education of an Idealist.”
At the time of her appointment, Power was the youngest U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in history. She became a prominent international voice on foreign policy and a leading advocate for the U.S. response to Russian actions in Ukraine and Syria. President Obama described her as “one of our foremost thinkers on foreign policy.”
“Samantha Power represents the very best of Ken Whitaker’s values on the global stage. Through her unwavering commitment to human rights, democracy, international cooperation and public service, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership in some of the most challenging circumstances facing the world today,” Ian Hyland, President & CEO of Business & Finance Media Group, said. “Her career in Public Service has been defined by courage, compassion and a deep belief in human dignity and doing the right thing. We are delighted to honour Samantha with the 2026 TK Whitaker Award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Life.”
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