By Business & Finance 
Pictured: The Grandchildren of the late John Hume, Rachel and Ollie with surprise guest Bono as they accept the TK Whitaker Award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Life on behalf of their late grandparents John and Pat Hume at the 47th annual Business & Finance Awards, in association with KPMG. Picture by Andres Poveda.
The Business & Finance Awards, in association with KPMG Ireland, celebrated a ‘New Era of Excellence’ at Dublin’s Convention Centre on 12th April, with 1,000 of Ireland’s business, political and social leaders in attendance at the celebrations.
The Business & Finance Awards, in association with KPMG Ireland, celebrated a ‘New Era of Excellence’ at Dublin’s Convention Centre on 12th April, with 1,000 of Ireland’s business, political and social leaders in attendance at the celebrations.
Presented by veteran broadcaster Pat Kenny, alongside Business & Finance Managing Editor Sarah Freeman, this year’s awards acknowledged the former US Treasury Secretary Henry (Hank) Paulson with the Sutherland Leadership Award, which was presented by Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD. Mr. Paulson and his wife Wendy travelled to Ireland to accept the honour.
Business & Finance also honoured Pat and John Hume with the TK Whitaker Award. The Award was presented to the Grandchildren of the late John and Pat Hume, Rachel and Ollie, by U2 frontman Bono, a surprise guest. “Right now, freedom in Ukraine means taking up arms, but in 1998, 10th of April, 24 years and 2 days ago, freedom in Ireland meant laying them down,” said Bono while presenting the Award.
Rachel Hume, granddaughter of John and Pat read a poem as part of the Hume family’s acceptance of the award. The poem was written by Rachel’s cousin and was read at her grandfather’s funeral.
The Business & Finance Awards celebrated its 47th year this year.
Business & Finance was launched in 1964 as Ireland’s first business magazine with the Awards programme established a decade later. The Business & Finance Awards is Ireland’s premier business awards programme and includes among its previous honorees outstanding leaders of our time across business, politics and wider society.This includes former United States President Bill Clinton, former British Prime Minister Sir John Major, former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, President Michael D. Higgins, former ECB President Mario Draghi, former Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Senator George Mitchell, and Sir Bob Geldof, among others.
