By Business & Finance 
Enda Kenny TD accepted the TK Whitaker Award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Life at the 43rd annual Business & Finance Awards in association with KPMG.
The 43rd annual Business & Finance Awards, in association with KPMG, took place in The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) on Thursday, December 14th 2017, with MC Claire Byrne.
Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD accepted the TK Whitaker Award for Outstanding Contribution to Public Life at the 43rd annual Business & Finance Awards. The former Taoiseach took to the stage joking, “Michael Noonan said to me before I come up here, ‘Finish them off, give them two hours of Brexit!'” However, in a wide-ranging and truly fascinating speech he spoke of many of the trials, tribulations and highlights of his career, giving the crowd both ample cause for reflection, as well as many moments of laughter.
Pictured L-R: Shaun Murphy, Managing Partner, KPMG; Enda Kenny, TD; Ian Hyland, Business & Finance.
Throughout its 43-year history, the Business & Finance Awards programme has recognised some of Ireland’s most significant business success stories. Established in 1974, it has become the longest running and most coveted business awards programme in Ireland and last night, in front of over 1,200 guests, the Awards paid tribute to some of Ireland’s most outstanding leaders.
The other special honouree awards were presented, by Shaun Murphy, Managing Partner of KPMG, and Ian Hyland, Publisher of Business & Finance, to Brian Moynihan, CEO of Bank of America and Aidan O’Brien, champion horse trainer.
Brian Moynihan, CEO, Bank of America, accepted the Global Irish Outstanding Achievement in Business Award, and spoke warmly of his ties with Ireland, his ancestors here, and Bank of America’s contribution to arts, cultural institutions and charities in Ireland.
Pictured L-R: Shaun Murphy, Managing Partner, KPMG; Brian Moynihan, CEO, Bank of America; Ian Hyland, Business & Finance.
Record-breaking champion horse trainer Aidan O’Brien accepted the Outstanding Contribution to Brand Ireland Award, in a year which it was reported in a study commissioned by Horse Racing Ireland, in a study titled “Economic Impact of Irish Breeding and Racing 2017”, that the Irish racing industry generated €1.84bn of total expenditure in 2016. Aidan’s illustrious career has garnered world renown and contributed greatly to Ireland’s reputation as a great racing nation.
Pictured L-R: Aidan O’Brien and Claire Byrne, MC.
In the Irish Business Awards section of the evening, the following presentations were made:
Shaun Murphy of KPMG announced Paul Marchant of Primark as Business Person of the Year.
Pictured L-R: Shaun Murphy, Managing Partner, KPMG; Paul Marchant, CEO, Primark; Ian Hyland, Business & Finance.
Donal Murphy, CEO OF DCC accepted the award for Company of the Year.
Pictured L-R: Shaun Murphy, Managing Partner, KPMG; Donal Murphy, CEO, DCC; Ian Hyland, Business & Finance.
A new award was added to the programme this year, The Excelling Enterprise of The Year Award, which was presented to Combilift. Martin McVicar, CEO and Robert Moffett, founder of Combilift accepted the award, and Martin McVicar spoke in his remarks about the importance of creating jobs in rural Ireland, as this Monaghan-based company with a global business does.
Pictured L-R: Shaun Murphy, Managing Partner, KPMG; Robert Moffett and Martin McVicar, Co-founders, Combilift; Ian Hyland, Business & Finance.
The Excelling Enterprise of the Year Award is a new award which acknowledges a company that through its performance, scale and growth has established itself as a leader on the world stage within its industry and wider business as a whole.
The Excelling Enterprise of the Year Award marks the intention of the Business & Finance Awards, in association with KPMG to acknowledge the continued growth and success of some of Ireland’s most promising global companies who have, through their achievements to date, demonstrated a clear trajectory for continued global expansion.
Martin Shanahan of IDA presented FDI of the Year Award to PayPal. The award was accepted by Louise Phelan, Vice-President of Western, Central and Eastern Europe, Ireland, Middle East and Africa.
Pictured L-R: Martin Shanahan, IDA and Louise Phelan, PayPal.
The business awards are chosen by means of a rigorous judging process. This year’s judging panel included Frances Ruane (Chair), Alan Duffy, Anne Heraty, Breege O’Donoghue, Danny McCoy, Dee Forbes, Denis O’Brien, Domhnall Slattery, Gary McGann, Ian Hyland, Ian Talbot, John Walsh, Kevin Sherry, Liam O’Mahony, Mary Finan, Maura Quinn, Patrick Kennedy, Rosaleen Blair, Rose Hynes, Shaun Murphy, Simon Boucher, Stephen Rae and Vincent Boland.
