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CEO of Dublin Chamber honoured by UCD Smurfit School as “2008 Alumnus of the Year”

Date: 01 May 2008

Pictured is Gina Quin, CEO Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

1st May 2008 – Gina Quin, CEO of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce has been selected by UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School as the “2008 Alumnus of the Year.” She was presented with a medal and honoured at the School’s Annual Business Dinner on Thursday, 1st May 2008. Gina graduated from University College Dublin with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1989 having previously graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1980. She joins a list of prominent business graduates of UCD Smurfit School who have been honoured including Tony Garry (Davy Stockbrokers), Liam Fitzgerald (United Drug), Maurice Foley, Vivienne Jupp, Jerry Liston, Michael Somers, Tom Toner, John Teeling, and Gerry Murphy.

Speaking on the announcement, Professor Tom Begley, Dean of UCD School of Business said:

“We are particularly delighted to honour Gina Quin as our 2008 Alumnus of the Year. For almost a decade, Gina has led the largest representative and lobbyist group for Dublin Business and played a key role in the major developments that have shaped our vibrant city. Since her appointment as CEO of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce in 2000, Gina has worked tirelessly to represent the interests of 1,500 businesses in Ireland’s capital and to influence key decision makers in government. With her remarkable business acumen and powerful networking capabilities, we would hope our students recognise her as an inspiration and strive to emulate her rigour.”

Gina Quin, CEO of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, commenting on the award, said:

“I am truly honoured to receive such a coveted award from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. The business education I received at UCD shaped my knowledge of the Irish and international business communities. At the Dublin Chamber of Commerce we believe that Dublin’s strength comes from talented people and that it is in the city’s best interest to harness this talent through world class education. We would fully support the development of ‘centres for excellence’ in Ireland, such as the UCD Michael Smurfit School.”

Talking to a group of Irish and North American business leaders at the dinner Gina Quin spoke of the need to invest in Dublin to build a leading international “knowledge “ city region, saying:

“Increased funding in Dublin would simulate national growth, support Ireland’s national economy and serve to accelerate regional growth. There is a clear case for Government policy, at both a regional and local level, to embrace a vision of Dublin as a “Knowledge City,” capable of competing on a global stage and attracting skilled human capital to locate here. My key recommendations include:

a directly elected Mayor
a direct link between local taxes and local usage/benefits
a programme of financial/tax incentives to repatriate potential Principal Investigators to lead important research programmes in Ireland
a VAT-free scheme for purchase of PCs to stimulate a technology
the need for Higher Education institutes to concentrate on building centres of excellence rather than spreading resources thinly across the country.”

The UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School ‘Alumnus of the Year Award’ is awarded annually to an outstanding alumnus of UCD Smurfit School for their significant achievement in business together with other factors, such as contribution to the community at large.

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CEO of Dublin Chamber honoured by UCD Smurfit School as “2008 Alumnus of the Year”

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