Launch of Business & Finance Awards 2022 in association with KPMG Ireland
- Date: Thu, Jun 30, 2022
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By Ian Hyland, Business & Finance
Photo l-r: Seamus Hand, Managing Partner of KPMG Ireland, Mark Roden, CEO, Ding and Business Person of the Year 2021, Frances Ruane, Chairperson of the Judging Panel and Ian Hyland, President & CEO of Business & Finance Media Group. Photo Credit: Paul Sherwood
Business & Finance Media Group has launched the 2022 Business & Finance Awards Programme, in association with KPMG Ireland. The awards programme is open for nominations for a number of prestigious awards which honour and celebrate the very best in Irish and International business. The awards programme is open for nominations on July 1st.
The six categories across the programme include: The 2022 Company of the Year; Business Person of the Year; Elevation Award in association with Enterprise Ireland; FDI of the Year and the Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Award. The DE&I Award is now in its fourth year.
2021 also saw the introduction of a new award, the Environmental & Social Governance award. This year’s Business & Finance awards will take place on December 1st at the Convention Centre, Dublin.
Ian Hyland, publisher of Business & Finance, launched the 2022 in-person gala awards ceremony, saying:
“Irish companies and their leaders are excelling on the world stage and I am delighted that we are continue to recognise ingenuity and business excellence through Ireland’s longest running Awards Programme.”
He continued: “The 2022 Business & Finance Awards programme will celebrate and showcase the innovation, resilience and ingenuity of the Irish business community across all industries. This year’s awards will follow and recognise outstanding entrepreneurs, business leaders and leadership teams on their journey to success.”
Business & Finance Awards MBA Scholarship
The Business & Finance Awards UCD Smurfit School MBA Scholarship, now in its second year, will award one high-calibre applicant with a 100% scholarship to join the full-time MBA, the Executive MBA or the Modular Executive MBA beginning in August 2022.
The scholarship provides a unique opportunity for an individual to advance their professional goals through an MBA qualification from Ireland’s leading business school, while gaining access to some of Ireland’s most successful businesses leaders through the Business & Finance network.
Éamon Fennel was the recipient of the inaugural MBA scholarship and he wrote about his experiences in semester one of the programme for Business & Finance.
To find out more click here.
Seamus Hand, Managing Partner of KPMG Ireland lauded the Business and Finance awards for the role they play in recognising Irish excellence in business.
“Irish companies and their leaders are excelling on the world stage and I am delighted that we continuing to recognise ingenuity and business excellence through Ireland’s longest running Awards Programme.”
He continued: “”These awards epitomise the very best in Irish business and recognise the innovation, drive and commitment of so many really exciting and interesting companies.”
“More than anything, they celebrate the inspirational leadership of the men and women in every sector of the Irish economy. They are the risk takers, the visionaries, the entrepreneurs and the role models whose achievements we look forward to celebrating. We are proud of our long standing association with these awards and we send all participants our very best wishes.”
Return to In-Person Events
April 2022 saw the awards return as an in-person event at the Convention Centre in Dublin. The Gala awards ceremony included contributions from a range of Irish and International business, political and social leaders.
The event was presented by veteran broadcaster Pat Kenny, alongside Business & Finance Managing Editor Sarah Freeman. The awards acknowledged 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.
Buymie founder and CEO Devan Hughes lauded the Business & Finance Awards for their sustained endeavour to recognise excellence in Irish business:
“It is often said that entrepreneurs are celebrated in the light for the work that they do in the dark and I feel like Business & Finance for us has been the light”
The event, which carried the theme of “A New Era of Excellence”, featured a new award category with the Environmental & Social Governance (ESG) gong to AIB. Coillte sponsored the award and Coillte CEO Imelda Hurley spoke about the importance of ESG
“We are focused on delivering the multiple benefits of forestry”, she said. “When you have got a million acres under management … you’ve got to really think about environmental, social and governance and that is why when we try and bring it all together, ESG and sustainability is truly at the heart of Coillte”.
John and Pat Hume were also honoured with the TK Whittaker award, presented by Bono, for their outstanding contribution to public life. Their grandchildren Rachel and Ollie accepted the award on their behalf. Rachel read a poem remembering her grandfather and his outstanding work:
“Granda, because of you an entire nation gets to live in a happier and more hopeful reality,” a passage in the poem read. “Because of you my generation enjoy a security and peace so ubiquitous we often take it for granted. Because of you, your grandchildren know compassion, patience, respect, and the immense value that every person, sick or well, brings to the world. Caring for you will be one of the great privileges of our lives.”
Business & Finance Awards
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.
Nominations
Nominations for this year’s Awards Programme open on July 1st. Nominations are chosen as part of the Business & Finance monthly acknowledgements of Company of the Month, Business Person of the Month and FDI of the Month as well as nominations from our judging panel. If you wish to submit a nomination contact aideen.buggy@businessandfinance.com or through the website.
For more information on the 48th annual Business & Finance Awards see www.businessandfinanceawards.com.
This article was originally published in B&F Magazine on Thursday, June 30, 2022.