Brian Burns
BF Enterprises

Brian Burns is chairman and president of BF Enterprises, Inc., a publicly-owned real estate and development company.

He was the driving force behind some 40 corporate mergers and is a nationally regarded business executive. Before forming BF Enterprises, Burns served as the Chairman to the Executive Committee at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York.

With roots in County Kerry and a strong connection back to Ireland, Burns is the founder and principal benefactor of the John J. Burns Library of Rare Books, named for his father, at Boston College. The library houses more than 150,000 rare volumes – the largest research collection of Irish books in the U.S.

A director of The American Ireland Fund, Burns also sits on the Taoiseach’s Economic Advisory Board, and serves on the Trinity College Foundation Board in Dublin.

He was also a principal benefactor of the Irish Famine Memorial in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Peter Casey
Claddagh Resources

In 1993 Peter Casey came to the U.S. and opened his first Executive Search firm called Network Resources. In 2002 he founded Claddagh Resources and in 2004 he founded Devlin Partners. The combined businesses have over 300 employees and five offices throughout the U.S. and a head office in Donegal, Ireland.

Casey, who works closely with the company’s most senior clients, began his career with Xerox Corporation, where he distinguished himself by

winning the Three Oceans Cup as the top sales manager in the Asia/Africa Region. Remarkably, Casey has been successful in running and developing businesses on three continents (he established The Trinity Group in Sydney, Australia in 1985). A graduate from Aston University in Birmingham, England, with an honors degree in Economics and Philosophy, he lives with his wife and children, Fionnbarr, Ryan, Neala, Ailisha and Siofra, in Buckhead, Atlanta, but maintains the link with Ireland where he owns farms and properties.

He attributes his success to lessons he learned as a child. “My father used to say, you cannot cheat an honest man, and there is no right way to do the wrong thing. I have used these principles to grow my business.”

Kieran Claffey
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Kieran Claffey is a partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP (PwC), a member firm of PricewaterhouseCooper International Limited. Globally PwC is one of the world’s preeminent professional services organizations with revenue of over $20 billion and over 130,000 employees worldwide.

After joining PwC in 1985, Kieran spent over ten years in the assurance practice primarily servicing multinational clients. He then transferred to the firm’s national office to focus on major litigation and regulatory related issues. He is PwC’s representative on two professional committees of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: the Professional Issues Task Force and the Technical Standards Committee.

Kieran was a founding member and director of the Ireland Chamber of Commerce in the United States and a director of the European-American Chamber of Commerce. He is currently the national treasurer and board member of the Ireland-U.S. Council of Commerce & Industry. Born in Dublin, Kieran received his BA from University College Dublin. He is also a chartered accountant and a CPA. He lives in Manhattan with his wife Michelle and three sons, Ryan, CJ and Steven.

John Clancey
Maersk Inc

John P. Clancey was appointed Chairman of Maersk Inc. in December 1999, following A.P. Moller’s acquisition of Sea-Land Service, Inc. Clancey joined Sea-Land Service’s sales and marketing division in 1970. He held several positions in the U.S. and served seven years in Asia, where he was Vice President/General Manager for the Pacific Division in Tokyo, before returning to the U.S. in 1984 as Vice President for the Atlantic Division. He was named president and Chief Executive Officer of Sea-Land Service, in 1991.

A native of Staten Island, New York, Clancey graduated from Emporia Kansas State College with a B.A. in Political Science and Economics. Upon graduation he joined the Marines, rising to the rank of Captain. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Advanced Management Program. Clancey is a member of the National Defense Transportation Association, the Coalition of Service Industries and the Northwestern University Transportation Center Business Advisory Committee. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Queen’s College and the Foundation of the University of North Carolina. He is married with three children.

Frank Comerford

Frank Comerford is the president and general manager of WNBC, the number one revenue producing television station in the country. He was promoted to his current position at WNBC in 2002 after serving as the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the NBC Television Stations Division since 1999. Before that, he spent five years as the head of sales for WNBC.

Comerford holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Finance from Georgetown University. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, the Board of Directors of the Child Abuse Prevention Program, and the Executive Board of Lutheran Medical Center. He was named Chief Brehon of Brooklyn’s Great Irish Fair, which benefits Catholic Charities, and has been awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

A fourth-generation Irish-American, Comerford traces his roots to Kilkenny. He is a member of the Ireland U.S. Council, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and The American Ireland Fund. He and his wife Maura reside in Brooklyn and Long Island, New York.

Sean Conlon

Conlon worked as a credit analyst for Middle East Bank in London before emigrating to Chicago in 1990, where his first job was as a janitor. He began his career in real estate in 1993 when he joined Koenig & Strey. In 2000, Conlon formed Sussex & Reilly, an Illinois based real estate brokerage firm, and Conlon & Co.

In 2004, he acquired Near North National Title in partnership with Daniel P. Fowler. He also co-owns both Van and Conlon, and Connaught Real Estate Finance LLC. Conlon, who is often called “the voice of real estate,” has been interviewed by CNN, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He was also featured in the Irish television documentary, Made for America.

Conlon was born in England but grew up in Ireland, where he attended the College of Marketing and Design, Dublin. His mother is from Galway and his father hails from Kildare. He owns a home in County Wexford and divides his time between Chicago, London and Ireland.

Brian C. Connolly

Since 1992, Avon has raised over $450 million worldwide to fight breast cancer and Connolly is the spearhead behind the Avon Breast Cancer Walks, which raised over $35 million last year alone. Connolly is the son of Irish immigrants and is one of eight children. His favorite motto is “Do the right thing when no one is looking,” a credo he picked up from his parents. He graduated with a B.A. in Accounting from Penn State University and is the father of three.

Chris Considine

In November 2005 Christopher Howard Considine became the President of Wilson Sporting Goods, the leading team sporting goods company in the world. Wilson tennis racquets became famous after Pete Sampras used them to win 14 grand slams. Currently the top tennis players using Wilson racquets include Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Nicolas Kiefer, Gaston Gaudio, and Lindsay Davenport. Considine worked for Wilson for 24 years prior to being named president. He led the Team Sports Division since 1994, and under his leadership the company has significantly grown its market share and profitability.

A third-generation Irish-American, who grew up in Akron, Ohio, Considine traces his roots to County Clare on his father’s side and Limerick on his mother’s. A graduate of Miami University of Ohio, Considine is married to his high school sweetheart. The couple has four children and live in Woodridge, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. He says “your world is a reflection of your attitude,” and cites St. Patrick, who he says “truly lived his life to help others,” as his favorite Irish icon.

Darlene Daggett

In this position Daggett’s responsibilities include the overall strategic planning and direction for all QVC merchandising, the development of new business, and forging alliances to continue to define, differentiate and brand QVC as an e-commerce leader. Daggett regularly participates in major corporate and industry conferences as a national keynote speaker.

She is on the board of directors for the Housewares Charity Foundation (HCF) and she is also on the board of Jewelers For Children, the jewelry industry’s charity board. She has received several awards over her career, including the Humanitarian Award from HCF and the Woman of the Year Award from the Committee Concerned for Children.

A graduate of Endicott College, Daggett is a second-generation Irish-American with ties to counties Sligo and Mayo. She lives near QVC Studio Park, Pennsylvania, with her husband and four children.

Laurel Delaney

Laurel Delaney is president of Global TradeSource, Ltd. (online arm GlobeTrade.com), a firm that offers global marketing and consulting services aimed towards entrepreneurs and small businesses. Delaney is also the founder of Small Business Global Marketing Forum, a moderated discussion list for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global.

She wrote Start and Run a Profitable Exporting Business, and also writes and publishes The Global Small Business Blog and a free highly regarded monthly e-newsletter called Borderbuster. Delaney, who grew up in Chicago, received the Small Business Administration’s “Illinois Exporter of the Year” award. She serves on the Illinois Center for International Business Education and Research, as well as the Advisory Board of Women Entrepreneurs, Inc. She is also a member of the Galway Committee of the Chicago Sister Cities. She holds an M.B.A. from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Delaney is a second generation Irish-American, whose father’s family comes from Ballyhaunis, County Mayo.

Craig S. Donohoe

On October 19, 2006, it was announced that Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) would acquire the Chicago Board of Trade. The $25 billion deal will create the world’s biggest market for derivatives. Behind the deal is Chris Donohoe, who since his appointment as CEO in 2004, has set CME’s vision and developed growth strategies to expand the company’s core business lines and global distribution. He had a pivotal role in the successful CME demutualization in 2000, the company’s initial public offering in 2002, and a historic transaction processing agreement with the Chicago Board of Trade in 2003.

Donohoe, who joined CME in 1989 as an attorney, is on the board of the National Council on Economic Education, a nonprofit organization that focuses on improving people’s economic literacy. He holds a master’s of management degree from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, a J.D. from John Marshall Law School, and a master of laws degree in financial services regulation from IIT Chicago–Kent College of Law. He resides in Northbrook, Illinois with his wife and three children.

John J. Dooner, Jr.

As chairman and chief executive officer of McCann-Erickson Worldgroup, John Dooner has led the company in its transformation from the leading global advertising agency to one of the largest and fastest-growing integrated marketing communications organizations.

Since being named CEO in 1995, the company’s billings have increased threefold to more than $30 billion. Under his leadership, McCann-Erickson was named the “Agency of the Year” by several advertising publications in both the U.S. and Europe. McCann- Erickson Worldwide Advertising has offices in over 130 countries and it is a Top Five Agency in almost every market it operates in. Vision, energy, and a persistent dedication to growing McCann’s business by building its clients’ business have characterized Dooner’s 35-year career with McCann and its parent company, The Interpublic Group. Dooner, who was born in New York, earned his B.A. from St. Thomas University, and traces his Irish roots to his grandparents from County Clare. He and his wife reside in Westchester, New York.

John G. Duffy

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.

John Duffy has been with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods for more than 25 years and became chairman and CEO in September 2001. Previously, from July 1999, he was president and co-CEO. For nine years prior to that, he was executive vice president in charge of the firm’s Investment Banking Department. Before joining KBW, Duffy was vice president at Standard & Poor’s Corporation.

He received his B.A. in economics from the City College of New York and attended the M.B.A. program of Bernard Baruch College. He serves on the board of trustees of the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business, University College, Dublin. Duffy joined the board of directors of The American Ireland Fund in 2004 and is chairman of the Investment Committee of the Cardinal & Gold Fund of Cardinal Hayes High School, Bronx, New York. The Ireland Chamber of Commerce in the United States recently honored Duffy, who is also one of our Wall Street 50 honorees. A first-generation Irish-American, his mother hails from Newtongore, County Leitrim and his father is from Culleens, County Sligo.

Terrence A. Duffy

Chicago Mercantile Exchange

“The idea to merge these two great companies has been contemplated for decades,” Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) chairman Terrance Duffy said of the announcement in October that it would purchase the Chicago Board of Trade for $8 billion. The deal, which is expected to be approved in mid-2007, will create the world’s biggest market for derivatives. Duffy, was appointed chairman of CME in April 2002. He was vice chairman of the board of CME Holdings Inc. from its formation in August 2001 and on the board of CME from 1998 to April 2002.

In 2002, Duffy was appointed by President Bush to serve on a national summit on retirement savings, and in 2003, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate, as a member of the federal retirement thrift investment board.

Duffy attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, studying business administration. He lives in Lemont, Illinois with his wife and twin sons, and serves on the board of the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls.

Jack B. Dunn

FTI Consulting

Jack Dunn is President, CEO, and member of the Board of Directors of FTI Consulting, Inc. Joining FTI in 1992, Dunn has ensured that the company maintain a compound annual growth rate in excess of 30 percent. FTI currently has over 1000 employees located in 24 major cities across the U.S and London. Prior to joining FTI, Jack spent over ten years with a major regional investment-banking firm where he was managing director, senior vice president and member of the board of directors as well as head of corporate finance.

A Baltimore native, Dunn holds a B.A. from Princeton and is an Order of the Coif graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law. He is an investor in the Baltimore Orioles Baseball Club, and a director of Pepco Holding, Inc. and Aether Systems, Inc. As a fifth-generation Irish-American Dunn, who lives in Maryland with his wife and son, has visited Ireland numerous times. One of his favorite memories of those visits is of playing darts with his ten-year-old son in an Irish pub. Dunn considers his tenor voice to be his most Irish characteristic.

Dave P. Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald + Co.

In 1983, Dave Fitzgerald founded the successful advertising agency Fitzgerald+Co. He remains president and CEO, and his company was named the Best Agency in the Southeast by Adweek. Along with his success, his relationship with employees led Fitzgerald+Co to be named one of the 10 best companies in Atlanta to work for by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. He was formerly the president of the Atlanta Advertising Club and past chairman of the board of directors for the Saint Joseph’s Hospital Foundation.

A second-generation Irish-American, Fitzgerald ran the Order of the Green Jacket of Ireland, which helped raise funds for Irish athletes in the 1996 Olympics. A member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Metropolitan Atlanta Police Emerald Society, and the Hibernian Benevolent Society, he has twice been Grand Marshal of the Atlanta St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Fitzgerald, who traces his family to counties Kerry and Sligo, visits Ireland often, and especially enjoys taking his children there for an Irish Christmas.

Larry Flanagan

MasterCard Worldwide

Lawrence Flanagan joined MasterCard in October 1996. He is currently the executive vice president and chief marketing officer, Worldwide Marketing and Communications. Flanagan is also a member of the company’s Operating Committee. Lawrence is responsible for building the value of the MasterCard brand on behalf of customer financial institutions and shareholders as well as managing the brands of the company’s various consumer payment solutions.

The force behind MasterCard’s Priceless advertising campaign, Flanagan’s guidance has resulted in the ad currently airing in more than 90 countries. The campaign has won numerous awards and honors. In 2004, Lawrence Flanagan was recognized as one of the most influential figures in sports by Sports Business International.

Flanagan is a fourth-generation Irish-American with roots in Galway. The first Flanagan migrated to New Haven, CT on January 10, 1850.

Flanagan holds a B.S degree from the University of New Haven. He currently resides in Darien, Connecticut with his wife and three children.

William J. Flynn

Mutual of America

During his 34 years with Mutual of America, Bill Flynn established himself as a great leader, whose business skills were reflected in Mutual of America’s performance and recognized throughout the life insurance industry. Now Mutual’s Chairman Emeritus, Flynn’s commitment to social justice continues to be felt in the success of the Irish peace process and the work of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP). As the first Irish-American chairman of the NCAFP, it was Flynn who invited all of Northern Ireland’s political leaders, including Gerry Adams, to the U.S., propelling Northern Ireland into the peace process. A graduate of Fordham University, Flynn is a first-generation Irish-American with roots in counties Mayo and Down.

In 1996, he was Grand Marshal of New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In 2005, the Tanenbaum Center for Inter-religious Understanding presented him with a Special Peacemaker in Action Award “for a lifetime devoted to conflict resolution.”

Jack Foley

Aer Lingus, North America

Executive Vice President Jack Foley oversees all strategic, operational and marketing programs for Aer Lingus in North America. Aer Lingus has transformed itself to compete in the evolving world of low cost, low fare aviation by following a strategy of continuing to lower fares while maintaining the key customer service elements of friendliness, courtesy, safety and professionalism. The company receives less than two complaints per thousand customers in the busiest period of travel.

Foley has come a long way from his first job in the airline business, as a bag loader for Lufthansa at JFK. That job, however, paid for his bachelor of science and M.B.A. in international marketing from St. John's University. In 1979, Foley joined British Airways and rose through the company ranks to the position of vice president of marketing in the U.S. In 1996 he was recruited by Aer Lingus to manage their TransAtlantic Division. A second-generation Irish-American from County Cork, Foley is on the board of directors of the Ireland-U.S. Business Council. He lives on Long Island with his wife and their son.

William Clay Ford, Jr.

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Executive Chairman William Clay Ford is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, who was the son of an Irish immigrant from County Cork. Henry “put the world on wheels by making personal mobility affordable,” and William Jr. is leading the 102-year-old company that bears his family name.

Bill Ford joined Ford in 1979 and is a dedicated environmentalist. His efforts won him the President’s Commission on Environmental Quality Award. In 2000, under Ford’s leadership, the company published its first corporate citizenship report outlining the economic, environmental and social impact of its global operations. As vice chairman of the Detroit Lions, he led efforts to build a new, environmentally friendly stadium in Detroit and helped expand the Detroit Police Athletic League youth football program. He is also Honorary Chairman of the Southeast Michigan Consortium for Water Quality. Ford holds a B.A. from Princeton University, where he has served as a trustee, and a master’s from MIT. He resigned as Ford’s CEO in September, but said he intends “to stay extremely active in the company.”

Robert Frank

KOCH Entertainment

Bob Frank is president of KOCH Records, the leading and fastest growing independent music company in the U.S.

Frank, launched the label by coordinating KOCH’s deal with the Velvel Music Group in 1999.

KOCH has released music from across all genres, including Ringo Starr, Earl Klugh, Xzibit, The Wiggles and many more.

Frank has spent many years in the music industry. He became president of the Velvel Music Group in 1997. He also spent eight years with Polygram Records, four as the Senior Vice President/ General Manager of Mercury Nashville Records.

During his time at Mercury the label released 10-time platinum albums by Shania Twain and Billy Ray Cyrus. Sales also increased from $16 to $150 million, and Mercury became the most profitable label in Polygram three years in a row.

Married with one child, Frank traces his Irish roots to Wexford, and made his first trip to the Emerald Isle at Christmas, 2004.

Patrick Gallagher

Giants Enterprises

Entering his 30th year with Giants Enterprises, a wholly owned subsidiary of the San Francisco Giants baseball team, Patrick Gallagher has risen in the ranks from marketing director to president.

Before joining the Giants organization, he was an executive at Marine World/Africa USA and Sea World theme parks. With the Giants, Gallagher played a large role in the design and naming rights of the new stadium, SBC Stadium. Pacific Bell was the original partner. He now develops other uses for the stadium besides baseball, such as soccer matches and concerts. Under his leadership, the Giants have received numerous accolades, including the MLB Marketing Excellence award.

Gallagher is a past president for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Peninsula area. He also sits on the executive committees of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau and Special Olympics of Northern California. A second-generation Irish-American, Gallagher traces his roots to counties Donegal and Clare. He and his wife Joan live in Palo Alto with their two children.

Michael J. Gibbons

Estée Lauder Companies

Estée Lauder executive vice president Michael J. Gibbons has been an integral part of the cosmetics giant for almost 40 years. Since joining the company in 1967, Gibbons has held a number of positions, including marketing director, vice president of Clinique, and general manager of Aramis before assuming his current position. Estée Lauder is the parent company for 20 brands and has ownership over scents marketed by Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Sean Combs, Donna Karan, and Donald Trump.

A first-generation Irish-American, Gibbons was raised in an Irish neighborhood in the Bronx. He graduated from St. Francis College and served in the U.S. Navy. Gibbons is involved in several Irish-American organizations. He is president of the Ireland-U.S. Council for Commerce and Industry and has served as a director for The American Ireland Fund and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Foundation. He is founder and co-chairman of the Knights of St. Patrick. A member of the Mayo Society. Gibbons lives in New York with his wife Cynthia. The couple has four grown children.

Robert C. Golden

Prudential Financial

Bob Golden joined Prudential in 1976 and is now executive vice president of Prudential Financial. Under his leadership, Prudential founded a technology and call center in County Donegal, which now employs 450 people.

Golden, who earned his B.S. and M.B.A. from Fordham University, serves as first vice chair and director of HeartShare Human Services of New York, a nonprofit organization for children in need. In 2000, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. In 2001, he was named Man of the Year by Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and by the New York Aquarium, and in 2002, by Catholic Big Brothers. Golden is a Knight of Malta and a Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulchre.

A third-generation Irish-American with roots in County Mayo, Golden is a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the St. Patrick Society of Brooklyn. He and his wife Maureen live in Staten Island with their two children, Katie and Bobby.

John Hartnett

Palm, Inc.

As Senior Vice President of Global Markets, John Hartnett is responsible for Palm, Inc.’s worldwide revenue, a record $1.6 billion last fiscal year. Palm is a market leader providing worldwide mobile computing solutions to consumers and business, via breakthrough innovations from the original Palm Pilot to today’s Treo line of smartphones. The company is headquartered in California and has offices around the world, including a European engineering center in Dublin.

Hartnett has a marketing degree through the Marketing Institute of Ireland, a post-graduate diploma in finance through the Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA) and completed the executive management program at Stanford University. He is a native of Limerick, and on the board of the University of Limerick Foundation. He is a Munster Rugby enthusiast, and recently formed Munster Rugby USA. Hartnett is a member of The American Ireland Fund and the US-Ireland Alliance. He is a partner in Atlantic Bridge Ventures, a European based venture capital firm with offices in Dublin and London. He is married with four children and resides in Los Gatos, California.

James Houlihan

Houlihan - Parnes / iCap Realty Advisors

James J. Houlihan, representing the fourth generation in a family business founded in 1891, is a licensed real estate broker. He is managing partner of Houlihan-Parnes/iCap Realty Advisors, LLC, and a founding member of the new national real estate company, iCap Realty Advisors. He was elected in 2001 to be the first Chairman of the Board.

A graduate of Manhattan Preparatory School, and Fordham University’s School of Business, Houlihan recently put together an exhibit entitled “Fighting Irishmen: A Celebration of the Celtic Warrior” which premiered at the Irish Arts Center in New York City. He is a member of the Friendly Son of St. Patrick in Westchester and has served as Chairman of the Great Hunger Memorial Committee of Westchester County. He also serves on the Board of Directors of St. Patrick’s Home in the Bronx.

A fourth-generation Irish-American on his father’s side with roots in Kenmare, Co. Kerry, and second-generation, with roots in Tyrone and Donegal, on his mother’s side, Houlihan is a native New Yorker. He lives in Bronxville with his wife Pat and their five children.

James B. Irwin

IMPAC

James B. Irwin, Sr., is the Chairman of Integrated Control Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, a worldwide productivity firm, and Chairman of IMPAC University, a state-licensed degree-granting university in Florida.

Irwin purchased IMPAC in 1972 when it had only six employees. Today the company and its affiliates are the world’s largest management-productivity engineering organization working exclusively in this field.

He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award and received honors from the United States National Task Force for Children and the Adam Walsh Foundation for Missing and Exploited Children.

In 1994 he introduced the world’s largest literary prize for a single work of fiction, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. The annual prize yields the winning author 100,000 euros.

Irwin, a second-generation Irish-American, grew up in the Bronx. His mother’s family, the McCooks and O’Rourkes, arrived in the U.S. in the mid-19th century. He is married with three children and four grandchildren.

E. Neville Isdell

The Coca-Cola Company

Neville Isdell was named to his current position as CEO of The Coca-Cola Company in June 2004, and is the twelfth chairman of the board in the history of the company. He began his career with Coca-Cola in 1966 at the local bottling plant in Zambia and held management positions throughout Coca-Cola worldwide. In 1998 he became chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Plc in Great Britain, where he oversaw that company’s merger with Hellenic Bottling and the formation of Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, then the world’s second-largest Coca-Cola bottler.

He is chairman of the U.S. Russia Business Council, a member of the board of trustees of the International Business leaders Forum and the United States Council for International Business.

Isdell received a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from the University of Cape Town and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development. A native of Downpatrick, County Down, Isdell moved to Zambia as a child.

Maurice Keane

Southwest Cheese Company

In September 2003, Maurice Keane was appointed CEO and President of Southwest Cheese Company (SWC). He is currently overseeing the startup of SWC in a new food business based in Clovis, New Mexico. At full capacity SWC will process over 2.4 billion pounds milk and produce in excess of 250 million pounds of cheese and 16.5 million pounds of high value-added whey proteins each year. The venture, which is 50 percent owned by the Irish company Glanbia Foods, will be one of the largest plants of its type in the world.

Prior to joining SWC, Keane spent 11 years with Glanbia Foods, and served as commercial manager of the Agribusiness Division in Ireland.

A native of Ardmore, County Wexford, Keane was raised on an Irish dairy farm. He is a graduate of University College Dublin where he received his Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree and a Master of Business Administration degree. Maurice is also a graduate of the Irish Management Institute Strategic Leadership Development Program.

Keane currently lives in Clovis, New Mexico with his wife Josephine and their four children, Miriam, Conor, Maeve and Matthew.

Paul Keogh

JCB Construction Equipment

Marketing Vice President Paul Keogh of JCB Construction Equipment Company is a new arrival to the U.S. Keogh moved to Savannah from Dublin, Ireland after working as the Executive Director in charge of Worldwide Marketing at JCB’s headquarters for three years.

Keogh has extensive senior international management experience and was Managing Director of PolyGram Records in Ireland for ten years where he worked with acts such as U2, the Cranberries and Van Morrison. He also worked for Anheuser Busch and was involved in bringing Budweiser to the European market. He started his career in Guinness at its Dublin brewery.

Keogh holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a master’s degree in International Marketing from University College, Dublin. He is currently completing a Ph.D. in Psychology. A native of Dublin, Keogh’s notable personal quote is “It’s the leprechauns made me do it.” He lives in Savannah with his wife and two children, and he is president of the Savannah chapter of the Irish Chamber of Commerce, U.S.A.

Denis P. Kelleher

Wall Street Access

Denis Kelleher, the founder and CEO of Wall Street Access, was the Grand Marshal in the 2005 New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade. But his rise to huge success certainly started with humble beginnings.

Emigrating from County Kerry in 1958, Denis Kelleher began his career in the U.S. as a messenger with Merrill Lynch where through dynamic financial talent, he rose dramatically through the company ranks.

In 1970 he was the founder and president of Ruane, Cunniff & Co. and vice president of its Sequoia Fund. Then, in 1980, Kelleher took the experience he gained at Merrill Lynch and founded Wall Street Access. The company is a diversified financial services organization with expertise in money management and trading for institutions and hedge funds.

A recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1995, he is this year’s medalist for the American Irish Historical Society. A graduate of St. John’s University, Kelleher serves as its chairman of the board and is a board member of The New Ireland Fund. He is married with three children.

Alfred F. Kelly, Jr.

American Express

As Group President at American Express, Alfred F. Kelly, Jr. oversees a number of businesses, including: U.S. Consumer Card, OPEN from American Express, U.S. Consumer Travel, U.S. Customer Service, Global Risk Management, Establishment Services North America, and Global Travelers Cheque and Prepaid Services. Kelly joined the company's Strategic Planning department in 1987. Before that, he was head of Information Systems at The White House. He also held positions in Information Systems and Strategic and Financial Planning at Pepsi Co. Kelly serves on the Board of Directors of The Hershey Company and Concern Worldwide USA. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, and was for 13 years a Trustee of Iona College. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served for the past 15 years as Vice Chairman of the Wall Street Charity Golf Classic, a major fundraising event for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He received a BA (Summa Cum Laude) and MBA with Honors from Iona College. A second-generation Irish-American with roots in Cork, Kelly resides in New York's Westchester County with his wife and their five children.

Declan Kelly

Financial Dynamics

In his role as President and CEO of Financial Dynamics in the United States, Declan Kelly oversees the company’s operations in New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

He is a senior advisor to several multinational corporations, governments and representative organizations. He specializes in crisis management assignments and corporate communications and has extensive international M&A experience both here in the U.S. and in Europe.

Kelly received the 2005 Alumni Award for Business and Commerce from the National University of Ireland, Galway. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of Glucksman Ireland House at New York University. He sits on the board of directors of The American Ireland Fund and of Cooperation Ireland. Born and reared just outside Nenagh, County Tipperary, Kelly is married to Julia and lives in Manhattan.

In September, Financial Dynamics was acquired by the business consulting firm FTI for $260 million. Kelly will remain as CEO of FD.

Christopher G. Kennedy

Merchandise Mart

Christopher Kennedy, son of the late Senator Robert Kennedy, is the president of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc (MMPI). MMPI manages a wide variety of office space and sponsors numerous trade shows throughout the year. MMPI is a division of the Vornado Realty Trust, which purchased it from the Kennedy family in 1998. He joined the company as a research analyst in 1987, becoming a vice president in 1991 and executive vice president in 1994. He was appointed president in 2000. Kennedy also serves in numerous nonprofit groups, and is on the board of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. He belongs to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Club of Chicago. Kennedy earned his bachelor’s degree at Boston College, and a master’s in management from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern. The Kennedy family has roots in County Wexford. Chris is married and has four children, Katherine, Christopher Jr., Sarah, and Clare.

Donald R. Keough

Allen & Company

Following his retirement as president, COO and director of the Coca-Cola Company in 1993, Donald Keough became chairman of the board of Allen & Company Incorporated, a New York investment-banking firm.

In 2004, Coca-Cola re-elected him to the post of director, making a change in their retirement policy. Keough has been a crucial member of the company since 1950. Keough also serves on the boards of IAC/InterActive Corp., Global Yankee Holdings, Convera Corporation, and Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Notre Dame, his alma mater Creighton University, Emory University, Trinity College, Dublin, University College Dublin, Ireland and Clarke University. Notre Dame’s highest honor, the Laetare Medal, was presented to Keough in 1993. In 1995, Keough established the Keough Institute of Irish Studies at Notre Dame. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2002, inducted into the Junior Achievement National Business Hall of Fame in 2003.

Alan G. Lafley

The Procter & Gamble Company

As the Chairman, President and CEO of Procter and Gamble, Alan Lafley oversees the largest consumer company in the world. Currently, 95 percent of American households stock at least one of its products. Under Lafley’s leadership sales have grown from 40 billion to over 68 billion.

Lafley received a B.A. degree from Hamilton College in 1969 and an M.B.A from Harvard University in 1977, at which time he joined Procter and Gamble. He is also a director of General Electric Company, and Dell, Inc. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Hamilton College and is a member of the Lauder Institute Board of Governors, the Business Roundtable and the Business Council. Chief Executive magazine named him “CEO of the Year,” for 2006. He was Irish America’s Keynote Speaker for its 2005 Business 100 Awards Luncheon in New York Ctiy.

Lafley is a second-generation Irish-American who traces his roots to County Cork. He cites the influence of his Irish grandmother, Catherine “Kitty” Irwin, as of huge importance during his childhood in Keene, New Hampshire. Lafley lives in Cincinnati with his wife Margaret.

Christine Leahy

CDW Corporation

Christine Leahy is Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of CDW Corporation. CDW is a FORTUNE 500 company and a leading provider of technology products and services for businesses, government agencies and educational institutions.

In 2002 Leahy joined the CDW team as the company’s first in-house counsel. In her current position as vice president and general counsel, Christine is responsible for all legal strategy and implementation.

Prior to CDW she served as corporate partner in the Chicago office of Sidley, Austin, Brown and Wood.

Christine earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a J.D from the Boston College Law School. She’s a member of the American, Chicago and Washington D.C Bar Associations.

Christine Leahy is a fourth generation Irish-American who traces her roots to County Cork. She cites determination as her most Irish characteristic. Leahy’s favorite Irish celebrities are Frank McCourt and Van Morrison.

Christine lives in Glencoe, IL. She is married with two children.

Michael O’Hara Lynch

Visa

In his eleven-year career as senior vice president at Visa, Michael Lynch has led the company’s sponsorship marketing business to the pinnacle of the industry. Thanks to Lynch’s leadership Visa was recently recognized by Event Marketer magazine as the only financial services company among “The 25 Best Sponsors in America” and was heralded as “The most well-rounded sponsor around.”

Michael Lynch joined Visa in 1995 after serving as vice president of events for Radio City Music Hall Productions. Prior to that Lynch was vice president and general manager of ProServ Inc.

A frequent visitor to Ireland, Lynch is a third-generation Irish-American. His father’s family comes from Galway and his mother’s from Cork. His favorite Irish group is U2 for the role the band plays in world affairs as well as for its great music.

A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management, Lynch has both a BBA in Accounting and an MBA in Marketing. He lives in California with his wife and two daughters, McKenzie and Dylan.

Philip Marineau

Levi Strauss Corporation

Philip Marineau, president and CEO of Levi Strauss Corp & Co., has been a leader in consumer products and marketing for three decades. When Marineau took over as CEO in 1999 the Levi Strauss was in a slump, today the San Francisco jean company has turned a corner and is once again turning a profit. Prior to his role at Levi Strauss, Marineau was the president and CEO of Pepsi-Cola North America. He was the leader in the 1990’s Pepsi surge that climaxed with Pepsi outselling Coke in 1998.

From 1996-1997, the Georgetown graduate and Vietnam veteran who holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business, was president and COO of Dean Foods Company. He previously worked for the Quaker Oats company for 23 years.

Marineau, 59, who will retire on November 26, 2006, grew up in an Irish Catholic neighborhood known as “The Patch” on Chicago’s North side. His Irish grandmother, Mamie, lived with the family. Mamie’s family left County Kerry during the potato famine and settled in the U.S. in the 1850s. Marineua is married with two children.

Brian P. McAndrews

aQuantive Inc.

Named by Business 2.0 in 2006 as one of the “50 Who Matter Now.” Brian McAndrews has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of aQuantive since 1999. He was also ranked by Advertising Age as one of the top 20 players in the interactive advertising space. Brian is currently responsible for developing the long-term strategic vision as well as overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company.

Prior to joining aQuantive, Inc., McAndrews worked at ABC for nine years, holding executive positions at ABC Sports, ABC Entertainment and the ABC Television Network. Brian has an MBA from Stanford and a BA from Harvard.

A third-generation Irish-American, Brian traces his roots to Sligo on his father’s side and Kiltimagh in County Mayo on his mother’s. He’s had the opportunity to visit Ireland once on a backpacking trip in college and found the country to be beautiful and welcoming.

As far as his most Irish characteristic Brian, who lives in Seattle, cites “luck,” listing his wonderful wife, two children, and interesting career among his great fortunes.

James F. McCaffrey

Turner Broadcasting System

As executive vice president of operations and strategy for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Jim McCaffrey leads a team of senior executives responsible for Strategic Planning, New Products, Research and Development and Studios and Technology among other responsibilities.

Prior to joining TBS, Inc. in 1995, McCaffrey worked for the O&W Group, a worldwide consulting and systems development company that specializes in providing technological and operations solutions to large corporate clients.

Jim graduated from Cornell University. He has an M.A in Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business. McCafferey serves on the board of trustees of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education.

McCaffrey is a third-generation Irish-American, who traces his family roots to County Clare on his father’s side and Cork on his mother’s. His favorite Irish writer is the poet W.B Yeats. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife Susan and son Christopher.

James McCann

1-800-Flowers.com

When Jim McCann started 1-800-Flowers.com in 1976, people told him that he couldn’t change customers' purchase behaviors.

Luckily, McCann did not listen to them, or he would not now have a company with annual revenues approaching $1 billion.

McCann started his company with a single flower shop 30 years ago in addition to his regular job as a social worker. He eventually expanded it to a regional chain in the New York area. 1-800-Flowers.com was one of the first online retailers. The company now has other brands including Plow & Hearth, 1-800-Baskets, The Popcorn Factory, Cheryl & Co. and Fannie May Confections.

McCann is a third-generation Irish-American with roots in counties Armagh and Limerick. He credits his love of storytelling to his Irish heritage, and has three books to his name. The most recent, A Year Full of Flowers, was co-authored with his sister Julie Mulligan. He is married with three children.

Kevin McClatchy

Pittsburgh Pirates

Most widely known for building “The Best Ballpark in America,” the title given by ESPN to PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Kevin McClatchy is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing General Partner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In this role he is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the franchise. He also serves on MLB’s Executive Council, International Committee and Labor Committee.

McClatchy earned his degree in Political Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and is now a member of their Board of Trustees. He is also involved with the United Way Foundation, the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and Animal Friends, Boy Scouts of America and funding for cancer research. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to the Pittsburgh community including the Distinguished Leadership award from the Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross. McClatchy, a fifth- generation Irish-American with roots in County Antrim, is part of the distinguished newspaper family, which acquired the Sacramento Bee, the first of its 11 daily newspapers in 1857.

Mark A. McComiskey

First Reserve Corporation

In June, 2004 Mark A. McComiskey joined First Reserve Corporation, a private equity firm specializing in energy industry investments, as the managing director. His responsibilities include deal organization, structuring, execution and monitoring with a particular emphasis on the energy infrastructure section.

Prior to joining First Reserve, McComiskey was a principal at Clayton, Dubilier and Rice. While there, he gained substantial experience in the manufacturing and service industries. Previously, McComiskey worked at Debevoise and Plimpton where his primary duties involved structuring, negotiating and documenting mergers and acquisitions.

Born in Dublin, Ireland, McComiskey, who says his favorite Irish-Aemrican writer is F. Scott Fitzgerald, graduated Harvard College magna cum laude with an A.B. in Economics. He also has a J.D degree from Harvard Law.

McComiskey lives in Easton, Connecticut and is married with one child. His mother’s family come from Claremore, County Mayo.

Judy McGrath

MTV

Judy McGrath was promoted to chairman and CEO, MTV Networks in July 2004. Previously, McGrath was MTV Networks Group President and was responsible for MTV, MTV2, VH1, CMT, Comedy Central and LOGO, the first gay-themed cable channel. Her role includes overall responsibility for these networks and Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Spike TV, TV Land, Noggin,

The N, MTV Digital Suite, MTV Networks International and all of the company’s related consumer products and digital businesses.

Since McGrath joined MTV Network’s predecessor company in 1981, she has helped bring MTV from a maverick cable channel to a maverick global brand. McGrath has been the brainpower behind much of MTV’s most successful programming ventures, including The Osbournes, The Real World and Total Request Live.

Raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, McGrath is married and lives with her husband and daughter in New York City.

At a recent U2 concert in New York, Bono publically thanked McGrath for MTV’s support of his anti-poverty campaign.

Andrew J. McKenna

Schwarz

Besides his role as chairman of Schwarz, an international distributor of paper packaging and allied products, Andrew McKenna is also chairman of McDonald’s Corporation. He also serves as a director of the AON Corporation and the Chicago Bears Football Team, Click Commerce and Skyline Corporation. Over the years, McKenna has served on many civic, community and philanthropic boards. He is a director of The American Ireland Fund, Children’s Memorial Hospital of Chicago, the Big Shoulders Fund of the Archdiocese of Chicago, The Ireland Economic Advisory Board and Lyric Opera of Chicago.

A graduate of Notre Dame with a B.S. in business administration, McKenna was awarded the university’s Laetare Medal in 2000. He served on it’s board of trustees from 1992-2000. He is also a graduate of the DePaul University Law School where he received a Doctor of Jurisprudence. A second-generation Irish-American, McKenna has roots in Counties Mayo and Monaghan. He and his wife Joan have seven grown children and 22 grandchildren.

George Moore

Targus Information

George Moore is CEO and co-founder of Targus Information, a privately-held company specializing in integrating real-time intelligence about consumers and business into CRM (customer relationship management) and eCRM applications. He co-founded the company in 1993 to develop a new generation of information products using intelligent call processing. In addition to his role at Targus, Moore is chairman of Performix Technologies and Buyers Choice Media, and is chairman and owner of Erne Heritage Holdings, which owns Belleek and Galway Irish Crystal.

Moore joined CACI in 1976 and developed information systems that are now considered industry standards. Later, he founded National Decision Systems. He serves on the Ireland America Economic Advisory Board, the Northern Ireland Trade & Investment Council, and is a trustee of the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund. He earned graduate degrees from University College Dublin (UCD) and George Washington University. He received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from UCD in 1991. Moore is married with three children.

Thomas J. Moran

Mutual of America

As Chairman, President and CEO of Mutual of America – one of the nation’s preeminent life insurance companies – Tom Moran is a familiar face in the business world. Moran began his career with Mutual in 1975 as a pension underwriter and in 1994 he became the first CEO to emerge from within its ranks. He serves on many boards including Aer Lingus, National Committee on American Foreign Policy, the Smurfit Graduate School of Business at UCD, and the United Way of New York City. He is also chairman of Concern Worldwide (U.S.), and a member of the Taoiseach’s Economic Advisory Board.

Moran has been awarded the Calvary Medal, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Terence Cardinal Cooke Award, and has received an honorary doctorate in law from the National University of Ireland. A native New Yorker, Moran earned a B.S. from Manhattan College. He traces his Irish ancestors to County Fermanagh and County Tipperary, and lives in New York City with his wife Joan.

Anne Mulcahy

Xerox Corp.

Anne M. Mulcahy is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Xerox Corporation. It is the culmination of a 30-year career with the corporation, providing high-value technologies, products and solutions, document systems and services to business managers worldwide. Mulcahy joined the company in 1976 as a sales representative and held various sales and senior management positions. Named Vice President for Human Resources in 1992, Senior Vice President in 1998 and Executive Vice President in 1999, in 2000 she was elected President and COO. Finally in August 2001 she was named CEO of Xerox and chairman on Jan 1 2002.

In addition to the Xerox board, she is a member of the boards of directors of Catalyst, Citigroup Inc., Fuji Xerox Company, Ltd.. and Target Corporation, and is a member of The Business Council.

Mulcahy, who was born in Rockville Centre, New York, holds a B.A. in English/Journalism from Marymount. A second-generation Irish-American, she traces her roots to counties Cavan and Mayo.

Greg Murphy

Alliance Bernstein

Since 2001, Greg Murphy has been one of the preeminent figures in Alliance Bernstein Investment Management Institutional, a firm with over $659 billion in assets. Murphy is currently the senior vice president, regional director of the Western U.S. and is responsible for over $20 billion in institutional investment assets. In this position Murphy has focused on the marketing of the firm’s investment products to Microsoft, Intel, Hewlett Packard, and other Fortune 100 firms.

Prior to his time with Alliance Bernstein, Murphy spent 10 years with Mellon Institutional Investment Management. He graduated from the University of Bridgeport with a degree in marketing and while there was a member of the basketball team that went to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. Murphy received his M.B.A. from St. John’s University.

He is a third-generation Irish-American with ties to Cork and Dublin. He is a member of The American Ireland Fund in New York City and San Francisco. Murphy lives in Calabasas, California with his wife Allison McQuade and their three children, Ryan Luke and Gavin.

John V. Murphy

Oppenheimer Funds Inc.

John Murphy is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oppenheimer Funds, Inc. Since joining the company in August 2000, Murphy has focused his attention on growing the company beyond traditional mutual funds. His company has twelve offshore funds registered in Dublin

A graduate of Boston College and a certified public accountant, Murphy started his financial career with Arthur Andersen & Co. before becoming a founder of Liberty Financial Companies, Inc.

He recently joined the Board of Directors for Project Rebirth, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to documenting the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site. A member of The American Ireland Fund, Murphy is a second-generation Irish-American who traces his roots to Cork.

During his trips to Ireland, Murphy visits the farm where his grandfather was born. His favorite personal quote is, “When you wake up in the morning only you can decide what kind of attitude you will have.” Murphy lives in Cotuit, Massachusetts, with his wife, Kathleen and their three children.

Mike O’Driscoll

Aston Martin Jaguar

Mike O’Driscoll, president of Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America, is responsible for the marketing, sales and service of the company’s automobiles in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He has held this position since 2001.

O’Driscoll joined Jaguar Rover Triumph in 1975 as a business student, and held various positions in Finance, Product Development and Marketing. In 1987 he became Marketing and Product Planning Manager for Jaguar Cars North America, a position he held until 1992 when he was appointed General Sales Manager for the United States. O’Driscoll took a short break from Jaguar in 1995, when he went to work for Ford and Lincoln Mercury, where he held various senior management positions. He rejoined Jaguar in 1999 as president of Jaguar North America.

O’Driscoll, who was born in Coventry, England, to an Irish father from County Cork, has an MBA from the University of Warwick. He visits Ireland often and says that his fondest memories are of taking his children to see the country. He resides in Potomac, Maryland with his wife and children.

Tom O’Keefe

Tully’s Coffee Corporation

Starbucks’ attempt to lease space in one of Tom O’Keefe’s shopping centers in 1991 ‘brewed’ his interest in specialty coffee, and months later he founded Tully’s Coffee, a premiere West Coast

coffee chain. As well as being chairman of the board of Tully’s, O’Keefe is also founder, president and CEO of the O’Keefe Development Corporation, a real estate company.

O’Keefe donates a large portion of his time to nonprofit organizations. He received the “Breath of Life” award with his wife Cathy, for their efforts to cure cystic fibrosis. He has also been honored by Big Brothers, the UMC, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. O’Keefe is also a member of the United Way Million Dollar Roundtable.

O’Keefe is a graduate of the University of Washington. He and his wife Cathy have three children. He cites Henry Ford as an Irish-American inspiration, and says his most Irish characteristic is “Blarney…and proud of it!”

Robert C. O’Leary

Cox Enterprises Inc.

Bob O’Leary is executive vice president and CEO of Cox Enterprises, Inc., one of the nation’s leading media companies. He is responsible for the company’s treasury, financial reporting, tax and audit functions. He also serves on the board of directors at Cox.

O’Leary joined Cox in 1982 as vice president of finance for Cox Cable Communications (now Cox Communications, Inc). Working his way through the ranks, O’Leary became executive vice president and chief financial officer in December 1999.

A second-generation Irish-American, O’Leary, who was born in Boston, traces his roots to Cork on his father’s side and Armagh on his mother’s. He is a frequent visitor to Ireland on family trips as well as golfing expeditions. A magna cum laude graduate of Boston College with a bachelor’s degree in economics, he also holds a master’s degree in administration from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife, and three children, and serves on the board of directors of the Georgia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

John O’ Reilly

O’Reilly Law Group

John O’Reilly is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the O’Reilly Law Group, LLC, law offices providing full legal services with a focus on gaming. He is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Business Resource Group, and was formerly employed in public accounting at Ernst and Ernst. A participant in the gaming industry for over 30 years now, O’Reilly is the author of a number of related articles.

O’Reilly is a cum laude graduate of St. Louis University where he earned a Juris Doctor degree and a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Accounting. He is also a cum laude graduate of the University of Nevada Las Vegas with a master’s degree in Business Administration. He is a member of the UNLV International Gaming Institute Advisory Board and is Chairman of the Government Affairs Section of the International Association of Gaming Attorneys. O’Reilly is fourth-generation Irish-American with roots in County Cavan and County Mayo. He is a member of the Sons of Erin, the Emerald Society Police and Fire Board, and the Knights of Columbus. He resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife and four children.

Dennis J. Purcell

Aisling Capital

Dennis Purcell has served as the Senior Managing Director of Aisling Capital since February 2000. Prior to that, Purcell served as Managing Director of the Life Sciences Investment Banking Group at Chase H&Q (formerly Hambrecht & Quist, “H&Q”) for over 5 years, and served on the Executive Committee of Hambrecht & Quist. During his tenure, BioWorld and other industry publications cited H&Q as the leading underwriter of life sciences securities from 1995 through 1998. He was honored in the “Biotech Hall of Fame” by Genetic Engineering News in June 1998 and named to the Biotechnology All-Stars list by Forbes ASAP in May 1999. Purcell serves as a director of Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Valentis, Inc., Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Bridge Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)-Emerging Companies Section and the Irvington Institute. Purcell received a B.S. in Economics and Accounting from the University of Delaware and an M.B.A. from Harvard University. He is a second-generation Irish-American with family from Tyrone and Kilkenny. He is married with four children.

Dennis Quinn

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.

Dennis Quinn is the vice president of business development and Midwest sales manager for Turner Broadcasting System, a subsidiary of Time Warner, which is a major producer of news and entertainment around the world and the leading provider of programming for the cable industry. Quinn heads the company’s designated point group on all approved domestic new business activity, is responsible for guiding collaboration between the various Turner divisions that are involved in business development concerning new media, and the Internet and digital delivery platforms.

Before joining TBS in 1992, Quinn was an account director with Act Media and a regional manager for Whittle Communications. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from Virginia Military Institute and went on to serve as a U.S. Air Force Navigator and bombardier on B-52 bombers. He also served as an instructor at the United States Air Force Academy.

Quinn is a second-generation Irish-American with roots in County Mayo. He lives with his wife and two children in Plainfield, New Jersey.

Arthur F. Ryan

The Prudential Insurance Company

Arthur Ryan is chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial Inc., one of the largest diversified financial institutions in the world. When Ryan took his position in 1994, he became the first chairman and CEO in the company’s history to be elected from outside the company. Previously Ryan was president and COO of Chase Manhattan Bank, where he had a 22-year career. Ryan was named chairman of the American Council of Life Insurers in October 2003 and is co-chair of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Ryan is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the board of trustees of New York Presbyterian Hospital, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and co-chair of the board of Achieve, Inc., an organization created by U.S. governors and business leaders to drive high academic standards for public schools in the U.S.

He is a graduate of Providence College with a degree in mathematics. Ryan is a second-generation Irish-American with roots in Tipperary. He is married with four children.

John Ryan

Macrovision

Irish native John Ryan co-founded Macrovision Corporation in 1983, where he invented what came to be known as the Macrovision Process, the first technology that allowed the Hollywood studios to protect against illegal copying of videocassettes. During Macrovision's early years, the technology was used on billions of videocassettes but it was later adapted to protect many more billions of DVDs. Today, just about every DVD player worldwide includes Ryan's technology. Ryan holds over 60 U.S. patents in television camera design, video encryption and copy protection. Macrovision is now a NASDAQ traded company valued at over a billion dollars. It is a world leader in digital rights management and software licensing technologies to combat digital piracy. The company offers solutions that enable its customers to electronically control the use of digital content and software.

Ryan studied physics and mathematics at Galway University . He is a member of the board of the University of Limerick foundation and supports educational, cultural and community development initiatives in his hometown of Tipperary.

Patrick Ryan

Aon Corporation

As Aon’s chairman and CEO, Patrick Ryan has watched his company become the world’s largest reinsurance broker. Aon has 55,000 employees in more than 125 countries.

The company’s name: Aon, is Gaelic for one and isn’t its only Irish link. Aon has established reinsurance and risk management operations in Dublin’s International Financial Services Center, and has made substantial acquisitions of Irish-based companies operating in its sector.

Ryan was named one of America’s top ten corporate directors in 1998. Among his many honors are Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s 2001 Man of the Year, and the Order of Lincoln Medallion, Chicago’s highest award. In September 2003, he was honored by the Ireland-U.S. Council at a dinner in New York.

Ryan, who has roots in Tipperary, is chairman of the board of trustees of Northwestern University, his alma mater. He and his wife, Shirley, with whom he founded the Pathways Center for Children and the Pathways Awareness Foundation, have three sons.

Carl Shanahan

Shamrock Acquisitions

As president of Shamrock Acquisitions, Carl Shanahan is one of the most prominent Irish businessmen and patrons of Irish culture in Connecticut. Shanahan’s businesses employ over 1300 people and include a building maintenance company, Shamrock Building Services, Specialty Wire and Cable Company, a high technology cable and wire business, and one of Ireland’s best known luxury hotels, The Dunraven Arms in County Limerick. Not bad for a man who immigrated to the United States from Limerick with $2.80 in his pocket.

Shanahan is a co-founder and president of The Wild Geese, a Stamford-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the richness of the Irish experience, not just in the Irish-American community, but in the broader community as well. He is an active board member on a number of cultural organizations, including New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House, Ireland-U.S. Council and the Irish American Cultural Institute. Shanahan and his wife Mary live in Shippan Point. He is the father of six sons, two stepdaughters, one stepson, and grandfather of eighteen.

Dennis J Shaughnessy

FTI Consulting

Dennis Shaughnessy is Chairman of the Board of FTI Consulting, Inc. FTI is the premier provider of corporate finance/restructuring, forensic and litigation consulting and economic consulting. Before assuming his current position in 2004, Dennis was a general partner of the Grotech Capital Group. Shaughnessy’s prior experience includes positions as president and chief executive officer of CRI International, Inc. and Vice President in Charge of Corporate Financial Services Department for the Mercantile Bank and Trust Company.

A third-generation Irish-American, Shaughnessy traces his father’s family roots to Galway. FTI Consulting has a subsidiary in Dublin. He is also a member of the Friendly Sons of Patrick. He considers his temper and passion to be his most Irish characteristics.

Dennis graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in economics and has his J.D degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. He currently lives in Wellington, Florida with his wife and three children.

Joseph M. Sheridan

Wakefern Food Corporation

Joseph Sheridan has been the Executive Vice President of the Wakefern Food Corporation since 1996 after working his way through the company for 30 years. Wakefern is the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States and serves as the merchandising and distribution arm for ShopRite in most of the Northeast.

Sheridan worked in several management positions within Wakefern, including the Grocery, Direct Store Delivery, Bakery, and General Merchandise divisions. Along with his current responsibility as Executive Vice President, Sheridan serves on the Board of Directors of the National Grocers Association and is a member of the Food Marketing Institute’s Wholesale Advisor Board.

He was the recipient of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Breath of Life Award and the President’s Award from the Hillsborough Education Foundation.

Married with three children, Sheridan lives in Hillsborough, New Jersey. A second-generation Irish-American, he graduated from Kean University with a B.S. in Management Science.

Margaret Smyth

3M

Margaret Smyth is vice president and chief accounting officer for 3M. She is responsible for leading and managing the financial reporting. Prior to that she was senior partner in the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche. She has vast experience in IPOs and participates in structuring joint ventures. Before Deloitte, Smyth was an assurance partner at Andersen’s North American technology, media, and communications assurance practice. She also was one of 20 partners on Andersen’s CEO advisory council, and was responsible for a program with major league baseball that checked the integrity of baseball memorabilia.

Smyth is a second-generation Irish-American, and is an Irish citizen. She has roots in counties Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim. She is a member of the Ireland U.S. Council, The American Ireland Fund, and is a trustee of Fordham University. She received her B.A. at Fordham and her M.S. at New York University’s Stern School of Business, both in accounting. She is also on the board of trustees of the Catholic Home Bureau. She is married to Berney, and they have two sons.

Patrick Stokes

Anheuser-Busch Companies

Patrick Stokes is President and CEO of Anheuser-Busch Companies and chairman of Anheuser-Busch International. Stokes has been with the $17 billion international corporation for over 37 years, originally working in the corporate planning department. In 1990 he was named president of Anheuser-Busch Inc. and in 1999 he became chairman of Anheuser-Busch International Inc.

In 2000 he was elected to the board of directors and in 2002 he took over as CEO, and assumed charge of all manufacturing activity. Under the leadership of Stokes the company has continued to grow and today holds 48.7 percent of the domestic beer industry. Stokes received a bachelor’s in mathematics from Boston College in 1964 and got his M.B.A. from Columbia University. In 1991 he was presented with the Boston College Award for Excellence in Commerce. Before joining Anheuser-Busch, Stokes served for two years in the U.S. Army.

A second-generation Irish-American, Stokes traces his Irish heritage through his father’s family to Limerick and returns regularly. He feels his most Irish characteristic is his sense of humor.

James T Sullivan

CBS

Jim Sullivan began his position as president, national sales of CBS Television Stations in February 2006. He is currently responsible for the national sales of 21 television stations. Prior to his new position, Sullivan was the vice president and director of sales for CBS’s Chicago-owned station, WBBM-TV where he was responsible for re-staffing both the management and local sales staff. His duties also included developing a new business initiative.

Before going into television sales, Sullivan worked in the banking industry where his positions included the handling of institutional sales, fixed income, foreign exchange and bond funds.

Born in Bayside, New York, Sullivan attended St. John’s University in New York where he received both his B.A. in Finance and an M.B.A. in International Finance. He is a second generation Irish-American with roots in Cork and Kerry. Sullivan enjoys the music of U2 and is planning on visiting Ireland again soon. After watching this year’s Ryder Cup he is looking forward to playing the K Club golf course.

Sullivan currently lives in Manhasset, New York with his wife and son.

Dennis Swanson

Fox Television Stations Group

Dennis Swanson became President of Station Operations, Fox Television Stations Group in 2005. In this role he helps manage the 35 Fox owned-and-operated stations across the country. Before working for Fox, he was the executive vice president and COO of the Viacom Television Stations Group. In his previous capacity, as head of WNBC Channel 4 in New York, he was named “Broadcaster of the Year” by Broadcasting & Cable, an industry trade publication.

Swanson has received recognition throughout his career, including the George Foster Peabody Award and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. He was recently re-elected chairman of the board of trustees of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is a member of the Ireland-US Council for Commerce and Industry.

Born in California, Swanson was raised in Springfield, Illinois and has Irish ancestry from County Mayo. His great-grandfather emigratedduring the famine in 1848. Swanson is married with three children and nine grandchildren.

Anne Sweeney

ABC Cable Networks Group

Being named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” by Fortune magazine and one of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women,” by Forbes, comes naturally to Anne Sweeney.

As co-chairman of Media Networks, The Walt Disney Co., and president of the Disney-ABC Television Group, Sweeney has risen through the ranks of television with one success after another. She has presided over a quadrupling of Disney Channel subscribers, and the launch of the successful SOAPnet and Toon Disney channels. In 2004 she was awarded the Cable Television Public Affairs Association’s President’s Award.

Sweeney, who earned her B.A. from the College of New Rochelle and her Ed.M. from Harvard, traces her Irish background to Meath, Kerry and Mayo. Active in both industry and community organizations, Sweeney was elected a director of the International Council of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in March 2001. She, her husband, Philip Miller, and their two children and reside in Los Angeles.

William D. Walsh

Sequoia Associates

William Walsh is founder and chairman of Sequoia Associates LLC, a private investment firm that specializes in leveraged buyouts. He is also the chairman of Creativity, Inc. and Ameriscape Inc., and serves on the board of directors of URS Corporation. Before founding Sequoia he was senior vice president and chief administrative officer of Arcata Corporation and prior to that was a consultant with McKinsey and Company.

Walsh is a member of the Knights of Malta. He has been on the board of the American Ireland Fund since 1997, the Hoover Institution since 1998, and on the advisory board of Trinity College’s Neuroscience Institute in Dublin, Ireland since 2004. He received honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Fordham in 2003 and Trinity in 2005. He also received his B.A. from Fordham University and his J.D from Harvard.

Walsh is first-generation Irish-American on his father’s side and third on his mother’s side. He traces his family roots to County Mayo. He is married with six children.