Every October, the Ireland Chamber of Commerce-USA (ICCUSA) hosts the American Celtic Ball, an awards banquet/dinner dance, attended by more than a hundred business and government leaders from Ireland, the US and around the world. The event is held at the famous Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, New York which honors individuals who have demonstrated a commitment of excellence through business, philanthropy, commerce, education and the arts. This invitation-only dinner has become extremely popular while offering our ICCUSA members a valuable networking opportunity.
In addition to our philanthropic endeavors throughout the evening, a portion of the proceeds from the American Celtic Ball will also benefit the ICCUSA Foundation or also known as the Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life (ASLFL) program. The youth leadership development program works to inspire and enable young adults (ages 15 to 18 years old) all across the globe to become confident and effective leaders, as well as good stewards of their local and global communities.
Mr. Anthony P.J. Smurfit
Group CEO, Smurfit Kappa Group plc
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
Tony Smurfit is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Smurfit Kappa Group plc (SKG), one of the leading providers of paper-based packaging solutions in the world. He was Chief Operations Officer from November 2002 to September 2015 and he has held a number of other management positions having worked in various parts of the organisation both in the United States and Europe since he joined the company in 1986. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1989. Today Smurfit Kappa operates in 36 countries globally and employs 48,000 people. The company is currently listed on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges and has a market capitalisation of approximately €11.7 billion. He was born in Wigan, England in 1963 and following his early schooling in Ireland, he attended the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania where he graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Management Science. He is a former Director of Aer Rianta (the Irish Airport Authority which is owned by the Irish Government), the Irish National Stud (an Irish Government owned operation), C&C plc, Ibec (Irish Business Employers Confederation) and currently sits on the Board of ERT (European Round Table of Industry), and CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries). He was appointed Honorary Consul of Mexico to Ireland in 2003 and was honoured by the French Government in 2004 when he was nominated Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour. He was subsequently nominated Commander of the French Legion of Honour in 2017. He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration and is a member of the Turf Club of Ireland. He is married to Sharon and they have 4 children.
Group CEO, Smurfit Kappa Group plc
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
Tony Smurfit is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Smurfit Kappa Group plc (SKG), one of the leading providers of paper-based packaging solutions in the world. He was Chief Operations Officer from November 2002 to September 2015 and he has held a number of other management positions having worked in various parts of the organisation both in the United States and Europe since he joined the company in 1986. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1989. Today Smurfit Kappa operates in 36 countries globally and employs 48,000 people. The company is currently listed on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges and has a market capitalisation of approximately €11.7 billion. He was born in Wigan, England in 1963 and following his early schooling in Ireland, he attended the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania where he graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Management Science. He is a former Director of Aer Rianta (the Irish Airport Authority which is owned by the Irish Government), the Irish National Stud (an Irish Government owned operation), C&C plc, Ibec (Irish Business Employers Confederation) and currently sits on the Board of ERT (European Round Table of Industry), and CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries). He was appointed Honorary Consul of Mexico to Ireland in 2003 and was honoured by the French Government in 2004 when he was nominated Chevalier of the French Legion of Honour. He was subsequently nominated Commander of the French Legion of Honour in 2017. He holds an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration and is a member of the Turf Club of Ireland. He is married to Sharon and they have 4 children.
Ms. Adaire Fox-Martin
President of Google Cloud, International Head of Google Ireland
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
As president of Google Cloud International, Adaire Fox-Martin is responsible for Google Cloud’s go-to-market teams across the EMEA, APAC and Japan regions, comprising sales, technical account management, professional services, and customer success. Adaire also holds the role of Head of Google Ireland, representing Google’s largest technology hub outside Silicon Valley. Adaire brings to Google customers more than 25 years’ experience in the business-technology sector, delivering exceptional value and outcomes to organizations of all geographies, industries, and sizes. Prior to her role as president for Google Cloud International, Adaire led the organization’s EMEA region. Before joining Google Cloud, Adaire served on the Executive Board of SAP SE, leading the company’s global sales, services, and customer engagement teams, serving over 440,000 customers. She also held various leadership roles at Oracle. Adaire is a passionate advocate of social entrepreneurship. She is Global Executive Sponsor for Social Enterprise at Google and is the founder of One Billion Lives, a global initiative helping organizations apply their core business, internal resources, and ecosystems to form social ventures that deliver humanitarian and environmental impact – with the ultimate aim to improve the lives of over one billion people. Adaire also serves as the Global Buy-Social Ambassador for Social Enterprise UK. As an internationally recognized technology leader, Adaire is often featured at external events as a speaker and panelist including at the World Economic Forum in Davos and Web Summit. Adaire has been named to Fortune Magazine’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women International List four times. She also serves on the Board of Directors of digital-infrastructure company Equinix. Adaire is a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin and maintains citizenship in Ireland, the European Union, and Australia.
President of Google Cloud, International Head of Google Ireland
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
As president of Google Cloud International, Adaire Fox-Martin is responsible for Google Cloud’s go-to-market teams across the EMEA, APAC and Japan regions, comprising sales, technical account management, professional services, and customer success. Adaire also holds the role of Head of Google Ireland, representing Google’s largest technology hub outside Silicon Valley. Adaire brings to Google customers more than 25 years’ experience in the business-technology sector, delivering exceptional value and outcomes to organizations of all geographies, industries, and sizes. Prior to her role as president for Google Cloud International, Adaire led the organization’s EMEA region. Before joining Google Cloud, Adaire served on the Executive Board of SAP SE, leading the company’s global sales, services, and customer engagement teams, serving over 440,000 customers. She also held various leadership roles at Oracle. Adaire is a passionate advocate of social entrepreneurship. She is Global Executive Sponsor for Social Enterprise at Google and is the founder of One Billion Lives, a global initiative helping organizations apply their core business, internal resources, and ecosystems to form social ventures that deliver humanitarian and environmental impact – with the ultimate aim to improve the lives of over one billion people. Adaire also serves as the Global Buy-Social Ambassador for Social Enterprise UK. As an internationally recognized technology leader, Adaire is often featured at external events as a speaker and panelist including at the World Economic Forum in Davos and Web Summit. Adaire has been named to Fortune Magazine’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women International List four times. She also serves on the Board of Directors of digital-infrastructure company Equinix. Adaire is a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin and maintains citizenship in Ireland, the European Union, and Australia.
Mr. E. Neville Isdell
Interim Chair of WWF, Founder of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, Former Chair and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Award
Neville Isdell is the former chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company where he worked for 43 years. Mr. Isdell took the world’s largest beverage company to new heights during his tenure. He expanded on the company’s proud legacy of corporate responsibility by embedding sustainability throughout every facet of the organization and helping ensure its role as a community-connected twenty-first century enterprise. These efforts resulted in The Coca-Cola Company’s return to Fortune’s “World’s 100 Most Admired Companies” list in 2006. In 2009, the company moved up to the #12 spot in the global ranking. A native of Ireland, Mr. Isdell joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1966 in Zambia. In 1972, he became general manager of Coca-Cola Bottling of Johannesburg. Mr. Isdell was named region manager for Australia in 1980. In 1981, he became president of the bottling joint venture between The Coca-Cola Company and San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines. In 1985, he became president of the company’s Central European Division. In 1989, he was elected senior vice president of the company and appointed president of the Northeast Europe/Africa Group and led the company’s re-entry into new markets in India, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. In 1995, he was named president of the Greater Europe Group. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Isdell served as chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Plc in Great Britain. He retired as vice chairman of Coca-Cola HBC in December 2001. From January 2002 to May 2004, Mr. Isdell was an international consultant to The Coca-Cola Company. In June 2004, Mr. Isdell came out of retirement to lead The Coca-Cola Company as chairman and CEO. He retired in 2009. Mr. Isdell serves on the boards of a number of NGOs, including the World Wildlife Fund where he is Interim Chair. Mr. Isdell was also former co-chair of the Investment Climate Facility for Africa and a former member of the Board of Directors of General Motors. He is a recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award. Mr. Isdell received a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from the University of Cape Town and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School PMD. He is the recipient of four honorary degrees.
Interim Chair of WWF, Founder of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, Former Chair and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Award
Neville Isdell is the former chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company where he worked for 43 years. Mr. Isdell took the world’s largest beverage company to new heights during his tenure. He expanded on the company’s proud legacy of corporate responsibility by embedding sustainability throughout every facet of the organization and helping ensure its role as a community-connected twenty-first century enterprise. These efforts resulted in The Coca-Cola Company’s return to Fortune’s “World’s 100 Most Admired Companies” list in 2006. In 2009, the company moved up to the #12 spot in the global ranking. A native of Ireland, Mr. Isdell joined The Coca-Cola Company in 1966 in Zambia. In 1972, he became general manager of Coca-Cola Bottling of Johannesburg. Mr. Isdell was named region manager for Australia in 1980. In 1981, he became president of the bottling joint venture between The Coca-Cola Company and San Miguel Corporation in the Philippines. In 1985, he became president of the company’s Central European Division. In 1989, he was elected senior vice president of the company and appointed president of the Northeast Europe/Africa Group and led the company’s re-entry into new markets in India, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. In 1995, he was named president of the Greater Europe Group. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Isdell served as chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Plc in Great Britain. He retired as vice chairman of Coca-Cola HBC in December 2001. From January 2002 to May 2004, Mr. Isdell was an international consultant to The Coca-Cola Company. In June 2004, Mr. Isdell came out of retirement to lead The Coca-Cola Company as chairman and CEO. He retired in 2009. Mr. Isdell serves on the boards of a number of NGOs, including the World Wildlife Fund where he is Interim Chair. Mr. Isdell was also former co-chair of the Investment Climate Facility for Africa and a former member of the Board of Directors of General Motors. He is a recipient of the Clinton Global Citizen Award. Mr. Isdell received a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from the University of Cape Town and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School PMD. He is the recipient of four honorary degrees.
Event Location & Date
Thursday, October 27, 2022The Plaza Hotel, 768 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
Attire: Black Tie
Reception: 6:30 pm, Dinner: 7:30 pm