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.
Michael Dowling
President and CEO of Northwell Health
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
Michael Dowling is one of health care’s most influential voices, taking a stand on societal issues such as gun violence and immigration that many health system CEOs shy away from. As president and CEO of Northwell Health, he leads a clinical, academic and research enterprise with a workforce of more than 83,000 and an annual operating budget of $16.5 billion. Mr. Dowling has been honored with many awards over the years. In 2020, he received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad, which recognizes individuals for their contributions to Ireland and to Irish communities abroad, presented by the President of Ireland. He also received an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and is a board member of the Foreign Policy Association. In addition, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and a number of honorary degrees from Fordham University, University College Dublin (Ireland) and the prestigious Queen’s University Belfast. In 2020, Mr. Dowling received the Deming Cup from the Columbia Business School and has been ranked No. 1 on Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2022. In 2017, he served as the Grand Marshal of the Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC. He also chairs the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Prior to joining Northwell in 1995, Mr. Dowling served in New York State government for 12 years. He held several leadership roles, including director of health, education and human services; commissioner of social services and deputy secretary and chief adviser to former Governor Mario Cuomo. Mr. Dowling was previously a professor of social policy and an assistant dean of Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Services.
President and CEO of Northwell Health
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
Michael Dowling is one of health care’s most influential voices, taking a stand on societal issues such as gun violence and immigration that many health system CEOs shy away from. As president and CEO of Northwell Health, he leads a clinical, academic and research enterprise with a workforce of more than 83,000 and an annual operating budget of $16.5 billion. Mr. Dowling has been honored with many awards over the years. In 2020, he received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad, which recognizes individuals for their contributions to Ireland and to Irish communities abroad, presented by the President of Ireland. He also received an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and is a board member of the Foreign Policy Association. In addition, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and a number of honorary degrees from Fordham University, University College Dublin (Ireland) and the prestigious Queen’s University Belfast. In 2020, Mr. Dowling received the Deming Cup from the Columbia Business School and has been ranked No. 1 on Modern Healthcare’s 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare in 2022. In 2017, he served as the Grand Marshal of the Patrick’s Day Parade in NYC. He also chairs the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Prior to joining Northwell in 1995, Mr. Dowling served in New York State government for 12 years. He held several leadership roles, including director of health, education and human services; commissioner of social services and deputy secretary and chief adviser to former Governor Mario Cuomo. Mr. Dowling was previously a professor of social policy and an assistant dean of Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Services.
John Matson
Partner, Head of International of Arthur Cox
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
John is a corporate partner and Head of International at the leading Irish law firm, Arthur Cox. Arthur Cox has been in business for over 100 years and currently has a staff of almost 800, with more than 450 legal professionals including 90 partners. Based in Dublin, Arthur Cox also has offices in Belfast, London, New York and San Francisco. The firm was established by Arthur Cox in 1920 as a law firm for corporate clients. Arthur Cox himself was the foremost Irish lawyer of his generation, became President of the Irish Law Society and was a Senator in the Irish Government. Interestingly, when he retired in 1961 following the death of his wife, he became a Jesuit priest and was part of a mission to Zambia where he died following a car accident in 1965. A significant number of young lawyers from the firm have travelled to Zambia annually to conduct various pro bono projects in his memory. The firm has always enjoyed the strongest of links with the U.S. and first established an office in North America in 1980. The firm prides itself on delivering U.S. standards of service and enjoys strong relationships with the leading U.S. law firms. John specialises in corporate law and has a broad corporate practice including advising on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, loan portfolio acquisitions, private equity transactions, corporate governance matters for both regulated and unregulated entities and other complex corporate transactions. He also deals extensively with overseas clients and counsel on the establishment of business operations in Ireland and in respect of ongoing Irish legal requirements and issues. His practice has a strong U.S. focus, and he takes pride in having advised many U.S. corporations, across multiple industries, in establishing operations, and in entering into transactions of various kinds, in Ireland. John has, during the course of his career, headed up both Arthur Cox’s London and New York offices, headed up one of the firm’s M&A teams served on the firm’s Management Committee and currently serves on the firm’s Policy Committee. John has served on the Board of Directors of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading Association of Independent Law Firms (of which Arthur Cox is the Irish member) and was Chairman of Lex Mundi in 2016. He currently serves as an officer of the International Bar Association as part of its Law Firm Management Committee. John is originally from Bantry in West Cork and is a graduate of University College Cork and the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business. He is admitted to practise law in Ireland, England and Wales and New York. John lives in Dublin with his wife, Claudia, and two sons, James (14) and Conor (12).
Partner, Head of International of Arthur Cox
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
John is a corporate partner and Head of International at the leading Irish law firm, Arthur Cox. Arthur Cox has been in business for over 100 years and currently has a staff of almost 800, with more than 450 legal professionals including 90 partners. Based in Dublin, Arthur Cox also has offices in Belfast, London, New York and San Francisco. The firm was established by Arthur Cox in 1920 as a law firm for corporate clients. Arthur Cox himself was the foremost Irish lawyer of his generation, became President of the Irish Law Society and was a Senator in the Irish Government. Interestingly, when he retired in 1961 following the death of his wife, he became a Jesuit priest and was part of a mission to Zambia where he died following a car accident in 1965. A significant number of young lawyers from the firm have travelled to Zambia annually to conduct various pro bono projects in his memory. The firm has always enjoyed the strongest of links with the U.S. and first established an office in North America in 1980. The firm prides itself on delivering U.S. standards of service and enjoys strong relationships with the leading U.S. law firms. John specialises in corporate law and has a broad corporate practice including advising on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, loan portfolio acquisitions, private equity transactions, corporate governance matters for both regulated and unregulated entities and other complex corporate transactions. He also deals extensively with overseas clients and counsel on the establishment of business operations in Ireland and in respect of ongoing Irish legal requirements and issues. His practice has a strong U.S. focus, and he takes pride in having advised many U.S. corporations, across multiple industries, in establishing operations, and in entering into transactions of various kinds, in Ireland. John has, during the course of his career, headed up both Arthur Cox’s London and New York offices, headed up one of the firm’s M&A teams served on the firm’s Management Committee and currently serves on the firm’s Policy Committee. John has served on the Board of Directors of Lex Mundi, the world’s leading Association of Independent Law Firms (of which Arthur Cox is the Irish member) and was Chairman of Lex Mundi in 2016. He currently serves as an officer of the International Bar Association as part of its Law Firm Management Committee. John is originally from Bantry in West Cork and is a graduate of University College Cork and the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business. He is admitted to practise law in Ireland, England and Wales and New York. John lives in Dublin with his wife, Claudia, and two sons, James (14) and Conor (12).
Basil Geoghegan
Partner of PJT Partners
Chair of daa plc
Independent Non-Executive Director of AIB Group plc
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
Basil Geoghegan is a partner at PJT Partners, a leading independent investment bank listed on NYSE. He is also chairman of daa plc and an independent non-executive director of AIB Group plc. Prior to becoming a founding partner of PJT Partners in 2015, he was a managing director at Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup. He started his career as a solicitor with Slaughter and May in London. He was previously a non-executive director of the Irish Aviation Authority. As chair of the Ireland Funds of Great Britain, he focused on raising funds for the Forgotten Irish campaign, assisting Irish women who had suffered in industrial schools and Magdalene laundries. In 2011 he climbed Mount Everest and held a flag for the Forgotten Irish at the summit, raising funds and drawing attention to the difficulties experienced by an earlier generation of Irish emigrants to Great Britain. He was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and attended Trinity College Dublin where he graduated with an LL.B. in 1990. He was elected a Scholar of Dublin University in 1988. He also received an Irish government scholarship to study at the European University Institute in Florence, where he obtained a Master’s Degree in competition law in 1991. He is married to Emer and they have 4 daughters.
Partner of PJT Partners
Chair of daa plc
Independent Non-Executive Director of AIB Group plc
Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award
Basil Geoghegan is a partner at PJT Partners, a leading independent investment bank listed on NYSE. He is also chairman of daa plc and an independent non-executive director of AIB Group plc. Prior to becoming a founding partner of PJT Partners in 2015, he was a managing director at Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup. He started his career as a solicitor with Slaughter and May in London. He was previously a non-executive director of the Irish Aviation Authority. As chair of the Ireland Funds of Great Britain, he focused on raising funds for the Forgotten Irish campaign, assisting Irish women who had suffered in industrial schools and Magdalene laundries. In 2011 he climbed Mount Everest and held a flag for the Forgotten Irish at the summit, raising funds and drawing attention to the difficulties experienced by an earlier generation of Irish emigrants to Great Britain. He was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1968 and attended Trinity College Dublin where he graduated with an LL.B. in 1990. He was elected a Scholar of Dublin University in 1988. He also received an Irish government scholarship to study at the European University Institute in Florence, where he obtained a Master’s Degree in competition law in 1991. He is married to Emer and they have 4 daughters.
Event Location & Date
October 5, 2023The Plaza Hotel, 768 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10019
Attire: Black Tie
Reception: 6:30 pm, Dinner: 7:30 pm