27th Annual American Celtic Ball – 2015

Mr. William McMorrow
Chairman and CEO of Kennedy Wilson
Recipient of The Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award

William McMorrow is chairman and CEO of Kennedy Wilson, which he purchased in 1988. Beginning with just one office and eleven employees, today Kennedy Wilson has 25 offices in the U.S., U.K., Ireland, Spain, Jersey and Japan with 450 corporate employees and 4,000 operating employees as well as assets under management of more than $18 billion, including over 71 million sq. ft. of office, retail and industrial properties and 20,000+ multifamily units. In November of 2009, the company went public and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Kennedy Wilson Japan went public in 2002 and is currently listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Kennedy Wilson Europe was established in 2011 and now has offices in Dublin and London, employing a team of more than 70 professionals. In December 2013, the company acquired an interest in a Spanish property management and loan servicing business with 260 employees and €20 billion of assets under management. One of the earliest investors in Ireland, Kennedy Wilson has quickly become one of the top commercial property owners in the country. In 2011, the company served as the catalyst and lead investor in the recapitalization of the Bank of Ireland. Kennedy Wilson today has more than $8 billion of assets in Ireland and the U.K. In early 2014, Kennedy Wilson Europe Real Estate plc was established and listed on the London Stock Exchange. The $1.7 billion IPO represents the largest real estate vehicle listing since the economic downturn and the second largest real estate IPO in the history of the London Stock Exchange. Numerous publications have profiled Kennedy Wilson and Mr. McMorrow, including the New York Times, Irish Times, Estates Gazette, Los Angeles Business Journal and PERE. In 2012, Real Estate Forum magazine selected Mr. McMorrow as one of Southern California's Real Estate Icons. Mr. McMorrow attended Loyola High School and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business and MBA from the University of Southern California. He serves on the Executive Board of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate and is involved in numerous Southern California charities, including Chrysalis, which honored him with the Spirit of Chrysalis Award in 2005, the Rape Treatment Center, USC, Windward High School, the Village School and Loyola High School, which honored him with the Cahalan Award for Distinguished Alumni in 2010. Additionally, Mr. McMorrow is a member of the Loyola High School Board of Regents and Windward School Board. Recently, he endowed the William J. McMorrow Global Real Estate Program at the USC Marshall School of Business. Join

Ms. Kathleen A. Murphy
President of Personal Investing of Fidelity Investments
Recipient of The Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award

Kathleen Murphy is president of Personal Investing, a Fidelity Investments company that provides retail brokerage, mutual funds, managed accounts, annuities and other financial products and services to millions of individual investors. Ms. Murphy is also responsible for Fidelity’s life insurance and annuities business, its workplace savings business for tax-exempt organizations, all of the firm’s brand and advertising programs, its online strategies through Fidelity.com, and Fidelity’s mobile device applications. Ms. Murphy, a 25-year industry veteran, oversees a business with more than $1.7 trillion in client assets under administration, more than 15 million customer accounts and over 12,000 employees. Her business is the nation’s No.1 provider of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) , one of the largest brokerage businesses , one of the largest providers of mutual fund managed account programs , and one of the leading providers of college savings plans. Prior to joining Fidelity, Ms. Murphy was CEO of ING U.S. Wealth Management, leading the Defined Contribution, Defined Benefit, Retirement Solutions, Annuities, and ING Advisors Network businesses. Ms. Murphy began her career with Aetna, spending 15 years in a variety of legal and government affairs positions, eventually serving as general counsel and chief compliance officer, Aetna Financial Services. Ms. Murphy received her bachelor of arts degree, summa cum laude, in economics and political science from Fairfield University in 1984. She earned her juris doctorate with highest honors from the University of Connecticut in 1987. Ms. Murphy sits on the Board of Directors of America’s Promise Alliance and the National Football Foundation. Ms. Murphy has repeatedly been named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in American Business” by Fortune magazine, one of the “Wall Street Top 50” and “Business 100” by Irish America magazine and named as one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Finance” by US Banker, among other honors.

Anthony J. Orlando
Director of Covanta Holding Corporation
Recipient of The Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award

Mr. Orlando has been a member of the Board of Directors of Covanta Holding Corporation since September 2005 and serves on the Public Policy and Technology Committee and the Finance Committee. From 2004 until March 2015, Mr. Orlando served as Covanta’s president and chief executive officer. Mr. Orlando joined Covanta in 1987, holding numerous leadership positions in business development, construction, operations and finance throughout his 25+ year tenure. His industry accolades include recognition by the National Safety Council as one of the CEOs Who “Get It,” and being named a top CEO Leader in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) by STEMconnector®. In addition, Mr. Orlando received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the art and science of engineering and was honored with the Energy Innovator Award from the United States Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Mr. Joe Kennedy
Chairman of Ireland West Airport Knock
Recipient of The Albert Schweitzer’s Leadership for Life Award

Let me tell you about Joe Kennedy - a family man and business man who has spent his life helping others and serving God. A man who built up a successful civil engineering empire and has used his quick wits, kindness and philanthropy to make a difference to generations on a global scale - state-side to the UK and throughout Ireland. Joe’s story starts here in Manhattan in 1936 where he was born to Irish emigrant parents, Patrick and Catherine. In 1940 the Second World War turned a Kennedy family holiday to Ireland into a life changing voyage as they found themselves stranded in Ireland without a safe ship passage back to America, so set up home in County Mayo. To help keep the family business and siblings afloat, at just 16 Joe joined thousands before him and became an economic emigrant and sought his fortune across the Irish Sea in the United Kingdom. It was in England that he met his wife, fellow Irish emigrant Kathleen Keaveney from County Roscommon. After marrying in 1960 they were blessed with 7 children, 13 grandchildren and one great grandchild, many are here today to celebrate this special day with Joe. It was a humble business start-up for Joe in 1959 with only 3 shovels and a wheelbarrow. But from his first successful business deal worth £30 he’d hit the road running and there was no stopping him. And as they say...the rest is history! Having enormous success with Kennedy Construction Group, he expanded the workforce nationally and internationally, notably throughout the Middle East and America. Supporting charities and helping others has been Joe’s life work, over the years contributing very substantial financial assistance. A committed philanthropist, to support this work Joe set up a registered Charity in 1975 and later in 1995 established The Kennedy Charitable Foundation. These contributions have seen more than 2 million devoted to charities in the West of Ireland. Throughout the Northern Ireland Peace Process Joe worked alongside Dr Martin McAleese, the husband of former Irish President Mary McAleese financing many community based projects to help bring young people together whatever their politics or religion. He gave generously to both the Protestant and Catholic Cathedrals in Belfast for their major refurbishment and supported the wonderful Presbyterian Minister Reverend Ruth Patterson of the Restoration Ministries, who work tirelessly to build bridges between all parts of a badly divided sectarian Northern Ireland. Joe has also played a significant role in establishing Ireland’s first Catholic University called the Newman Institute in County Mayo, as well as financing the burials of around a thousand Irish ex-patriots, helping to lay hundreds to rest in their native soil. Two of his most recent charitable endeavours include the writing of his acclaimed biography ´On the Strength of a Ten Bob Note´ which raised a substantial amount for charity and helping his beloved Knock Shrine in County Mayo with the installation of a magnificent stained glass window in the new Basilica. Joe now serves as Chairman of Ireland West Airport Knock where he gives his services for free. Since 2002 Joe has been involved in helping the airport enter a new era of success with passenger numbers increasing from 100 thousand to over 700 thousand. In 2009 the airport named its new airport terminal the ‘Kennedy Terminal’ in recognition of his significant contribution to the growth and development of the airport. Joe has been the recipient of many honours for his charitable work. In 1999 he was awarded by the Manchester Mayo Association, was named Mayo Man of the Year in 2010 and in 2011 Joe received an Honorary Masters of Commerce Degree from Galway University. Joe is a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great, and is extremely proud to have received not one, but two papal honours - the first in 2002 from His Holiness Pope John Paul II and the second in 2013 from His Holiness Pope Benedict in 2013. As you’ve heard Joe’s story is that of a truly extraordinary man. A man whose achievements span decades and are testament to his business acumen, his drive and seemingly unending energy, all driven by his huge charitable heart, a tremendous sense of humour and of course his legendary singing voice! Please welcome Joe Kennedy…