30th Annual American Celtic Ball – 2018

Mr. Patrick F. Coveney
Chief Executive Officer of Greencore Group plc
Recipient of the Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award

Patrick Coveney is CEO of Greencore Group plc, a position he has held for 10 years; prior to this, Patrick also served as the Group’s CFO. Greencore’s annual revenue is c. £2.3 billion, more than 40% of which comes from the US. Greencore employs more than 15,000 employees across Ireland, the UK and the US. Prior to joining Greencore, Patrick was a Partner at McKinsey & Company focussed on the food and beverage industry; finishing his career there as Managing Partner for McKinsey in Ireland. He is a Non-Executive Director of Glanbia plc, Non-Executive Chairman of Core Media Group and he sits on the Commercial Board of Munster Rugby. Patrick is a former Rhodes Scholar at New College, Oxford (earning an M.Phil and D.Phil in Management Studies) and he holds a B.Comm (First Class) from University College Cork. Aged 47, Patrick lives in Dublin with his wife and four children.

Mr. Kevin P. Conlin
Chairman, President and CEO of Horizon BCBSNJ
Recipient of the Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award

Kevin P. Conlin is Chairman, President and CEO of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Mr. Conlin has over 35 years of executive management experience in health care, with a concentration in hospital systems, provider management, and managed care business. He has an extensive and diverse background in the hospital industry where he has held several leadership positions. Prior to being named Chairman, President and CEO of Horizon BCBSNJ, Mr. Conlin was the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, he was responsible for directing and managing all business activities of Horizon BCBSNJ, ensuring the implementation of company-wide strategy and driving operational excellence throughout the organization. Mr. Conlin joined Horizon BCBSNJ in 2012 as Executive Vice President, Healthcare Management, responsible for the company’s health care services, pharmacy, quality, network management and government programs divisions. During this time, Mr. Conlin was the architect of the Company’s valued-based health care strategy which is focused on transforming health care in the state to improve quality and the patient experience, and lower costs. Prior to joining Horizon BCBSNJ, Mr. Conlin served as Executive Vice President at Coventry Healthcare where he headed the company’s medical management, national contracting, and provider relations departments. He was instrumental in leading innovative partnerships with health systems and physician groups. Mr. Conlin also served as President & CEO of Via Christi Health, a Kansas-based integrated health system with eight hospitals, a health insurance company, senior care facilities, physician practices, and home-based and outpatient services. Before joining Via Christi Health, he was President of Cross Country Consulting. Prior to that engagement, Mr. Conlin was President & CEO of Partners First, a subsidiary of Ascension Health. Mr. Conlin holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Rutgers University and a Master’s degree in Health Administration from Duke University.

Ms. Cathriona Hallahan
Managing Director for Ireland of Microsoft
Recipient of the Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award

Cathriona Hallahan is Managing Director for Microsoft in Ireland, responsible for driving Microsoft’s commercial and consumer business on the island of Ireland. In addition to managing the continued growth and expansion of the business, Cathriona also represents the Company in Ireland on all strategic policy, corporate affairs and communications issues including overseeing a number of community, education and innovation programmes. Cathriona joined Microsoft in 1986 and over the past 31 years has held a variety of senior roles in both Finance and Operations. She has managed large teams with regional and global responsibilities across a range of functions including global responsibilities for Microsoft Business Services and Enterprise Services, as well as directing Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Customer Care and IT & Financial support for Europe, Middle East and Africa. In addition to her Microsoft responsibilities Cathriona also sits on the boards of Solas, the Children’s Hospital Group Board, IBEC Board, IBEC National Council, UCD Advisory Board to the President of the College, National Competitiveness Council and the DanceSport Federation Board of Ireland. Cathriona is also Chair of IBEC’s Innovation, Science and Technology Policy Committee. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum, Institute of Directors, Institute of Accounting Technicians (IATI) and is a fellow of ACCA. Cathriona is a qualified Executive Coach, and is passionate about Change Management and Leadership Development. In June 2015 the Women’s Executive Network inducted her into its Hall of Fame following three successive years of recognition as one of Ireland’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women. She was awarded CEO Businesswoman of the Year 2014 by Image Magazine: 2009 O2 WMB Businesswoman of the Year, Business & Finance Person of the Month during 2013, and honoured with the Praeses Elit Award from Trinity College Dublin 2017.

Mr. Gerald Lawless
Former Chairman, World Travel and Tourism Council Chairman, Irish Business Network Honorary President, Jumeirah Group
Recipient of the Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award

Gerald Lawless started his career with Forte Hotels which culminated in him setting up and growing Forte’s operations in the Middle East. After a 23-year career with Forte Hotels, he joined Jumeirah in 1997 as the founding CEO and helped establish it as one of the premier luxury hotel brands in the world. Taking on the challenge of launching Burj Al Arab, the world’s most luxurious hotel, after the successful introduction of Jumeirah Beach Hotel to an eager travelling public, he oversaw the expansion of the Jumeirah luxury brand to twenty hotels in operation with a pipeline of up to twenty five new properties. Gerald is a Graduate of Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland and holds an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration in Hospitality Management by the Johnson & Wales University, State of Rhode Island, USA; an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by the National University of Ireland, Galway; and an Honorary Doctorate by the Middlesex University Dubai. He is a member of the Global Future Council on the Future of Mobility of the World Economic Forum; a fellow member of the Institute of Hospitality; an ambassador and honorary member of the World Travel and Tourism Council and a member of the International Advisory Board of the Ecole Ho ̂ telière de Lausanne. Having retired last year he continues to reside in Dubai with his wife Neasa. Gerald serves on a number of boards as a non executive director including World Expo2020 which will be held in Dubai from October 2020 and as Ambassador for Galway, European Capital of Culture 2020. He is a recipient of the 2017 Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad.

Mr. Kenneth C. Frazier
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Merck & Co. Inc.
Recipient of the Sir Michael Smurfit Business Achievement Award

Kenneth C. Frazier has served as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Merck & Co., Inc. since 2011. Under Ken’s leadership, Merck is delivering innovative lifesaving medicines and vaccines as well as long-term and sustainable value to its multiple stakeholders. Ken has substantially increased Merck’s investment in research, including early research, while refocusing the organization on the launch and growth of key products that provide benefit to society. He has also led the formation of philanthropic and other initiatives that build on Merck’s 125-year plus legacy. Ken joined the company in 1992 and has held positions of increasing responsibility including General Counsel and President. Prior to joining Merck, Ken was a partner with the Philadelphia law firm of Drinker Biddle & Reath. Ken’s contributions, especially in the legal, business and humanitarian fields, have been widely recognized. He sits on the boards of PhRMA, Weill Cornell Medicine, Exxon Mobil Corporation, and Cornerstone Christian Academy in Philadelphia, PA. He also is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, The Business Council, the Council of the American Law Institute, and the American Bar Association. Ken received his bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University and holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Dr. Richard Moore
Founder of Children in Crossfire
Recipient of the Albert Schweitzer Leadership for Life Award

It was Thursday the 4th of May 1972, while Richard Moore was on his way home from school that his life was to change forever. For reasons that were never properly explained, a British Solider decided to fire a rubber bullet, blinding him for life. This is where his story begins. Richard lived in the Creggan Estate in Derry which at the time was a no go area. He was a 10 year old boy and was a pupil at Rosemount Primary School. He came from a family of 12 and was a very happy go lucky child. He was interested in all the normal things, but mainly football is what he enjoyed. Although the Troubles in 1972 were probably at their worst, he does not recall feeling frightened or in any way affected by it. Rosemount Primary School was situated at the edge of the Creggan Estate beside St Joseph’s Secondary school. An army lookout post, which protected Rosemount Police Barracks, faced up between the two schools towards the Creggan Estate. Like many other days Richard left school and ran up through the playing fields of St Joseph’s Secondary school, this meant he had to pass by the army look out post on his right hand side. On the 4th of May 1972 at approximately 3.30pm as Richard ran past the look out post, a British solider decided to fire a rubber bullet at him from approximately 10 feet. The bullet struck him on the bridge of the nose. He lost his right eye and was left totally blind in the other. He required 54 stitches in his face and his nose had to be completely rebuilt. The next thing Richard can remember is waking up on St Joseph’s school’s canteen table. He can’t remember feeling any pain but he does remember his teacher Mr Giles Doherty who, due to the extent of Richard’s injuries, was unable to recognise him. The next thing Richard remembers is being in the ambulance. He could hear the siren in the background. At this stage his father and sister Deirdre were beside him. His mother was outside the ambulance looking to get in but his father advised the ambulance men not to allow her in because he knew she wouldn’t be able to cope with seeing the extent of Richard’s injuries. People talk about how Richard suffered, but he thinks his parents suffered more. Earlier that year in January 1972, Derry experienced its worst atrocity, Bloody Sunday; this is when 13 innocent people were murdered by British paratroopers. One of these people was his mother’s brother, Gerard Mc Kinney. His parents were non-political, very religious people and all of a sudden, in the space of a few months, The Troubles landed slap, bang in the middle of their sitting room. Richard thinks they are the unsung heroes. His older brothers were at a very impressionable age – in their teens and early twenties – in a very volatile place. They had seen their uncle killed on Bloody Sunday, there little brother shot and blinded; against the backdrop of cars being set alight, gun battles, riots and shootings his parents managed, somehow to keep a lid on the tension within the family plus deal with their own emotions and difficulties. Richard can never fully imagine what it must have been like for them but he can only guess that it must have been extremely hard. Richard met his wife Rita when he was 17 and they married in 1984 and today have two daughters Naoimh (pronounced Neev) and Enya. After university, Richard moved into the family businesses of property development and the licensed trade. Music has also been a big part of his life; Richard started to learn the guitar shortly after he was shot and within a very short space of time he was playing in local bands etc. For a few years he played in a semi-professional band called Midnight Hour. Since 1980 both himself and Rita have ran the Long tower Folk Group, which still sing at mass every Saturday Night. Richard believes there are a number of things, which helped him accept his blindness and the trauma of being shot itself. Firstly, the fact that he never, at any stage, harboured any bitterness towards the solider who shot him and always expressed his desire to meet him someday. He has always felt that bitterness and anger is a self-destruct emotion and the fact that he did not feel this way set him free to get on with the process of building the rest of his life. Secondly, Richard was lucky enough to be born into a good family and good community were he received tremendous support. Everyone in the street where he lived (Malin Gardens) and the surrounding area, rallied behind him and his family to such an extent were he felt like a local hero. In 1972 there was no such thing as trauma councillors, the people of the Creggan Estate provided all the support he and his family needed. Thirdly, the fact that Richard went back to “normal” school was very significant in his ability to accept his blindness. Approximately six months after being shot Richard returned to Rosemount Primary School for one year and then moved on to St Joseph’s Secondary School. He believes that things could have been much harder here if it were not for the special efforts made by his teachers and his friends to ensure that he was not at any disadvantage. Richard was taught how to touch type by Marie Donnelly, who was a teacher at St Mary’s Girls College in the Creggan. Also one of his teachers Kevin Mc Callion used to take him for extra lessons after school. In addition to this, many teachers and pupils read and recorded text from books on an ongoing basis to the extent were Richard done his O-levels and A-levels and eventually went on to the University of Ulster qualifying in 1983 with an Honours degree. Richard was also taught Braille by a local social worker Miss Maguire, who has since past away. He will never be able to express the extent of his gratitude to all those who helped him, but he just hopes they can share in any success that he has enjoyed. In reflection, Richard believes that the fact he wasn’t sent to a specialised school for the blind contributed enormously to his ability to accept blindness. He believes that if he had been sent away to a school for the blind he would have found this almost more traumatic than being shot. To do all the normal things with his friends, certainly helped him. Children in Crossfire During his working life as a publican, Richard became aware of many issues affecting young people and communities locally and globally. He set up the Derry branch of the Chernobyl Children’s Project as well as being involved in Disability Action. In 1992, while taking part in the AFRI “Trail of Tears” walk across the State of Mississippi, he decided to set up his own charity focusing on the rights of children throughout the world. The two weeks that Richard spent in Mississippi gave him the time to reflect on what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He realised the reason why he was able to lead a very positive and fulfilling life so far, was not only due to the good family, good community and excellent support that he received but because he was lucky enough to be born in Ireland with all its excellent amenities. He realised that with all its problems Northern Ireland was not such a bad place after all. There were many millions of people throughout the world including children who were not as lucky as him. Richard also felt this would provide an opportunity for him to put back into society a fraction of the kindness he received. Today Richard is the Executive Director of Children in Crossfire which he founded in 1996. Children in Crossfire is an international relief and development organisation, committed to the promotion and protection of the rights of vulnerable children caught in the crossfire of poverty. Children in Crossfire work in partnership with local organisations in Africa, specifically Tanzania & Ethiopia to deliver projects on the ground, protecting the rights of vulnerable children, providing access to clean water, food, health and education. (Children learning at the Children in Crossfire supported pre-school in Mwanza, Tanzania)