KPMG BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR 2008 ANNOUNCED

KPMG BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR 2008 ANNOUNCED

22 November 2008

Business leaders and innovators gathered at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Little Island, Cork for a Gala Awards Banquet which was held to announce the winner of the coveted The KPMG Business Person of the Year Award 2008.  The award went to Former Waterford Wedgwood CEO and newly appointed Chairman of Fáilte Ireland Redmond O' Donoghue.

Thirty-six senior business leaders from the six Munster counties were shortlisted for these Annual Awards Programme which was established in 2005 to recognise business people who have excelled in their particular industries.

The event was hosted by TV3's Colette Fitzpatrick and 96FM's Neil Prendeville and was attended by over 400 guests. Billy Kelleher TD, Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise represented the Government on the evening.

Making the presentations tonight to the Recipients was Colin O' Brien, partner-in-charge at KPMG's Cork practice who said, "KPMG would like to congratulate all of the Award Winners and in particular Redmond O' Donoghue as the overall winner of The KPMG Munster Business Person of the Year Award 2008.   We are committed to supporting and recognising the great contribution Munster businesses have made to the Irish economy, and these awards are an ideal opportunity to acknowledge outstanding achievement amongst business people operating in this region."

The Six County Winners are as follows:-

  • KPMG Clare Business Person of the Year 2008 - Colette Duggan, Managing Director, Conference Connections
  • KPMG Cork Business Person of the Year 2008 - Cormac & Ciaran Fitzgerald, Director of The Blue Haven Collection
  • KPMG Kerry Business Person of the Year 2008 - Pat O' Leary, Director of Liebherr Container Cranes Limited
  • KPMG Limerick Business Person of the Year 2008 - Kay McGuinness, Senior Partner of Southern Advertising and Chairperson of The Shannon Foynes Port Company
  • KPMG Tipperary Business Person of the Year 2008 - John Magnier, Chairman, Coolmore Stud
  • KPMG Waterford Business Person of the Year 2008 - Redmond O' Donoghue, Chairman of Fáilte Ireland

The Judges for the 2008 awards were: Dr. Chris Coughlan, (President of Chambers Ireland), Jackie Lavin (Judge of TV3's The Apprentice), Dr. Gerald Kean (Managing Partner of Kean & Co Solicitors), Michael Mulcahy (CEO of Progressive News & Media Limited), Manus O' Callaghan (Chairman of Southern Advertising Limited) and James O' Sullivan (Chairman of M&P O' Sullivan Group).

Michael Mulcahy, publisher of Business First said "These Awards represent the wealth of talent that abounds in Ireland today and we are delighted to be recognising and celebrating this great resource tonight.  Each of the finalists deserves this recognition, as they all have helped shape our business community and will continue to shape our world as we face new and exciting challenges in 2009 and beyond."

Further information on the KPMG Business Person of the Year