Ambassador’s Awards 2016 26 February 2016 | The Union League of Philadelphia Networking Reception Sponsors Céad Mile Fáilte A Hundred Thousand Welcomes Welcome to the 2016 Ambassador’s Awards Luncheon. We are delighted to have you as our guest as we honor and celebrate this year’s distinguished award recipients. The Irish American Business Chamber & Network proudly presents the Almac Group with the Ambassador Award, Bill & Natalie McLaughlin with the Taoiseach Award, and Monsignor Michael Doyle with the Uachtarán Award. We are doubly honored to have with us for the first time, Consul General of Ireland Barbara Jones, to confer these awards. Consul General Jones is with us today to represent Her Excellency, Anne Anderson, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, and the Irish Government’s support of our honorees and the Chamber’s mission. A day like this is not possible without the generosity of our sponsors. We are grateful to all of our sponsors and recognize their support in this booklet. Most importantly, each of these sponsoring organizations acknowledges our awardees in an exceptional way with their patronage. The Irish Chamber excels at providing networking forums for American and Irish executives, for the exchange of contacts and information on trade relationships, market research, and indigenous business. A hallmark of these forums is the participation of top executives, government officials, and directors who share similar interests and goals. We often collaborate with Irish agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and Tourism Ireland. We invite you to enhance your business prospects by becoming a member and put the resources of the Chamber to work for you and your company. Patrons Thank you for joining us today, and for your support of the Irish Chamber. Sláinte, Kevin Dooley Kent Sean Flatley Lisa Maloney Chairman President Vice President & Ambassador’s Award Chair Program Welcome Kevin D. Kent, Esq, Chairman National Anthem of the United States of America, The Star-Spangled Banner and National Anthem of Ireland, The Soldier’s Song Theresa Flanagan Murtagh, Esq., Board Member Invocation Sr. Marguerite O’Beirne, OSF, 2013 Uachtarán Award Honoree ~ Presentation of Awards ~ Consul General of Ireland Barbara Jones Taoiseach Award Introduction of Bill & Natalie McLaughlin Frank Reynolds, 2015 Taoiseach Award Honoree, Board Member Bill McLaughlin, Founder, Irish American Business Chamber & Network, and President, McLaughlin & Morgan, Inc. and Natalie McLaughlin, CFO, McLaughlin & Morgan, Inc. ~ Acceptance Uachtarán Award Introduction of Monsignor Michael Doyle Ann Claffey Baiada, 2014 Uachtarán Award Honoree Monsignor Michael Doyle, Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Camden, NJ ~ Acceptance ~ Lunch ~ Introduction of The Consul General of Ireland Sean Flatley, President Consul General’s Address by Ms. Barbara Jones Address by Director of Northern Ireland Bureau, Mr. Norman Houston Introduction of Almac Group Gary Hanley, Senior Vice President, Americas, Invest Northern Ireland The Ambassador’s Award Presented by Consul General of Ireland Barbara Jones Kevin Stephens, Group Finance Director, Almac Group ~ Acceptance Closing Remark Lisa Maloney, Esq., Vice President and Event Chair Please join us for a networking reception, whiskey tasting hosted by Castle Brands, and a chance to congratulate the recipients as we take photos in the Lincoln Memorial immediately following luncheon. Barbara Jones Consul General of Ireland Barbara Jones was born in Co. Wexford, Ireland. She is a graduate of Arts (French and History) (1977-1980) of University College, Dublin and holds post graduate qualifications in Education (1980-1981) from University College, Dublin and in Computer Science (1982-1983) from the National Institute of Higher Education (University of Limerick.) Her career at the Department of Foreign Affairs began in September 1983. She has worked primarily on Anglo Irish and European Union issues. She was head of Humanitarian Aid policy (1994-1997) and travelled extensively in Africa over that time. Her overseas postings include assignments at the Consulate General of Ireland in San Francisco (1986-1990); at the Embassy of Ireland at Luxembourg (1991-1993) and as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Ireland in London dealing with political relations and the Northern Ireland peace process. In September 2012, Ms Jones was appointed Joint Secretary at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Secretariat in Belfast. She took up duty as Consul General of Ireland in New York in September 2014. Ms Jones served in two other government Departments in Dublin from 1997-2002. From 1999 to 2002, she served as Speech Writer and Special Adviser in the Department of the Taoiseach. Prior to that (1997 to 1999) she was seconded to the Trade Section of the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment, where she wrote and developed a new long term strategy for promoting Irish trade with China and Asia. She has a very good command of Irish and French. Ms Jones is married to Mr. Oliver O’Connor, who is a business consultant specialising in healthcare finance, innovation and public policy. She has two sons and a daughter, Killian O’Connor, Tadhg O’Connor and Maeve Jones-O’Connor. Ambassador Award The Ambassador Award, named in honor of the Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, is presented annually to honor a company that has furthered the goals of the Irish American Business Chamber by developing business between the Isle of Ireland and the United States. Anne Anderson is the current Ambassador of Ireland to the United States. Previous recipients of the Ambassador Award include: QVC, SAP, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Shire plc, ARAMARK, The Vanguard Group, ICON plc., Amicus Therapeutics, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, GMAC, ICT Group, Wyeth, and Siemens. Almac Ambassador Award Recipient Accepting on behalf of Almac Group: Kevin Stephens, Group Finance Director Almac Group is an established, leading contract development and manufacturing organization with a strong reputation for innovation, quality and customer service. They provide an extensive range of integrated services to 600+ biopharma companies globally. Their comprehensive solutions range from R&D, biomarker discovery and development, API manufacture, formulation development, clinical trial supply, IRT technology (IVRS/IWRS) through to commercial-scale manufacture. The international company is a privately owned organization and has grown organically over 40 years employing in excess of 3,900 highly skilled personnel. Almac is headquartered in Craigavon, Northern Ireland with US operations based in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and California. Almac also has operations in Singapore and Japan. Alan Armstrong became Chairman & CEO in 2002. Alan oversees the entire Group’s operations globally and leads the strategic direction of Almac. In 2013, he was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the economy in Northern Ireland. Kevin Stephens joined the Group in 2001 and following a number of varied financial roles within Galen/Almac. In January 2007 he was appointed to the position of Almac UK Group Financial Controller, before commencing in the role of VP Finance Almac Group in July 2009. In January 2012, Kevin was appointed to the Almac Executive team as Group Finance Director. Taoiseach Award The Taoiseach Award is presented to a member of Irish descent who has, by example, shown exceptional business leadership and compassion. The Taoiseach Award takes its name from the original Irish title meaning Chieftain or Leader. Today, An Taoiseach is the Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, T.D. Previous recipients of the Taoiseach Award include: Frank Reynolds, Denis P. O’Brien, James and Frances Maguire, Daniel J. Hilferty, Rev. Timothy R. Lannon, S.J., Henry J. “Harry” McHugh, John and Joan Mullen, James and Jacqueline Delaney, and Father John McNamee of St. Malachy’s Parish. Bill & Natalie McLaughlin Bill McLaughlin, Founder, Irish American Business Chamber & Network and President, McLaughlin & Morgan, Inc. and Natalie McLaughlin, CFO, McLaughlin & Morgan, Inc. Taoiseach Award Recipients Bill McLaughlin is president of McLaughlin & Morgan, Inc., assisting American firms entering the European market via Ireland, and Irish companies entering the U.S. In 1999 he founded the Irish American Business Chamber & Network and is chairman emeritus. He is active in business, education, and civic organizations and serves on the boards of the Global Interdependence Center, the President’s Advisory Council of LaSalle University, SMART States, and Main Line Girls Basketball Association, formerly on Neumann University and Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute boards, and is an Ambassador of The Union League of Philadelphia. Bill is a graduate of Msgr. Bonner High School and LaSalle University in Philadelphia. Natalie Morgan McLaughlin, Bill’s wife of 35 years, worked with parents of neurologically impaired children at St. Christopher’s Hospital, Philadelphia, before raising their children and volunteering in the Lower Merion schools. She and Bill founded their former marketing communications business while pregnant with their youngest child. She has assisted the Irish American Chamber and other non-profits with her financial and administrative skills, and manages their investment properties. A native of Illinois, Natalie matriculated at Macalester College, St. Paul, MN and the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL. Bill’s love of Ireland