Centennial Dinner
President Mary McAleese presents Centennial Awards
Irish business leaders awarded to mark 100 Years of Business Education at UCD Business Schools
Dublin, Friday 24th April 2009. The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, was the guest of honour at UCD Business Schools Centennial Dinner, held at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, Blackrock, Co Dublin. To mark the occasion President McAleese presented the prestigious UCD Ulysses Medal to business leaders Dr Michael Smurfit and Lochlann Quinn, the highest honour that the university can bestow. President McAleese also presented Outstanding Alumnus Awards to Philip Berber and Professor Michael MacCormac and Student of the Year Awards to Andrew Flood, Bachelor of Commerce graduate and Claire Kennedy, Master of Accounting graduate.
Pictured above l-r, Professor Michael MacCormac, President Mary McAleese, Philip Berber, Professor Tom Begley
Speaking to an invited audience of 250 Irish and Irish American business leaders at the Centennial Dinner, President Mary McAleese stated
‘Tonight is a celebration of what UCD has been able to accomplish with the help of philanthropy, and a statement of intent about its determination to be a harbinger of the best business culture, the best business climate, the best business values, the best business graduates and the best Ireland in the century ahead.’
In 1991 the graduate arm, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School Business School was formed and located in its current campus in Blackrock, as a result of a substantial contribution from Dr Michael Smurfit. This was followed in 2002 by the opening of the undergraduate arms new building, UCD Quinn School of Business, following a substantial contribution from Lochlann Quinn and his wife Brenda. Philip Berber was a major donor to the UCD Quinn School of Business, and the Berber Atrium is named in his honour. He also funded the Berber Family Chair of Entrepreneurship at UCD Business School. Professor Michael MacCormac was Professor of Business Administration in UCD until 1986, and former Dean of UCD School of Business (Faculty of Commerce). He was responsible for the introduction of the first MBA in Europe to UCD in 1964.
Presenting the UCD Ulysses Medal to Dr Michael Smurfit and Lochlann Quinn, the President of UCD, Dr Hugh Brady said
“The business leaders we honour today have two attributes in common; they are men of integrity and of conviction. Through their work they have influenced generations of students who have embarked on business careers. They set demanding standards for themselves and were not shaken from their chosen paths and tasks.”
“Here at UCD we have benefited from their energy and their generosity and with their support we will educate our students with a common sense of vision and of values.”
Commenting on the student award winners Professor Tom Begley, Dean, UCD Business Schools said “A university is nothing if it is not about its students, and I am particularly proud to honour our two Students of the Year, Claire Kennedy, who secured top marks in the Master of Accounting programme and Andrew Flood, who achieved top marks in the Bachelor of Commerce programme, both of whom have given 100% in their studies to achieve this honour in our Centennial year.”
Pictured above l-r, Paul Haran, Dr. Michael Smurfit, Andrew Flood, Dr. Hugh Brady, Claire Kennedy, Philip Berber, Lochlann Quinn, Professor Tom Begley
The Centennial dinner was attended by over 250 Irish and Irish American business leaders including Robert Faucher, Charge D’Affaires, US Embassy, Denis O’Brien, Chairman, Communicorp, David Went, Chairman, The Irish Times, Joanne Richardson, CEO, American Chamber of Commerce, Gary McGann, CEO, Smurfit Kappa Group, Gina Quin, CEO, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Dermot Desmond, Chairman, IIU, Dermot McCarthy, Secretary General, Department of An Taoiseach, Tom Roche, Chairman, NTR, Michael Smurfit Jnr and Mr. Jim Quinn, President, Tiffany & Co.
