45th Annual New York Gala 2020

NATIONAL OFFICERS

EUGENE M. MCQUADE
Chairman
The Ireland Funds America

SHAUN T. KELLY
Vice Chairman
The Ireland Funds America

THE IRELAND FUNDS TEAM

DAVID CRONIN
President and CEO
The Ireland Funds America
212-689-3100
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KYLE T. CLIFFORD
Vice President of Development
The Ireland Funds America
212-689-3100
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RORY MACINTYRE
Development Associate
The Ireland Funds America
212-689-3100
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HONOREES

ROGER GOODELL
NFL Commissioner

The eighth chief executive of the National Football League, now in its 100th season. Commissioner Goodell took office on September 1, 2006, 24 years after he joined the league, where he held numerous football and business operations roles prior to being appointed Commissioner. Commissioner Goodell’s priorities have focused on making the game better and safer, while successfully growing the popularity of the NFL and its 32 teams. Fan interest in the NFL has soared under Goodell, including the largest audiences in television history, as well as enormous growth in digital and social media engagement.

Under his leadership, the NFL has focused on improvements to player health and safety, benefits for retired players, the league’s personal conduct policy, expanding social responsibility initiatives, diversity in hiring practices, revenue sharing, stadium development,fan experience, media innovation, international development, officiating and rules changes.

In 2011, he led the league to secure a landmark 10-year Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL Players Association. Under his guidance, the NFL has developed innovative media initiatives, including Thursday Night Football’s tri-cast distribution model,partnerships with YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, and long-term extensions of the NFL’s television contracts. And in 2016, after more than two decades without a team, he helped usher the return of football to Los Angeles.

Commissioner Goodell and his wife Jane are the proud parents of twin girls. Goodell serves on the boards of the NFL Foundation, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of NYC, the National Football Foundation and GENYOUth Foundation.

HUGH JOHNSTON
Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of PepsiCo.

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more thanone billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world, generating more than $64 billion in net revenue in 2018, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker & Tropicana.

PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. Hugh assumed the role of CFO in March 2010, and is responsible for providing strategic financial leadership for PepsiCo, including ensuring the company’s strategy creates shareholder value, communicating the company’s strategies and performance to investors, and implementing a capital structure, financial processes and controls to support the company’s growth and return on investment goals.

In December 2014, Hugh undertook the additional responsibilities of PepsiCo’s global e-commerce and Quaker Foods North America businesses. In July 2015, Hugh’s roleswere further expanded when he took responsibility for the company’s global business and information solutions function.

Hugh is active in several corporate, NGO and academic organizations including – board member and audit committee chair of Microsoft, Director for the PIIE, University ofChicago’s Booth School CFO Advisory Board; Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management Advisory council. Hugh holds a B.S. from Syracuse University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

THE IRELAND FUNDS’ MISSION

Our mission is to harness the power of a global philanthropic network of friends of Ireland to promote and support peace, culture, education and community development across the island of Ireland and among Irish communities around the world.