Former Medtronic executive scoops top award at US Ireland Business Awards

Former Medtronic executive Gerry Kilcommins has won the Global Leadership Award at the American Chamber’s US Ireland Business Awards.

The chamber presented the awards at its annual dinner in the Clayton Burlington Hotel, Dublin on Friday night. The event was sponsored by EY, BT Ireland and The Irish Times.

The awards recognise individuals, teams and organisations who have strengthened the US-Ireland business, trade and investment relationship in areas including business development, education, research and innovation, and arts and culture.

Mr Kilcommins is a former Medtronic vice-president of global platform manufacturing and Ireland country director. The award is presented to an individual who has had a significant, positive impact on US-Ireland business relations.

The chamber said Mr Kilcommins has made significant contributions to US-Ireland relations for more than three decades.

“Through his innovative and strategic leadership in the medical technology industry and his contribution to business associations and policy issues, he has strengthened the economic and diplomatic ties between the United States and Ireland,” it said.

In previous roles at Medtronic, Mr Kilcommins has led teams of more than 15,000 people globally including more than 4,000 Irish-based employees and 5,000 US-based employees across seven states.

“Under Gerry’s leadership, Medtronic has also demonstrated the ease of co-operation and the complementary innovative strengths of the two countries,” said the chamber.

The chamber presented the Global Impact Award to Intel Ireland for its Fab 34 manufacturing facility. This award is presented to a team/organisation for a project that has had a significant positive, global or international impact on markets or society.

Officially opened in September, Intel’s Fab 34 manufacturing facility has “redefined the frontiers of innovation, producing the world’s most sophisticated technology with unparalleled complexity in tools and systems”, the chamber said.

Fab 34 is a key player in bolstering Europe’s competitive edge in the global semiconductor manufacturing sector. The facility in Leixlip, Co Kildare, is the first in Europe to harness extreme ultraviolet lithography for high-volume manufacturing.

Finally, the chamber presented its Global Community Award to Bank of America for its Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Fund. This award is presented to an individual, team or organisation including US multinationals, that has had a positive societal impact in an area.

The €2.2 million four-year fund created by Bank of America and Rethink Ireland supported a network of charitable and social enterprise organisations focused on providing training, upskilling, work experience, education and other services to disadvantaged women.