Former US President, Bill Clinton, is to return to Ireland next month to make a keynote address and meet with business leaders and philanthropists IrishCentral has learned.

Clinton’s visit, likely to be on June 22nd, has been facilitated by his long-term friend and advisor Declan Kelly, the Tipperary-born CEO of Teneo Holdings, the New York headquartered merchant bank and consulting company.

Kelly, who previously served as the US government’s special envoy to Northern Ireland for two years, working for Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has been working with the former President on a variety of initiatives designed to promote Ireland as an attractive location for inward investment. He helped organize an investment conference in New York earlier this year which was chaired by the President, attended by Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, Tanaiste, Eamon Gilmore, and a large selection of senior business leaders from around the US.

President Clinton pledged to host the New York conference when he visited Ireland at the end of last year to attend the Global Economic Forum at Dublin Castle, a trip which Kelly also brokered and attended with the President as one of the speakers.

Clinton’s visit in June is being organized to coincide with the Worldwide Ireland Funds annual conference in Cork where he will be the keynote speaker to more than 200 conference attendees.

He will speak on the importance of philanthropy and also re-emphasize his confidence in and support for Ireland and its economy over the long term. It is believed that the Taoiseach and other members of the government will also be in attendance.

The worldwide conference is the biggest annual event in the Ireland Funds calendar. The Fund’s Promising Ireland campaign, aimed at raising more than $100m for various projects in Ireland and overseas, is 19 months ahead of its target and 20% ahead of its fundraising goal already, the organization’s leaders Loretta Brennan Glucksman and Kieran McLoughlin announced at its annual New York fundraiser earlier this month. That event was attended by President Michael D. Higgins and honored Bank of America chief Brian Moynihan. It is expected that the Fund will announce an expanded financial goal at the conference in Cork which is being held in Castlemartyr.

Attendees will be in Cork from all over the world, where the Fund has chapters raising funds and supporting projects of relevance to Ireland and Irish people. The evening prior to President Clinton’s visit, the attendees will be hosted by entertainer Michael Flately at his CastleHyde home.

This will be President Clinton’s third visit to the island of Ireland in recent times. In addition to his attendance at the Global Irish Economic Forum last year he previously visited both Derry and Dublin with Kelly when he served as US economic envoy.

Kelly’s business, Teneo Holdings, which he established last year with Clinton’s long term counselor Doug Band and former FTI colleague Paul Keary, has experienced rapid growth. The firm now has more than 100 employees with offices in New York, Washington, London, Beijing, Hong Kong, Dubai, Zurich and Sao Paolo. It comprises an international consulting business and a merchant bank and represents several of the world’s largest corporations and CEO’s. Last year Teneo also announced that it had taken a minority stake in Merrion Capital, the Dublin-based corporate finance business led by John Conroy.

President Bill Clinton set to return to Ireland for Ireland Fund event
Will make a keynote address at annual conference
Former US President, Bill Clinton, is to return to Ireland next month to make a keynote address and meet with business leaders and philanthropists.

Clinton’s visit,  on June 22nd , has been facilitated by his long term friend and advisor Declan Kelly, the Tipperary-born CEO of Teneo Holdings, the New York headquartered merchant bank and consulting company.

Kelly, who previously served as the US government’s special envoy to Northern Ireland for two years, has been working with the former President on a variety of initiatives designed to promote Ireland as an attractive location for inward investment.

President Clinton pledged to host the recent New York economic conference on Ireland when he visited Ireland at the end of last year to attend the Global Economic Forum at Dublin Castle, a trip which Kelly also brokered and attended with the President as one of the speakers.

Clinton’s visit in June is being organized to coincide with the Worldwide Ireland Funds annual conference in Cork where he will be the keynote speaker to more than 200 conference attendees.

He will speak on the importance of philanthropy and also re-emphasize his confidence in and support for Ireland and its economy over the long term. It is believed that the Taoiseach and other members of the government will also be in attendance.

The worldwide conference is the biggest annual event in the Ireland Funds calendar. The Fund’s Promising Ireland campaign, aimed at raising more than $100m for various projects in Ireland and overseas, is 19 months ahead of its target and 20% ahead of its fundraising goal already, the organization’s leaders Loretta Brennan Glucksman and Kieran McLoughlin announced at its annual New York fundraiser earlier this month. That event was attended by President Michael D. Higgins and honored Bank of America chief Brian Moynihan. It is expected that the Fund will announce an expanded financial goal at the conference in Cork which is being held in Castlemartyr.

Attendees will be in Cork from all over the world, where the Fund has chapters raising funds and supporting projects of relevance to Ireland and Irish people. The evening prior to President Clinton’s visit, the attendees will be hosted by entertainer Michael Flately at his CastleHyde home.

This will be President Clinton’s third visit to the island of Ireland in recent times. In addition to his attendance at the Global Irish Economic Forum last year he previously visited both Derry and Dublin with Kelly when he served as US economic envoy.

Kelly’s business, Teneo Holdings, which he established last year with Clinton’s long term counselor Doug Band and former FTI colleague Paul Keary, has experienced rapid growth. The firm now has more than 100 employees with offices in New York, Washington, London, Beijing, Hong Kong, Dubai, Zurich and Sao Paolo.