09-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Hillary Rodham Clinton to receive prestigious leadership award in Dublin this December
The former US Secretary of State and the Democratic candidate who ran for president against Donald Trump in 2016 will receive the Sutherland Leadership Award at the 2025 Business and Finance Awards in the Convention Centre on December 11.
She will accept the award in person at a gala attended by over 1,000 international business, political and civic leaders.
It comes as former US president Barack Obama also announced a trip to Ireland this week. He will be interviewed live at the 3Arena by journalist Fintan O'Toole this September.
Ms Clinton served as Secretary of State for the duration of the first Obama administration and for part of his second term.
The former First Lady will be recognised in Dublin this December for her "decades-long career as one of the most influential public servants of her generation" with the Sutherland Award, which was established in 2018 in honour of the late Irishman Peter Sutherland.
Mr Sutherland held the roles of Attorney General, European Commissioner for Competition and UN Special Representative for International Migration. He was the founding Director-General of the World Trade Organisation.
Previous recipients of the award include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.
Ms Clinton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2025, the highest civilian honour in the US.
She assumed the role of Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast in 2020 in recognition of her commitment to the Northern Ireland peace process.
In 2016, she became the first woman to secure a major U.S. party's nomination for President, earning the popular vote and marking a historic milestone in American political history.
"Secretary Clinton has long exemplified the values of ethical leadership, diplomacy and public service that Peter Sutherland stood for," said Ian Hyland, the president and publisher of Business and Finance.
"Her commitment to advancing peace, equality and global cooperation continues to inspire people around the world. It is a privilege to honour Secretary Clinton with the Sutherland Leadership Award in recognition of her truly remarkable achievements and ongoing leadership, so necessary today."
Ryan McCarthy, KPMG Managing Partner said Ms Clinton has "consistently demonstrated the calibre of leadership, resilience and global perspective" that award honours, including her "decades of public service, dedication to human rights, and a deep commitment to global cooperation make her a truly deserving recipient".
