Niall FitzGerald – Keynote Speaker

Niall FitzGerald is a successful and widely experienced international business leader.

His executive career was with Unilever for 37 years where he was an executive board member for 18 years and served respectively as Finance Director, Foods Director and Detergents Director until his appointment as Chairman and CEO in 1996.

Niall FitzGerald has chaired a broad range of companies and public bodies including Brand Learning, Munster Rugby Commercial Board, UCD Graduate Business School, Reuters, Hakluyt, the Nelson Mandela Legacy Trust, International Business Council, Conference Board, Investment Climate Facility for Africa, British Museum, the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) and Advertising Association. He has recently stepped down from chairing the Board of Governors of Cumnor House School in West Sussex.

Current engagements include Chairman, NiJaCo; Chairman, Hakluyt International Advisory Board; Chairman, Leverhulme Trust; Member of Mitsubishi International Advisory Committee. He is Patron of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce. A key current focus is mentoring senior leaders, CEOs and newly appointed Chairs. He also works with UK PLCs on independent board evaluation and governance reviews.

Niall FitzGerald was awarded an honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire in 2002, and holds a number of honorary doctorates from American, British and Irish universities. In 2015 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the President of Ireland.