Details of the 2006 Wall Street 50 Awards were announced yesterday by Irish America Magazine and Financial Dynamics Business Communications.
John Duffy, the chief executive of Keefe, Bruyette and Woods will be the recipient of the first lifetime achievement award in New York later this month.
The awards are given to 50 of the highest Irish-American achievers in business. The 2006 event will include the presentation of the inaugural Hall of Fame award for lifetime achievement, which will go to Mr Duffy for his stewardship of his company through the 9/11 disaster when it lost 67 of its 172 employees based in the south tower of the Twin Towers. Mr Declan Kelly, chief executive of Financial Dynamics, said the award was a reminder of the success of Irish emigrants in the US.
"Irish Americans are able to get ahead by relying on their strong work ethic, warm personalities and sound negotiating abilities. These 50 represent only a sample of the huge success enjoyed by Irish Americans in business right throughout the United States. . . 50 people will be honoured next week but it could just as easily have been 500," Mr Kelly said yesterday.
The award ceremony will take place in the New York yacht club. The keynote speaker at the event will be Republican senator and former presidential hopeful John McCain.
