The U.S. Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland, Declan Kelly has welcomed the American Ireland Fund Young Leaders’ support of the U.S. – NI Mentorship Program.  The Young Leaders program was established by the American Ireland Fund as a way for young professionals to become involved in supporting the Fund’s many initiatives.

The initiative was launched at a Summer in the City party last Thursday night and was sponsored by Lucas Capital Management

Addressing over 130 Young Leaders at a New York City event last night, Envoy Kelly and Bob McCann, Chairman of the U.S. –NI Mentorship Program Steering Committee in the U.S., asked the Young Leaders to agree to serve as mentors for the participants in the mentorship program.  Each participant will be matched with a Young Leader who will meet with them regularly during their time in the U.S.

The U.S. – NI Mentorship Program was established by the Office of the U.S. Economic Envoy and is supported by the American Ireland Fund and the Northern Ireland Science Park CONNECT.  To date, there are over 15 companies participating in the program which will allow 25 recent college graduates to spend one year working in the U.S.

“The support of the Young Leaders program means that in addition to working for a world-class company, mentorship program participants will be able to gain valuable business advice and guidance from successful young professionals,” stated Envoy Kelly.

“The American Ireland Fund, under the leadership of Kieran McLoughlin and Loretta Brennan Glucksman, has provided tremendous support to the mentorship program and the involvement of the Young Leaders will only further enhance the experience for each of the participants and help give them the tools need to return to Northern Ireland as leaders that can have a real impact on the region’s economy,” concluded Envoy Kelly.    

Bob McCann, CEO of UBS Wealth Management Americas and Chairman of the U.S. – NI Mentorship Steering Committee stated “The reason I became involved in the mentorship program is because of the opportunity to make an impact on lives of the young people participating in the program. Having the Young Leaders agree to serve as mentors to the participants will provide a great opportunity for both the mentors and mentees. We continue to see more corporations express an interest in participating in the program and we look forward to continuing to expand over time.”

Kieran McLoughlin, President and CEO of the Worldwide Ireland Funds stated, “Our Young Leaders are the future of the American Ireland Fund and are individuals that have enjoyed early success in their careers. Pairing the Young Leaders with the mentorship program participants is a natural fit and will allow the Young Leaders to take active roles in supporting one of the key initiatives of the Fund, which is to ensure that the young people of Northern Ireland are given every opportunity to succeed.”

Companies currently participating in the program include:  Allstate, Almac, AXA, BNY Mellon, CIBC, Coca-Cola, Cowen Group, Credit Suisse, Fitzpatrick Hotels, General Electric, HSBC - North America, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Moet Hennessy USA, Mutual of America, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sandler O’Neill + Partners, TARGUSinfo and UBS.