The Kingsbridge Healthcare Group, hotels entrepreneur Eugene McKeever and FinTrU Chief Executive Darragh McCarthy were among the high-profile business organisations and personalities honoured at the AIB Business Eye Awards 2024, held at ICC Belfast last night (Thursday, 24th October).
More than 600 business guests attended Northern Ireland’s leading business awards, now in their 18th year.
Eugene McKeever, Founder of Chairman of the McKeever Hotel Group, picked up the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Darragh McCarthy, the driving force behind the fast-growing FinTrU, was recognised as this year’s Business Personality of the Year.
It was another highly successful night for FinTrU. The company won Diversity & Inclusion Award and was Highly Commended in the Employer of the Year category.
But one of the blue riband awards of the evening, Company of the Year, went to Kingsbridge Healthcare Group, the subject of one of Northern Ireland’s biggest corporate deals of the past year when it secured a £300 million investment from London private equity firm Exponent.
Northern Ireland’s largest B2B telecoms firm Barclay Group was named as this year’s Family Business of the Year, while Newry’s Killeavy Castle Estate took the coveted Green/Sustainable Award.
This year’s Manufacturer of the Year is Mallusk-based Brett Martin while electric vehicle recharging specialists Weev took the Small Business of the Year title. Hastings Hotels came out on top in a hotly-contested Tourism & Hospitality Award category.
“If these awards are a barometer of the local economy and business performance, then we’re in a very good place,” said Business Eye’s Richard Buckley. “We had a record entry, some of the best quality entries we’ve ever had, and the audience at the event was larger than it has been since well before the pandemic.
“What’s more, the winners we’ve honoured at the awards reflect the very best of business achievement here in Northern Ireland.”
Roisin Keenan, Head of Business Banking at AIB Northern Ireland said:
“We are very proud of our long-standing partnership with the Business Eye awards programme, celebrating the best of the Northern Ireland business community. Once again, the competition was fierce, local companies are continually excelling in innovation, creativity and determination to make their mark with customers and the communities they serve.
“It’s a privilege to celebrate the success of our local business leaders and we extend our warmest congratulations to all the finalists and winners, especially to Kingsbridge Healthcare, Eugene McKeever and Darragh McCarthy for their outstanding achievements.”