Leading businessman Dr Gerard O’Hare CBE is to deliver the latest lecture in the Ulster Business School’s ‘Celebrating Business Excellence’ series.
Dr O’Hare, who chairs the University of Ulster Foundation and is a board member of InterTradeIreland, will talk about his life influences, his mentors and his experience of working and growing a family business before building one of Ireland’s most successful property development and investment companies.
He will outline how he seriously believes in corporate social responsibility and what keeps him motivated in an ever changing business environment. Dr O Hare will also offer his views on the challenges ahead for the NI economy – and his assessment of what parts we all must play in making it work.
This event has been organised in association with the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of which the Ulster Business School is Patron, and will be hosted at the University of Ulster’s Belfast campus on Tuesday 28th September at 5.30pm.
ENDS
Notes for editors:
1. A brief biography of Dr O’Hare is given below
Dr William Gerard O'Hare CBE
Gerard is one of Northern Ireland's most successful property and business entrepreneurs with a portfolio of developments across Ireland, the UK, Central Europe and the USA. As founder and CEO of Parker Green, Dr O'Hare has grown an international portfolio of properties and investments fast approaching $1bn which includes the Quays Shopping & Leisure Centre in Newry and Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow.
Dr O'Hare has been the catalyst in bringing together many major developments and attracting outside investment into Northern Ireland from the early 1990s to present day, motivating and securing some of the early PFI schemes.
He has served as Chairman of the Communities Support Group, President of the Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade, Chairman of the University of Ulster Foundation and as a visiting professor at the University of Ulster's School of the Built Environment.
In June 2009, HRH Prince Charles appointed Dr O’Hare as his Ambassador for Business and Corporate Social Responsibility in Northern Ireland.
In October 2009, Dr O’Hare along with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, received a joint Lambda Alpha International Award for International Urban Affairs.
Dr O’Hare has recently also been appointed as Honorary Consul for Latvia where he will have a special role both for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
More recently, Dr O’Hare was listed in the 2009 New Year Honours list , when he became a CBE.
He has also recently received the coveted Maritime Lifetime Award from Ocean Youth Trust of Ireland in recognition of his recent involvement with the 'Green Dragon', the Irish entry in the Volvo Ocean Round The World Yacht Race 2008/9.
Dr O'Hare also served as Chairman of Belfast Tall Ships 2009.