Celebrating the 19th Annual Irish America Wall Street 50 Awards

Irish America magazine celebrates the 2016 Wall Street 50 Awards with keynote speaker Daniel Keegan, co-head of Global Equities for Citigroup.

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On Wednesday, October 12, Irish America celebrated the 19^th Annual Wall Street 50 Awards Dinner at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan. The Wall Street 50 recognizes the most exciting and innovative Irish American and Irish-born leaders in finance, profiled in the October / November 2016 issue of Irish America.
Daniel Keegan, co-head of Global Equities for Citigroup, delivered the keynote speech, a humble and funny talk that tied his own early academic struggle with the greater idea of teamwork on Wall Street, including his predecessor and mentor at Citi Rick Bartlett, and the Irish obligation to aid today’s immigrants.
Born in New Jersey, Dan is third-generation Irish American with ancestors from Co. Meath on his father’s side and counties Meath and Louth on his mother’s. He was appointed to his current post in May, having previously served for three years as head of Equities Americas at Citi. He joined Citi in 2007 as part of the bank’s purchase of ADT as head of Electronic Trading. He attended the University of Notre Dame, receiving a B.A. and later, a J.D. at Notre Dame Law School. Before joining Citigroup, Daniel was employed at JPMorgan Chase, where he established the Electronic Execution services business, and later sat on the executive committee and board of directors at Automated Trading Desk.

In his speech, Keegan gave thanks to those who have helped him in his career, including his family, and those who have inspired his work.
“The reality is this isn’t my award. This is an award, if it is in any way reflective of my career, an award that I share with so many of my colleagues from Citigroup,” he said. “As anyone who has found themselves in a situation akin to this, when they take a step back, and think about why they’re here, if they’re intellectually honest, they know that they’re here because of many other people and the impact those people have had on them.”

Keegan also called immigration “the biggest issue that we as society have to face” outside of income inequality, “whether it be from climate change or whether it be driven by war.”
“Thinking about my heritage, thinking about Ireland, thinking about the contributions and how it is Irish people have come to this country and the difference that they’ve made, that there’s much to be learned from our history,” he said. “You’re not going to solve it with a wall. You’re going to solve it with people who actually care to make a difference, and I do believe, and it’s something I’m very very proud of, that our Irish heritage, collectively, is something from which we can ultimately learn.”
He also spoke of the opportunities presented to Ireland following the exit of the U.K. from the European Union, commonly known as Brexit, claiming that the move will have a “fundamental change in terms of the financial services industry,” and making a commitment to be part of the conversation about how Wall Street and Ireland can work together if London no longer remains the center of the European financial system for American companies.
“I think there’s a fantastic opportunity for Ireland based on its literacy, based on its population, based on many things that are germane in the context of the decision that many Wall Street banks will have to take a leading role in how it is we [adapt] to a world potentially outside of London,” he said.

Suni Harford, managing director and Citigroup’s regional head of Markets for North America, introduced Keegan, praising Keegan’s sense of family and commitment to Citi, calling him both a “father” and “brother” to his co-workers and those he manages.
“I’m not sure I know someone as centered as Dan Keegan is around his wife, Beth, and their four children, around his mom and dad, around his brothers, around his sister. It is inspiring for all of us who have the honor of knowing and working with Dan.”
“But Dan is not just about family to the Keegan clan, because Citi is family to Dan, as well.”

Patricia Harty, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Irish America, and Niall O’Dowd, founding publisher, presented Keegan with the Keynote Speaker Award, a House of Waterford Crystal Lismore Essence Vase.
Singer Niamh Hyland, who is also the co-founder of Artists Without Walls, performed during the event, accompanied by Jaime Reynolds on piano.

Consul General Barbara Jones spoke, too, at the dinner, praising Keegan’s candor and Citi’s investment in Ireland – the company currently employs 5,000 people in Ireland – and paying respect to all the honorees in the 2016 Wall Street 50 for “being part of this magnificent Irish network of friendship and professionalism and values for the better of New York and our global economic system that is in Wall Street.”
Consul General Jones also made specific mention of William J. Flynn, chairman emeritus of Mutual of America, who was in attendance, for his role in the Northern Ireland peace process.
“When the history books are written, Bill Flynn’s name will be the name most associated with the breakthrough for peace in Ireland,” she said.

Among the honorees in attendance were former Wall Street Keynote Speakers Jim O’Donnell, managing director and global head of Investor Sales and Relationships at Citi, and Shaun Kelly, chief operating officer of KPMG International; Mary Ann Callahan of Paxos; Tony Dalton of R.J. O’Brien; Erin Fitzsimmons of First Republic Bank; PwC’s Vin Colman, Martyn Curragh, and Martin Kehoe; Barbara Koster of Prudential, and Rubicoin co-founders Emmet Savage and John Tyrrell.
Also in attendance was Ed Kenney of Mutual of America; John Fitzpatrick, Kieran McLoughlin, and Loretta Brennan Glucksman of the American Ireland Fund; Alison Metcalfe of Tourism Ireland; and Laura Koumas of 1-800 Flowers.
The 2016 Irish America Wall Street 50 Awards Dinner is sponsored by: ICON plc, Mutual of America, Citigroup, the American Ireland Fund, Tourism Ireland, PwC, Prudential, Invest NI, First Republic Bank, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland, 1-800 Flowers, Coca Cola, CIE Tours International, Fitzpatrick Hotels, and House of Waterford Crystal, which provided the Keynote Speaker award and Honoree Shamrock Awards. ♦

For more on Dan Keegan, click here to read his interview with Adam Farley in the October / November 2016 issue of Irish America.