connect 2017 • 69 NEW YORK AROUND THE WORLD March, 2017 The 2017 New York Dinner Gala was launched at Current at Chelsea Piers. The Ireland Funds America Chairman John Fitzpatrick welcomed the Dinner Commit- tee and the 2017 Dinner Chairman Dan Keegan, Co-Head of Global Equities at Citi and the 2017 Leslie C. Quick Jr. Leadership Award recipient, Jim O’Donnell, Global Head of Investor Sales and Relationship Management at Citi. Jim and Dan have been great champions of the Irish American commu- nity and of the causes supported by The Ireland Funds. Prior to the dinner, members of the Dinner Committee gathered for their first meeting to embark on driving and promoting the Dinner Gala. March, 2017 Renowned designer Diane Von Furstenberg welcomed 120 supporters of The Ireland Funds Women’s Group for an evening of cocktails, conversation and fashion at her studio located in New York City’s Meatpacking District. Kieran McLoughlin, Worldwide President & CEO of The Ireland Funds, introduced Diane and commended her leadership in chairing the $100 million campaign for the new Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island. As a philanthropist, Diane and her husband Barry Diller signed The Giving Pledge in 2010; committing to give away more than half of their wealth to charity. Following Diane’s speech, Philip Atkins, Vice President of Global Mer- chandising, presented DVF’s new collection which had been overseen by the brand’s latest Chief Creative Officer, Jonathan Saunders. After the fashion show, Philip brought guests down to the store for a private styling experience where everyone was presented with a copy of Diane’s memoir The Woman I Wanted To Be. New York Annual Dinner Gala Kick-off Reception New York Women’s Group Event with Diane Von Furstenberg 1 1 2 2 3 3 1 Jim O’Donnell, John Fitzpatrick, Dan Keegan 2 Dan Keegan, Loretta Brennan Glucksman 3 Kieran McLoughlin, Irial Finan 1 Kieran McLoughlin, Tina Flaherty, Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Diane Von Furstenberg, Kyle Clifford 2 Diane Von Furstenberg addressing the group 3 Helen Enright, Diane Von Furstenberg Photos: Jim Higgins Photos: Ben Asen