29 October 2025
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Ireland’s Premier Business Awards Celebrates Its 51st Anniversary
Business & Finance, in association with KPMG, today announced the shortlist for the 51st annual Business & Finance Awards 2025, which will take place on Thursday, 11th December at the Convention Centre Dublin.
This year’s gala evening will welcome over 1,000 global business, political and social leaders to celebrate outstanding achievement, leadership, and innovation across Irish and international business.
Now entering its 51st year, the Business & Finance Awards Programme remains Ireland’s most prestigious business recognition platform, honouring exceptional companies and individuals whose impact drives progress, shapes industries, and inspires the next generation of leaders.
The 2025 shortlist showcases the very best in Irish enterprise — from dynamic SMEs to multinational trailblazers — highlighting how Irish business continues to set new global benchmarks for performance, innovation, and resilience.
This year’s awards received almost 30% (29.5%) increase in submissions, the highest number in over a decade. Notably, the Innovation of the Year category, introduced only last year, has seen the largest number of entries this year across all categories, underlining Ireland’s thriving culture of creativity and technological advancement.
Among the most eagerly anticipated categories is Business Person of the Year, celebrating Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs and executives who are driving business excellence, innovation and growth both nationally and internationally. The Company of the Year award will recognise an outstanding Irish or international business demonstrating sustained success, innovation and impact — one of the most coveted accolades in the Irish business calendar.
2025 Business & Finance Awards Shortlist
Business Person of the Year
- Sculpted by Aimee – Aimee Connolly, Dublin
- Manna Air Delivery – Bobby Healy, Dublin
- Clever Cards – Kealan Lennon, Dublin
- Greencore Group – Dalton Philips, Dublin
- Smurfit Westrock – Tony Smurfit, Dublin
- Fergo – Marc Murphy, Dublin
- CPL – Lorna Conn, Dublin
- Cubic3 – Barry Napier, Dublin
- NBI – David McCourt, Dublin
- Staffline Recruitment – Tina McKenzie, Dublin
Company of the Year
- Murray Group – Grannagh, Waterford
- SMBC Aviation Capital – IFSC, Dublin
- Smurfit Westrock – Dublin
- TransferMate – Kilkenny, Ireland
- CPL – South Dublin
- DCC PLC – Foxrock, Dublin
- Portwest – Westport, Mayo
- NBI – Citywest, Dublin
- Eir – Citywest, Dublin
DE&I (Diversity, Equality & Inclusion)
- Rethink Ireland – Dublin 2
- Mantra Strategy Ltd –Malahide, Dublin
- Hostelworld – Charlemont Street, Dublin 2
- Bord Gáis Energy – Dublin 2
- Payara
- FINEOS Corporation Ltd – Dublin 3
- Northern Trust – Townsend Street, Dublin 2
- PTSB – Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
- Open Doors Initiative – Swords, Dublin
- Workday – Smithfield, Dublin 7
- Auticon – Dublin 2
- Access Earth – Celbridge, Kildare, Ireland
Elevation Company of the Year
- MCO (MyComplianceOffice) – Walkinstown, Dublin 12
- Equal1 – Belfield, Dublin 4
- MBRYONICS – Dangan, Galway
- Manna Air Delivery – Dublin 11
- Integrity360 – Sandyford, Dublin 18
- Mail Metrics – Business Park, Dublin 17
- Xtremepush – Clarendon Street, Dublin 2
- Fire1 – Glasnevin, Dublin
- LUMA Vision –Beech Hill Road, Dublin 4
ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance)
- Tesco Ireland – Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin
- Fexco – Killorglin, Co. Kerry
- TCS – Barrow St, Dublin 4
- Smarttech 247 – Airport Business Park, Cork
- H&MV Engineering – Castletroy, Co. Limerick
-
PTSB – Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
- Arthur Cox – Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
- Codema – Dublin’s Energy Agency – Dublin 8
- Workday – Smithfield, Dublin 7
- Copper Coast Renewables – Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford
- An Post – O’Connell Street Lower, Dublin1
- AIB – Molesworth Street, Dublin
Innovation of the Year
- Deciphex – Glasnevin, Dublin
- Riot Games – Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2
- Magrow Tec – Clonskeagh Road, Dublin 14
- Sprintax – Ring Road, Kilkenny
- Coolplanet – Enniskerry, County Wicklow
- Workday – Smithfield, Dublin 7
- With Everly – Dublin
- HaloCare – Mill Lane, Carlow
- Dole Ireland – Dublin 7,
- CergenX – Rathgar, Dublin
- An Post – O’Connell Street Lower, Dublin1
Brand of the Year
- Deciphex – Glasnevin, Dublin
- Kerrygold – Mount Street Lower, Dublin 2
- NBI – Citywest, Dublin
- Workday – Smithfield, Dublin 7
- Fintua – Ring Road, Kilkenny
- Guaranteed Irish – Molesworth Street, Dublin 2
- Sculpted by Aimee – Dundrum, Dublin 14
- Dole Ireland – Dublin 7
- Platform94 – Mervue Business Park, Galway
Public Enterprise of the Year
- Bord na Móna – Newbridge, Kildare
- Shannon Airport Group – Shannon, Co. Clare
- Western Development Commission – Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon
- Iarnród Éireann Capital Investments– Amiens Street, Dublin 1
- Eirgrid – Shelbourne Rd, Dublin 4
FDI
- Amazon- Burlington Rd, Dublin 4
- GE Healthcare- Carrigtohill, Co Cork
- Abbott-Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin
- Ericsson- Athlone, County Westmeath
- PayPal-Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
- Citi- North Wall, Dublin
- Google- Barrow Street, Dublin
- Microsoft, Dublin
- GSK, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24
- Squarespace, Dublin 8
- Northern Trust, Dublin 2
- FIS, Dublin 1
Ian Hyland, President and Publisher, Business & Finance, said: “It is inspiring to see such a strong and diverse shortlist for the 2025 Business & Finance Awards — a testament to the extraordinary calibre of leadership across Ireland’s business landscape. This year marks another important milestone for the awards as we honour Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton with the Sutherland Leadership Award, alongside our outstanding shortlisted companies and leaders who continue to shape Ireland’s future on the world stage.”
Ryan McCarthy, Managing Partner, KPMG, said: “The Business & Finance Awards continue to celebrate the excellence and innovation that make Ireland such a powerful force in global business. The significant growth in entries this year reflects the ambition, creative spirit and resilience that define our business community. At KPMG, we are proud to support these awards and to celebrate the leaders and organisations who are not just adapting to change but driving it with courage and vision.”
The Business & Finance Awards 2025, in association with KPMG, will take place on Thursday, 11th December 2025 at the Convention Centre Dublin.