Archives: Awardees

Tom Tynan is celebrated for his phenomenal career in agriculture. He received his Bachelor of Agriculture Science from UCD in 1981 and has a wealth of commercial and strategic experience, having worked across a range of agribusiness and policy areas. Tom Tynan was a commercial director of IAWS Agri and subsequently Chief Operating Officer of Welcon AS. Previously on the board of Teagasc and a chair of Alltech, Tynan’s responsibilities for rural development, agricultural markets, agricultural research and innovation serve his industry well. In 2014, he was appointed to the cabinet of EU Agricultural Commissioner Phil Hogan. His portfolio responsibilities include rural development and agricultural markets.

Last November, Nóirín O’Sullivan made history when she became the first female Commissioner of An Garda Síochána. After graduating from UCD’s Smurfit Business School with an Advanced Management Diploma in 2008, O’Sullivan progressed quickly up the ranks of AGS and in 2009, she was appointed Assistant Commissioner, Crime and Security. She was promoted to the position of Deputy Commissioner Operations two years later. She has almost 30 years of professional policing experience and numerous qualifications, which include completing an FBI executive leadership programme designed for chiefs of police worldwide.

Virginia Pye is recognised for her innovative work in child welfare and health services. She graduated from UCD in 1991, after which she received two more degrees from Trinity College Dublin, before working up to a position as the Director and National Lead for Public Health Nursing in the National Primary Care Division. Pye has helped to introduce multiple frameworks that have been adopted by health services. One of her greatest achievements came in 2014, when the HSE launched the Child and Family Needs Assessment Framework for Public Health in the Midlands. The framework is used by PHNs to help assess risk and protective factors in work and situations with children and “at risk” families.