John Bruton

John Bruton was the EU Ambassador to the United States from 2004 to 2009, and previously the Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach).

As a former Irish Prime Minister, John helped transform the Irish economy into the “Celtic Tiger”, one of the fastest growing economies in the world. During his time in office from 1994 to 1997, the Irish economy grew at an annual average rate of 8.7%. He was also deeply involved in the Northern Irish Peace Process leading to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

While Prime Minister, John presided over a successful Irish EU Presidency in 1996 and helped finalise the Stability and Growth Pact, which governs the management of the single European currency: the Euro. He represented the EU at Summit meetings with the President of the United States and with the Prime Ministers of Canada, Japan, China and Korea.

John Bruton, the former Irish Prime Minister who helped transform the Irish economy now delivers keynotes with a focus on economic development, politics and policy. His professional experience and his many international talks make him an ideal keynote speaker.

Before being appointed EU Ambassador to the United States in 2004, John served as a leading member of the caucus that drafted the first-ever European Constitution. He was Vice President of the European People’s Party from 1999 to 2005.

John ceased to be Ambassador to the US at the end of 2009, he has since served on the board of directors on Ingersoll Rand, Montpelier re, Smart Invest and the Irish Loan Origination Fund. He is active in a number of non-profit organisations, including the Centre for European Policy Studies, Cooperation Ireland and the Club de Madrid. He is also a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Transatlantic Relations and a visiting fellow at the European Institute in the London School of Economics. Additionally, he acts as an advisor to Fairobserver, focusing mainly on the areas of politics, finance, and economics, as well as on issues pertaining to Europe.

In May 2010 John was announced as the chairman of the newly-formed financial services body, IFSC Ireland. His main role is to promote the Republic of Ireland as a location of choice for international financial services.

Teemat: The Celtic Tiger Economy | EU-US Relations | Europe’s Global Role | The Future of the Euro and the European Economy | Leadership in Government | Brexit