Denis O'Brien

As a serial entrepreneur and investor in emerging markets, Denis O’Brien is a firm believer in the ethos of philanthrocapitalism.  Denis works to ensure that people and communities have opportunities to grow and prosper through his many and varied corporate interests.

He joined the board of Concern Worldwide US in 2005.  He has been a critical driver of the organisation’s purpose and passionate supporter of its focus on the world’s poorest.

He was appointed Chairman of the organising committee for the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games, held in Ireland: the first occasion the games were held outside the United States. The result was a remarkable national event involving 38,000 volunteers and 7,000 athletes.

He is Chairman and co-founder of Frontline Defenders, the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

He founded the Digicel Foundation in 2004. In two decades of giving back in Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Papua New Guinea, the Foundation has invested over $180 million in education, community development, special needs and entrepreneurship.

In Ireland, the Iris O’Brien foundation has granted €80m in donations to 800 organisations, all of whom have a shared agenda to transform lives and ensure no one is left behind.

Denis O’Brien is a graduate of University College Dublin and Boston College. He has extensive business interests across a range of sectors internationally, including telecommunications, hospitality and health care.