BUSINESSWOMAN Jacqueline O’Donovan, the trailblazing managing director of O’Donovan Waste, has been honoured at the inaugural Business Post Global Irish Diaspora Awards in London.  

Known for being a disrupter and innovator in the construction and waste sector, not only in the UK but in Ireland and the USA, Jacqueline, whose parents came from Goleen, was awarded the Business Leader of the Year title at the event.

The first ever Global Diaspora Awards ceremony celebrated the achievements and accomplishments of the Irish diaspora worldwide across 12 nominated categories.

 Jacqueline, who has a home in Goleen where she visits regularly, is a passionate, driven and successful businesswoman, who has not only made the family business a resounding success but has worked hard over the years as a visionary leader and innovator, influencing and improving the industry as a whole.  She is also a dedicated supporter of the Irish community in the UK and is involved in a number of projects, most recently funding the launch of an Irish archive at the London Irish Centre.  

The archive will preserve the history of the stories, letters, tapes and recordings of Irish emigrants that travelled to the UK, known as ‘the men who built Britain’ for generations to come.