Celebrating the Morrison Visa Legacy with Elaine Brennan and Feargal O’Sullivan
Today, we hear the story of an American congressman who changed the lives of thousands of Irish people, the foundation created to honor his legacy, and the big event this fall that will celebrate that legacy.
To tell the tale, we have two Irish individuals who benefited from the Morrison Visa program, spearheaded by Congressman Bruce Morrison: Feargal O’Sullivan, CEO of the outsourced sales and marketing firm USAM, and Elaine Brennan, Executive Director of Global Strategic Partnerships for Northwell Health.
Since Morrison Visas helped thousands of young Irish people, Elaine, Feargal, and a stellar group of diaspora leaders created the Morrison Legacy Foundation and will honor the Congressman at the Morrison Visa 30th Anniversary Celebration, Wed., Oct. 1, at the legendary Rainbow Room, high atop New York’s Rockefeller Center.
Get all the details at the links below.
With that, we wrap until the fall when we’ll come back strong on September 7th in an episode with former U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Joseph Kennedy III.
Talk to you then!
Links
Morrison Legacy Foundation
Elaine Brennan
Fergal O'Sullivan
Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 25; Total Episode Count: 128
00:00 - Introduction
03:40 - The Morrison Visa Program
05:13 - The Morrison Legacy Foundation
05:56 - Bruce Morrison Gala
08:28 - Elaine's Morrison Visa Experience
11:04 - Fergal's Morrison Visa Experience
12:33 - Other Visa Stories
15:07 - Elaine: Arriving in America
16:57 - Fergal: Early Days in America
18:35 - Creating the Morrison Legacy Foundation
22:47 - Immigrating Before the Internet
27:04 - America Now and the Morrison Program
33:00 - Irish Benefits from the Morrison Program
35:02 - The Morrison Impact on the Peace Process
36:19 - Morrison Gala Details
41:19 - John Recaps
Chief Executive Officer USAM Group
USAM’s Chief Executive Officer is a proven business leader with the rare ability to blend business acumen and deep technical knowledge. With over 20 years of experience at BlackRock, Reuters, and NYSE, Feargal understands the needs of clients and vendors in equal measure.
Executive Director of Global Strategic Partnerships
Elaine Brennan is Executive Director of Global Strategic Partnerships at Northwell Health, where she leads the development of strategic collaborations and innovative programs. She joined Northwell to create the Pharma Ventures group to position Northwell as a leader in clinical research, health outcomes, and digital innovation.
Ms. Brennan also launched Northwell’s International Program, forging alliances with global trade agencies to source international technologies and companies for procurement, research, and investment.
Previously, Ms. Brennan was CEO of Socrates, a healthcare IT firm, where she led the U.S. launch of its platform. She also led Life Sciences for Enterprise Ireland, guiding companies entering the U.S. market with funding and commercialization. She founded Gastroenterology Ireland, linking companies, R&D, and clinical leaders in Ireland and the U.S. to build national expertise and drive innovation.
Her pharmaceutical career at Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, and AbbVie included marketing, sales, and clinical roles, and launching blockbuster virology products.
