MEDIA CONTACT: Patricia Tremmel at 847-491-4892 or p-tremmel@northwestern.edu

October 6, 2004

Ambassador, Ryan Featured in U.S.-Irish Discussion

EVANSTON, Ill. --- James C. Kenny, U.S. ambassador to Ireland, and Patrick G. Ryan, chairman and chief executive of Aon Corp. and chairman of the Northwestern University Board of Trustees, will participate in a wide-ranging discussion about U.S. and Irish bilateral relations, including the peace process, trade developments and perception of the U.S. in Ireland.

Free and open to the public, the discussion will take place Saturday, Oct. 9, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at Northwestern University, McCormick Tribune Forum, 1870 Campus Drive, on the Evanston campus. A reception will follow.

The discussion is part of the “’The Images of the U.S. Abroad” series sponsored by the Center for International and Comparative Studies at Northwestern.

“It’s a distinct honor for Northwestern to welcome home Ambassador Kenny to Chicago,” said Andrew Wachtel, dean of the graduate school at Northwestern and director of the Center for International and Comparative Studies. “’The Images of the U.S. Abroad’ series is designed to convene leaders such as the ambassador and Patrick Ryan to discuss the perceptions and implications of the role of the U.S. in the world.”

Kenny has been executive vice president of Kenny Construction, a 75-year-old firm involved in projects across the United States as well as president of Kenny Management Services, a new division which has overseen construction projects such as Chicago’s Midway Airport expansion and the new stadium of the Chicago Bears.

Ryan is widely recognized for his leadership at Aon Corp., a global leader in risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, human capital consulting and outsourcing. Aon has 55,000 employees in more than 600 offices in 125 countries. He started as an entrepreneur and merged his company, Ryan Group, to form what ultimately became Aon.