Boston College, in conjunction with the Irish trade promotion group Gateway to Europe, launched its Ireland Business Council at an event in Dublin's Merrion hotel on Wednesday night.

The council will promote transatlantic trade, Boston College said. It will bring “influential business leaders from both communities together once a year in Dublin and in Boston to create one deeply connected transatlantic trade and foreign direct investment artery”, the college added.

The new initiative will be chaired by Neil Naughton, chairman of Glen Dimplex. Its advisory board also includes Dr Bob Mauro, director of the global leadership institute at Boston College; Jim Kelliher, chief financial officer of Actifio; and Robert Mac Giolla Phadraig of Sigmar Sigmar Recruitment and the leader of Ireland, Gateway to Europe.

Speakers at the event in the Merrion included Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, IAG chief executive Willie Walsh, Glanbia group managing director Siobhán Talbot and Paul Coulson, chairman of the Ardagh packaging group.