Dr Tony O'Reilly, who has received a knighthood in the British New Year Honours List for "long and distinguished service to Northern Ireland", is a former Irish rugby international player who went on to outstanding success in business on both sides of the Atlantic.
He has had a long-standing interest in Northern Ireland. In 1976 he was a founder of the Ireland Fund of the United States which later became the Ireland Funds, which have raised in excess of $100 million in the cause of peace and culture on both sides of the Border in Ireland.
The funds, distributed on a non-denominational basis, currently operate in nine countries: Ireland, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, South Africa and Japan.
He also established the O'Reilly Foundation in 1998 to promote worthy causes. It now has an endowment portfolio worth around $4 million.
Capped 29 times for Ireland, he was the first international player to be honoured by the Rugby Hall of Fame in 1998. He holds the record for the most tries - 38 - scored by any Lions player over the past 100 years. Born in Dublin on May 7th, 1936, his interest in rugby was nurtured as a schoolboy at Belvedere College.
He attended University College Dublin and the Incorporated Law Society, qualifying as a solicitor. He subsequently obtained a PhD in agri-marketing at the University of Bradford.
Some 14 honorary doctorates from universities around the world were to follow over the years, including one from the University of Dublin (Trinity College), where he is currently pro-Chancellor.
In 1988 he contributed $2.5 million to the O'Reilly Institute for Modern Technology at TCD. This was followed by a $3.5 million donation to the O'Reilly Hall at UCD in 1994 and $1 million towards the Barrington-O'Reilly
Pavilion erected by the Institute of Public Administration in November last year.
He also donated $3 million towards the recently opened library at Dublin City University.
Dr O'Reilly was general manager of An Bord Bainne from 1962 to 1966, and managing director of Bord Siucre Eireann and Erin Foods from 1966 to 1969.
He became managing director of H.J. Heinz's UK operations in 1969, and 10 years later became chief executive of Heinz worldwide.
Heinz was valued at $900 million when Dr O'Reilly took over. This had grown to $15 billion by the time he stepped down recently as non-executive chairman.
The O'Reilly family interests include Independent News and Media's multinational operations, which include the Irish Independent newspaper. The family interests also include Waterford Wedgwood.
He received the Order of Australia from Queen Elizabeth in 1988 for his services to the cause of Irish-Australian understanding.
Dr Tony O'Reilly, the international businessman, philanthropist and former rugby international, who has been given a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth for his "long and distinguished service" to Northern Ireland.