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Limerick's Shane makes Irish American paper's under 40 A-list of movers and shakers
AN Annacotty man whose first job was as a barman in the Black Swan pub has been named in the Irish Echo's 2010 top 40 under 40 young Irish in America.
Shane Clifford is one of the youngest, at just 33 years of age, to feature in the prestigious annual list by the most widely read Irish-American newspaper.
Mr Clifford may now be vice-president, institutional sales, with the Permal Group Inc in New York, but he hasn't forgotten what he learned in the Black Swan.
"It thought me the art of conversation and how to relate to people from all types of backgrounds. This proved to be a great foundation for a career on Wall Street in institutional sales," said Mr Clifford, who works for one of the oldest and largest alternative asset management firms.
"There are definitely people far more impressive people than me on the list, but I'm absolutely delighted," he said.
Mr Clifford started his education in Monaleen National School, then St Clement's Secondary School, before studying Business Studies in University of Limerick.
He moved to America in June 1998 and did an MBA in International Management in Boston University. Before his current role with Permal Group, Mr Clifford worked with BlackRock and Merrill Lynch.
"I didn't do the classic thing of going to Australia for a couple of year, so it's probably stepped things up a little quicker for me. I've been very fortunate. The combination of luck, with keeping the head down, I've managed to, fortunately, end up in a relatively good position," said Mr Clifford.
In very broad terms, he describes his role as selling hedge funds to pension funds.
"If you take the Irish national pension fund, I would sell our hedge funds to that pension.
"Another example would be the ESB pension plan – that pension plan needs to invest each individual's money to have the return on it for them to pay out to all their employees. They invest in various products, and one product they can invest in is hedge funds," said Mr Clifford.
The worldwide economic decline had been challenging, he said, but he was hiring more people.
"In the relative scheme of thing we've done really well, but that's in difficult circumstances," said Mr Clifford.
It's 12 years since he left Limerick, but Mr Clifford keeps up-to-date with what happens locally and reads the Limerick Leader online every week.
In particular, he watches developments at Shannon Airport.
"I talk a bit about it here as I do worry about the Mid-West with Shannon Airport just continually being decimated. Aer Lingus, the national airline, basically wants to turn Shannon Airport into the next Knock, no offence to Knock,” he said.
When he says he is from Limerick some people do mention the negative stereotypes, he says, but a lot more mention Munster and Richard Harris, according to Mr Clifford.
He played underage rugby as a blindside flanker with UL Bohemians and the UL college team and every summer holidays in Kilkee.
“Basically, I think I am about as Limerick as you can get,” said Mr Clifford.
He is married to Tricia, with one son, 15 month-old Liam, and another child on the way in April.
Mr Clifford’s parents, Liam and Margaret, live in Annacotty and he has two siblings, Kyle and Susan.
Irish Echo newspaper publisher, Mairtin O Muilleoir, said: “Among our many celebrations of the wealth, depth, genius and generosity of Irish America, the 40 under 40, has its eyes firmly on the future.”
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