New York, January 29, 2018 — Jay Ireland has joined Covington as a senior advisor in New York.

Mr. Ireland has nearly four decades of senior executive experience across a number of industry sectors, including telecommunications and media, healthcare, energy, financial services, and manufacturing. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of GE Africa, where he was responsible for expanding the company’s footprint across Sub-Saharan Africa in power generation, healthcare, transportation, oil and gas, aviation, and financial services. His efforts led to being named “International Business Leader of the Year” in both 2012 and 2013 by Africa Investor Magazine.

In addition, Mr. Ireland has held a number of executive positions outside of GE including as the co-chair of the U.S.-Africa Business Center at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (2017-2018), a vice chair and member of the Corporate Council on Africa (2012-2018), and the chairman of the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (2013-2018). He currently serves as a board member of the MasterCard Foundation, a charity dedicated to promoting youth employment in Africa.

“For the last eight years Jay has been one of the top business leaders on the continent. He has a keen understanding of how business and policy intersect and how business can positively affect the development priorities of African nations,” said Witney Schneidman, chair of Covington’s Africa Practice Group and the former Deputy Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for African Affairs. “We are very fortunate to have someone with Jay’s experience and business acumen as part of our team and I know that our clients will benefit from his expertise across the continent.”

“I have deeply enjoyed my time living and working in Africa and have made the decision to join a firm that allows me to continue my efforts in helping local and international businesses succeed on the continent,” said Mr. Ireland. “Covington’s Africa Practice is just the sort of platform I had in mind. With the global expertise in government affairs, a strong sense of commitment to Africa, and a growing office in Johannesburg, I strongly believe the firm’s clients will be able to benefit from the team’s insights and experience.”

Mr. Ireland received a B.A. in Political Science at St. Lawrence University and serves as a member of its Board of Trustees.

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