Tipperary man Declan Kelly, who is head of global communications company Teneo, has joined the push to make Juneteenth a national holiday in the United States.
Juneteenth, held on 19 June, commemorates the US abolition of slavery.
Teneo, along with international advocacy organisation Global Citizen, and stars like Pharrell Williams and Ellen DeGeneres is encouraging businesses to sign the Juneteenth pledge.
The pledge aims to ensure Juneteenth becomes a paid holiday for US employees, which would give workers time off to reflect, and learn to respect all cultures.
Among the companies that have already agreed to the pledge include adidas, Airbnb, Amblin Partners, Greensill, HP, Participant, The J. M. Smucker Company, Starbucks and Under Armour.
Following the launch, Declan Kelly, Chairman and CEO of Teneo, said they were proud to sign the pledge.
"The private sector will play a critical role in helping drive change across society as a whole and we are committed to doing everything we can to help encourage additional companies to sign-up for the Juneteenth Pledge as well as signing it ourselves," he said.
