Louise Campbell

Senior Manager

Michael McDonnell

Careers Manager

A career educationalist and more recently a Business and Executive Coach, Michael joined the UCD Careers Network (Blackrock) as a Careers Manager in January 2016.
As a Careers Manager, he coaches students on an individual and group basis around topics such as career planning, effective applications and interview techniques to enable students fulfil their real potential.

Bernie Burke

Global and Executive MBA LEAP Module Co-Lead and Careers Manager

Bernie co-leads the award-winning MBA LEAP module (Leadership and Employability Advancement Programme), developed in partnership with the Smurfit MBA Programme. As part of this module, Bernie supports Global and Executive MBA students on their career and employability development. Bernie draws on over 25 years of global industry experience, including 10 years as Director of her own consultancy company, supporting clients in the public and private sector. Bernie holds an MSc in Organisational Behaviour from Trinity College Dublin, where she is currently pursuing a D.Ed. in Careers Education, focussing on AI-augmented learning and employability. Bernie was awarded the AHECS 2024 Employability Award for Research Based Practice at the Grad Ireland Recruitment Awards for her work on LEAP, and is a finalist at this year's Association for Business Psychology (ABP) Workforce Experience Awards in London in November 2024, in the category 'Excellence in Learning & Development' for the application of business psychology to employability development on LEAP. The Smurfit MBA Programme has been chosen as a finalist in the 'Best Strategic Innovation' category for the LEAP module at the AMBA Awards in London in January 2025.

Bel Blanco

CEMS Corporate Relations Manager & MSc Internship Coordinator

Isabel joined UCD Smurfit School as CEMS Corporate Relations Manager & MSc Internship Coordinator in September 2021. She develops the Corporate Relations participation in the CEMS Programme involving Corporate Partners at both business school and multinational companies’ level; and supporting the further development of the CEMS Programme. She also supports internship opportunities for MSc students. Isabel has 7 years experience as a manager, specialising in business development and managing strategic partnerships in the education sector. She is a bilingual Spanish and English speaker. Isabel has a BA in Education from the University of Navarre in Spain. An MA in Education and an MLitt from Trinity College.

Rita Taaffe

Operational Support

Rita has over 20 years’ professional services experience, having worked for one of the leading management consultancies and one of the largest professional service firms in Ireland and globally. More recently, Rita transitioned to the public sector as a Project Coordinator for UCD School of Veterinary Medicine and since April 2022 Rita has been providing operational support to Smurfit Careers Network.