Alumni Testimonials
Lifelong learning is the cornerstone of UCD Smurfit Executive Development’s approach. No matter how far you have advanced in your career, there are always new insights to uncover, different mind-sets to explore and more opportunities for growth. Smurfit Executive Development’s transformational experience has made an impact on executives around the globe. Here are a few stories from participants who embraced their Diploma in Organisational Change & Transformation journeys and emerged equipped to grow themselves, their teams and their organisations.
Richard Warner, Head of Strategy and Performance at John Sisk and Son Ltd
“The diploma met all my expectations. I expected it to be challenging and it wasn’t found wanting. It was both challenging and interesting. You can read a lot, but you need lecturers and the experience and diversity of your classmates in a classroom environment to bring it to life. The knowledge and insights gained were very valuable. I can now understand the area much better. My approach to helping people navigate change is now completely different to what it was 12 months ago. have much a different view of the impact of change on people as individuals as well as team consisting of many people”.
Gesine Halligan, Senior Director Field Enablement EMEA at DocuSign
"Part of my job is helping people change their behaviour and do things differently. I am fascinated by how often people try to adopt new ways of doing things and it doesn’t work out. I want to be a change agent and help people go through change and to navigate it. The social psychology part of the diploma programmed has been very helpful in that regard. The course surpassed all my expectations. I got to meet interesting people from different backgrounds and have built up a phenomenal network. With the pandemic we couldn’t have in person lectures, but it was so well managed over Zoom that we still got to meet and work with everybody. I can pick up the phone to classmates for advice and so on. You learn so much from the others in the classroom."
Peter Fox, Director at Digicom
“We learned different models around organisational transformation, to use as a benchmark and check in on, as you progress through change. We learned about the large divide between your aspiration of when something will be completed and the reality. Understanding negotiation and compromise was also a big focus and benefit of the programme.”
Linda Burke, HR Manager at DPS Group Global
“The programme both met and exceeded my expectations. The team of faculty were excellent, and we also had very good guest speakers. The group project work meant that we were able to develop good relationships even though we were participating remotely. I got to build a great network with fellow participants. The practical aspect of the diploma is very important. The modules were so relevant to what I am working on. We were given so many frameworks and tools and disruption models. We were asked to apply the learnings to real life situations in our own companies. I have refined my thinking because of what I learned. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.”
Miriam O'Keeffe, Director - Member Engagement & Inclusion at American Chamber of Commerce Ireland
“I completed this diploma in June 2020 and couldn’t have done it at a better time. It gave me a very good understanding of change. This programme is always relevant. We spend our lives in change; what we’ve gone through over the last year just happens to be more identifiable.”
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