John Boylan

Head of Learning & Development, Kirby Group Engineering

“The Diploma in Strategy Development & Innovation at UCD Smurfit gave me a practical, repeatable toolkit to cut through ambiguity and turn ideas into outcomes. The faculty challenged our thinking, the cohort brought cross-industry perspective, and I left with frameworks in strategic leadership and business model innovation that I could put to work immediately. I couldn’t recommend the programme more, for curious professionals, driven to develop themselves."

Alicia O'Connor

Director of Sales Transformation and Customer Experience, Volkswagen Group Ireland

"I found the Diploma in Strategy Development and Innovation a really enjoyable learning environment and I would highly recommend it. From the minute I commenced the diploma I felt it had a really positive impact on my strategic thinking. There is a high level of focus on learning through case studies. I found this really beneficial as through this I developed a real world understanding to the theoretical aspects of strategy development which enabled me to apply learnings to my own current role. The teaching style was really interactive and provides a great opportunity to expand your professional network through interaction with fellow participants."

Orla McAleer

Chief Culture Officer, Alltech

“The diploma was case study driven with a big focus on industry examples, looking at change in organisations, how strategy impacts the direction of organisations and how innovation helps propel them forward. It was intense and we had a very good class dynamic, interaction and network. The teaching style was very good.”

Richard Warner

Head of Strategy and Performance, John Sisk and Son Ltd.

“Over the years I progressed from engineering/technical roles into project management, and I now work with the business unit Managing Directors and COO for Ireland and Europe. I help them and their teams formulate the annual strategy and then execute it. By its nature, this also takes me into the change management arena. I felt I needed to be able to advise and guide these people strategically in an effective way. I needed the skills and capacity to give the right advice, coaching and mentoring and so on.”

Cormac Mannion

Regulatory Affairs Manager, Bord Gáis Energy

"I found the assignments really interesting and it was very easy to bring what I had learned back to work and apply it. I thoroughly enjoyed doing them. It was great to get the perspectives of my classmates. It was fantastic to get a fresh perspective on things. I believe I am analyzing things better and making more informed decisions. The diploma has allowed me to put a structure on what may have been a vague concept; to develop a strategy, plan and implement it."

Brian Kirkpatrick

Regional Security Manager, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

"The Diploma in Strategy Development and Innovation allowed me to obtain a sound understanding of developing and managing all elements of strategy. Working in small groups with fellow executives allowed for great exchanges in knowledge and experience from diverse industries and backgrounds and was one of the most rewarding and insightful parts of the course. The frameworks taught on the course assisted with more structured analysis, allowing for a better finished product. The fact that the assignments were based on the current initiatives being faced at work was also a fantastic opportunity to apply learnings based on best practice in real time."

Ciara Leonard

Public Affairs Manager, UCD

"The Diploma in Strategy Development and Innovation provided me with the skills, tools and confidence to support strategic decision-making within my organisation. I felt the variety of learning methods including expert lecturers and case studies as well as from fellow executive programme participants provided me with a holistic understanding of all elements of strategy and innovation. Importantly the module sessions were informative, interesting and enjoyable, enhancing my learning and my network."

Jacintha O Donohoe

Managing Director, Elevate Consulting

“The Diploma in Strategy Development & Innovation was absolutely life changing for me. It was fantastic in terms of using the practical tools and models to suit everyday strategic application as well as long term planning. For me it was important that I came away with the confidence and tools to create a real strategic plan and also to become a successful change agent."