Pat Cassells, Head of Funds - KBI Global Investors Ltd
“I thoroughly enjoyed the Smurfit Executive Development course on Sustainable Finance and would recommend it to anyone seeking an introduction to some of the main challenges faced by companies and investors in meeting their sustainability reporting and regulatory obligations. The course content was topical and relevant. The expert lecturers facilitated discussion and participation from each of the attendees. The location, on-site facilities and dining arrangements were also excellent and contributed to the overall professionalism of this course.”
Sarah Watson, Head of Capital Planning - CEP/Citi
I attended the Sustainable Finance course at UCD’s Smurfit School of Executive Development. This was an excellent course and provided the participants with an overview of the best practices in building policies, frameworks and setting principles for this constantly evolving area. It also provided me with the tools as how best to navigate the various disclosure and reporting regimes of this evolving subject matter. The 3 modules, set over the 3 days, were very relevant and well thought out. Several of the participants were looking at how to best to report these risks and attending the course enabled me to take a step back, in a classroom environment, to understand the theory which enabled me to understand the objectives of the regulation. This helped inform the debate.
Each of the facilitators were subject matters experts and facilitated a lively debate during the breakout sessions.
The course was very well designed, and I would highly recommend it for portfolio managers, risk professionals, capital planning professionals and those leading and running sustainability programmes in their organisations.
I learnt a lot from fellow participants and particularly enjoyed the break-out sessions, class debates case studies and problem solving. As this is a constantly changing discipline I will keep an eye of future courses to develop my knowledge in the coming years.
Mark Ward, Head of Prudential Advisory, Regulatory Compliance - AIB
“I would highly recommend the Smurfit Executive Development course on Sustainable Finance to anyone seeking a broad overview of Sustainable Finance in this rapidly evolving regulatory and reporting landscape. The course covered a broad range of topics including Greenwashing, CSRD reporting requirements and investment considerations facing investors and companies. The topical discussions facilitated by the lecturers were relevant and engaging, and I found the opportunity to hear the challenges being faced by my fellow attendees really helpful in broadening my understanding. The Smurfit Campus was an excellent location to get away from the day to day grind and contributed to an enjoyable and immersive three days.”

Hugh McMahon, Senior Manager - PWC
The UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School Sustainable Finance course was a thoroughly engaging and enlightening deep dive into the areas of ESG, sustainable finance, and climate transition. In particular I thought the course catered for professionals to develop their knowledge on a broad range of ESG topics and from the perspective of different business disciplines. Furthermore, there was excellent interaction with both the educators, facilitators, and fellow participants. This was important for me as I wanted to better understand differences in industry perspectives on the issues and challenges around ESG, while the lecturers guided us on the technical details.

Tom Mitchell, Head of Wholesale Conduct and Protection Advisory, Regulatory Compliance - AIB
“I highly recommend this course to industry professionals interested in this emerging and exciting topic. The course content was engaging, insightful and relevant to the challenges faced in today’s climate. The course co-ordinators and expert lecturers provided us with the facilities and opportunities to fully engage with the topic and strengthen our knowledge of sustainable finance. It was a pleasure to complete this course and I feel equipped with both technical and practical skills to navigate this dynamic area in my professional role”.
Lorenzo Nardella, Reporting Specialist, Sustainable Finance - Amundi
“Participating in the three-day Sustainable Finance course at Smurfit University was truly enlightening. The program delved into the dynamic landscape of sustainable investments, navigating through intricate regulatory frameworks and addressing pressing issues such as integrating climate change risks into financial models. The facilitators demonstrated exceptional expertise, fostering an engaging and interactive environment that encouraged robust discussions. Through insightful case studies and collaborative dialogue, participants were able to share diverse perspectives and gain profound insights into the contemporary challenges and opportunities shaping the field of sustainable finance. This experience not only provided invaluable knowledge but also underscored the vital role academia plays in advancing sustainability practices within the financial sector.”