Some of the MBA class at the farewell coffee morning with Programme Director Orla Nugent, MBA Careers Manager Brian Marrinan and Programme Manager Yvonne Harding
Today, Monday July 28th, sees the full-time MBA class submit their Capstone Project – the final assignment to be submitted as part of the MBA programme. I have had countless conversations with participants over the past number of days who can’t believe how quickly their time on the MBA has passed. Today marks the end of the programme for the participants and it is time for them to disperse in different national and international directions. Before they did head off we took the opportunity to have a farewell coffee morning this morning to reflect on the year and to look forward to the future. It has been a pleasure to work with this class as their Programme Manager and I am very excited to see what opportunities await for this talented group of individuals! We look forward to seeing the class again at their graduation in December.
MBA graduate Mouna Kenazoui, the CEO and Founder of leading Irish recruitment agency Martinsen Mayer, has received this year’s ‘Business Woman of the Year (New Business)’ award, at the Network Ireland, Dublin Awards which were held on June 27th. Mouna graduated from the full-time MBA programme in 2010.
Mouna, who established Martinsen Mayer just last year, secured the win against strong competition from a host of entrants in the category. In a ceremony that took place in Dublin’s Marker Hotel, judges pointed out that Mouna was “an entrepreneur to watch with a strong vision for her company, she has a growth plan and isn’t putting up any barriers to corporate and personal success.”
The UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School has a commitment to highest quality throughout the organisation, from academic through to areas such as careers and alumni. We were delighted when this past week this was again recognised internationally when Brian Marrinan, who leads the Career Development & Skills Centre here at UCD Smurfit, was presented with an award from the MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance (MBACSEA), the body which represents MBA employers and careers services around the world.
The award recognised the individual whom the organisation felt had made the biggest impact in the field globally for those new to the organisation in the previous three years.
Ciarán Ó' hÓgartaigh, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn and MBA Alumni
The MBA is celebrating its 50th year this year! UCD was the first university in Ireland, and one of the first in Europe, to offer an MBA in 1964.
Since it launched in 1964, the MBA at UCD has educated over 3,500 business leaders and entrepreneurs, many of whom are prominent figures in the Irish and international business arenas, such as Patrick Haren, Group Chief Executive, Viridian Group PLC; Richard Keatinge, Chairman of Heiton Group plc; John Mullins, CEO, Bord Gais; Dermot Byrne, CEO, Eigrid; Gina Quin, CEO Dublin Chamber of Commerce; Ned Sullivan, former CEO Bailey’s Irish Cream and former CEO of Glanbia plc and JP Donnelly, Chief Executive of the Ogilvy Group in Ireland and Head of Country, WPP, among others. You can view an MBA overview and alumni short videos by clicking here.
Celebrations to mark 50 years of the UCD MBA kicked off on Wednesday February 26th as the School hosted an official launch luncheon in the Laurence Crowley Boardroom at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, see the blog post from that day for further information. Guests at the official launch event included Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn, T.D, members of the first MBA class, as well as other MBA Alumni and current students. The School will run a series of MBA 50 events throughout the year to celebrate this milestone, including an MBA Alumni Association Speaker Series, a Business Summit and culminating in an MBA gala dinner so if you are interested keep an eye of the Smurfit website for upcoming events and watch this space for posts related to the 50th anniversary.
Emma Jordan, Kimberly Jones, Ciarán Ó' hÓgartaigh and MBA Alumni
Fiona McKeon, CEO Bizworld Ireland, Dean Ciarán Ó’ hÓgartaigh and Aoife Lucey
The MBA Programme is proud to be collaborating with Bizworld Ireland, a group of educators and business people who have come together to inspire and empower children aged 10-13 to learn about money management, critical thinking and enterprise in a fun and creative way.
As a not-for-profit organisation, Bizworld are training mentors to provide 2-day workshops to children towards the end of Primary School. Children are brought through the entire entrepreneurial cycle from company formation, applying for jobs in the companies, and conducting market research to acquiring seed capital from venture capitalists. Each student company designs, produces, markets and sells their unique product to a ‘Dragon’ in a Dragons Den style format. In Bizworld’s case it is a short animated movie. The currency used is BizBucks and children must keep ledgers and balance the books at the end of the workshop. The following year, children are invited to use their new skills to address a need in their local community and enter Bizworld’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year competition.
Students from the full-timg MBA class have been acting as mentors in Carysfort National School and yesterday UCD Smurfit Dean Ciarán Ó’ hÓgartaigh acted as a ‘Dragon’ for the student presentations. A joint event will also be held between Yale and the Smurfit School MBA in the Cathal Brugha Barracks on Tuesday March 18th and Bizworld will be in attendance to lead a Strategic Discussion about the charity. It promises to be a great night!
Please click here for further information about Bizworld Ireland.
Emer Tierney and students of Carysfort National SchoolThady Duggan and studentsAoife Lucey and students
