UCD Business Impact

In this episode, we step into the world of the elite global business programme, the CEMS Master in International Management at UCD Smurfit School. As Ireland’s only member of this prestigious 33-school global alliance, the programme is consistently top-ranked by the Financial Times. Each year, the multilingual cohort of 15+ nationalities takes a deep dive into modules around global leadership, strategy, and management consulting. From intensive international exchanges to a powerful alumni network, the programme transforms high-achieving students into fluent, future-ready leaders. Tune in to see how CEMS opens doors to opportunities that simply don't exist anywhere else.

How can leaders navigate the tension between AI automation and developing core critical human skills? In our latest episode, Lorna Conn, CEO of Cpl, explores the evolution of the global labour market. Managing a workforce of 14,000, Lorna argues that while AI fluency is non-negotiable, the future belongs to those who master "deep human skills"—creativity, compassionate leadership, and critical oversight. Discover why lifelong learning is the ultimate competitive advantage in a tech-enabled world and how forward-thinking companies are upskilling for the AI era.

Donal O’Donovan, Business Editor at the Irish Independent and Chair of the Business Journalists Association of Ireland, and Kathleen Gallagher, journalist with the Business Post and winner of the Women in Business Journalism Award Category at the 2025 UCD Smurfit School Business Journalist Awards, look back over the stories that hit the headlines. 

UCD BComm alumna Siobhán Talbot is one of Ireland's most accomplished and widely respected business leaders. Join us as she discusses her remarkable career journey, which she describes as a "baptism of fire" from the hard graft of PwC to her rise to Group Managing Director of Glanbia. Siobhán shares how the massive risk of strategically pivoting Glanbia away from purely food production into global nutrition, supplements and health paid off. She discusses her passion for company culture, the relentless pace of change and what it truly takes to “earn the right to grow” in today’s dynamic global market.

UCD BComm alumna, Fiona Carney, explores one of the biggest transformations reshaping the world of work, AI. A leader at Microsoft, she draws on her expertise to explain how AI is enhancing productivity, enabling higher-value work, accelerating innovation, and transforming how companies engage with customers. But, she explains how technology alone isn’t enough; people, skills, and change management matter more than ever.

Aviation could account for up to 20% of global carbon emissions by 2050, but as Professor Tom Conlon explains, the real barrier to change isn’t technology, it’s finance.He believes that if the sector is to grow, it has to decarbonise, but to do so, bold investor actions are required. Tom’s recent research, featured in Science, one of the world’s leading academic journals, explores how new financial models can drive deep decarbonisation in aviation.

Dr Emmet Oliver, Lecturer at UCD College of Business, takes a deep dive into the pivotal decades that shaped modern Ireland, drawing on insights from his new book, Irish Nation Building: Government, Business and Power, 1922–1958.

What does it take to build and sustain a culture of excellence under relentless pressure? Leinster Rugby Head Coach Leo Cullen joins us to explore the leadership lessons from one of the most successful professional rugby organisations in the world.

In this inspiring episode, we speak with Eamon Fennell, former GAA Champion turned Salesforce professional, about his leap into education through Ireland’s top Executive MBA programme.With a background rooted in sport, now thriving in a global tech company, he shares his unusual career journey and how the MBA gave him the tools to transition into a strategic, business-focused role. Whether you're contemplating a career pivot, returning to education later in life, or simply seeking growth, Eamon’s story proves that it’s never too late — and you don’t need to have all the answers to begin.