Kerry McLaverty

UCD Alumni Award in Business 2023

EMBA 2017

Kerry Mc Laverty studied Sports Medicine followed by a Masters in Physiotherapy and worked with children and adults with severe and profound physical and intellectual disabilities as a Chartered Physiotherapist at Stewarts Hospital in Dublin.

She became involved in the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) and held various roles before ultimately taking on the role of Honorary Editor for the Society as a member of its Board of Directors. Kerry also fulfilled her passion for research and teaching as an adjunct lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, and as a regular guest lecturer in paediatrics and intellectual disability.

She moved to the newly opened LauraLynn Children’s Hospice in 2012 to work with children with palliative and life-limiting conditions, where she pioneered therapeutic family camps and also managed the organisation’s largest change management project in implementing a service-wide electronic medical record system.

Kerry undertook the Executive MBA at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School while continuing to work full time at LauraLynn, conducting her studies at the weekend. During her MBA studies, Kerry progressed as LauraLynn’s Head of Operations and Company Secretary. She was responsible for submitting the organisation’s first formal business case to the HSE seeking Statutory Funding for the Hospice. She also played a key leading role in the development of LauraLynn’s 5-year Strategic Plan (2019-2023).

In May 2020, as Covid-19 took a real hold on the nation and indeed the healthcare sector, Kerry took on the role of Chief Executive Officer for the Hospice. In turbulent times, Kerry oversaw a record year for LauraLynn’s fundraising, and for the first time in the organisation’s history, worked to secure an historic €1.5million in annual statutory funding for the Hospice. In 2021 LauraLynn Children’s Hospice marked a ‘Decade of Care’ and unveiled ambitious hospice expansion plans including a new hub for Cork/Kerry, the first of its kind outside of Dublin.

In December 2022, Kerry won the coveted MBA Leadership Award 2022/23 at an event held at the 5-star Biltmore Hotel in London.

Kerry is not only passionate about LauraLynn, but is equally committed to the wider charity, community, and voluntary sector in Ireland. She was elected to the Board of Directors of The Wheel – a national association representing charities and social enterprises in Ireland.