Be Inspired. Feel Empowered. Grow your Network.
Thank you for joining us on 24 and 25 February for the sixth UCD Women in Leadership conference.
It was a pleasure to host UCD alumni, students, staff and corporate partners at our first virtual conference. We were thrilled that our attendees engaged so wholeheartedly with the inspiring discussions, mentoring circles and networking. Speakers discussed the Importance of Mentorship, the Power to Change, Mental Health, Gaining Equal Footing and the Future of Work. Mentoring circles offered our participants a chance to have valuable face-time in small groups with inspiring leaders.
This event was organised by UCD Alumni Relations and UCD Societies Council and was kindly supported by Arthur Cox, Aldi, Skoda and Abbott.
To revisit the five inspiring sessions from 24 February, you can watch them back on the UCD Alumni Network. If you don’t have an account already, you can join the online platform for our alumni, students and corporate contacts.
You can also continue to network with attendees from the conference by joining the UCD Women in Leadership Networking Group.
*If you are not a graduate or student with UCD, you can still access the resources, once you are approved in the background (which won’t take long at all!)
We hosted two bonus pre-conference Masterclasses – one on Personal Branding with Carol O’Kelly of Redstorm Communications and one on Negotiation Skills with Stephen Boyle.
To remind yourself of the key sessions, the line-up is listed below
Inspiring Conversations
Speakers will discuss being a leader, embracing failure, mental health, gaining equal footing and the future of work.
Leadership: Moving from Mentee to Mentor, supported by Aldi
Mary was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer in August 2020. She joined Mainstream in 2009 and…
Roísín Hennerty is the Managing Director of Ornua Foods overseeing the branded food business and is…
Martina Fitzgerald is the CEO of Scale Ireland, the independent not-for-profit organisation which represents and advocates…
The Power to Change
Ciara Byrne is responsible for developing international businesses for Conde Nast brands focusing on Vogue across…
Martina Fitzgerald is the CEO of Scale Ireland, the independent not-for-profit organisation which represents and advocates…
Mental Health: Powering through a Pandemic
Dr. Siobhán Ní Bhriain is a graduate of UCD and trained in Medicine and Psychiatry in…
Dr Niall Muldoon is Ireland’s second Ombudsman for Children. Niall, who is a counselling and clinical…
Barbara Dooley is Dean of Graduate Studies and Deputy Registrar at University College Dublin. She is…
Diversity & Inclusion: From Policy to Action
Councillor Hazel Chu was elected the 352nd Lord Mayor of Dublin at the Annual Meeting of…
Julie is CEO of Sodexo’s Corporate Services business across the UK & Ireland and also holds…
Simon is a partner in Arthur Cox’s Real Estate Group and is recognised as one of…
Joe Duffy is a Senior Client Executive within BNY Mellon’s Global Client Management team and is…
The Future of Work
Kate McCormack leads the People Strategy arm of Aperture Partners. She has an MSc in Psychology,…
Cian is a partner in Arthur Cox’s Employment Law team and Head of the firm’s Commercial…
Orla is Chair of Arthur Cox and a partner in the firm’s Finance Group. As Chair…
Maura Winston is a Chief People Officer with deep experience from her roles spanning HR, organisation…
Sinéad Brennan joined the NTMA in 2014 as Head of Human Resources and was subsequently appointed…
Mentoring Circles
Spend valuable time with some of our speakers and other leaders in the UCD community. Join a room and ask questions you might have about their career journey.
Choose One
Triona has over 20 years’ experience operating at senior management level in HR and will guide this virtual roundtable discussion where attendee participation will be a focal aspect.
Eileen Daly will share her passion for equal access to inclusive services. Attendees are invited to engage in this conversation and offer their thoughts on inclusivity and disability advocacy in Irish education.
Join Director of New Business Innovation at Condé Nast, Ciara Byrne in a group conversation surrounding sustainable and technological innovations within mass media.
Join Martina, CEO of Scale Ireland and author of ‘Madam Politician,’ for a virtual roundtable to share your thoughts with each other and Martina as the mentor.
Choose One
Join Dr. Ebun Joseph for a group discussion with an insight into her experience as a lecturer in Black Studies and critical race theory, an author, TV panellist and equality activist.
Join in this virtual discussion which Maeve will lead based on her years of experience as an executive director and senior leader in the areas of finance, construction, and change management.
Join the Superintendent of Balbriggan Garda Station, Paul Franey to engage in a group discussion where Paul will discuss his work in support of LGBT Policing issues an LGBT Hate Crime training.
We are delighted to welcome Fine Gael, local Cllr, Punam Rane, who will share her experience in working with global teams across entire organisations to establish team values & behaviours competency frameworks.
Choose One
Join Dr. Niamh Shaw to discuss ideas on creating a healthier living environment and sustainable planet. Dr. Shaw will also share her expertise on science and writing in this virtual roundtable discussion.
Commercial Director for Communicorp Media, Gillian Fitzpatrick, will share her wealth of media and political knowledge with an opportunity for attendees to share their thoughts and discuss.
Negotiation trainer, consultant and lecturer at Smurfit business school, Stephen Boyle, will lead a group discussion on independent training, consulting and executive development.
Strategic marketing and business development expert, Carol, will lead and prompt a virtual group conversation in which attendees will engage in a discussion of marketing and business strategies.
What it Takes | Free Pre-conference Events
In the lead up to the main event, we have programmed two free career-building masterclasses to help you prepare to make the most of the conference opportunities.
Wednesday, 3 February @ 6.00pm learn from UCD Smurfit lecturer and negotiator Stephen Boyle who will host What it Takes to negotiate effectively.
Wednesday, 17 February @ 1.00pm join alumna Carol O’Kelly, CEO of Redstorm Communications Ltd, who will give deep dive into What it Takes to master personal branding.
In the interest of connecting with allies, we encourage you to bring along a colleague who wouldn’t usually attend this type of event.
We look forward to welcoming you back this year for what will be a different experience. But what we are lacking in physical interaction will be made up by great talks, genuine online connections for our global audience and evergreen content.
UCD feels strongly about helping the wider community – if you are currently out of work as a result of the recent pandemic please email womeninleadership@ucd.ie and we will endeavour to work with those affected to ensure they are able to attend this event.
