UCD Business Impact

Inside healthcare giant CVS

10 June 2026 - BComm alumnus Larry McGrath shares his journey from a career in investment analysis to moving to one of the companies he assessed, where he could see science and innovation in real time and have a positive

Building Ireland's First Luxury Group: VYKO Strategy

Ashley McDonnell | CEO of VYKO, Ireland’s First Luxury Group 4 June 2026 - What does it take to scale Irish heritage into a global luxury powerhouse? UCD CEMS Masters in Management alumna Ashley McDonnell built an elite

Energy Shock

Why did the world’s most sophisticated risk managers miss the warning signs of a multi-billion dollar commodity shock? Professor of Finance, Valerio Poti joins us to dissect the abrupt end of market calm following the es

Global Turmoil and the Greatest Oil Shock: The Future of Aviation Finance

Is the aviation industry prepared for potentially the greatest oil shock in history? As jet fuel costs soar amid geopolitical conflict, former GECAS CEO Norm Liu joins us to analyze the resilience of aircraft leasing. We

Mastering Global Leadership: Inside the Top-Ranked CEMS Programme

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, t

Season 6 Episode 8 – Cracking Cartels: Competition Economics and Market Regulation

Cpl CEO Lorna Conn on navigating AI transformation and the skills gap

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 workforc

2025 Year in Review - From tariffs to AI bubbles

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 Journa

The Pivot and the Payoff: Siobhán Talbot on Strategy, Growth and Earning the Right to Grow

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 har

The Art of the Possible: AI and the Future of Work

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-

Financing Flight: Professor Tom Conlon on decarbonising the skies

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

The Long Lens: Dr Emmet Oliver on the lessons to be learned from Ireland’s economic past

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, 1

Leading for High Performance: Lessons from Leinster Rugby with Leo Cullen

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

Proving them wrong: How an Executive MBA became Eamon Fennell’s career game-changer

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,

Bitcoin in the White House – How Crypto Currencies went Mainstream

Assistant Professor Paul Dylan-Ennis of UCD Smurfit School dives into the evolving world of cryptocurrencies— where rebellion meets regulation. From Bitcoin’s libertarian roots and links to MAGA culture, to Ethereum’s re

Top Soft Skills Employers Want in 2025—and How to Showcase Them in the Age of AI

In a rapidly changing job market, the traditional CV just doesn’t cut it anymore. In this episode, Louise Campbell, Senior Manager of Smurfit Careers Network, shares essential insights on the evolving recruitment landsca

Explaining AI: Building Smarter, More Transparent Technology for Business

How can biologically inspired computing shape the future of AI in business? In this episode, Assistant Professor Miguel Nicolau, Business Analytics and Computer Science at UCD College of Business, explores how nature’s p

Morality, Bias, and the Future of AI: How Technology Shapes—and Reflects—Society

In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Marius Claudy, Associate Professor of Marketing, to explore the profound ways morality influences our relationship with technology. He discusses the ethical dilemmas of

Stronger Boards, Smarter Decisions: The Power of Purpose and Cognitive Diversity

Governance expert Dr Margaret Cullen explores the biggest challenges facing corporate boards and shares actionable solutions to navigate uncertainty. She highlights the power of a clear corporate purpose in fostering col

Turning Waste into Wealth: Sadhbh Wood’s Sustainable Start-up Story

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with UCD Quinn School alumna Sadhbh Wood, a trailblazing entrepreneur who turned recycled coffee grounds into a thriving skincare business. Hear how she became the first Irish final