The two teams of students traveled today to work with Wavebob in Maynooth (outside Dublin), and Maildistiller in Belfast to work with on strategic projects regarding channel strategies. I was informed today that the Queen will be in Belfast the same time we are, and will be just yards from our hotel. Hopefully the security won’t be as restrictive to travel as it was last year when she visited Dublin while we were here!
I met with Etain Doyle, the lone Vistage Chair in the Republic of Ireland. On her LinkedIN profile, she is described as a “Challenging Business Coach and Strategist, helping committed CEOs work smarter: Regulatory Consultant.” Etain is leveraging her wonderfully interesting career to help CEO’s in Ireland, and her ability to reference historical events makes conversation with her completely engaging. It’s also interesting that the dynamic for Vistage in Ireland is different than the US due to other government entities engaged in promoting leadership and entrepreneurship.
Later, I presented to 42 graduate students in the MSc in Marketing Practice at the University College Dublin, Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School. UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School is Ireland’s leading business school and research center, and the students I met were some of the most engaged, professional and polite young men and women I have had the privilege of teaching. With future leaders such as these, Ireland is in great shape to tackle current challenges while propelling the nation beyond the Celtic Tiger zenith. My host was Ciaran Doyle – who believes his father is Etain’s cousin!). Ciaran was quite engaging with the students, and is a passionate and avid proponent of what they describe as “Action Learning:”
The ‘Action Learning’ technique is the winning premise of this programme. Students learn through doing. The programme mirrors a business and students on the programme assume the role of ‘Marketing Advisors’. You will work on commercial projects for external corporate clients from an office at UCD Smurfit School, which mirrors any other professional environment. Past Advisors have worked on projects for organisations, such as Unilever, Vodafone, Nivea for Men, Glanbia and The Irish Rugby Football Union.
For Colorado companies reading this, these students are actively looking for corporate clients, and this might be an interesting way for you to “test” an EU channel strategy from a “gateway” perspective!
In the evening, I met with Kurt Roush – a fellow ThoughtLeader, and the Executive Director of Fisher Professional Services at the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University. He also has graduate students working in Ireland this summer, so it was fun to compare notes and best practices. We definitely have in common a love of Ireland!
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