Pictured: Éamon Fennell, SMB Account Executive, Salesforce.
Every year since 2021, the Business & Finance Awards UCD Smurfit School MBA Scholarship has supported one high-calibre applicant with a 100% scholarship to join the full-time MBA or the Executive MBA, which will begin in August 2025.
Here, past recipients of the scholarship reflect on their experiences.
Note: This piece was originally published in Business & Finance annual magazine 2025/26, vol. 62, available to read, with compliments, here.
Éamon Fennell
Please list your full name, age, year of scholarship, course studied in Smurfit and the role you are in now.
Éamon Fennell, 41, 2021, Executive MBA, SMB Account Executive, Salesforce.
What prompted you to apply for the scholarship?
The opportunity to build out my network, mentorship by Ian Hyland and the financial support.
What was the standout moment for you in the course?
Over the two years, there were many standout moments – we had a consultancy trip to Lisbon, I had a project picked up by ESMT Berlin – which was part of the GNAM course, but the standout moment was following on from our Entrepreneurship assignment, myself and two of my colleagues were nominated to participate in UCD Nova and ended up going through a pre-accelerator with the NDRC. Being able to apply the theory from the various modules to our start-up idea was a great way to embed the learning.
What was the biggest surprise you encountered during the course?
I was most surprised by the immediate and strong sense of community within the cohort. While you anticipate the challenge of an EMBA and the need for a strong support base at home, the collective willingness of our class to help, collaborate, and encourage each other was a fantastic and unexpected factor that made the journey genuinely more enjoyable.
Has it helped your career, and if so, how?
While I was studying, I was working for Coca-Cola Hellenic. My career up until that point was in FMCG. I wanted the EMBA to be the gateway into something different. Following the EMBA, I took some time to meet various people, leveraging the connections through Business & Finance and Smurfit alumni. After spending some time researching companies and roles, I decided that the right move for me was to join Salesforce, working within the SMB team in Ireland.
Transitioning from FMCG into Tech was a big challenge, but one I felt I was ready to take on, following the EMBA.
What advice would you give to prospective students starting on their MBA journey?
The decision on when to start is usually the biggest. If you are prospecting, you are already considering. My advice is make the jump, take it one module at a time, and have a bit of craic with your group along the way.
James Mitchell
My name is James Mitchell, and I am 29 years old. I am a Business and Finance scholar for the year 24/25, and I studied a full-time MBA at Smurfit Business School.
What prompted you to apply for the scholarship?
I was prompted to apply for the scholarship as a result of the fantastic opportunity it offered, not only from a monetary point of view, but more so to get access to the wide and deep network that Business and Finance is a part of. I am passionate about finance, having worked as a futures trader for 5 years before applying, and I really wanted to develop my business acumen alongside my financial expertise. The MBA was the perfect segue into this, and the scholarship allowed me to do it without having to work full-time. This allowed me to throw myself completely into the course and think deeply about what I wanted out of it.
What was the standout moment for you in the course?
The standout moment for me had to be the course trip to Singapore. I had never travelled east, and not only was it a beautiful and vibrant city, but it was the heartbeat of Asian finance too. And it showed. From the modern and environmentally integrated architecture to the incredibly diverse culture, it really ticked all the boxes as a tourist destination. And on top of this, we got to visit some major companies and experts in their field twice a day for the whole week. These visits really spoke to me, especially the trip to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, where they spoke of their central bank’s policies. Their strategy and overall passion for transparent and efficient markets stood out and resonated strongly with me.
What was the biggest surprise you encountered during the course?
The biggest surprise was, by far, how much I enjoyed the diversity of the course. I hadn’t travelled much outside of Europe so my exposure to very different cultures was limited. I now walk away with friends from Tanzania to India and everywhere in between. From invites to weddings to steadfast offers to put me up if I am ever travelling, I really have found friends for life.
Has it helped your career, and if so, how?
Absolutely. More than anything else, it gave me time to reflect on what I really wanted. I had been working full-time pretty intensely for 5 years prior, so I never got the chance to deeply think about what it was I wanted. I enjoyed trading immensely; however, it lacked certain characteristics that I felt I needed out of my work, such as people interaction and relationship building. Trading is a complete meritocracy, which I definitely seek; however, it is quite individualistic. The MBA afforded me time to discover what was out there for someone passionate about the markets but seeking something slightly different from pure trading.
What advice would you give to prospective students starting on their MBA journey?
Dive in. Make the most of it by engaging completely with the modules. I found there was some I didn’t enjoy, but by engaging completely, I could still see the value in learning. Your goal is not to get the best grades but to become better prepared for the career you want to get into. Baby steps towards a bright future and try to be just a little bit better every day.
Ronan Lowe
Ronan Lowe, 34, Business & Finance Scholarship 2023, Executive MBA (graduated 2025), Senior Financial Analyst, Investment Assurance at CRH.
What prompted you to apply for the scholarship?
Coming from an accounting background, I’d always been comfortable with numbers – but I wanted to better understand people, strategy, and decisions that shape them. When I came across the Business & Finance MBA Scholarship, it immediately resonated with me. Business & Finance has long had its finger on the pulse of Irish Business – through its events, thought leadership, and network of industry figures. I saw the scholarship as a way to broaden my perspective and connect with that wider business community while continuing to grow both professionally and personally.
What was the standout moment for you in the course?
It’s difficult to choose just one standout moment from the MBA. There were so many – from learning alongside an exceptional group of classmates to the international study trip and the entrepreneurial module, where ideas came to life. But if I had to pick, it would be the Capstone consulting project.
As the final and most applied part of the MBA, the Capstone brings everything together in a live business challenge with a real organisation. Our project focused on a company in the Open Banking space – an industry I knew little about but quickly found fascinating. It was a genuine test of teamwork, critical thinking, and communication under pressure. Seeing it all come together and knowing our work had real value for the client was incredibly rewarding.
What was the biggest surprise you encountered during the course?
The biggest surprise for me was just how transformative the experience was on a personal level. I expected to learn new frameworks and business skills, but I didn’t anticipate how much I’d grow in confidence, perspective, and self-awareness. The diversity of the class was a big part of that – people came from every imaginable background, from aviation to healthcare to tech, each bringing their own way of thinking. The discussions in class were often as valuable as the lectures themselves. Over time, I found myself becoming more comfortable speaking up, challenging ideas, and adapting my own approach. It was less about memorising concepts and more about learning how to think, lead, and communicate in a different way.
Has it helped your career, and if so, how?
The MBA has already helped me take an important next step in my career. Shortly after finishing the programme, I joined CRH plc as a Senior Financial Analyst on the Investment Assurance team. The experience gave me the confidence and broader perspective to make that transition from a technical accounting focus to a role with greater emphasis on analysis and strategic thinking. More broadly, it’s changed how I approach challenges – I find myself thinking more commercially and connecting the dots across different parts of the business.
What advice would you give to prospective students starting on their MBA journey?
My advice to anyone starting the MBA would be to approach it with an open mind and a willingness to be challenged. It’s demanding – there’s no getting around that – but the more you put in, the more you’ll take away. Be curious, engage fully in discussions, and make time to connect with your classmates. The relationships you build are one of the most valuable parts of the experience.
I’d also say not to underestimate how much personal growth comes from the programme. The learning goes far beyond business theory – it’s about gaining perspective, confidence, and clarity on where you want to go next. It can be intense at times, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.