DCU students - Accenture ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’

Pictured left to right: Joseph Gilmer (MECB), Mark Dolan (MECB);
Dr Regina Connolly, Chair, MSc in Electronic Commerce; Alex Hampton (MECB)

Three students from Dublin City University took home the top prize at the Accenture Leaders of Tomorrow Awards held in Dublin last week. The team of Mark Dolan, from Co. Westmeath, Alex Hampton and Joseph Gilmer, both from Co. Dublin were presented with the specially commissioned Leaders of Tomorrow trophy and will now tour Accenture sites in the US and India part of their prize.

The Accenture ‘Leaders of Tomorrow Award’, open to third-level graduates across the country, seeks to recognise, identify and foster the next generation of talent that will help in shaping the public, private and social landscape of Ireland in the coming years.

The winning team, who are Masters students in Electronic Commerce in Business at DCU along with the other finalists made a presentation to a judging panel comprised of leading Irish business figures including Danuta Gray, CEO O2, Barry O’Leary, CEO IDA Ireland, Gina Quinn, CEO Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Cathal Muckian, Head of Commercial Banking in BOI, Mark Ryan, Country Managing Director, Accenture Ireland and Marian Corcoran, Head of Management Consulting, Accenture Ireland.

Mark Ryan, Country Managing Director for Accenture in Ireland said, “We established the Leaders of Tomorrow awards with the express aim of investing in graduates to allow them develop the tools and skills necessary for a life in business. All future business leaders must understand the importance of leadership skills to their success and also seek to fully adhere to the principles of economic, social and environmental sustainability for the well-being of all in society.”

“The competition, now in its second year, has again seen an overwhelming response from Ireland’s third level institutions. The support of such high-calibre judges is a further endorsement that the nurturing of future talent is seen as a key priority in Ireland.” He added.

The finalists in this year’s competition comprised of a mixture of groups and individuals drawn from Ireland’s third level graduate community, with representatives from TCD, UL, UCD, DIT and DCU.

The winning prize is designed to provide students with a hands-on understanding and appreciation of the changing business, technology and leadership landscape which faces Irish leaders today. The trip will include visits to Bangalore, India, an emerging economy, and New York City, a global business hub, which will provide the opportunity to experience some of the different economies, global locations and innovation trends which will shape the environment in which Ireland will need to continue to compete.