Dawn Meats and UCD to relaunch Management Development Programme

Dawn Meats has today announced the return of its Management Development Programme run in association with University College Dublin. 

The programme, which is open to employees of both Dawn Meats and Dunbia, a subsidiary of Dawn Meats, has been operating in partnership with UCD since 2015, but was paused for a three-year period from 2019 due to the Covid pandemic. 

So far over 100 managers have completed the programme, with 32 now taking part in the latest 8-month course for 2023/24, which was officially launched on Tuesday, April 3rd.

The programme is custom designed to help managers address the global challenges facing the agri-food industry such as economic and environmental sustainability in addition to developing skills in leadership, communications and professional networking. 

Modules include everything from professional development planning and time management to maximising influence while the course involves part-time study, project work, 1:1 coaching sessions and team work. Academic modules are taught by thought leaders in the field of management leadership and sustainability in the food industry as well as members of the Dawn Meats and Dunbia leadership team.

Niall Browne, chief executive of Dawn Meats, said: “The Dawn Meats, Dunbia and UCD Management Development Programme is a fantastic opportunity for those working in our business and we are delighted to announce its return. It is important for us to develop the leaders and managers of the future and help them learn the skills they will need to maximise their own potential and that of the Group. There are many challenges in the agri-food industry and we want to make sure we have the people with the ability and the know-how to rise to them.”

Professor Fank Monahan, Dean of Agriculture in UCD and Head of the School of Agriculture and Food Science at UCD, said: “’The School of Agriculture and Food Science is delighted to partner with Dawn Meats in providing this valuable training and development initiative. On completion the participants will have best positioned themselves to take leadership roles in this dynamic sector.”