WST 2019’s two guest speakers
The theme for WST 2019 is ‘Our people, shaping a better future’ and we have the privilege of inviting two great quest speakers to UCD to help us explore the theme – the inspirational speaker, author and adventurer, Manley Hopkinson, and Aine McCleary, Bank of Ireland executive, current President of the Institute of Banking, and celebrated Irish business woman.
Together, Manley and Aine will invite us to stand back from our daily schedules and, between them help, frame how we look a shaping the future, a future ever shifting, ever emerging. Today’s theme has four strands – ‘our people’, ‘shaping, ‘better’ and ‘future’ – and we have invited Manley and Aine to weave these strands together with their personal stories and insights, sharing their wisdom, vision and experience.
Below is a short introduction to Manley and Aine. You will get lots more online if you Google Manley or Aine.
Manley Hopkinson
 Manley Hopkinson |
Keynote session
The Creation of Collective Brilliance 10.15 to 11.45 End note session The Journey of Collective Brilliance 15.30 to 16.00 |
UCD has a strong history of shaping its evolution through the creativity and collaboration of those within the UCD community. All are called to lead and to shape change and in his WST 2019 session, Manley will use inspirational and interactive stories providing the power of metaphor; a power that enables an emotional engagement to the organisational transformation and the team’s individual and collective journey to brilliance.
The path to Collective Brilliance is through a coherent intent to “secure the best for all” so gaining commitment through self-worth. We channel that commitment to positively challenge our current understanding, creating enthusiastic ownership giving everyone a voice and the path & will to act.
Throughout the day, Manley will steer us on a journey toward a plan enabling us all to “work smarter together”. Manley will also share numerous change management and leadership lessons highlighted within his inspirational stories and will guide us to a commitment to act.
Notes from the WST 2019 planning group:
We had the pleasure of meeting Manley last autumn when exploring who we might invite to share their wisdom and insight in the two main sessions for all attendees. One of the group had seen him at a conference last year and came back with great enthusiasm for Manley’s message and his impact on that conference. A quick Google found a simple and compelling six minute video which gave a real sense of his message and style – check here if interested – with other connections with his themes and approach increased our interest. After some phone calls and further exploration we asked him to come over so we could explore, together, what he might bring to WST – the 14 March event and beyond. You will get the chance to meet Manley when you come to WST 2019 but we spent a hugely enjoyable day with him and look forward to what he will bring to WST 2019.
Aine McCleary
 Aine McCleary |
Plenary session
Driving Transformative Change in Ireland’s Oldest Bank 13.45 to 14.30 |
Bank of Ireland is one of the world’s oldest banks; hear how they are responding to changing customer behaviours, evolving their physical and digital services, while enabling their colleagues to thrive. They faced a real challenge as Ireland began to emerge from the financial crisis. They looked to a future in which finance, banking and commerce continues to rapidly transform. Aine McCleary is one of the Leaders who has helped steer the evolution of the Bank of Ireland and will share with us how Bank of Ireland are tackling the challenge of shaping a better future for their colleagues, their customers and their communities.
Notes from the WST 2019 planning group:
With Manly on board we wanted to find an interesting and contrasting voice, one that would bring a very different perspective to the day’s exploration of ‘Our people, shaping a better future’. Aine has a recognised profile in Irish professional life and, in her Presidency of the Institute of Banking, has a direct relationship with UCD through the Institute of Banking’s close connections with the College of Business, not to mention that the Institute of Banking is itself a recognised college of UCD. We met Aine, some way from the old Bank of Ireland headquarters on Baggot Street, in an anonymous, low key office block where hot desking is the norm, meeting spaces are cosy, glassed in affairs with couches and easy chairs, staff have various kinds of flexible working, are out on the road rather than parked in a seat, and all with a constant flow of staff and energy that felt… urgent. Aine talked of her own professional journey, the decisions made and directions taken, but what was striking was her focus on the staff in Bank of Ireland and the commitment to create an environment in which their staff can thrive. It is easy to state an ambition like this but it was interesting to hear the many ways in which the ambition has become part of how people work and think and of how the organisation is run. There was a strong echo of WST 2019’s ‘our people’ theme in what she said and the value Aine can bring to WST 2019 started to become clear. While it goes without saying that the Bank of Ireland is in the business of ‘shaping a better future’, with ‘better’ open to multiple definitions, it was this combination of Aine’s own professional journey and her compelling words around creating an environment in which staff can thrive that make her a speaker we eagerly anticipate.