“I’ve had an interest in environmentalism for most of my adult life, and the instinct to act on that has only grown stronger as the climate situation has become more urgent”
Dónal Walsh recently completed the Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Transformational Leadership with IOB. We speak with Dónal about his experience pursuing the programme and its impact on his personal and professional development.
Dónal shares how the programme’s blend of sustainability, digital transformation and leadership development broadened his perspective and equipped him to contribute to sustainability initiatives at work and beyond.
My career so far has mostly involved roles as a corporate relationship manager and lending advisor.
I joined Bank of Ireland through the Business Banking Graduate Programme back in October 2008, and since then I’ve been lucky enough to work across a variety of business units and teams within the bank.
But I’ve spent most of my career in real estate lending, and it’s the area I’ve enjoyed the most. I’ve always been interested in the built environment and how it shapes the way we live, work and interact, so getting to combine that with the customer‑facing aspect of commercial lending has been hugely rewarding.
I guess I’ve had an interest in environmentalism for most of my adult life, and the instinct to act on that has only grown stronger as the climate situation has become more urgent and the evidence of what needs to change has become clear. I reached a point where I wanted to go beyond simply caring about the issue and start building the knowledge and skills to actually contribute in some positive way.
At the same time, I was keen to develop my leadership skills and feel more confident navigating change. When I read the course prospectus, the combination of sustainability, digital transformation and leadership development felt incredibly relevant for the direction I want to take in my career.
One of my favourite aspects of the course was how relevant and timely the content felt. With so much commentary around sustainability and ESG at the moment, particularly in financial services, the programme offered a fantastic insight into the crucial role the sector has to play in the transition to a more sustainable economy.
I also really appreciated how the course brought together sustainability themes with digital transformation strategy, organisational culture and project management. That combination really helped to turn the theory into something practical — I enjoyed taking sustainable finance concepts that were being taught and thinking about how I could implement them within the bank.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by how well the online delivery worked for me. I was unsure about it to begin with because I generally prefer face-to-face interaction. But juggling work, study and life can be a real challenge so the fact that the lectures were all online - and recorded - made the whole experience far more accessible. It fit well with my employers remote working policy and meant that I could properly engage during the lectures to get the most out of the content.
Because the course is online, I’d definitely recommend attending the graduation ceremony at the end. It was a great chance to meet in person with the people who’d just been thumbnails on a screen for the previous twelve months!
Being honest, I probably did find this aspect of study a bit of a challenge at times. There were moments when work was particularly busy or when other commitments cropped up, and I really had to plan out my study time and stay disciplined with the continuous assessment work.
The course is challenging – as you’d expect from a Level 9 qualification – and there were times where I probably did let it take over a little bit. But, realistically, a lot of that came down to how much I was enjoying the content - I found it really engaging so I wanted to give it as much time as I could - rather than it being about the course workload itself.
And I was really fortunate to have great support around me. My wife was incredibly supportive, my employer was hugely accommodating, and the lecturers and IOB staff were always helpful and understanding. That support made a huge difference and helped make the whole experience far more manageable.
The programme has already helped me think more strategically about how I can play a meaningful role in the area of sustainability - I feel much better equipped to contribute to sustainability initiatives inside and outside of work.
What’s been just as valuable as the skills and competencies I’ve developed is the confidence and motivation to set and pursue new goals. The course really helped me to step back, reflect and set clearer goals for myself, which has given me a real boost in believing in what I can contribute going forward.
A hugely interesting, informative and rewarding experience that challenged me, broadened my perspective and left me feeling equipped and motivated to play a more meaningful role in driving sustainable change.
Looking to begin or advance your career in financial services? From early career to executive education, IOB’s portfolio of over 50 UCD accredited programmes can help you to strengthen your expertise and broaden your skillset.