A slice of LIFE with NTR plc CEO Rosheen McGuckian
The LIFE Module
The Learning Innovation For Enterprise (LIFE) module is a multi-award-winning enterprise education module taken by all first-year students (~700 students) across 8 undergraduate programmes at DCU Business School. Across the year-long module, students learn about business in all its forms through challenge-based learning involving hackathons, actor-led role plays, applied projects, reflective writing and site visits requiring student teams to interview business leaders.
An integral part of the LIFE module is the ‘Live Case Study Series’ where we invite national and international family businesses to DCU Business School to share their insights on leading and managing a multi-generational family firm.
A visit from Rosheen McGuckian
On February 13th we welcomed the CEO of NTR plc, Rosheen McGuckian, to DCU as part of the Live Case Study Series. Founded in 1978 by Tom Roche senior, the father of NTR’s current Chairman, Mr. Tom Roche, to develop and operate Ireland’s first toll road. NTR has grown and diversified throughout the last four decades to become a renewable energy investment business.
NTR now acquires, constructs, and manages sustainable infrastructure, with a focus on wind, solar and energy storage projects. The company has investments in over 50 locations across seven European countries.
Pictured: Rosheen McGuckian speaking at the LIFE module
In front of a packed lecture hall, including the Executive Dean of DCU Business School Professor Dominic Elliott, Rosheen shared her insights on leading a third-generation family enterprise from the perspective of a non-family CEO.
She spoke about the importance of good governance and clear communication forums among the family, ownership group and management. When asked in the Q&A session what advice she would give her 22-year-old self, Rosheen commented:
“Don’t worry about being an “expert” in your chosen field today. You’ll be working on something completely different in 20 years’ time in a field that doesn’t even exist today. Just continue to be curious.”
Pictured: Dr Catherine Faherty
NCFB reception
Following the talk, Dr Catherine Faherty, Assistant Professor of Enterprise and coordinator of the LIFE module said: “Rosheen’s talk provided fascinating insights into how family values and family vision can drive business strategy in a professionally run enterprise. This talk was a tremendous learning opportunity for our students, many of whom come from family businesses themselves.”
The National Centre for Family Business hosted a reception following the talk where several next-generation family business students presented on their learnings in front of Rosheen McGuckian, John Roche – Director of Woodford Capital, and Professor Dominic Elliott – Executive Dean of DCU Business School.
Pictured: Professor Dominic Elliott, Executive Dean of DCU Business School
Pictured L-R: Martin Dimitrov (Year 2 Business Studies student), Michelle Burke (Executive Director, DCU NCFB), Grace Mollaghan (Year 4 Business Studies student), John Roche (Director, Woodford Capital), Rosheen McGuckian (CEO of NTR), Kathryn Daly (Year 1 Global Business student), Catherine Faherty (Assistant Professor of Enterprise), Thomas Lynch (Year 4 Business Studies student).
See below some more pictures of the event:
