Fiona Murphy and Laurence Santillo have been announced as the two recipients for the IMI/30% Club Scholarship award in 2020. The scholarships, each valued at €10,000, allow the winners to complete IMI’s Professional Diploma in Leadership or Professional Diploma in Strategy and Innovation.

‘I am absolutely thrilled and excited to share that I have been awarded the 2020 30% Club Scholarship in partnership with IMI for the Professional Diploma in Leadership’ said Laurence Santillo. ‘The Professional Diploma in Leadership is giving me the opportunity I am looking for, to use my time in-between roles to seek further growth into a leadership role, and learn the tools to guide the people around me to lead fulfilling lives.’

IMI has been a long-standing partner with the 30% Club in Ireland and actively supports both the IMI/30% Club Network Mentor Programme and launched the ‘Taking the Lead – Women in Leadership’ programme in 2018 with significant success.

“I am honoured to have won this IMI/30% Club scholarship towards the Professional Diploma in Leadership’ said Fiona Murphy of McAfee. ‘My hope is that by taking charge of my own personal leadership development through this programme, I will become a more impactful and effective leader. I hope to inspire others to put themselves forward too and to believe that their authentic voice is welcomed and needed at the leadership table of today.”

The 30% Club launched in Ireland in January 2015. Part of its programme of activities has been the development of a cross-company, cross-sector mentoring programme that complements existing schemes in the Irish market and within individual organisations. The scheme, facilitated and managed by IMI, offers mid-career women mentoring focusing on their professional and personal development.

‘The awarding of the scholarships are increasingly becoming one of the highlights in IMI’s year, as it talks to so much of what we do here in equipping leaders to further develop personally and professionally’ said Dave Magee, Member of the 30% Club Steering Group and Head of Sales and Corporate Membership in IMI. ‘When you meet past scholarship winners, you see the difference and impact the programme has made, both for themselves and their organisations. They become more confident, well-rounded leaders and, more importantly, realise they have the innate ability to lead at the highest levels.’

Previous winners of the IMI/30% Club Scholarship include;

2016

Ann Marie O’Grady, Leopardstown Park Hospital – Professional Diploma in Leadership

Louise Weste, Musgrave – Professional Diploma in Strategy & Innovation

2017

Susan Burke, Musgrave – Professional Diploma in Strategy & Innovation

Liz Clarke, Brandshapers – Professional Diploma in Leadership

2018

Ziva Newman, CRC – Professional Diploma in Leadership

Miriam Forde, CUH Charity – Professional Diploma in Leadership

2019

Aoife Gibson, NTMA – Professional Diploma in Leadership

Aine Molloy, Girlcrew, Professional Diploma in Strategy & Innovation

For more on the IMI/30% Club Network Mentor Programme Ireland 2020, now taking applications, go here.