In Brief
Programme Date:
Duration: 
Facilitated Workshops: 
Seniority: 
Non-member fee: Member fee: SME fee: 
Professional Diploma in Strategy and Innovation
This Autumn, all of our Professional Diplomas will be delivered in-person at the IMI Campus to facilitate the best learning experience for participants. We will facilitate a hybrid delivery option should you require it.
Programme dates are as follows:
14, 15 & 16 November 2022
12, 13 & 14 December 2022
16, 17 & 18 January 2023
13, 14 & 15 February 2023
20, 21 & 22 March 2023
17, 18 & 19 April 2023
A candidate’s eligibility for each Professional Diploma or the Professional Master of Business Studies will be determined by a combination of their academic qualifications and/or relevant professional experience. A primary degree from a recognised third- level institution (NFQ level 8), with a minimum classification of Second Class Honours, will typically be required with five years relevant work experience, at least 3 of which must be at managerial level, however, prior workplace learning will be recognised where applicants do not meet the academic requirement. This experience may come from a general business or organisational background, or experience working at a management level or in the area specifically related to the Diploma. Each candidate will meet with the Programme Directors, who will interview applicants in person virtually or physically. The IMI Office of the Registrar will oversee all applications, and the final decision on any application shall remain with the Registrar. All applicants whose first language is not English will be required to show evidence of the successful completion of an IELTS or TOEFL test or equivalent as specified here. The English language requirement when using IELTS is a score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each individual section or equivalent.
Why choose this programme?
We live in uncertain times and the ability to make innovation a key management process is a critical element in any successful strategy.
The Professional Diploma in Strategy and Innovation will support you in developing and leading innovation in your organisation.
Strategic Influence
Play a key role in defining and delivering your organisation’s strategy.
Sustainable Innovation
Embed innovation as a core function of your organisation, not just a one-off activity.
Future Impacts
Deliver a strategy audit for your organisation.
Programme Director
Dr Jonathan WestrupJonathan Westrup is an expert in the areas of business, organisational and regulatory strategy and corporate governance. An expert facilitator and executive educator, Jonathan specialises in working with senior teams in designing and implementing their organisational strategies. He was formerly a director of NCB Stockbrokers and is currently a non-executive director of NEAM Asset Management.
You can look forward to:
Guest seminars with visiting experts
You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and debate with managers confronting real strategic challenges.
Return on investment for your organisation
As part of your assessment, you will be asked to create an informed and practical strategy audit of your business unit or organisation.
Case study analysis
You will discuss real-life case studies relating to major programme themes.
Networking with a diverse class group
You will work closely with your class colleagues in team activities and organised study groups and will leave the programme with a valuable network of business contacts.
Programmes themes
- Assess the external macro-environment in the context of your organisation, identify potential game-changing events and possibilities.
- Define your competitors’ positions, map internal and external stakeholders and begin scenario planning.
- Explore innovation management and start defining an innovation strategy.
- Learn about innovation adoption and diffusion processes and how to assess and improve your innovation performance.
- Discover how to create an innovation policy for your organisation
- Learn how to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.
- Map your own resources and capabilities, while assessing the differences between resource acquisition versus development.
- Gain insights into how to build an innovative organisation.
- Go from ideation to idea prioritisation through to the commercial realisation of a new innovative product or service.
- Read a balance sheet from a strategy perspective and understand different funding options.
- Discover how to build the human capability of an organisation, and how to expand into global markets.
- Go from strategic planning to implementation.
- Create defined key performance indicators and capture the big data that will help drive successful innovation initiatives.
Key takeaways
Identify Opportunities
Evaluate and address the strategic challenges facing your organisation, identifying potential
game changing events and possibilities.
Strategic Mindset
Make strategic sense of the global and domestic business environment. Undertake a key role in the strategy and innovation process.
Commercial Innovation
Bring new ideas to market. Discover how to create an innovation policy for your organisation and how to both assess and improve your innovation performance.
What our graduates say
The learning journey was further enriched by the quality of classroom discussions across a diverse group of students. An enjoyable and challenging experience to develop innovation or strategy capabilities and experience.Colin McEvoyHead of Service Transition, Technology Services, Bank of Ireland
