Cork University Business School Leaders of Tomorrow (LoT) is a student-centric school-wide initiative to recognise the substantial impact of students beyond the classroom and academic grades. In its fourth year of operation, the initiative recognises students who showcase their many capabilities and talents, which align with the school’s vision to ‘Shape Leaders for a Sustainable Future For All’.
Designed in collaboration with the UCC Graduate Attributes Programme, CUBS LoT recognises the impacts of students across six categories, which include (i) Global Citizen, (ii) Exceptional Journey, (iii) Innovation and Entrepreneurship, (iv) Learning Transformation, (v) Students Choice, and (vi) Dean’s Leadership.
The initiative drew submissions from a wide range of students from all programmes within the school and provides an insight into students’ impact beyond academic boundaries. Presented by Prof. Geraldine Ryan (Deputy Dean of Cork University Business School), the 2025 winners of the Outstanding Achievement Award are:
Global Citizen - Rishikesh Vinayan (MSc Information Systems for Business Performance)
Rishikesh won the Global Citizen award for actively participating in various community service initiatives focused on education, disaster relief, and social welfare with AYUDH India. Rishikesh was able to positively impact the lives of over 100 underprivileged students in orphanages and student shelters.
Exceptional Journey - Margarita Linetska (BCL Law and Business)
In 2022, Magarita left Ukraine with her mother and sister because of the war. Leaving behind everything she supported her family and other Ukrainians by translating and navigating unfamiliar systems. Now studying Law and Business at University College Cork, Margarita achieved a first-class honours grade in her first year.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship - Mark Newell (BSc Finance)
As co-founder of Squirrel Events, Mark set out to redefine Cork’s nightlife by introducing fresh, creative themes and unforgettable experiences. Since launching in 2023, Squirrel Events have partnered with the UCC Student Union to support charitable initiatives and created employment opportunities for over 50 individuals.
Student’s Choice - Shah Kamal (MSc Business Analytics)
Shah won the Student’s Choice award for lead impactful initiatives to improve the postgraduate experience at UCC. He launched Postgraduate Researcher Clinics to address academic and structural challenges, successfully advocated for a new postgraduate suite in the Boole Library, and organised community-building events such as coffee mornings and quizzes.
Learning Transformation - Qianyun Shen (MSc Information Systems for Business Performance)
Qianyun Shen won the Learning Transformation award for creating instructional videos on phonetic symbols to help Chinese students improve their pronunciation and build confidence in their English skills. These videos proved highly effective for self-paced learning, especially in a large classroom setting, reaching over 22,000 views.
Deans’ Leadership - Lia O’Brien (BSc Finance)
Chair and co-founder of the UCC Women in Business and Leadership Society, Lia has led by example in many facets. She recently organised the Irish Student Consulting Group annual conference and has won numerous awards showcasing consulting and investment skills.
The Leaders of Tomorrow awards are organised by Sinéad Hackett, CUBS Student Engagement Manager and Dr. Tadhg Nagle, CUBS High Performance Academic Liaison. Thanks to both for the incredible work that goes into organising this fantastic initiative. It is fantastic to see the contributions our students are making outside their formal programme of study and how many are displaying key facets of responsible leadership in all that they do.
“This year we had one of our highest submission rates, giving us a great insight into all the fantastic initiatives our students are leading. As an organiser of the programme, I am very fortunate to explore these initiatives, which provide great inspiration to all and highlight a pipeline of sustainable leadership for the future”.
Dr. Tadhg Nagle (CUBS High Performance Academic Liaison, co-lead CUBS Leaders of Tomorrow programme)
“This programme has by far exceeded expectations both in terms of gaining insights into the many talents, gifts and abilities of CUBS students and also the positive impact that these awards have had on students, providing a platform for formal recognition of these remarkable accomplishments. Academic achievements continue to be acknowledged in many ways, but this awards scheme truly celebrates the rich diversity and uniqueness of all of our students across all disciplines, nationalities and stages of life. It is a privilege to be part of this programme”.
Sinéad Hackett (CUBS Student Engagement Manager, co-lead CUBS Leaders of Tomorrow programme)