Griffith Alumni Stories is a series of short podcasts that highlight alumni achievements and reflect on how Griffith College supported them. With fascinating stories and helpful tips, we hope this series connects with you and assists you on your own journey. 

Follow us on Instagram @griffithcollegealumni to share your story!

Episode 17 - P.J. Browne

We are delighted to welcome P.J. Browne to the Griffith Alumni Stories podcast! P.J. came back to third-level education later in life, graduating from Griffith College Cork first with a Higher Diploma in Business Management and then graduating with a First Class Honours in the BA (Hons) in Accounting & Finance. P.J. is the Regional Sales Manager for Grassland Agro and has over 30 years of experience in sales within the agricultural sector. In this episode, we discuss P.J.'s career, his experience returning to education later than most and his time at Griffith College Cork.

Episode 16 - Damien Monel

In today's episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Damien Monel as our guest. Working as a recruiter at Amazon and as a freelance career coach, Damien was born in France and studied at Griffith College, graduating with a 1:1 in the BA (Hons) in Business. He currently lives in Madrid and is thriving in his dual role. Damien also mentors on the Griffith Alumni mentoring programme, which was developed by Careers Liaison Officer Marion Courtney in Cork and Careers Advisor Emma Flynn in Dublin.

Episode 15 - Iphithule Mhlanga

We are delighted to welcome Iphithule Mhlanga who studied an MSc in Accounting & Finance with Griffith College, graduating in 2015. Iphi currently works as a Finance Manager at eir Ireland, and is the Co-Founder & Chief Executive of Xpensi. Xpensi is a Fintech start-up that helps businesses speed up expense management. Currently operating with Irish and British clients, Xpensi digitises the expense reimbursement cycle for businesses through a web app that allows users to capture and submit their expenses. 

Episode 14 - Cian O'Dowd

We are delighted to welcome Cian O’Dowd who studied a BA (Hons) in Business & Law with Griffith College, graduating in 2014. Cian is Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer of KlearCard. KlearCard helps businesses manage their corporate spending through innovative software solutions and enables them to issue company cards instantly so staff aren’t forced to pay expenses out of pocket. Cian has vast experience in FinTech and eCommerce, previously working for Zilingo, Digicel Group, Redbarrel and Three Ireland.

Episode 13 - Leigh Gillen

We are delighted to welcome Leigh Gillen, who studied for a BA in Business Studies at Griffith College, graduating in 2019. Leigh is the Managing Director of Leigh Gillen events ltd, a full-service virtual and physical event management company. With 20 years of experience in the event industry, Leigh is committed to helping companies deliver the highest quality events, whether they be online or on-site. Leigh is also the Interim Chair of the Cork Printmakers after serving as a member of the board. Cork Printmakers Fine Art Printmaking Studio is an artists' resource, providing the space, facilities and equipment necessary to create artwork through the medium of printmaking.

Episode 12 - Yvonne Kiely

We are delighted to welcome Yvonne Kiely who studied an MA in Journalism and Public Relations at Griffith College, graduating in 2017. Yvonne is an independent academic researcher of the music industry in Ireland and worldwide, focusing on gender representation in the music magazine industry and the relationship between commerce and image culture. She is also the owner of Kiely Management, a freelance journalism company, and the owner of the online music magazine Lazer Guided Reporter.

Episode 11 - Denis Cronin

We are delighted to welcome Denis Finbarr Cronin, who studied for a BA (Hons) in Business Studies with Griffith College, graduating in 2019. Denis is the host of his own podcast series the DinnyCro Show and has also recently organised and hosted the Miss Mayo, Miss Galway and Miss Sligo beauty pageants. Denis has re-branded and re-launched the beauty pageant events this year, leading to an increase in competitors, and reinvigorating the Irish beauty pageant competitions.

Episode 10 - Sam Burke

We are delighted to welcome Sam Burke who did a BA in Film and Television Production with Griffith College. Sam currently works for Emerald Comet Productions, a start-up freelance film production company. Sam has recently won ‘Best First Time Director' for Silent Starling at the LA Film Awards’. Silent Starling is a film about a girl who believes her voice is cursed.

Episode 9 - Kelson Martins

We are delighted to welcome Kelson Martins who earned an MSc in Computer Science with Griffith College in 2015. Kelson currently works as a software engineer for IBM and is the host of HardCodeCast, a podcast that brings together Brazilian technology professionals who have emigrated abroad and have a keen interest in Artificial Intelligence.

Episode 8 - David Stapleton

We are delighted to welcome David Stapleton who studied for a BA in Business Studies with Griffith College, graduating in 2009. Today’s podcast will shine a spotlight on David’s academic and career achievements. David is the Founder and CEO of Bua Fit, a fitness app offering thousands of outdoor & online fitness classes with top trainers all over London. With a variety of classes to choose from, Bua Fit offers a la carte fitness, in a few taps under no contract: https://buafit.co.uk/

Episode 7 - Johann Fox

We are delighted to welcome Johann Fox who studied for a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism & Public Relations at Griffith College, graduating in 2005. Johann currently works as Director of U.S. Development for CMRF Crumlin, a charity specialising in Children's Medical & Research. CMRF Crumlin together with donors and partners fund initiatives, research, equipment and projects with three main aims. Saving Young Lives. Supporting Small Victories. Creating Brighter Days. CMRF Crumlin provides vital funding for CHI Crumlin and The National Children’s Research Centre, achieving outstanding results. You can read more at CMRF.org

Episode 6 - Hannah Moran-Jackson

We are delighted to welcome Hannah Moran-Jackson who studied for a BA in Fashion Design with Griffith College, graduating in 2017. Today’s podcast will shine a spotlight on Hannah’s academic and career achievements to date. Hannah currently works as a Global Junior Designer for a global fashion company. Hannah has recently hit the headlines with fellow fashion designer Cathy McEvoy, making protective headbands for frontline medical workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hannah has also made an appearance on Ireland AM during lockdown to help bring a bit more colour to everyone’s wardrobe by giving a tie-dye demonstration. Just a quick flick through Hannah’s Instagram shows off the amazing work she is doing by championing sustainability in fashion design.

Episode 5 - Regina Rogers Fallon

We are delighted to welcome Regina Rogers Fallon who studied for a BA in Interior Design, graduating in 2010. Today’s podcast will shine a spotlight on Regina’s academic and career achievements. Regina is the owner of the Regina Rogers Fallon Design company. Regina combines her artist’s eye and experience in customer service from Aer Lingus with her BA in Interior Design from Griffith to deliver a bespoke service to clients across Ireland.

Episode 4 - Katie Morris

We are delighted to welcome Katie Morris who graduated with a BA in Journalism and Visual Media in 2015. Today’s podcast will shine a spotlight on Katie’s academic and career achievements. Katie has been working as an Ecumenical Accompanier for the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine & Israel (EAPPI). EAPPI is an international program that recruits and dispatches observers to Palestinian towns and villages to monitor interactions between Palestinian residents and the Israeli military.

Episode 3 - Symeon Charalabides

Welcome to Griffith Alumni Stories, your Griffith College podcast. We are delighted to welcome Symeon Charalabides who studied an MSc in Big Data Management and Analytics, graduating in 2016. Today’s podcast will shine a spotlight on Symeon’s academic and career achievements. Symeon works as a Senior Application Developer & Data Migration Specialist at TU Dublin and Associate Faculty Lecturer at NCI. A passionate speaker and informative about his journey to date, Symeon achievements include building the current version of Daft.ie and working at the Irish Times.

Episode 2 - Clementine Moores

Welcome to Griffith Alumni Stories, your Griffith College podcast. We are delighted to welcome Clementine Moores who studied LLB (Hons) in Irish Law, graduating in 2018, and now works at ⁠Accenture⁠ as a Legal Copyright Associate. Today’s podcast will shine a spotlight on Clementine’s academic and career achievements and we will also get a unique insight into studying as an international student at Griffith College. Clementine was nominated for Law Student of the Year in 2018 at the Irish Law Awards and previously partook in the Making a Murder Law Society debating day, with funds being raised towards the Irish Innocence Project.

Episode 1 - Neil Curran

The Griffith Alumni Stories podcast welcomes Neil Curran to speak about his time studying at Griffith College and his career. Neil works as a Professional Improviser / Corporate Trainer / Executive Coach / Event Speaker and has his own podcast 'Neil+1' . The Neil+1 Podcast features raw, face-to-face interviews with inspiring and interesting Improvisers that Neil meets on his travels. Neil is also the founder and Director of Improv Fest Ireland and Assistant Director of Improv Utopia Ireland. Neil has a Masters in Training and Education from Griffith College and is a certified Personal & Executive Coach.