MELP - Medical Executive Leadership Programme

Programme Overview

Delivery format: 2 x 3-day modules (6 days) delivered over 3 months, with Module 1 on-campus at Trinity Business School and Module 2 in a residential setting. 

Who is this programme designed for?

The Medical Executive Leadership Programme (MELP) is tailored for senior leaders across Ireland’s healthcare landscape who are ready to step into more strategic and transformative roles.

• Senior leaders in public, private and voluntary hospitals, and community health organisations

• Functional leads preparing to manage larger or cross-functional teams

• Senior non-consultant hospital doctors and junior consultants

• Executives from the HSE or similar roles in the health system

• Healthcare professionals with responsibility for performance, people or change

What does the programme offer?

This programme equips senior healthcare leaders to lead with clarity, purpose and strategic insight in complex settings.

• Strengthen your ability to influence, negotiate and communicate effectively in high-stakes environments

• Understand your role in shaping a culture of shared responsibility, performance and accountability

• Build greater self-awareness to define your leadership style and impact

• Develop your judgement to lead through uncertainty and drive strategic change

• Support high-performing, cross-functional teams through improved team dynamics and collaboration

• Enhance your ability to shift mindsets and lead system-wide improvement

• Apply practical, creative approaches to problem solving within healthcare settings

• Use coaching to build resilience, reflect on your development and shape your leadership journey

What makes this programme different?

MELP is designed specifically for leaders in healthcare roles. Drawing on insight from across the health system, it supports professionals to lead more effectively in complex, pressurised environments.

Participants benefit from:

• A focused, practical approach to leadership in healthcare

• Senior peer learning across all sectors and regions

• Facilitated reflection to support development

• Strategic content that goes beyond operational leadership

• A retreat format that creates space to reflect and reset

This is a leadership programme with immediate relevance and lasting impact for those shaping the future of healthcare in Ireland.

Testimonials

"MELP was an enlightening and richly rewarding experience. It was a powerful blend of academia and experience, enabling trust, cohesion and collective thinking among senior healthcare leaders. The focus on high performance teams and organisational transformation was invaluable and I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to make the most out of leadership opportunity in healthcare."
- Kay Connolly CEO, SVUH

"I wish I had had this opportunity much earlier in my career. MELP was an excellent exercise in building teams and consensus among senior healthcare executives. It has formed a platform with the undoubted potential to be a significant influence on healthcare policy and delivery into the future."
- Conor O' Keane

"This programme really helped me to prepare for the transition to consultancy by equipping me with powerful leadership tools and insights. I loved the opportunity to collaborate with my senior colleagues and learn about strategies to achieve organisational change. I look forward to furthering that collaboration to achieve real advances in healthcare during my career."
- Clare O'Connor

"Our undergraduate and postgraduate system has little focus on formal leadership and management education. We learn a lot on the ground but it was invaluable to have the opportunity to study with a group of senior healthcare colleagues at a top global business school. Really impactful and I highly recommend"
- Keith Synott

Meet the Faculty 

Senior Academic Director: Dr. Rhona Mahony, Adjunct Assistant Professor

Dr Rhona Mahony is Senior Academic Director of the Medical Executive Leadership Programme at Trinity Business School. A practising consultant obstetrician and Adjunct Professor, she brings over 30 years’ experience in healthcare leadership. Dr Mahony served as Master of the National Maternity Hospital and held executive roles across the Ireland East Hospital Group. She is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organisation and a graduate of Harvard’s Value-Based Healthcare and Managerial Finance programme. Her work focuses on strategic leadership in healthcare, governance, and leading change in complex clinical settings.

Request information: jane.flanagan@tcd.ie 

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