Red meat processor Dawn Meats has announced the graduations of the 2025 class of its Management Development Programme in association with University College Dublin (UCD).
The programme, which is open to employees of both Dawn Meats and Dunbia, a division of Dawn Meats, was launched in 2000, and the company first partnered with The School of Agriculture and Food Science at UCD in 2015.
This year, the programme was endorsed by Food & Drink Qualifications Ltd (FDQ) in recognition of the calibre of the course, verifying that the programme meets specific educational standards and criteria. Dawn Meats said that FDQ endorsed programmes are “highly valued” in the food and drink industry for their global recognition, practical skills training and alignment with industry standards.
The Management Development Programme is designed to support both personal and professional growth through a combination of management, leadership and sustainability modules. It includes elements of part-time study, project work, 1:1 coaching sessions and teamwork.
The graduation event took place at Butchers’ Hall in London, where 32 participants came together for a two-day event. On the second day, six participating teams presented on topics that aimed to reflect the company’s focus on continuous improvement and innovation.
Topics included:
- Building a Sustainable Workforce for Future Growth
- Irish Wagyu Sales and Marketing Strategy
- Innovative Strategies for Water Conservation and Reuse in Industrial Facilities
- Innovative Solutions for Enhancing Hand-Washing Compliance in Food Processing Industries
- Enhancing Safety and Mitigating Risks in the Meat Industry
- Enhancing Operational Efficiency Across Dawn Meats/Dunbia Sites
The final projects were assessed by a judging panel of senior leadership at Dawn Meats Group comprising Philip Tallon, operations director, Michelle White, head of marketing, and Tim Barry, finance director. The panel evaluated the ability of the teams to deliver real-world solutions to business challenges.
The winning team on this occasion included Michael Mullarkey (team lead), Alicia McEldowney, Conor Lavery, Niamh Tubritt and Eoghan Fox who discussed the topic of Enhancing Safety and Mitigating Risks in the Meat Industry. The winners were presented with the Dan Browne Excellence Award in recognition of their milestone achievement, named after the late Dawn Meats founder and former managing director, Dan Browne.
The team will present their winning project to the 2026 Management Development Programme cohort.
Speaking at the event, Philip Tallon, operations director of Dawn Meats, commented: “The Management Development Programme continues to play a vital role in identifying and nurturing the next generation of leaders across The Group. Each year we see participants demonstrate technical and strategic insight, as well as a genuine commitment to the future of our business.”
Julie Dowsett, programme director at the School of Agriculture and Food Science in UCD, said: “The collaboration between UCD and Dawn Meats continues to provide a rich learning environment for industry professionals. The 2025 participants have shown impressive leadership and creativity in addressing some of the most pressing issues facing the agri-food sector.”
