Programme overview

Learning Outcomes

The 3 month learning experience will comprise:

• Three Core Modules – each grounded in addressing the leadership gaps, the realities of hospitality operating environments and overarching strategic context.
• Psychometric Assessment – participants will complete an assessment to gain insights into their leadership style
• Reflection Journals – supporting the transfer of learning into daily leadership practice.
• Peer Engagement – to build networks, shared understanding, and mutual accountability.

On completion of the programme, leaders will have:

• A greater self awareness and emotional intelligence, enhanced strategic leadership capabilities
• Enhanced conflict management skills and skills to lead courageous conversations
• Thorough understanding and appreciation of the importance of financial management for hospitality leaders
• Established a greater sense of accountability, responsibility and ownership for their own personal development, role modelling behaviours and leadership
• Established a strong collaborative network of leaders as well as empathy for each other’s individual context
• A deeper understanding of leading change and managing complexity in a VUCA world

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for leaders and managers working within the restaurant and hospitality industry. It caters to individuals who are currently in management roles or are aspiring to advance into such positions within this specific sector.

Entry Requirements

• Entry to the programme is based on the applicant holding a Level 8 degree with a classification of Second Class Honours, and having at least five years’ work experience, a minimum of three of which is at managerial level.  Standard University RPL regulations apply. 
• Each applicant whose first language is not English is required to show evidence of the successful completion of an IELTS or TOEFL test. The English language requirement for this programme is an IELTS or equivalent score of 6.5 and minimum individual sections 6.0. 

  Prior workplace learning is recognised where applicants do not meet the academic requirement (a form has to be filled out for this). 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 programme.

Application Process

1. Participants will complete an application form and apply directly to RHS Skillnet & Irish Hospitality Institute.
2. Successful applicants will be notified by RHS Skillnet.
3. Successful applicants will be required to complete an application via the UCC to be awarded the micro-credential.

Module 1 Strategic Leadership Essentials

Credit weighting: 5
Teaching & Learning Model: 3 x 1 day Workshops
Independent learning including engagement in assessment tasks

Module Objective:
This three day module will explore principles of effective leadership and management. It aims to close the gap between management skills and leadership acumen and explores diverse leadership styles and strategies.

Module Content:
• Leadership Fundamentals: Explores the essence of leadership, including its meaning and the traits that characterise effective leaders.
• Leadership Styles & Models: Participants will explore different theories and models, gaining insights into diverse approaches, from trait and behavioural theories to transformational and servant leadership
• Leadership & Organisational Impact: Understanding the impact of leadership on organisational performance and the critical role leaders play in shaping an organisation’s success.
• Employee Engagement & Motivation: Learn about the psychological states and behaviours associated with employee engagement, focusing on how leaders can motivate and engage their teams to drive performance and success.

Module 2 Finance for Non-Financial Managers

Credit weighting: /
Teaching & Learning Model: 1 x 1 day Workshop

Module Objective:
This one day workshop will look at building financial acumen and equip leaders with the essential skills to understand and interpret financial data. It will explore financial concepts, enabling participants to understand how finance impacts every aspect of an organisation.

Module Content:
The module will explore the following themes:
• Understanding annual and management accounts
• Interpreting the balance sheet, understanding ratios
• Evaluating companies’ performance
• Managing cash-flow
• Look at the importance of understanding financial data in the context of strategic decision making in an organisation

Module 3 Strategic People Management

Credit weighting: 5
Teaching & Learning Model: 3 x 1 day Workshops

Module Objective:
This three day module will enable leaders to adopt a more strategic approach as you learn how to build a culture in your organisation focused on learning, adapting and executing with excellence. The module will enable you to enhance the performance and capabilities of your organisation through your people.

Module Content:
The module will provide you with key insights into:
• the procedures and principles of strategically managing people.
• how to harness the power of your people as you learn how to build a culture based on learning
• adapting to change and executing with excellence.
• how to develop and implement HR strategy, and evaluate your organisation’s HR processes.
• how to integrate leadership and HR, manage your team’s performance and strategies to engage employees.
• Facilitated peer coaching team

Assessment & Certification

Module 1  Strategic Leadership Essentials

Summative Assessment:
Written Case Study Analysis 100%

Module 2 Finance for Non-Financial Managers

No Summative Assessment

Module 3 Strategic People Management

Summative Assessment:
Written Case Study Analysis 100%

The programme will be marked out of 100% and all assignments must be submitted for assessment. To pass the programme an aggregate pass mark (40%) must be achieved for each module and an overall pass mark of 40% for the programme .All assignments will be graded according to a scheme aligned to the percentage bands in the following table.

Percentage Grade & Award Classification

• 70-100 First Class Honours
• 60-69 Second Class Honours, Grade 1 (2:1)
• 50-59 Second Class Honours, Grade 2 (2:2)
• 40-49 Pass
• 39 or below Fail

IMI micro credentials are validated and awarded by UCC, National University of Ireland, at level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

**By completing micro credentials, participants can work towards achievieng the full Level 9 award – IMI Diploma/UCC Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership. It is validated by UCC at level 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications, worth 60 credits. Each modules will carry a weighting of 5 credits on the NFQ framework. Assessment is through a range of case study analyses, reflective learning logs, projects and or and presentation**

Training Provider

Irish Management Institute

Since its inception over 70 years ago, IMI has remained focused on building a strategically driven, high-quality executive education organisation. Our reputation is founded on delivering exceptional service, with consistent attention to detail and a deeply embedded client-centric ethos. Over the past 15 years, IMI has successfully delivered complex, large-scale customised leadership programmes of similar scope, quality, and strategic importance. This best-in-class team will embody IMI’s client-first approach and bring deep expertise in leadership development, enriched by extensive global experience with high-performing organisations. The IMI faculty will also ensure that all learning is highly practical and focused on real-world application and impact.

Programme Director & Lead Facilitator: Helen O’Leary

Helen O’Leary is a recognised leadership and business consultant, mentor, coach and executive trainer and works extensively across public and private businesses in developing leadership skills and commercial talent to enable organisations to realise their strategic ambitions.

Helen spent two decades working with global luxury hotel brands Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and The Doyle Collection across Ireland, the UK and the USA in various leadership roles. In 2016, Helen began working as a consultant, sharing her experiences in leadership and commercial business strategy and helping to develop high performing teams within businesses through a combination of advisory, mentoring, coaching and group facilitation.

Helen’s approach is founded on understanding the goals of the individual and the organisation and bringing a deeply insightful but practical approach to problem solving. Helen believes that organisational greatness can be enabled by unlocking the potential of the individual and the team, she promotes excellent communication as a core enabler to help people align their best efforts to deliver sustainable results.

Helen’s experience reaches across private and public sector and focusses on both organisational and unit transformation, supporting businesses through the change process.

Helen is a member of the associate faculty with the IMI in Dublin and ACE in UCC, amongst other academic institutions, and has lectured on commercial and leadership topics at diploma and master’s level.

Programme Schedule

• Orientation & Strategic Leadership Micro-credential

  • Day 1 and day 2: 2 x face to face days – Wed 9th & Thurs 10th September 2026

  • Day 3: 1 x online day – Wed 30th September 2026

• Finance for Non Financial Managers 

  • Day 4 – 1 x face to face day – Mon 12th October 2026

• Strategic People Management

  • Day 5: Day 1 – Strategic Teams HRM Face to face. Tues 3rd Nov 2026

  • Day 6: Day 2- Teams micro Cred – Face to face. Wed 4th Nov 2026

  • Day 7: Day 3 Teams micro Cred- Face to face. Wed 18th Nov 2026

• Capstone

  • 2 hours – Face to Face. Wed 18th Nov 2026 – Closing Session.

     

IMI Support for Learners

Knowledge Centre and Librarian Supports  

IMI provides learning materials for its programmes through the virtual learning environment (VLE).Once registered, learners are provided with educational resources in advance of commencement of a programme.  Library space is available in the Knowledge Centre at IMI’s Campus in Sandyford.

All learners are provided with online library access. IMI’s online library is provided by EBSCO and includes access to textbooks and full-page journals. Textbooks are purchased as required, per programme. Learners can access their online library direct through IMI’s library website.

These supports are the responsibility of the Knowledge Centre Librarian, who:

• Is part of the Programme Support Team
• Ensures that learners can access the resources identified on module reading lists
• Answers library related queries
• Supports learners in accessing relevant materials including obtaining those not available in the library, where practicable and within copyright
• Supports learners in developing academic writing and research skills

Additional study skills are provided through the Knowledge Centre to supplement that incorporated into programmes of study. This provides practical support and guidance for all learners with their academic writing and research requirements. Learners can request additional study skills guidance through the Knowledge Centre at any stage throughout their studies. The sessions address matters such as:

• Academic writing
• Referencing
• Report writing
• Literature Research skills
• Study skills

In addition to articles and readings, the IMI Knowledge Centre also gives access to the online catalogue, details of library services, study skills information, current awareness services, and more.

Programme Manager

Programme Managers support the operational delivery of high‑quality learning experiences at IMI by supporting and sustaining the integrity of each programme’s learning journey.  General Programme Managers duties and requirements, this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities, are listed below:

• Acting as the ‘face’ of IMI for learners by being present on-site during programmes – building, developing, nurturing, and maintaining effective relationships with learners
• Ensuring learners safety on-site, i.e. pointing out emergency procedures and contacts in the beginning of each programme. More details can be found in the IMI Safety Statement.
• Leading general logistical planning and coordination of programmes, including scheduling, venue and equipment setup, catering, audiovisual setup
• Collaborating with Programme Support Team, ensuring all logistical arrangements are in place for smooth programme execution
• Liaising with PD on participant reasonable accommodations where necessary
• Liaising with Programme Support Team where necessary
• Communicating important programme information, updates and reminders to learners regarding programme schedules, session details and logistics
• Ensuring learners have access to materials, equipment, and resources required for programme delivery
• Providing support to learners during programmes: assisting with registration, orientation, and responding to general inquiries, technical support
• Coordinating with relevant departments, such as facilities and IT support, to resolve any issues that may arise
• Point of contact for any programme related questions: Grading, assignments, deadline extensions, absences, questions for faculty or PDs
• Addressing learners’ requests, concerns, and logistical needs promptly and professionally
• Supporting programme improvements through feedback: Assisting in collecting learner feedback and evaluations after programmes, compiling insights for improvement and collaborating with the internally and externally to review outcomes and identify areas for enhancement.

Programme Director

Not all faculty or associate faculty act as Programme Directors. Where the role is assigned, it carries additional responsibilities and accountabilities beyond those of individual facilitators or assessors.

Role Summary – Core Accountability

Programme Directors play a central role in ensuring a high‑quality learning experience at IMI by shaping and sustaining the integrity of each programme’s learning journey. The Programme Director is academically and operationally accountable for and supports learning by:

• Active presence at modules
• Providing clear programme aims and learning outcomes
• Programme coherence, integrity, and academic standards
• Alignment with approved programme documentation and intended learning outcomes
• Assessment standards and design, grading quality, and learner progression
• Consistent application of IMI’s High Impact Transformation (HIT 2.0) pedagogical model
• Ensuring that sessions include appropriate experiential and immersive elements to optimise participant engagement
• The learning experience from entry to completion
• Briefing and guiding associate faculty on content alignment and providing support to adapt their facilitation and enhance learning impact.
• Collaboration with the Programme Coordinator and other Programme Support Team members, learners and the teaching team, coordinating feedback loops and communicating participant insights, contextual information and programme developments
• Using insights from feedback to support continuous improvement

Particular to Hospitality Leadership Programme, the programme director and associate faculty will dedicate a significant amount of time to in-class assignment preparation.

Pastoral Care & Learner Support

The wellbeing of our learners is key to make learning fun and to have an impactful learning experience.

The Programme Director will:

• Foster a psychologically safe, inclusive learning environment
• Provide guidance and progress monitoring sessions, ensuring learners stay on track with their studies and assessments
• Respond appropriately to learner concerns relating to workload, assessments, engagement, accessibility
• Refer and escalate pastoral concerns to the appropriate IMI role where academic decisions or formal supports are required

Learners with Disabilities

IMI is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable learning environment, both physical and in teaching, accessible to:

• Individuals with disabilities and additional needs
• Any learner with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, specific learning difficulties, special psychological needs, and / or
• Medical conditions that can have an impact on day-to-day activities to engage in and successfully complete IMI programmes

IMI recognises the importance of inclusive learning, teaching, research and assessment methods in meeting the needs of all learners and strives to incorporate the principles of Universal Design across all aspects of the learning, teaching and research experience. It is recognised that inclusive teaching, learning and research practices contribute to a more accessible learning and research environment and therefore may reduce the need for individual Reasonable Accommodations to be made. More on the same can be found in IMI’s Teaching and Learning Strategy.

It is the responsibility of the learner to disclose their additional needs or disability at the earliest opportunity to enable IMI to assess the ability to provide the accommodations required.  A full description of this service is detailed in the Policy and Procedure on Reasonable Accommodation. Details can also be found in the IMI Safety Statement.

Testimonials from Past Participants

Dear Future Participant

What an opportunity! Grab it with both hands is the one piece of advice that  I would give!

A Leadership course packed with insight, expertise, invaluable material, fun, and a great tempo; not to mention a super lunch at the IMI facility.

The content of the course offered a combination of innovative material, and a modernised approach to subject matter that simply needed a refresh.

Course facilitators were excellent and contact time is well worth dedicating your own time to.

Many thanks to the IMI team, and best wishes to all the lucky future participants.

Yours in Leadership

Andrew Roberts

General Manager, Royal Irish Yacht Club

The IMI Hospitality Leadership programme has been a truly transformative experience. It provided me with advanced strategic frameworks that I could immediately translate into my daily operations as a General Manager. A standout aspect of the course was the ability to apply academic concepts to real-world scenarios, such as my project exploring the strategic transition of an independent hotel into an international brand model. The practical focus of this Level 9 programme is exceptional, and I highly recommend it to any hospitality professional looking to elevate their leadership capabilities and drive meaningful results in their organization. 

Barbara Celinska

General Manager, Greville Arms Hotel

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