University College Dublin (UCD) and Matheson LLP recently hosted the inaugural Matheson UCD Corporate Governance Hackathon at UCD’s Astra Hall. A team of students were awarded a cash prize for their response to the event’s central challenge: to design a governance toolkit to help boards navigate simultaneous global shocks.
The hackathon marked a first of its kind collaboration focused specifically on corporate governance. It provided students with a unique opportunity to engage directly with legal, regulatory and business professionals while developing solutions relevant to today’s evolving corporate environment.
The event opened with introductory remarks from Aoife McPartland, Matheson Assistant Professor in Corporate Governance and Law at UCD, who highlighted the importance of the partnership between UCD and Matheson and the unique value such collaboration creates for students. She emphasised the role of industry led initiatives in complementing academic learning and equipping students with practical, career ready skills.
Susanne McMenamin Corporate partner and head of Matheson’s Governance, Securities and Reporting Group introduced and moderated a panel discussion featuring: Brendan O’Brien, Head of Company Secretarial Ireland, and Sinead Crowe, Associate Company Secretary, both of J.P. Morgan; Sarah Grace, Global Head of Corporate Governance at Stripe; and Niall Keane, Region General Counsel for EMEA, LATAM and APAC at Smurfit Westrock. Panellists drew on their direct experience to explore how boards and executive teams can govern effectively under simultaneous and overlapping pressures.
Pictured (l-r) are Sarah Grace, Stripe; Brendan O’Brien; JP Morgan, Susanne McMenamin, Matheson; Niall Keane, Smurfit Westrock and Sinead Crowe, JP Morgan.
Throughout the event, participants had the benefit of direct mentoring from members of Matheson’s Corporate team, who worked with them to help develop and stress-test their governance toolkit proposals ahead of the final pitches.
The winning team impressed the judging panel of Aoife McPartland, Susanne McMenamin and Calum Warren, partner in Matheson’s Competition & Regulation Group, who commended the team’s ability to engage with legal, regulatory and commercial pressures simultaneously, and to present a solution that was both practically grounded and conceptually rigorous.
Aoife McPartland, Matheson Assistant Professor in Corporate Governance and Law at UCD commented, “I would like to thank Matheson for this excellent initiative and for giving the students such a rich and worthwhile problem to work through. The excellent opening panel of speakers gave students the valuable opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of governance in action. Events like this allow students to develop and display a range of important skills, and it was impressive to see their teamwork, public speaking and persuasion on show, as well as their ability to respond confidently and thoughtfully to probing questions.”
Matheson partner, Susanne McMenamin commented; “What impressed me about the participants was their willingness to engage with the kind of complexity boards face every day and to produce solutions that practitioners will recognise as genuinely relevant. Matheson’s relationship with UCD is one we value deeply, and the Corporate Governance Hackathon is an expression of what that partnership can achieve at its best: connecting the next generation of legal and business thinkers with real business challenges. We are grateful to our clients for generously contributing their time and expertise. We are proud to have supported this inaugural event and look forward to building on it.“
UCD and Matheson extend their congratulations to the winning team and to all students who participated in the event.
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