First Woman in Ireland to Acquire IPMA Level A

The Institute of Project Management is delighted to announce that Laura Magahy of MCO Projects Ltd has become the first woman in Ireland to acquire the coveted IPMA Level A certification status. Her candidature was recently assessed in Dublin with the IPMA Vice President of Certification Brigitte Schaden participating in the process. She is only the second person in the country with this credential and is a member of an elite group of less than 200 throughout the world. The IPMA four-level certification system operates in 43 countries and is expected to have 100,000 certified professionals by year-end.

Laura said that "I wanted to acquire IPMA Level A certification because I believe it gives formal recognition to the experience I have gained during my career.

I have gained a great deal of experience working successfully as Project Director/Project Manager during the last 20 years. Many of these projects have been highly complex, with a myriad of constituent elements comprising the total project, all of which have needed to be managed successfully to completion.

The qualifications I hold complement the work I do, including my MBA, and my recently acquired Chartered Directorship, which involved refreshing my competence in governance, strategy, finance, HR, legal, and marketing."

No matter the industry you are working in or in what project management area, the Institute has a course helping you achieve your results by providing you with the knowledge and practical skills crucial for success in the workplace.

Profile

Laura Magahy is the Managing Director of MCO Projects Ltd (www.mco.ie) a company specialising in sustainable development and architecture for the public and private sectors.

She has served on many public and private Boards in Ireland and the UK, including CIE, Dublin Bus, Gresham Hotels plc, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the Arts Council of Ireland, Ilex Urban Regeneration Board in Derry, Design Ireland, Junior Dublin Film Festival, and Graffiti Theatre-in-Education Company, among others. She is currently President of the Institute of Directors in Ireland.

With over twenty years experience as Project Director/Project Manager for multi-disciplinary construction and urban renewal projects she has a track record in delivering quality projects on scope, on time and on budget. In addition to traditional construction project management skills she is an experienced team-builder and commercial negotiator as well as being a strategic thinker who can respond creatively to changing and challenging circumstances.

The projects she runs on behalf of MCO Projects Ltd. vary in size and complexity, the largest being the Mater Campus Hospital Development, a circa €250million build cost project, involving the re-building of a substantial part of the Mater Hospital and bringing the Metro to the Mater Campus site.

Prior to establishing MCO Projects Ltd. in 2000 she was Chief Executive/Project Director for ten years of Temple Bar Properties Ltd., a commercial semi-state company in Ireland that pioneered new approaches to urban renewal, green energy and intelligent buildings, leading more than 40 different individual projects during her tenure.