Testimonials

Employer and Student Experience

Hear from staff and students at

   Medtronic

   Grant Thornton

Medtronic

Shannon Conroy - Senior Talent Acquisition Supervisor, Medtronic

At Medtronic, we engineer life-changing technologies that impact patients worldwide. Achieving this mission requires the power of diverse perspectives to challenge our thinking, spark innovation, and reinforce our shared values. Diversity isn't just a priority—it's integral to our business strategy. It drives the creation of fresh ideas, fosters product innovation, and ultimately enables us to better serve our patients.

In Ireland, Medtronic employs individuals from over 65 nationalities. Students who join us will experience a multicultural environment where diversity is celebrated through various events and employee initiatives. Students may not always see the extensive training and development programmes we have in place to encourage diverse hiring, or the leadership discussions aimed at reducing bias and expanding our talent pool, these efforts are at the core of our commitment to diversity.

Since 2023, Medtronic has been engaged in a five-year Signature Innovation Partnership with the University of Galway. A key goal of this partnership is to enhance Medtronic’s reputation as a premier destination for students of all backgrounds. We are dedicated to promoting a culture where all employees feel they belong, are respected, and feel valued for who they are. Find out more about careers at Medtronic at etc

Sai Gujulla, Quality Systems Compliance Co-Op, Medtronic

As a current co-op at Medtronic, with an international background, I have experienced firsthand the importance of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) in their recruitment practices. ED&I is not just a policy at Medtronic; it’s a core value that ensures a welcoming and supportive environment for employees from all backgrounds. This commitment to diversity is evident in how the company celebrates different cultural festivals and even introduces them as themes in the canteen menu. These initiatives enrich the workplace with a variety of perspectives, fosters innovation, and creates a more dynamic and inclusive culture. For students like me, it means being part of a team where diverse ideas are valued, and everyone has the opportunity to contribute meaningfully.

Bishwesh Verma, Regulatory Affairs Intern at Medtronic

Medtronic has a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, which was evident in the recruitment process. It ensures a fair opportunity for me and other students looking forward to joining Medtronic. As an international student who came to Ireland last year from India, I felt a bit nervous about the interviews and working in a different country altogether, but by the end of the recruitment process, I was comfortable and confident. This became possible due to the process being well structured and easy to understand. Interviews started on an easy note with some conversation. The majority of the questions were open ended to ensure that all candidates feel open and comfortable to answer. The use of jargons helped me understand each question clearly. These small considerations contributed to a smooth interview process. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Medtronic, not only promotes fairness by ensuring that all candidates have equal opportunities, it also enhances Medtronic’s ability to innovate and solve complex problems through diverse viewpoints. Interacting and working with diverse groups helps us create an environment for a rich exchange of knowledge and cultures. I am proud to be a part of this environment!

Thisal Kosgahakumbura, Intern R&T and R&D Engineer

I would like to walk you through my journey through Medtronic as an international student from University of Galway. As an international student outside from EU, living in Galway, many difficulties and obstacles occurred, however my placement process at University of Galway after contacting Medtronic talent acquisition went quite seamlessly.
Due to international and visa stamp issues, Medtronic also aided with enabling me to work by covering these national passport issues. Knowing that Medtronic had facilities like this was quite comforting. The recruitment process went quite effortlessly because of this. Once on site, all the staff were welcoming, and my department was diverse including myself as an international student and several women showing cultural and gender diversity.
As well as this Medtronic have events and information sessions where international, cultural and gender related topics are regularly mentioned, and events are held to show inclusion within the company from my point of view.

These events included:

• National days, where food from certain countries is presented in the canteens.
• Cultural and international weeks that allow people to express themselves.
• Charitable events that raise awareness for certain local charities and international aid.
• Inclusion events that were held early in the year allowing people to converse and network from different departments.

Overall, from my 7-month placement experience at Medtronic, I believe that Medtronic is a company/community that allows for people to express themselves and welcomes all cultures for an inclusive atmosphere.

Grant Thornton

Caroline Matthews, Head of Talent Acquisition, People & Culture Director at Grant Thornton Ireland

At Grant Thornton we are really proud of our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Our business is built on people and building teams from varied backgrounds, cultures, ages, gender identities, family types, and abilities that bring different and varied viewpoints that are heard and valued.

As an example, we are extremely proud that as of today, we have 72 different nationalities at Grant Thornton Ireland. We were recently awarded the Investors in Diversity Gold accreditation, and this accreditation recognises our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and how we enhance our culture through these activities.

The connection between Grant Thornton University of Galway is so important, we have a very strong alumni connection through our current employees.

Student Experience

Mohit Khanduja, Senior Consultant, Business Risk Services, Grant Thornton Ireland

My name is Mohit Khanduja , I work as a Senior Consultant in Business Risk Services at Grant Thornton Ireland, and I am an alumni of the University of Galway. I came to Ireland to explore new opportunities and decided to pursue the MSc in International Accounting and Analytics at the University of Galway because of its academic reputation. The course content helped me to refine the skills and complement the knowledge I had from my previous work as an accountant in India.

I availed of the services and the help from the Career Development Centre which helped me in building my CV and refining my interview skills. I was lucky to secure an opportunity with Grant Thornton Ireland. My work as a senior consultant in Business Risk services involves performing audits for leading clients across multiple industries.

About Grant Thornton Ireland, they have a very open and inclusive environment, I can see and be part of a diverse workforce there and the culture and team are very supportive.