ICMS Academic Recognised with Fellowship from IML ANZ 

ICMS Discipline Lead (Sports) and Lecturer Darren Coughlan has been named a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia and New Zealand (IML ANZ). 

It is the highest membership grade of the peak professional body for management and leadership across both countries, and it reflects senior professional standing earned over a career of more than thirty years. 

The Fellowship recognises sustained contribution to management practice.  

For Darren, that contribution spans sport, education and consulting. It sits alongside his postgraduate qualifications in business administration, exercise science and leadership.  

He is currently completing a doctorate in business administration, and his career has included work with elite sporting organisations, government bodies, universities and international businesses. 

Peer recognition that anchors teaching in practice

Darren describes the Fellowship as a mark of standing awarded by his professional peers. 

“Being recognised at Fellow grade by the peak professional body for management and leadership in Australia and New Zealand validates my sustained senior contribution to management practice across sport, education and consulting,” he said. 

That recognition carries directly into his classroom.  

Darren teaches management and leadership subjects at ICMS, and he sees the Fellowship as a way to keep his teaching grounded in contemporary professional practice. 

“It anchors my management and leadership teaching in best practice, and connects my subjects to IML ANZ’s professional community, events and resources,” he said. 

For Darren, the Fellowship is one part of a deliberate professional plan rather than a standalone honour. 

“The professional home through which my Chartered Manager (CMgr) accreditation was assessed sits alongside my being a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) in a deliberate professional recognition program,” he said. 

A scholarly approach to industry-engaged learning

Associate Professor Betul Sekendiz, Associate Dean (Scholarship) and Associate Professor of Business (Sports Management), spoke to the way Darren brings his professional experience into the classroom. 

“Darren brings this experience into his teaching through a scholarly lens that encourages students to critically connect management theory with contemporary industry practice,” she said.  

“His Fellowship is a testament not only to his individual achievements as a professional, but also to the value of industry-engaged and evidence-informed learning and teaching.  

“Our students benefit greatly from learning with educators whose expertise and advancement of the profession is recognised by peak bodies.” 

Supporting academic quality and student success

Dr Jae Won Kang, Senior Program Manager (Sports and Property), welcomed the  achievement and highlighted Darren’s broader contribution to ICMS. 

“As Discipline Lead for Sports, Darren has played a significant role in fostering a culture of academic quality, industry engagement, and student success,” he said.  

“This Fellowship is a fitting recognition of his contributions to the profession, higher education, and the development of future leaders in the sport industry.” 

What it means for ICMS students

The Fellowship connects Darren’s teaching to the wider IML ANZ professional community, including its events and resources.  

For students preparing to enter management and leadership roles, that connection matters.  

They are learning from someone whose practice has been assessed and recognised at the highest level of his profession, and that is the kind of industry-engaged education ICMS is built on. 

Disclaimer: Any reference to external professional bodies, memberships, fellowships or recognitions relates to the individual staff member only and is provided for factual biographical context. It does not imply institutional endorsement, course accreditation, professional recognition of ICMS programs, or automatic membership, accreditation, or employment outcomes for students.