Interviews and Profiles

He studied law at university and yoga in India, but now Gearóid O’Sullivan is a tax manager at Chartered Accountants Ireland, “picking bones” on behalf of members. Five years ago, where did you think you would be now? Have you lived up to your own expectations? I had commenced my tax studies after a stint in risk consulting following completion of my FAEs. My plan was to complete my taxation studies, develop skills which would be useful to a tax practitioner working in the ‘regions’, and then take time off to travel. I finished my tax exams, went to live in India for six months, and then lockdown hit. So, I ticked the travel box just in time! What has been the biggest challenge of your career? I struggled with confidence a lot in the early years. I made some howlers and got chewed out of it on occasion and was like, “What am I even doing here?”.  But I had great peers and was fortunate to receive great mentorship. So, I guess the challenge is to just hang in there long enough for the penny to drop. What do you wish you had known earlier in life? You need to remember that everyone else is as unsure as you are. Where do you see yourself this time next year? Hopefully celebrating a win for some bone we picked on behalf of our members. Who inspires you, personally and professionally? Personally, I am inspired by my friends and family. I have two solid brothers and a handful of solid friends whom I trust. When we’re not winding each other up, we tend to be each other’s biggest supporters. Professionally, I tend to get inspired by the people I encounter. It may sound like a tug on the party line, but Chartered Accountants Ireland has a fantastic membership.   I have been pushed to become a useful professional by the patience and ability of my mentors. I have also been inspired and encouraged by my peers. You will make lasting friends when you train as an accountant. Perhaps a case of shared trauma! How has being a Chartered Accountant changed your life? I was 21 years old when I started my training contract with KPMG. I didn’t have a clue. Training to be a Chartered Accountant has formed me professionally and so has had a significant impact on my development as an adult.  I’m proud that I persevered and became a Chartered Accountant. Now anywhere in the world I go, I have a skill I can use to contribute to any community. If you weren’t a Chartered Accountant, what do you think you’d be doing? If I had my time again, I’d study engineering. I was strong in maths and science in school, but I realised I knew nothing about how government worked. So, I thought law would be an interesting undergrad. Law turned into tax consulting (I figured, as most people are made sick at the thought of tax, I could help them out.) which turned into Chartered Accountancy and here we are. But engineering would be fun. What advice do you have for those who will soon qualify as Chartered Accountants? Be clever. Make a decision. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Your qualification is a golden ticket. If you can see it for the door-opener it is, then it can really work for you. If you veer off course a little bit, it’s easy to double back. But if you never try, you never know!

In every issue of The Bottom Line, we ask students for their thoughts on a particular topic. This month, we want to know: what company values are important to you? Kathryn Tiffney Audit Associate at PwC Belfast The values I look for in an organisation have evolved as I have progressed in my career.  Initially, when joining my training firm, I was looking for a company with a good reputation, excellent learning prospects within various fields of accountancy, and clients in different industries. I wanted to gauge which area of accountancy I was best suited to, and what direction to take my career in.  Now that I have finished my training contract, my focus is on companies offering good work-life balance and growth prospects. I would definitely consider leaving a position, or turning down a job offer, if the company didn’t demonstrate these values. Eoghan Conaty Risk Assessment Associate at KPMG Dublin It is important to me that any organisation I work for values inclusivity, integrity, and sustainability.  Businesses should be at the forefront of fighting big issues such as the climate crisis and discrimination. Organisations that promote diversity, strive to do the right thing, and care deeply about ensuring a better tomorrow, are the ones that will tackle the big issues.  The sense of fulfilment I would get from working for one is so enormous I would most definitely leave an organisation if I felt it did not hold the values I look for.  Furthermore, I believe that, if we actively seek to work for organisations with strong, positive values — and, more importantly, leave those without them — we are helping to ensure a brighter and better future.  Nigel Cousins Audit Associate at Northern Ireland Audit Office We talk a lot about finding a culture fit when job hunting, and much less about finding the right fit for our values. A culture may celebrate innovation, but values determine what gets sacrificed in its pursuit. It is nearly impossible to bring your best to an organisation that is in conflict with your values.  For this reason, I have identified five key values I actively seek out when considering an employer: honesty and integrity; continuous learning; diversity; innovation; and teamwork. Ultimately, a poor value fit would eventually prompt me to me seek out a different employer — one that shares my values.  Therefore, it is essential for me to have full confidence that my values align with any organisation before I join. 

Emmet O’Reilly has been a Chartered Accountants since the 90s, but Chartered Accountancy hasn’t held him back from working in various sectors or writing his new book Miss, Say Goodbye to Your Daughter. Five years ago, where did you think you would be now? Have you lived up to your own expectations? At this stage of my career and life, I don’t particularly focus on five-year slots, but rather on whether I’m continually learning and being challenged in a particular role. If the answer is ‘yes’, then that’s the place for me at that moment, but if it’s ‘no’, then it might be time to look for pastures new.  Saying that, having a broad outline of where one wants to be in three to five years is a great idea, especially for people in the earlier part of their careers – but be prepared to ‘roll with the punches’ and pivot accordingly. What has been the biggest challenge of your career? Having worked in real estate since 2000, the property crash in 2007/08 presented me with a significant career challenge. No jobs were available in the property sector in 2010. The flexibility of the CA qualification came to the fore, however, and I was able to temporarily transition to the tech sector before re-starting my career in property a couple of years later.  All careers will have challenges and speed bumps. Being able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances is a trait most Chartered Accountants have in abundance. What do you wish you had known earlier in life? That it’s okay to be yourself, be comfortable in your own skin and not to be afraid to speak up for what you believe in, even if it bucks the trend at the time.  The younger version of me felt that I was an outlier, but it turns out it was all about finding people with a similar perspective on life.  Where do you see yourself this time next year? I see myself still working in the real estate sector in Ireland, but with maybe a follow-on book in production on the side. From a  career perspective, I’ll never stray too far from finance, but it’s great to be at a time in my life when I can seek to explore other avenues, even on a part-time basis, to strive towards self-actualisation. Who inspires you, personally and professionally? At a personal level, my late mother, who is the main protagonist in my debut book, Miss, Say Goodbye to Your Daughter, has always been an inspiration to me; how she fought against the establishment from an early age and successfully turned her life around with further education in middle age. At a professional level, I’ve been fortunate to work with some great colleagues, leaders and mentors, but my former colleague and friend, David Feeley, also a Chartered Accountant, stands out as a unique blend of massive intellect, modesty and decency. How has being a Chartered Accountant changed your life? Being a Chartered Accountant has given me the opportunity to experience different business sectors and work with incredibly talented and bright people in shaping how organisations seek to deliver on strategic objectives.  It’s also allowed me to travel to different parts of the world and experience disparate cultures. Never once have I regretted signing up to a training contract in the early 1990s. If you weren’t a Chartered Accountant, what do you think you’d be doing? Probably something in the IT space. I love how technology has developed over the years and how it makes our lives easier and more interconnected. What advice do you have for those who will soon qualify as Chartered Accountants? Once you have your qualification, do some travelling and work in another country to experience different cultures. Go with your gut on career decisions and realise that you only have a limited number of years working, so make the most of each experience.  Be open to working for start-ups or smaller companies, as you’ll learn at a more rapid pace than you might working for larger, more established, corporates.  Finally, realise that you’ve worked hard to get here so enjoy the ride! What’s your favourite… Book: Even though I’m now an author, I’m not a big reader. However, I’ve a soft spot for George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Orwell’s allegorical style is phenomenal, and his development of characters and description of scenes brings the reader right into the middle of Manor Farm. Meal: Lamb biryani in Ananda restaurant in Dundrum. Quote: “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons  live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”   Nelson Mandela, April 1964 Hobby: Long distance running and golf, but not at the same time!  

In every issue of The Bottom Line, we ask a student their thoughts on a particular topic. This month, we want to know: How has your career changed since March 2020? Sean Brennan Financial Services Audit Associate at Deloitte There is no denying that the world is entirely different from the one of pre-March 2020. However, has my career changed as drastically? Probably not.  Of course, working from home has been a considerable change. However, I have been availing of our hybrid work and commuting to our Dublin office three days a week since about mid-2021. I feel the world of audit and other financial services sectors were best placed to adapt to working from home. I was rarely on-site with clients and spoke to them and administrators via Teams and Zoom since I started my contract in October 2019.  Since remote working has become the norm, we have strived to make the change seamless through virtual audit rooms or daily catch-up calls.  I feel others in audit may have seen a huge change, especially if their job consisted of numerous walk-throughs and a necessity of being on-site. But for me, the difference is minimal, with us readily able to adapt to a working-from-home environment.

Dr Judith Wylie, a Senior Lecturer at Ulster University Business School, has accomplished a lot in five years but knows it’s the people she has met along the way that makes it all worthwhile.  Five years ago, where did you think you would be now? Have you lived up to your own expectations? Five years ago, I was returning from my second maternity leave and had several career ambitions, but no idea that, on top of life as an accounting academic, I would soon be adding home-schooling to my CV!  Since then, I have developed and launched Northern Ireland’s first degree-level apprenticeship programme — the BSc (Hons) in Business Technology at Ulster University.  More than 200 students have joined the programme, which has won awards for innovation. I have completed a PhD, exploring the communication strategies employed by Irish listed companies to support corporate social responsibility. I’ve also been promoted to Senior Lecturer at Ulster University.  If you had told me five years that this was all ahead of me — and against the background of a global pandemic — I would never have believed you. What has been the biggest challenge of your career? The biggest challenge I have faced so far in my career has been my PhD, which I completed part-time. Any PhD is a huge undertaking, and my final VIVA (where you are examined verbally on your work) was conducted via Zoom during the first lockdown.  It was tough, but as with so many challenging endeavours, it was also incredibly rewarding. I enjoyed the work immensely, and I have a huge sense of achievement now that it is complete. I can honestly say it was all worth it, and I would encourage anyone interested in entering academia or involved in research to go for it.  Do make sure you have a good supervisor, though. It is crucial to have the right person on board. I could not have done my PhD without the support of Professor Anne Marie Ward, a fellow Chartered Accountant. She is an incredible woman.  What do you wish you had known earlier in life? It is OK to say no! We are often pre-programmed to say yes to every opportunity but trying to please too many people at once can potentially lead to burnout. My advice? Focus on fewer tasks and deliver them well. There is an art to saying no – do it up front, don’t put it off, and explain why you are saying no. People can be more understanding than you think. Where do you see yourself this time next year? I am a member of the Chartered Accountants Ireland Working Group on Sustainability, a subject close to my heart. In the months ahead, I want to continue raising more awareness of the important work accountants do to help tackle climate change and pave the way to net-zero. Who inspires you, personally and professionally? I love all kinds of sport and find Dame Katherine Grainger inspirational. She is the most decorated female Olympic athlete in the UK and the first British woman to win medals at five successive Olympic Games, a feat requiring more than 20 years of physical and mental dedication.  I also have huge respect for her professionally as she now serves on many sports governing bodies, including her role as Chair of UK Sport. I lecture in corporate governance, so I know just how challenging such a role can be. When she is in the boardroom, I have no doubt she draws on the same resilience, grit, and determination she demonstrated rowing at all those Olympic Games. How has being a Chartered Accountant changed your life? Not to sound too cheesy, but the aspect of this career that has had the most significant impact on my life has been the people I have met along the way. The bonds forged during training contracts last a lifetime. I have a network of incredible people who have supported me personally and professionally throughout my journey as a Chartered Accountant. For that, I will always be grateful. If you weren’t a Chartered Accountant, what do you think you’d be doing? As well as sports, I love fashion and design — so maybe running my own vintage clothing and furniture shop. Who knows? It may happen someday. What advice do you have for those who will soon qualify as Chartered Accountants? Please don’t think that once the FAEs are done, your learning is over. It’s important to maintain an open mindset, continue upskilling and reskilling, and enjoy engaging with all the training opportunities the Institute offers. Doing so will add richness and depth to your career and take you places you never thought you could go. 

In every issue of The Bottom Line, we ask a student their thoughts on a particular topic. This month, we want to know:  What are your 2022 resolutions? Aisling Coleman Tax Associate Deloitte My 2022 resolution is to focus on my work-life balance. While working from home it is sometimes difficult to balance ‘work’ and ‘life’. I am committed to getting outdoors for 45 minutes every day for fresh air and daylight. I think this is very important to disconnect from the world and unwind. I have started the year by walking the dog at lunchtime every day. I am also due to sit my Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) Exams in April 2022, so my focus for the first few months of the year is to ‘hit the books’ and hopefully pass these exams.