Interviews and Profiles

In every issue of The Bottom Line, we ask students for their thoughts on a particular topic. This month, we want to know: what are your thoughts on Irish neutrality? Karen Chandrakanth PwC Ireland’s policy of military neutrality has long been an important strand of Ireland’s independent foreign policy.  'Change' does not necessarily mean drastic; it can also mean to evolve – joining NATO is not the only option that confronts us.  We must also consider strengthening what we have and evolving our stance to further develop cyber, airspace and naval defences.  For every decision made regarding our neutrality and defences, there will be two sides to the argument. Whichever way we fall, our decisions must have an  impact for the better.  Change can happen in phases, but drastic or lack of change should not be an option. Sarah Byrne Browne RBK Chartered Accountants Ireland's neutrality has been questioned many times over the years, especially in recent times. I think we also need to question: has Ireland's neutrality been slowly eroded? For example, our governments have been encouraged to let America and other European countries use Shannon Airport as a stopover on their way to the Middle East. Our army also has peacekeepers in Africa. If this is a permanent arrangement, could our island be seen as a threat, and are we opening ourselves up to possible attacks from other countries with a grievance against the US or NATO?  Going forward, should Ireland have more safeguards in place? More and more nowadays countries are victims of cyber-attacks; how ready are we for these?  We remain neutral, so there wouldn’t be too much of a threat regarding the above but it begs the question of how we keep our neutrality whilst also trying to help others. Clodagh Murphy PwC Irish neutrality is a phrase which has been frequenting headlines in recent times.  Due to international events, most prominently the war in Ukraine, many have questioned  if Ireland’s neutral stance is still the best way forward.  This past June we watched with interest as a group of experts discussed this topic at the Consultative Forum on International Security.  A potential change to the current ‘triple lock’ process is an interesting development which has the potential to alter Ireland’s current peacekeeping abilities.  While discussions are still in the early stages, any policy change in this area has the potential to alter Ireland’s relationship with foreign powers. I will be following this story closely over the upcoming weeks and months!

Patrick McCarthy, Founder of Performance Labs, outlines what he wishes he had known earlier in life and his (lack of) advice for your future Five years ago, where did you think you would be now? Have you lived up to your own expectations? I’ve met my own expectations. Five years ago, I worked in a start-up trying to lend to SMEs in the Philippines. Now I operate a family business and have begun a four-year doctorate in performance psychology. What has been the biggest challenge of your career? I found my first year in KPMG quite challenging as well as the psychology involved in navigating the exams.  What do you wish you had known earlier in life? There are probably two things: You don’t need to figure it out on your own. Find someone a few years ahead of you and ask them what to do. It will save you so much time. There’s no secret formula. Anyone who seems like they have one probably got lucky. The median of successful people I’ve met or studied are consistent, deliberate and disciplined. Where do you see yourself this time next year? Year two of my doctorate, growing the family business, and hopefully working as a mental skills coach at the intercounty level – I’m currently working towards my sports psychology accreditation. Who inspires you? Professionally, three KPMG colleagues, Eamon Dillon, Naktita McCarthy and Breda Kinsella, all had a big influence on me equally. All three were so smart yet so hard-working. It was very easy to learn a lot from them. How has being a Chartered Accountant changed your life? There is no doubt that studying to be a Chartered Accountant changed my life for the better.  The people I met have challenged and inspired me to think differently. On top of that, I’ve learned skills through my exams and working in KPMG that have directly transferred to running a business and studying performance psychology.  If you weren’t a Chartered Accountant, what do you think you’d be doing? I’d be a sports psychologist! What advice do you have for those who will soon qualify as Chartered Accountants? Ignore all advice unless it’s from someone you admire and/or would swap places with. If you’re unsure about what to do after you qualify, ask yourself: “What industry/job would I work in if all salaries were equal?” and go from there.

In every issue of The Bottom Line, we ask students for their thoughts on a particular topic. This month, we want to know: Do you think the profession is doing enough to promote gender equity? Rachel Murrin McMoreland Duffy Rouse In the past, I think the profession was primarily male dominated but, over the course of recent years, it has evolved so more women are being recruited. Although there is still  room for improvement in the profession.  I don’t believe improvements in gender equity are purely down to the firms, but instead where it begins: education systems.  However, I don’t think our education system promotes the accounting and financial industries to be more equitable. Ultimately, we cannot expect there to be gender equity within the profession if there is not an equal recruiting choice.  Ireland has a large education system with many universities and institutes of technology across the country so there is significant room in that area to improve the gender equality in these institutions. Another area in which the profession could improve on to provide more gender equality is the recognition of family barriers.  There is an undeniable barrier with the role of women and family life. The stress of returning to work after taking parental leave is overwhelming enough on its own but to be expected to return and have the same goals and level of commitment in return for career rewards is unrealistic.  While most women are capable and will provide to the best of their ability, I think there needs to be a culture built where women don’t have to come back with that level of unrealistic commitment. Diarmuid Staunton PwC I believe that significant progress has been made in recent decades to promote gender equality in the accounting profession.  From my experience working in the industry, there appears to be equal opportunities and representation of both genders.  Organisations have made a conscious effort in recent years to address the gender imbalance of leadership positions. The publication of Gender Pay Gap Reports from many companies has helped give a clear picture of where many firms are at and shows the great progress that has been made to date. Many companies have also made the shift in recent years towards more flexible working arrangements, which have allowed for the creation of more inclusive and diverse workplaces. Initiatives like these paired with continued equal professional and development opportunities for all employees will continue to ensure that the accounting profession is full of equal opportunities for everyone. Siodhna Woods KPMG  As a profession overall, I believe there have been massive improvements in terms of the promotion of gender equality, through changes in certain policies affecting women, increased progression opportunities for women and the clear promotion and involvement in things like women in sport.  Among the Big Four firms and some of the larger mid-tier firms, I believe maternity leave policies and flexible working policies are super attractive. This is extremely important to a lot of working women as these policies allow us to easily integrate a work-life balance, usually during the most important stage of our careers and family lives.  There could, however, be improvement in this area across the smaller training firms.  Despite room for improvement, we’re definitely heading in the right direction.

Evan O’Donnell, Assurance Associate at PwC, Co-Chairperson of CASSC and Vice-Chairperson of CASSI, has taken full advantage of the student societies, and thinks you should, too I am in the third year of my training contract with PwC, and I can honestly say I have enjoyed my Chartered Accountancy journey so far. Don’t get me wrong, the immense exam material, gruelling exams, busy season hours and never-ending deadlines can take time to get used to, but like anything in life, balance is key.  CASSI networking Throughout my three years, I have been involved in Chartered Accountants Ireland student societies.  Joining a regional society committee or Chartered Accountants Student Society of Ireland (CASSI)committee opens the door to a world of opportunities. Not only is it advantageous from a CV and career point of view, but the network of similar colleagues on similar life paths also creates lifelong bonds.  The fun, banter and laughs I’ve shared with my fellow students and colleagues over the past three years have made the route to becoming a Chartered Accountant an enjoyable one.  More than a bean counter I have spent three years on Chartered Accountants Students Society Cork (CASSC), serving as the Education Officer, Vice-Chairperson and Co-Chairperson, and enjoying every minute of it.  Through organising academic and social events for my region, I have learned how to be an event planner, a traffic warden, a bouncer and, most importantly, an effective communicator!  Who says the role of an accountant is solely bound to calculators?  Exam camaraderie I have been very fortunate that there are more than 30 other graduates in my intake at PwC Cork, which has certainly aided the exam process.  Having a large network of like-minded individuals who are going through the same challenges as myself, such as meeting audit deadlines, completing the CA Diary and sitting the Chartered Accountancy exams, has proved to be incredibly beneficial.  My advice to any current student who is debating whether to join a regional or national student society would be to go for it! The worst that can happen is that they’ll have buckets of fun with fellow students! 

In every issue of The Bottom Line, we ask students for their thoughts on a particular topic. This month, we want to know: Are you worried about the state and future of the Irish economy? Caelainn McGonigle Gilroy Gannon The Irish economy can continue to perform well if policymakers encourage homegrown entrepreneurship .  Ireland is a relatively small country with an educated workforce and a large university system; it should carve out some niche markets and try to have some real impact on technology and innovation. There are many interesting new business opportunities opening up, including those associated with artificial intelligence systems and green energy/green transport.  It is no longer good enough to let large multinationals, and the EU set the business agenda for Ireland. Ireland should rely more on domestic businesses as the key driver of growth and less on foreign direct investment.  There is plenty of untapped potential if Irish graduates are given the right opportunities to stay in the country. Just as in our parents’ generation, many young Irish adults have watched our friends move abroad to avail themselves of better opportunities.  The crisis in affordable housing has also contributed to this emigration trend. Even with a good starting job in Ireland, it is very difficult to find decent, quality affordable housing in our cities.  The Irish government needs to devote more focus to providing good career opportunities and affordable housing solutions to the new generation of workers.  Dónal Sweeney PwC While the impact of high inflation rates and the cost of living crisis remains a high area of concern for myself and my peers, I still remain optimistic about the future of the Irish economy.  I believe people are keen to get our economy back to where it once was. When our economy reopened after COVID-19, it bounced back with a strong level of activity – something I even noticed in my day-to-day life. The fall in business and consumer confidence has also been recorded and acknowledged, and I believe Ireland has the infrastructure and tools to address this in the medium term. I just hope that Ireland’s strong efforts to recover from the pandemic and improve our housing supply and healthcare do not offset efforts made to reach our ESG goal of achieving a climate-neutral economy.  Brendan Connor PwC Between the climate crisis, an unstable energy market, the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially the terrible war in Ukraine, it is certainly a worrying time for Europe.  Ireland has a particularly strong technology base through its position in three growth sectors: IT, pharma, and medical devices. This strong foundation provides a pipeline of opportunities which should help to moderate Ireland’s vulnerability to Europe-wide business cycle shocks over the next few years.  The big worry for me is the war in Ukraine, its aftermath and the possibility of armed conflict or civil unrest spreading to other Eastern and central European nations.  The rebuilding costs for Ukraine will also be enormous, and it will be up to its European partners, including Ireland, to share that burden.  

Peter Gillen, Sustainability Manager at Grant Thornton, didn’t know five years ago where he would be today, but he is incredibly happy he is here, and thinks his ACA qualification is to thank Five years ago, where did you think you would be now? Have you lived up to your own expectations? Truthfully, I don't think I had an idea where I'd be, but I knew that the ACA qualification can take you almost anywhere.  Case in point: since qualifying, I've lived in Boston, worked with some amazing clients, and now work in sustainability at Grant Thornton, so I'm delighted with how things have panned out so far. What has been the biggest challenge of your career? Probably pivoting into sustainability and advisory (having previously worked in IT audit), but it's also been the most rewarding and has pushed me in ways I didn't foresee and I'm all the better for it. What do you wish you had known earlier in life? Don't underestimate balance in all things, including health, work, and social. And if you take care of your body, it'll take care of you. Where do you see yourself this time next year? Hopefully still doing all the things I'm doing at the moment, except with another year's experience under my belt! Who inspires you, personally and professionally? My parents would be my biggest inspiration, both in terms of work ethic and, most importantly, their treatment of others. How has being a Chartered Accountant changed your life? It has opened doors that I know for a fact wouldn't have opened if not for my Chartered Accountant qualification, whether that be the opportunity to work in sustainability or be engaged with the Chartered Accountants Ireland community through my involvement in the Young Professionals Committee. If you weren’t a Chartered Accountant, what do you think you’d be doing? I'd probably be working in a scientific field as I enjoyed chemistry and physics in school. I like the methodical approach used to solve problems. What advice do you have for those who will soon qualify as Chartered Accountants? Don't underestimate the value of staying involved in the Chartered Accountants Ireland community, whether you attending an event or joining a committee (e.g. Young Professionals). I can guarantee you'll get back 10 times what you put in!