Annual survey from Chartered Accountants Leinster Society shows changing work practices & values focused on health and work-life balance following Covid-19 2 September 2021 - A new survey published today places the average salary package (including base salary, car or car allowance, plus bonus) for a Chartered Accountant in Leinster at €112,033, consistent with recent years. But in contrast to previous surveys, a strong shift in work practices, values and priorities has emerged for many following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.  The survey of more than 1,000 Chartered Accountants, published today by Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society in partnership with Barden, Ireland’s leading accounting and tax recruitment firm, and in association with Coyne Research, provides the most up-to-date guide to Chartered Accountant salaries and employment prospects in the Leinster region. Strong Earning Potential  The survey, carried out between 22 July and 9 August, highlights strong earning potential for those entering the profession, with newly qualified (2020 and 2021) Chartered Accountants receiving an average salary package of €57,164. The majority of members surveyed said they hold full-time permanent roles (96%), up slightly on 2020 (95%). Over 4 in 5 (82%) said their total remuneration has increased within the past three years, with 1 in 3 claiming it has increased by more than 25%. The survey also showed a significant increase in those anticipating a bonus payment in 2021 (67%) versus 2020 (52%), with €20,000 the average bonus expected to be paid this year. At 85%, the majority also have a pension, unchanged from 2020, with employers contributing on average 9% of their salary. New Ways of Working  As with many professions, the pandemic has changed how Chartered Accountants work with regards to place of work, the role of technology, and hours worked. Key findings include:   8 in 10 respondents considered location flexibility (a mix of home and office/client location, work from anywhere) the most valuable aspect of flexible/hybrid working for the future More than 8 in 10 believed personal productivity tools such as MS Teams, Zoom, etc. have positively impacted their career However, almost half (48%) of Chartered Accountants also claim they are working more hours at home than they were when working in the office 60% know what their future working arrangements will entail, while one-third (32%) do not yet know – but among this group, 7 in 10 would like to collaborate with their employer on a plan Just 6% would be happy to return to a full-time, Monday to Friday office routine in the future. Future Outlook  At this stage in the pandemic, respondents are more positive about the future, both in terms of their own personal career progression and the outlook for the profession in general.  Key findings include: More than two-thirds (67%) believe the employment market is buoyant, a significant change from 25% in 2020. Only 9% believe the market is contracting in 2021 compared to 36% in 2020 Over half (51%) said they have been promoted in the last three years, with one-fifth of members moving job in the last 12 months. This remains on par with recent years 90% of Leinster Society members are not concerned about job security, a significant improvement on last year when Ireland was in the early stages of the pandemic. At that time, almost one fifth (18%) of those surveyed expressed concern about their job security  Just 4% said their salary has reduced as a result of the pandemic, versus 13% in 2020  Only 3% were in receipt of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, a fall of 6% on 2020. Jilly Harvey, Chairperson of Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society, said: “While our survey shows that 84% don’t believe the pandemic has changed their work as a Chartered Accountant, it is clear that ways of working have changed, and that the pandemic has been a catalyst for much of this change. Greater work-life balance with flexible arrangements are valued by members in greater numbers than in any previous Leinster Society survey. It is reassuring that employers are providing tangible ways to meet those needs as part of the overall remuneration package on offer to new and established professionals. The survey points to a profession that is adapting well for the post-pandemic world of work, while retaining the many benefits, such as strong starting salaries and flexible entry routes, that make Chartered Accountancy an attractive career path for so many.” Elaine Brady, Managing Partner at Barden, said: “This survey gives employer firms, recruiters and anyone considering a career in Chartered Accountancy the big picture on what it means to work as a Chartered Accountant in Leinster today. The findings look far beyond the traditional remuneration packages to ask about the real life work arrangements and non-financial benefits increasingly valued by employees. Over half of those surveyed are satisfied with their work/life balance and the non-monetary aspects of their job. As Ireland emerges further from the pandemic, all the signs point to continued confidence in both the employment market and equally the career progression outlook for Chartered Accountants across Leinster.”  Where Chartered Accountants Work The survey highlights the wide range of industries and sectors that Chartered Accountants work in. The majority of members surveyed work in Dublin (84%). Of the 19% of members employed in practice, 48% work in a Big 4 practice. 68% of those working in practice are in a Manager or Director role. The majority of those not working in practice currently work in financial services (25%). Members also work in IT and Telecommunications (13%), Government/Public Sector/Education (10%), Construction (8%), Pharmaceutical (8%), and across a broad range of other sectors including manufacturing, not-for-profit / charities, food industry and more. Among those not employed in practice, almost four in ten (39%) work for companies that are a subsidiary of a foreign-owned multinational compared to a private Irish company (29%) or the business unit of an Irish plc (11%). ENDS Note to editors The survey was conducted by Coyne Research on behalf of Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society, in partnership with Barden, between 22 July and 9 August 2021. About Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society is a district society of Chartered Accountants Ireland, representing over 14,950 Chartered Accountants throughout Leinster. Chartered Accountants Ireland is Ireland’s leading professional accountancy body, representing 29,500 influential members around the world and educating 7,000 students. The Institute aims to create opportunities for members and students, and ethical, sustainable prosperity for society. An all-island body, Chartered Accountants Ireland was established by Royal Charter in 1888 and now has members in more than 90 countries.  It is a founding member of Chartered Accountants Worldwide, the international network of over one million chartered accountants. It also plays key roles in the Global Accounting Alliance, Accountancy Europe and the International Federation of Accountants.   Chartered Accountants Ireland members provide leadership in business, the public sector and professional practice, bringing experience, expertise and strict standards to their work for, and with, businesses in every sector. Chartered Accountants Ireland engages with governments, policy makers and regulators on key issues affecting the profession and the wider economy. About Barden Barden is a partner led expert recruitment firm consumed with supporting companies that really know the value of their people. Barden’s expertise covers Accounting, Finance, Tax, Legal and Financial Services recruitment. Our people are trained/qualified in their expert areas, and our approach is consultative not transactional.  Barden has proudly partnered with the Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society, for the last 4 years, to bring you the annual salary survey. Over the next 2 years Barden will also be working closely with Chartered Accountants Student Society of Ireland (CASSI) to make sure their members get access to the right information, at the right time so when they qualify they can make the right decisions about their professional future. For more information: Jill Farrelly PR & Communications Manager Chartered Accountants Ireland

As she leaves office as Chairman of the Leinster Society, we were delighted to catch up with Áine Crotty to ask for some reflections on her year. Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? My name is Áine Crotty, I am an Associate Director in KPMG's Risk Consulting Practice and current Chairman of the Leinster Society of Chartered Accountants Ireland. I was born in New York , but I moved to the real capital, Cork, when I was six. My strong American accent at the time was quickly replaced by my lovely Cork twang, which I hear only increases in intensity when I talk to other Corkonians. Why did you choose Chartered Accountancy, and how did you get here? Chartered Accountancy sort of found me rather than vice versa. I was just back from my Erasmus year in Germany and the “big-4” accountancy firms were starting to do the milk rounds. As most final year students will be familiar with, the pressure was on to try and figure out what I wanted to do after University, where I was studying a Bachelor of Commerce with German in UCC. I went to the careers fairs on campus and learnt fairly quickly about the traditional Chartered Accountancy route through training with a big-4 practice firm. I never studied accounting, avoiding it even at Leaving Cert level (thinking at the time that accountants weren’t “cool”), but I decided to explore the opportunities further by attending the information evenings held by the big 4 accountancy firms.  The opportunities the qualification would open up for me and the experience that could be gained from doing the graduate programme in a firm like KPMG was immediately evident from those information evenings and talking to trainees who were going through the grad programme. So, I interviewed with KPMG in the Hayfield Manor in the first week of November 2012 and here I am nine years later.  I can safely say that my opinion of accountants has completely changed (and I don’t think I’m biased here!) Most of the accountants I have trained and worked with to date are some of the greatest and most fun people I know. What do you value most about your membership of the profession and how do you think those benefits can be used to support the economy and society?  The massive network that I am now a part of and its global reach. My network has grown significantly through my membership of Chartered Accountants Ireland, and it continues to grow today, even at the same pace as pre-Covid-19. The profession and its relevant District Societies have adapted significantly to the circumstances that the global pandemic presented and have allowed us all to continue to grow our networks even in a virtual world. This adaptability to allow people to continue to connect virtually has helped society from a wellbeing perspective – it has allowed its members to stay connected in an isolated world where lockdowns were frequent and I feel this significantly helped our physical and mental health. I feel that businesses in the community have benefited from this also, in particular small businesses with a link to chartered accountants as a number of supports were opened up to them virtually during the pandemic. Here at the Leinster Society we also offered webinars to businesses such as providing guidance on the rescue options available to them during the pandemic. I feel our members, our society and our economy has benefited hugely from the massive network Chartered Accountants has to offer, allowing us all to learn and grow from each other.    If you weren’t an accountant, what do you think you would you be/have been?    I would love to be able to say that I have always had the dream of being something exciting like an astronaut or a Formula 1 driver but I’m afraid that’s not the case (mainly because I am afraid of heights and far too risk averse to be a race driver – perhaps that’s how I ended up in Risk Consulting). However, I have always had a desire to help people so I reckon I would have been a social worker or carer of some sort. One of the biggest advantages to me and the thing that has also brought me the most joy in my role as Chairman of the Leinster Society has been all the people we have been able to help through our wellness programme this year. We have hosted a number of wellbeing webinars covering physical, mental and nutritional health with some fantastic speakers. We reached more members than ever through the use of virtual platforms and we raised vital funds for organisations such as the Irish Cancer Society, Pieta House and the five children’s charities we supported through our Christmas Charity fundraiser. So while I may not be working directly in a care-giving profession, being Chairman of the Leinster Society this year has allowed me some crucially important opportunities to help others for which I am extremely grateful to have had.   You have just completed your year as chair of the Leinster Society. I know it was totally unforeseen how this year would be, but can you tell us some of the highlights of the year for the society and the benefits for you personally. To say that this year has been the complete opposite to the year I had envisaged when I took the Vice Chairman's Chain from Brian Murphy at the AGM back in June 2019 is an understatement. I refer to it as wiping the slate clean, all pre-booked venues were cancelled, all meetings were booked into Microsoft Teams, and I was facing a year of the complete unknown. However there has been a significant number of highlights and benefits to both the Society and me personally. I made history in being the first ever Chairman of the society to be virtually elected, and hosting the society’s first ever virtual AGM in its 92 years of existence (and successfully so). I met some incredible speakers, learning so much from them about personal, physical and nutritional wellbeing. A lot of these speakers may previously have been out of reach for us but in moving to a virtual world the doors were opened to a whole new range of speakers. We have had the opportunity to collaborate with the other district societies on some fantastic events such as our International Women’s Day Conference where we covered three hugely important topics. Pre-Covid, we were prevented from doing joint events by geographical restrictions. Moving to a virtual world has broken down those barriers and meant we could collaborate with our counterparts anywhere in the country or even those on the other side of the world. But the ultimate highlight for me of course has to be my public proposal from Dustin the Turkey on our Children’s Charities fundraiser. Is there anything you would have done differently during your term as Chair?  I can honestly say there isn’t a thing I would have done differently. It was a completely unprecedented year, and at times it was extremely tough, but I would do it exactly the same all over again if I had to. Covid has taken away a lot of loved ones from us and a lot of people have suffered but we can’t turn a blind eye to all the opportunities and life learnings that it has presented us with. I have built and drawn on levels of resilience I did not know I had and I have learnt to truly appreciate the important things in life. I have hosted virtual events with amazing people who I would not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. I have helped a huge number of people who I would not have been able to reach without the full support of the society, my fellow committee members and the support staff in the Institute. So to conclude I would like to thank all those who supported me in my role as Chairman of the Leinster Society this year (unfortunately we only have six minutes so I won’t list them all). And finally, I hope that having read this article you will stop for a moment to appreciate all the opportunities that this new way of connecting has presented to you and reflect on the positives arising from the last 13 months, while looking forward to a bright future.   Don't forget to check out your own district society.

'A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. So let's all choose to challenge.' International Women's Day has been running since 1911 and is a day where we celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about women's equality and lobby for accelerated gender parity. This year join all of the District Societies and the Diversity & Inclusion Committee on Friday 5 March for our first ever joint virtual International Women's Day Conference, hosted by Institute Vice President Sinéad Donovan.  Choose your agenda for the day, as we offer you three separate sessions to join, each with a range of high profile speakers and relevant themes; Sport, Education and Diversity & Inclusion. Session 1: 9.30-10.30am - book here Session 2: 11am - 12pm - book here Session 3: 12.30 - 1.30pm - book here More info to come on this exciting event very soon. Stay tuned!   INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY SPEAKERS SPORT SESSION Nicola McCarthy is a sports broadcaster and presenter, with over 10 years experience working in sport - across TV, radio and online platforms. She currently works for BBC 5 Live, BBC Sport and Manchester City TV among others, as well as hosting various events and running her own business – Rondo, which works with elite athletes on social media, content creation, personal branding, commercial partnerships etc. as well as curating niche sporting events. She spent five years working at Manchester City TV, reporting and commentating on the first team domestically, in Europe and beyond - including coverage of three Premier League and three League Cup title wins. She has also reported and commentated extensively on Manchester City women in the Women’s Super League and in Europe. She has also reported on other key events across various sports, including Rory McIlroy’s 2011 US Open win and Ireland’s 2009 Six Nations win. Niamh Briggs is an Irish rugby player born in 1984 who plays as fullback for the Ireland women's national rugby union team. She made her debut for Ireland in 2008 against Italy. She played at the 2010- and 2014-Women’s Rugby World Cup. She made her international rugby sevens debut at the 2016 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Grand Prix in Kazan, Russia. Briggs attended Waterford Institute of Technology and worked for the Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. She played for Dungarvan R.F.C., Clonmel R.F.C., UL Bohemians R.F.C. and the Ireland women's national rugby union team.  Briggs was credited with the winning points that brought a Grand Slam win for Ireland on St Patrick's Day in Milan in March 2013 and she captained Ireland for the 2017 Women’s Rugby World cup   Sonia O'Sullivan is one of the country's most successful athletes and undoubtedly one of the greatest Irish sports people ever. Born in Cobh in County Cork, Sonia spent many years running around the hills of Cobh before embarking on an Athletics Scholarship to Villanova University. Sonia followed a trail of Irish athletes to Villanova where she graduated in 1992 with a degree in Accountancy ahead of her first Olympic Games in Barcelona.She has been a regular contributor to RTÉ Sport analysing European and World Championship Athletic Events, has authored two books to date and writes a regular column in the Irish Times.Some of Sonia's proudest achievements include: Four time Irish Olympian, current World record holder over 2000m, three times World Champion, World Cross Country long & short course, three times European Champion, Twelve times All-Ireland Champion, and currently holds ten Irish records in every distance from 1000m to half marathon, as well as Dublin City Marathon Winner 2000. Sonia lives in Melbourne, Australia with her daughters Ciara and Sophie. Ireland will always be home to Sonia and she has spent a lot of time commuting from Australia.   EDUCATION With over twenty years’ experience in education management, Dr Orla Flynn commenced her role as President of Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in March 2020, having been Vice President for External Affairs at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) for the previous six years. Prior to that she led the CIT Crawford College of Art and Design for 8 years following periods as Head of School of Humanities and Head of Department of Media Communications at CIT. She was a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Computing for 13 years before that at CIT. Dr Flynn holds undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Mathematical Physics and Computer Science from University College Cork, an MA in Management in Education from WIT, and a PhD from the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick. Dr. Caroline McGroary is a Chartered Accountant and Lecturer who is passionate about the role of education in transforming lives and society. Originally from Donegal in the North West of Ireland, Caroline trained as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte. Soon after qualifying, she joined Dublin City University (DCU) as a Lecturer in Accounting in its Dublin campus. In 2013, DCU entered a partnership with Princess Norah University (PNU), the largest women’s only university in the world. Driven by her passion for creating impact through education, Caroline moved to Saudi Arabia to be part of this ground-breaking partnership in the education of Saudi women. Over the last eight years, Caroline’s holistic approach to education has allowed her to successfully align her work in the classroom with burgeoning global social issues such as gender equality and sustainability. Her work has been recognised at international conferences and has been nominated for several awards for innovation, excellence in teaching and impact. Caroline recently received the Chartered Star Award from Chartered Accountants Ireland and will represent the profession at the One Young World summit in 2021. Here she looks forward to collaborating with other young leaders to create social impact.  DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Sara R Phillips is a Trans activist working in Ireland. She has been involved with trans activism for over 28 years. She is currently in her third 3-year term as Chair of the Board of Directors of Irelands national trans organisation, Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI). She is the founder, researcher and archivist of the Irish Trans Archive. Sara was one of the lead negotiators to the Gender Recognition Act 2015 and served on the Governmental review of the act in 2018.   Sara was honoured as Dublin LGBTQ Pride Grand Marshall in 2018. Sara is also a board member of the International Trans Fund in New York, a board member of Transgender Europe and recently was elected to the board of the National Women's Council of Ireland. Sara is currently the National Manager in Ireland for multinational construction materials manufacturer CPG-Europe.  Louise O’Donnell is the Head of International Operations, Strategy, and Legal & Compliance at Oman Insurance Company. She is based in Dubai, UAE and is responsible for the management of OIC operations in Turkey and Oman.  Louise also manages the key strategic partnerships which are long term relationships which have developed with well known international insurance companies.  In addition she oversees the Legal & Compliance teams.  She is part of OIC Executive Management Team and also a Board Member of two seperate entities which are owned by Oman Insurance Company.   Louise was awarded Women Leader of the Year in 2019 by the Middle East Insurance Industry Awards which was the inaugural year to celebrate the contributions that women bring to the insurance industry.     Baz  Ashmawy is  an Emmy  and  IFTA  Award  Winning TV  and Radio  Broadcaster  who  has  been  a  truly  exciting  Talent  on  our airwaves  for  over  ten  years. Most  recently,  Baz  presented ‘DIY SOS’ on RTÉ One. During this show, Baz and his team set out to renovate the  homes  of  deserving  families,  changing  their  lives forever. In  December  2020,  Baz  presented  the  documentary ‘Fungie’s  Kingdom’on RTÉ  One where  Baz headed  to  Dingle  to investigate further into where Fungie spent many years. His show ‘Wingman’ aired to phenomenal praise on RTÉ One. The show saw Baz  guide many  different  characters from  all  walks  of  life  on a journey towards making their dreams a reality. The show has been commissioned for a second series.