Members

The recent launch of our New York chapter, held on Monday 10 March at the Consulate General of Ireland in New York, was met with much enthusiasm from members. This event marks an exciting milestone, and the Institute is confident that it will open up new opportunities for the growing network of Irish Chartered Accountants in the New York area. Conall McGonagle FCA will lead this newly established chapter, working closely with Gillian Duffy, District and Global Member Manager. Following this, President Barry Doyle, Deputy President Pamela McCreedy, and District and Global Member Manager Gillian Duffy continued their US outreach engaging with members across the region. There are over 800 Chartered members living and working in the US, many of whom are based in New York and Washington, DC. The team had the opportunity to engage with members and stakeholders at events including the IBEC St. Patricks Day Dinner; the NI Bureau Breakfast; the St. Patrick’s Luncheon at the British Embassy; the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland's Business Breakfast, and the Ireland Funds Gala, attended by senior leaders from both Ireland and Northern Ireland. This outreach is vital to supporting our members overseas and in strengthening our enduring business ties with the USA, ensuring the continued stability and growth of our international relationships. Members who would like to know more about the New York Chapter – or any other overseas member chapter – can contact Gillian Duffy directly.

On Monday evening 10 March, Institute President and Deputy President Barry Doyle and Pamela McCreedy started a series of US engagements on behalf of Chartered Accountants Ireland.  Approximately 150 Chartered members based in New York and the surrounding region assembled in the Consulate General of Ireland, New York, to attend the Institute’s panel discussion and member networking event on the current economic climate for FDI from the US into Ireland. The Institute’s newest overseas members chapter, for members in New York, was also launched by the President, accompanied by Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. The weeks leading up to the event were characterised by geopolitical uncertainty, and given this context, the Institute was privileged to have such a well-placed panel of speakers at the event. Feargal O’Rourke FCA – Chair of IDA Ireland; Liz Munnelly FCA – CFO of Kerry North America; and John Feeney, Head of Corporate and Commercial Banking joined MC Caitríona Perry, chief presenter for BBC News in Washington, for an engaging and informative conversation at a time of increased focus on the long-established bilateral trade relationship between Ireland and the Unted States.   The event was opened by Gareth Hargadon, Deputy Consul General of Ireland in New York, and we want to thank Gareth and the team for their warm welcome again this year. Minister Carroll MacNeill spoke of the Institute’s status as an all-island body allowing Chartered Accountants Ireland members to access key business and economic positions as “trusted, ethical leaders” who occupy an important position in the island’s US-EU and US-UK relationships – allowing potential to influence and shape policy which cannot be underestimated. She noted the breadth of Irish businesses paving the way in the US across a variety of sectors, from Therapie Beauty Clinic to Kerry Group. President Barry Doyle spoke to members about the importance of Irish Chartered Accountants’ role in American organisations, steering businesses and strengthening relationships across the Atlantic. Barry’s key message was the vast potential offered by the global nature of the accounting qualification. New York resident and Chartered Accountants Ireland Council member Conall McGonagle – CFO and CAO of The Ireland Funds referenced the fact that New York is home to a complete cross section of members, and he and Barry Doyle launched the New York member chapter, providing members in the region key touchstones with the Institute and each other. The chapter – like the other 14 overseas member chapters around the world – will offer a central point of contact for members arriving in the city as well as those who already call it home. The panelists set the scene of the reality on the ground for businesses operating between the Irish and American markets, at a time of increased turbulence and uncertainty. The message was however positive, with Feargal O’Rourke noting Ireland’s all-time-high employment rate, something that is very appealing to US FDI investors. Echoing his sentiments at last November’s launch of a Chartered Accountants Ireland Guide to FDI in Ireland paper, he noted that Ireland maintains its position as a good place to invest for a wide variety of economic and social reasons. Continuing in this positive vein, Elizabeth Munnelly encouraged all businesses – regardless of their size – to explore the Irish market, citing Kerry as an example of a company that started out small and now employs 6,000 staff. John Feeney focused on domestic investment, reassuring potential investors to Ireland that there is funding available for infrastructure projects, emphasizing that Ireland must continue to create the right environment to attract investment. Members in the room were highly engaged and there were plenty of questions from the floor on everything from FDI to defense spending to tariffs.  During the week, the President and Deputy President also met with Mark Koziel – President and CEO of AICPA (Association of International Certified Professional Accountants) to congratulate him on his new role. The President also met with AICPA’s Susan Coffey as well as Lee White, CEO of IFAC, to ensure we strengthen the Mutual Recognition Agreement. During the meeting, they discussed IFAC’s key priorities, and ways in which IFAC plans to collaborate with other accountancy bodies to support the growth of the profession. Barry and Pamela, along with Global Member Manager Gillian Duffy, continue their outreach in Washington DC forging and strengthening relationships with stakeholders and members there. With over 750 members in the USA, the United States continues to be a draw to Irish Chartered Accountants at all stages of their career. The role members play in supporting both US and Irish businesses is critical to their success with senior business leaders such as Donald Gaynor, Elizabeth Munnelly and Alan Ennis making an impact on the US and Irish economies. Initiatives like the Morrison Visa – now in its 30th year – are just one avenue to help Irish people to access America and continue this tradition of success. Likewise, the ACA qualification is dubbed a “global passport” for good reason. Ireland remains uniquely placed to support growth, and with Irish Chartered Accountants held in such high esteem within business communities, they can provide trusted leadership in changing times. Members who wish to become involved with the New York member chapter – or any other member chapter – should contact Gillian Duffy. Photos from the event can be viewed here.

Chartered Accountants Ireland has identified a common thread of discussion at our recent events and among our members more broadly, that of “burnout in the profession”.  Reflecting on the 2025 International Women’s Day theme #AccelerateAction and motivated by the desire to better understand and address this issue, the Institute team consulted with well-being leaders and members at Chartered Accountants Ireland, who are deeply invested in the topic - Dee France, Thrive Wellbeing Manager, Dr. Caroline McGroary FCA, Lecturer in Accounting at Dublin City University and Institute Past President and former Chair and Partner with Grant Thornton Ireland, Sinead Donovan FCA.  What is burnout? What we learned is that there are common misunderstandings about the true meaning of burnout. While many consider burnout to be a state of physical exhaustion, it is in fact a multidimensional concept with three main components: exhaustion, cynicism and low professional efficacy, a definition now accepted by the World Health Organisation. It is also part of a complex psychological process, which is impacted by a range of factors, leading to a host of negative outcomes, including serious mental health and physical health issues, decreased job satisfaction and increased turnover intentions, among many more.   Challenging assumptions and seeking solutions We also learned that while much research labels burnout as a “female experience”, these findings must be challenged. The reality is that burnout can be experienced by any gender, at any stage of career, in any profession. Generalisations such as this claiming that we, as women, are more prone to burnout than other genders, may imply that we are less resilient and more prone to stress, resulting in a range of negative career outcomes.  Burnout has also emerged as something of great concern to Gen Z (those born in the mid-90s) and Millennials (those born in the early-1980s). In the Deloitte 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, respondents outlined that work-life balance remained a top priority. That said, many feel they don’t achieve this balance due to long working hours, which is resulting in significant stress. In addition, the 2024 ICBE (Irish Centre for Business Excellence) Business Excellence Skillnet and UL Study found that future business leaders were reluctant to “step up” to leadership roles due to concerns over work-life balance.  In response to these studies, Immediate Past President of Chartered Accountants Ireland, Sinead Donovan, highlighted that burnout should not be an accepted culture in any profession. She further reiterated that as leaders in the accountancy profession, we have a duty to our current members, and the next generation, to show what a purposeful career looks like and how we can exist, and indeed thrive, in these roles without experiencing burnout. It should not be accepted as a side-effect of a successful career. To this end, there was collective agreement that while there is a lot of valuable work being done by wellbeing teams across professions to support members, given the prevalence of, and increased attention on, burnout in recent times, we need to learn more about it and the extent to which it affects members in our profession. We also need to learn how to prevent it from occurring in the first place so that it becomes more of a rarity, not just another stepping stone to be endured.  #AccelerateAction – Stronger together Therefore, as we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, we encourage our many stakeholders in the accountancy profession, as well as colleagues in other professions, to #AccelerateAction against burnout and to support each other while doing so.