Members

There may not be many miles between Cork and Leeds, but there was certainly a big jump from the family dairy farm to FinOps for Donal Bourke. We caught up with Donal recently to hear more about his career journey.     1. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?  I grew up on a dairy farm in Co. Cork about 30 minutes from Cork City. The majority of my family and extended family worked (and still work) in agriculture, but I have bad hayfever, and a sense of adventure took me to UCC to study commerce. 2. What made you choose to become a Chartered Accountant?  When I finished commerce, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. The majority of my class were doing interviews with the big-4 accounting firms, and it seemed like the path of least resistance. So, I went along and managed to secure a job with KPMG in the transaction services department. You could imagine my surprise to learn that there was a qualification and exam expectations involved in the path I had chosen! However the firm provided great support and time off to ensure I completed my exams and became an ACA. 3. Can you tell us a little about how you got to where you are today – both the geographical relocation and career path. And, what advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Once I completed my qualification I went to Sydney, Australia (as the majority of my intake did at the time which was 2011). From there I’ve moved to Leeds, back to Cork and finally to Leeds again using my qualification to work in a wide array of industries. I've gone from spuds to drugs, when I moved from being Financial Controller for a potato plantation in South Australia to being a Revenue Reporting Analyst responsible for generating rebate invoices from harnessing millions of lines of generic drug sales data. I now find myself back in Leeds (my wife is from here, so "happy wife = happy life!"), where I have undergone another career pivot working in the field of FinOps for NetApp. This involves analysing customers' public cloud environment (outsourced opex IT spend). The third party providers have different commitment options available for purchasing their services and I am responsible to use the best instruments to deliver the highest savings. The advice I would give my 20-year-old self would be to never stop learning and looking for opportunities to evolve in your career. It was only after being made redundant from a previous role in 2019 that I took ownership of my career and what I wanted to do and I wish I’d done it sooner. 4. 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? I value the transferability of the membership most. Whenever I have travelled, it automatically sets the bar for the type of roles I will be approached for. An ACA or FCA qualification means recruiters and employers know who they are getting. I think society can benefit from members having a more rounded experience and world view – personally and professionally. It is the unique experiences and mental connections we make which allow us to tackle problems in our own ways. With the pressing challenges of climate change and the uncertain nature of AI (artificial intelligence), our own rounded perspective is more important than ever. 5. As a member living away from Ireland, can you talk to us about how your membership has been of value to you within the UK, and what do you value about it now that you’re living there (and what would you like to see more of)?  I would love to see a more active district society and chartered community with networking opportunities outside of London. 6. What were the most significant/noticeable differences you encountered doing business and networking away from home and back in Ireland? Doing business, I’ve found no real differences between Ireland and the UK. My previous roles in Ireland were fully remote and I continue to work from home. One of the few good things to come out of Covid in my opinion.  In terms of networking, the biggest difference I’ve found is that I now have four small children, so the opportunities to network are limited but I look forward to building on that aspect once the kids become less of a handful. Pictured with Donal are his daughters, (L-R) Ornaith and Evelyn. Donal Bourke is a Cloud Optimisation Consultant with NetApp.

Seeking a new adventure, Ailish Byrne's ACA qualification brought her to Bermuda.  Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I grew up in Kilcoole in Co. Wicklow (of Glenroe fame!) and moved to Bermuda in April 2022 to work as Chief Compliance Officer with the Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX). I spent all my career in Dublin except for a year in Australia post qualification. What made you choose to become a Chartered Accountant? I was always interested in business subjects in school, particularly accountancy. I liked languages too and thought I’d like to combine the two and initially chose to do Languages and Marketing (German and Spanish) in Dublin City University (DCU). However, I realised fairly quickly that the course was too language focused for me. After completing first year, I switched into DCU’s Accounting and Finance where I was much happier. After that, becoming a Chartered Accountant was highly likely as a career path once you secured a training contract. Can you tell us a little about how you got to where you are today – both the geographical relocation and career path? I was looking for a new role post Covid and I wasn’t attracted to the job opportunities in Ireland. I decided an adventure abroad might be fun. Turns out the BSX was looking to replace their Chief Compliance Officer who was retiring. I had worked in the Irish Stock Exchange (ISE) for 18 years in two different roles – as Head of Regulation and Head of Communications and my exchange experience was a perfect fit for what they needed. It was great timing! 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? Being an Irish Chartered Accountant has given me career opportunities and experiences that I would not have had without my qualification. Accountancy training gives you a mindset and a way of thinking that can be applied to lots of different roles and challenges. I’ve taken a non-financial accounting path and worked in internal audit, communications, compliance and regulatory roles - who knows what’s next! How has your membership been of value to you globally and what do you value about it now that you’re living overseas (and what would you like to see more of)? The Irish Chartered Accountancy profession is a ready-made network of people.  When I contacted Gillian Duffy, the Global Member Manager, about a potential Bermuda Chapter she said there was about 90 members living in Bermuda. We had our first event in May and for our July event, Chartered Accountants Ireland President, Sinead Donovan, was visiting so the timing was brilliant. I think the Chapters are a great way to keep ties with home and meet other members of all ages when you are working overseas. What were the most significant differences you encountered doing business and networking in a completely new location a long way from home? Bermuda has a culture all its own – it has a blend of British, Caribbean, Portuguese and American influences. It’s true that Bermuda shorts are considered business attire during the summer months! Business is more relaxed though it can be more formal and bureaucratic too. With a population of less than 60,000, I find everyone really does know everyone and people are friendly so it makes networking fairly easy as long as you are happy to get involved and join in.  

The Young Professionals Committee elected Brendan Brophy as the chairperson at the AGM on Thursday 6 July. Brendan was elected alongside Niamh McCarthy as Vice chair for the 2023 / 2024 term. We sat down with Brendan to learn more about him and his plans for the 2023 / 2024 term. While I am often referred to as the ‘Australian’ among my Irish friends, I personally identify as blend of Australian and Irish, and I am a proud dual citizen. My parents emigrated to Australia from Belfast during the height of the Troubles, meaning I have Irish and Australian citizenship, and I was raised with a deep appreciation and love for both cultures. I qualified as an Australian Chartered Accountant in 2016 through Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CAANZ). After gaining valuable experience as an accountant and tax professional in Australia, I decided to embark on a new journey and relocate to Dublin in mid-2017. I was able to obtain membership with Chartered Accountants Ireland through the reciprocal agreement between the two bodies. I had four years of valuable tax experience in Australia, but when I landed in Ireland, I quickly realised that Australian tax regulations and expertise was not as highly sought after in the local market. I subsequently transitioned into diverse financial management and reporting roles and currently work as a Cost Accountant at Square. Not long after my move to Dublin, I recall receiving an email from Chartered Accountants Ireland promoting an event organised by the Young Professionals Committee. Intrigued by the prospect of networking and connecting with fellow young professionals, I rallied a few of my co-workers to attend the event and the rest is history! Little did I know at the time that this would mark the beginning of my involvement with the committee. I am honoured to be elected as Chairperson of the Committee and look forward to a great year ahead. This year my primary goal is to prioritise the establishment and nurturing of meaningful connections. While attending exceptional events with notable speakers and engaging entertainment can be valuable, I believe the true significance lies in sharing those experiences with others. As young professionals, we play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between senior management and junior staff, fostering connections and collaboration within the organisation. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain a strong connection with the Institute and the great resources such as CA Support and Thrive that our available to all members. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Peter Gillen on a fantastic year as chairperson of the Young Professionals Committee. Special thanks to my fellow committee members, as well as Institute staff Karin Lanigan and Linda McGee who work tirelessly behind the scenes to support all our initiatives.  I look forward to the year ahead and hope that many young professionals will join us virtually and in person at our upcoming events. Keep an eye on our LinkedIn and Instagram accounts to hear the latest developments. Brendan Brophy  Brendan Brophy on LinkedIn Visit the Young Professionals homepage  

Jeff Landers recently relocated to Dubai, with a career journey that has used his qualification in ways he didn't consider. 1. Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I was born in Dublin, and lived in Leopardstown on the south side of the city for my whole life. I did a brief spell in Vancouver, Canada, then went back to Dublin before making the decision to move to Dubai in January 2023 with my partner. 2. What made you choose to become a Chartered Accountant? To be honest, I fell into it based on college and my friend group. I was always good with numbers and business in school, so I ended up doing a degree in Mathematics and Economics in UCD.  After that, I felt the natural next step was to get a professional qualification. Most of my college and school friends went into accounting or law, so at that stage I felt accounting would be a good career where I could put my numeric skills to use.  Chartered Accountants Ireland has always been considered the strongest accounting qualification globally, so when I was offered the chance to join a training firm, (EisnerAmper Ireland), and complete the exams, there was no doubt in my mind that it was the right decision. The chance to get straight into work and start earning instead of pursuing a Masters degree really appealed to me, so when I got offered a firm close to home I jumped at the opportunity. 3. Can you tell us a little about how you got to where you are today – both the geographical location and your career path? At the outset, I wasn't totally sure of the area I wanted to be in. Once I finished my training contract, I realised that working in audit wasn’t for me. I moved on to a great company called JW Accountants to try a different branch. Over the following two years, I got experience specialising in corporate finance, examinership and insolvency. I loved the company and the people but still wasn't sure if I was on the right road. After lots of thinking, I made the decision to move on again. It had been a great few years all round, but it felt right. Dubai had always appealed to me and I was fairly certain I'd like to try it, but Covid forced me to postpone. Not wanting to be idle and just wait, and wanting to keep an income, I decided to start my own business selling cookies online...the natural step for a qualified Chartered Accountant! In ways, Covid steered the direction of the business. I went from selling directly to customers to scaling up to sell to coffee shops around Dublin. The end of the pandemic meant I was back at a crossroads though; I realised that I could scale up to yet another level, investing in a more formal premises and staff, or go back to my previous plan to go to Dubai. It was an incredibly hard decision, but six months in and I can say I don't regret it one bit (and I have stopped eating cookies everyday!) I feel that my Chartered Accountant qualification and training helped with my business skills and decision making so it did enhance that part of my career. On arrival in Dubai, I was still not convinced that straight-up accountancy was the right role for me. I got the opportunity to work in Alchemy Search as a finance recruiter and couldn't say "no". Like running the cookies business, it allowed me to continue to use my accounting experience in a different field. My experience working in various accounting roles and specialisms helps me understand the needs of the candidate as well as the client. It was a huge step for me, and it was a challenging transition, but having settled in and had excellent support from everyone in the team I know I’ve made the right decision. In summary, I took the classic route – audit, insolvency, self-employed baker, recruiter!  4. 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 profession has given me such a great basis for everything I have done in my career. It gave me the skills and confidence to start my own business – knowing how to register the business with the CRO, file tax returns, maintain my accounts. It helped me get a job in finance recruiting when I relocated to Dubai. What you learn while completing the qualification is transferrable to many parts of life, not just your career. In terms of the economy and society, accountants have a responsibility to support businesses to make better decisions and ultimately help them succeed. It is a privilege to be part of the membership and we need to respect that and give back to society whenever we can. 5. As a member living overseas, can you talk to us about how your membership has been of value to you globally, and what do you value about it now that you're living overseas? I have met some incredible people in Dubai who are also members, and it has a real sense of community, especially abroad. Everyone I have met goes out of their way to make a connection, something I am actively trying to do when I hear of new members moving to Dubai. Whether you stay working directly as an accountant or branch off into a new career like me, the community of Chartered Accountants at home and abroad are always there to help when needed. I have already attended a member event in Dubai, something I recommend for all members living here as it is a great way to network with similar people. I originally came out here with the view of staying for two years (like most…) but having settled now and experienced life out here I think it will be very hard to leave anytime soon. 6. And finally, if you weren't an accountant, what do you think you would be/would have been? I have always loved all types of sport. The dream was always to be a professional in some capacity, however my football skills never matched my desire! I would say now if I had to take a different route, I would have enjoyed sports journalism or media. Considering I have left practicing accounting directly, I think I have definitely ended up in the right profession after taking the scenic route! Jeff Landers is a Consultant with Alchemy Search. Alchemy Search is a dedicated, regional specialist in financial recruitment, focused on accounting, tax, corporate finance and treasury appointments.