Technology Conference 2025 (ROI/NI) On Demand

Booking Information:

Once you have booked your course, the link to the recording will be available in your "My Account" area.Access to the course is granted for 180 days from the date of purchase.

Online courses cannot be booked on behalf of someone else. Access is only granted to the individual completing the order.

Who should attend

This conference was recorded on 17 January 2025 and is suitable for qualified accountants, and other business professionals, who work in either business or practice.

Course overview

• Keynote 'Unlocking the value of AI  in Finance' (Áine Nolan, CFO, Microsoft Ireland)

Discover How AI is Revolutionising Finance and Driving Unprecedented Value. See how Microsoft has transformed Finance with AI: Explore Emerging Trends and Microsoft's Groundbreaking Innovations such as Copilot.

• Case Studies - Hear from Kerry Group and Future Workforce who have implemented digital change, with lessons learned from their projects.   ( Ashling Sheridan, Kerry Group) (Daniel Young - Future Workforce & Bryan Rankin - Chartered Accountants Ireland)
• Addressing Challenges in Financial Solution Implementations:Strategies for success Join us for an insightful session where we delve into the commonly faced challenges experienced during implementation of financial solutions, and how these challenges can be mitigated to achieve success. Moreover, discover how cutting-edge AI and automation technologies are empowering Finance teams to achieve more with fewer resources. (David Wyke, Codec) 
• AI within the Financial Reporting process The session will provide an overview of the recent KPMG Global survey on the use of AI within the Financial Reporting process. We will discuss who the Leaders are in the AI space, from both a Global and industry perspective and where Ireland and the EU sit within that context.  We will provide insight as to where AI leaders are focusing their efforts and how they are overcoming the barriers and risks to AI adoption and usage (Keith Stafford, KPMG)
• Succeed in Transition: The Evolving role of the accountant - Join Catherine Drysdale as she explores how advancements in technology (from Gen AI to automation), changes in the regulatory environment and expectations of our future workforce are reshaping the role of Chartered Accountants. Discover emerging opportunities, in-demand skills, and how to thrive in this ever-evolving profession. (Catherine Drysdale, Barden)
• AI and Cyber Threats ( Etay Maor, Cato networks)

Key learning outcomes

Be better equipped to understand the latest technological and online developments and how they could impact their organisation and ways of work.

Speaker Bio's

Áine Nolan - Áine is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Microsoft Ireland Commercial business. She works closely with Sales Leaders to surpass business goals, identify opportunities and risks, and develop strategic growth plans. As a Chartered Accountant trained at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Áine has previously held senior finance roles at ESB and Irish Distillers Pernod-Ricard. She has led numerous finance transformation projects, integrating systems and enhancing operational efficiency. Áine holds a BBS in Business and French from the University of Limerick.

Ashling Sheridan - Ashling leads the Data Science & Engineering Center of Expertise at Kerry Group. Her ambition is to drive a change in how data is regarded: as a valuable asset and competitive differentiator instead of a by-product of administrative processes. As a leader, she manages a global team focusing on innovative data-driven solutions and successful project execution, leveraging advanced analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence techniques. The work her team does is a key enabler of Kerry’s Digital Transformation. Ashling joined Kerry in 2013 and has vast experience delivering technology solutions across multiple applications and industries. She holds a Research Master of Science along with a BAI (Hons) in Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering from Trinity College Dublin.

Daniel Young - Daniel Young is FWF’s Consulting Director. With over 20 years of experience in driving business transformation through technology and organisational change. Previously at Accenture, PwC, Wipro and Kainos. Focused on helping  business leaders increase efficiency, reduce risk, and improve customer experience through adopting  low code apps, automation and AI. 

Bryan Rankin - Bryan Rankin  Bryan joined Chartered Accountants Ireland in December 2007. He is a member of the Education team and is the Head of Student Operations.

David Wyke  - David is the Head of Financial Solutions within Codec, encompassing ERP and xFP&A tools. An experienced Microsoft D365 Business Central Solution Architect, driving digital transformation and business change across the Public Sector. Specialising in large and complex projects across both public and private sector. Prior to working in Consultancy, held several Finance positions providing first exposure to Microsoft ERP offerings and has been evangelical thereafter.

Keith Stafford - Keith is an Audit Partner in KPMG. He specialises in IT Audit having spent his career in both the consulting and audit practices. He works across several industries in evaluating clients’ IT Control environments and implementing Data & Analytics procedures to support the financial audit process.

Catherine Drysdale - Catherine is a Consultant within the Technology practice in Barden; with a particular focus on supporting clients and talent across the Projects, Transformation & Change domain. A Fellow Chartered Accountant with close to 20 years’ experience in senior finance positions across multiple industries including financial services, pharmaceutical distribution & technology. Prior to joining Barden in Sep ’23 Catherine held the position as Head of Finance and Transformation in ESW, an Irish grown technology business headquartered in Dublin. During her time in ESW she led the finance function in all aspects of finance operations & played a key role in the implementation of finance optimisation initiatives including robotic process automation (RPA) & data science & analytical tools to ensure the finance function could support the continued growth trajectory for the business.

Etay Maor - Etay Maor is the Chief Security Strategist at Cato Networks, a founding member of Cato CTRL, and an industry-recognized cybersecurity researcher. Prior to joining Cato in 2021, Etay was the Chief Security Officer for IntSights, where he led strategic cybersecurity research and security services. Etay has also held senior security positions at IBM, where he created and led breach response training and security research, and RSA Security’s Cyber Threats Research Labs, where he managed malware research and intelligence teams. Etay is an adjunct professor at Boston College and is part of the Call for Paper (CFP) committees for the RSA Conference and QuBits Conference. He holds a BA in Computer Science and an MA in Counter-Terrorism and Cyber-Terrorism.

Note for Legacy CPA Members

Members who joined Chartered Accountants Ireland following the amalgamation on 1 September, please contuine to book on the CPA Portal here to ensure you receive your member discount.

Contact us

If you have any questions regarding this or any other CPD course or requirements, please feel free to contact the team here or call us at (+353) 01 523 3930