Council

Joined Council 2015

Investment Director, MASV

Barry is President of the Institute for 2024-25. Barry is Investment Director at MASV where he manages a family office and works with early stage and scaling technology and internationally focused businesses. He formerly held C-level roles in some of the fastest growing businesses in Ireland, including as CFO of the SaaS company xSellco, and the social media news and content agency, Storyful.

Barry currently chairs the Institute’s Digital Steering Group and chaired the Members Board until 2022. He has chaired many Institute committees including the Members in Business committee and the Strategic Communications committee.

A graduate of Accounting and Finance from DCU, Barry trained as a Chartered Accountant with EY in Dublin before relocating to Australia where he was the regional Finance Manager for Fox International Channels in Australia and New Zealand.

Barry Doyle – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2018

Chief Operating Officer, Police Service of Northern Ireland

Pamela is the Deputy President of the Institute for 2024-25, having been elected to Council in 2018. Pamela serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Police Service of Northern Ireland since March 2021 having previously held roles as Chief Operating Officer of the NI Audit Office and Deputy Chief Executive of the Northern Health & Social Care Trust.

Pamela chaired the Institute’s Advocacy & Representation Board from 2019-2023 and previously chaired the Strategic Communications Committee and the selection of the 2019 Chartered Star.

Pamela trained as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, following which she held several roles of Chartered Accountants Ulster Society. She chaired the Ulster Society in 2017/18.

Pamela McCreedy – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2018

Finance Officer, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport

Joan is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and Vice President for 2024-25. She trained with a mid-tier Dublin practice and then gained extensive finance function experience in a large multinational FMCG company.  She is now head of finance in the Department of Transport, having gained public sector experience across a number of government departments along the way.

Joan was first elected to Council in 2018.  She won a competitive appointment to the 20-member Board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) in November 2019. IFAC has a membership of 180 accountancy institutes in more than 135 jurisdictions and represents more than 3 million professional accountants worldwide. Joan is also a senior member of the IFAC Planning and Finance Committee.  She prioritises public financial management and the development of Environmental, Social and Governance reporting and assurance in her work with IFAC.

Joan is a founding member of the Public Sector Committee of Chartered Accountants Ireland and chaired the committee from 2018 to 2023. Her focus has been to work with the Institute to identify issues of concern to public sector members. Joan collaborates on Institute and IFAC events to meet these needs and opportunities for Chartered Accountants.

Joan will continue to focus on promoting the work and contribution of Irish Chartered Accountants in the public sector and internationally, and expanding the All Island contribution of the profession to Public Financial Management.

Joan Curry – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2019

Wendy is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, having trained with Price Waterhouse in Belfast. She has extensive Board level experience across a range of strategic financial management, risk, governance, and corporate wide challenges. Currently acting as strategic Board advisor/independent non-executive director to a small number of public, private and voluntary sector bodies.  

She chairs the Audit and Risk Committee of Ulster Rugby and has joined the Audit and Risk Committee of Bus Eireann as an independent member.

As a senior finance leader, Wendy was appointed as the first Executive Director of Finance, and laterally Deputy Chief Executive, of the Belfast Trust, a major UK healthcare provider with a budget in excess of £1bn and over 20,000 employees. She then became Director of Finance for Queen’s University Belfast, a member of the prestigious Russell Group of UK research intensive universities and an anchor institution in the economic and social fabric of NI, holding that post for over 10 years, during the most turbulent times within higher education.  

Wendy is currently Chair of the Institute’s Audit, Risk and Finance Board, which provides assurance on a broad suite of risk and governance matters and served on a taskforce which implemented key governance enhancements to Council operations. 

She was co-opted onto Council in 2019, having served on the Ethics and Governance Committee and was subsequently elected to Council in 2020.

Wendy Galbraith – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2023

Partner, EY

Christiaan is a Partner at EY Dublin with fifteen years of experience serving large public and private companies, with an emphasis on digital transformation. He started his EY career in South Africa, was seconded to Seattle in 2014, and relocated to Dublin in 2017.

Christiaan is the first member, who qualified with another chartered body, to attain RI (Responsible Individual) status with the Institute, and also the first reciprocal member to serve on Council. He was elected to Council in 2023. He is a member of the Advocacy & Representation Board.

Christiaan holds an honours B Compt. (Accounting) degree from his native South Africa and qualified as a member of the South Africa Institute of Chartered Accountants. He is passionate about the global transferability of the ACA qualification.

Christiaan Gouws – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2024

Clodagh graduated with a BA from UCC and went on to train in practice in Cork before qualifying as a CPA in 1990. 

She later worked in a number of roles across the public sector including serving as Head of Finance for South Dublin County Council from 2004 to 2015. Clodagh was selected to attend the Leadership Programme for Senior Executives at Harvard Kennedy School in 2017 shortly after her appointment as Divisional Manager in Cork County Council.

Clodagh served on a number of state Boards and Committees during her career including the National Maternity Hospital Ethics Committee; the General Accounts Working Group with the Department of Environment and Local Government; the Housing Finance Agency; and the Housing Agency. Clodagh has chaired the Audit & Risk Committee for the Housing Agency and the Audit, Finance & Risk Committee for CPA Ireland. 

Joined Council 2022

Director, Grant Thornton

Maeve is a Director with Grant Thornton in Belfast having joined in 2016. She has significant experience working with corporates of all sizes, focusing on the manufacturing, retail and property development and technology sectors.

Maeve was elected to Council in 2022, having served for two years as chair of the Ulster Society from 2020. Her Institute contribution started as a student, as Vice-Chair in her local student society and Chartered Accountants Ireland Student Society. She joined the Ulster Society main committee in 2009 and also served on the Institute’s Education, Training and Lifelong Learning board of the Institute from 2009 to 2013.

Maeve is keen to help refine the member experience, drive engagement, develop young talent and foster a strong voice for the profession, particularly on issues such as sustainability.

Maeve Hunt – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2024

CEO of Compliance Institute

Michael is currently the CEO of the Compliance Institute, Chair of the IIPA (Irish Inter Professional Association), vice chair of the Sport Ireland/FAI Governance Oversight Group and a member of the Sustainable Finance Skillnet Committee.

Prior to that he was Director of DPP with KPMG Ireland, CEO of IAASA (The Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority) having previously been Head of Financial Reporting Supervision with the organisation. Michael established Ireland's statutory accounting enforcement function (tasked with examining whether the financial reports of listed entities comply with financial reporting standards) and oversaw the establishment of Ireland's statutory Audit Inspection regime (tasked with inspecting the quality of audit work conducted by Ireland's large audit firms) .  For 12 years, Michael was the Irish Observer at the Corporate Reporting Council of the FRC which produces UK and Irish accounting standards and also Ireland's representative at ESMA's European Enforcers Co-ordination Sessions which is tasked with coordinating accounting enforcement across Europe having chaired a number of ESMA sub-committees.

Michael is immediate past Vice-President of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA Ireland), Chair of their Education Committee, and was a member of a number of  CCAB-I committees. He has acted in the past as examiner, lecturer, solution writer and moderator for a number of accountancy bodies’ professional exams and was a frequent presenter on auditing and accounting matters at accountancy body Continuing Professional Development events.

Michael holds a B.Comm degree from UCG and holds the ICAEW and CPA qualification. 

Michael Kavanagh – LinkedIn 
 

Joined Council 2022

Chief Financial Officer, Musgrave Group plc.

Andrew Keating is Chief Financial Officer of Musgrave group, having previously held senior roles as Director of Group Finance with CRH plc, and Executive Director and Group Chief Financial Officer of Bank of Ireland plc.

Andrew joined Council as an extraordinary member in November 2021.

Andrew has a B. Comm degree from UCC and a Master of Accounting degree from UCD. Andrew trained as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen, achieving first place in Ireland in his final admitting examination. From 2016-2019, Andrew was a Non-Executive Director of the Irish Management Institute.

Andrew Keating – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2017

Vice President, Barclays International

Peter is a Director of Internal Audit at Barclays, where he has been working since qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte in Dublin.

Peter’s volunteer experience with the Institute started with the Dublin Student Society. After qualification, he served for 10 years on the London District Society including a period as Chair. Since joining Council, he has also served as Chair of the Institute’s Strategic Communications committee.

Peter was elected to Council in 2017 and is the current chair of the Members Board.

Peter Keenan-Gavaghan – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2018-2022 and 2023

Managing Director, Somers Murphy & Earl Corporate Services

Shane is the Managing Director of the boutique restructuring and advisory firm Somers, Murphy & Earl Corporate Services Ltd. He previously worked in practice with mid-sized firms including RSM Ireland, Moore Stephens and BDO.

Shane chaired the Institute’s Young Professionals group in 2011 and was on the committee of the Leinster Society for several years, serving as Chair in  2016-17. He has served on several Institute committees, including the Members in Practice committee and currently sits on the Advocacy & Representation Board. He also acts as Deputy Chair of the CCAB-I Insolvency committee.

Shane gained his primary degree in Accounting at the University of Dundee and qualified with BDO in Dublin in 2004.  

Shane McAleer – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2022

Chief Finance and Administrative Officer, The Ireland Funds, New York

Conall is the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer in The Ireland Funds America, a charity that makes most of its grants in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Before that, he worked in various roles in KBC Bank USA, including CFO, COO, CRO and Chief Audit Executive.

Conall was elected to Council for the first time in 2022 and serves also on the board of Chartered Accountants Support DAC. He is a board member of the Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW) Network USA and is a Past President of the Association of Chartered Accountants in the USA (ACAUS).

Conall trained with KPMG audit in Dublin, Luxembourg and Chicago. He studied Business with French in the University of Galway and has a Masters of Accounting degree from the Smurfit Business School. Conall is a US CPA and a member of ISACA, GARP, ACAMS and the IIA.

Conall McGonagle – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2024

 Lecturer in Accounting, DCU

Dr Caroline McGroary is a Chartered Accountant and Lecturer in Accounting at Dublin City University (DCU). She joined DCU in 2010 after training as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte. Since then, she has completed a PhD in Professional Accounting Education, as well as lecturing on a range of programmes across the Business School and with industry. In 2013, Caroline moved to Saudi Arabia to set up a division of DCU Business School in collaboration with Princess Nourah University (PNU), the largest female only university in the world. While in Saudi Arabia her role was centered around the education and empowerment of Saudi women. She was also actively involved in the business community, including being a founding member of the Irish Business Network, Saudi Arabia.

Caroline is also Fulbright Scholar and Research Fellow at Boston College. A key part of this role is liaising with academia, the private sector and government agencies to develop an understanding of the cybersecurity landscape globally and the role of the accountant in this field. 

Caroline has recently been appointed to the Board of Donegal 2040 Strategic Development DAC; an organisation set up by the Donegal County Council to promote economic development in the region. She also sits on the Board of Cancer Fund for Children and the Audit and Risk Committee of The Arts Council of Ireland and Tusla. 

Caroline currently Chairs the Education Quality Assurance Committee, she sits on the Education, Training and Lifelong Learning Board and is a member of the Ethics and Governance Committee.

Caroline McGroary – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2020

Financial Consultant, Nutrias Limited

Pauline is a consultant working with Nutrias Limited, a biotechnology company. Previously, she worked as Group Financial Controller with ESS Modular and as Financial Controller of Valeo Foods, Sisk Group and Origo. She also volunteered on the Board of Directors at Kilnamanagh Credit Union.

Pauline joined Council in 2020 and has served as a member of the Institute’s Members Board since then.

Pauline holds an honours Bachelor of Business Studies from the University of Limerick and a Diploma in IFRS from Chartered Accountants Ireland. She also completed the Chartered Director programme with the Institute of Directors. She qualified with PwC in Dublin.

Pauline Madden – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2017

Fractional Chief Financial Officer

Philip Maguire is a consultant working with early stage and scaling businesses, having been Director of Finance and Administration with Catalyst in Northern Ireland for many years until summer 2023. His previous roles include working as Finance Director of O’Kane Poultry Group and Finance Director of Eircom Northern Ireland.

He sits on the Members Board since he first joined Council in 2017 and is chair of the Member in Business Committee.

Philip also currently sits on the Audit & Risk Committee of the Atlantic Technological University and is a former member of its Governing Body.

Joined Council 2024

Audit & Assurance Partner, Deloitte

Brian is an Audit & Assurance Partner with Deloitte Ireland. Brian works predominantly with the firm’s largest privately owned businesses, both family and private equity backed, often internationally focused. He also has experience with public interest and listed entities. 

Brian is also Lead Partner for Ireland’s Best Managed Companies programme. Brian has been actively involved in the education of Chartered Accountants Ireland students and members as set out below and has also guest lectured at several universities including UCD, TCD and Maynooth University. 

Brian joined Deloitte eight years ago from EY. Before this Brian held senior roles at PKF O’Connor Leddy & Holmes, RSM Ireland and Mazars. Brian also operated a pizza franchise for several years gaining valuable commercial experience running his own business. 

Brian is past Chair of Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society and is the current Chair of CA Support. 

Brian Murphy – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2024

Corporate Advisory partner, ifac accountants and financial advisors

Tom is head of corporate recovery and insolvency with the firm and is the partner in charge of ifac’s corporate advisory subsidiary Friel Stafford. Tom is a multi-disciplinary practitioner practicing in Corporate Restructuring & Insolvency, Corporate Finance and Forensic & Expert Witness services.

Over the past 25 years, he has been appointed as Insolvency Practitioner to over 2,000 companies and has acted as an expert in many commercial and family law disputes and has given expert evidence in the High Court, Circuit Court, and the Tax Appeal commission. He is the Chair of the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies Insolvency Committee.

Tom qualified as an accountant in 1997 with ACCA.  A past president of ACCA in Ireland, He has previously served on ACCA’s Global Council (2013 – 2016) and CPA Ireland’s Council (2023 to 2024). He is a Certified Mediator and holds both a Diploma in Forensic Accounting and a Diploma in Tax from Chartered Accountants Ireland.  Tom is a speaker on the Institute’s Diploma in Corporate Finance and has delivered CPD to accountants for over 20 years. 

He is a non-executive Director of the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research for Training (“NIBRT”) having been appointed by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. As a NED, he chairs NIBRT’s Resource Oversight Committee having previously chaired the Audit Committee. 

Tom Murray – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2021

Partner, KPMG

Barrie is a Partner, Head of Clients and Markets and a member of the Executive leadership team in KPMG Ireland. He is partner-in-charge of KPMG Cork. He provides audit and advisory services to indigenous, listed, and multi-national businesses headquartered in Ireland.

Barry was elected to Council in 2021 and is the Institute representative on the Ireland for Finance 2025 Industry Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Institute’s Audit, Risk & Finance Board, having previously served on the Advocacy & Representation Board.

Barry holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Cork and is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland. He is a Past President of the Cork Chamber of Commerce. Barrie is a member of the IRFU national referee panel and a member of the Munster Rugby Finance Committee. He is also Director of the Crawford Art Gallery, and a member of the Cork University Business School Advisory board.

Barrie O'Connell – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2023

Solicitor & Partner, Arthur Cox

Orla is a professional services leader and law firm partner with over 25 years’ experience holding divisional and firm leadership roles including roles on the firm's management committee. Orla is currently Chair of Arthur Cox law firm and is a partner in the firm’s Finance Group. Orla is responsible for chairing the firm’s board which deals with new partner appointments, partner remuneration and other strategic matters for the firm. She also leads and chairs all partnership meetings and as Chair, works closely with the firm’s managing partner.

In addition to her role as Chair, Orla also practices in the firm’s Finance Group advising banks, private equity firms and corporate clients on financing and restructuring transactions, on M&A transactions in the financial services sector and on regulatory issues such as anti-money laundering and compliance with Central Bank regulation.

Prior to being elected Chair, Orla served on the firm’s management committee from 2013 – 2018 and on the firm’s conflicts committee for 10 years and chaired the firm's legal tech and innovation steering group from 2016 – 2018.

Orla is a board member of AsIAm, Ireland’s national autism charity, and sits on the electoral committee of the Football Association of Ireland.

She received her LL.B. from Trinity College Dublin and her B.C.L. from Oxford University.

Orla O'Connor – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2022

Chief Accountant SFL

Suliyat is the Chief Accountant of SFL Corporation Limited, a large NYSE-listed corporate in the maritime industry. She manages a US GAAP accounting and reporting team in London and Oslo. Before moving to industry in 2014, she worked in both corporate finance and audit for Deloitte, Dublin.

Suliyat was first elected to Council in 2022 and serves on the Education, Training and Lifelong Learning Board. She became chair of the Strategic Communications committee in 2023 and joined the Advocacy & Representation Board. Suliyat is an active member of the London Society of Chartered Accountants Ireland where she enjoys a sense of connection to Ireland whilst supporting the Irish Chartered Accountants based in London, professionally and socially. In this role she also enjoys the opportunity to work with other international bodies.

Suliyat qualified as an ACA with Deloitte, Dubin in 2012. She holds an honours Masters degree in Accounting from UCD Michael Smurfit Business School and also a first-class honours degree in Accounting & Finance from Dublin Business School.

Suliyat Oyin Olalekan – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2024

Founder, Gallatina Ltd

Geraldine is a business consultant providing strategic and tactical expertise to organisations wishing to drive business growth and maximise profitability as well as advising organisations on corporate governance frameworks. 

Geraldine is an experienced leader with a distinguished executive and non-executive career in both corporate and public sector. In the corporate world Geraldine’s leadership skills and expertise were dominant in the multinational sector, amongst them included Novartis Pharma, Mallinckrodt Pharma and Chanelle Pharma Group. 

Geraldine’s entry into the public sector allowed her to apply her global leadership skills and experience in strategic innovation and her commitment to excellence to drive transformational change in long standing Irish institutions, Ordnance Survey Ireland, Trinity College Dublin and Royal Dublin Society into modern, high-performing organisations.

Geraldine has extensive governance expertise as Chair and Independent Non-Executive Director on a variety of boards. 

Geraldine holds an MA from Trinity College Dublin, is a Chartered Director from Institute of Directors and a Fellow CPA Accountant from Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  

Geraldine Ruane – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2022

Lecturer, Strategy & Finance, Atlantic Technological University

Michael is a lecturer in Strategy & Finance at The Atlantic Technological University, (formerly GMIT). He has been a visiting lecturer at Vorarlberg University, Austria, and Durban Technological University. He teaches courses in Business Strategy, Financial Reporting, Auditing and Assurance and Corporate Finance. He worked previously in DCU where he taught on the Accounting and Finance degree and the MBS in Finance programme.

Michael was first elected to Council in 2022 and was appointed to the Education, Training & Lifelong Learning Board, where he continues to serve. He currently serves on the North-West Society Committee, and was chairperson in 2021/2022. He was a Lecturer in Financial Accounting at Professional Three level and Moderator for CAP1.

Michael trained with EY, working mainly in audit. He holds a B. Comm from UCG and a postgraduate degree from UCD. Michael lives in Sligo and is treasurer of Sligo Rugby Club.

Michael Shovelin – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2020

Executive Coach, Praesta, and former Managing Director, Accenture

Ian is an Executive Coach, Management Consultant, business leader and former partner in Accenture Ireland, where he worked for 30 years. As an Executive Coach he works with senior executives and senior leadership teams to improve performance and also conducts external, independent board effectiveness reviews. A former Managing Director with Accenture, Ian led the Systems Integration and Technology practice of Accenture Ireland and worked on strategic planning, systems integration delivery, organisational change and effective risk management.

Ian was appointed as an extraordinary lay (non-accountant) member of Council in 2020 and also sits on the Audit Risk and Finance Board.

Ian holds a BA in Political Science & Business from Trinity College Dublin, a Diploma in Executive & Leadership Coaching from The Coaching & Mentoring Partnership, Dublin and an accreditation in Emotions & Behaviours at Work from Brentfield Consultancy.

Ian Slattery – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2023

Executive Director, UKI Assurance, EY

Áine is an Executive Director in Assurance with EY in Limerick since 2020. She rejoined EY in 2009 following international post-qualification experience with EY (Toronto) and a period in industry.

Áine joined Council in 2023 having been a committee member of the Mid West Society from 2016 to 2021. She currently serves as a member of the Institute’s Audit, Risk & Finance Board.

Áine attained a BSc. in Accounting from UCC in 2003 and subsequently qualified as an ACA with EY in 2007.

Áine Spellacy – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2024

Audit Partner, PwC

Eoin is a member in practice and based in Dublin. Eoin completed a BA in Accounting in the National College of Ireland and joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2006. 

Eoin is a partner in the audit practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers and specialises in the Asset and Wealth Management industry. Eoin has worked in Ireland and the US and has a diverse portfolio of clients across the asset management industry. 

Eoin has been involved with the Irish Funds industry association (“IF”) and has served on committees at IF. 

Áine Spellacy – LinkedIn

Joined Council 2018

Partner, Deloitte Ireland

Niall is a partner in Deloitte Ireland, having joined Deloitte in 1987. Niall has worked in various roles within Deloitte including two stints in the US. Niall is an Auditor and currently works with Deloitte Global as the Deloitte Global Audit & Assurance Risk Leader.

Niall joined the Institute Audit Committee in 2001. Since then, he has worked with a member of various technical committees including chairing the CCAB-I Business Law Committee for two years. He chaired and was a longstanding chairperson of the Institute Audit & Assurance Committee until his election to Council in 2018. He currently serves on the Advocacy & Representation Board and is the senior Council member on the Professional Standards Board. He has also served on the Audit Risk & Finance Board, the Education & Lifelong Learning Board.

Niall graduated from UCD with a B.Comm. He also holds a Diploma in Professional Accounting and a M. Comm degree from the same university.

Niall Walsh – LinkedIn