Chapters in North America

Conall McGonagle was elected to Council in 2022, and as an overseas member is committed to being the voice for members overseas on Council. 

Originally from Galway, Conall has spent much of his career abroad and is currently based in New York and is Chapter Head of the recently launched Chartered Accountants New York Chapter. Conall is the Chief Financial and Administrate Officer of the Ireland Funds America.

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Derek is originally from Enniscorthy, County Wexford. He trained at KPMG Dublin and, after holding various roles, moved to San Francisco, where he has lived for the past ten years. He is married to a Californian and they have an adorable little boy. Derek currently serves as Chief Accounting Officer at Motive, a software company offering an integrated platform for fleet operations in the physical economy. 

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Ailish serves as the Chief Compliance Officer at the Bermuda Stock Exchange, bringing 25 years of international experience in stock exchange operations and financial services. Prior to her current role, she spent over 15 years as a member of the leadership team at the Irish Stock Exchange in Dublin, where she oversaw communications and regulatory matters and managed relationships with both domestic and international stakeholders. Ailish is a PwC-trained chartered accountant and has demonstrated a strong track record in executing initiatives that enhanced the Irish Stock Exchange's public profile and brand reputation.

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Ronan Guilfoyle earned his accounting degree from University College Cork and began his career with EY. Inspired by a friend, he moved to the Cayman Islands to work in fund administration, advancing to Senior Manager. Opting to stay for both career and lifestyle, Ronan helped expand DMS internationally, opening offices in Ireland before co-founding Calderwood with Wade Kenny in 2016. Calderwood specialises in fund governance, has grown to a 14-member team, won industry awards, and expanded operations to the US, Asia, and the UK. Ronan is married with a young family and thinks he might return to Ireland someday but for the moment, he is happy with life in Cayman. 

You can read more about Ronan here .

Dave Berney’s career journey spans multinational finance, life sciences, social enterprise, and global logistics, culminating in founding HAB Strategy, a fractional CFO firm in Toronto in 2023. Originally from Co. Wexford, Ireland, Berney qualified as a Chartered Accountant before working for Elavon, Pfizer, and ME to WE. Two major career breaks for travel broadened his worldview and resilience. Inspired by the growth of fractional services, he launched his own business, quickly expanding his client base and team. Dave credits risk-taking and self-advocacy as key to his success, encouraging Irish CAs and others to embrace these traits for international opportunities, especially in the USA and Canada. Dave, together with Sophie Dillon run regular meetups for our members in Toronto including collaborating events with Vancouver and with professional bodies.  

You can read more about Dave here. 

Sophie grew up in Kells, Co Meath, studied Commerce at University College Dublin, and developed a passion for accounting structure and problem-solving. She began her career in KPMG’s Restructuring department in Dublin, then moved to KKR’s European leveraged credit team, focusing on healthcare investments. Relocating to Toronto, Sophie held finance leadership positions, including at a healthcare startup. In 2023, she co-founded Orbit Accountants with a mission to provide high-quality financial support to SMEs across Canada and the US. Her chartered accountancy qualification has been valuable internationally, helping her build trust and a supportive professional network abroad. Today Sophie is committed to supporting Irish CAs moving to Toronto. 

You can read more about Sophie here. 

Originally from Cork, Killian Ruby has served as Chapter Head of the Vancouver Chapter since late 2019. He became President & CEO of Malaspina Consultants Inc. on 1 August 2018, leveraging an extensive background in public practice with both public and private companies.

Prior to his current role, Killian was an audit partner at Wolrige Mahon LLP (now Baker Tilly Canada) and held senior positions at KPMG in both Canada and Ireland. His broad experience includes work with companies listed on the TSX, TSX-V, and SEC, spanning a variety of industries. Killian is both a Canadian CPA, CA and an Irish Chartered Accountant.

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Aoife, originally from Dunshaughlin, County Meath, moved to Vancouver in June 2022 and quickly recognized the importance of rebuilding her professional network after leaving behind the connections she had developed in Dublin. The internationally recognized ACA qualification eased her transition, allowing her to integrate smoothly into the Canadian accounting field. However, she noted that one of the most meaningful networks is formed among peers during training, which made moving away challenging. Seeing the need for community among Irish Chartered Accountants in Vancouver, Aoife was eager to help “re-start” the Vancouver Chapter of CAI following the hiatus caused by Covid-19. She valued the Chapter as a way to rebuild a supportive network, facilitate both informative and social events, and help members connect in their new city. The positive turnout at their first event post-hiatus reinforced the importance of such a network for newcomers seeking both professional and personal support.

View Aoife's LinkedIn profile