Clare Murphy trained in EY in Waterford and spent some time in the earlier stages of her career in Sydney before moving back to Kilkenny and more recently has been based in Cork. Having progressed in her career over the years, she is excited to continue her career journey back in Sydney where she has two siblings and plans to return this autumn. Clare returns to Australia at a more advanced career level and has already started leveraging the strong network of members there. We caught up with Clare during her preparations. 1. Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I grew up in Wexford before moving to Bunmahon, Co. Waterford midway through my childhood. More recently, I have been living and working in Cork, though I will be returning to Sydney at the end of October. I studied Commerce International with German at University College Cork, which included an Erasmus year in Konstanz, Germany. After graduating, I began my training with Chartered Accountants Ireland, working with EY Waterford for three and a half years. Following that, I moved to Sydney where I gained nine months of international experience before returning home to live and work in Kilkenny for 18 months. This past year I’ve been based in Cork, continuing to develop both professionally and personally, while preparing for the next stage of my career back in Australia. 2. What made you choose to become a Chartered Accountant? And if you weren't a Chartered Accountant, what do you think you would like to have been? I always loved working with numbers and enjoyed maths and accountancy in school, so that was telling enough. I was also interested in engineering, architecture or lecturing (I love the academic world). Or perhaps I would have thrown my hat at anything sports-related! 3. Can you tell us a little about how you got to where you are today – both the geographical relocations and career path. I’ve always been quite active — growing up I played camogie competitively in and for Waterford, and more recently I’ve turned to running, which has fitted in well with living all over Ireland and in Sydney, a city that thrives on an active lifestyle. My professional journey started in financial audit with EY Waterford, before moving into financial consulting with EY Dublin. That mix of audit and commercial exposure gave me a really solid grounding in accountancy, and it was the perfect base for moving into more analytical and commercially focused roles. From there, I took on an FP&A role in Sydney, which sparked a career path I’ve loved. Since then, I’ve worked across FP&A, finance business partnering and finance manager roles. These roles have combined not only analysis, forecasting and commercial awareness, but also leadership, project delivery, and working with a wide range of stakeholders to influence decisions and drive improvements. It’s been a varied path, but the common thread has always been using financial insight to add value to the business. 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?  For me, the real value of the profession is the credibility and global recognition it brings. The CA qualification has enabled me to build a career that has taken me around Ireland and across the world — with Australia being a choice I was able to make because of the strength of the designation. It has given me the confidence to work across industries and countries while staying connected to a strong professional community. Beyond individual careers, the profession supports the economy by driving better business decisions, stronger governance, and growth. And on a societal level, it creates a community of people all over the world who share the same standards, values, and commitment to transparency. That sense of trust and connection is more important now than ever in supporting both businesses and society as a whole. 5. As a member that has lived away from Ireland, returned and is on the move again, can you talk to us about how your membership has been of value to you here and living overseas?  As I mentioned, I have a network and community I can link in with again. In addition, the Institute teams are always open to connecting members and assisting members across a variety of career paths. 6. What were the most significant/noticeable differences you encountered doing business and networking away from home and back in Ireland?  Away from home, I found that having connections was vital — in Sydney, even a small network made a big difference when starting from scratch. Networking there is fast-paced and often happens outside formal settings, so leaning on those relationships was key. Back in Ireland, it feels easier to build connections on your own. The community is smaller and very interconnected, which means relationships grow more naturally and often overlap between personal and professional circles. I’m really looking forward to going back to Sydney and building on my network — there’s a strong connection between Ireland and Australia, and I’ve already reaped the benefits of it, so it will be great to nurture that further.

Minister of State at the Department of Finance Robert Troy welcomed guests to a Chartered Accountants Ireland New York member chapter event hosted in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland’s Strategic Financial Leadership programme last night. The event was held at the Consulate General of Ireland New York, with Gerald Angley, the new Consul General and his team in attendance. The panel discussion event, titled “Strategic scaling: Empowering financial leaders for growth,” was attended by approximately 100 members from New York and surrounding regions and other guests. Attendees on the evening also heard from Daryl Regan, Programme Manager of Enterprise Ireland’s Strategic Finance Leadership programme as well as Chartered Accountants Ireland’s Global Member Manager Gillian Duffy. Introducing the event, Minister Troy highlighted the importance of Irish companies' contributions to the U.S. economy, noting Ireland as the 6th largest source of Foreign Direct Investment in the U.S. The Minister acknowledged the vital role of professional bodies like Chartered Accountants Ireland in supporting economic growth. He emphasised the need for CFOs to be strategic leaders and encouraged networking to build relationships that will drive future success and global engagement. He noted the vital role of member networks like the Chartered Accountants Ireland New York member chapter as a testament to global reach and ambition. The event was a panel discussion of Chartered Accountants Ireland members who are based in New York and the surrounding regions recounting their journeys and learnings. They gave advice on expanding businesses beyond Ireland; navigating the advantages and challenges of cultural differences when expanding overseas; dealing with payroll compliance and tax complexities; how their Chartered training has played a pivotal role in getting them to where they are today and embracing AI. Other advice was to think big, be aware of costs which can often be higher than in Ireland, have a strong structure and don’t be afraid to articulate your successes and wins. Also in attendance at the event were Shane Rogers FCA FCPA – President of CAW Network USA, and Institute Council member Conall McGonagle FCA FCPA – CFO and CAO of the Ireland Funds America. The Chartered Accountants Ireland New York member chapter would like to thank Enterprise Ireland, the IESE Business School, Minister Robert Troy, Gerald Angley, the Consulate General of Ireland New York and his team, as well as all the members of the chapter who contributed to the event. The panellists were: Alan Fagan FCA FCPA – Partner, CrossCountry Consulting (discussion moderator), Sharon Cunningham FCA FCPA – CEO & Co- Founder, Shorla Oncology, David Evans FCA FCPA – Chief Executive Pivotel Corporate Barry Flanagan FCA FCPA – Vice President Global Payroll, and You can view photos from the event here. You can learn more about overseas member networks here.    

A co-founder with a passion for using her skills and experience for a positive impact, Sophie Dillon took the leap from Kells to Toronto via Dublin. We caught up with Sophie recently to hear her story. 1. Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I grew up in Kells, Co Meath and studied at University College Dublin. Today, I live in Toronto, Canada. I had always wanted to build an international career, and Toronto offered the kind of dynamic, fast-moving business environment I was looking for. 2. What led you to chartered accountancy? Studying Commerce in UCD, I found I really enjoyed the structure and logic of accounting. I’ve always liked solving problems and the qualification offered a solid foundation with broad career options—whether in practice, industry, or something more entrepreneurial down the line. As a child and teenager, I had a real passion for  showjumping and I think if I hadn't come down this road I would have loved a career in the equestrian industry! 3. Can you tell us a little about how you got to where you are today – both the geographical relocation and career path? I trained with KPMG’s Restructuring department in Dublin, where I worked with businesses navigating financial challenges. From there, I joined KKR, working on their European leveraged credit team, focusing on healthcare investments. I later moved to Canada and held several finance leadership roles, including at an early-stage healthcare startup. Today I’m the co-founder of Orbit Accountants, a firm set up in 2023 to support SMEs across Canada and the US with bookkeeping, payroll, tax and fractional CFO services. I co-founded the company with Malay Matalia who I met in Toronto. We shared a belief that SMEs and growing businesses deserve better access to high quality financial support. Toronto is a global city, and moving here really broadened my perspective, opening up a network I might not otherwise have encountered. 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 training really sharpens your ability to think critically, assess risk, and communicate clearly—skills that are valuable far beyond finance. As the economy evolves, there’s a real need for professionals who can leverage financial data for strategic insights and support good decision-making. 5. As a member living away from Ireland, can you talk to us about how your membership has been of value to you living overseas? The designation carries weight internationally, and that’s been important for building trust in a new market. It also creates an instant sense of community—particularly with the strong network of Irish professionals here in Toronto. That network has been valuable both professionally and personally. 6. What were the most significant/noticeable differences you encountered doing business and networking away from home and back in Ireland? Networking in Ireland tends to be more informal and relationship-led from the start. In Canada, there’s a bit more structure around it—people are generous with their time, but there’s usually a clear agenda. Both styles have their strengths, and I’ve found that being able to adapt between the two has been a real asset. The common thread in both places is that strong relationships, built over time, always matter. Sophie Dillon is Co-Founder of Orbit Accountants in Toronto.