Chartered Accountants Ireland Elects New President

Feargal McCormack has been elected President of Chartered Accountants Ireland at its 130th Annual General Meeting in Belfast.

Addressing the Chartered Accountants Ireland AGM in Belfast today (18 May 2018), Mr McCormack highlighted the current political and economic uncertainty and expressed his view that delivering political stability is the vital factor in securing a positive economic future on the island.

He said: “At present the uncertainty around Brexit and the lack of a functioning Executive are very challenging. Put plainly, businesses are unlikely to make significant investment decisions in an uncertain environment. This uncertainty is putting jobs, economic growth and prosperity are at stake.

“We must recognise that the one factor which will make the biggest contribution to the international competitiveness is political stability. Stability should naturally incorporate an agreement on any Brexit arrangements going forward, given the evolution of the island economy and the land border.

“We have recently acknowledged the 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday/ Belfast Agreement which attempted to draw a line under the past and to set a vision for the future based on partnership, equality and mutual respect.

“Despite the best efforts of political parties and the British and Irish Governments, the reality is that the journey of implementation has been just a complex as Chairman of the peace negotiations, George Mitchell, envisaged they would be.

“Huge progress has been made, not only in terms of lives saved, but the economic and quality of life on the island has been transformed. Therefore, we must support and encourage our politicians to grasp the current opportunity to deliver political stability. We owe it to our, and to future generations, to ensure that political stability and mutual understanding are the norm.

Tax Team win Top Honour at 2018 Irish Accountancy Awards

Leading Ireland and UK based accountancy and tax consultancy practice AAB have won the Tax Team of the Year Award at the prestigious Irish Accountancy Awards Gala Banquet Ceremony which took place on Thursday 26th April 2018 at the Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin.

In presenting the Tax Team of the Year Award to AAB, the judges highlighted the practice’s Cross Border Tax Centre of Excellence incorporating Irish and UK taxes.

The Awards Ceremony, hosted by Colm O’Regan, critically acclaimed stand-up comedian, columnist and broadcaster, attracted a very influential audience, including high profile leaders from the Irish business and accountancy sectors.

Padraig McManus gives speech at AAB Leadership Event

These were just some of the thoughts shared with business leaders by former Chairman of Eir and Mincon Group Plc, Padraig McManus, as keynote speaker at the AAB Annual Leadership Talk.

The event was part of the 2018 MLM Management Month initiative, in association with Ulster University Business School held at the Belfast campus.

Born of Northern Ireland parents in Co. Kildare, Padraig McManus graduated as an engineer from UCD in 1973. He then joined the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) following in the footsteps of his father who was also an ESB engineer.

Padraig worked in a number of roles with ESB including serving as CEO for almost 10 years. In 2010, he led the £1bn acquisition of NIE Networks overseeing the financial, political and general stakeholder issues of integrating the business into the ESB Group.

Chairman of Eir (Eircom Holdings Ltd) from 2012 to 2017, he was also Chairman of mining equipment manufacturer Mincon Group Plc from 2013 to 2017.

A Fellow of the Institute of Engineers in Ireland, Padraig is currently President of the Economic and Social Research Institute of Ireland, Chairman of the National Maternity Hospital Foundation and Chairman of the Curragh Racecourse. He is on the Council of Chartered Accountants Ireland and is a former board member of the Irish Management Institute and Business in the Community.

During the one-hour conversation with broadcaster Gerry Kelly, Padraig gave a detailed overview of his career and also talked about the many community projects in which he has been involved including voluntary trips to Ghana to rebuild primary and secondary schools.

AAB records record fee income in the UK & Ireland

The AAB UK&I network firms have posted an increase of [19%] in their fee income for the year ended 31 May 2017 to £154.8m.

This impressive expansion reflects healthy organic revenue growth across all AAB UK&I members with most firms experiencing double-digit top line increases. The numbers also includes some key strategic mergers by some of the firms.

AAB named Ireland’s Large & Overall Practice of the Year

AAB won the Overall Practice of the year at the prestigious Irish Accountancy Awards Gala Banquet Ceremony which took place on Thursday 18th May 2017 at the Ballsbridge Hotel in Dublin.

After winning the Large Practice of the Year earlier in the evening against stiff competition, the final award of the evening, Overall Practice of the Year, was presented to AAB with acknowledgement from the judges that AAB were innovative, caring business advisors with global expertise and local knowledge along with a strong cross border focus.

Anne Heraty – Keynote Speaker at AAB Leadership Talk

“Back yourself, believe in yourself, believe in your idea.” These are just some of the thoughts shared with business leaders by Cpl Resources plc Chief Executive, Anne Heraty, as keynote speaker at the AAB Annual Leadership Talk. The event was part of the 2017 MLM Management Month initiative, in association with the Ulster University Business School held at the Belfast Campus.

Originally from County Longford, and now based in Dublin, Anne Heraty began her career in Xerox where she was one of Ireland’s first telesales workers. A move to Grafton Recruitment began a 30 year career in this sector and the creation of the now international company Cpl Resources plc.

Anne co-founded Computer Placement Ltd in 1989 with the aim of placing people in IT companies starting up businesses in Ireland. Three years later she was the 100% shareholder and by 1999 CPL Resources plc began trading on both the Irish and London Stock Exchanges. Today the company provides recruitment, staffing and outsourcing services through an international network of 32 offices across nine countries.

During the one hour conversation with broadcaster Gerry Kelly, Anne’s passion for business aligned to a clear set of values was evident as she traced her career from telesales to becoming the first female Chief Executive of an Irish company to float on the stock exchange. “Have no fear of failure. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin,” says Anne. “Both are just experiences and each set different challenges for you.”

Anne’s success in the business world has also been widely recognised by a raft of prestigious awards including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2006), Business & Finance Business Person of the Year (2014) and Image Business Woman of the Year (2015). In September 2016 she was elected the President of IBEC, the group that represents Irish business.

AAB Holds Onto Top UK Accountancy Employer Award

For the second year running, AAB won the Accountancy Age Top UK Accountancy Employer Award 2016 at the glittering British Accountancy Awards Gala Banquet Ceremony which took place last night (29 November 2016) at the Brewery, in London. In addition, the only Northern Ireland firm to be shortlisted for the British Accountancy Awards, AAB were also highly commended in the prestigious Top 50 Tax Team of the year Award.

The Awards Ceremony, hosted by Jon Culshaw, one of Britain’s leading impressionists attracted upwards of 1,000 guests, including high profile leaders from the UK business and accountancy sectors.

AAB celebrates ‘Investors In People’ accreditation

AAB was among 52 organisations celebrating Investors in People (IIP) accreditation at a presentation ceremony held at Belfast Castle on 30 September. Pictured with Head of Investors in People, Paul Devoy and Northern Ireland Commissioner (UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES)) Mark Huddleston are Teresa Campbell and Leanne Foster from AAB.

Paul Devoy, said: “Organisations succeed by realising the potential of their people. The organisations receiving Investors in People accreditation today are proof of that.

“People’s strengths, ambitions and ideas are the engine of success. IIP accreditation signals to customers and employees your commitment to good business and people management excellence.

“If you develop the skills of your employees and improve your employee engagement, success will ultimately follow. Through Investors in People, everything is informed by one principle: good people make a great business.”

Organisations are judged to have achieved IIP standards based on a tried and tested methodology of leading practice and a rigorous process of assessment.

AAB win International Award

AAB won a prestigious AAB International Diamond Award at the recent AAB International Global Gathering Conference Dinner in Bali, Indonesia, in recognition of AAB’s people development achievements and the firm’s contribution to people development within AAB International.

The award was presented at the dinner, by AAB International Chairman Sajjad Akhtar from Singapore to AAB’s Managing Director, Feargal McCormack.

New AAB Balbriggan, Dublin North Office

The former Chartered Accountants practice of Francis J. Woods & Company Limited (15 staff), located in Balbriggan, ten minutes from Dublin airport, has been subsumed into AAB and will operate as the AAB Dublin office.

The combined firm will trade as AAB and have more than 115 people throughout 6 office locations in Northern Ireland and Ireland, and global expertise with local knowledge around the World through the network offices of PKF International.

Francis J. Woods & Company Limited was a very successful, well established and respected general accountancy and business consultancy practice with additional sector expertise in farming and charities. The founder of Francis J. Woods & Company Limited, Joe Woods and all his staff, will continue to be very integral to AAB going forward.