Who I Help

Large manufacturing and construction companies. Family-owned retail and motor businesses. SMEs across professional services, wholesale and agriculture.

How I Help

Financial statement audit. Internal controls review. Financial reporting improvement. Team leadership and training. Accounting policy and standards advice. Risk-focused audit planning.

“Growth is good for everyone.”

Ashling McNamara is an Audit Director at AAB, based in Cork, where she leads a team of five within the audit function. With 16 years at the firm, Ashling works across a broad portfolio ranging from large manufacturing and construction groups to family-owned retail and motor businesses, and SMEs spanning professional services, wholesale and agriculture. She brings deep technical knowledge alongside a strong focus on leadership, communication and building relationships that go beyond the statutory audit.

Sectors/Support

Manufacturing. Construction. Family-Owned. Retail. Motor. Professional Services. Wholesale. Agriculture. SMEs.

A Week Built Around the Team

A typical week starts with checking in with my team of five, reviewing what is in progress, forward scheduling work and ensuring continuity across our files. I reach out to clients for year-end information, review upcoming deadlines, and go through current work-in-progress files with team members, providing assistance and training where needed. The rest of the week is made up of client communications, whether that is day-to-day queries or year-end audit meetings and follow-ups.

Finding Order in the Numbers

I always had an interest in business and accounting at school and college; I liked the order of it, and the sense of achievement that came from balancing up accounts. I was drawn to audit specifically because it combines technical challenge, problem-solving and the opportunity to work closely with a wide range of businesses. Early in my career, I found I enjoyed understanding how organisations operate, identifying areas of risk, and using that knowledge to help clients improve the quality and reliability of their financial information. No two years are ever the same, and that variety has kept me engaged throughout my 16 years with the firm.

That experience has given me strong client relationships built on open communication, good working knowledge of the accounting packages clients use, and a solid grounding in auditing and accounting policy standards that I can apply to the specific queries a client may raise.

From Technical Delivery to Leadership

One of the biggest challenges I have overcome in my career has been transitioning from focusing primarily on technical delivery to taking on broader leadership responsibilities. As I moved into more senior roles, I had to adapt from being responsible for my own work and individual engagements to leading teams, managing complex client relationships, and balancing competing priorities across multiple stakeholders.

I overcame this by developing a more strategic mindset, learning to delegate effectively, and recognising that strong leadership is about empowering others rather than trying to solve every challenge personally. I invested time in coaching team members, building trust, and creating an environment where people felt supported and confident taking ownership of their own work.

Communication as a Non-Negotiable

Open, clear communication is key when building relationships with a client. I make sure my clients know they can contact me with any query and that I will assist them to the best of my ability. Getting to know a client and their business operations, understanding the environment they operate within, and establishing the deadlines they face all help ensure work is completed in a timely manner.

One of the strongest client relationships I have built was with a mid-sized company that initially viewed its annual audit as a compliance exercise rather than an opportunity to improve its financial reporting processes. In the first year, I focused on understanding the client’s business, industry and operational challenges rather than limiting discussions to the audit itself. Throughout the engagement, I maintained regular communication with management, explained audit findings in clear business terms, and provided practical recommendations to strengthen internal controls and improve financial reporting. Being accessible, responsive and transparent helped me establish trust with both the finance team and senior management.

Trusted Adviser, Not Just Auditor

The most satisfying aspect of working with clients is building long-term relationships based on trust and delivering value beyond the audit itself. It is particularly rewarding to help clients strengthen their financial reporting processes, improve internal controls, and navigate complex accounting or regulatory matters with confidence. Seeing clients implement recommendations that enhance their business, and knowing they view me as a trusted adviser rather than just their auditor, is one of the most fulfilling parts of my role. What stands out most about being part of both my team and the wider AAB organisation is the collaborative culture and shared commitment to delivering exceptional client service, alongside AAB’s genuinely people-focused approach to both clients and employees.

A recent example that stands out involved a client experiencing delays in finalising their year-end financial statements due to changes in their finance systems and challenges reconciling key balance sheet accounts, with reporting deadlines fast approaching. I worked closely with the finance team to identify the key issues, prioritise the most significant areas, and agree a practical action plan, maintaining regular communication throughout to keep the audit progressing without compromising quality. The greatest compliment I have received from a client was being told they saw me as a trusted adviser rather than just their auditor, who took the time to understand their business and communicated complex issues in a practical, straightforward way.

Beyond the Numbers

A common misconception about my profession is that auditors simply review numbers and focus on identifying problems. While ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial reporting is fundamental to the role, modern auditing is much broader than that; a good auditor takes the time to understand a client’s business, industry, strategy and the risks they face. People often underestimate how relationship-driven the profession really is, and how much successful audits rely on trust, collaboration and open communication.

My greatest strengths are my ability to build trusted relationships, lead high-performing teams, and deliver consistently high-quality audit services, drawing on experience across a broad range of industries to provide practical, risk-focused solutions. I am particularly interested in continuing to develop my skills in the areas where technology, data and audit innovation are transforming the profession, as data analytics, automation and artificial intelligence present exciting opportunities to enhance audit quality and provide deeper insight to clients. I also remain passionate about developing people and leadership capability, and believe investing in coaching, mentoring and building high-performing teams is essential to delivering exceptional outcomes for clients and for AAB.