Who I Help

SMEs across construction, property development, manufacturing, wholesale and professional services. Medical professionals. Renewable energy. Farming. Charities and hospitality. Large Growth Businesses. SMEs.

How I Help

Financial statement audit. Team training and development. CRO and Corporation Tax compliance. Client relationship management. Problem-solving and practical advisory.

“It’s about solving problems and giving clients practical advice they can actually use.”

Kaitriona O’Mahony is an Audit Director at AAB, based in Cork, with 13 years’ post-qualification experience across audit and compliance. Kaitriona manages a team, works closely with clients and liaises with partners, while also overseeing key CRO and Corporation Tax deadlines to keep clients compliant. She works with a broad range of SME clients across construction, manufacturing, renewable energy, farming, charities and hospitality, and is known for her practical, common-sense approach and her focus on open, proactive communication with both clients and her team.

Sectors/Support

Construction. Property Development. Manufacturing. Renewable Energy. Farming. Charities & Hospitality.

A Varied Week

A typical week is varied and involves a combination of managing my team, meeting and corresponding with clients, reviewing audit files and liaising with partners. I also spend a lot of time fielding client queries and helping them work through issues as they arise. Alongside the client work, I’m involved in team training and development, managing client lists and monitoring key CRO and Corporation Tax deadlines to make sure clients remain compliant with their various filing requirements. No two weeks are exactly the same, which is one of the things I enjoy about the role.

From Numbers to People

Initially, I was drawn to accountancy because I enjoyed working with numbers, problem-solving and getting to the bottom of reconciliations and discrepancies. As my career has developed, what I enjoy most has evolved. I particularly enjoy dealing directly with clients, understanding their businesses and helping them navigate their accounting and compliance requirements. The role has become much more about the people and the relationships as well as the numbers, which is something I really value.

Thirteen Years of Practical Experience

Having been qualified for 13 years and worked with a broad range of businesses, I’ve built up strong technical and practical experience. I bring a combination of problem-solving, commercial awareness, communication and relationship-building skills, and I take a practical, common-sense approach; I try to understand the issue from the client’s perspective and provide advice that is realistic and useful to their business, rather than simply focusing on the technical answer.

Communication That Prevents Problems

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of keeping communication channels open with both clients and colleagues, particularly partners. In a busy environment with tight deadlines and increasingly complex client requirements, good communication can make a significant difference. It’s much better to raise an issue early, discuss it openly and work together on a solution rather than allowing something to develop into a bigger problem, and I try to apply that approach in how I manage both client relationships and my team.

Picking Up the Phone

I prefer to pick up the phone and speak to clients rather than relying solely on email. A conversation makes it much easier to build rapport, understand what the client actually needs and develop a genuine relationship. For me, good client relationships are built on being approachable, responsive and available when clients need you.

Some of my strongest client relationships have developed over many years, built on being consistent, approachable and responsive. The key is understanding that the relationship is about more than just completing the audit or meeting a filing deadline; it’s about getting to know the client, understanding their business, and being someone they feel comfortable contacting when they have a question or a problem.

Solving Problems, Building Trust

The problem-solving side of the role is probably the most satisfying. I enjoy taking a complicated issue, understanding what’s really going on and working with the client to find a practical solution, and I also enjoy seeing how clients and their businesses develop over time. What stands out most to me about being part of both my team and the wider AAB organisation is the people and the opportunity to work collaboratively; there’s a real benefit in having different people with different areas of expertise who can work together to find the best solution for a client.

A recent example that stands out involved a client facing a tight deadline and complex compliance requirements, where the challenge was less about one technical issue and more about understanding the client’s circumstances and making sure everyone was clear on the priorities. My approach was to break the issue down into manageable steps, communicate clearly with both the client and the wider team, and reach a practical solution while keeping the client compliant. The greatest compliment I’ve received is simply maintaining longstanding client relationships; when a client continues to work with me over many years and comes back when they have a problem or need advice, that tells me they trust and value the relationship.

More Than the Numbers

One of the biggest challenges in my area is balancing tight deadlines with increasingly complex client needs, while maintaining strong relationships. Clients want a high level of service and practical advice, but there can often be a lot of competing priorities. I approach that by staying organised, communicating early and clearly, and making sure the team understands what needs to be prioritised. A common misconception about my profession is that accounting is just about numbers; the numbers are obviously important, but the role is really about understanding the story behind them and the people and businesses they represent.

My key strengths are problem-solving, technical knowledge, communication and relationship building, alongside a practical, common-sense approach that looks at issues from the client’s perspective. Looking ahead, AI is going to play a significant role in the profession, and I think embracing that change will be really important. Technology will inevitably change how we work, and I’m interested in how AI and automation can improve efficiency and allow us to spend more time adding value for clients, while retaining the professional judgement, experience and personal relationships that remain at the heart of what we do.