Who I Help

Small and family businesses. Large retail companies. Hospitality. Construction, Motor Trade and road works companies. Professional practices, including engineers, architects, quantity surveyors and solicitors. Auctioneers. Medical professionals, including doctors, surgeons, physiotherapists and dentists. Clients at every stage, from start-up to succession. Irish businesses expanding operations into the USA, and US-based business owners managing their Irish financial affairs.

How I Help

General business advisory. Tax planning and compliance. Audit. Mediation. Succession and exit planning. Staff development and practice leadership.

“Some people say I think outside the box – but I don’t even see the box.”

Tomás O’Connor is a Partner at AAB, based in Cork. Qualified in both tax and audit, and also a trained mediator, Tomás describes himself as a general practitioner, bringing 23 years of broad business experience to a client base that spans small businesses to some of the country’s largest retail, hospitality, construction and professional services businesses. Tomás is known for his approachability, his straight-talking advice, and his focus on developing the people around him.

Sectors/Support

Retail. Hospitality & Hotels. Construction & Road Works. Automotive. Engineering. Architecture. Legal Practices. Medical & Dental. Auctioneers. Family-Owned Businesses. Agriculture. Environmental. USA Businesses.

A General Practitioner at Heart

I would describe myself as a generalist with a broad range of experience. I am qualified in taxation here in Cork, qualified as an auditor, and I also hold a qualification in mediation. Within AAB, I run the Cork office alongside Oriel, ensuring everyone is working towards the same goals.

There is no single type of client we work with. We act for everyone, including major retail companies, hotels, construction firms and road works contractors. We also have one of the largest legal client bases in the region, supporting more than 20 solicitors’ practices, along with a strong base of doctors, surgeons and dentists. It is a genuinely broad client base, and that variety is what I enjoy most about the role.

Built on Trust, Not Transactions

I build relationships with clients by being accessible rather than relying on email. I prefer to talk things through directly, and clients can reach me between eight in the morning and eight at night to discuss any issues that arise. This accessibility is central to how I work. I set out the pros and cons of any decision clearly, so that if a client chooses to take a risk, they do so fully understanding what that risk involves.

One example that illustrates this well involved a client we advised on a business restructuring. At the time, the client didn’t fully understand the structure we recommended, they stayed with us regardless. When a revenue audit followed some time later, the structure held up completely. It wasn’t until four years after the original advice that the same partner came back to me and said, “I understand now”, and from that point on, he had complete trust in us. They didn’t grasp every detail at the time, but they trusted the advice, and that client relationship has continued for over 20 years.

Strong Links with the US

Alongside our core client base, we also support a number of US-based business owners and high-net-worth individuals managing Irish assets, as well as American expats who’ve relocated to Ireland but retain financial interests abroad. These relationships have given the practice strong, long-standing links with the US, and it’s an area of the work I particularly enjoy.

No Man Is an Island

The most valuable lesson I have learned in my career is that no one succeeds alone; it comes down to surrounding yourself with the right team. I would describe myself as a committed delegator: I bring the work in, train people to a high standard, delegate accordingly, and stay closely involved with the client throughout. Earlier in my career, a senior partner told me that the key to his success was surrounding himself with people who were more capable than him in their particular area. I have applied that same principle here. Many people in this office know far more than I do about their own specialism, and that is what makes the team strong.

Growing People as Well as Businesses

The most satisfying part of working with clients is watching a business grow, whether that means supporting the transition to the next generation of family ownership or guiding a sale to an external buyer when the time is right. Helping a business move forward, in whichever direction suits the client, is genuinely rewarding.

Equally rewarding is developing our own people. We have supported trainee accountants as they progressed to become managers, directors and, in some cases, partners, and building those careers is something I take considerable pride in. If asked to name the greatest compliment a client has given me, it would be being told that I am not a typical accountant.

It’s a People Business

A common misconception about this profession is that it is primarily about numbers. It is not; it is fundamentally a people business. Some practitioners focus solely on balancing the books, but that is not the purpose of the role. It is about providing a genuine service: supporting clients, ensuring they understand their figures, helping them grow their business, and managing their tax position effectively.

The greatest challenge is keeping pace with change, which is why I rely on the expertise of those around me. My particular strengths lie in bringing in new clients and in keeping teams working effectively together. Each team member offers different strengths and personalities, ensuring everyone works towards a shared goal is no small achievement, and it is one I am proud of.

Ready for What’s Next

I would readily admit that I am not naturally drawn to technology; my focus has always been on people rather than systems. That said, I can see clearly where the profession is heading. Artificial intelligence will increasingly handle routine work, such as bank reconciliations and the preparation of accounts, meaning trainees will no longer need to carry out that groundwork in the way they once did. The challenge will be ensuring they can still interpret the results and explain them clearly to clients, including their tax position and how to reduce it. Technology will provide the answer; our role will be to provide the understanding.