Crowleys DFK Partner meets Minister Bruton

, ,

Crowleys DFK Partner and Chairman of the Ireland Malaysia Business Association, Vincent Teo, had the pleasure of meeting Minister Richard Bruton, Minister for Education and Skills, and Ambassador Eamon Hickey, Irish Ambassador to Malaysia, at Enterprise Ireland’s business breakfast in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 20th September.

Minister Bruton addressed the local network of business and education leaders for Enterprise Ireland’s business breakfast as part of his five day education and trade mission to Malaysia and Indonesia.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to greet an Irish Minister in my home country,” Vincent commented, “Congratulations to Ambassador Hickey and Enterprise Ireland on hosting a successful business breakfast.”

/by

Crowleys DFK Partner meets the Irish Ambassador to Malaysia

, ,

Crowleys DFK Partner and Chairman of the Ireland Malaysia Business Association, Vincent Teo, met with Ambassador Eamon Hickey, Irish Ambassador to Malaysia at the Embassy of Ireland in Kuala Lampur last week.

Vincent commented, “I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet Ambassador Eamon Hickey in the Embassy and for his continued support to our efforts in promoting bilateral trade relations between Ireland and Malaysia.”

“We plan to reach out to the relevant Ministries in Malaysia in the hope of hosting a ministerial visit to Ireland in the near future,” stated Vincent.

The objective of the Irish Malaysia Association is to support bilateral business links between Ireland and Malaysia. Crowleys DFK is a patron member of the IMA and is dedicated to supporting its development.

/by

Crowleys DFK Accounting Technician Trainee Showcased in Cork’s Evening Echo

, ,

Jacky Lorimer, Accounting Technician Trainee in the firm’s Outsourcing Department, is showcased in the August 14th edition of Cork’s Evening Echo.

Working 4 days a week in Crowleys DFK and studying 1 day a week in Cork College of Commerce, Jacky has been able to get started on her dream career as a result of Accounting Technicians Ireland’s “Earn as you Learn” scheme.

Read or download a pdf version of the article here.

/by

Crowleys DFK launches Overview Video on Foreign Direct Investment Service Offering

, , ,

Crowleys DFK is delighted to launch an overview video of the Firm’s Foreign Direct Investment service offering.

Edward Murphy, Partner and Head of Foreign Direct Investment and Siobhán O’Hea, Partner, Tax Services provide an insight into how Crowleys DFK can help foreign owned companies to set up operations in Ireland.

For more information on our Foreign Direct Investment service offering, please contact Edward Murphy.

/by

We are delighted to announce the merger of well-established Cork firm, Moylan Mulcahy & Co with Crowleys DFK

, ,

Pictured (l-r): Tony Cooney (Crowleys DFK Partner), James O’Connor (Crowleys DFK Managing Partner) and Harry O’Sullivan (Moylan Mulcahy & Co Partner)

We are delighted to announce that the well-established Cork firm, Moylan Mulcahy & Co, will merge with Crowleys DFK, effective from 1 June 2018.

The merger will see us welcome Moylan Mulcahy & Co Partner Harry O’Sullivan, along with 5 members of staff, into the Crowleys DFK Cork offices at 5 Lapps Quay.

James O’Connor, Crowleys DFK Managing Partner, commented: “We are delighted with this merger. Moylan Mulcahy & Co has an excellent reputation, in particular in the services it offers to the SME sector. With a natural synergy, not just in terms of services and sectors but also in work practices and values, this provides a major growth opportunity for both firms”.

Harry O’Sullivan said: “This is an exciting time for us. This merger with such a highly-regarded firm is a great cultural fit as the team at Crowleys DFK share our core value of delivering high quality services to clients. We look forward to offering our clients the benefits of access to additional areas of expertise as well as access to the global reach of the DFK International network.”

James concluded, “The merger further cements our reputation as one of the country’s leading SME business advisors for both domestic and international businesses.  We look forward to welcoming Harry and his colleagues to our full-service team.”

/by

A Trio Reunited

, , ,

Pictured (l-r): Pamela Nodwell (Manager, Governance, Risk and Compliance), Edward Murphy (Partner, Head of Tax Services) and Carol Hartnett (Manager, Advisory Services)

Almost 20 years have passed since Carol Hartnett, Pamela Nodwell and Edward Murphy started training together at Crowleys DFK. After qualifying as Chartered Accountants, their subsequent careers took them in different directions but the trio reunited recently and now work together again supporting clients from Crowley DFK’s newly refurbished Cork and Dublin offices.

Carol Hartnett, Manager, Advisory Services

Carol Hartnett joined Crowleys DFK as a trainee accountant in July 1998, having previously completed a BSc in Accounting in UCC.

“During my training contract, I gained a very good overall grounding in business. I was given lots of responsibility and had lots of interaction with clients from a very early stage. This experience opened up multiple opportunities for me in my subsequent career,” Carol stated.

Having qualified as a Chartered Accountant, Carol sought to broaden her experience by working in industry. She left Crowleys DFK in 2002 and spent the next 15 years gaining experience and building her knowledge and expertise with multinational companies including PepsiCo, McAfee and Hewlett Packard Enterprises.

“When I first moved into industry, I worked as a general ledger accountant with responsibility for multiple entities within a European group structure. Then, in 2007, I moved into software revenue recognition where I was a manager for the next six years. I frequently travelled to the UK and California. It was a very fast-paced and dynamic environment,” Carol explained.

In March 2018, Carol returned to Crowleys DFK, taking up a position as manager in the firm’s Advisory Division. The work is project-based which means she supports different clients on a variety of issues. This diversity is what attracted her to the role.

“I am very happy to have re-joined Crowleys DFK as a manager in the advisory division. There is great satisfaction in working with clients to help them solve issues,” Carol said.

Carol is the second former team member to re-join Crowleys DFK in recent times. Pamela Nodwell, who trained with Edward and Carol, before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2002, has also recently rejoined the firm.

Pamela Nodwell, Manager, Governance, Risk & Compliance

Pamela found that her pre-qualification training provided a solid foundation from which to further develop her experience and expertise as she progressed her career.

“During those early years with Crowleys DFK, I worked with a broad spectrum of clients across the public sector, financial services, retail and manufacturing. The experience I gained in accounts preparation, tax returns, audit and CRO filing has stood to me as my career progressed,” Pamela said.

Pamela subsequently moved overseas to gain international experience, spending five years in Bermuda before returning closer to home to take up roles in the Isle of Man and in Dublin. During this time, she gained extensive experience working with multinationals and developed particular expertise in governance, risk management and compliance.

With 15 years’ post-qualification experience under her belt and having held a number of senior management roles — primarily in the financial services industry — Pamela returned to Cork in July 2017, re-joining Crowleys DFK as a manager in the firm’s Governance, Risk & Compliance Division. She specialises in providing practical risk management, internal controls, compliance and process improvement solutions for clients in the financial services sector.

Pamela said, “It is great to be back and working in a division which Crowleys DFK has successfully developed in recent years”.

As well as serving clients, Pamela continues to focus on maintaining and developing her expertise. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a Licentiate of the Association of Compliance Officers in Ireland, a member of the Institute of Bankers and the Professional Risk Managers’ International Association and she is currently studying for a Diploma in Risk Compliance and Internal Audit.

“Crowleys DFK has a great culture for fostering professional development, and the professional approach and focus on client satisfaction that existed in the firm when I joined in 1998 continues to be at the fore. This, coupled with the friendly and approachable culture and ability to attract highly talented and skilled people, contribute to the continuing growth and success of the Crowleys DFK.” Pamela added.

Edward Murphy, Partner & Head of Tax Services

When Edward Murphy joined Crowleys DFK as a trainee accountant in 1998, he little imagined that twenty years later he would be a Partner in the same firm. Like his fellow trainees, Carol Hartnett and Pamela Nodwell, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2002 but unlike his colleagues, Edward chose to continue his career and studies in practice and qualified as a Registered Tax Consultant of the Irish Taxation Institute in 2005.

“I always enjoyed the diversity of working in a practising firm. There is great satisfaction in developing a deep understanding of clients’ objectives and being able to provide commercially effective solutions,” Edward stated.

Having risen through the ranks, Edward was appointed a Partner in 2006 and, today, heads up the Crowleys DFK tax department, supporting multinationals and indigenous organisations. He is delighted that his former colleagues Pamela Nodwell and Carol Hartnett have rejoined the firm.

“It is great that Pamela and Carol are back on the team.  They bring great expertise and experience with them which will strengthen the services we provide for our clients. Fifteen years ago, we couldn’t have imagined that our career paths would converge again. It’s wonderful to be reunited,” Edward said.

Career Success Attributed to Crowleys DFK Training

While their individual career paths took different routes, Edward, Carol and Pamela all attribute their career successes to the initial training and support they received at Crowleys DFK. The firm continues to offer excellent opportunities for individuals interested in pursuing and progressing a career in business. For further information, please visit our Careers page.

/by

Crowleys DFK Cork Office Revamp

,

Since being established in Cork in 1975, Crowleys DFK has witnessed the rapid growth of the city. Known as Ireland’s second city, Cork is the second largest economic hub in the country, with more than 20 financial services firms, over 150 FDI companies and a very strong indigenous SME sector. With an ever-growing University and Institute of Technology, new routes from Cork Airport and many new developments under construction around the city, Cork’s growth levels are showing no signs of slowing down.

Like Cork, Crowleys DFK itself has grown significantly in recent years.  Starting in business as a Sole Practitioner firm with 3 staff the firm today comprises of 6 Partners and over 70 staff with offices in Dublin and Cork.

The Cork office is located in Lapps Quay in the heart of the city and near the soon to be redeveloped Cork Docklands. Due to the firm’s growth the office space was unfortunately no longer meeting our current and long-term business growth needs. Not wishing to relocate and following on from the successful refurbishment of our Dublin office in College Green in 2016, it was decided that our Cork office would undergo a similar refurbishment.

In the summer of 2017, we began working with architect, Ellie Ross from GCA Architects and Designers and contractor, O’Sheas Builders. From inception to completion, we all worked in a very collaborative manner. As a result of this efficiency, our design goals were met within our tight 12-week building works deadline.

According to Colette Nagle, Advisory Partner and the project’s sponsor: “I am delighted to announce that the refurbishment is complete and we have moved back to our newly refurbished office. The open plan design facilitates a more collaborative and innovative environment for our employees, resulting in a happier and ultimately a more productive workplace.”

 

 

/by

Crowleys DFK has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification

,

Crowleys DFK has reinforced its commitment to excellence in client satisfaction, quality service and continuous business improvement by successfully transitioning to the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System standard.

According to Tony Cooney, Partner Governance Risk & Compliance, “We are delighted to have successfully transitioned to this new standard, which has been a real team effort by all our staff.  Quality and client satisfaction has always been at the core of who we are.  This achievement shows that we work hard to ensure our systems meet the very highest international standards for our clients.”

ISO 9001 is recognised as the world’s leading standard for Quality Management Systems.  Based on a number of principles including excellent customer focus, strong leadership engagement, improved effectiveness of internal processes and continual improvement, it is awarded to organisations who achieve high standards in a strategic and risk based approach to quality management and consistency of services.

Tony concluded, “The ISO standard is an excellent way for us to constantly improve our quality control systems and gives us the guidelines and procedures to ensure that quality and integrity is never compromised.  It is a cornerstone to the continued strategic growth and development of the firm in a changing marketplace.”

/by

Crowleys DFK boosts its leadership team

,

Crowleys DFK is delighted to announce senior promotions in our Tax, Public Sector and Practice Development Departments.

The partnership will be enhanced with the promotion of Siobhán O’Hea to Tax Partner

Pictured (l-r): Siobhán O’Hea, Partner Tax Services and Edward Murphy, Partner and Head of Tax Services

A highly-experienced tax practitioner, Siobhán has over 12 years’ experience in the areas of corporate tax compliance and planning, business re-structuring and the taxation of international businesses operating in Ireland. With specialist knowledge of all aspects of VAT-related taxes, Siobhán has particular expertise in domestic, cross border and e-commerce VAT as well as VAT on property.

According to Edward Murphy, Partner and Head of Tax Services, “Siobhán is a great addition to our partner group.  Her promotion further strengthens our tax practice across a range of sectors and markets. I see an exciting future ahead for our Tax Department.”

 

David Coombes is promoted to Director of the firm’s Public Sector Department

Pictured (l-r): David Coombes, Director Public Sector Services and Vincent Teo, Partner and Head of Public Sector Services

David joined the firm in 2006 and has extensive experience leading public sector financial and business advisory assignments in areas such as financial reporting framework implementation, management information system design, strategic finance support, risk management and governance compliance.

According to Vincent Teo, Partner and Head of the Public Sector Department, “David is highly regarded by our clients in the public sector for his exceptionally high standard of sector specific knowledge and expertise.  I look forward to working with David to broaden our value added solutions and help our clients navigate the increasing demands on financial reporting and internal control compliance requirements.

 

Kim McCarthy is promoted to Director and Head of Practice Development at the firm

Kim McCarthy, Director, Practice Development

A qualified marketing and business development professional, Kim has over 16 years’ experience working within the professional services and business-to-business sectors. She will be responsible for building and delivering the growth strategies of the firm.

She will lead a team of professionals who will support the partner group in building strong and trusted client relationships through innovative business development and marketing programmes.

“Kim has played a central role in the growth and expansion the firm has experienced in recent years.  We are excited about the new initiatives Kim and her team are conducting this year aimed at strengthening our presence and growing our business in core sectors as well as developing new growth areas.” Managing Partner, James O’Connor stated.

James continued, “These new leadership appointments are very exciting for the firm. Not only will they help drive our continued growth in a changing marketplace, they are also richly deserved.  All three have played key roles in our growth, and they have demonstrated incredible commitment to the firm.  Well-deserved congratulations to Siobhán, David and Kim.”

 

 

/by

Tax Relief for Assistance Dogs

, ,

Tax relief at 20% has now been made available by the Revenue Commissioners in respect of Assistance Dogs which are supplied and trained by an organisation accredited by Assistance Dogs Europe (ADEu). Assistance Dogs Europe (ADEu) are the European chapter of Assistance Dogs International (ADI), a worldwide coalition of non-profit programmes that train and place Assistance Dogs. The tax relief may be claimed in the following two situations:

Blind Person’s Guide Dog

Where a blind person maintains a trained guide dog, supplied by an organisation accredited by the Irish Guide Dog Association, an agreed sum of €825 may be claimed as a health expense by that person (i.e. total tax credit of €165).

For an individual to be eligible to claim this relief they must be entitled to the Blind Person’s Tax Credit and provide written confirmation from the Irish Guide Dogs Association that he/she is the registered owner of a trained dog.

A letter from the organisation which supplied the dogs confirming that the claimant is the registered owner of a guide dog should be submitted with the first claim and the relief will be granted for each year thereafter during which the person maintains the dog.

Assistance Dogs for Disabled Individuals including Children with Autism

If a person maintains a trained Assistance Dog, a sum of €825 may be claimed as a health expense by that person (i.e. total tax credit of €165).

To qualify for this relief an individual must prove that he/ she maintains a trained dog which has been supplied by an organisation accredited by the Assistance Dogs Europe. A statement from the organisation which supplied the dog will be sufficient for the first claim and the relief may be granted each year thereafter during which the individual maintains the dog.

Assistance dogs are trained to meet specific needs of their owner which can include the following:

  • Help their owner stand and walk by providing a stable base and forward motion
  • Provide warning of an approaching seizure or a fall in blood sugar levels, to allow the owner to take preventive action
  • Alert a deaf owner to a variety of sounds
  • Help a person dress/undress
  • Bark to raise the alarm in an emergency e.g. in the case of a fall/seizure
  • Retrieve items such as telephone/keys/a bag
  • Help the person/child to get out and about more easily and have a calming effect, especially for children
  • Detect danger or certain medical symptoms that the person may develop and give warning

For more information on the new tax relief available for Assistance Dogs, please contact Siobhán O’Hea, Partner in our Tax Services.

/by