“Good luck is usually hard earned” – Barry Dempsey, Chief Executive, Chartered Accountants Ireland

Chartered Accountants Ireland members have always been lucky in that the “céad míle fáilte” or “hundred thousand welcomes” Ireland is renowned for are just as warmly reciprocated in their international business dealings when they travel. But good luck is usually hard earned, writes Barry Dempsey, Chief Executive, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

These successful dealings are the result of many generations of Irish people fostering and nurturing connections, with the US being the destination that has arguably had the most historically emotive pull on our people. 

Irish people have always looked across the Atlantic for new opportunities and there have been too many success stories to name. We are immensely proud of what our island’s economies have achieved there in all sectors and immensely grateful to those who have supported ventures and dreams over the decades.

As business leaders, the Institute’s members have experienced warm American welcomes from the organisations they have joined and interacted with. Equally, there is a strong tradition of US investment to the island of Ireland and this flow is strongly supported and serviced by our members. The expertise of our members also ensures that foreign investors can make informed decisions, optimise their investments, and achieve long-term success on this side of the Atlantic.

Chartered Accountants embrace change and constantly upskill to remain not only current but ready for the future. This ability to adapt has made Chartered Accountants true “difference makers”, cognisant of the need to balance fiduciary with societal and environmental responsibilities.

In the US, Chartered Accountants Ireland has built strong and enduring relationships with counterpart national and state representative accountancy bodies, as well as with trade and diplomatic representations from the island of Ireland in the US. This collective voice alongside global body membership means that Chartered Accountants from a small island like Ireland can have meaningful impact. As an EU member post-Brexit, Ireland is in a strong position to leverage business relationships stateside. Chartered Accountants are at the forefront of these new and existing partnerships. I am always heartened to hear time and again how highly regarded Irish Chartered Accountants are by those they work with overseas. This professional reputation for delivering high standards and a strong work ethic further enhances the opportunities for others. That many of them hold senior roles including C-suite across major banks, accountancy firms and large multinationals is testament to the respect they have earned stateside.

Today more than 700 members of Chartered Accountants Ireland call the US home. Not only is it their place of work, but they are embedded in their communities and economies. The Institute greatly appreciates the opportunities provided to our members to expand their career, educational and life experience, not to mention the benefits we get from these different perspectives when and if those members return home. Ireland’s Chartered Accountants have a strong tradition of supporting each other and paving the way for those who will come after them, wherever in the world they are. Our network of overseas member chapters develops organically and ensures new arrivals can always find support nearby. 

A third of those members in the US are aged in the 24-44 age bracket, demonstrating the appeal to and demand for talented people establishing and progressing their careers across a whole range of industries. While many Irish Chartered Accountants settle in the big cities, a significant number have settled elsewhere, ensuring an Irish Chartered Accountant presence in no fewer than 35 states from coast to coast and from north to south. As a member of Chartered Accountants Worldwide, the Institute, working through the CAW Network USA, provides access for members to CPD, networking events and opportunities with fellow members in the US. 

A dream or a five-year-plan have so often become a whole new life direction. Hard work, resilience, the right supports, and yes, a little “rub of the green” are surely common threads in the 700+ stories of Chartered Accountants Ireland members in the USA.  The link between Ireland and America is an enduring bond that we will certainly continue to enjoy for many years to come. The future is indeed exciting.