I have always enjoyed improving processes and understanding systems. Having been involved in a number of projects for implementing new systems, I grasped that accountants didn’t speak the same language as business developers. I wanted to close the gap and saw the value in working both behind the systems and with the systems.
When the opportunity arose to join eir as a systems accountant, I felt I had found my dream job. I’m learning coding, a skill that I suspect is likely to be essential in the near future for every accountant. Initially, I was heavily involved with SAP and master data; more recently, I have become a subject-matter expert with the new fixed mobile converged billing system. The goal is to roll out a fully automated solution between the bespoke billing platform and enterprise resource planning. As part of this, I am helping design a full suite of insightful financial reports, a process that involves dealing cross-functionally with IT, MicroStrategy and sales teams.
I work with highly knowledgeable colleagues and great mentors
All of this will come to fruition in the next six to 12 months. The real challenge will be in delivering these objectives in conjunction with a fast-paced and business-as-usual role.
eir is Ireland’s largest fixed-line and broadband provider, employing around 3,000 people. Headquartered in HSQ, Dublin 8, we have offices and depots across the country. Our mobile brands include eir Mobile and GoMo; our wholesale arm, open eir, is the largest in Ireland.
I enjoy learning, and there is a lot to learn in my role. It’s incredibly challenging but rewarding when manual workarounds are implemented, followed up with plans to design and implement automated process using the designated project delivery processes. I work with highly knowledgeable colleagues and great mentors. There are lots of opportunities for me to use my Excel skills and upskill. I’m looking forward to cracking Python and SQL.
I volunteered at the Special Olympics Winter Games in Turin, thanks to eir
I finished my final ACCA exams papers in 2011. I appreciated the flexibility ACCA offered as I had become pregnant after my first sittings in 2007. Thanks to that flexibility, I was able to fit all the exams in my busy schedule as a full-time working mum. ACCA is a well-sought-after qualification, which helped to open many doors.
I like to be outdoor as much as possible. I run a lot and participate in competitive races. It is not only physically rewarding but helps clear the mind and manage stress, something that comes with the territory of the accounting role from time to time. I try to travel as much as possible and, this year, started going to live concerts, too.
I like to help the community and I volunteer as often as I can. I’m a run director in Cabinteely parkrun, and I volunteered at the Special Olympics Winter Games in Turin, thanks to eir, which has also partnered with the Special Olympics Ireland for the past 40 years. I’m also a visually impaired guide runner.
The most important business lesson I have learned in my career is about measuring input vs output. A manager once posed a question that has stayed with me ever since: ‘Are all the efforts we put in translating into the outputs we expect?’ That question can be applied to many aspects of life.
