SPEAKERS' BIOGRAPHIES
To view the programme, the speakers and book the conference, please visit the Annual Conference 2024 Homepage.
MARK BARRETT is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) Fellow with RDJ. He has worked in tax roles in both industry and practice and has advised Irish and multinational clients on a wide range of tax matters. Mark is a past President of the Irish Tax Institute and a member and past chair of Main TALC. Mark is co-author of the Institute's publication, Revenue Audits and Investigations – The Professional’s Handbook.
RACHAEL BELL is an Associate Director with KPMG and has been part of their tax team in Dublin for over 8 years. Rachael has significant experience in providing advice under numerous tax heads to a wide variety of clients. Such experience includes advice in relation to succession planning, corporate reorganisations, financing structures and M&A. Her client base includes private, public and semi-State companies, large multinational groups and high net worth individual clients. Rachael’s experience also covers a range of sectors such as food and drink, agriculture, property, telecommunications and technology. Rachael is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
GRÁINNE BOYLE is a Partner in Matheson’s International Business Group. Gráinne practices Irish corporate law, with a primary focus on advising US and other international clients establishing operations and doing business in and from Ireland. Gráinne provides advice in relation to inward investment projects and ongoing corporate governance advice in connection with the day-to-day operation of Irish businesses. As part of this role, Gráinne acts as an external board advisor, and provides strategic advice on best corporate governance practices. Gráinne regularly advises multinationals in implementing global reorganisations (including post-acquisition integration and consolidation projects, spin-off transactions, and cross-border mergers and acquisitions) and on the complex legal considerations that can arise for Irish subsidiaries. As a result of her key relationship role with clients and international law firms in this location, Gráinne regularly travels to the US and was previously seconded to Matheson’s San Francisco and Palo Alto offices.
GABRIELLE DILLON, Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), is a VAT Director in PwC Ireland. She is a former director of Twomey Moran, a boutique taxation firm, and of VAT Consultancy firm Dermot O’Brien & Associates. She is the regular author of VAT Cases & VAT News in Irish Tax Review and is a member of the Irish Tax Review Editorial Board. Gabrielle has lectured frequently in VAT for the Irish Tax Institute and other professional bodies. She is co-author of the Institute's publication Value-Added Tax & VAT on Property.
RACHEL DILLON is a Tax Partner in EY’s People Advisory Services Team and is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) with over 20 years of Irish and UK tax experience. She is responsible for serving large multinational as well as private and indigenous fast growth clients across all sectors on all aspects of employment tax compliance, including expenses, benefit in kind, the remuneration and taxation of directors and employees, and the implementation of share award schemes. Rachel also provides assistance with Revenue PAYE enquiries and audits. She has extensive experience advising clients in relation to the international tax, social security and strategic challenges associated with global mobility. Rachel has worked both in-house for one of Ireland’s largest headquartered multinationals and with clients to design and implement tailored mobility and employment tax policies.
JONATHAN EUSTACE is a technology enthusiast and Director with Microsoft Ireland with responsibility for Small, Midmarket & Corporate business. He has 15 years of experience in business operations, channel sales management, enterprise software sales and cloud computing. He is focused on helping customers and partners drive innovation and impact with the Microsoft Cloud and help them unlock the potential business value that the era of AI represents. He holds a Masters in Management from UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Edinburgh.
FIONA MCLAFFERTY is a Managing Director in Tax Controversy in Deloitte Ireland LLP. Fiona is a practising Solicitor, an Accredited Mediator and Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA). She is a former Tax Appeal Commissioner, acting as the quasi-judicial decision-maker in all tax disputes. Prior to her role as a Tax Appeal Commissioner, Fiona was a Solicitor in the Revenue Commissioners for 15 years providing a legal service to the tax authority in all aspects of its business. She was seconded to the European Commission as a National Expert for a period in 2016. Fiona is the current author of the Capital Tax Acts published by Bloomsbury Professional.
DR. PATRICK MULCAHY is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and a Chartered Accountant (FCA). He is a Tax Director in the Financial Services Tax Department at PwC Dublin, where he is responsible for compliance reviews across companies who operate in the alternatives, aircraft leasing and insurance sectors. Patrick also lectures for the Irish Tax Institute and at Dublin City University (DCU). Patrick is Editor of Irish Taxation: Law and Practice, Volume 1, the Irish Tax Institute’s leading third level text.
KATE NEWMAN is a Director in KPMG’s tax practice. Kate has experience in advising a wide-range of clients including Irish headquartered public companies, multinationals, private Irish businesses, partnerships, and high-net-worth individuals. Kate specialises in direct tax advisory and compliance services. Kate’s experience covers a range of domestic and cross-border tax advisory projects including advising on group reorganisations, mergers and acquisitions, financing and refinancing and tax due diligences. Kate's clients span several industries, including Aviation, Energy, Real Estate, Retail, Hospitality and Professional Services. Kate is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and a member of ACCA.
FINOLA O'HANLON, BCL, Solicitor, Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) Fellow, Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), specialises in the area of wealth management and advises on all taxes associated with retaining and passing wealth. This includes advising on the tax efficient structuring of wills and lifetime transfers of wealth to the next generation. As a tax solicitor she also provides advice on tax issues arising for conveyancers and provides a support service to accountants and lawyers. Before specialising in tax, Finola worked as a solicitor, in general practice and with the Law Society.
OWEN REDMOND is Head of Financial Planning and Pension Technical with Goodbody. He has 30 years’ experience in financial services in Ireland and has worked in the areas of retail banking, private banking, financial consultancy, wealth management and stockbroking. He joined Goodbody in 2013 to establish Goodbody Financial Planning. His team specialise in cohesive financial plans designed to extract value and attain client goals. Owen has a MSc Degree in Financial Services and is a Certified Financial Planner.
MICHAEL RYAN is a Partner with Gara Ryan and has over 25 years’ tax experience. During that time Michael has advised clients across several sectors including property investment, property development, hospitality, pharmaceutical, telecoms and retail. He advises individuals in relation to optimum asset and business holding structures in the context of business exit planning and long-term wealth preservation strategies, and on corporate transactions/MBOs on both the buy and sell sides. Michael qualified with a Big 4 firm, before moving to a mid-sized firm as a partner for some years. He co-founded Gara Ryan, a specialist tax-advisory firm, 12 years ago. Michael has lectured on taxation matters for the Irish Tax Institute. He is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) and a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
ÚNA RYAN is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) and an associate of the Institute of Corporate Governance (ICG). Úna is a Tax Director within Grant Thornton’s Transactions Taxes Department. Úna has extensive experience in advising companies in dealing with the natural progression of a business over an individual’s lifetime such as trade incorporation, expansion, transfer to a successor and/or sale to a third party. She also has experience advising clients in relation to corporate reorganisations, pre-sale structuring and tax planning including due diligences for both buy/sell side, domestic/international entities and with private equity/corporate investors. Úna is a graduate of UCD and UCC where she completed her BCL and Masters in Law (LLM) respectively. Úna provides in-house training in Grant Thornton and contributes to the Irish Tax Institute’s CPD programme regularly.
MARY FAHEY of Chill with Mary is a Certified Wim Hof Method (WHM) Instructor. Prior to qualifying as an Instructor, Mary was in senior management in banking, having worked in the financial services sector until 2021. Having felt how the method has enhanced her physical well-being, mental clarity, and overall sense of balance, Mary is passionate about sharing the empowering techniques with others through her classes and workshops. She is also a Certified Professional Coach.