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Barden and CASSI are delighted to bring you the not-to-be-missed FAE Careers Evening taking place on Thursday, 16th April 2026.
What is the event all about?
The Barden & CASSI FAE Careers Evening 2026 is designed specifically for FAE students to answer any questions they might have about their professional futures. The evening has been structured to ensure CASSI members get access to the right information at the right time so that when they qualify, they can make informed decisions about their professional future.
Those who attend will also have the opportunity to ask any questions they might have about their professional future and visit a variety of Barden information stands to speak directly to Barden’s highly experienced newly qualified careers team.
Who is it for?
This event is for those who have passed FAEs and are approaching the end of their training contract. It is also open to recently qualified accountants. The event is free of charge, but registration is required. Get your tickets here>>>
On the night, you’ll gain insights from:
- Andrew McDonnell | Group Financial Controller and Director of Financial Control & Operations | World Rugby
- Rebecca Meehan | Tax Manager | Gartner
- Paulina Gorynska | Management Accountant | SKY Leasing
- Evie Martin | Group Financial Accountant | Grafton Group
- Brian O’Connor ACA | Partner | Accounting & Finance | Recently Qualified Appointments | Barden Leinster
- Niall O’Keeffe ACA | Business Lead | Recently Qualified Accountants and Aircraft Leasing Advisor | Barden Leinster
Andrew McDonnell | Group Financial Controller and Director of Financial Control & Operations | World Rugby
Andrew McDonnell is Group Financial Controller and Director of Financial Control & Operations at World Rugby. He has over two decades of experience across Big Tech, FMCG, Fintech, and sports, with a background in financial control, regulatory reporting, and M&A.
Andrew spent nearly a decade at Google across a series of senior roles, including Financial Controller for Platforms, Ecosystems & Payments EMEA, where he held CFO responsibilities for regulated payment services firms in Ireland and the UK. He also led international M&A integrations and global entity liquidation programmes across Alphabet’s portfolio. Prior to Google, he held finance roles at Lion Co in Melbourne and Monster in London, and began his career at KPMG, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant having passed his FAE exams at the first attempt.
Rebecca Meehan | Tax Manager | Gartner
Rebecca started her career in Grant Thornton, working on the International Corporation Tax team for 5 years. After achieving her ACA qualification in 2023, followed by her CTA qualification in 2024, she left Grant Thornton to join the Dalata Hotel Group as a Tax Accountant.
She spent 1.5 years in Dalata, gaining invaluable experience across the business’ finance function. Rebecca left Dalata in early 2026 in order to take up the position of Global Tax Manager at Gartner, where she specialises in US inclusion taxes, Country-by-Country Reporting and Pillar Two.
Paulina Gorynska | Management Accountant | SKY Leasing
Paulina is a qualified ACA Chartered Accountant with extensive experience in Aviation Finance Audit, Financial Reporting, and Aircraft Leasing Operations.
Having completed a training contract with KPMG, where she led audits for industry giants such as AerCap, Paulina transitioned into industry to join SKY Leasing as a Management Accountant. In this role, she manages the full spectrum of leasing activities, including month-end closings, cashflow forecasting, and asset-level financial reporting while dealing directly with global airlines. Paulina is eager to share her insights on navigating the leap from Big 4 audit to a fast-paced operational role within the leasing sector.
Evie Martin | Group Financial Accountant | Grafton Group
Evie Martin is a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Evie began her career with the Central Bank of Ireland, where she spent three and a half years as part of the Management Accounting team. During this time, as part of the Central Bank of Ireland Scholarship Programme, she completed her degree, graduating with a first-class honours in Finance and Accounting.
She subsequently joined Deloitte Dublin in the Audit & Assurance department, completing her training contract and gaining extensive experience working with clients across the IT, technology, and aviation sectors.
Following the completion of her training contract, Evie moved into industry and took up the role of Group Financial Accountant with Grafton Group plc.
Brian O’Connor ACA | Partner | Accounting & Finance | Recently Qualified Appointments | Barden Leinster
Brian O’Connor ACA is a Partner leading the Accounting & Finance Recently Qualified Appointments practice of Barden’s talent advisory and recruitment firm in Leinster.
After completing his BComm and MAcc at UCD, Brian completed his training contract with Deloitte’s FS Audit team. There, he worked on fund and reinsurance audits and achieved his ACA qualification. Post-contract, Brian moved to Melbourne, where he diversified his experience through various industry roles, including financial reporting, project accounting, and fixed assets.
After returning from Australia in January 2020, Brian decided to leverage his ACA qualification in an advisory capacity by joining Barden. He was promoted to Partner in January 2026 and assumes a leadership role, guiding the Recently Qualified Accountants practice with a blend of expertise, insight, and a commitment to delivering excellence. These values extend to serving clients, newly qualified accountants and our partners in CASSI and Chartered Accountants Ireland as well as fostering a culture of growth and collaboration within the Barden team.
Niall O’Keeffe ACA | Business Lead | Recently Qualified Accountants & Aircraft Leasing Advisor | Barden Leinster
Niall O’Keeffe ACA is a Business Lead in the Accounting & Finance Recently Qualified Appointments practice and Aircraft Leasing Advisor at Barden’s talent advisory and recruitment firm in Leinster.
Niall successfully qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2021, having completed his training contract with the Audit team in Deloitte Ireland. Before this, Niall completed an accounting degree and an accounting master’s at University College Cork.
Niall works directly with the recently qualified team in Dublin to support recently qualified accounting professionals in Leinster. He also specialises in careers in the aircraft leasing sector.