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Barden and CASSC are delighted to bring you the not-to-be-missed FAE Careers Evening taking place on Thursday, 26th February 2026.
What is the event all about?
The Barden & CASSC 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 CASSC 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 expert 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:
- Michael Sheehan | Chief Financial Officer | The Irish Times
- Martin O’Reilly | Manager | Xeinadin
- Avril O Callaghan | RTR Accountant | FMC
- David Collins | CASSC Chair 2024/25 | Audit Senior | EY Ireland
- Maighread Meehan | Financial Accountant | Musgrave
- Conor Murphy ACA | Consultant | Recently Qualified Accountants | Barden Munster
- Siobhán Sexton ACA | Associate Director | Recently Qualified Accountants | Barden Munster
Michael Sheehan | Chief Financial Officer | The Irish Times
Mikie is from Glanworth in North Cork. He went to secondary school in St. Colman’s College, Fermoy and studied Accounting in UCC. From there, he began his career at Deloitte, where he qualified as a chartered accountant and worked in the areas of audit, corporate finance and corporate recovery, while also completing various international secondments in Australia, the Channel Islands and the UK. He moved to the Examiner Group in 2013 following an industry secondment from Deloitte.
Following the acquisition of the Group by The Irish Times in 2018, he held various roles within the finance department before becoming Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in October 2020. In the intervening period, he has also held interim roles as Managing Director of The Examiner Group for 18 months, Group Chief Information Officer for 12 months, and, more recently, Group Managing Director for 4 months. He is also a member of The Irish Times DAC’s board of directors.
Martin O’Reilly | Manager | Xeinadin
Martin O’Reilly is a Manager at Xeinadin, based in the Blackpool office, where he is responsible for managing a diverse portfolio of clients across a wide range of industries and geographic locations. He provides a comprehensive suite of professional services, including accounts preparation, audit, and advisory support, alongside ongoing compliance and company secretarial services.
Prior to joining Xeinadin, Martin gained valuable experience at PwC in Cork, where he trained within the audit department. During his time at PwC, he worked with a variety of clients, developing strong technical expertise, commercial awareness, and a client-focused approach to delivering high-quality professional services.
Avril O Callaghan | RTR Accountant | FMC
Avril is a qualified chartered accountant from Cork. She studied Accounting at UCC and began her career with Deloitte (Audit) in the graduate programme, qualifying in 2023. Following her graduate contract, she moved to Australia for six months, where she worked as a finance lead for a start-up construction company.
She returned to Cork in December 2023, where she navigated the job market with Barden’s support and became a Financial Accountant at MSL, a mechanical engineering company. She spent 1.5 years there, gaining in-depth experience across a multitude of business areas.
After working in SMEs since leaving Deloitte, Avril was keen to grow her business knowledge, particularly in a multinational environment. As a result, she began looking for a new role, again with Barden’s help. She has been working at FMC as an RTR accountant for the past 7 months.
David Collins | CASSC Chair 2024/25 | Audit Senior | EY Ireland
David Collins is the 2025/26 chair of the CASSC and an Audit Associate at EY, specialising in Wealth and Asset Management. He graduated from UCC in 2021 with a first-class honours in the BSc Government and Political Science programme. David’s achievements include receiving the Breifne O’Callaghan award for youth leadership and being named the Department of Government and Politics 2021 graduate of the year.
Maighread Meehan | Financial Accountant | Musgrave
Originally from Waterford, Maighread completed an undergraduate degree in Accounting at the University of Limerick. After graduating, she joined EY, where she completed her training contract in Audit. After qualifying in 2023, she travelled and settled in both Australia and New Zealand, using the opportunity to work across different industries in short-term roles to broaden her experience and perspective, while also enjoying the chance to explore new countries. Maighread returned to Ireland in Q4 2025 and is now working with Musgrave as a Financial Accountant in their Group Finance team.
Conor Murphy ACA | Consultant | Recently Qualified Accountants | Barden Munster
Conor Murphy ACA is a Consultant in the Recently Qualified Accountants practice of Barden’s talent advisory and recruitment firm in Munster.
Conor holds a degree in Economics from UCC and an MSc in Corporate Finance. He began his career at KPMG in Cork, working in audit and completing his ACA exams. After qualifying, he spent four years in Australia as an accountant for a ski resort while living in Melbourne. Post-COVID, Conor relocated to London and transitioned from finance to recruitment.
Conor joined the Barden team in May 2024 to support Jonathan Olden in developing the emerging practices division and transitioned into the Recently Qualified team in November 2025. His background in Big 4 and industry accounting positions him perfectly to transition into this new role and advise recently qualified accountants on their next career steps. Connect with Conor on LinkedIn>>>>
Siobhán Sexton ACA | Associate Director | Recently Qualified Accountants | Barden Munster
Siobhán Sexton ACA is the Associate Director of the Recently Qualified Accountants practice of Barden’s talent advisory and recruitment firm in Munster.
Siobhán began her career by training with KPMG’s tax department, achieving her ACA qualification in 2017. Following her time at KPMG, she transitioned into the realm of recruitment, joining Barden’s Recently Qualified Accountants team in Dublin in March 2017.
In July 2018, her career took an adventurous turn when she embarked on an 18-month sabbatical to work and live in Canada. There, she gained invaluable international recruitment experience and also travelled to Southeast Asia and South America. Upon her return to Ireland in April 2020, Siobhán rejoined the Barden team, this time in Munster, where she has since progressed to the position of Associate Director, supporting recently qualified accountants. Connect with Siobhán on LinkedIn>>>