What defines a successful business model?

What factors do leaders need to consider in the design of their business model? How can they make it fit for purpose when seemingly everything around them is changing at pace?

Research has shown that a successful business model is shaped by the alignment of several core factors that allow an organisation to create, deliver, and capture value efficiently.  There are many variables that feed into this. Key factors include:

• clear value proposition
• strategic alignment of organisational design
• agility to adapt, and
• a strong, performance-oriented culture.

Clear Value Proposition

A clear value proposition focuses on “what the customer wants” and identifies the business’s unique selling point (USP).  Whether your business is in retail, hospitality, or professional services, this is constantly evolving as customers (clients) demand quicker, more responsive engagement and easier access to content/products.

Adopting technology enables businesses to deliver more quickly in a changing environment and ensure offerings can service the global market. As such, what may have been the traditional USP of 10-20 years ago – being cost – is now a myriad of USPs. 

This constant shift in the landscape of delivery and speed means that a company will need to re-evaluate its USP annually to ensure it remains fit for purpose. Ultimately, to achieve any sort of longevity, it must become synonymous with its brand. Otherwise, the USP could become redundant before they have mastered it.

Strategic Alignment of Organisational Design

Successful organisational design examines not only your teams and leadership, but also the processes that deliver your value proposition in an efficient and effective manner.  Processes are changing dramatically, hence the constant in the org design should be leadership for at least 3 years, but longer if possible.  However, ultimately, it can be held that strategic organisational design can no longer be accurately forecast for more than 3 years, as roles and responsibilities within the leadership team evolve as the wider business landscape changes.  As we have offered in other articles, the C-suite is changing. (see here>>>) This needs to be reviewed for each new strategy to ensure the focus is on the correct roles.  3 years is the old 10 years in a business life cycle.

Agility to Adapt

This “condensing of strategy time frames” addresses the absolute need for a company to be agile to adapt.  This is perhaps the most crucial characteristic for companies today.  As the business environment around us changes at a rapid pace, with technology, AI, 24/7 demands and the socio-economic environment, companies need to ensure they are constantly open to iterative design.  Rather than a “set it and forget it” approach, effective models must be updated regularly.

Companies must also ensure a level of resilience not seen previously.  The ability to withstand “black-swan” events and market volatility is essential, once again suggesting that the operating models we see today will not be the same in 10 years’ time.

A Strong, Performance-oriented Culture

A performance-oriented culture should consistently promote accountability and align with the company’s strategic goals.  The culture will likely be value-led and value-driven, and it is widely held that values should remain constant in an organisation for 5 – 8 years before they need to be reviewed and tweaked, if necessary.  However, if the selection of those values has been done in a manner to underpin the brand, ethos and desired culture in an organisation, the tweaks will be limited. As such, this may be the factor that WILL remain consistent in 10 years time.

This final factor is perhaps the one that will have the greatest longevity in today’s operational and business model setup.  Hence, it is critical that entities spend the time “getting this right”.

Final Thoughts

In short, to ensure a company remains agile and alert to a changing environment, it is appropriate to set strategies for no more than 5 years, ideally 3.  Business models that work today will likely not be fit for purpose in 10 years time, so plan to change and build in resilience markers to ride the stormy waters of change. Personnel and leadership skill sets may warrant ongoing review as the environment continues to change.

Barden Executive Search

Barden partners with Boards and executive teams to appoint leaders and build future-ready organisations. Our founders and senior leaders work directly with clients, bringing first-hand experience of scaling businesses and driving growth. Reach out to ed.heffernan@Barden.ie to connect. Your Leaders, found by Ours.

Barden are proud to be working exclusively with a global manufacturing/technology organisation to identify an ambitious and smart financial accountant to join their well-established and highly collaborative finance team.

The successful person will work closely with the Finance Manager on a range of tasks including month-end reporting, variance analysis and ad-hoc project work. This person will get broad exposure across the global business while liaising with multiple teams across finance and beyond.

Responsibilities include:

• End-to-end accounting for your assigned entities within the EMEA region;
• Preparation of the month-end and quarter-end reporting processes;
• Completion of variance analysis and related reports for your entities;
• Liaise with internal and external auditors and support the audit process by providing timely and accurate information and data;
• Assistance with Corporate tax, VAT and payroll tasks;
• The development of strong relationships with key stakeholders across the business;
• Ad-hoc projects as required.

About the person:

• Recently qualified accountant with 1/2 years’ PQE;
• Experience in a multinational environment is a strong advantage but not essential;
• Strong Excel and systems experience;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong team player with the ability to interact with stakeholders at all level of the organisation.

Curious? Feel free to get in touch with Siobhán Sexton in Barden (siobhan.sexton@barden.ie) for more information.

Barden are delighted to be supporting our key client who are currently seeking a Corporate Finance Professional to take on a senior role within their inhouse Corporate Development Team.

This is a highly strategic role, where you will gain access to divisional Leaders, helping them source and identify growth opportunities through M&A. Organic growth remains the primary objective of the business which is to be complimented my M&A activity in the next 3-5 years.

Reporting to a high calibre leader, you will have a lot of autonomy in partnering and communicating with senior stakeholders.

This is an ideal role for someone with previous Corporate Development experience, or someone at a senior level within professional services (Corporate Finance, M&A, Transaction Services) who would appreciate a more predictable work flow.

Sound interesting? Please reach out directly to Denis Galvin (denis.galvin@barden.ie) or Caroline Frawley (caroline.frawley@barden.ie) for a confidential discussion.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Conduct research to identify market trends, growth opportunities, and competitive threats.
• Support strategy development, business transformation, and long‑term planning.
• Assist in M&A, partnerships, and strategic investments through analysis, modelling, and due diligence.
• Prepare board materials, business cases, and decision‑support presentations.
• Contribute to integration tracking, cross‑team collaboration, continuous learning, and skill development.

ABOUT THE PERSON

Barden are thrilled to be supporting a large Multinational business with a significant presence in Cork to identify a Finance Manager to join a team of best-in-class finance professionals.

Working closely with local and international finance leaders, this business has an excellent reputation in the market and ambitious plans for further expansion in Cork. This role will have a strong focus on accounting, controls, and financial reporting activities as well business partnering with cross functional teams. This role will offer variety and further progression for the right person.

The successful candidate will be a natural leader, be technically strong and will be confident operating in a fast-paced environment.

This is a great opportunity to join a leading global business at a senior level. If this sounds interesting, please get in touch – caroline.frawley@barden.ie or my colleague Denis Galvin (denis.galvin@barden.ie)

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Responsibility for accurate and timely month-end, quarterly and year-end reporting in respect of multiple legal entities
• Analysis of variances and overall results, investigating material trends to assist business performance
• Take on a lead role in the preparation of statutory accounts and management of the external audit
• Active partnering with appropriate stakeholders in wider finance, tax and the business for successful solutions and change implementation
• Driving high impact standardization and improvement of processes and controls to ensure the highest integrity in statutory financial statements
• Provide mentorship and support to a well-established Finance team

ABOUT THE PERSON

• Qualified Accountant with 5 – 10 years PQE
• Proven experience in leading teams, both directly and remotely, with effective people management skills.
• Proven ability to influence at all levels in the organization
• Positive attitude with a high level of personal integrity
• Organised and efficient personality, positive attitude
• Ability to prioritise workload to meet deadlines

ROLE:                               Financial Systems Assistant Manager

REPORTING TO:             Financial Systems Senior Manager

LOCATION:                      Dublin

A global organisation undergoing a finance EPM implementation is seeking a ‘Financial Systems Assistant Manager’ to join its centralized finance team. The business is moving to a next‑generation cloud‑based EPM platform, and this role offers the opportunity to play a key part in shaping future‑state reporting, controls and system capabilities for a large, multi‑national group.

 ABOUT THE ROLE:

As Financial Systems Assistant Manager, you will act as a bridge between core finance, systems and the reporting teams, ensuring the organisation has the tools and insights needed for accurate, timely external and internal reporting. You will support ongoing system enhancement work, help define future reporting needs, and contribute directly to a major transformation programme in the EPM space.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Support end users in resolving system issues during key reporting cycles.
• Translate accounting and reporting requirements into practical system solutions across Oracle‑based applications.
• Act as a key contact for finance stakeholders to identify future reporting needs and support solution design.
• Apply accounting knowledge to system and process design while sharing insights with systems‑focused colleagues.
• Lead or contribute to project working groups delivering BAU enhancements and strategic system change.
• Mentor and support junior team members to develop their capability and confidence.

 ABOUT THE PERSON:

Education and Experience:

• Degree‑qualified with relevant postgraduate or technical training in business, finance, engineering or IT.
• Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) with strong post‑qualification experience.
• Strong understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting (US GAAP / IFRS advantageous).
• Experience in large, complex, multi‑site or multinational organisations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong time‑management capability and ability to deliver within tight deadlines.

An established and growing Irish company is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Accounts Assistant to join its finance team.

Operating within a project-led environment, the organisation delivers large-scale works across residential and commercial settings nationwide. With continued growth and expansion, this is an exciting opportunity to join their growing and supportive team.

This is a key finance position with responsibility for managing the accounts receivable function, while also supporting accounts payable and some general office administration. You will play an important role in maintaining accurate financial records, supporting internal departments, and ensuring smooth day-to-day operations.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

• Managing customer invoicing and payment collection
• Recording and allocating payments accurately
• Liaising with internal departments to facilitate billing processes
• Preparing weekly debtor reports for senior finance management
• Reconciling customer accounts and resolving discrepancies
• Responding to customer enquiries in a professional and timely manner
• Supporting accounts payable with invoice processing, relevant tax payments, and creditor reconciliations
• Assisting with general office administration and ad hoc finance tasks as required

ABOUT THE PERSON:

• Accounting Technician qualification (an advantage)
• At least 1-2 years’ experience in an accounts receivable, accounts payable or similar accounting role
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• A proactive, team-oriented approach

There’s a lot to be done before you send out your CV. In this article, we help you lay a strong foundation for a successful career search.

There’s a big difference between job-hunting and career planning. The former is essentially a numbers game – send your CV to a sufficient number of would-be employers and you will likely secure an interview.

Career planning, on the other hand, is finding that one potential employer who will help you develop both personally and professionally, and move you closer to your ultimate career goal. Finding this employer, securing an interview and then impressing her or him enough to secure the role takes a lot of advance planning – most of which should be done long before the search begins.

So, whether you’re in your training contract or working happily with your current employer in a post-qualified role, work on the following career projects even if you don’t envisage a career move in the near future.

Set Expectations

We live in a world of increasingly high expectations. Whether it’s parents “encouraging” their kids to achieve a certain academic standard, or friends sharing their “perfect” lives on social media, there’s unprecedented pressure on people nowadays to “achieve” in all aspects of life.

However, success means different things for different people and as you start out in your career, it’s vital that you set your own expectations and work hard to exceed them. If you choose roles that challenge your talents and strength and push you just outside your comfort zone, you will continually grow and improve. The key is to define your own career path and pursue it with passion and enthusiasm.

The best time to build alliances is when you don’t need them. Too often, people seek guidance, or help, without giving any in advance which could lead people to perceive you as being more of a taker than a giver. As a young accounting professional, you should attend industry events, engage with colleagues, and leverage the knowledge and experience of recruitment consultants and mentors. Use these encounters to offer something to the people you meet – make an introduction or share an interesting article, for example – as doing something small now will increase the likelihood of that person doing you an even greater favour in return in the future, even if they didn’t ask for help in the first place. This is the fundamental principle of reciprocity, something all professionals should understand and practise.

Build Your Personal Brand

LinkedIn has become the standard for accounting professionals in pitching their talents, skills and expertise. The CV remains a fundamental part of the job application process, but its digital cousin is often the first port of call for any would be employer. In fact, the internet in general is the hiring manager’s most used tool in researching individual candidates.

With that in mind, set about building your brand now. Lock down your personal social media accounts, such as Facebook and Instagram, and review all content on traditionally more open platforms such as X/Twitter to ensure your brand won’t be tarnished by a tweet from 2017.

Then, share career-related content to demonstrate your passion for your work and conduct an audit of your LinkedIn profile. It should be full of keywords, recommendations and activity that put you at the top of any recruiter’s, or hiring manager’s, list when they advertise a particular role.

Leverage LinkedIn

Use these tips to fine-tune your LinkedIn profile…

• Include all dates of employment and ensure that the content on LinkedIn validates the content on your CV and vice versa. Any anomalies or gaps will cast doubt on your authenticity.
• Include keywords that are relevant to the roles and companies you’re interested in. Doing so will give you the best chance to be discovered.
• Detail some of the key weekly tasks that best represent your current role and could be deemed relevant to the career opportunities you’re interested in.
• Adopt a suitable style and tone when completing your profile. Be professional, but let a little personality shine through as LinkedIn is often your first opportunity to make an impression.
• Connect with former and current colleagues, and join (and contribute to) groups relevant to your role and ambitions. This will help raise your profile within your professional community.
• And lastly, include a professional picture – this is one of the most basic pieces of LinkedIn etiquette and is certainly worth the investment.

Finishing your training contract in 2026? Do you want to make sure you make the very best first step after qualifying? Do you want a coffee meeting with an experienced talent advisor; someone who is a qualified accountant, just like you (meet our Leinster team here>>> and our  Munster team here>>>)?

Do you want a little help to create your very own best professional future? No problem. Just drop us a line today on hello@barden.ie and we will take it from there. Simple.

We are delighted to be supporting a key client of ours to identify a Commercial Finance Analyst as they undergo significant strategic transformation programme. This role will suit an ambitious finance professional who is looking to elevate their career within a growing Irish business.

The Commercial Finance Analyst will play a pivotal role in being the main interface between Finance and the business as part of significant system transformation in relation to Pricing. There will be huge variety to the role including testing new system capabilities, shaping future finance processes and reporting structures, playing a key role in the system roll-out to the business and wider Finance teams through training sessions as well as monitoring data post implementation.

Reporting to a charismatic and personable senior leader, the Finance Analyst will be well supported as they build up their business and project knowledge. This is a highly strategic and hands-on opportunity for a finance professional who is commercially minded with strong analysis and business partnering skills.

If you would like to hear more on this opportunity, please get in touch – caroline.frawley@barden.ie or my colleague Denis Galvin (denis.galvin@barden.ie).

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Collaborate with senior stakeholders to achieve the objectives of Finance Transformation project
• Lead aspects of the testing phase by validating system changes and ensuring the delivery of finance ready reporting outputs
• Help shape future finance processes and reporting, influencing how new commercial and pricing systems develop
• Identify and implement value-added process improvements
• Deliver and support training for Finance and cross functional teams to embed new ways of working

ABOUT THE PERSON

• Qualified Accountant with 5+years PQE
• Demonstrate strong proficiency in Excel and systems.
• Excellent influencing, interpersonal and communication skills
• Team player with a collaborative style to working
• Ability to prioritise workload to meet deadlines

Our client is a new and fast-growing Irish organisation based in Dublin West. They are looking for a commercially focused qualified accountant to join their team as an FP&A Manager on a 12 month fixed term contract, with a strong view to permanency. The business offers flexible working arrangements with 3 days a week in the office.

The FP&A Manager will manage the financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting across the team. This is a high-impact role with strong visibility, partnering closely with senior leadership to support strategic decision-making as the organisation continues to scale.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

• Manage the annual budgeting and multi-year forecasting processes
• Develop and maintain robust financial models to support strategic initiatives and investment decisions
• Deliver monthly management reporting, variance analysis, and performance insights
• Enhance FP&A processes, tools, and reporting frameworks as the organisation matures
• Support business cases, scenario analysis, and sensitivity modelling
• Ensure data integrity and consistency across financial and operational metrics
• Contribute to board and senior leadership reporting packs

ABOUT THE PERSON:

• Qualified accountant, with 5+ years’ experience in FP&A, commercial finance, or financial analysis roles
• Strong financial modelling, forecasting, and analytical skills
• Proven ability to partner with non-finance stakeholders and influence decision-making
• Comfortable working in a growing, evolving organisation with changing priorities
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with ERP and planning tools is desirable

Barden is currently collaborating with one of Ireland’s most notable success stories to support the appointment of an Internal Audit Manager to join their team on a permanent basis.

Reporting directly to the Head of Internal Audit, this role offers an exciting opportunity for an experienced Internal Auditor eager to advance their career in a growing organisation that provides valuable exposure to a diverse business portfolio.

ABOUT THE ROLE

• Lead risk-based internal audits across the group.
• Manage audits end-to-end: planning, fieldwork, reporting, and follow-up.
• Manage and mentor a small internal audit team.
• Identify risks and recommend practical improvements to strengthen controls.
• Prepare high-quality reports for senior management and track remediation actions.
• Collaborate with external auditors, risk teams, and senior stakeholders.

ABOUT THE PERSON

• Qualified accountant, with 5+ years in Internal Audit.
• Proficient in verbal and written communication, as well as presentation skills.
• Demonstrate outstanding interpersonal and project management capabilities, along with the presence and authority to promptly secure the confidence and respect of the senior management team.
• Robust organisational and follow-up skills are essential, encompassing the ability to navigate competing priorities and consistently meet deadlines and commitments.