The last Thursday of every September marks the annual Auditor Proud Day. Here at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore, we are taking the opportunity to reflect on our Audit team and the essential role they play within the firm’s offering. Joining us today is Head of Audit, Eimear Brown. Eimear joined the firm in 2021, bringing with her considerable experience in both Dublin and Belfast.
What does your role involve and what support do you provide to clients?
As Head of Audit the role is wide ranging, varying from staff training and supervising staff to reviewing jobs with clients and signing off audit opinions. In terms of the support we provide to clients, our audit team answers any technical questions that they may have and if additional non-audit specialist work is required my colleagues in the firm will work with them.
What made you pursue a career in auditing?
Typically most trainee accountants work in an auditing department during their training contracts and I was no different. Once I started, I really enjoyed the work, specifically the flexibility and the variety within it. What drew me to auditing and still does is that you are always learning, there is always something new to get to grips with.
Tell us about your training and career development.
I graduated from the University of Ulster, Jordanstown with a degree in Accountancy and started a training contract with a Big 4 firm in Dublin in 2005. That contract came to an end in 2009, just as the recession was really starting and despite numerous redundancies in the sector, my contract was extended and I was promoted to Manager in 2010. I stayed in Dublin until 2014 before returning to a big 4 firm in Belfast, before moving on to become a Director at a Mid Sized Firm. From there, I joined Baker Tilly Mooney Moore as Head of Audit in 2021.
What do you enjoy most about the role?
The things that I enjoy most about the role are working with a wide variety of clients, coaching the Audit team through the processes, and the technical side of things. I particularly love working with our Trainees as they start out on their career journeys – it’s always an exciting time.
What differentiates auditing from accounting?
At its most basic level, Auditing is checking the work, whereas accounting is the work itself. It’s the job of the auditor to ensure that the work of the accountant is correct. Both auditors and accountants have strict sets of standards that they need to adhere to so we all spend a lot of time in training and keeping abreast of all technical issues.
How has auditing changed in your time within it?
Auditing is always evolving with ever-changing regulations and increased regulatory scrutiny. There has also been a shift towards aligning auditors with the public perception of the importance of our role, we are now expected to take on more responsibility.
What are some of the biggest challenges of managing audits
In terms of auditing, scheduling work with clients is always a challenge. Our clients are extremely busy so we spend time with the client agreeing timings well in advance of the beginning of an audit. In the sector more widely, staffing is an issue, I’m very fortunate that I’ve a brilliant team here – highly motivated and experienced.
How do you see the role evolving in the future?
AI will become more prevalent. It’s early days yet in terms of what that involves. I don’t think any fears about it taking over the job fully are realistic, Audit will always require a human element and auditors skillsets will be required to change to adapt to this.
What advice would you give to an aspiring auditor?
My advice to anyone starting within audit would be to take everything in and to enjoy the experience. If you decide to stay within the auditing world, then it’s obviously a key learning period, but the experience will stand to you even if you decide to go a different way and specialise in a different area once you’ve qualified. For me, it’s definitely been the right career choice.