Tiarnan O’Rourke shares his experiences of joining our Insurance audit team at EY Financial Services. If you are considering a career in Assurance, read Tiarnan’s story and watch his short video at the end of this post.
My assurance journey began back in 2006 when I joined the graduate program of another Big Four firm. Having always enjoyed analytical and maths-based subjects it felt like accountancy was a complementary choice for me after completing an undergraduate degree in Economics. I was 12 years in financial services audit practice including a two-year secondment in Australia. I left practice at Director level to take up an industry role in a world-leading aviation lessor.
I really enjoyed the new challenges that working in a finance and operational role provided and I had the opportunity to work with top class C-suite executives in a growing enterprise which was professionally very enjoyable. Ultimately for me, I missed the variety and unpredictability that can be found in practice where you often work across several industries and clients and encounter a broad range of different problems that require solving and I was delighted to return to practice with EY in 2020.
I believe curiosity is fundamental to what we do as auditors; the yearning to understand, to ask the better questions and to assess and address risks. As Plutarch noted, “the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled”. If you have a questioning mind – then that is half the battle. It is always fantastic to see the collaborative effort that goes into a job well done and here in EY there is an unlimited space for learning, enhancing your skillset and looking to do things both smarter and better.
It is hard to overstate the importance placed on people here at EY. We have plenty of the best tools and technology but at the heart of what we do is people and relationships. This is constantly emphasised by the leadership in the firm and is evident on a day to day basis. There is a superb energy in the collaborative environment that is fostered through constant interactions within our teams, with our clients and with the wider community. Our people are placed front and centre and building engaging and collaborative teams is the thing that I most enjoy about our work.
The business world is dynamic with an ever-evolving myriad of challenges for our clients across markets, technology and regulation but we are always ready to adapt, stay open-minded and be flexible which is what makes our teams successful.
Having over 13 years of experience in insurance audit it is incredible to see how much change has occurred as well as what is on the horizon. After navigating a global financial crisis, increased regulation and the implementation of Solvency II in recent years – our clients are now facing into a global pandemic and the transition to new IFRS 17 & 9 standards. With these challenges and tremendous growth in our insurance practice, it is an exciting time to have joined EY and a great journey and compelling story to be a part of.
We are currently recruiting for a number of positions within our Insurance audit team – explore our current vacancies.
