In the High Flyers spotlight this week is Eimear Brown, audit director at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore
What was your first job?
My first job was as a part-time waitress in a cafe which I worked in for seven years from when I was 14 and absolutely loved. I eventually had to give it up when I moved to Dublin to start my training contract in accountancy.
What qualifications do you have?
I have a BA hons in accounting and am a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
What do you attribute your success to?
My attitude and work ethic. I am a glass half full person who works through things calmly and rationally.
How would you describe yourself to someone who’d never met you?
As a family person. My family is my priority and I put them first over everything.
Who do you look up to in business?
I admire my cousin and her husband who have just opened their second café during Covid times.
How do you get the best out of people who work for you?
I try to be encouraging and give people the confidence to develop their skills and abilities.
If you could change one thing about doing business in Northern Ireland, what would it be?
I have been fortunate to work with companies across the world in my career. In Northern Ireland, we have brilliant entrepreneurial businesspeople and many fantastic businesses which have been created from scratch. We do tend to undersell ourselves, which can limit growth potential and I’ve often seen businesspeople seek good advice too late in the day. My recommendation would be to always involve your advisers early.
What website or app could you not do without?
Croner I – the bible for accountants! I would be lost without it.
What was the last book you read?
I love reading and get through a few books a month. My last was a psychological thriller called Do Not Disturb by Frieda McFadden.
What car do you drive?
Honda CRV.
Tell us something interesting about yourself?
I once put a roof on a house. I was volunteering with Habitat, who were helping families build their own homes, and when we arrived, we were told we were doing the roof. I think we were sceptical that we would manage it, but we did! And hopefully it’s still going strong 18 years later.
What’s your greatest passion outside work and family?
I have two children aged six and seven and work full-time, so I don’t have a great deal of free time, but we have a caravan in Newcastle and I love nothing more than getting down for the weekend and walking at Murlough beach. It is the nicest thing on a Friday evening after a long week.
