“I have learned to think and act fast, and get the best out of people”

My story so far: women’s career series

Having trained in Dublin, Sinead Murray, Managing Director of Redwood Ireland, spent 14 years in Guernsey before returning to Ireland, moving from practice to industry and grasping every opportunity that came her way

I remember sitting in the lecture hall at University College Dublin when the folks from the Big Four firms gave their “milk round” pitches. I didn’t know much at that stage, but I knew audit wasn’t for me.

I had enjoyed the tax module of my B. Comm course, however, so I decided to join KPMG’s financial services tax team as a trainee in 2005, qualifying as both a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor.

It was a brilliant training experience, and I have some great memories of those years. Coming to the end of my contract in late 2008, however, I wanted a change of scenery but with the onset of the financial crisis, secondments were few and far between.

KPMG’s Seamus Hand asked if I would be interested in relocating to Guernsey. It wasn’t a move I had in mind at the time. All I really knew about Guernsey was that I had one client with offshore funds there.

I decided to go for it and made the move to KPMG Guernsey in June 2009.

The work was tough but rewarding. We even got paid overtime! It was a much smaller tax team of about 40, and that suited me.

I provided international corporate tax services to banks,asset managers and insurance/reinsurance managers with operations in the Channel Islands.

Day-to-day, this involved tax structuring, operational tax, portfolio and exit structuring, investment due diligence and advising on substance and governance matters.

I worked with well-known private equity houses, launching repeat funds, and canvassed alongside senior leadership to attract new managers to the Channel Islands.

With changing tax and regulatory rules, managers using offshore structures had to be reminded that the Channel Islands continued to be an attractive option.

In all, I spent over 10 years working in a Big Four environment, with outward-facing roles in client and business development, and internal responsibilities focused on target monitoring and personnel matters.

New perspectives and reflections

I moved into industry in 2018, and while projects were highly demanding, it wasn’t the same kind of pressure as dealing with a client looking for tax sign-off on a transaction at midnight!

I gained a new perspective on work-life balance, and it was refreshing.

My last role in Guernsey was as Executive Director and Head of Tax and Governance at an alternatives asset manager. It was the busiest period in my career, but I enjoyed it.

I could work flexibly to a point, and good communication with my team and Chief Financial Officer meant this arrangement worked very well.

In that role, I designed and implemented a corporate governance framework. We standardised processes and the quality of board papers and investor communications. We also established procedures to ensure the roles and responsibilities of the various parties involved in fund structures were clear and well-documented.

Then 2020 rolled around, the global pandemic hit and our youngest child was 10 months old before we were able to bring her back to Ireland to meet her grandparents. Being forced to be away from home and the people we loved prompted us to reconsider our priorities. Ultimately, we decided to move back to Ireland in 2022 as a family of five.

Back in Ireland

In the three years since, I have to say I have found settling back into professional life in Ireland a little challenging.

I was well-established in Guernsey, and had built a network of people I could call on for professional advice.

“BEING FORCED TO BE AWAY FROM HOME AND THE PEOPLE WE LOVED PROMPTED US TO RECONSIDER OUR PRIORITIES. ULTIMATELY, WE DECIDED TO MOVE BACK TO IRELAND IN 2022 AS A FAMILY OF FIVE”

After being away for so long, my circle of people at home had naturally dwindled. As I have re-established myself here, however, I have to say I am extremely grateful to old friends and colleagues, many of whom are Chartered Accountants, who have been generous with their time when I have reached out to them for market insights and contacts.

I was appointed Managing Director of Redwood Ireland in 2023 shortly before we opened our Irish office.

Redwood Group is headquartered in the Channel Islands, and I had gotten to know the business before I left Guernsey. Its business model interested me.

Redwood was established in 2016 after the founders identified a gap in the market for high-quality outsourced services in regulatory compliance, company secretarial and corporate governance.

It was effectively competing with some of my old friends and colleagues in accounting and law firms. I was intrigued by what Redwood was doing and began helping with internal finance projects as the business was expanding.

This work gave me much needed flexibility as we settled into life in rural Ireland, and working with Redwood has been brilliant overall.

We launched in Ireland because we could see an opportunity in the market here as businesses grapple with an increasingly regulated governance environment.

Many are experiencing resourcing, service and quality issues and don’t realise you can outsource corporate governance. Those that do are sometimes tied to high-cost alternatives.

A big focus for me now is on educating and spreading the word that corporate governance can be a standalone outsourced service, and that good and proportionate corporate governance practices can be implemented at reasonable cost.

Redwood Ireland can fulfil the statutory company secretary function where required but will more typically assist with broader corporate governance areas, such as entity management, preparing board of directors and committee charters, mandates and terms of reference to clarify the role, function, substance and expected conduct and output of boards and committees, as well as inputting on board packs and minutes.

With the right wind behind us, I think we are well-positioned to succeed offering something a little different to Ireland’s corporate governance market.

Insights: 20 years on

It’s been 20 years since I was at UCD pondering my career options. To this day, I never doubt that becoming a Chartered Accountant has been the catalyst for my fulfilling career to date.

With hard work and some luck, I have progressed to senior roles that have challenged me, learning to think and act fast while also getting the best out of people.

Probably the biggest lesson I have learned, having experienced various approaches to leadership over the years, is the importance of treating people right.

As my career journey continues, I have to say I’d do it all again if I had to start over tomorrow—and I’m looking forward to this next chapter with Redwood in Ireland.

*Interview by Liz Riley