Educating, leading and delivering on behalf of members will define the year ahead for Joan Curry, the newly elected President of Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Curry was elected at the Institute’s 138th AGM on Friday, 29 May, shortly after Chartered Accountants Ireland welcomed its 40,000th member—a significant milestone for the largest professional body on the island of Ireland.

Her election coincided with the publication of the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority’s Profile of the Profession 2025, which highlighted the strength of the Institute’s education and training model.

According to IAASA, 1,164 trainees progressed to membership of Chartered Accountants Ireland in 2025, accounting for 62 percent of all new professional accountancy admissions in Ireland—a clear signal of the Institute’s central role in shaping the country’s talent pipeline of finance and business leaders.

Pipeline of highly skilled finance professionals

“The IAASA figures demonstrate the critical role Chartered Accountants Ireland plays in supplying highly skilled finance professionals to organisations navigating economic uncertainty, regulatory change and technological transformation”, Curry says.

Since 2018, the ACA syllabus has undergone major transformation, integrating emerging disciplines such as robotic process automation, data analytics, cybersecurity, blockchain and accounting for digital assets.

The ACA programme is now also delivered using adaptive learning, which takes students on a personalised journey through each subject in the syllabus, tailored to their individual needs.

“This is a future-proofed approach to education and skill-building”, Curry says. “With final exam pass rates of 79 percent and strong progression from training to membership, we are meeting the growing demand for highly skilled professionals across the island”.

For many businesses, access to qualified talent remains a challenge, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), risk, governance and strategic change. The Institute’s flexible education model, with multiple enrolment points and class starts three times annually, is designed to meet these evolving needs.

Value of professional education

The value of professional education is deeply personal to Curry. Raised in Raheny in Dublin as the eldest of five, she discovered at an early age that she had inherited a “head for numbers”.

Her parents, neither of whom completed school, were both naturally numerate. Her mother worked as a bookkeeper. Her father, a warehouse manager, volunteered as treasurer for the local swimming club.

FOR MANY BUSINESSES, ACCESS TO QUALIFIED TALENT REMAINS A CHALLENGE, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), RISK, GOVERNANCE AND STRATEGIC CHANGE.

Initially planning to study commerce at University College Dublin, Curry changed course in response to advice from Frank McHugh, a family friend and Chartered Accountant. McHugh insisted that the best route into accountancy would be to train directly with a firm, working during the day and studying at night.

Curry took the advice to heart, wrote to every practice in Dublin, and secured a training contract with Smyth Lawlor & Co. (now JPA Brenson Lawlor). She qualified in 1988.

Her early career included several roles in industry with Nokia, then manufacturer of tissue paper and a big player in Ireland’s FMCG sector—before public service beckoned.

A career defined by public service

Curry joined the Department of Finance in 2002 as a project accountant, later moving to the newly formed Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in 2011. There, she led the Government Accounting Unit, building relationships at ministerial and senior official levels across Government departments and the wider public sector.

Her career in the civil service, including roles as Head of Corporate Services for the National Shared Services Office and Secretary to the Public Service Pay Commission, culminated in 2019 with her appointment as Head of Finance at the Department of Transport (which included Tourism and Sport at that time).

There, Curry led Vote and expenditure management and negotiated the annual budget on behalf of the transport sector. She recently took early retirement to dedicate herself fully to her role as President of Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Representing Ireland on the global stage

Curry’s commitment to public service expanded internationally when she secured a competitive appointment to the 22-member board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). IFAC represents millions of accountants in over 140 countries.

As a senior member of IFAC’s Planning and Finance Committee, she championed public financial management, the development of environmental, social and governance reporting, assurance frameworks and the value proposition for the profession globally.

“Representing Ireland at IFAC was an immense honour”, Curry says. “Bringing a public service perspective to global discussions was especially meaningful”.

Within Chartered Accountants Ireland, Joan was a founding member of the Institute’s Public Sector Committee, serving as Chair from 2018 to 2023. She was elected to council in 2018 and to the officer group as Vice President in 2024.

Life beyond the profession

Alongside her professional achievements, Curry has raised six children who are now pursuing careers in law, programming and chemical science—and there is a trainee accountant too. She takes great joy in their successes.

A keen amateur golfer, she is a member of Roganstown Golf Club in Dublin and Lahinch Golf Club in Co. Clare. Curry has represented the Institute at annual matches against sister bodies in England, Wales, Scotland and France. She recently completed a successful year as Captain of the Chartered Accountants Ireland Golf Society.

Global voice for profession and economy

As President of Chartered Accountants Ireland, Curry is determined to harness the scale and diversity of the Institute’s membership to advocate for the profession at home and abroad.

“Chartered Accountants Ireland represents members in more than 100 countries”, she says. “Our members work across practice, business, public service, academia and the notforprofit sector. Their global presence gives us a powerful platform to advocate for the profession and for Ireland”.

At home, Chartered Accountants are embedded in every facet of Irish life, supporting businesses that sustain local economies across the island.

“Our profession has been trusted for generations”, Curry says proudly. “It is vital that the Institute continues to represent this voice—shaping policy, supporting progress and strengthening our communities”.

Delivering Strategy27

Key for Curry’s year as President will be continuing to support Strategy27, the Institute’s threeyear framework, focused on:

• attracting and educating future talent;

• upholding trust in the profession;

• providing futurefocused member support;

• being a strong and effective voice; and

• helping members navigate change.

A particular focus will be the growing impact of AI on the profession and how Chartered Accountants can lead its responsible adoption—ensuring transparency, accountability and trust in financial and business decision making.

Curry will be supported in this work by Niall Walsh, a Partner with Deloitte Ireland, and Compliance Institute CEO Michael Kavanagh, who were elected Deputy President and Vice President, respectively, at the Institute’s recent AGM. She will also be supported by outgoing President Pamela McCreedy, whom she thanked for her outstanding presidency and the significant contribution she made to the Institute during her term. “I look forward to continuing to benefit from her counsel in the year ahead”, Curry says.

She further reflected, “during my year as President, we will continue to represent our members in a way that reflects the modern reality of what it means to be a Chartered Accountant. We will strengthen the pipeline of future talent, support our members through change, and continue to develop the business leaders of tomorrow”.

“OUR MEMBERS WORK ACROSS ALL SECTORS—PRACTICE, BUSINESS, PUBLIC SERVICE, ACADEMIA AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT— AND CLOSE TO 6,500 LIVE AND WORK OUTSIDE IRELAND, SUPPORTED BY OUR NETWORK OF OVERSEAS CHAPTERS”.