Melissa Fenlon is Tax Partner with PwC Ireland, leading the team servicing tax clients in the southeast from offices in Wexford, Kilkenny and Waterford.

Fenlon grew up in Forth Mountain near Wexford town and studied business at University of Limerick followed by a master’s in accounting at UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

She qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PwC in 2012, and as a Chartered Tax Adviser the following year.

Fenlon went on to work with Datalogic for several years, latterly leading the Italian manufacturer’s shared service centre for EMEA finance, before returning to PwC in 2019.

She was one of six new partners admitted to the firm in June 2026.

QWhen and why did you decide to become a Chartered Accountant?

I decided while studying for my degree at University of Limerick that I wanted to qualify as a Chartered Accountant.

During my studies, I took part in a cooperative education programme with an accounting firm and found I loved the daily challenges, culture and team aspects of the work.

I also wanted to keep my career options open, with the aim of eventually moving back home to Wexford while also being able to maintain a rewarding career that would challenge me professionally.

I knew training as a Chartered Accountant would allow me to fulfil these goals; it is a wide-reaching qualification and an excellent basis for any long-term career in finance.

During my master’s degree, I decided to sign up for the tax exams as I particularly enjoyed the application of this type of client work.

I went on to qualify as a Chartered Accountant in 2012 and as a Chartered Tax Adviser the following year. I haven’t looked back since.

QDid you have a career plan at the outset?

I loved maths and finance-related subjects at school, but I wouldn’t say I had a set career plan until I returned to PwC in 2019 having qualified with the firm and working elsewhere for six years.

I came back knowing I wanted to become a partner in the firm. Up to that point, it was more important to me to keep my options open – all the way back to the broad business degree I chose as a starting point.

My own experience is that a career in accountancy and taxation does not at all reflect the perception people outside these professions sometimes have. My career has also been vastly different to my own expectations starting out – and I mean that in the best possible way.

My qualifications have taken me all over the world, allowing me to work in a broad range of finance and tax roles, ensuring my career has continued to evolve steadily and making me a well-rounded adviser to my clients.

QTell us about your current role: what does your work involve day-to-day?

I was recently admitted as a partner to PwC Ireland. As Tax Partner, I lead a team servicing a large portfolio of taxation clients in the southeast from offices in Wexford, Kilkenny and Waterford.

Managing this involves a lot of day-to-day client meetings, calls and interaction with my team, ensuring we are meeting our clients’ needs. I love seeing the team pull together in the same direction to achieve a shared goal. No two days are the same and the challenges keep me engaged. I really love that I get to work on interesting projects with a great team and local clients – and all from the place I grew up in the southeast.

QAmong the people you have worked with over the years, who has inspired you most?

I have had some really excellent mentors over the years, both at PwC and beyond.

The ones that made the strongest impression were those that took the time to show their appreciation for a job well done or reached out with a helping hand during a difficult time.

I always remember people who are respectful and appreciative of others’ time and effort. I keep this in mind when managing my own team today.

QTell us about some of the challenges you have faced as your career has progressed.

There have been several challenges (most unforeseen!) along the way.

At the start of my career, I found juggling professional exams, working life and personal commitments a real challenge. The experience really stood to me though; it made me more resilient, ambitious and determined to succeed.

Moving into more general finance roles and then back to tax practice helped mould me into a better, more rounded adviser.

I have definitely learned that the skills that are hardest-earned are the most transferrable – they will stand to you in the future.

QWho do you admire most in business or public life today, on the island of Ireland or globally?

I love working with homegrown entrepreneurs and founders in Ireland, especially in the southeast, and listening to their various journeys in business.

As their trusted advisers, we become part of our clients’ story – often at critical junctures, such as supporting the succession plan for a family business transferring to the next generation or advising on a large-scale management buy-out.

Working with these businesspeople inspires me every day. I admire them enormously for their bravery, resilience and ability to manage, lead and strategise.

QHow do you expect the role of the Chartered Accountant to evolve in the years ahead, and why?

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to the biggest shake-up of our profession in the coming years.

How we use AI to evolve as a profession will be determined in the very near future, but I see this as a really exciting time, and I do believe it will unlock untold opportunities for all professionals right across finance.

Q What is the best advice you can offer Chartered Accountants starting out in their career today.

Try not to think of your career as linear. Instead, think of it as a constantly moving curve that will continue to evolve and change as your life progresses.

Life happens and this will impact your plans, so make sure to keep your options open, speak up for yourself and embrace all of the opportunities that come your way.

Make sure you enjoy the work you are doing right now and don’t get too focused on the future. If you enjoy what you do, the path will eventually lead you to the right place simply because you will excel more on your way there.

QHow have your own early ambitions evolved and changed over the years?

Work-life balance has always been important to me. This has not changed but how I achieve it has evolved quite a lot over the years.

These days, I really value taking time out for myself and appreciate that having my own interests and passions outside work and family life is hugely important.

It helps me achieve the right balance and keeps me focused on what’s important, and this ultimately supports steady, consistent performance in my professional life.

Remote and flexible work didn’t really exist when I started my career. It is a gamechanger for me today as a working parent and something I appreciate and value hugely.