¶ Empowering Voices in Accounting and Sustainability
at the Moink Young World Summit we were given so much advice . One of the themes I was showing was that your voice matters . If it's maybe something in your company that you don't agree with or maybe a charity that you're very passionate about that you'd like to support , use your voice , build up the courage within and , yeah , don't be afraid to take action .
Hello everyone , my name is Evan O'Donnell . I work as a financial accountant and financial controller at Avery Denison in County Cork in the south of Ireland . So I suppose my journey to become a chartered accountant all started off at a young age . To become a chartered accountant all started off at a young age .
In national school there was always three exams every Friday We'd have the maths exam , an English exam and an Irish exam , and no matter what I get in English or Irish , I suppose maths would always generally be 100% . I had a great love for maths .
I really enjoyed , I suppose , the logistical thinking of it and anytime there was money at home I'd love to be counting it . So I suppose the idea of balancing and counting always really appealed to me .
I actually started off my secondary school experience or for the Leaving Cert cycle with five sciences , so I had biology , chemistry , physics , agricultural science and nutritional science . But it did a bit of a switch when I went into accounting because I got a great sense of passion and love of accounting from my accounting teacher in secondary school .
And then I did accounting and business for the Leaving Cert . I really enjoyed , I suppose , the concept of business kind of in a working environment the concept of business kind of in a working environment .
I chose accounting for university as well , initially because I wanted to be like my accounting teacher and teach accounting and business to secondary school children . However , when I was in the accounting program in University College Cork , it was a fantastic program . We learned about a variety of different subjects .
So we learned areas such as statistics , economics , both macro and micro . We learned about company law . We learned about different information systems and finance , of course , we learned about accounting .
So that really kind of , I suppose , spurred me on to choose to be a chartered accountant and I'm delighted that I've just become a Chartered Accountant as of this June . So I've completed my three and a half years experience with Chartered Accountants Ireland , where I've graduated with PwC Ireland . So I'm delighted .
I'd love to say that I'm making a difference as part of my volunteer work . I'm a member of the Irish Consulting Student Group so as part of this , I mentor college students so kind of first and second year students who are looking to place themselves into summer internships . I was delighted . I had a really enthusiastic student this year .
He was in first year of finance in UCC and he secured himself an interview and got the summer intern on his own bat . But it was great to be able to be in a position where you're able to give back and I was able to mentor the next generation as well .
Also , as part of my time at PwC , I was in charge of the food pillar of the PwC Ireland Sustainability Council , so we are working on reducing waste throughout the seven different offices in PwC Ireland .
So I think there's definitely a place that we can all play in terms of sustainability and making the world a more environment All right , this is One Young World Wake up , let's go . And more environment All right , this is One Young World
¶ Youthful Inspiration and Future Aspirations
Wake up , let's go . I think the One Young World was a fantastic experience . Looking back on it now , I suppose there's loads of different memories and highlights . I suppose two particular ones that come to mind would be the opening ceremony . So I was so fortunate to be the Irish flag bearer .
So this was the first day of the summit where myself and 197 other delegates were brought together for the day . We got to meet and greet each other and , I suppose , talk about our different traditions and our cultures . I suppose it was kind of forcing you to talk to people who you might meet every day .
We really broadened our horizon , I suppose , learned about our commonality and also kind of where we differ as well . So it's fantastic . I was able to walk with the Irish flag and wave it on the international stage , which was fantastic .
The second standout moment was I was very fortunate to be selected to be one of the 20 delegates that attended the basketball camp run by Jamil Finn . Jamil Finn is one of the first female Muslim professional basketball players . I think her ethos is so important .
You know , her mission is to encourage the next generation , especially young females , to participate in sport , stay active and ensure that they have their love of basketball , and so she runs basketball camps around the globe and it was fantastic as well to even see her and just encouraging others who hadn't tried basketball before , and just her love for the game and
her skill level was fantastic , but I suppose if I was to sum up my One Young World experience , one sentence was just a friendship I got . I've made so many different friends and I'm really looking forward to keeping and maintaining these lasting relationships .
I suppose at the Moint Young World Summit we were given so much advice and there were so many different workshops and presentations given and I suppose one of the themes I was shown was that your voice matters and you might be disencouraged by saying it's only one person speaking , but if it's one person being seen and showing visibility of making a change and
standing up for what they believe is right , this will have a rippling effect on to others and they'll also be inspired .
So I suppose , kind of having that courage within and being able to stand up , and if it's maybe something in your company that you don't agree with or maybe a charity that you're very passionate about , that you'd like to support , I suppose there's never no harm in asking and if you don't ask , you don't get . So I think it's very important .
I suppose use your voice and to build up the courage within and , yeah , don't be afraid to take action . In 10 years time I'll be 35 years of age , which is a very scary thought .
Hopefully I'll have a couple of young ones around the place and settle down , hopefully have my own house , I suppose I love kind of working in the corporate world and I'd like to climb that corporate ladder . So I'd love to be in a position where I'm in senior management , where I'm making business decisions , probably from like a top level point of view .
I think we're given voices for a reason Voices are so important and I think mine , like many others , are very important to contribute to , I suppose to business firstly and then to society .
I'd love to use my , I suppose , position , title , status kind of , I suppose , in a positive way , and I've seen so many other past Charter Stars use their voice tremendously , and I suppose Caroline McGregory , for example , she's done fantastic work since she's become a Charter Sir and I'd love to , I suppose , mirror probably my past Charter Sirs who've been so
successful in their jobs and , I suppose , using their voices as well , and so I'd love to , I suppose , use my voice kind of in a positive manner and in 10 years time , yeah , hopefully I'll be able to give back to society as well . I've been very fortunate , I've been given great support .
I'd love to kind of , I suppose , create more of a mentoring society for younger chartered accountants . So I'm going to mirror the quotes that Margaret Atwood gave us . So she told us to go for it , and I'd love to give that to the younger generation as well .
¶ Navigating the Path to Chartered Accountancy
I suppose , if it's for making positive change , if there's something you're passionate about and if it's something that you want to do , I think absolutely throw yourself fully at it . And if it's becoming a chartered accountant , it's definitely , I suppose , maybe a long journey , but the skills you learn as a chartered accountant you can't buy them .
It's just fantastic . It's life skills you're building . You're building great organizational skills as well . I think there's a stat , something like 90% of CEOs are chartered accountants .
So it's definitely a fantastic profession to have are chartered accountants , and so it's definitely a fantastic profession to have , and I don't think you'll be um waiting for any job once you're a chartered accountant . You're kind of slapped up like that and so I suppose , keep going .
The exams are a bit tough and grueling at times and it's definitely challenging with work as well , having different deadlines , but I suppose if you can keep your head and reach out to people and ask as many questions as you can , we all come into this space not knowing anything , and we're not nobody's an expert .
So I suppose , make sure you ask questions and that's probably one advice that I wish I had known sooner as well and even training in a big four company .
You might perceive yourself as being a bit silly or stupid asking a question , but if you don't ask questions at the start , it's asking a question , but if you don't ask questions at the start , it's going to be harder if you don't ask .
And , yeah , relying on your colleagues as well , I think it's important to have a strong network , and I think in the space as well , networking is so important . So definitely use your circle as well , like we have colleagues here for a reason too , and so build yourself nice friendships and study hard , and it'll all be worth it . Thank you .