Leadership appointments often act as an early indicator of where demand is emerging, where investment is flowing and where businesses believe future opportunities will be found. Deloitte Ireland’s appointment of eight new partners across its technology and transformation; tax and legal; audit and assurance; and advisory businesses is a case in point.
Taken together, the appointments reveal a clear picture of the forces reshaping organisations today: artificial intelligence (AI), business transformation, workforce strategy, data, tax complexity, customer experience, real estate investment and the growing need for businesses to navigate an increasingly uncertain and fast-moving world.
For decades professional services firms built their reputations on deep technical expertise. That expertise remains essential. Yet clients are increasingly looking for advisers who can connect strategy, technology, people and execution to help them respond to rapid change and unlock new opportunities. The expertise represented in Deloitte’s newest partner cohort reflects that shift.
Of course, AI is now an increasingly embedded part of how organisations transform operations, engage customers and create value. The rise of AI is also creating new questions around workforce capability, leadership and organisational design, areas that are becoming boardroom priorities across every sector. At the same time, businesses continue to face growing complexity in areas such as international taxation, regulation and reporting. As organisations expand into new markets and adapt to evolving global frameworks, demand for specialist expertise continues to grow.
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Data is becoming equally important. The ability to harness analytics, strengthen assurance and build trust through better insight is increasingly central to how organisations manage risk and make decisions. In sectors such as financial services, where Ireland continues to play a significant international role, these capabilities are becoming fundamental.
As the world’s largest professional services firm, Deloitte’s partners work in areas where businesses are making their most consequential decisions. These appointments also point to the enduring importance of investment, infrastructure and strategic growth, and build on nine additional partner promotions made throughout the 2026 financial year, reflecting the firm’s continued investment in strengthening its capabilities across key growth areas.
They also offer a useful insight into what matters most to clients today: technology, talent, data, trust and growth. The organisations that can bring those elements together successfully are likely to be the ones that thrive in the years ahead.
Meet Deloitte Ireland’s new partners
Gavin Cullen: infrastructure and real estate (advisory)
Gavin Cullen specialises in advising large public and private corporates on complex real estate transactions, including acquisitions, disposals and capital structuring. He plays a key role in Deloitte’s real estate leadership team with a focus on large debt and equity raises.
Cullen is a qualified accountant with almost two decades of experience across all residential and commercial sectors, providing strategic advice to clients to support their growth and investment objectives.
Andrea Fouche: human capital (technology and transformation)
With more than 15 years’ experience advising clients on complex workforce and business challenges, Andrea Fouche partners with senior leaders to develop future-focused strategies that strengthen capability, build resilience and drive sustainable growth.
She supports clients in navigating change while aligning people strategies with broader business priorities. Fouche is a certified organisational psychologist, holds an MBA from IE Business School and earned her first master’s degree from the University of Cape Town.
Ross Grehan: assurance IT, data and analytics (audit and assurance)
With more than 18 years’ experience as a leading data analytics practitioner at Deloitte, including time spent at Deloitte Australia and Deloitte Switzerland, Ross Grehan and his team deliver analytics as an integral part of a cohesive and fully-integrated external audit team, working collaboratively to leverage data in support of risk assessment and substantive testing.
Grehan supports clients by turning risk into advantage through the confident use of technology and analytics, combining technical expertise with proven experience in audit, financial reporting, risk, compliance, operational and regulatory challenges to deliver assurance, drive transformation and enable smarter, more resilient decision-making. Grehan is a certified information system auditor and has a BSc in computer systems from the University of Limerick.
Shane Kerins: business tax advisory (tax and legal)
Shane Kerins is a chartered tax adviser with more than 16 years’ experience. He advises clients across a range of industries specialising in working with Irish headquartered businesses and individuals on all aspects of tax including mergers and acquisitions, foreign expansion, residency planning, succession planning and group reorganisations.
Kerins has a particular focus on emerging technology and has worked with companies ranging from start-ups to unicorns.
Frances Lenihan: business advisory (tax and legal)
Frances Lenihan is a tax partner with more than 15 years’ experience specialising in corporate and international tax. Lenihan works with multinational companies and Irish PLCs on a range of international tax matters. Part of Deloitte Ireland’s Pillar Two leadership, she actively leads complex Pillar Two advisory and compliance engagements.
Lenihan recently led the Irish tax desk at Deloitte US, where she gained extensive experience on international tax matters. Her diverse client portfolio is across a range of industries with a particular focus on life sciences. Lenihan is a chartered accountant and a chartered tax adviser.
Conor McRitchie: customer strategy and design (technology and transformation)
Conor McRitchie is a product delivery transformation leader focused on scaled agile delivery, AI and cloud-enabled transformation programmes. He works with clients, primarily in the financial services industry, to shape and deliver transformation programmes based on scaled agile methodologies and AI and cloud-based platforms.
With extensive experience in driving large-scale change, McRitchie is passionate about adopting generative AI and agentic AI to help clients achieve sustainable growth and enhanced customer experiences.
Chris Nugent: strategy and business design (advisory)
Chris Nugent has an 18-year track record of building trusted adviser relationships, guiding leaders on strategic planning for growth, new market entry, business model transformation and value execution.
Nugent has served Deloitte’s key clients globally leading a breadth of high-quality engagements across the US, UK, Europe and Ireland. He has worked across all sectors and specialises in consumer goods and industrial products, advising multinationals, Irish PLCs, private equity and other scaled and private organisations.
Lorna Ryan: external audit (financial services, audit and assurance)
Lorna Ryan is a trusted adviser to some of the world’s largest asset managers and service providers, bringing deep expertise in hedge funds. She works with clients across all fund structure types and across IFRS, FRS 102 and US GAAP financial reporting. Ryan is recognised for her commitment to exceptional client service and team development, and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
Find out more about Deloitte Ireland’s leadership team.
