Irish Times masthead

Sign up for alerts from The Irish Times

Notification wireframe

Just click on “Allow Notifications” on the message appearing on your browser to activate them.

bell-slash

We will send you a quick reminder in the future, in case you change your mind.

  • Search
  • Newsletters
  • Crossword
  • Notices
  • Help Centre
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
The Irish Times
Mon, May 23, 2022

  • The Irish Times
  • News
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Life & Style
  • Culture
  • More
  • Video
  • Podcasts
  • Executive Jobs
  • Search
  • Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Sign In
  • Business River
Sponsored content is premium paid-for content produced by The Irish Times Content Studio on behalf of commercial clients. The Irish Times newsroom or other editorial departments are not involved in the production of Sponsored content.

Role of finance director central to business according to awards nominees

Two business leaders, fulfilling key director level roles in large businesses, discuss working industry instead of practice, the importance of a team approach and future developments in the role

Mon, Apr 23, 2018, 06:00 Updated: Wed, Oct 13, 2021, 11:24
Sponsored by Business River
Irish Accountancy Awards 2018

DJ Corbett, ACA, finance director at TV3 Ireland and Grace Winters, ACCA, EMEA shared service director at Abbott are both finalists in the Finance Director of the Year award at the 2018 Irish Accountancy Awards.

   
 
 

The third annual Irish Accountancy Awards will take place on Thursday, April 26th, and the nominees for Finance Director of the Year have hailed the part their teams have played in their securing a nomination.

Grace Winters, ACCA, is the EMEA shared service director at Abbott. She first completed a diploma in Business Management and IT at Griffith College before continuing to a career in industry. “Without the right team in place you won’t achieve your goals. You put the right people in front of things and you’ll succeed, no question”.

DJ Corbett, ACA, is finance director at TV3 Ireland. He first completed a Bachelor of Commerce in UCC, before joining PWC in Dublin and then progressing to a career in industry. “It’s crucial. I’ve always said without a good team, you aren’t anything as a leader. It is no different here. We have a relatively small team: there are five people under me who look after all aspects of TV3’s finance. There is great comfort in delegating something and knowing it will be done well and done accurately. The other great thing is to see people develop. When I started here there wasn’t much crossover in terms of tasks, but now they can seamlessly cover for each other and they are rewarded as they are developing their career”.

Their experience chimes with that of last year’s winner, Shane McGibney. “While personally it wasa great honour to receive this award, I looked upon it as a combined effort with all my colleagues in Kerry Finance. It was great that my team, and especially those with CIMA qualifications, got recognition for the important role they play in our business”.

Both Winters and Corbett have eschewed building their own practice in favour of working in industry, with Winters attracted to the challenge. “I really enjoy working with people, more so than just numbers and figures. I like the leadership side of the role. I find it is more challenging. It keeps you energised: you have to adapt from one thing to the next very quickly. I find in practice it is very much routine-based, but in industry it is more varied”.

Among those challenges is the fact that the role has changed over the last 10 years in the face of technological advancements. “Drastically”, is how Winters describes the scale of change.

Corbett explains that the biggest change he has noticed in recent years is the increased emphasis on the finance director playing a strategic role. “From my own experience when I started, the finance director role had more of a reporting-type function, whereas now it has become a lot more strategic. Being able to tell someone what the numbers are is one thing; being able to analyse what that’s telling you to look at is another. For example, we noticed a trend that the linear ad sales have been dropping with competition from Facebook and Google. We said that we need to do something to counteract this, so we have entered a contract with Sky to do addressable advertising in Ireland and the UK. This aspect of the business is what gives the job a more strategic edge”.

Both nominees agree that, in spite of increased automation, the importance of the finance director’s role is not going to diminish.

“Most companies are driven by the bottom line, and to be able to reliably report and forecast what that is in terms of revenues and cost is essential. When driving businesses forward, the finance director has an important role in that, in terms of having a more rounded business knowledge that maybe some other respective areas of a company may not have,” says Corbett.

Our programme director, for example, would be very much focused on content and maybe not necessarily interested in what advertising is going on in the background, and likewise the commercial director will be interested in what is being broadcast and how that is going to rate. The finance director can give a wider, rounded picture and can really contribute to strategic decision-making. I can’t see that changing in the short term”.

Winters agrees that the role, while changing, is assured in the future. Being sufficiently skilled to navigate that ever-changing environment is their advice to young accountants who are eager to work in industry. “Embrace the profession. I think you have to be very agile: you have to able to manoeuvre from one discipline to another in order to keep up with the changing surroundings that we work with”.

The winners of the Irish Accountancy Awards 2018 will be revealed on Thursday, April 26th. Visit the website for more information and to book your ticket.

To visit the Business River news hub click here.

More in Sponsored

Enjoy swimming in crystal-clear waters Sustainable travel adventures in the Turkaegean
A PwC study of risk functions in the global banking industry found that climate change was seen as the top threat to banks, but climate change specialists only accounted for about half of 1 per cent of risk team members Moving the dial on risk
Tommy Shannon: ‘No matter what salary level people are on it takes a number of years to grow a defined contribution fund, so we always encourage people to start as early as possible’ ‘We encourage people to start as early as possible’
David O’Brien: ‘The financial technology industry has developed enormously over the last 40 years with Ireland at the forefront of this development’ Uncovering FinTech’s kingdom

Also in BusinessRiver

Winners at the National Procurement Awards 2021 Procurement leaders gather at the National Procurement Awards 2021
The winners were announced to a live, virtual audience hosted by broadcaster and comedian Colm O’Regan. Challenging year acknowledged at the Event Industry Awards 2021
With over 15 companies entering the Awards, the winners were announced to a live virtual audience at a ceremony hosted by broadcaster and comedian Colm O’Regan. The Awards were supported by Amarach Research. Winners celebrated at the Irish Private Label & Contract Manufacturer Awards 2021
The winners were announced to a live audience at a special, virtual ceremony hosted by broadcaster and comedian Colm O’Regan. Excellence celebrated at the Green Food & Beverage Producer Awards 2021
The winners were announced to a live virtual audience at a ceremony hosted by broadcaster and comedian Colm O’Regan. The Awards were supported by Amarach Research. Innovation at the forefront of the Business Energy Achievement Awards 2021
Winners at the HR Awards 2021 Irish HR community comes together at the HR Awards 2021
Winners of the Fit Out Awards 2021 Top Irish talent on show at the Fit Out Awards 2021
John Hannan, Head of Corporate Affairs at Bord na Móna. Title Sponsor for the Green Awards 2022. Green Awards announce strategic headline sponsorship for 2022
One of the 12 trophies presented ‘Dedication’ lauded at Health & Safety Excellence Awards 2021
Colm O’Regan at this year’s event ‘Putting customers first’ celebrated at the CX Awards 2021
Colm O’Regan, left, speaking to Amy Roberts, right, Laboratory Operations manager at Genuity Science. Operational Excellence Awards winners announced
BT Ireland’s Shay Walsh, Pictured presenting at the CX Impacts Awards 2021 BT showcasing their customer-centric focus at CX Impact Awards 2021
One of four trophies that UCC came away with. 'Shared experience' lauded at The Education Awards 2021
There were 24 trophies awarded at this year’s event. Innovation triumphs at the Green Awards 2021
Richard Curran, top left, in conversation with Rafael Bernardes, right, who was one of the judges, and Leona Wallace, lower left, from the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, which was one of the winners. Plenty to celebrate at the Health & Safety Excellence Awards 2020 and 2021
Adam O’Sullivan, Kuehne + Nagel (left) pictured at the Ibec Offices with Matt Moran, Biopharmachem Ireland at the launch of the 2021 Pharma Industry Awards. Pharma Industry Awards 2021 returns with key partners playing pivotal role
There were 15 trophies awarded at last year’s inaugural event. "Ambitious sustainability" rewarded at Green Food & Beverage Producer Awards 2020
The winners of the Facilities Management Awards 2021 were announced at a live virtual ceremony. “Dedication and commitment” applauded at Facilities Management Awards 2021
Broadcaster and journalist Richard Curran, this year’s MC. Organisational excellence rewarded at the National Procurement Awards 2020
This year's winners were announced to a live audience at a virtual ceremony. “Optimism and sense of togetherness” celebrated at HR Leadership & Management Awards 2020
This year's winners were announced to a live audience at a virtual ceremony. Busy year acknowledged at the Irish Logistics and Transport Awards 2020
Colm O’Regan tells the mac-group team of their win, top left, presented to them by Cathal McGuinness, director at SAS International, bottom right. Dedication and commitment lauded at Fit Out Awards 2020
Pictured at the Pharma Awards live digital broadcast in December, host Richard Curran interviews Adam O’Sullivan, head of Pharma and Healthcare from Kuehne + Nagel, as he presents one of the awards. Much to celebrate at the Pharma Industry Awards 2020
All smiles at the 2019 Awards Plenty to applaud at the Pharma Industry Awards 2019
All Irish Content Marketing Awards 2020 launch
Celebrations at the Green Awards 2019 Green Awards 2020 shortlist announced
Irish Construction Industry Awards 2019 Booming business reflected at Irish Construction Industry Awards 2019
FM Awards Facilities Management Awards 2020 shortlist announced
CX Impact Awards 2019 winners CX Impact Awards celebrate Irish industry’s top performers
ALL Irish practices celebrated at Building and Architect of the Year Awards 2019
All Irish Logistics & Transport Awards 2020 launch with a look back at 2019 highlights
Awards The Building and Architect of the Year Awards 2019 shortlist showcases diversity of building types
Kuehne + Nagel Kuehne + Nagel returns as key partner of the Pharma Industry Awards
BusinessRiver Busy 12 months reflected in shortlist for Event Industry Awards 2019
Winnres Irish Accountancy Awards 2019 shine a light on top performers
Lead Leaders recognised at fifth HR Leadership & Management Awards
Industry professionals will gather from all over the country for the big night on June 13th Irish Construction Industry Awards 2019 shortlist announced
Accountancy professionals will gather from all over the country for the big night on May 16th Nominees announced for largest Irish Accountancy Awards to date
HR professionals will gather from all over the country for the big night on May 9th Record number of entries as HR Leadership & Management Awards 2019 shortlist announced
2018 Green Awards Winners Green Awards 2019 shortlisted companies announced
Roundtable discussion at Rewards & Benefits Summit 2018  Leading peers of HR community are registering for Rewards & Benefits Summit
  • Subscribe

    • Why Subscribe?
    • Subscription Bundles
    • Subscription Help Centre
    • Gift Subscriptions
  • Support

    • My Account
    • Help Centre
    • Contact Us
  • Irish Times products & services

    • Home Delivery
    • Page Sales
    • Photo Sales
    • Newsletters
    • Discount Codes
    • ePaper
    • Crosswords
    • Newspaper Archive
    • Article Archive
    • eBooks
  • About us

    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • The Irish Times Trust
    • Careers
  • Our partners

    • Rewarding Times
    • MyHome.ie
    • Top 1000
    • The Gloss
    • Recruit Ireland
    • Irish Times Training
Subscribe
  • Why Subscribe?
  • Subscription Bundles
  • Subscription Help Centre
  • Gift Subscriptions
Support
  • My Account
  • Help Centre
  • Contact Us
About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • The Irish Times Trust
  • Careers
Irish Times Products & Services
  • ePaper
  • Crosswords
  • Newspaper Archive
  • Article Archive
  • eBooks
  • Home Delivery
  • Page Sales
  • Photo Sales
  • Newsletters
  • Discount Codes
Follow us
Download the app
Download on the App Store Download on Google Play
  • Our Partners
  • Rewarding Times
  • MyHome.ie
  • Top 1000
  • The Gloss
  • Recruit Ireland
  • Irish Times Training
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Information
  • Cookie Settings
  • Community Standards
  • Copyright
© 2018 THE IRISH TIMES

Sign In

Forgot Password?
Don't have an account?
Subscribe
Need some help ?

  • Digital Subscriptions FAQs
  • Subscriber Only Articles
  • The ePaper
  • Subscriber Rewards
  • Subscriber Tour
  • Breaking news app
  • My Account
  • eBooks
  • Email Newsletters
  • Crossword Club
  • Newspaper Archive
  • Sign Out
SUBSCRIBE

Mon 23/5/2022
  • News
    • War in Ukraine
    • Climate Crisis
    • Ireland
    • World
    • Politics
    • Subscriber Only
    • ePaper
    • Education
    • Health
    • Coronavirus
    • Brexit
  • Sport
    • Gaelic Games
    • Soccer
    • Rugby
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Other Sports
    • Women in Sport
    • Comment
  • Business
    • The Economy
    • Your Money
    • Companies
    • Technology
    • Work
    • Commercial Property
    • Comment
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Columnists
    • An Irishman's Diary
    • Opinion & Analysis
    • Martyn Turner
  • Life & Style
    • Food & Drink
    • Homes & Property
    • Health & Family
    • People
    • Travel
    • Motors
    • Fashion
    • Abroad
  • Culture
    • Books
    • Film
    • Music
    • Stage
    • Art & Design
    • TV, Radio, Web
    • Tuarascáil
    • Heritage
  • More
    • You are what you read
    • eBooks
    • Offers
    • Jobs
    • Family Notices
    • Competitions
  • Video
  • Podcasts
    • Confronting Coronavirus
    • Inside Politics
    • The Women's Podcast
    • Inside Business
    • Added Time
    • World View
    • Back to Yours
    • The Irish Times Book Club
  • Executive Jobs
  • Crosswords
  • Notices
  • Help Centre
  • Newsletters
Forgot Password?

Invalid email or password.

Not an Irish Times subscriber? Subscribe
  • Digital Subscriptions FAQs Frequently asked questions about your digital subscription
  • Subscriber Only Articles Specially selected and available only to our subscribers
  • Subscriber Rewards Exclusive offers, discounts and invitations
  • Subscriber Tour Explore the features of your subscription
  • Crossword Club Digital Simplex and Crosaire crosswords
  • Newspaper Archive 150 years of Irish Times journalism
  • My Account Manage your account
  • eBooks Carefully curated selections of Irish Times writing
  • Email Newsletters Sign up to get the stories you want delivered to your inbox
  • The ePaper An exact digital replica of the printed paper
  • Breaking news app Our Apple and Android apps to read on the go
  • Sign Out

Update Payment Details


Unfortunately USERNAME we were unable to process your last payment. Please update your payment details to keep enjoying your Irish Times subscription.