BDO NI - Key Persons
Ann is a Senior Manager within the Audit Department of BDO Northern Ireland. Ann graduated with a degree in Accounting from Queens University Belfast before completing her training contract in BDO Northern Ireland and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2017.
Ann took the opportunity to work in BDO Canada LLP in 2018 where she worked on large audit clients and gained knowledge of US GAAP.
Ann worked as a finance manager in an industry role for two years before returning to BDO Northern Ireland.
Ann has strong skills in preparing statutory financial statements across all sectors and has managed group audits for both NI and ROI clients.
Anna is a Senior Manager within the Audit Department of BDO Northern Ireland. Anna graduated with a first class honours degree and as a prize winner from Ulster University, and after completing the Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Accounting qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2008.
Since joining BDO Northern Ireland in 2005 Anna has become a dedicated, experienced and highly skilled member of the team. Anna has gained considerable experience working with a vast range of audit clients covering a number of industry and business sectors, including but not limited to retail, property, manufacturing and public sector.
Ashleigh joined BDO NI in 2016 as a Tax Trainee in Personal Tax after graduating with a degree in Spanish with Business from Ulster University.
During her time in the firm, Ashleigh has successfully gained membership of the Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT), the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) and the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Since joining the firm, Ashleigh has developed a wide range of experience in personal tax compliance for individuals, partnerships, trusts and estates. She also has assisted with various tax consultancy projects particularly relating to trusts, estates and Inheritance Tax planning.
Breandan is a Director within the Audit Department at BDO Northern Ireland. Breandan graduated from Queen's University with a degree in Accounting and joined BDO Northern Ireland in 2015, before taking up a secondment opportunity with BDO UK LLP, London in 2017. He returned to BDO Northern Ireland in 2020.
Breandan supports a range of clients across several industries and a geographically diverse footprint. His specialism is in the audit of groups in the retail and wholesale sector. However, throughout his career he has serviced the needs of private and listed clients in industries such as hospitality & leisure, facilities management, life sciences, SaaS, and maritime logistics.
Breandan primarily leads the audits of large and medium sized groups, whether it be first year audit or existing clients reporting under UK GAAP or IFRS.
Outside of work Breandan is a keen golfer and a member at Fortwilliam Golf Club, Belfast.
Brian is Managing Partner at BDO Northern Ireland. He is an experienced consultant who has gained a wide variety of business recovery, forensic accounting, and corporate finance experience in both the public and private sectors. As a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner, Brian has assisted numerous companies and businesses in developing and implementing strategies to overcome trading difficulties. With this experience, he has also been involved in assisting businesses with performance improvement and cost rationalisation initiatives.
Brian is a former Chairman of the Northern Ireland R3 Committeeand his forensic accounting experience includes fraud investigations and civil recovery proceedings, as well as the resolution of commercial disputes. He has been involved in a significant number of public interest assignments, many of which are confidential in nature.
Within the corporate finance field, Brian has considerable experience in finance raising, business and strategic planning and financial reviews. He has also participated in and managed, a range of projects within the management consultancy field, including business and community development initiatives throughout Northern Ireland.
He holds particular expertise in the following areas:
Turnaround and Business Recovery;
Business Viability Reviews;
Court Appointed Receiverships;
Corporate and Individual Insolvency;
Forensic Accounting and Financial Investigations;
Fraud Investigations;
Funding Applications;
Strategic/Business Planning;
Feasibility Studies, Evaluations and Appraisals;
Audit, Accountancy and Taxation; and
Programme Management, Training and Counselling.
Catherine is a Senior Manager in the Forensic Accounting department of BDO Northern Ireland. Catherine is a Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and has a Diploma in Forensic Accounting, with Distinction, from Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Catherine joined the Business Restructuring division of the Firm in October 2006 having graduated from the University of Ulster with a degree in Law and Government.
During her time in Business Restructuring, Catherine gained experience in several formal appointments in personal and corporate insolvency, and pre-insolvency advice work, in addition to assisting on various public sector internal audit assignments.
Since joining the Forensic Accounting team in 2008, Catherine has gained considerable experience having worked on numerous personal and commercial litigation cases including personal injury, professional negligence and medical negligence, fatal accident claims, commercial and contractual disputes, fraud investigations and matrimonial disputes.
Catherine is a Director within the audit department of BDO Northern Ireland. An LLB (Hons) Law and Accounting graduate from Queens University Belfast, Catherine became a chartered accountant in 2005.
Since joining the firm in 2001, Catherine continues to work with a wide variety of audit clients as well as smaller audit exempt clients across a number of business sectors. Catherine has also gained experience in preparing accounts for small sole trader and partnership businesses in many different industry sectors. These include retail, hospitality, consultancy, property and manufacturing industries.
Catherine is an enthusiastic professional and as such has expanded her knowledge and skills becoming a specialist in the preparation of accounts and audit for various types of company pension schemes as well as preparation of accounts for various types of trust.
Chris is a Senior Manager in the Advisory Department of BDO. A qualified Chartered Accountant, Chris has had extensive experience in business restructuring, specialising in a range of formal appointments, corporate restructuring and pre-insolvency advice.
He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2010 having trained with the audit department in BDO. He is a member of the Insolvency Practitioners Association and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
Chris has been involved in a number of formal insolvency appointments with considerable experience in Administrations, Fixed Charge Receiverships & Company Voluntary Arrangements.
Chris's experience also includes pre-insolvency advice engagements for both corporate entities and individuals. He has recently managed a number of advisory engagements in relation to the risk management of defined benefit schemes in conjunction with the BDO wealth management department
Chris currently manages a number of formal appointments in the following areas;
Chris is a Senior Manager in the Corporate Tax team, with over 10 years' experience in practice. He trained in general practice and worked in the corporation tax team of another large Belfast firm before joining BDO Northern Ireland in 2016.
Chris has significant experience advising on a broad range of UK and international tax issues, including commercial transactions, due diligence, business structuring, complex corporation tax enquiries and succession planning.
Chris' client base is primarily large corporate groups with a particular focus on Owner Managed and Family Owned businesses
Qualifications
CTA Chartered Tax Adviser - Chartered Institute of Taxation
Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
Affiliate - Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
Christine is a Manager within the Advisory Services team of BDO Northern Ireland. Christine graduated with a 2:1 in Finance from Queens University Belfast in 2009, before joining the firm in 2011 and commencing a training contract within the business restructuring department.
As a qualified Chartered Accountant, Christine has gained considerable experience in both personal and corporate restructuring and pre-insolvency advice. She has developed extensive experience by managing formal appointments within in the following areas:
Administrations;
Company Voluntary Arrangements;
Fixed Charge Receiverships;
Bankruptcies;
Creditors Voluntary Liquidations; and
Members Voluntary Liquidations.
Christine's experience also encompasses a vast range of advisory projects across various sectors which have included:
The preparation of funding applications, including financial projections;
Company Valuations;
Strategic Option Plans;
Vendor Due Diligence projects & Company sales & marketing processes; and
Independent Business Reviews.
Claire holds a First Class (MSci Hons) degree in Applied Mathematics and Physics. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and the Association of Taxation Technicians.
Claire has been part of the BDO NI corporate tax team for 20 years, offering specialist tax advice including tax due diligence, group reorganisations and pre-sale planning. She has a particular interest in the ever increasing area of Tax Risk, advising clients on Senior Accounting Officer, Tax Strategy and Corporate Criminal Offence.
Claire has a significant tax compliance portfolio across a board range of sectors, including real estate, construction, hospitality and professional services. She delivers an efficient compliance service and provides timely and commercially focused advice.