Aisling Callanan, Audit Partner, Galway

Born and raised in Loughrea, Co. Galway, Aisling grew up in a close-knit family where education, hard work and perseverance were strongly encouraged. “From an early age, our parents always emphasised the importance of education, hard work and not giving up on our goals,” she says. “That mindset allowed us all to go as far as we wished in our chosen careers.”

The eldest of three, she attended St Ita’s National School and St Brigid’s Vocational School, where her interest in accounting first took hold. Sport played a big part in her early years too, playing camogie for Shamrocks Camogie Club and competing in athletics with Loughrea Athletic Club.

She also spent many weekends and summers working in the local pharmacy where her mother still works. “Had I not chosen a career in audit, I would likely have gone down the pharmacy path – but accounting won.”

She went on to study a Bachelor of Commerce at NUI Galway before beginning her training contract with Deloitte in Limerick in 2007. Aisling spent ten years with the firm before joining Forvis Mazars in Galway in 2017 and has since played a key role growing the Galway office into a vibrant team of more than 100 people. “I have been very lucky to have managers and mentors who supported me throughout my career and I aim to do the same for our staff,” she says.

A people-focused leader, she values the connections formed across teams and with clients. “My favourite thing about my job is the relationships built, be that within our team or with the clients I work with,” she says. She particularly enjoys working with privately owned businesses across a range of sectors in the West, developing a deep understanding of their operations and helping them achieve their ambitions.

Aisling’s passion for connecting with people extends beyond the office. As a member of the Western Society of Chartered Accountants and Chair in 2022/23, she enjoys meeting members at events and fostering relationships across the profession.

Outside of work, much of her time is spent on GAA sidelines or sharing chauffeur duties with her husband Evan for their daughter Saoirse and son Daithi. “In more recent years, with two kids, my own hobbies have been somewhat ad hoc, but I have enjoyed taking part in musical theatre and running a marathon, which was a long-standing bucket list item.”