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Ann Horan

Ann Horan makes a habit of setting precedents. She became the first female managing director of a Bank of Ireland Group company, as well as being the first Irish person to chair the UK Factors and Discounters Association. She is also a director of the Institute of Banker in Ireland and Dean of the Institute's Retail Faculty.

Ann joined the Central Bank of Ireland's Accounts Department as a school leaver. After gaining her banking certificate, she decided to study accountancy with ACCA, along with a number of colleagues. She had plenty to cope with on top of the examinations as she was starting a family and actually sat and passed her final exams while on maternity leave.

Ann's career took off and a series of promotions resulted in her current role as managing director of Bank of Ireland Finance. During her career, Ann has been responsible for designing and implementing an innovative insurance programme which resulted in savings of over 20 million euros over a five year period she has also been invited to lecture on compliance issues at Dublin City University.

She is proud to have a qualification from ACCA "a body which is recognised as world class", with members whose "range and breadth of experience and interests differentiates them from the members of the other professional bodies".

In encouraging students and new members she says: "To get on in business today, you need to have a good understanding of the mechanics of the business world - the 'nuts and bolts'. Accountancy is one of the best ways to achieve this and enables you to gain knowledge and understanding that would take many years to acquire in the work environment without a professional qualification".

While the failures of Enron and WorldCom have put the profession under the spotlight, leading to more regulation, it should not stop young people from expecting to pursue a rewarding career. "Accountants were always aware of the responsibility they bore and of the need to maintain professional standards," says Ann.

Ann hopes to see greater participation by women at the top of the profession, and now that her children have grown up, besides progressing her career she is hoping to become involved in community work, aiming to "give something back".