dmg media Ireland has selected 40 brilliant young minds in the accountancy industry as part of the 40 Under 40 series

Ciara Gibson - assistant manager, Kinore

Ciara Gibson is an assistant manager at Kinore, with a strong dedication to both finance and community service.

She earned a Bachelor of Business Honours in Accounting from Atlantic Technological University in Donegal in 2015, and soon after, began her career as a trainee accountant.

She qualified as a member of Chartered Accountants Ireland in 2019.

Gibson plays a key role in overseeing financial operations, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and managing day-to-day financial activities. Outside of her professional work, she is deeply passionate about giving back to her community.

Gibson actively supports a variety of initiatives, including her role as a board member at The Contemporary Music Centre, where she works to drive positive change within local businesses and communities.

• Hobbies: I’m a self-proclaimed travel addict, always jumping on a plane to explore new cities, places, and cultures. Alongside my love of travel, I’ve practised Pilates for years and recently taken up golf (and no, not just because of the recent release of Happy Gilmore 2).
• Best piece of advice you've ever received: "You can never know everything!" In the accounting profession, there's often pressure to know it all, but the truth is, no one can ever know everything. Life is all about continuous learning, and we all grow each day.
• Why you love your job: I enjoy the freedom that comes with my role. I appreciate being able to take my work with me, no matter where I am in the world, allowing me to live life to the fullest. This flexibility has helped me maintain a healthy work-life balance, something rare in the industry but something I value deeply.
• Motto for life: Work to live, don't live to work.

Rugile Mikalauskaite - audit assistant manager, Baker Tilly Ireland

Rugile Mikalauskaite is an experienced audit assistant manager based in Cork, with a strong foundation in audit & assurance.

She began her career in June 2018 when she joined the firm as a graduate. Following the completion of her ACCA qualification, she has steadily and strongly progressed within the firm.

Mikalauskaite oversees the work of junior staff, identifies and resolves audit issues during engagements, and prides herself on strong and highly professional relationships with a diverse portfolio of clients and on delivering high-quality audit services.

Mikalauskaite thrives on the variety and challenge that audit brings. She enjoys learning about different industries and business processes through each client engagement.

She has also recently become one of Baker Tilly's ESG champions, something that is very key to the firm and the Baker Tilly network. 

Mikalauskaite is keen to lead by example and learn how to support her clients better in this area.

• Hobbies: I enjoy baking and spending time with my family and friends, plus long walks outdoors to relax and recharge.
• Best piece of advice you've ever received: "Focus on solutions" – I always aim to look past problems and find practical ways to fix them. This mindset keeps things positive and ensures I maintain a "move forward" mentality.
• Why you love your jobs: What I enjoy most about working in audit is the variety and challenge it brings. Every day is different, and each client engagement allows me to learn about different industries, businesses, and their processes.
• Motto for life: "Small steps lead to big results."

Declan O’Callaghan – senior manager, assurance, EY Ireland

Declan O’Callaghan is a senior manager in EY Ireland’s assurance practice with over 10 years of experience serving multi-national and indigenous businesses.

His commitment to client delivery and the development of exceptional teams is what stands out to the clients he works with.​

Having trained and qualified with a local practice, O'Callaghan joined EY in 2020 as an audit senior and has accelerated his career to his current position of senior manager.​

His focus spans large privately held groups, established multinational businesses, and growing private companies - particularly in the pharmaceutical and consumer goods sectors.​

O'Callaghan is passionate about audit quality and plays an active role in driving firm-wide improvements, regularly sharing feedback and insights to help enhance efficiency and standards.​

He holds a Chartered Accountant qualification from Chartered Accountants Ireland. He’s known for developing his teams and driving positive outcomes for his clients. ​

For O'Callaghan, leadership is about listening to and supporting his teams and giving them the tools to lead with confidence.

• Hobbies: My wife and I love exploring the country together, finding new places to visit and creating memorable experiences. I love to learn new things, I’m currently learning Hungarian which I’m finding very challenging, but I love a challenge!
• Best piece of advice you've ever received: It’s a well-known phrase, but I apply it every time I encounter a challenge in my career “A problem shared is a problem halved”.
• Why you love your job: The role provides me with learning and development opportunities that are truly unique and gives me the chance to work with a broad array of clients operating across multiple jurisdictions and industries​.
• Motto for life: They say you’re not a true leader until you have empowered others to reach the same heights, and this is the credo I carry with me each day I go to work.

Luke O’Reilly – director, assurance, EY Ireland

Luke O’Reilly is a director in EY Ireland’s assurance practice, with a decade of experience supporting clients in Ireland and globally.

Luke began his journey with EY as an intern and, upon returning to the firm, has advanced from graduate to director.​

His client portfolio encompasses large privately held groups, small entrepreneurial businesses, and publicly listed entities.

O'Reilly also completed an 18-month secondment with EY San Francisco, working on the audit for one of the world’s largest technology companies.​

​O'Reilly holds the Chartered Accountant designation from CAI Ireland. He is recognised for his composure under pressure and consistent willingness to support colleagues.

• Hobbies: I love to run and have completed the Dublin marathon twice (in three attempts, I might add, before my friends start calling me out). I also enjoy watching movies, and whilst it might not count as a hobby, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I enjoy having a cup of tea.
• Best piece of advice you've ever received: As I was preparing to step into a manager role, they shared that the initial six to nine months in the position had been among the most challenging phases of their career. However, they emphasised that emerging from that period had strengthened their confidence and capability.
• Why you love your job: Even after 10 years, I’m still energised by the challenges and variety the work brings - especially solving tough problems. What excites me most now is how technology, particularly AI, is transforming our work, enhancing client delivery, and opening new skills and career opportunities that make audit more dynamic than ever.
• Motto for life: Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard