Grant Thornton Ireland has announced the appointment of 15 new partners across its audit, tax and advisory areas in Ireland.

The company has now appointed 23 partners over the past year, and the latest appointments follows Grant Thornton's agreement to merge its advisory and tax arms with their counterparts in the US.

The merger is intended to create a new multinational platform providing audit, advisory and tax services to a growing international client base.

In addition to being made partners, Declan Walsh and Simon Nicholas have respectively been appointed as chief operating office and head of Grant Thornton's Isle of Man practice.

Victoria Armitage, Áine Logan, Paul Prenter, Robert Ryan, Sharon Scanlan and Ross Sheridan have been appointed partners in advisory, while Bronagh Bourke, Sarah Bradley, Sean Ridley and Graham Stirling have been made partners in audit, and Mark Bradley, Janette Maxwell and Úna Ryan have been promoted to partners in the tax division.

"Today’s announcement is recognition of the exceptional talent within our firm and the momentum behind our groundbreaking new multinational platform," said Steve Tennant of Grant Thornton.

"It also highlights the opportunities at Grant Thornton as we cater to a growing international client base as the first fully integrated US-Ireland professional services firm.

"Our new partners strengthen our expertise in key industries like financial services, technology, and healthcare. By combining local excellence with global capabilities and advanced technology, we're setting a new standard in cross-border professional services."

Bronagh Bourke joined Grant Thornton in 2006 and has been appointed as a partner in the Grant Thornton audit department. She works with a broad spectrum of growing entrepreneurial and private equity-funded groups.

She has significant experience leading large local and international groups, including those in technology, hospitality, manufacturing, and distribution, both in Ireland and the UK.

Bourke is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) and holds an LLB law degree from Queen’s University Belfast. She has also completed a Diploma in International Financial Reporting Standards with CAI.

Sarah Bradley joined the Grant Thornton audit team in 2008 and has been appointed as a partner in the asset management division. She specialises in delivering a range of audit and assurance services to the financial services industry, particularly within the asset management and capital markets sectors.

Her client portfolio includes hedge funds (both Irish and offshore), private equity funds, asset managers, and other investment vehicles, including UCITS, QIAIF, and Section 110 companies.

Bradley is a Fellow (FCA) of Chartered Accountants Ireland and holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Accounting and Finance from Dundalk Institute of Technology. She is actively involved in the domestic funds industry and currently serves as Chair of the Member Engagement Working Group for Irish Funds.

Mark Bradley has been appointed as a tax partner leading the Grant Thornton transaction tax advisory team in Belfast. Bradley’s client portfolio spans several sectors, including renewables, real estate, hospitality, healthcare, and technology.

He has extensive experience advising businesses and management teams on transactional tax matters, with a particular focus on due diligence, pre-sale and post-acquisition structuring, group simplification, debt restructuring, and asset protection.

Bradley is a Chartered Tax Advisor with the UK’s Chartered Institute of Tax and a Fellow of the Association of Taxation Technicians.

Áine Logan joined Grant Thornton in 2014 and has been appointed as an advisory partner, leading the transformation consulting capability. She leads multi-disciplinary teams of SMEs and delivery specialists to design and deliver bespoke change transformation programmes.

Logan supports clients across both the public and private sectors, with experience spanning financial services, government, education, and life sciences.

Logan holds a first-class Bachelor of Science Finance degree and is a Chartered Manager, achieving 1st in Ireland and 5th in the World in her exams. She is a qualified PRINCE2 project manager and Green Belt Lean Six Sigma practitioner.

Janette Maxwell has been appointed as a tax partner leading the Grant Thornton international indirect tax practice, having joined as a tax trainee in 2010.

Maxwell specialises in cross-border transactions, real estate, relevant contracts tax, due diligence M&A, and tax technology, particularly across asset management, banking, life sciences, and the public sector.

Maxwell is a solicitor and an AITI Chartered Tax Advisor. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Trinity College Dublin and a Master of Laws (LLM) from Queen’s University Belfast. She also plays a pivotal role in Grant Thornton’s EU VAT Task Force committee.

Paul Prenter has been appointed as an advisory partner with expertise in deal advisory (M&A) and transaction advisory services.

Prenter has a proven track record of successfully completing transactions of varying sizes across a wide range of sectors. Additionally, he is one of the leading advisers in structuring Employee Ownership Trust transactions.

He is a Fellow of Chartered Accounts Ireland. He holds a BSc in Accounting from Queens University Belfast, a PgDip in Advanced Accounting from the University of Ulster, and a Certification in International Business from the University of Indianapolis.  

Sean Ridley has been appointed as an audit partner specialising in the provision of audit and assurance services in the capital markets and asset management sectors. His primary focus is on structured finance and capital market entities investing in a wide range of asset classes.

Ridley also has extensive experience working with private equity funds and property REITs. He sits on the audit committee of the Irish Debt Securities Association (IDSA). Sean holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Accounting & Finance and is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland (FCA), a Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA), and a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA).

Robert Ryan has been appointed as an advisory partner leading the workforce solutions practice. With nearly 20 years of experience in the banking industry, he brings extensive knowledge and expertise to his role.

Since joining Grant Thornton in 2017, Ryan has successfully led large multidisciplinary teams in delivering regulatory reviews, assessments, and business, technology, and regulatory transformation programmes across the banking sector.

Ryan holds a Masters in Financial Services, a Diploma in Business Studies, and a Degree in Computer Systems. He is also certified in Prince 2 and Lean Six Sigma.

Úna Ryan has been appointed as a tax partner, having joined Grant Thornton in 2008. She specialises in providing tax structuring (mergers, group rationalisation, debt & equity financing, share schemes) and pre-sale restructuring including buy-side and sell-side due diligences.

She has extensive experience on estates and trusts for high-net-worth individuals, including residency planning, estate planning and cross border estate tax issues and offshore trusts and anti-avoidance provisions.

Ryan holds a Bachelor of Civil Law degree from UCD, an LLM in Electronic Commerce Law from UCC and is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), an associate of the Chartered Governance Institute (ACG) and is a qualified Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP).

Sharon Scanlon has been appointed as an advisory partner leading the Grant Thornton healthcare practice. Scanlon brings significant frontline healthcare operations experience and has a proven track record of leading and delivering large-scale healthcare transformation and improvement programmes across the public and private sectors.

Scanlon specialises in developing bespoke solutions for clients, tailored to add value, reduce costs, and enhance efficiencies. She has a first-class degree in General Nursing from University College Cork (UCC), a Masters in Physiotherapy from King’s College London, a first-class MBA from the University of Hertfordshire (placed first in her cohort). She is a LEAN Six Sigma Green belt and holds a Change Management Practitioner Certification.

Ross Sheridan has been appointed as an advisory partner, leading global finance managed services, outsourcing, and optimisation engagements. With over 20 years of experience, he specialises in designing, launching, managing, and enhancing finance functions for multinational companies across various industries.

Sheridan has a proven track record leading large-scale outsourcing and transformation engagements. Ross holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge, along with business and technology degrees from DCU and UCD. He is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) with CIMA and also holds Six Sigma, ITIL, and PMP qualifications.

Victoria Armitage has been appointed as an advisory partner, leading IT Risk Assurance and Attestation Reporting services. Victoria is responsible for leading teams and engagements supporting IT General Control testing related to financial statement audits as well as IT-related internal audits.

Armitage has a breadth of experience in managing engagements including assessment, design and implementation of IT regulatory requirements, remediation activities and development of key IT policies and procedures. She has a background in financial services advisory before joining Grant Thornton in 2021.

Armitage holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Business Studies degree and a Master of Science (MSc.) in E-Commerce. Victoria is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and is Certified in Risk and Information System Control (CRISC).

Simon Nicholas has joined Grant Thornton as head of practice of the Isle of Man practice. Simon has over 25 years’ experience working in London, Bermuda and Isle of Man, in the financial services, technology and gaming sectors, and government/public sector.

Nicholas' experience includes audit / assurance, M&A, valuation and economic assessments, due diligence, strategy design and implementation (including ESG) and regulatory advice/resolution. Simon studied Mathematical Statistics with Economics at the University of Exeter, UK, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Graham Stirling has been appointed as an audit partner within the global statutory audit team, delivering cross-border and coordinated audit services to a range of multinational clients.

Having worked with the UK, Singaporean, and Irish member firms of the Grant Thornton network over a 15-year period, Stirling has significant expertise in delivering statutory audits and other accounting assignments across a range of industries, including technology, property management, and consumer products.

Stirling holds a first-class honours degree in Accounting and Finance and is a Chartered Accountant with both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (CAI). He is a Council Member with ICAS and supports the Scottish business community in Ireland as a “GlobalScot”.

Finally, Declan Walsh has been appointed chief operating officer and is a member of the firm's Leadership Team. He leads internal operations and drives initiatives focused on growth, innovation, and operational excellence.

Walsh brings extensive experience in strategy execution, business transformation, and technology modernisation. Prior to joining Grant Thornton in 2022, he held senior leadership roles at a global insurance company, delivering major projects across the United States, Spain, and Portugal.

Walsh holds an Executive MBA from UCD Michael Smurfit Business School and a business degree from DCU.

(Pic: Supplied)