Accountants make the world go around. That’s the view of the Irish Accountancy Awards and why the finest of the profession get the recognition they deserve.
Accountants are the fraud-busters, the forensic examiners who follow digital paper trails to ensure no money goes missing. They are financiers, seeking and securing investment to build businesses. They pay the wages and salaries of millions of workers, each individually with the correct tax, pensions and insurance deductions, meeting rules and regulations most mere mortals would find baffling. And they scrutinise and double-check suppliers and ensure their invoices get paid on time. Industry and the economy would fall apart without accountants.
The Irish Accountancy Awards 2024 has 26 categories that recognise the diverse skills and work accountants do, often as unsung heroes working in the background. More than 100 entries will be scrutinised by an expert panel of judges. The gala awards evening at the Royal Dublin Convention Centre on 8 May will host 200 guests who will cheer the winners.
Sage knows accountants are the backbone of industry. Its software powers finance offices, human resources departments and the payslips of thousands. It has led in taking double-entry bookkeeping into the digital age and knows the reach of accountants will only increase as they take a central role in tackling all the big issues facing society, such as climate change and social inequality.
The company describes itself as a mould-breaker: “Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.”
The decision to back the Irish Accountancy Awards for four years in a row, has been welcomed. Joanne Gilson, senior manager, accountants, at Sage, said: “Sage is honoured once again to be the title sponsor for the Irish Accountancy Awards in 2024, emphasising our steadfast support and dedication to the industry. These awards are of paramount importance to Sage as they play a pivotal role in acknowledging and commemorating the achievements of accountants and book-keepers in Ireland.”
Kevin O’Driscoll, director of partner programmes at Business river, the organiser of the Irish Accountancy Awards, said: “The Irish Accountancy Awards celebrate the brightest and the best so having an organisation of the calibre of Sage supporting us for a fourth year is an extremely important validation of the event. Together with Sage and all our sponsors and partners we now look forward to the eagerly anticipated gala awards night in May.”
Finalists for the Irish Accountancy Awards 2024 will be announced on 8 March.