Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top Belfast based Director operating in the Accounting space. If you think a Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Ross Webster
Founder & Director of BrightPay – Payroll Software
Ross is a highly competent software architect, programmer, graphic designer and user experience specialist. With a passion for innovation, Ross excels at creating software applications that solve real-world problems, simplify the complex, and delight customers.
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About BrightPay – Payroll Software, Thesaurus Software: BrightPay offers a payroll software package for payroll managements.
Caroline Keenan
Tax Director of ASM Chartered Accountants
Caroline graduated from The Queen’s University of Belfast in 1988 with an Honours Degree in Economics. Prior to joining Coopers & Lybrand, Birmingham in 1989 she graduated from the Midland Bank Plc Group’s Accelerated Management Trainee Graduate Scheme, being placed in the top 5. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1992, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Caroline joined ASM Belfast in November 2010 as Head of Tax, after a 21 year career at Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, involving working across Audit, Corporate Finance and Tax, in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. She has considerable experience in delivering a range of taxation services to clients across many sectors and has particular expertise in dealing with Shareholder and Owner–Managed Business Taxation Matters, Corporate Reconstructions, Inward Investment Companies, and Research & Development Tax Relief.
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About ASM Chartered Accountants: ASM Chartered Accountants is a Chartered Accountant firm.
Ian Finnegan
Director & Insolvency Practitioner of ASM Chartered Accountants
Ian graduated from the University of Ulster with an Honours Degree in Accounting and a Masters Degree in Accounting and Finance in 1992. He joined O’Hare Chartered Accountants in Newry where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1996. Ian was appointed a partner in the renamed O’Hare Finnegan firm in 2001. O’Hare Finnegan joined the ASM Group in 2009. In 2003 Ian became a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner and this remains his area of special interest and expertise. Ian is based mainly in the Newry office where he undertakes all aspects of general practice alongside his Insolvency and Corporate Recovery role.
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About ASM Chartered Accountants: ASM Chartered Accountants is a Chartered Accountant firm.
Brian Clerkin
Director of ASM Chartered Accountants
Brian graduated from The Queen’s University of Belfast in 1997 with an Honours Degree in Finance. Brian joined ASM in July 1997 and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2001, having been placed in the top ten in Ireland in each of his professional examinations. A qualified Internal Auditor (MIIA), Brian specialises in Forensic Accounting and Internal Audit. Brian heads up the firm’s Internal Audit Division. He is the Head of Internal Audit for a range of well known public sector organisations.
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About ASM Chartered Accountants: ASM Chartered Accountants is a Chartered Accountant firm.
Michael Nixon
Director of ASM Chartered Accountants
Michael, graduated from The Queen’s University of Belfast with a First Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1984. Michael trained with Price Waterhouse and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1987 achieving second place in Ireland in his Final Admitting Examination. Post qualification, Michael spent 3 years in the Melbourne office of Price Waterhouse as a manager in the Corporate Services department where he was responsible for providing advice to a wide range of private and public bodies. Michael joined ASM in July 2000 having spent 7 years as group finance director in a manufacturing environment where he was responsible for the finance function of a group of 5 companies with a turnover of £18m. Michael specialises in providing corporate finance and consulting advice to a range of public and private sector clients.
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About ASM Chartered Accountants: ASM Chartered Accountants is a Chartered Accountant firm.
Alistair Cooke
Director of ASM Chartered Accountants
Alistair qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1995 having previously completed the Accounting Technician exams and was placed 2nd in Ireland in his Professional Two examinations. Since joining ASM in 1999 Alistair has been responsible for providing audit, accounting, taxation and consultancy services to a range of private and public sector clients from the firm’s Dungannon office. Alistair has also an active role in the provision of IT accounting solutions to a number of clients.
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About ASM Chartered Accountants: ASM Chartered Accountants is a Chartered Accountant firm.
Ronan McGuirk
Tax Director of ASM Chartered Accountants
Ronan joined O’Hare Chartered Accountants in 1998 and qualified as an Accounting Technician in 2000. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2004 and a Chartered Tax Advisor in 2007. In 2008, Ronan was appointed a Director of O’Hare Finnegan which joined the ASM Group in 2009. Ronan is principally involved in providing tax compliance and tax planning services (with a strong emphasis on cross border issues) for clients in our Newry, Dundalk and Dublin offices. He also advises a number of Audit and Accounts clients.
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About ASM Chartered Accountants: ASM Chartered Accountants is a Chartered Accountant firm.
Nicola Niblock
Director of ASM Chartered Accountants
Nicola graduated from The Queen’s University of Belfast in 1986 with an Honours Degree in Accountancy and Economics. Nicola then completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting at The Queen’s University of Belfast. In 1987, Nicola commenced her training contract with Price Waterhouse, Belfast and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1990. Nicola joined ASM in 1998. Since joining the firm, Nicola has been instrumental in developing the Forensic Accounting department.
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About ASM Chartered Accountants: ASM Chartered Accountants is a Chartered Accountant firm.
Mark McNeill
Director of ASM Chartered Accountants
Mark is a Director with ASM. He graduated from The Queen’s University of Belfast in 1991 with a BSc Honours degree in Accounting and completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting at Queen’s University of Belfast in 1992. He trained with Fitch Chartered Accountants in Belfast and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1995, and as a Chartered Tax Adviser in 1997. Mark moved to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in April 2007 before joining ASM in April 2009. Mark is principally involved in the provision of audit and tax compliance services to the Mid Ulster based clients, with a strong focus on the implementation of tax planning strategies for owner managed businesses.
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About ASM Chartered Accountants: ASM Chartered Accountants is a Chartered Accountant firm.
