Sarah-Jane
Murphy

WHO I HELP

Owner-managed businesses. Family businesses.

HOW I HELP

Business Advisory. Management accounts. Year-end compliance.

SECTORS/SUPPORT

Across a wide range of sectors.

“IT’S ALL ABOUT ADDING VALUE.”

Sarah-Jane Murphy is a Director in our Business Advisory team. In her day-to-day role, Sarah-Jane supports clients across the Island of Ireland with their periodic monthly or quarterly performance reviews, target setting and KPI reviews, year-end compliance, Finance Function support and ad-hoc projects. She’s also in regular contact with her clients, advising on any technical accounting queries that they might have by providing guidance based on her extensive knowledge of the market and current business trends.

In addition to this, Sarah-Jane has experience in advising clients along their digital transformation journeys and offering support based on their cloud accounting needs.

Building meaningful relationships

“An ideal client relationship is very similar to any of the relationships I have, inside or outside of work, it is one where we share the same core values and have open channels of communication. A strong client relationship goes beyond compliance and deadlines, it’s all about adding value. As the client’s Business Advisor, I aim to ensure they’re compliant with accounting and tax regulations, whilst also identifying opportunities that would help them deliver their business strategy and goals.

I want my clients to feel comfortable picking up the phone to speak to me about any problems or concerns that they might have surrounding their business. We believe we are proactive with our advice, rather than reactive. If we spot something that could impact one of our clients, we’ll always reach out in the first instance.”

Working with Family Businesses

“Dealing with family businesses can be complex as it can sometimes be difficult for the client to separate family and business priorities. Therefore, it’s important for us as advisors to provide objective and independent advice to all members of the family. We try to provide guidance and support throughout the succession planning process, asking the difficult questions that we believe will lead to the most effective advice.”

My greatest strengths

“I believe my greatest strengths are my strong work ethic, dedication to service delivery, reliability, and proactive attitude. I work hard to deliver a high-quality service for my clients. I also enjoy building positive relationships. I love being part of a diverse team of individuals with different backgrounds and experiences. Often by listening to other perspectives and engaging in productive discussions we can identify fresh, innovative solutions to challenges.”

Breaking the “bean counters” stereotype

“A pet peeve for me is when people view accountants as “bean counters”. I believe our jobs as accountants go way beyond the number crunching, there’s a great level of creativity, technical skill and wider business acumen that’s required to be able to provide value-adding bespoke advice rather than a textbook answer.

At AAB, we strive to be our client’s trusted advisor, helping them build effective business models and facilitating growth. Seeing the difference our advice has made on clients’ situations is extremely rewarding. One of the greatest compliments a client paid me was how delighted they were that I was part of their team and that they felt like I knew their business and helped give them peace of mind.”

An exciting future ahead

“In terms of my own future, I’m excited for potential progression opportunities and continuing to learn from my colleagues. Our client base consists of a wide variety of sectors and industries which makes the job interesting – no two days are ever the same. Being part of a team that offers a wide variety of bespoke services creates an opportunity for me to get exposure to many different areas.

AAB is an exciting group to be a part of as it’s on a rapid growth journey – both organically and through acquisitions. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s around the corner for such a forward-thinking group.”