JOHANNA O’DRISCOLL
Head of Group Financial Evaluation & Advisory Services, CRH plc
Johanna heads up CRH’s Financial Evaluation & Advisory Services Function. Its function is to act as a centre of excellence for accounting and financial reporting for the Group, supporting the many finance and development teams throughout CRH with investment appraisal and evaluation, complex accounting issues, external financial reporting and financial projects. Johanna is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a qualified member of the Institute of Tax and a member of Mensa since 1990. Johanna’s first job was with Deloitte’s audit and assurance team where she completed her training contract and spent four formative years. She spent six years with Kerry Group, in a variety of challenging and engaging roles and locations. In 2006, Johanna moved to CRH which has afforded significant career opportunities. The ‘day job’ includes oversight of CRH’s external financial reporting to support CRH’s Dublin, London and New York Stock Listings. Her team is also responsible for the financial review of the Group’s acquisition, divestment and capital expenditure proposals prepared by the development and strategy teams.
During 2015, CRH completed the largest acquisition in both its and Irish corporate history (enterprise value of €6.5 billion) and Johanna worked extensively, together with a large Group-wide team, on several aspects of the transaction.
Johanna enjoys socialising with friends and family, travelling and is passionate about sport, particularly Gaelic football and hurling. She also loves to run; while taking part in a Remembrance Run last year she saw a sign that said: “Forget about all the reasons why it won’t work and believe in the one reason that it will”.
“It’s a message which has remained with me in both my personal and professional life ever since and inspires me to bring a sense of continued positivity to my role,” she said.