Culture Of Collaboration And Innovation In Cork
PwC hired 40 graduates into the Cork office in 2021 and will hire a similar number this year. The firm has also hired a number of experienced candidates across each of its assurance, tax, deals and consulting teams. “In consulting in particular we have had a number of people join us in Cork who will work both locally and with national teams giving us a really good blend of experience and opportunity,” says tax partner Nicola Quinn.
Underpinning this headcount increase is traditional assurance services as well as robust demand for due diligence services and advisory support for clients who are buying businesses, and for clients who are selling all or part of their business.
“We are also seeing a lot of demand for succession planning,” Quinn adds. “Covid has made many family businesses in particular look at their business and consider how and when they want to pass their business to the next generation. Post Brexit we have seen a lot of clients expand into new and different markets, and we have been supporting our clients on the tax implications of moving into these new markets.”
Quinn says supply chain issues are a big concern for most businesses, as are labour shortages. “How to remunerate and incentivise staff is something we have been advising many companies on in the last year,” she explains. “We are also seeing cybersecurity and the climate crisis top of mind with clients.”
Quinn references a “strong culture of collaboration and innovation” in Cork, though challenges relating to staffing and housing need to be addressed to enable further development. “Hopefully the funding committed to capital projects for the Cork region will be forthcoming and that those really important infrastructure developments will proceed to ensure the region continues to grow in a sustainable manner.”