Ifac’s director of sustainability named 2025 ESG Champion of the Year

Dr Rosie O’Neill was named ESG Champion of the Year at the prestigious awards event on Friday night. The awards showcase the incredible depth and diversity of female leadership across Ireland’s business landscape, encompassing innovation, creativity, progress, and economic impact both in Ireland and beyond. Also, the calibre of the women in business shortlisted this year for this new award category (ESG Champion of the Year) was exceptional.

This win follows another sustainability accolade for the firm. Last month, after a thorough evaluation of the social and environmental impact of its business model, ifac became Ireland’s first B Corp certified professional services firm – a commitment from ifac’s teams in over 30 offices across the country to do business differently. Companies that are B Corp Certified meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency, and are among a group of over 50 businesses in Ireland that are leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy.

Rosie O’Neill said: “I am honoured by this recognition and I wish to congratulate all the female leaders shortlisted in this category – we share a commitment to embed Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) policies into our work and businesses.

“At Ifac, we help businesses to stay competitive, reduce costs, minimise waste, and improve efficiencies. From helping clients to integrate sustainability into their marketing strategies to calculating scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions and implementing effective carbon reduction plans, we are seeing a rise in the need for guidance on sustainability strategies and reporting from our clients.”

John Donoghue, chief executive, said: “At Ifac, as a firm deeply rooted in local communities, we believe business can be a powerful force for good.

“We push ourselves to improve every single day and we are incredibly proud of this recognition for Rosie’s work within our firm and in partnership with our clients, ensuring that as we all grow, we do so responsibly and sustainably.”

A growing top ten accountancy firm with 30 offices and a dedicated team of 560 professionals, Ifac has been committed to serving its farming, food, agri-business and SME clients across Ireland for 50 years.

The firm offers a full suite of professional services, including accounting, tax, audit, corporate finance, corporate recovery, payroll, financial planning, company secretarial, and business valuations.