Guest Speakers

Stephen Gahan

Stephen is a tax partner with Forvis Mazars. With over 15 years of experience, he has been advising a diverse range of domestic and international clients on Irish taxation matters. Before joining Forvis Mazars, he was a tax principal at a specialist advisory practice he co-founded, following an 11-year tenure at EY.Stephen has advised on all aspects of Irish direct and indirect taxation for both companies and individuals. He has significant experience in areas such as private client services, corporate restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, property transactions, funding structures and succession planning. In addition to his advisory work, Stephen has delivered seminars on current tax issues for the Institute of Taxation and various accountancy bodies. He is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and a Council member (non-executive director) of the Irish Taxation Institute

J.J. O’Connell

J.J. O’Connell is Chairman and Director of Family Business Ireland. Through his many years of work with family run and family-owned Irish businesses he has developed a unique expertise and insight into the business succession process and all that goes with it – planning, preparation, continuity, transference, succession, legacy, relationships and most importantly ensuring the welfare and wellbeing of the family. He is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable business succession planning practitioners in Ireland.

James Barrett

Growing up in the family retail business James developed his career in the food and drinks industry. Working across European markets James led commercial, marketing and production teams for major international companies. His focus over the last 10 years is facilitating sole trader and family businesses to achieve their commercial ambitions through mentoring interventions unique to each client.