Colin Ryan leads EY's Financial Services practice in Ireland

Professional services giant EY has named Colin Ryan as its new financial services lead in Ireland. Omar Ali, EY EMEIA Financial Services Regional Managing Partner said Ryan’s leadership will ensure EY continues to support clients “in a way that enables them to grow and transform their businesses.”

At the turn of the year, it was confirmed that Ali would move from his role heading up the UK financial services business of EY, and take up a new intercontinental role, and the appointment comes as he looks to drive major growth in EY’s financial services business. In the next three years, the team is expected to add 3,000 roles to its Europe, Middle East, India and Africa headcount.

Ali added, “I’m delighted that Colin is going to lead our financial services business in Ireland. Financial services firms are facing significant change; they need to think about how they can best support the economic recovery and recovery of businesses, how they can best serve their customers in an increasingly digital world, and what role they will play in greening the economy.”

In his new role, Ryan will oversee EY Ireland’s financial services business, which employs more than 700 people, including 30 partners. It provides services in assurance, tax and consulting to clients across sectors including wealth and asset management, banking and capital markets, and insurance.

EY Ireland Managing Partner Frank O’Keeffe said of Ryan, “He is coming into the role at a time of great change and opportunity for the sector and our business and I wish him every continued success. Because of the quality and breadth of our client solutions and our world-class teams, financial services clients are increasingly turning to EY to help them solve their most complex business problems in a fast-evolving marketplace.”

Ryan has worked with financial services, technology and public sector clients for more than 20 years. He first arrived at EY in 2015, to lead the Ireland financial services performance improvement (PI) business, before taking on his position as EY Ireland Financial Services Consulting leader in 2018. Under Ryan’s leadership, the practice has doubled in size, delivering several high-profile tech-enabled engagements as well as significant cross-functional, cross-border regulatory and compliance-driven programmes for clients including PTSB, AIB and Bank of Ireland.

Taking to LinkedIn to celebrate the start of his new challenge, Ryan remarked, “We’re standing at the beginning of a great new chapter and I’m excited to lead this firm as we continue to support our clients in a fast transforming landscape. I’m particularly proud to be given the opportunity to lead such an amazing team of people as it is the special skills and experience that each one of them possess which has enabled us help our clients to succeed in the past and will continue to do so into the future.”

Ryan steps into the role of Eoin MacManus, who has been promoted to leader of EY’s Global NextWave Simplification strategic initiative. MacManus spent a decade in the position, and Ryan thanked him for the “strong foundation you’ve built for us to grow and succeed as the financial services providers of choice in Ireland.”