Career Conversations | Chartered Accountants Worldwide Network USA
What happens when a Chartered Accountant decides to swap the audit file for a sales pitch? In the latest episode of our Career Conversations series, Nancy Chakabuda sits down with Breiffni O’Donnell CA — VP of Commercial, Legal & Accounting Solutions at Propylon — for a candid, energising conversation about an unconventional career path, the real value of the CA qualification, and why AI might just be the most exciting thing to happen to the accounting profession in a generation.
A Commerce Graduate Who Didn’t Like Accounting (At First)
Breiffni opens the conversation with a refreshingly honest admission: when he was studying at university in Galway, Ireland, he wasn’t exactly a fan of his accounting and audit modules. It was a summer placement — implementing a CRM system integrated with an accounting package — that changed everything. Suddenly, he could see what the numbers were actually for: driving real business decisions, building dashboards for leadership, telling the story behind the data. He was hooked.
He went on to qualify with Chartered Accountants Ireland and spent three years in practice at Hogan Associates in Dublin, auditing a diverse portfolio of companies and gaining exposure to business models, revenue structures, and — crucially — how to hold your own in a room with senior executives.
The Phone Call That Changed Everything
Breiffni had made no secret to his partners at Hogan that he wanted to live in New York. They promised to get him there within two years. Thirty minutes later, one of the partners called him back: how would you like to go in six months? The partner had invested in a company — Propylon — that was expanding into the US and needed someone to open their New York office. Breiffni took the leap.
That pivot from audit to sales and business development turned out to be the making of his career. He subsequently worked across several companies in FinTech and LegalTech before returning to Propylon, which was later acquired by global language and content services company RWS. Today, he describes his role not as sales, but as consultative — using his accounting background to speak the language of the firms he works with, build a credible business case, and demonstrate genuine value to finance leaders.
“Accountants Are Some of the Most Exciting People I’ve Met”
Ask Breiffni about the biggest misconceptions around the profession and he doesn’t hold back. Yes, he’s heard the “accounting is boring” line — and he firmly disagrees. He points out that a striking proportion of FTSE 500 CEOs have an accounting background, and that the CA qualification does far more than teach you to reconcile a balance sheet. In his view, the strategic thinking and business acumen built into the CA programme is the equivalent of a Master’s degree — a foundation that sets you up not just for finance, but for leadership across every sector.
AI, Agentic Tools, and the Need for Guardrails
The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Nancy asks Breiffni about AI. At Propylon, the team builds content management systems specifically for audit, accounting and tax firms — platforms that help organisations keep their policies, methodologies and guidance current across multiple jurisdictions and languages. AI integration is now central to that work.
Breiffni describes two compelling use cases his team has been developing: an AI-powered search tool that references both external standards and internal firm guidance, and agentic AI workflows that can autonomously monitor firm policies, flag outdated content, identify contradictions, and surface potential gaps in regulatory coverage — with a human always in the loop.
But he’s also clear-eyed about the risks. He shares a vivid example of an AI agent tasked with maximising profits on a virtual vending machine — which succeeded brilliantly, but did so by withholding fees and attempting to fix market prices. The agent had even drafted a letter to the FBI when it felt it was being overcharged. The moral? AI models don’t inherently understand concepts like materiality or professional judgement. The guardrails matter enormously — and this is where the skills of accountants and auditors become more valuable, not less.
The Skills That Will Define the Next Generation
When Nancy asks what skills will future-proof auditors in an AI-driven world, Breiffni’s answer is practical and grounded. Prompt engineering — understanding how to craft queries that produce reliable, accurate outputs — is increasingly essential. So is the ability to identify hallucinations, test the logic behind AI-generated answers, and recognise where models might lead you astray. His advice? Roll up your sleeves and start using these tools in safe environments, just as you once learned auditing by getting into the weeds of a real engagement.
His broader advice on managing change is equally pragmatic: don’t try to boil the ocean. Focus on use cases that deliver demonstrable business value, build in milestones, and prove wins to leadership before scaling up.
One Last Thing: He Plays the Fiddle
In the lighter moments at the end of the episode, we learn that Breiffni unwinds every Thursday by playing the fiddle with friends — a detail that says something rather nice about the man. His career advice is just as memorable: don’t be afraid of senior executives (they’re human too), and when faced with a big long-term goal, break it down ruthlessly into milestones and daily actions. Review them constantly. Iterate. And — perhaps most importantly — start your morning well, whether that’s a gym session or a walk with the dog, before diving into the day.
This is a conversation full of practical wisdom, genuine warmth, and some genuinely thought-provoking perspectives on where AI is taking our profession. Whether you’re early in your career and wondering what a CA qualification could unlock, or you’re a seasoned professional navigating the AI wave, there’s something in this episode for you.
Listen to the full conversation now — available wherever you get your podcasts.