Ambitious firms do not stand still. They continue to invest in exceptional people, strengthen their expertise and challenge themselves to deliver more for clients. At Malone & Co., that ambition has shaped the firm’s growth, culture and direction, creating opportunities for both clients and colleagues to succeed.
The appointment of Lesley Mac Cormaic and Jane Hughes as Partners reflects that ambition in action. Between them, they have built, scaled and strengthened two of the firm’s most important service lines, helping to create the platform for Malone & Co.’s continued growth while strengthening the leadership team that will shape its future.
Over recent years, Malone & Co. has experienced significant growth, expanding its specialist expertise, strengthening its service offering and continuing to support businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals with practical, commercially focused advice. The appointments of Lesley and Jane reflect that journey and the important role both have played in building the firm we are today.
As the firm looks ahead, their appointments further strengthen a leadership team focused on developing talent, deepening expertise and helping clients navigate opportunity, complexity and change with confidence.
Building on Success
Since joining the leadership team just over four years ago, Lesley Mac Cormaic has played a pivotal role in the growth and development of the firm’s service lines in auditing, accounting and business advisory. During that time, she attained Responsible Individual (RI) status, further strengthening the firm’s audit capabilities, and today leads audit engagements for a growing national and international client base.
Having joined the firm five years ago with responsibility for building the Audit and Advisory Department, Lesley has successfully scaled the service line into one of the firm’s strongest performing divisions. She now oversees a team of 20 experienced practitioners and has maintained an exceptional 100% staff retention rate over the past four years, reflecting both the strength of the culture she has created and the calibre of the team she has built.
Commenting on her appointment, Lesley said:
“I am delighted to become a Partner at Malone & Co. at such an exciting time for our firm.
Since joining the leadership team over four years ago, I have been fortunate to work in a culture of encouragement and support, with the freedom to shape my team and help drive the firm’s growth. By creating a supportive atmosphere among our staff and cultivating a shared drive to achieve the highest standards for our clients, I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing my team grow from strength to strength.
I am excited to take this next step, with a clear focus on improving our client experience, broadening our services and expertise, and supporting the continued growth and success of Malone & Co. as we commence the next phase of our growth journey.
Becoming a Partner at Malone & Co. is an incredibly proud moment for me personally, and it reflects the successful journey shared with so many people along the way and especially the colleagues I work so closely with on a day-to-day basis who are no doubt becoming leaders in their own right and who are the future of the firm.”
Strengthening Our Tax Advisory Offering
Jane Hughes has led the firm’s Tax Department as Head of Tax and has been instrumental in expanding and strengthening Malone & Co.’s tax advisory capabilities.
A Chartered Tax Adviser and qualified Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), Jane has significant expertise in business reorganisation, wealth preservation, succession planning and intergenerational wealth transfer, helping business owners navigate complex financial, tax and family planning matters.
Since joining the firm, she has focused on developing practical, commercially focused tax solutions while building strong relationships with clients and professional advisers. She has also worked closely with colleagues across the firm to encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
Jane has made an immediate and transformational impact on the firm’s tax offering, helping build and strengthen both its domestic and international tax capabilities. Under her leadership, the tax team has trebled in size in a relatively short period, significantly expanding the expertise available to clients and strengthening the firm’s position in the market.
Among her many achievements has been the establishment of a successful quarterly business owner conference delivering wealth, tax and succession planning insights to help entrepreneurs make informed long-term decisions.
Jane’s future plans include continuing to strengthen the firm’s tax department by sourcing expert and niche tax advisers, investing in talent development and mentoring, expanding its private client advisory and family office capabilities, and supporting clients through proactive education and thought leadership.
Commenting on her appointment, Jane said:
“I am delighted to be taking on the role of Tax Partner and am incredibly grateful for the support of my colleagues, clients and mentors throughout my career.
Since joining Malone & Co., I have had the opportunity to work alongside an exceptional team and help further develop our tax advisory and compliance offering.
I believe that driving a culture of continuous learning and professional development is fundamental to delivering the highest standards of client service in Tax, and I look forward to building on that foundation in my new role.
Looking ahead, I am particularly excited about the further and imminent growth within the tax department, investing in our people under the different tax heads and continuing to provide trusted advice that helps our clients achieve their personal and business goals. As the tax landscape evolves, we will continue to expand our offerings in wealth preservation, succession planning, business sales and international tax to support our clients so they can navigate complex decisions with confidence.”
Looking to the Future
Commenting on the appointments, Damien Malone, Managing Partner, said:
“I am absolutely delighted to appoint both Lesley and Jane to their respective roles as Audit and Tax Partner at Malone & Co.
I am proud that the firm I founded is regarded as one of Ireland’s highest-performing accounting firms. We set an exceptionally high bar for leadership and Lesley and Jane have cleared that bar with room to spare.
I am often asked what separates a firm that settles for mediocrity from one that achieves exceptional, market-leading growth. The answer is always the same: the calibre of the people driving it from within and the culture they create.
Both have played a significant role in shaping the success of the firm and the growth we have achieved in recent years.
Lesley joined us five years ago to build our Audit and Advisory Department and has scaled it into one of the firm’s strongest service lines. Today, she leads a team of 20 experienced practitioners and has maintained a remarkable 100% staff retention rate over the last four years, reflecting both the strength of the team she has built and the culture she has created.
Jane has made an immediate and transformational impact on our Tax offering, building and strengthening both our domestic and international tax capabilities. In a relatively short period, she has trebled the size of the tax team while continuing to expand the depth and breadth of expertise available to our clients.
What sets both Lesley and Jane apart is not only their technical expertise, but the example they set every day. From the day they joined us, they have raised expectations, driven performance and helped reshape how we serve our clients. They have earned the trust of clients, the respect of colleagues and consistently demonstrated the judgement, influence and ambition that define true leadership in a top-tier firm.
They are exceptional people first and foremost, as well as exceptional practitioners.
They have already been acting as Partners in everything but title. Today, the title finally catches up.
Partnership is not simply a title. It is a reflection of leadership, trust, commitment and contribution. Both Lesley and Jane have earned that recognition and I look forward to working alongside them as we continue to build the next chapter of Malone & Co.’s story.
Lesley, Jane, welcome to the table.”
The Next Chapter
The appointments of Lesley Mac Cormaic and Jane Hughes represent an important milestone for Malone & Co., reinforcing the firm’s commitment to developing talent, investing in specialist expertise and building for the future.
With a strengthened partnership team, market-leading expertise and a clear vision for what comes next, Malone & Co. remains focused on helping ambitious businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals realise their ambitions through trusted advice, meaningful relationships and exceptional expertise.
About Malone & Co.
Malone & Co. is one of Ireland’s leading independent accountancy, taxation and business advisory firms. The firm provides audit, accounting, taxation, company secretarial, corporate finance and advisory services to businesses and individuals across Ireland and internationally.
Ambitious Advisors for Ambitious Businesses.
