David Stafford was appointed Director and Chief Executive Officer of ALD Re Limited in February 2012, a subsidiary of ALD Automotive, the provider of vehicle fleet leasing and fleet management solutions, ultimately owned by Societe Generale. He is responsible for implementing Board strategy and managing day-to-day operations. ALD Re provides reinsurance protection for third party motor liability across 23 countries and Stafford says one of the challenges is dealing with cultural differences with his remit spreading from Portugal in the west to Russia in the east.

The role of an accountant has changed considerably over the past number of years, and while a head for numbers is still important, Vincent MacMahon, a partner with the Investment Management Audit and Business Advisory Services practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dublin, says that to excel in the profession, a desire to work with other people is what is really needed.