By Kathryn McKenna, Editor of Sync NI
Katie Burns, Partner in EY's Consulting practice in Dublin leading the Finance transformation team, speaks to Sync NI about her career in professional services and how technology forms a huge part of her every day.
Having commenced her own 24-year career journey initially as a management consultant, Katie joined EY in 2019 before being appointed as an equity Partner in July 2021.
Here, Katie talks us through her early exposure to technology through a Master of Business Studies in Management Information Systems. We also explore the evolving gender dynamics in technology, noting a current theme of more women at junior levels but fewer at senior ones - which indicates an optimistic trend that more women are beginning to study and pursue a career in technology.
Also stressing the importance of mentoring, reverse mentoring, and early education in technology, we discuss the need for adaptability and continuous learning in the rapidly evolving tech landscape, with Katie advocating for young girls to explore tech careers due to its central role in modern business.
Looking back, Katie reflects that growing up as one of three sisters, they were raised to understand that they can do anything that boys can do. Therefore, the outdated gender stereotype of ‘tech is just for boys’ did not phase Katie when it came to making her career choices.
“Growing up, my dad emphasised the fact that girls can do anything that boys can do. We regularly attended motorbike races and in everything were raised not to believe in any gender stereotypes between boys and girls,” she says. “So whilst technology was quite a male-dominated sector in the beginning, it did not deter me in any way.”
Having studied a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce before her Master’s degree at University College Dublin, Katie talked about the appeal of moving away to London because of what friends were doing and the potential for opportunity elsewhere.
“There was not a lot of formal career direction,” Katie explains. “Suddenly my eyes were opened that lots of people were moving to London for career opportunities. I joined a management consulting firm which was a great opportunity and learning experience.”
“My Master’s degree was definitely a predominantly male class, and when I look back on my early career I was one of the only females,” Katie says. “However I didn’t notice this, as whilst I strongly believe in supporting women and correcting the gender imbalance in tech, at the time I didn’t see it as I wasn’t raised to look at males and females differently. For this reason I have never personally not put myself forward for an opportunity because I am female. However, there is no denying the gender disparity in the technology sector which crucially needs to be addressed. I am aware that not everyone is lucky to have had the same experience and we need to do more to empower women and girls.”
Katie is optimistic that the work being carried out in order to attract more women into the sector is having a positive effect, noting that whilst there is a lack of female representation at senior leadership level, she is starting to see “more and more” females working at a junior level, indicating a positive uptake amongst the new generation.
“If there are few females at senior leadership level, this is because they have not come up through the ranks just yet and I am excited to see this next generation of female leaders make their mark. I have
already seen lots of females at more junior levels in current projects I am leading and am hopeful this reflects more of an equal gender balance to come. As they progress in their careers, I am optimistic we will see more women at senior leadership levels.”
The fact that more women are choosing to pursue technology as a career, either directly or indirectly, is important in today’s increasingly tech-reliant world. EY have invested significantly in data & analytics and AI technology internally and for their clients, and Katie is positive that all employees, irrespective of sector, should adapt and integrate technology into their roles to ensure their roles remain relevant. AI has the potential to enhance, rather than replace, human jobs by improving efficiency and outcomes, she says.
“Technology is a component of the modern business environment and whilst there are some roles remaining which do not lead with technology, they are getting fewer and fewer.” Therefore, whilst we rightly put a lot of emphasis on supporting females in the workplace, Katie explains that we also need to emphasise the reality that the way the workforce operates is also changing as technology advances – we need to be thinking about a workforce and jobs for the future.
For this reason, Katie believes education from an early age on the importance of technology as well as career mentorships, should play a vital role moving forward. “I believe we are doing better in schools in promoting that message, particular in single-education girls’ schools,” Katie adds.
With children in school now learning with technology through iPads and educational apps, it is hoped that through education children will begin to make the connection that working in the tech sector means they can be involved in creating exciting, innovative technology themselves. Working in the tech sector includes countless career pathways, from video games, travel, pets, shopping and more.
Having moved back to Ireland in 2007, Katie reflects how much her own children, an eight year old daughter plus two boys, aged 13 and 11 years old, enjoy playing the popular app CoderDojo, which proved particularly popular during the pandemic when schools were closed. “Our children are so involved in technology from a young age, even subconsciously. Let’s help them understand the ways tech enriches our lives and make the connection to the career pathways available to them,” Katie encourages.
EY is doing exactly this, having recognised the importance of access to technology for young pupils, it launched its innovative EY STEM App, in Northern Ireland last year. The pilot scheme is currently running in three schools - Ashfield Girls’ High School in Belfast, Assumption Grammar School in Ballynahinch, and St Cecilia’s College in Derry/Londonderry.
It comes as the professional services firm aims to support and empower the next generation of girls to explore and pursue careers in STEM. The free-to-use EY STEM App is aimed at girls aged between 13 and 18 years old and features an immersive programme of modules and activities focused on the four broad areas of STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
The app is designed to be used as an out-of-classroom tool to reinforce and expand educational experiences with learning modules developed by world- leading institutions such as NASA and Stanford University.
When asked what her role as Consulting Partner at EY involves, as a full-time working mother, Katie reveals there is no one ‘typical day’ in her multi-faceted role: “I have been a partner for the past five years, since my youngest child was only three, and it has been a particularly busy and enjoyable time. To achieve the best balance, it is vital to have the best team possible around you.
“I love learning and variety, so I relish that no two weeks are ever the same. When clients are happy with our work as a team or when we deliver on a piece of work that has been challenging, it makes me extremely happy.
“My interpersonal skills also mean I thrive when I get to collaborate with others and I really enjoy testing myself and working hard to find a solution to these challenges.”
Katie emphasises the importance of mentoring when it comes to career success, noting that she has benefited from both formal and informal mentoring relationships. In addition to more traditional mentoring schemes, Katie talks about her interest in the importance of reverse mentoring, where younger employees mentor those more experienced team members. This helps best utilise all five generations of the current workforce’s skills and understanding.
This is something which allows for a greater understanding of the younger generations for those leading teams, allowing for better cohesiveness and collaboration. In better understanding the younger generations, we are best placed to inspire and engage with them. “I strongly recommend reverse mentoring as an important method to be able to learn from our younger generations, not only in terms of their expertise, but also in acknowledging what their career needs look like for them,” Katie says.
Praising EY’s commitment to mentorship schemes, which she says are absolutely vital to maintain an open mindset and willingness to learn in the rapidly evolving technology sector, Katie highlights the role of mentors in providing honest feedback, identifying development needs, and securing support for career progression.
Overall, Katie encourages girls to explore technology related careers and to think about how technology will impact every job in the future.
One of the greatest skills essential for a successful career is remaining open-minded. Katie says: “Once you have met the basic academic requirements for the specific role, the most important element is approaching advances with an open mindset and a willingness to learn.
“It is vital to be open to change and learning in technology rather than viewing it as a threat. Technology is moving faster than we can think and keep up with. EY has invested significantly in its technology capabilities and supports this with in-depth learning to its employees globally. Technology is at the heart of everything that we do.”
EY is actively working to inspire more women and young girls to pursue STEM subjects and careers in the tech sector through initiatives like the EY STEM App. EY's efforts are crucial in closing the gender gap in technology and empowering the next generation of female leaders. To find out more, visit: www.ey.com/en_uk.
To find out more about EY NI, including job opportunities, day-in-the-life style features, interviews and news stories, visit: syncni.com/company/ey-belfast.
Sync NI's Summer 2025 magazine celebrates women in tech across Ireland as we continue to encourage more women to enter the thriving sector and address the current gender imbalance. Read the Summer 2025 Sync NI Magazine online for free here.
