Dr Collette Kirwan

Dr Collette Kirwan BBS, PhD, FCA is a Lecturer in Accounting at South East Technological University (SETU). She trained as a chartered accountant with PwC where she subsequently worked as a manager in Audit Services, before returning to WIT to take up a lecturing position. In 2013, she completed her PhD in University College Dublin (UCD) under Professor Niamh Brennan’s supervision. Collette’s research interests are in the areas of corporate governance and accounting. In the domain of corporate governance, her research activities explore the role of boards of directors, including the complexities that influence the roles and functions performed by boards. Her work spans different organisational types including private family firms and not-for-profit organisations. Her research work and publications also include studies exploring the work of auditors and the governance role of audit committees.

Research Interests

• Corporate Governance
• Boards of Directors
• Governance in private family firms
• Governance in not-for-profit organisations 
• Financial Reporting 
• Auditing
• Qualitative Research Methods

Honours and Awards

Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award Highly Commended Award, Management and Governance Category (2013)

Irish Accounting and Finance Association, Doctoral Award, IAFA Representative at Amercian Accounting Association Doctoral Consortium (2009)

Collette has lectured at undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and executive education levels. Her main subject areas include financial accounting/reporting, financial management, corporate governance and business ethics and business theory development.

Honours and Awards

Teaching Excellence Award, Waterford Institute of Technology (2011).