Apprentice of the Year
Ryan O’Connell has exceeded the expectations of a young apprentice, working on roles usually reserved for more senior grades, and garnering attention and praise from both EY clients and Partners alike. He has certainly established himself as a leader to watch, with a tremendous passion and aptitude for leadership, and has been asked to lead on critical EY projects. One example is his role in leading a team of 20 to deliver Government-backed COVID-19 Bounce Back Loans, where such work is also contributing to positive societal outcomes.
Ryan has also shown a significant capacity for critical thought. This is evident in his advocacy of apprenticeships, which has led him to represent the apprenticeship community and help apprentices to get the most from the EY programme. He supported EY’s first virtual induction for graduates and apprentices in 2020, for example. And in terms of engagement, Ryan’s work during the induction process contributed significantly to the fact that 100% of new EY joiners either strongly agreed/agreed that they had a positive onboarding experience. Elsewhere, his changes have helped improve EY’s overall apprenticeship offering and increased the development opportunities for individuals.
Ryan has achieved all of this while working towards his academic achievements; within the first two years of his apprenticeship, Ryan obtained a Level 3 Compliance & Risk Officer qualification and a certificate in Financial Services. In his final two years, Ryan has been working towards his Level 4 Principles of Leadership & Management Apprenticeship Diploma studies.
View the EY profile in the MCA Members Directory.