Linda Mc Weeney (Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, Technological University Dublin) 

Linda is an experienced Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, having lectured for the past twenty years.  Linda is a non-executive director, a member of the Institute of Directors Ireland, a qualified professional chartered accountant with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services sector.  Linda predominantly specialises in lecturing in the area of International Financial accounting and Corporate reporting and recognises the new developments and key strategic issues in sustainable finance affecting companies. 

As a Chartered Accountant Climate Champion and a Champion for sustainability on an SDG Literacy Group within TU Dublin, Linda along with a colleague developed the FinBiz Sustainability Webinar Series which includes co-created resources with staff, students and guest speakers in the area of sustainability.  Her current research interests include Sustainable Business and Finance having published and presented in this area.   

Enterprise Academy Fellowship Project

With over twenty years lecturing and non-executive directorship experience, she has significant academic development experience in translating enterprise requirements into knowledge products, and is keen to reinvigorate her school's portfolio of programmes for enterprise learners. She has a passion for sustainability and has completed a Certificate in Sustainable Finance. High-quality sustainability reporting has come to the fore with the emergence of the European Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Accountants are becoming increasingly involved in this process, acting as assurers of triple bottom line innovations based on the lingua-franca of corporate sustainability.

Given that circa 50,000 EU companies will have to disclose their environmental impact to help consumers and investors make sustainable choices, there is enormous pent-up demand for training on the European Union’s CSRD/ESRS sustainability regulation, supported by the appropriate academic/ enterprise/professional body partnerships.

During her fellowship Linda intends to support her School in developing a flagship Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainability Reporting and Assurance programme targeted at enterprise learners from high impact or EU Taxonomy eligible sectors (such as pharmaceuticals, food, manufacturing, construction, and tourism) with constituent micro-credentials and embedded professional certifications. With an intended completion date of January 2025, the offering is likely to attract further innovation funding, as accountants and their employer organisations seek to build capacity and develop talent for the era of transparent and verifiable sustainability reporting and disclosure.