Name: Nicola Cowman

Job Title: Managing Director, Global Alliances Business Operations

Previous Career Experience: 

Before joining Carne, I spent over two years at HedgeServ, where I was responsible for the Financial Reporting and Internal Audit activities of the firm. Prior to that, I was at International Fund Services (Ireland) Ltd for seven years, in a number of Senior Fund Accounting and Financial Reporting roles. This included long-term secondments to both Toronto and Hangzhou, China to lead the establishment of State Street’s operations in both jurisdictions.

When and Why did you move to the US?

I moved to the US with Carne Global Financial Services after working within their Management Company in Ireland. In the US I am supporting US Asset Managers on launching European Fund Structures; these funds include UCITS traditional funds, alternative UCITS, hedge funds and private equity funds. These covered multiple jurisdictions including Ireland, Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands.

What does your current job involve?

My core responsibility includes guiding US Asset Managers on regulation, as it relates to launching European structures and ensuring their Funds are operating within both the Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Security “UCITS” framework and the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive “AIFMD”

What advice would you have for an Irish CPA interested in working in the US?

Having a qualified CPA is an essential part of all industries and organisations, the opportunities are endless. I would advise anyone interested in working in the US to focus on Irish firms with US operations and to also identify specialized knowledge that you can bring across; this is key. My mantra was always “if you don’t ask, you don’t get!"