Kealan Varian: Senior Associate (Risk Consulting) at KPMG Ireland

What is your background/ experience with ISCG and what are you currently doing?

I was a member of ISCG during my final year in UCD where I studied Commerce International. 

I worked on two projects. The first was for a Wild Irish Game company looking for a market analysis on the future of independent butcher shops in Ireland. The second project was for a Software Company looking to determine whether there was a gap in the market for them to launch a form building product. This involved looking at the existing offerings of competitors and determining their unique selling points. 

I’m currently working as a Senior Associate in the Risk Consulting Department of KPMG Ireland. I’ve managed to maintain a link to ISCG by helping to facilitate the KPMG sponsored case study competitions run for ISCG.

What did you enjoy most/find most beneficial about ISCG?

The most enjoyable part of ISCG was meeting new people, but also working on something  “real”. This was a welcome change from the theoretical situations and challenges presented in college. 

ISCG provided an opportunity to work with companies on real projects while still in college and also provided a useful talking point for milk round interviews. 

Being able to deal with companies and produce a deliverable at the end of a project also gave a taste of what Consulting could be like.

How do you think your experience with ISCG has helped you generally and/or in your career?

I met some great people through ISCG, whom I’m still in touch with today. It also gave me an insight into what different areas of consulting could be like prior to leaving college.