Dr Eimear McGeown

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Biography

Dr Eimear McGeown lectures in financial reporting and entrepreneurial finance at UCC's Department of Accounting and Finance.  She completed her PhD in 2023 on the determinants of the demand and supply of non-bank debt finance to the SME sector in Ireland and its impact on SME firm performance.  She is actively publishing and disseminating her research. Other research interests include green finance for SME firms and entrepreneurial education. 
Prior to academia, Dr McGeown developed extensive industry expertise as a Chartered Accountant with a Big Four firm, specialising in Audit and Corporate Finance. Her professional background includes significant banking sector experience, where she gained valuable insights into financial institutions and lending practices. She is also an Associate of the Institute of Bankers.  This combination of professional experience informs both her research in SME finance and her teaching approach, particularly in bridging theoretical concepts with practical applications.

Research Interests

Dr McGeown’s main research interests lie in financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).  Her PhD examined the role of non-bank debt finance in the SME finance ecosystem. It explored both the demand and supply sides of non-bank debt finance, its impact on funding gaps, and whether the use of non-bank debt affects firm performance. This topic has become increasingly important as banks continue to restructure, contract, and consolidate. This trend is particularly pronounced in Ireland, where the banking market is highly concentrated.

Two of her research papers have received the highly prestigious Best Paper Award from the ISBE (Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship) conference and were nominated for the President’s Award for Best Paper by an Early Career Researcher. ISBE is a peer-reviewed international conference attended by leading scholars in the entrepreneurial finance field.

“Is Non-Bank Finance Closing SME Funding Gaps?” (McGeown E., Power B., & Shinnick E.) won the Best Paper Award in the entrepreneurial finance track at the 2021 ISBE conference in Cardiff. It was also nominated for the President’s Award for Best Paper by an Early Career Researcher.

“Non-Bank Debt and SME Performance?” (McGeown E., Power B., & Shinnick E.) received the Best Paper Award in the entrepreneurial finance track at the 2022 ISBE conference in York. It was also nominated for the President’s Award for Best Paper by an Early Career Researcher.