The Big Interview

Joanna Murphy, Sprintax: ‘After the economic crash, I was really scared of what the future held for my children and others’

The chief executive of Sprintax explains how she believes the firm that files tax returns for non-resident students in US is on the cusp of unicorn status

Joanna Murphy, chief executive of Sprintax: ‘I’m really, really proud of that period of my career. It was exhilarating to be involved at that level and encouraging businesses’. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Joanna Murphy remembers how bad things were in Ireland after the economic crash.

“I had three small kids at the time and the country was absolutely broken. It wasn't fit for purpose. And I was deadly scared of what the future held for my children and other young people back then,” she recalls.

So when serial entrepreneur Terry Clune called her up and offered her a job at Connect Ireland, the public-private partnership founded in ...