The bigger picture

I’m responsible for the financial control function at Future Finance – Europe’s biggest student lender. It’s a start-up firm and when I joined, I was tasked with establishing financial control and reporting systems, and a high-performing finance team. Today, I deal with both internal and external stakeholders including directors, management, investors, banks, regulatory authorities and counterparties.

You’ve reached a high level early in your career – did you travel after your studies or opt to work?

When I finished college in 2006, I started into my training contract with PwC while a number of my friends jetted off to Australia. While I really enjoyed parts of my training, it was a challenging few years. There were long hours and I put a huge amount of pressure on myself to pass my exams. That said, it was definitely worth it when I got my results! Once I passed my FAE exams, I moved to Sydney with colleagues and friends from PwC and with the ACA qualification behind me, I found it easy to get a job. I ended up with four years of super international experience.

Looking back, what were your greatest weaknesses as a trainee?

In the early days, I tended to get bogged down in the detail and focused too much on getting the work done as quickly as possible. I didn’t take the time to step back and look at the full picture. I eventually learned that, once you know why you’re doing something and can see the impact of your efforts, your work becomes a lot more interesting. That took some time to figure out.

Now your career is in full swing, how do you stay motivated?

It’s quite easy to stay motivated in a start-up environment. The business is growing at an incredible pace so there’s always a new project in the pipeline. I’m lucky enough to be part of what I believe will be a huge success story and that’s extremely motivating in itself.

As a manager, what do you look for in young Chartered Accountants?

I look for bright, enthusiastic and diligent candidates. Cultural fit is also hugely important and that’s the first criteria I look at. If the fit isn’t right, it can be very difficult to manage and mentor people.

So what key skills should students develop early in their careers?

The ability to work well in a team is key. You might take this skill for granted but as soon as you come across someone who doesn’t work well in a team, you quickly realise how much this can impact productivity. Effective communication is equally important – being able to get your point across in a clear and effective manner is a skill all students should consistently work on.

Lastly, what do you wish you had known as a student?

I wish I knew just how good I had it!