What is your role with RG?
I am a manager in our Audit and Assurance service line, but I also work with a number of clients that are not subject to audit within the not for profit, legal and conveyancing sectors. I also assist with general accounting, tax and vat work.
Tell me about your career to date?
I graduated from Sunderland University in 1994 with a degree in Accounting and Business and after 2 years at a small North East accountancy firm I started working for Rainbow Gillespie (who subsequently merged with Ryecroft Glenton). I gained my ACCA qualification in 1998 and here I am still at RG 25 years later!
What does your current role involve?
My main role is to look after our not for profit non audit clients, assisting them with their statutory requirements and ensuring that their financial statements are prepared. I am also part of the RG legal services team: my role involves ensuring that our law firm clients have complied with the Law Society’s Solicitors Accounts Rules.
I also review and manage a number of accountancy and tax assignments as well as offering general advice.
What makes RG different?
I believe that a key factor is ensuring that our clients are provided with a consistent engagement team to enable them to build up a relationship, and in turn enables RG staff to gain a deeper insight into the client’s needs. I am still advising clients that I first dealt with when I started 25 years ago.
We also have a wide range of specialisms across the firm, ensuring that we can offer an expert level of service in all areas.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
I am a football fan, following Newcastle United and for the last 8 years my 14 year old son’s junior football team.
I enjoy travelling and I am very much looking forward to going to Florida in August and New York in January – making up for lost holidays due to covid…………
Tell us about your day so far
I started work at around 8am at our Morpeth office, checking and replying to emails.
I then caught up with staff I am working with to ensure that they have no problems with any of the assignments that they are working on.
Most of my morning was spent working on a set of charity financial statements: this client has a large investment holding and there have been a lot of sales and purchases of investments in the year.
This was followed by a Teams meeting with Deborah Graham, the partner who is responsible for our not for profit work, discussing job allocations and reporting requirements.
The afternoon included a review of a Solicitors Accounts Rules assignment, discussing outstanding issues with my colleague and e mailing the client to asking for further information.
I finished the day with a telephone call to an internal audit client discussing information that I will need for a forthcoming assignment.
My 3 most notable achievements to date would be…….
Being joint winner of the Barclays Bank trophy for A level Business Studies at school.
Passing my accountancy professional qualification first time whilst dealing with a close family bereavement. Working for the same employer for 25 years and maintaining excellent client relationships in this time.