What is your role with RG?
I am a partner; my current primary focus is to take on responsibility for many of my father’s client relationships so that he can start to take a step back.
Tell me about your career to date?
I trained with KPMG in Edinburgh and I spent three years in their owner-managed business department. I was lucky to experience accounts and audit across a wide spectrum; my clients included charities, scientific institutes (including the famous clone Dolly the sheep), restaurant chains and visitor attractions as well as manufacturers, wholesalers and service businesses.
On qualifying I moved into the corporate tax department, working on PFI deals for the new Edinburgh Infirmary and other hospitals and schools. The PFIs of the early 90s remind us that today’s interest rates of 5-6% are not high against a historical backdrop, and it’s fair to say the public sector did not come out of the deals well. From a professional point of view, it was a great training ground for excel modelling; no spreadsheet has defeated me since!
I left KPMG to undertake an MBA at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School, which in turn gave access to the world of start-ups and university spin-outs. After graduation I took a role as financial controller for a spin out medical imaging company. The business grew from 10 people to 50 in the 12 months I worked there, before being sold to Siemens.
Not wanting a big corporate environment, I moved to another start up, which had just received investment. I benefitted from working with the group FD across a few of the group companies and a bonus was the opportunity to introduce Ryecroft Glenton. The group and its owners have been valued clients of RG ever since.
I left after having my first child and started my own firm the following year; I have worked in practice since.
What makes RG different?
I’m enormously impressed by the breadth and depth of skill and expertise within RG. People here have expertise across everything from app stacks driving the most efficient finance processes, to the constantly changing landscape of farming and landed estate regulations post-Brexit, audit risk assessment post-Carillion, the enormous complexity of trusts and estates made worse by HMRC’s latest trust registration initiative, tax efficient business structures, complex personal tax affairs, and a vast range of corporate finance, due diligence and transaction services expertise.
All of it comes with a fundamental commitment to providing exceptional financial and strategic advice to every client and it has been very clear to me, as I’ve got to know the firm over the last year or so, how much every member of staff cares about every client.
What do you enjoy outside of work?
I love riding; I don’t have my own horses any more but I’m lucky enough to be able to ride with friends. I also do agility training and competitions with my dog, Hamish, and many of my weekends revolve around watching my teenagers play sport. All the family loves skiing and watersports so our holidays usually involve water, either frozen or (ideally!) warm.
And finally, leave us with one interesting fact about yourself?
We recently hosted a Ukrainian family for a year, which involved moving my office out of the annex and into my sitting room. It was a pretty small room for 4 people for a year and a lot of clients on teams calls must have wondered about my wallpaper and curtains. Our guests have gone back to Ukraine to be reunited with their wider family but we loved having them with us and learning about Ukraine’s culture and food. We are very much hoping to visit them in return when the war comes to an end.