What do you do?

I help my amazing Retail clients cut through the pains and challenges that crop up in Retail finance.

Why do you do it?

I always wanted to do something “business-y” – At uni, I wanted to be a management consultant but unfortunately I didn’t really know what one was!

My job is great because it combines my two loves – Shopping and Accountancy.

I like getting to the bottom of something… whether it’s a technical question that involves digging into the books, scoping an internal audit project to help them understand why XYZ is happening, or finding the right resource for them when they are in a pinch and needing some cover.

And shopping? Well, apart from the obvious, from school I always had weekend jobs with Boots and Debenhams which sucked me into the fast-moving world of retail.

Getting to work with amazing retail clients and help them solve their problems every day is a dream come true.

What kind of projects have you been involved in?

Lately I’ve really gone deep into a new accounting standard, so I can help clients ease some of the pain of implementation.  IFRS 16 (lease accounting) could be very technical and boring, and I want to change that.  It’s a current passion of mine, whether it’s through hosting interesting events – I host the IFRS 16 Retailer Forum with Halfords, speaking at events and trying to make it engaging, or delivering projects in various aspects of the standard.

My retail network is pretty big now, and I host Retail Rocks each year and I get a real buzz out of introducing my clients to each other, seeing everyone networking and having fun.

I’ve lead an IFRS transition for a client’s stock market listing IPO.  The deadlines were tight, we were all in it together.  Lots of late nights, head stuck in the books as things had to be right, first time.  I absolutely thrived off it!

And of course, I’ve done my fair share of statutory audit, backlog clearing (helping clients see light at the end of the tunnel!), turnover certificates, rebate and grant audits, accounts preparation – you name it, I’ve probably done it!

What’s on top of your bucket list?

I’ve always wanted to travel on the Orient Express – I think I’ve read too much Agatha Christie!  The history and timeless glamour of it sound amazing.