How Futrli reimagines the small business landscape
Hannah Dawson is the Founder and CEO of Futrli and has just been named as part of the Maserati/Sunday Times top 100 entrepreneurs to watch. Futrli is a UK-based tech scale up whose Classic product supports 1,100 accountants and over 45,000 small businesses worldwide. They are Xero’s Practice app of the year and won a place on this year’s Tech Nation Upscale 4.0 programme, where the likes of Monzo have thrived before.
Futrli has been building a new platform over the past two years that complements Classic’s traditional forecasting and reporting capabilities. The platform reimagines how a small business works and succeeds every day, and with launch imminent, Hannah’s full steam ahead, but excited to talk with Accounting Insight News before her session at Accountex 2019 at ExCel.
AIN: Hi Hannah. Let’s take a brief trip down memory lane - tell us about founding Futrli...
HD: Futrli was born from my own experience as a small business owner. I was working in hospitality, running a pub in Devon. There were some simple things around the business’ financials that were far harder to get a handle on than they should have been, such as getting an up-to-date overview of our cash flow. Then I was landed with a hefty tax bill I didn’t know was coming, because the information on running the financial side of a business was so lacking. It nearly closed the company’s doors.
I needed a way to run the business with eyes on the future, not just the present or the past. Making decisions was difficult and full of risks because I didn’t have all the relevant information in one place when I needed it. So after doing some research, and realising there was a significant gap in the market for this specific type of software, I founded Futrli.
AIN: And how’s Futrli evolved since you founded it?
HD: Nearly five years later we have 100 people with offices in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Futrli Classic has done brilliantly and we’re incredibly proud of where we’ve got to. But we’re only just getting started.
We are nearly ready to launch our preview release of our AI driven smart platform for small businesses. It has a range of products that have been designed after careful research and design, which solve the most pressing pain points that small businesses face (and the accountants that support them). There’s no gold standard for the tools you use to run a small business. Our platform is this.
AIN: Why do small businesses need help?
HD: Despite all the technology available in the marketplace 50% of small businesses fail in the first five years. Something is broken. Classic is used for bigger small businesses and their reporting needs, but for the 90% of small businesses that don’t prepare monthly management reports or rolling forecasts, numbers are often a scary thing. They don’t have finance or analyst teams interpreting the data they generate every day - they need help.
The new Futrli platform is for the 90%. It discovers information; interprets it into real words and prioritises the most important things that need to be actioned every day: simple!
Whether that is something within non financial data sets, future cash flow issues or getting paid by your customers.
The benefit for our accountants it that Futrli Platform makes it quicker, easier and extremely cost-effective for accountants to service the remaining 90% of small businesses that they simply don’t have the time to get to.
The platform does the heavy lifting, every client knows exactly where they are today, and when there is a question about what to do next from the small business, the accountant is given an opportunity to service a client who would have gone unnoticed before or would have not been deemed the right fit for advisory.
Advisory will finally be democratised and Futrli accountants will be deemed heroes! Depending on whether you use the free or pro version of each product will dictate the opportunity for the accounting firm. Pro gives deeper information so that even more heavy lifting is done and there is a richer base for advisory opportunities to present themselves.
AIN: And what’s the first product to be launched?
HD: The first product to launch is Flow. Flow helps small businesses who are stressed about not getting paid and how much they owe by using the power of AI to understand customer and supplier habits. There are lots of payment chasing apps out there but what’s missing from many customer focused products is that there is no actionable detail. We’ve got risk assessment, dependency levels, customer ranking (who are your top 10 and worst for x/y/z), and because the platform doesn’t just pull data, it pushes it too, smart workflow is created as you can create invoices/bills etc directly from the platform and straight into Xero and QBO.
Layered over the top of it all is the AI driven predictive element. It’s all well and good having credit terms, but when will your customers actually pay you? Flow gets to the heart of the problem and gives you solutions.
AIN: And there are free features too?
HD: Yes! Our smart daily newsfeed for your business. We all consume information every day by scrolling until we are caught up: think Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn - so why not one for your business? Pulse is where you login to the platform. It’s where information from all activated products is prioritised and the next best action is recommended. It’s very cool!
If the status quo of software for the 90% is broken, let’s reimagine a new way with the smartest workflow, for every data source and pain point, so that small businesses are de-risked, de-stressed and can focus on why they went into business in the first place!
AIN: What does the future hold in store for Futrli?
HD: We’re really excited about all the products on Futrli Platform. After we’ve launched Flow and Pulse, our free newsfeed, next in line is Predict. This is forecasting totally re-imagined.
It helps small businesses who are uncertain about the impact of their decisions, by combining their knowledge with AI-driven predictions to forecast their future, and again the most amazing workflow has been created to ensure it’s something a small business will actually want to do every day.
Then we have Playground. It helps small business teams who are tired of juggling multiple data sources and making decisions in silos. It brings teams and information together to deliver coordinated and faster decision making and execution. It’s a world first and takes funnel to a whole new level!
We’ve got more products up our sleeve for later in the year, but you’ll have to interview me again to find out more!
The IAB: your career needs our support
The International Association of Bookkeepers (IAB) is a leading UK and international professional and awarding body for bookkeepers.
Professional membership:
Professional members join us to benefit from:
- Enhanced professional status
- Supervision under the Money Laundering Regulations
- Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Regular technical updates
- A range of professional and lifestyle benefits
Additional information about professional membership and supervision can be found here: www.iab.org.uk/join-the-iab/.
Bookkeeping and payroll qualifications:
We offer a range of Ofqual regulated qualifications, covering bookkeeping and payroll. Our qualifications enable individuals to learn highly sought after skills, to use either within their own business or improve their job prospects and open the door to a range of career opportunities. The qualifications can be used to upskill those working in a bookkeeping or accounting role or to gain new skills and knowledge. IAB qualified individuals give small businesses or accounting and bookkeeping practices a competitive edge. Further information about our qualifications can be found via the following links:
Bookkeeping qualifications: www.iab.org.uk/bookkeeping-qualifications/
Payroll qualifications: https://www.iab.org.uk/payroll-careers-qualifications/
How we support bookkeepers and accountants:
We are dedicated to supporting bookkeepers, accountants and SMEs. We do this by:
- Ensuring members are kept up-to-date with the latest news and changes relating to the bookkeeping and accounting sectors through the IAB’s own magazines and e-newsletters, and also the exclusive newsletter from Croner-i, which you receive if you are a professional member. This offers new ways to run your business efficiently and provides information to help you keep up-to-date with bookkeeping, accounting and payroll-related matters.
- Working to raise the profile of bookkeepers and the vital support that our members provide to businesses around the world, by attending business shows where we represent and promote the services of our members and also through local and national press coverage.
- Representing your views to government departments and agencies on a range of areas. This also enables us to keep you updated in relation to changes which will have an impact on bookkeepers, accountants and SMEs. Some of the meetings we have attended in the past year are:
- HMRC working group meetings which are attended by other professional bodies. The main topic raised at these meetings is Making Tax Digital for VAT which comes into effect from April 2019.
- The Pensions Regulator professional body working groups in relation to automatic enrolment and the changes taking place over the next year including further increases to contribution rates from April 2019.
- Meetings in relation to the changes to the Money Laundering Regulations which took place in 2017 and guidance on how to comply.
- We regularly meet with other supervisors and are also involved in Flag It Up which is a campaign run by the UK Government and supported by professional bodies to raise awareness of the warning signs of money laundering, promote best practice in due diligence and encourage the high-quality reporting of suspicious activity. Further information about the campaign can be found here: campaign.gov.uk.
- Meetings with Companies House providing updates in relation to the work they do and changes taking place.
- Upskilling individuals around the world through our bookkeeping and payroll qualifications. This equips people with the knowledge required to either run their own business or to progress or begin their careers as a bookkeeper or in a related role, enabling them to excel and hit the ground running to provide vital support to businesses.
Are you an accountant looking to outsource work to a bookkeeper?
If you’re an accountant and you’re looking to outsource the bookkeeping work for your clients to a bookkeeper then why not choose an IAB professional member? IAB members are not only qualified, but also professional and supervised with all the skills you and your clients need. They are required to continue their professional development – ensuring your clients receive the most professional service.
To find a bookkeeper please visit: www.iab.org.uk/find-bookkeeper.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the IAB, our membership or qualifications and the support we can provide please contact us: [email protected] or +44 (0)1732 897750.
We will be exhibiting at Accountex on 1-2 May so if you attend come and see us on stand 1111.
In search of a work-life balance
After a well-earned break for most, Christmas and the biggest rush of the entire year seem to be a very distant blur! Yet some of us are still finding it tough to get back into routine, with that seemingly endless to-do list.
Christmas is a wonderful time as it pushes us to have some much-needed time off and recharge, which for some does not come often.
While I admire those with a good work ethic, I believe that balance is the key to happiness and good health.
So how do we get the right balance?
We must be able to adapt. If you think about your work/life balance as a pair of scales you want the weight to be equal - but for most it never is, Something has to give in order to coordinate balance.
Most balance relationships, kids, hobbies, while chasing a career, Some have no time for any of the above other than the career.
The biggest mistake most people make is over committing, and not using time wisely!
Getting itchy feet, making a change to please others, saying yes too often whether it’s starting a new project, studying, hobbies, meeting up with loved ones, we are always in demand but now is the time to review, most of us feel we can’t say no which is half the problem....
There is always an alternative solution… time to re-think our answers!
- I can’t stay late tonight instead ask can I please extend that deadline until Friday?
- I cannot start that new project yet (Can we meet about this next week instead?)
- I am not going to send one more email (Set an alarm, a reminder to switch off emails at 5:30)
- I’m not going to be able to attend that meeting can one of my team go instead?
- I can’t commit to plans that weekend
What is the bittersweet?
The 'bittersweet' is the hard work that provides results but only to a degree - money and achievement, for instance. B
But let’s take a look at Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. He's a very wealthy, clever man. But working 17 hours a day with millions in the bank is ludicrous!
There is no balance here at all... it is just work, work, work and the result of this is his health has suffered.
Overwork has been proved to decrease productivity and can even shorten your life span!.
Next time you find yourself with that inner doubt and you are questioning whether you can say yes or no, don’t just commit and please others by saying yes. Think of a solution, an alternative - and give yourself the time you deserve.
After reading the above, are you questioning your work life balance? Or maybe you have already conquered this? Have you got any advice for others?
Please comment below!
Oh and here's an article about why working a 17 hours a day is bad for you. Right HERE
FRC stats illuminate the accounting profession
I thought I'd share this informative article by Kevin Reed, a freelance journalist and consultant at practice advisers Foulger Underwood
There is little fanfare around the Financial Reporting Council’s ‘state of the accounting profession’ annual stats. This is, perhaps, because they show movement in accountancy – whether the number of students or ratio of the big firms’ audit to non-audit fees – as somewhat ‘glacial’.
However, the lack of reporting of the Key Facts and Trends in the Accountancy Profession’s statistics means that interesting and important indicators of the profession can be overlooked.
And for practitioners, understanding the direction of travel of the market beyond anecdotal evidence must be useful. You are numbers people, after all.
There’s a lot of ground to cover, so I’ll undertake this project in a series of articles. Firstly, let’s look at the institutes.
Studying the stats
The ACCA has grown 17.6% in member numbers between 2013 and 2017 in the UK*, compared with 5% growth for the ICAEW. However, the ICAEW still has many more UK and ROI members, at 126,560 compared to the ACCA’s 94,622.
But while the ACCA’s overall numbers have skipped up, it has negative growth (-3.7%) in UK students over that period, while the ICAEW has upped student numbers by 35% between 2013 and 2017.
Globally, the ACCA has by far the upper hand. It has 414,562 students worldwide, compared to the ICAEW’s 27,866. Notably, CIMA has increased students worldwide by 4% to 127,241 during that period.
Attaining membership
There has been much work on both the ICAEW and ACCA qualifications during recent years, but it’s interesting to note that the ICAEW has seen a decline in students attaining membership in the last two years – down 2.7% in 2016/17. The ACCA has increased its number by 5% in the last year. While difficult to create a link between quality of students vs. quality of training and qualification, it’s an interesting set of numbers nonetheless.
And where do these students and members work? While the UK is, anecdotally, a big stomping ground for the ACCA in smaller practices, globally more than 60% of its members are in industry and commerce – just 21% in practice.
Practice v Commerce = Students v Members
In contrast, more than three-quarters of ICAEW students are in practice, which falls off to under 25% following qualification. Though we know that the big accountancy firms see qualifieds move into industry, there’s clearly an opportunity for smaller practices to consider how to attract them following their studies.
The ICAEW’s female member numbers have stayed stubbornly low – at 28%, compared to 46% for the ACCA. So, if looking at the gender balance in your practice then – based on those factors - there will likely be more ACCA members on the jobs market, than from the ICAEW.
The ICAEW has improved its proportion of female students – to 43% in 2017 from 39% in 2013, which will have gone towards the small improvement in female member numbers.
Age gap
The ACCA has a younger member/student distribution than the ICAEW – more than a quarter are under 34 and a further 25% are under 44. Only 38% of ICAEW members and students are under 44.
However, there is another important aspect when it comes to time: how long has the student been studying? Worldwide, more than a fifth of ACCA students have been studying more than five years, compared to 5% of those with the ICAEW. Does this mean ACCA students aren’t as good as the ICAEW’s? Again, caution must be taken in what to read from these figures. We don’t know the background or circumstances of these students, and the FRC itself notes that there is “no common basis” to determine the length of time between registering as a student and achieving the requirements for membership.
Turning to technicians
Finally, let’s take a look at the ‘technician’ qualification offered by the Association of Accounting Technicians – a qualification that can provide a route into the other accounting organisations. These numbers have dipped across the board.
Growth in member numbers for the UK and ROI was -5.2% between 2014 and 2017. Student numbers fell 9.3% during that period.
Under-25s represent the majority of AAT students, at 35%, while more than 30% are in the 25-34 age bracket.
Conclusion
At a time of unprecedented technological and client-focused change upon the accounting profession, understanding where the next generation of accountants is coming from, how long they take to study, and which bodies are producing them, is vital.
Does audit experience matter for your practice? Or time spent in commerce? Do you think younger students and institute members are more important than experience?
And, finally, do you need qualified accountants? Are you better hiring people with broader or more 'people'-focused abilities? A topic for a future blog of mine, for sure.
These considerations, among others, will determine the profile of potential candidates for your practice.
Kevin Reed is a freelance journalist and consultant at practice advisers Foulger Underwood.
Yorkshire Accountants opens its doors to two new starters
Long-established Leeds accountants Thomas Coombs has welcomed two new members to its team as it continues to expand in the region.
Known as the Yorkshire Accountants, the firm has been offering training places at its practice since 1878.
Trainees Frances Lornie and Max Lawton will be helping a range of clients while also completing their professional qualifications.
Frances has already started the Association of Accounting Technicians Level 2 qualification. Max has a degree in accounting and finance and will study for the ACA qualification.
Exciting journey
Peter Sawrij, a partner at Thomas Coombs, sys: “Both Frances and Max show a lot of promise and passion for our profession and we are delighted to have them both joining us."
Thomas Coombs has trained hundreds of accountants in its 140-year history, with some of them progressing to partner level.
It places a strong emphasis on continued professional development, which has made it an attractive practice for those starting out or looking to further their career in accountancy.
“As a firm, we are continuing to expand and look forward to welcoming more talented graduates and professionals in the future,” adds Peter.
To find out more about Thomas Coombs’ current career opportunities, please visit here.
'I’d like to shake things up. Let’s embrace change, always'
TaxCalc software group CEO Tracy Ebdon-Poole talks to Accounting Insight News Editor Ian Moss abut her career, her life and her ambitions...
The here and now….
What are your favourite early career memories, Tracy?
Going from standstill to 1,000 miles an hour when Dyson took off. As MD I had to oversee expansion on an exponential scale across all areas of the business. It was seat of your pants stuff but one to tell the grandkids! Working in advertising with my Dad probably taught me the most - and that creativity is a hugely valuable commodity in business. With creative eyes you see how to zig when others zag.
How did you get into this business?
After Dyson, I’d been working in M&A and was on the lookout for business opportunities. I acquired the business assets, including the code for tax calculation software from Tax Checker and the brand name from Intuit. From thereon it was one steep learning curve!
What can accountants and finance professionals learn from TaxCalc, in a nutshell!?
Never get complacent. Keep things simple. Review your processes continually to keep the engine running efficiently. We operate in a service sector, that means we don’t just serve customers and clients, we also serve our colleagues. So communicate! Your reputation is your brand. Guard it as if it were the most precious thing. Be brave, explore, have fun but never at your client’s expense. Be yourself. The money will come.
Does the idea of information overload concern you?
Yes (that’s all the information you need, right?). That’s why we develop smart software!
What’s on the horizon for you and the sector?
Obviously GDPR and MTD are huge and I shall be at the helm as normal, working closely with all the teams.
As an influential voice, what impact do you want to have on the industry this year and in the long run?
Champion women in entrepreneurship as well as entrepreneurship in the SME sector. Encourage social responsibility. Help HMRC understand how we tick. Rally the government with the cry – ‘if we take, we must also give’ – especially when it comes to the socially disadvantaged. As much as anything I’d like to shake things up. Let’s embrace change, always.
What are your expectations for Accountex 2018?
To generate an even bigger buzz than last year. This year, we’re one of the biggest exhibitors, with even more to show and talk about. We’re unveiling our new GDPR and MTD solutions, plus new all-in-one product plans for practices of all sizes. We’re giving a talk on MTD. We won three coveted Software Excellence awards for best Tax, Best Accounts Production and Best Practice Suite – all voted for by practices, so I’m hoping to welcome even more people onto our stand (that’s Stand 250, by the way). Then, afterwards, I’m looking forward to a long, hot bath with a G&T.
Do you feel women are fairly represented in the profession?
If Accountex is a fair indicator, I’d certainly like to see more women come and say hello at the show.
Early Days
Where did you grow up?
Chiswick in west London.
Were you any good at maths at school?
No!
Trivia/Miscellany
I have a BSc in psychology. I also love to cook!
What’s your favourite film? (you’re allowed more than one)
The Devil Wears Prada – always makes me giggle.
What’s your favourite book? (you’re allowed more than one)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Any book on design and architecture.
What’s your favourite type of music?
Rock, classical and rap.
What’s your ideal day out?
A day with my 14-month old granddaughter, anywhere as long as we have ‘our’ time together. Posh stuff and pampering is all well and good, but proper happiness is a state of mind.
What’s your ideal holiday?
Fly & Flop.
Is money the root of all evil?
No. Greed and intolerance fit that bill. Money can be used to do great good. Ask Bill Gates.
Do you support a football team?
I prefer rugby.
Do you have a heroine or hero?
My Dad. For being wise, kind, loving, mischievous and hugely entrepreneurial.
'Life’s too short, so do something you enjoy, both in your career and personal life'
As it's Mental Health Awareness Week, we're delighted to catch up with Kath Haines, CEO of CABA, the charity that focuses on wellbeing for accountants. She talks about her career, life and Accountex with Accounting Insight News Editor Ian Moss...
The here and now….
What are your favourite early career memories, Kath?
To be asked to buy a calculator during my first auditing job. I was so used to solving problems by mental arithmetic!
How did you get into this business?
I have always had a passion for numbers, and was delighted to land a temporary holiday job at the Inland Revenue where I worked for an accountant. This sparked my interest into the profession and I have never looked back.
What can accountants and finance professionals learn from you, in a nutshell!?
The importance of wellbeing and looking after yourself. Life’s too short, so do something you enjoy, both in your career and personal life.
What’s on the horizon for you and the sector?
The technological changes I referred to above are likely to have a huge impact on the ways in which accountants work in the future. For us at CABA it’s about us being there for those who struggle with these changes, making sure that we have the help and advice to both prepare and support them.
As an influential voice, what impact do you want to have on the industry this year and in the long run?
To continue to encourage good mental health and removing the remaining stigma associated with it. I would also like to focus on growing the awareness around the importance of wellbeing, and how it can make an employee more productive and engaged. Our whitepaper scratched the surface of how looking at wellbeing holistically can provide great business benefit, so I want to help forge a strong understanding of how wellbeing positively impacts an employee’s performance, to help deliver a true wellbeing ROI.
What are your expectations for Accountex 2018?
To be part of an informative event and keep abreast of changes in the industry. I am hoping that we can generate a buzz at the event. We have a stand where we will be offering lots of advice on how to look after your own wellbeing.
Early Days
Where did you grow up?
Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
Were you any good at maths at school?
I always had a passion for maths and was proud to achieve a Combined Science degree (BSc) from Leicester University, where maths was a key part. I came from a family of teachers so it was presumed that I would do that, but I wanted to do something different.
'As Virginia Woolf said: a woman must have money and a room of her own'
Caroline Plumb, founder and CEO of Fluidly, talks to Accounting Insight editor Ian Moss about her life and accounting times.
The here and now….
What are your favourite early career memories, Caroline?
Starting a business aged 21 and pretending we had a switchboard, building the first computers, finding my first customers and growing it! Oh and beckoning over Richard Branson in a restaurant to ask for business advice....
How did you get into this business?
After running my first business for 15 years I was fed up with late payments, forecasting cashflow on spreadsheets and receiving endless offers of finance when all I wanted was better working capital in the form of my debtors paying! I also really missed technology having studied engineering and always loved knowing how things worked, so I spotted an opportunity to use data and AI to predict and optimise cashflow and decided to start another business! (I’m still non-exec in my first, but it’s grown so much it really didn’t need me any more!)
What can accountants and finance professionals learn from you, in a nutshell!?
I’ll be sharing what AI is - demystifying some of the terminology like machine learning or deep learning - and talking about how we can put it to practical use in finance and accounting. Plus hosting a panel with awesome speakers like Heather Townsend, Paul Bulpitt and Steven Kühn on the role of real-time for advisory.
Does the idea of information overload concern you?
There is such a lot of information today but I find it exciting knowing that an answer is out there! You certainly don’t have to know it all or feel overloaded - the skills that matter today are about knowing what you don’t know (and how to find out the answer) and having curiosity to experiment and explore new ideas.
What’s on the horizon for you and the sector?
New capabilities powered by new technology! At Fluidly we like to think we’re building an autopilot for business finances. Autopilots continuously monitor all sensors, plot a course, dynamically optimise and alert to upcoming threats. Importantly, they don’t take away from human pilots - they are always in charge and always required - but they provide new powers and possibilities. I think systems of intelligence like Fluidly will do the same for business finances - starting with getting paid faster and forecasting cashflow.
What are your expectations for Accountex 2018?
Bigger and better than ever before I’m sure! There’s so much happening now, unlocked by new services and more access to data. Exciting times ahead!
Early Days
Where did you grow up?
Manchester
Were you any good at maths at school?
I love maths! And I went on to study engineering at university which used a lot of maths in a more pragmatic way.
Trivia/Miscellany
What’s your favourite film? (you’re allowed more than one)
Impossible to even narrow it down, not least because I’m hopeless at remembering films and their plots. I’m more of a Netflix box set girl!
What’s your favourite book? (you’re allowed more than one)
My favourite business book lately is Play Bigger by Al Ramadan and others. It’s a great book on category creation and disruptive innovation.
What’s your favourite type of music?
Anything I can do ridiculous dancing to late at night with friends.
What’s your ideal day out?
By the sea with my family and kids throwing stones in the water and looking for pretty shells.
What’s your ideal holiday?
Multiple ideal days out (see above!) in a row!
Is money the root of all evil?
As Virginia Woolf said - a woman must have money and a room of her own.
Do you support a football team?
The Claygate Royals U7s
Caroline will be delivering a session on AI at Accountex on Wednesday 23 May at 12noon, and taking part in a real-time advisory panel discussion on Thursday at 3pm.
'As I get older I forget so much that information overload is never a problem!'
Researcher, author and practice strategist (plus chartered accountant), Steve Pipe talks to Accounting Insight News Editor Ian Moss about his life and times.
The here and now….
What are your favourite early career memories, Steve?
Passing my professional exams (because they were the hardest thing I have ever done).
How did you get into this business?
With two degrees in economics I would have loved to have been an economist. But I wanted to get married more. And since there were no jobs for economists in Wakefield (where my wife to be worked), I went into accountancy instead.
What can accountants and finance professionals learn from you?
That accountancy is a noble profession that can (and should) use its skills with numbers to make life better for our clients, our communities and the wider world.
Does the idea of information overload concern you?
As I get older I forget so much that overload is never a problem!
What’s on the horizon for you and the sector?
Before I retire in a couple of years I will be giving all my remaining intellectual property away, and setting up a not-for-profit foundation to help the profession globally have an even bigger impact.
As an influential voice, what impact do you want to have on the industry this year and in the long run?
I want to help accountants generate better results for themselves, their clients and the wider world.
What are your expectations of Accountex 2018?
I hope to catch up with old friends, make new ones, learn and be inspired.
In a nutshell, what’s the role of an accountant in society!!?
To help clients use better data to make better decisions, that lead to better results and better businesses, that help us enjoy better lives, all of which helps to create a better world.
Early Days
Where did you grow up?
Not sure I have yet (but Watford was where I spent my childhood).
Were you any good at maths at school?
According to my exam grades I guess I must have been.
Trivia/Miscellany
What’s your favourite film? (you’re allowed more than one)
All the classic Disney cartoons, since they remind me of my childhood.
What’s your favourite book? (you’re allowed more than one)
The Harry Potter books, because I will always cherish the time I spent reading them to my three children.
What’s your favourite type of music?
Blues guitar (which I play really badly)
What’s your ideal day out?
Anywhere with my family
What’s your ideal holiday?
A long one!
Is money the root of all evil?
Not at all. The more you have, the more good you can (and should) do in the world.
Do you support a football team?
I have supported Watford since I was a lad with a milk crate and wooden rattle on the terraces.
Do you have a heroine or hero?
Paul Dunn. He has done an extraordinary amount of good for the profession and the world. And I am so proud to have him as a friend.