Crowe Connections: Alumni network

I studied Accounting & Finance at Exeter university and wanted to work with numbers but had no real plan about how to get into the profession. I didn’t want to be just another body in the Big 4 (or Big 5 as it was then). I applied to Crowe through a job advertisement in the local newspaper, Mark Anderson recruited me even after I got lost and I was late for my interview.

From the first weeks as a trainee, I always found managers and partners very approachable and willing to offer help and advice. Whenever I visited clients, there was never any hesitation in sending me in to speak with directors and senior employees. I miss the lunchtime socialising but post-COVID that may be a thing of the past altogether!

By 2015, I wanted to move into industry and openly discussed this with Crowe. A new client, ID&C, needed to build out a finance function to support their growth plans, so it was mutually agreed that I join them. ID&C supply wristbands and accreditation products to festivals and live events. We opened an office in Florida in 2016, I joined the Board as FD in 2017 and at the end of 2019 we sold the business to a large North American corporate for an all-cash deal in excess of $30 million.

Post-completion, I was promoted into a group role with ID&C’s buyer. Life in a large corporate with its emphasis on people politics and interminable reporting deadlines is very different to the dynamism and flexibility more common to owner-managed businesses! The travel was excessive, especially as I have a young family, so it was an easy decision to step away and take some time to choose my next role.

Recently I joined Compass Business Finance. Like ID&C, they are a locally based, family-owned business that is experiencing rapid growth. Unlike ID&C, there are some nuances in accounting for Asset Finance so it’s good to get back to working with numbers and learning something new at this stage in my career.

ID&C were a Crowe client. I continue to attend Crowe networking events and seminars. It is realistic to assume Compass and Crowe will be able to refer opportunities and / or work together in future.

I respect and trust Crowe people and believe they can add value to any business by providing advice that is practical and based in the real-world. There are always interesting businesses and individuals to meet through Crowe’s networking events, as well as the possibility of a free drink!