Crowe Connections

I joined in December 2019 as an Associate within the Business Advisory and Accounting team. The main draw for me was Crowe’s strong training programme, combined with the friendly culture I picked up on, from my very first interviews.

You could tell straight away that the firm genuinely cared about its people – when studying for exams, working full-time, and trying to have semblance of a social life, that kind of support really matters.

There’s a lot I could point to, but if I had to pinpoint one, it would be the cross-collaboration and team work across all departments. Owning my own client portfolio meant a lot to me, and I always felt I could tap into expertise from any team to give clients the best possible advice. Getting someone’s time or input was never a struggle – everyone was genuinely willing to help, share knowledge and support each other’s development along the way.

What I miss the most is the guidance and leadership from partners, directors and senior managers. Career development is a huge focus at Crowe and it doesn’t stop when you qualify. The guidance which I received post qualification was a pivotal part in deciding my career path and securing the promotions I went on to achieve. Diviya Ramaiya in particular had a huge role to play in my personal development, which I am tremendously grateful for.

Since leaving Crowe, I have moved to Helios Investment Partners LLP (HIP LLP). I sit within the Finance team as Corporate Accounting Manager. HIP LLP is a private investment firm focused exclusively on Africa. It raises capital from institutional investors and invests that capital into African businesses with the aim of generating strong financial returns and long-term economic impact.

My role focuses on the corporate entities within our multi-national group structure, which spans Private Equity, Venture Capital, a Listed Holding and a Hedge Fund. Ensuring regulatory and compliance matters are met and managing the day-to-day running of the financial operations.

For now, I’m focused on staying in Industry to deepen my experience working within a finance team and build upon my knowledge of private equity structures. My current role allows me to see all angles of the process from Finance, Investor Relations, HR Related Matters, Investments and Financial Planning, so I’ll keep exploring where I can add the most value and excel.

I continue to be an advocate for efficiencies, process development and enhancing the ability to make key financial decisions in real-time. Longer term, my goal is to help build a finance function that’s robust yet flexible enough to adapt to the company’s needs as it grows.