Crowe Connections: Alumni network

I joined Clark Whitehill (as it was at the time) in December 1997 having previously worked at a small accountancy firm. I made the move as the training contract offered allowed me to complete my accountancy qualification, something I was struggling to do with a smaller firm.

I was at Crowe for over 16 years so I saw a lot of changes over that time. These included the expansion of the Kidderminster office and its subsequent joining with the Walsall office to form the Midlands Office. I also saw the change from Clark Whitehill to Horwath Clark Whitehill to Crowe Clark Whitehill. What I remember through all of this though, was the collaborative, supportive environment that I worked in. This was not just true for the Midlands offices, but all of the offices that I spent time working with through my involvement with CaseWare and Audit Automation. I worked with a lot of different people over those 16 years, and it's the people that I remember and miss most about my time with Crowe. I don't miss having to do timesheets though!

I left Crowe in 2014 to join the education sector and I became the Finance Director for a small Multi Academy Trust (MAT). Since that time, I have helped the Trust grow to be a medium sized MAT. With the development of the Trust, my role has also changed and I am now the Chief Finance and Operations Officer. My key focus is to ensure that all of the non-educational aspects of the Trust are taken care of allowing the education staff to focus on delivering a high standard of learning to every pupil within the Trust.

Crowe are the current auditors of the Trust and I also regularly attend the Academies Discussion Group run by Crowe in the Midlands. I was delighted to support the Group when I talked about trust growth for them at one of their events in 2022. The Group discusses the latest updates from the Department for Education and the Education & Skills Funding Agency and how these impact academies. It's also a great forum to share ideas and best practice with other academies.

Crowe is a leading firm in the education sector so I totally value the professional support and advice that I get from them.

I would imagine, there will be more growth for the Trust, as school academisation continues to be pushed. It is challenging work but I find it very rewarding.