I joined the BNA team as an Administrator in June 2022. Before this I went on holiday to Australia in 2019 and ended up living there for 3 years. I came back to Scotland to settle here because I actually like the weather. In my free time, I follow every tennis tour including Grand Slams, ATP & WTA regardless of the time zone it’s being played in, and if there is no tennis on I will settle for a nice long bike ride.
I joined the team in May 2021 as an Accounts Senior, following four years in a similar role with a CA firm in Glasgow. I am currently studying for the ICAS qualification following my graduation from Glasgow Caledonian University with a degree in Accountancy in 2017.
My favourite thing to do is visit the theatre. I enjoy musicals and love a musical weekend away in London. I also love trying new activities, eating out and visiting family/friends!
With my newly found free time with the four-day week, I plan to learn to drive, master the Rubik’s Cube and accept any new challenges that come my way!
I joined the BNA team in January 2021 as a Trainee Accountant after graduating from the University of Glasgow with a degree in Statistics. I am currently working towards my ACCA qualification.
I joined the team in August 2019 after taking a gap year from leaving school. In September 2021 I will be starting my graduate apprenticeship at Robert Gordon University to study BA (Hons) Accounting degree and ACCA qualification.
In my free time I enjoy training and competing in dog agility with my dogs Lola and Alfie!
I joined the BNA team in August 2017 after graduating from City of Glasgow College. Since then I have gained an accounting qualification, becoming a full member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (MAAT).
My ‘bucket list’ of ten things to do before I turn 30 was postponed due to me falling pregnant in 2020. I hope to complete this next year with one down nine to go!!
In my spare time I enjoy taking my daughter on adventures and having much needed self care days.
I’m a New Zealander, married to a Scot and for 32 years I have been living in Glasgow – this lovely old, friendly, indomitable, moist Scottish City.
I qualified as a Chartered Accountant after training with Coopers and Lybrand (now PwC) in New Zealand and London. I specialised in Corporate Recovery work and was involved in receiverships and intensive care work on behalf of banks and institutional lenders.
In my early 40’s I took, what seemed at the time, a big career shift and moved into economic and social regeneration work and was Finance Director for Govan Initiative Ltd in Glasgow for several years. Around 19 years ago I set up my own consulting and accounting practice in the West End of Glasgow. It is from these roots that our firm’s third sector specialism developed, but we also provide accounting services and advice to private sector clients.
I love my work largely because of the people I meet within the third sector – ‘salt of the earth’ folk who are trying to build flourishing communities and make our world fairer and more just. One of the things I especially enjoy is meeting a new client whose financial systems are in a shambles and who need help! I still find great fulfilment in ‘bringing order from chaos’ – implementing and bedding in new accounting systems and training the client and making the finance systems ‘sing’.
As well as being a Chartered Accountant, I am a Fellow of the Association of Charity Independent Examiners and I have a BA in Modern History.
I am married to Janet who is a retired GP. We met when she went to NZ for a working holiday after graduating from Glasgow University. We have three adult children, David (who manages the practice), Kirsty who is a primary school teacher and Jonny who is pursuing a career in counselling psychology.
I enjoy cycling most days (visiting clients or simply to get around), reading, relaxing with friends and hillwalking in Scotland and NZ. I am very happy to call Scotland my adopted ‘second home’, but I love getting back to New Zealand my ‘first home’ – Covid allowing! I attend Cairns Church of Scotland and enjoy theology and thinking about the extent to which the religious and spiritual sphere plays a part in our lives. I just love feijoas, a NZ fruit with a distinctive sweet, juicy, aromatic flavour.
Voluntary Interests:
I serve on a couple of charity boards – the Preshal Trust where I am chair and the Endrick Trust. I am also a volunteer with Safe in Scotland, formerly the Glasgow Night Shelter for Destitute Asylum Seekers.
I have also recently been appointed a trustee of Bay of Hope, a new Scottish charity set up to provide humanitarian support for vulnerable children and their families in rural Uganda.
I entered the accountancy profession at the end of 2009 when I began working with Brett and studying in the evenings for a qualification with ACCA. Prior to that, I was a team leader in the commercial securities department of a large law firm. I completed my accounting exams and training in 2014 and became a member of ACCA at the beginning of 2015.
I cycle to as many clients as possible and my bike is my main mode of transport. In 2015 I restored Brett’s old Dawes Galaxy (1979) at the Bike Station (now Bike For Good) with the help of their Fix Your Own Bike service. She is a thing of great beauty and for several years has lived on the wall at the office, when not being ridden.
I believe a key role of a good accountant is as a communicator, being able to ‘demystify’ accounts and help clients understand them. I enjoy meeting people and getting to know why clients do what they do.
Work/life balance is important to me, and something I try to encourage in our firm. Since 2018 we have worked a four day week and this has allowed me to spend more time with my family, and to do things I enjoy. Speaking of which; I am an enthusiastic but firmly mediocre badminton player, a poor tennis player, and a novice kayaker.
Director – Glasgow Social Enterprise Network
Member – ACCA Glasgow Members Network Panel
Honorary Treasurer – Kelvindale Bowling and Lawn Tennis Club
I joined the team in 2015 after graduating from Strathclyde University with a degree in Finance, Maths & Statistics. While working here I completed my ACCA training, qualifying in early 2019 and progressing to Manager.
I’ve been a Brownie Leader for the past six years, and since completing ACCA I’ve taken some of that study-free time and dedicated it to two charities on whose boards I sit: SWiT (Scotland Women in Technology) and Glasgow Night Shelter for Destitute Asylum Seekers.
I spend my free time visiting family in my hometown of Largs, catching up with friends and seeing more of Scotland, bagging Munros when the weather allows!
