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#2 From practice to Finance Director via Transaction Services (with Tom Williams)
🎙️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In this episode of The Out of Practice Podcast, host Darren Spain speaks with Tom Williams, Group Finance Director at Trinova Real Estate and former Grant Thornton ACA, about career pivots, long-term thinking, and the truth about leaving audit.
Tom shares why he turned down the traditional partner track and how he navigated a career across transaction services, real estate, and eventually the FD seat. For newly qualified ACAs asking “What’s next after audit?”, this episode delivers clarity, honesty, and direction.
🧠 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
✅ Why audit experience is valuable - but not always enough
✅ What makes someone stand out post-ACA
✅ The real differences between audit and industry
✅ How to think long-term about your career (even early on)
✅ The commercial skills every ACA should start building now
✅ Tom’s take on job-hopping, recruiters, and learning through failure
🕒 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Intro: From audit to FD
02:00 – Why Tom chose the ACA and how it all started
05:45 – Why he left audit (and why he didn’t want to become a partner)
08:20 – Making the move into Transaction Services
12:30 – What audit doesn’t teach you about business
15:10 – Life in industry vs. practice
19:00 – How to build commercial awareness as a newly qualified
22:00 – Choosing long-term goals vs. reacting to short-term pressure
26:15 – Common mistakes newly qualifieds make when job hunting
30:20 – What makes a standout CV and candidate
34:00 – The importance of being intentional and learning fast
38:00 – Final advice for ACAs planning their first move out of practice
🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS
• Download the Free CV Template – www.onesevenpartners.co.uk/freecvtemplate
• Follow Darren Spain on LinkedIn – @DarrenSpain
View all episodes
By darrenspain🎙️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE
In this episode of The Out of Practice Podcast, host Darren Spain speaks with Tom Williams, Group Finance Director at Trinova Real Estate and former Grant Thornton ACA, about career pivots, long-term thinking, and the truth about leaving audit.
Tom shares why he turned down the traditional partner track and how he navigated a career across transaction services, real estate, and eventually the FD seat. For newly qualified ACAs asking “What’s next after audit?”, this episode delivers clarity, honesty, and direction.
🧠 WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
✅ Why audit experience is valuable - but not always enough
✅ What makes someone stand out post-ACA
✅ The real differences between audit and industry
✅ How to think long-term about your career (even early on)
✅ The commercial skills every ACA should start building now
✅ Tom’s take on job-hopping, recruiters, and learning through failure
🕒 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Intro: From audit to FD
02:00 – Why Tom chose the ACA and how it all started
05:45 – Why he left audit (and why he didn’t want to become a partner)
08:20 – Making the move into Transaction Services
12:30 – What audit doesn’t teach you about business
15:10 – Life in industry vs. practice
19:00 – How to build commercial awareness as a newly qualified
22:00 – Choosing long-term goals vs. reacting to short-term pressure
26:15 – Common mistakes newly qualifieds make when job hunting
30:20 – What makes a standout CV and candidate
34:00 – The importance of being intentional and learning fast
38:00 – Final advice for ACAs planning their first move out of practice
🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS
• Download the Free CV Template – www.onesevenpartners.co.uk/freecvtemplate
• Follow Darren Spain on LinkedIn – @DarrenSpain