Mary is an associate at EY, specialising in both audit and consulting within the Commodities sector.

Prizewinner at the inaugural EY Foundation Enterprise Competition in 2024, and in 2025 taking on the additional role of Corporate Responsibility Lead in London, she is determined to use her position as a force for good.

With an Arts background (professional oboe player!), Mary has found the world of finance a rewarding place to work, where skills such as creativity, leadership and teamwork have helped her forge a path within one of the Big Four.

In this episode we chat to Tom Clendon, ACCA SBR Online Lecturer and Podcast Host. Themes include:

After finishing school at 16 years old Max started an accountancy apprenticeship with a small accountancy proactice in Altrincham. He studied AAT and then went on to become an ICAEW chartered accountant. After working as a member of their accounts team for six years he moved to UHY Hacker Young in Manchester as a senior member of their Cloud team. In the summer of 2021, Max moved to Accounts & Legal to take on the role of opening their new Liverpool office.

2024 marked the year he left practice, to work in the world of accounting tech for DEXT!

Themes in this episode include exam failures, apprenticeships, accountancy exams, dyslexia, careers and the accountancy industry.

Andy is an AAT & ICB qualified Accounting professional.  He has over 10 years of related experience and is currently studying towards his CIMA qualification.

The main topics covered in this episode are:

As a single mum of two, Francesca decided 13 years ago that she wanted to create a better life for herself and her children so she went back into education to study her AAT Level 4 and trained at a top accountancy firm.

Francesca is the Founder and Managing Director of Future Cloud Accounting. She is also a Director and Trustee of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). 

Some of the themes in this episode include the challenges of running a business, overcoming all that life throws at you and having an unwavering dedication to better yourself, provide a brilliant service to your customers.

If women have equal leadership ability, why are they so under-represented at the top in business and society?

Find out in this special episode with author, consultant and NED Gill Whitty-Collins.

Website

https://gillwhittycollins.com/

LinkedIn 

http://linkedin.com/in/gillwhittycollins

Instagram 

https://instagram.com/gillwhittycollins

 @gillwhittycollins

Twitter/X

https://twitter.com/gwhittycollins

@gwhittycollins

Link to buy book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Men-Win-Work-Inequality-dp-1910022497/dp/1910022497/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

Gary Bandy has been a chartered public finance accountant since 1990. His career was mostly in local government and included 3 years as the Chief Finance Officer of a metropolitan council.

Gary has also taught public financial management at several universities in the UK as well as sharing his expertise with civil servants in places, including Rwanda, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan. 

He is the author of two text books and writes examinations!

But most importantly, he’s hosting an Accountancy Hub webinar on presentation skills - he’s passionate about supporting accountants to both present and write effectively and with confidence. 

"Football's Chartered Accountant". ACCA Accountant Jeff Narweh talks to us about hitting rock bottom during his journey to qualification, how to secure a role at the Premier League and what it means to have a growth mindset.

Sunny Yang was the youngest and first ever Chinese Chair of the Chartered Accountants Student Society of London (CASSL). He's currently working in Corporate Tax Advisory at EY under an apprenticeship and studying to be an ICAEW chartered accountant and CTA!

We discuss apprenticeships vs university, the importance of mental and physical health, what it means to be an accountant and how he’s faced failure - to FAIL is your First Attempt At Learning :D. 

In this episode I talk to Sarah Beale who is CEO of the accountancy qualification AAT (the Association of Accountancy Technicians).

We discuss what it means to be a leader, workplace culture, inclusion and diversity and, as usual, the future of the accountancy industry.