![]() The exact mix of clients you want to achieve will depend on a number of factors, such as the services you’d like to focus on, the seasonality of your existing clients and your capacity for new work. As well as protecting your business should one industry experience a downturn, having clients from a number of sectors can help you build a steady flow of work throughout the year. No two days in my role are the same, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the next few years have in store.23 June 2021 How to diversify your client baseĬreating a diverse client base could have a number of benefits for your accountancy practice. I have faith in our industry’s ability to adapt in hard times, and to deliver the right outcomes for our customers when they need it most. I am confident there will be further changes to the macro regulatory and operational environments in which we operate in the coming years (as has already been shown in 2022, for example with Consumer Duty), and I am interested to see if there will be a change in the types of products launched into the market, and if there will be a change in the type of customer using our funding services. I can already see a change in the types of vehicles being funded by the first line, particularly due to ULEZs (Ultra Low Emission Zones), and am curious to see if the current trend of car manufacturers looking to monetise connectivity will continue, and what this will look like for our industry. My role as a Senior Governance Analyst touches numerous business areas and I work closely with all three lines of defence within Close Brothers. Every insight, and every unique skillset, can help us improve and make our industry the ideal place to work. ![]() Networking with my peers at various events, I have seen the drive to increase diversity, and I hope it continues through attracting and retaining talent – no matter their background. I think that having a more diverse workforce and less ‘group thinking’ helps us gain different perspectives, expertise, and experiences, which can not only help shift the culture in a more positive way, but it can also help us as a sector overall – after all, our client-base is diverse, so we should be too. I found it encouraging to see increasingly diverse panels at various conferences I attended in 2022, and I do see a shift in the wider industry. But I’m hopeful that with the hybrid-working era, and with an increasing focus on gender diversity across the industry, we can shift the dial. There is still a long way to go to change the stats in the industry – 43% of asset finance providers’ boards have no female members, according to a recent survey. Having attended an all-girls school until the age of 18, I am a strong proponent of having more female representation in male-dominated fields, including asset finance and leasing. I have consistently been supported in my development and career plans (including being sponsored to complete the ICA Diploma in GRC), and have been encouraged to grow into my ambitions. Drawing on this legal background, I have been able to expand my role beyond my original responsibilities, and have been given opportunities to learn, grow and succeed in my role – most recently by being asked to coordinate the Consumer Duty project within our asset finance division. In January 2022, I was admitted as an Attorney-at-Law in New York State because I wanted to keep helping people outside of work. My role allows me to support the UK SME community and has helped me find a career I love. I was fortunate enough to come across my role at Close Brothers, and I felt like Goldilocks – it was just right in every way. ![]() My roles took me all over the world, including the Netherlands, China, and America, but I was always drawn to home.ĭuring the height of lockdown, I decided that I wanted to develop more in the GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) space, where I could make a difference and where my advice would genuinely help people – be it internal or external stakeholders. I seized every opportunity presented to me, whether trying out equity research or helping to develop a risk strategy during the pandemic at one of the world’s largest banks. After completing my undergraduate degree in Law with European Legal Studies, I started my career as a paralegal, working at various financial services firms.
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