Now in their 10th year, the PQ Magazine Awards are the UK's premier accountancy awards with a range of categories including our favourite 'PQ Personality of the Year'.
The winner was chosen by an indepedent panel which included Kate Martin, head of public relations at the AAT; Professor Prem Sikka, Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and Lisa Dendle, MD of top recruitment consultancy Walker Dendle....
....who were on the lookout for....
...'An accountant with real charisma, a go-getting attitude, and the ability to make colleagues laugh. Someone with the ability to create a positive vibe in their workplace and within the profession.'
Garin Bisschoff, Anton Colella, Arti Dattani, Ken Frost, Mad-Andreas Holmsen, Luke Steenson and Peter Stewart made it to the shortlist but...
...the WINNER was Peter Stewart and in addition to his trophy he also received a standing ovation from his fellow tutors.
The judges were impressed with his tireless work behind the scenes to improve accountancy student's lot. "He isn't one to seek the limelight, but if he is in it 'he shines". said his entry.
We speak to him about what he describes as an 'atypical' career....
Q1: How long have you been Director of CIMA at LSBF?
It will be 3 years this summer.
Q2: Tell us more about your role as Director of CIMA.
Being Director of CIMA involves ensuring that LSBF’s CIMA courses give students the best chance possible of passing the exams.
It involves making sure that the courses are focused on the exams, with superior quality material and good quality tutors. I also have regular dialogue with CIMA’s exams department to ensure that we are up to date with everything we deliver.
Q3: What were doing before LSBF and how did you come to take on this role there?
I went into accountancy exam training as soon as I qualified as a chartered accountant. I’d always been interested in teaching and doing a job where I could influence people’s prospects. It is a very rewarding job – one of the few in accountancy where your “clients” thank you!
Q4: What advice do you usually give to accountancy and finance students at the start of their course?
The qualification they are entering is one with many opportunities for an exciting and varied career. If they put in the effort for the relatively short 2 to 3 years now, they will have a long time to reap the rewards.
Q5: What do you think is a good career progression path in accountancy and finance?
Accountancy and finance is a far wider field than professionals on the ‘outside’ might appreciate. Firstly, there is no “standard” career or career progression path. The CIMA qualification opens up many doors in big business, and ACMAs (or CGMAs as they can now call themselves) operate at high levels in business beyond a purely financial role. I would advise students and trainees to seek roles which give them exposure to a variety of business areas; even to actively plan to switch employers and gain experience working in different business sectors so that they have a taste of the options available to them once they have the letters after their name.
Q6: What are some of the key skills and attributes that you think are most important to be a successful accountancy professional?
People mistakenly assume that accountancy is a career for those who are good with numbers. Whilst numerical aptitude can make you a better accountant, it is far from being the key skill. Accountants have to work in teams; they have to deal with people up and down the management of a business; they have to communicate ideas; they have to identify problems and weigh up the potential solutions to those problems from a number of different perspectives.
Q7: What are some of your personality traits that you feel have helped you in your career?
Mine is not a ‘typical’ accountancy career in that it has been a very long time since I prepared or looked at a real set of financial statements in any detail. My career involves communication and explanation of difficult topics to people who are learning. I also identify and anticipate issues that arise in the way that students are expected to take their exams which gives me an opportunity to exercise my problem solving skills. Finally, I work in a competitive environment and, in LSBF, in a college that is at the front of product development so an ability to think imaginatively and innovatively is often called upon.
Q8: What is it about your personality that you think led you to win the PQ Accountancy Personality of the Year?
I’ve been involved with PQ Magazine since its very first edition and have always seen it as a valuable tool for students striving to pass their exams. It provides a useful link between the examining bodies, the colleges, the students and the employers. So, from the very start, I have been active in contributing to the magazine with articles and interviews that help students and tackle, or explain, issues that are thrown up by the examining bodies, such as changes in examination rules. I think the judging panel were impressed by my commitment to ensuring a fair deal for all students, regardless of whether or not they come to my courses, and my efforts to ensure that things are done well by the examining bodies.
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