Looking forward, the biggest change to our organisation
in the post Covid era will be .... adapting to
hybrid working. There have been many positives to working from home
during the pandemic and everyone has, at some point, enjoyed the
advantages this can bring. I cannot imagine going back to the
office 9am to 5.30pm, five days a week but I do look forward to the
day when I get to experience the buzz of being back in an office
environment, surrounded by my colleagues. As a firm, we have an
incredibly strong, friendly culture, and we reacted very early in
Summer 2020 to committing to a hybrid system into the future.
We may well still make mistakes as we transition but I am sure we
will not be alone in this and as long as we learn from those
mistakes, I am certain that we will find ourselves stronger at the
other end of the journey.
Thinking about the future vision for our organisation in
Glasgow .... I have only returned to French Duncan a few
months ago and think I am still in a position to play the new girl
card! For me, my vision for the Corporate Tax compliance team is to
continue to grow the compliance department and to support our
clients and provide excellent service to not only our clients but
to the other departments within the firm.
The three best things about working in Glasgow are
…. The architecture. Being married to a stonemason, I
often find myself being forced to stop as I walk through the city
and look up, The variety of live music venues and green space. I
love a city with a park and Glasgow has more than its fair
share.
My favourite part of Glasgow is .... The
Barrowlands. I will never forget the first time I went for a gig. I
was hooked. From the smell of burgers as you come up the first
flight of stairs to experiencing the acoustics for the first time.
As I have gotten older I have worked my way from the first row
laughing at the old folk standing at the back to being one of the
old folk at the back and feeling no shame!
The most satisfying thing about my job is ....
really understanding a client so that I'm able to provide the
advice they need, and then knowing I have made a difference to the
future of their business.
Financial services is a great career choice because
.... the sector is constantly advancing and expanding and
this creates a wealth of opportunities which means there are no
barriers to people achieving their goals.
The biggest challenge I have faced in my career to date
is .... for me, moving to any new job - it's daunting and
it isn't something I have done often in my career. Thankfully, when
I have made the decision to change firms, the move has always been
a positive move and I have continued to grow and develop but I
accept I am not the finished article yet.
On the question of which businessperson I most admire
.... there isn't one specific businessperson. We are all
human and everyone has their strengths and their weaknesses. All
successful leaders have overcome obstacles and failures along the
way and for me how they learn from those failures and use them to
define themselves is what I admire.
On the question of what I am passionate about outside of
work .... I know the correct answer to this is my family!
As well as my family, I love a live event. It could be a gig, a
play, a musical, or a sporting event; count me in.
My approach to achieving work life balance is
.... that I haven't found that yet. Some weeks are better
than others but I will plan for the week ahead and prepare a 'to
do' list highlighting my priorities. Those include work and
family commitments. One is as important as the other and I will try
my best not to let any of those slip.
First ever job? Glass collector in my local
social club
Favourite boxset? Grey's Anatomy
Favourite band? Depends on the day of the week
- today, Arcade Fire
Sunshine or snow? Snow
And, finally, what three words best sum you up?
Honest, perhaps brutally.