Rutherford Cross’ Will Dodds looks back on a successful night at the latest instalment of our ‘Planning Your Career Journey’ series, where we were welcomed by a room full of budding accountants, learning from three fantastic speakers:
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Wendy McFarlane, Finance Director at CPI Mortars
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Barry McGonagle, CFO at Snappy Shopper
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Terri Costello, Partner, Innovation Reliefs and Incentives at KPMG
There was a lot to take from the evening, with each speaker giving a varied look on how they reached their current role, and with lots still to look forward to in their careers. All three have been hugely successful in their own right, and it was really interesting to gain an insight into their decisions along the way.
Barry focused on his journey being a dance, not a race. Steps can be wrong, but lots can go right. For those exploring their careers, it will all fall into place, so don’t be scared of getting something wrong. He also had a really interesting framework which combined competence, financial context (money, lifestyle & time) and passion.
Terri talked us through her journey to date through five key lessons, with the main takeaway being that instincts and gut feeling are things to really believe in – although everyone will have an opinion, be true to yourself. Hard work pays off and having great mentors around you will allow you to push boundaries and achieve your goals.
With a varied career across the profession and industry, Wendy focused on being brave. You will often need to be brave and challenge yourself and those around you in order to keep progressing. With another example of a framework, Wendy also focused on non-negotiables across work-life balance, values, autonomy and purpose.
It was a really enjoyable evening with lots of great follow-up conversations across the room, as those who joined us enjoyed the start of their festive celebrations.
The final quote was from Terri, who when asked what she would tell her younger self, answered “to chill out” – great timing as we close the year off and look at what excitement is to come in 2023!
If you would like to hear more about the events we run across Edinburgh and Glasgow, or to be a key speaker at future events, please do not hesitate to get in touch: [email protected].
