On Friday 8th November, Manager Harry Young hosted the fifth instalment of the Future Finance Leaders Forum. This event series is aimed at the most highly aspirant qualified accountants in West and Central Scotland.
The purpose of the event series is to connect future finance leaders, allowing them to network with like-minded individuals whilst also providing them with insights from our network of established leaders, helping to shape their careers and accelerate their professional development. Harry shares some highlights from the recent event below.
The fifth event in the Future Finance Leaders Forum series was a roundtable lunch in partnership with Mark Shields, Finance Director at drinks scale-up, Brewgooder. At this exclusive invite-only event, Mark discussed his unique journey to leadership within one of Scotland’s most exciting and differential drinks businesses. This was a fascinating presentation, as Mark provided immensely insightful advice on progressing your career and achieving your ambitions.
Mark began his professional career at leading professional services firm Grant Thornton. After becoming fully qualified, he transitioned to his first industry role at global premium drinks business Edrington. Mark’s career at Edrington spanned 7 years, during which he was promoted to 5 different roles; he started in risk & assurance and finished in a global pricing role. His career at Edrington took him to India and Singapore, out of mainstream finance and into business development. Following his time at Edrington, Mark joined Brewgooder in his current role as Finance Director & Company Secretary.
During the roundtable event, Mark shared five key principles and insights that helped him to progress in her career and achieve his ambitions:
- Take opportunities to work elsewhere for a while if you can. You will learn even more by spending time away from home, whether that’s in London, Sydney or somewhere in between.
- Don’t be afraid to spend some time in non-finance roles. It might not accelerate your career in the short term, but it gives you a more rounded perspective on strategy and problem-solving for when you want to transition into executive roles.
- Gain exposure to Boards, committees and other governance roles. Being able to govern and administer a Company becomes increasingly more valuable as you progress through your career.
- Have an opinion, even on topics that aren’t in your domain.
- Don’t underestimate the value that non-financial executives place on financial knowledge. CEOs, Founders, and Boards value strategic direction, commercial rigour, and a safe set of hands when it comes to the numbers.
To register your interest in joining the Future Finance Leaders Forum and to be notified regarding future events, please contact Harry Young at [email protected].
