As a single mum of two, Francesca decided 13 years ago that she wanted to create a better life for herself and her children so she went back into education to study her AAT Level 4 and trained at a top accountancy firm.

Francesca is the Founder and Managing Director of Future Cloud Accounting. She is also a Director and Trustee of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). 

Some of the themes in this episode include the challenges of running a business, overcoming all that life throws at you and having an unwavering dedication to better yourself, provide a brilliant service to your customers.

If women have equal leadership ability, why are they so under-represented at the top in business and society?

Find out in this special episode with author, consultant and NED Gill Whitty-Collins.

Website

https://gillwhittycollins.com/

LinkedIn 

http://linkedin.com/in/gillwhittycollins

Instagram 

https://instagram.com/gillwhittycollins

 @gillwhittycollins

Twitter/X

https://twitter.com/gwhittycollins

@gwhittycollins

Link to buy book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Men-Win-Work-Inequality-dp-1910022497/dp/1910022497/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

In this episode I chat with Grace Hardy of Hardy Accounting! She's a 21 year old accountancy practice owner who started her accountancy career on a school leaver apprenticeship. We talk about not going to university, neurodiversity (dyslexia, ADHD and dyspraxia), apprenticeships during lockdown and being a young female business owner.

In this episode I talk to the very cool Luke Greasley (M&A Lead at LADbible) about his career journey, moving from practice to industry during Covid, the future of the finance industry and what he'd tell his younger self (spoiler, it's about exams!).

In this episode I speak to the President of the ACCA, Ronnie Patton. We have a lovely chat about his career journey, inclusion in the finance industry and how he copes with challenging times in his life.

p.s Spotify has removed the free music intros/outros so no music in this one! I will be creating my own with my questionable guitar skills...watch this space.

A totally wonderful conversation with accounting exam and career mentor James Perry. He talks us through his journey to accountancy, his training experience, career advice and some of the main challenges facing the industry.

More info about James here:

James Perry is a respected professional in accounting and finance and is an Associate Lecturer at the University of Ulster.

He offers a range of services through his consultancy business, including his “Accounting Exam Accelerator” and “Accounting Career Accelerator” programs, as well as corporate workshops.

He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Authority, holds a Masters Degree in Advanced Accounting, a First-Class Honours Degree in Accounting, and an Executive Coaching certification.

He is a Northern Ireland Top 40 Under 40 2018 & 2019, a TEDx Speaker and has assisted hundreds of students and professionals in reaching their goals. James is also an adventurous traveller who brings a unique perspective to his work and clients.

We have Caroline Monk on the podcast who is a Managing Partner at Beever & Struthers, a firm of Chartered Accountants specialising in audit, tax and financial planning. She openly talks about how she became an accountant, how she looked after her wellbeing during her accountancy exams and trends she's seeing in the industry. It was a super insightful conversation and we hope you enjoy it!

Let us know what else you'd like to hear on the Human Too Podcast.

And like and subscribe if you enjoyed the episode!

In a candid and honest conversation, Bilal Hussain (Corporate Finance Manager) talks about his ACA journey, exam resits, his opinion on exam policies and how he finds some sort of balance in a full-on corporate finance role.

This is a mentoring special. What is mentoring? Where did it originate? How do you become an effective mentor? Janet Graves is our mentoring expert, and just so happens to be Hannah's mum!

Let us know what you think in the comments.

In this episode I talk to my incredible coach Jannice Jones! She's a neurodiversity and breathwork specialist who coaches entrepreneurs, accountancy trainees and professionals in all sorts of industries. Hope you enjoy!

Today I have Maria Allen-Fernandez on the podcast! She talks about her decision to study the ACA as a school leaver rather than going to university, and her role now as a Finance Manager for a large tech and retail organisation. She's also written a book called ‘The Retail Business Guidebook’ - available on Amazon!

In this episode I talk to the wonderful Aldair Vitoriano who had a tough old journey with the ACA but he's now qualified and building a successful career in corporate finance - go Aldair!!

We discuss how he stayed human during exam periods, the importance of a strong support network and more...

Gary Bandy has been a chartered public finance accountant since 1990. His career was mostly in local government and included 3 years as the Chief Finance Officer of a metropolitan council.

Gary has also taught public financial management at several universities in the UK as well as sharing his expertise with civil servants in places, including Rwanda, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan. 

He is the author of two text books and writes examinations!

But most importantly, he’s hosting an Accountancy Hub webinar on presentation skills - he’s passionate about supporting accountants to both present and write effectively and with confidence. 

My good friend Harriet Jones joins me for a chat about ACA exam fails (and what happens after), wellbeing, and life as a People Consultant at a top 5 firm of accountants!

In this opening episode we discuss ACA exam failures, BPT, and James Parson's financial reporting role at BDO.

"Football's Chartered Accountant". ACCA Accountant Jeff Narweh talks to us about hitting rock bottom during his journey to qualification, how to secure a role at the Premier League and what it means to have a growth mindset.

Sunny Yang was the youngest and first ever Chinese Chair of the Chartered Accountants Student Society of London (CASSL). He's currently working in Corporate Tax Advisory at EY under an apprenticeship and studying to be an ICAEW chartered accountant and CTA!

We discuss apprenticeships vs university, the importance of mental and physical health, what it means to be an accountant and how he’s faced failure - to FAIL is your First Attempt At Learning :D. 

In this episode I talk to Sarah Beale who is CEO of the accountancy qualification AAT (the Association of Accountancy Technicians).

We discuss what it means to be a leader, workplace culture, inclusion and diversity and, as usual, the future of the accountancy industry. 

Deborah has over two decades of board level leadership, chairing audit committees for many notable organisations. 

In 2016 she founded Lean In UK Network - growing from six women to over 8,000.

She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and became the first black person to chair the London association in its 152 year history.

Sexism in the City: https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/43731/documents/217019/default/

Rebel Ideas: https://www.matthewsyed.co.uk/book/rebel-ideas-the-power-of-diverse-thinking/

7 minute workout:

https://youtu.be/r8cexmYOknI?si=sRcWq-a0yUcEtmFT

Camilla Rogers is the Founder of Fifty50 Coaching which partners with organisations wanting to invest in their people and their mental health in the same way they do physical health. Fifty50 blends high-performance personal coaching with a wellbeing focus and therapeutic touch.

We chat about why Camilla founded Fifty50 (in part managing a chronic illness alongside a demanding corporate role), how she manages her wellbeing now, and her life as an entrepreneur.

Will Holt is the head of the ICAEW exams! We discuss the importance of inclusion and diversity to the ICAEW, trust in the finance industry and what the future holds for accounting, as well as challenging times in his career. He also gives us his tips for success in ACA exams.

From a 10-year Corporate career in Banking, Priya saw that more needs to be done to support women and those from diverse backgrounds to enable them to have fulfilling careers.  She now coaches on a range of topics to enable her clients to move ahead confidently and feel empowered in their careers. Hope you enjoy!

Andy is an AAT & ICB qualified Accounting professional.  He has over 10 years of related experience and is currently studying towards his CIMA qualification.
Andy is a huge advocate of the AAT and actively involved in supporting students and members in his spare time.  He is also on the committee for his local branch network.
Andy is passionate about raising awareness for Mental Health, ED&I and LGBTQ+ within the workplace and community.

The main topics covered in this episode are:

• Career changing
• Apprenticeships
• Exam Anxiety
• Workplace Bullying

In this episode we chat to Tom Clendon, ACCA SBR Online Lecturer and Podcast Host. Themes include:

• Top tips for passing ACCA exams
• His dyslexia diagnosis
• Treating your job like an extended job interview
• Burnout and saying 'no'
• His varied career which has taken him all over SE Asia

After finishing school at 16 years old Max started an accountancy apprenticeship with a small accountancy proactice in Altrincham. He studied AAT and then went on to become an ICAEW chartered accountant. After working as a member of their accounts team for six years he moved to UHY Hacker Young in Manchester as a senior member of their Cloud team. In the summer of 2021, Max moved to Accounts & Legal to take on the role of opening their new Liverpool office.

2024 marked the year he left practice, to work in the world of accounting tech for DEXT!

Themes in this episode include exam failures, apprenticeships, accountancy exams, dyslexia, careers and the accountancy industry.

Mary is an associate at EY, specialising in both audit and consulting within the Commodities sector.

Prizewinner at the inaugural EY Foundation Enterprise Competition in 2024, and in 2025 taking on the additional role of Corporate Responsibility Lead in London, she is determined to use her position as a force for good.

With an Arts background (professional oboe player!), Mary has found the world of finance a rewarding place to work, where skills such as creativity, leadership and teamwork have helped her forge a path within one of the Big Four.

Dr Jim is an education and business consultant. He specialises in 'resilient' leadership development, organisational culture and performance.

He is a Principal Education Advisor for Education Development Trust, a Senior Advisor for Independent Economics, Director of his consultancy services and co-founder of The Great Oracy Toolkit.

Themes in this episode: learning theory, polyvagal theory and anxiety, ethical leadership, workplace culture, careers.

https://www.drjimrogers.co.uk
https://www.greatoracytoolkit.co.uk

In this episode, host Hannah speaks with Andrew Mower, an ACCA AFM tutor with a background in forensic accounting at PwC.

Andrew shares insights on the pressures of early career life, the importance of mindset for exam success, maintaining a work-life balance, and the realities of parenting while pursuing a career in accountancy.

Matt Adamson is a Burnout and Career Coach, and features on the Accountancy Hub platform. He specialises in helping professionals achieve success sustainably in all areas of life, with his 20 years of corporate experience, most recently as an Executive Director at UBS

In this episode, Matt shares his personal experience with burnout, noting symptoms can be subtle and often go unrecognised. He reflects on the recovery process, the importance of therapy, and the lessons he learned about self-care and sustainability in one's career. 

We discuss systemic issues in the workplace but the importance of personal choices as well. Matt is a big believer that as an individual we have agency in preventing burnout and developing sustainable success. Sometimes  burnout can be about a disconnect to purpose, self-limiting beliefs, and even a distancing from family and friends.  

This is a brilliant episode for anyone in a senior high pressure role but also accountancy and tax trainees who are in their early careers juggling work/study and a personal life.

In this episode, Ben Wilson shares his career journey to becoming an an ACCA Expert Tutor with his own tuition business focusing on helping students pass the Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA) exam.

We chat about the challenges of balancing work and study, the key to success in ACCA exams, and the significance of networking and seizing opportunities in one's career.

We also explore Ben's recent ADHD diagnosis and the importance of understanding one's strengths and weaknesses in the workplace.

Thank you Ben!

In this episode, we chat to Career Coach Natasha Weller, who shares her journey from a corporate career to coaching. Natasha discusses the importance of workplace culture, how to navigate job hunting, and common themes she encounters with her coaching clients, including career confusion and setbacks. She emphasises the need for intentional career choices and the value of understanding one's own strengths and preferences in the workplace. We discuss the nuances of career fulfilment, the importance of positioning oneself for success, understanding transferable skills, and the human element of professional life.

Zoe Tanner is Founder and CEO at Sytrus, and a dabbling Angel Investor. 

Zoe, decided not to go to university and instead studied AAT then went on to complete her ACCA studies. 

In this episode we discuss exam fails, apprenticeships, becoming an entrepreneur, angel investing, the gender VC investment gap and more!

In this episode I talk to Nikki Richmond, who is a Tax Exam Coach (on the AH platform), Career coach & Accounting, Maths & VAT Tutor! She’s also a Voiceover artist and she’s hosted a radio show. 

After many years’ experience working in tax advisory at PwC (and a year teaching ACA) Nikki has turned her skills and experience towards coaching and training tax professionals so that they can thrive in their careers.

Nikki has over a decade’s experience working in VAT and also works as a freelance VAT specialist. 

We had a wide ranging chat on this episode. I particularly enjoyed learning about some of the unspoken rules to progress and thrive in the Big4 environment. We also talked about returning to work after a career break, which is something she supports professionals with now. 

And of course, we talked about a challenging time in Nikki’s life and what she learnt from that experience. 

Nikki’s passion for tax really comes across and she’s the perfect person to speak to if you are struggling with a tax exam resit, whether through ATT/CTA or as part of ACCA and ACA exams!

In this episode of the Human Too Podcast, host Hannah Macdonald chats with Andy Fitzsimmons about his unique journey from a chemistry degree to becoming the Commercial Director at Kaplan. Andy shares insights into his career path, the challenges of balancing work and study, and the importance of being authentic and empathetic in both personal and professional life. Tune in to hear about his experiences, the evolving landscape of the finance industry, and the role of community and creativity in his life.

In this episode of the Human Too Podcast, I chat with Libby Walklett, known as The Ethical Bookkeeper. We discuss Libby's journey from her early career in various jobs to becoming a qualified accountant and business owner. We discuss many topics including the importance of community, ethics in bookkeeping, and the challenges faced in the accounting profession. Libby reflects on her achievements, the significance of hobbies outside of work, and emphasises the need for resilience and support for young people in the industry.

Manj is a consultant in the public sector, having had a varied career spanning 30+ years which has included senior roles at ACCA and CIPFA as well as the civil service. 

She’s also a CIPFA Apprentice Coach and, as you will hear in this podcast, Manj is a brilliant supporter of trainees as a coach and mentor, drawing on her own experience of sitting exams and navigating the working world. She’s particularly passionate about supporting trainees with diverse characteristics and in this podcast we touch on how her upbringing influenced her work persona. 

Just to add - Manj hosted an insightful webinar for accountancy hub last year which was all about career growth for finance professionals - you can catch up on this on the AH platform.

Manj is one of those really special people who I’ve been delighted to meet through this Accountancy Hub venture - she’s inspirational, kind and she cares - whether that’a about people or the public sector or apprenticeships. I’m sure you will see what a gem she is in this episode - enjoy!