Not for Profit - Qualified staff - John

John graduated from Leeds University in 2003 with a degree in Management Studies before going on to work for a charity based in the Yorkshire Dales. He joined Gotham Erskine (now MacIntyre Hudson) in November 2005.

“After graduating from university in 2003, I worked as a finance officer for a charity based in the Yorkshire Dales – working as part of a small team to ensure the smooth and effective running of the charity's day-to-day financial operations. The role helped me to build a range of new skills and developed my interest in accounting, particularly for the non-profit sector. My experience there furthered my desire to study towards a professional qualification in accounting, with the ACA my preferred choice.
 
Gotham Erskine seemed the ideal place for me to train as a chartered accountant and further my experience in the not-for-profit sector. Nearly six years down the line and I have no regrets about the choice I made. I qualified as a chartered accountant in early 2009. The ACA exams were demanding and involved learning a large volume of information and developing good exam technique, but thankfully I passed them all first time.

Since qualifying, my responsibilities have continued to develop, with greater emphasis on training and supervising junior members of staff. I have responsibility for managing, planning and leading a varied portfolio of audit and audit-exempt clients – mostly small or medium sized charities. I have also enjoyed being able to take on a wider role in the development of the Not for Profit team as a whole."