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PEA14: Trainee of the Year nominees

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3rd Oct 2014
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The Trainee of the Year category was a new addition to the Practice Excellence Awards this year. 

It was a close call choosing shortlisted contestants out of the high quality entries, but between us three judges (Chris Jones, Steve Collings and I) have narrowed it down to the final three. 

It would appear that the future of accountancy looks bright with such talent thriving in firms. 

The following were picked based on their merit including their ability to go "above and beyond" despite being just at trainee level.

Andrew Murray, Haslers Chartered Accountants

The judges thought Andrew’s outstanding academic record, his motivation, clear and realistic vision for the future and having his bar set high for his future given his wish to become a CFO made him a prime candidate for the award.

Steve Collings found his exam results “astonishing” while Chris Jones lauded his 81% in tax score. He added that Murray appears to be on his way to a CTA scholarship, which could help him achieve his CFO dream.

His entry stated that he started out working on the audit team and has progressed to leading audits, something that's laudable for a trainee, the judges unanimously agreed.

“I think we’re all singing from the same hymn sheet. He has realistic visions, a plan, knows what he’s doing and is achieving his objectives," Jones said.

The judges also liked the fact that studying did not appear to be a ‘chore’ for him and he seemed from his submission to be an engaged and interested student.

Beth Sanders, Bird Luckin

Another submission that impressed the judges was Beth Sanders from Bird Luckin. 

Her excellent exam results, involvement in her firm and client testimonials made her stand out, according to the judges. Since Beth joined her firm in 2011, she's progressed from an audit and accounts junior to a senior who has led several onsite audit assignments. 

In addition her focus is in keeping with the firm's drive toward excellent client service, something her submission claims she has "contributed significantly" to. 

And her submission added her goals don't merely end at finishing her professional qualification, either.

Her overriding goal is for their clients to reach their own goals, she states, something which ties into our ethos of putting the client first to achieve practice excellence - which is why she's made it to the shortlist.

Simon Kendall, GVT

Simon Kendall’s forward-thinking in getting himself involved in his local Chamber of Commerce really impressed the judges. “I like to see that in youngesters,” Chris Jones said, “Proactively getting involved in associations related to their career.”

His submission shows that not only is he an academic high-achiever, but has fully immersed himself in his firm. 

Simon has looked at ways of improving efficiency for the firm such as reporting on cloud accounting software and finding out exactly what accountants need from clients, which he said has led to a lot of time being saved at the firm. 

After taking time out after university, the trainee sought bookkeeping among small businesses in his area. He then started an AAT training contract with GVT, but his supervisor recognised his talent would be better served by going for an ACCA qualification instead. 

He's also very personable, according to an employer testimonial, and a real team player who is popular with clients and colleagues. 

His vision for the future is to work hard, one day own his own practice and is embarking on a mentoring programme. But another aim in life is to enjoy what he does and have a positive impact on everyone - which is why he's another prime candidate for Trainee of the Year. 

Find out who will win by attending the Practice Excellence Conference in London on 6 November. Get your tickets here.

SAPThe 2014 Practice Excellence Awards are sponsored by SAP: “We know exactly how important accountants are to helping businesses grow and we want to do all we can to support that. That’s our business too and we’re focussed on developing technology innovations that not only help businesses run like never before, but also improve the lives of people everywhere.”

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