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Practice Excellence Award 2016 trainee/unqualified nominees
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Practice Excellence Award 2016 trainee/unqualified nominees

Practice Excellence Award trainee nominees

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22nd Jul 2016
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The judging of this category involved a tough conversation around the meaning of qualifications. Several candidates came forward who were AAT qualified.

The entry details did not specify which qualifications our contenders were studying for, but the guidance specified that the category was open to “all part qualified accounting professionals”. On that basis, the judges concluded that entrants who had completed any recognised accounting training regime that results in that person being able to practise unsupervised should no longer be considered a trainee.

With a full AAT qualification you can practise as a fully qualified accountant and own your own practice. There were some excellent AAT-qualified candidates who did not recognise that they had an advantage in terms of professional recognition and experience over younger entrants still pursuing their qualifications. We are sorry if their hopes of victory were dashed and will make it clearer in the future that AAT is considered an accountancy qualification.

Having dealt with that issue judge Heather Townsend explained that she was looking for “someone going above and beyond of what’s expected of them”.

Passing exams and being a great performer is what’s expected from a professional accountant, she added. Just like firm owners and managers, the Practice Excellence Award judges are looking for people who demonstrate the potential to go far within the profession by excelling at what they do and exerting a positive influence on the firm and its clients before they even gain their full qualification.

These are the entrants who lived up to those high expectations.

Selen Mertdjan, Nordens

Selen only started her accountancy career six months ago, but it’s true. But in that short time, she has progressed to training apprentices, liaising with high street banks and HMRC, attending client meetings, and bringing in new clients. She is so dedicated to the profession that she even delayed her upcoming wedding to prioritise her exams. This focus extends to her plans for the future, when she aspires to manage her own team and becoming a partner.

Brett Manning, Aston Shaw

Having passed his AAT exams without any failures, Manning has moved into a more client focused position, actively approaching and converting potential leads and assisting on a multi-billion pound audit. He is now passing his knowledge to the firm’s new recruits, and is responsible for training 12 apprentices on client care. Here’s what one client said: “Although I know he is still young and working towards his formal qualifications, I’ve been confident in the advice I’ve been given and I’ve recommended him to a couple of my own clients.”

For more details about the award categories and the ceremony taking place in London on 20 October, visit the Practice Excellence website.

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