We chat to the newly-elected Chair and Vice Chair, Kim Kreutle and Millen Olak, to find out their plans for the coming year.
Tell us a bit about your career and ACA training.
Millen: I joined the profession through the apprenticeship route, and I’m currently working in transaction tax. It wasn’t easy choosing between university and an apprenticeship – both have their strengths – but I liked the thought of earning while learning and fast-tracking my studies towards a world-renowned qualification like the ACA. I only have one exam left now, as well as the Project Report, so the end is in sight!
Kim: I didn’t really know what I wanted to do when I started university. I worked in event management for a couple of years before moving into accountancy. Numbers had always fascinated me, and I was interested in understanding the wider picture behind a business. I’m really pleased I made the change. I’ve finished all my ACA exams and just have one more CTA exam to go – I’m doing the ACA CTA Joint Programme. I’ll hopefully be officially qualified in September.
How did you get involved with the ICAEW Student Council (ISC)?
Kim: I first got involved with the South West England Student Society when I was living in Devon. I became treasurer, then ISC rep, and it all went from there. I’m based in the north-east now, working in corporate tax. It was a big move, but a really good decision – Newcastle is a fantastic city to be in.
Millen: When I joined my firm, I didn’t know many other people undertaking an apprenticeship, so I started going to networking events as a way to meet new, like-minded people. I happened to meet the chair of the local Leeds Student Society at one of them, and he mentioned there was an open position for ISC rep. I liked the idea of giving back, and it seemed like a good opportunity to do that. Alongside my role on the ISC, I’ve also volunteered at a local level with the Leeds Chartered Accountants Student Society as Secretary and Treasurer.
How much of a voice does the Student Council have within ICAEW?
Millen: We have a voice in everything related to students at ICAEW from marketing - where I’ve filmed content for ICAEW’s social media channels - to having the opportunity to help develop qualifications for the future. I’ve taken part in a focus group inputting into the Next Generation ACA. It’s really great that ICAEW engages us as stakeholders, as they do employers and other specialists.
Kim: I completely agree. I was also involved with the updated ACA qualification, and there were lots of meetings and conversations about giving feedback on the exam structure and the topics to include, and trialling the Specialised Learning programme. We’re also there to make student life a bit better, working closely with the local societies to provide a contact point, a supportive network and a platform for students. You can make your student journey as good as you can in terms of using all the resources that are available – it’s our job to shout about them and make people aware of what’s out there to support them.
Why would you encourage other students to get involved?
Millen: Everyone’s different and everyone has their own reasons for getting involved in the student societies or going for ICAEW Student Council. For some people, especially from smaller firms, it’s helpful to build up a network and find people of a similar age doing the same qualification. For others, like me, it’s a way of giving back. I like volunteering; I’ve done a fair amount of it at my firm, and being involved in my local student society and the ISC is a great extension of that. The skills you build up are great, too – not just networking - meeting people at different stages of their careers - but also communication and advocacy skills, to name a few.
Kim: The network is definitely one of the biggest advantages. Especially when you’re new to the profession, you may have a cohort studying with you, but it exposes you to other people. On the ICAEW Student Council you meet people from all across the country and really get to know them and what they do – there are so many different areas of accountancy, and without talking to people you don’t even know what’s out there. And as Millen says, I think volunteering improves your communication skills so much.
How do you fit volunteering around work and study? Does it take up a lot of time?
Kim: It really depends on your role and the size of the student society. Some might have monthly meetings online that only take up an hour, whereas a role like treasurer will take a bit more involvement and time. However much you put in, that’s the amount you get back. If you spend more time volunteering, or getting involved in the ICAEW Student Council, there’s more you can get out of it – it’s just finding a balance. You can study as hard as you want, but that might not really lead to success – you always need to have a balance in terms of focusing on your job and your exams, but then also having a bit of a balance outside work. Volunteering is not something that holds me back. It’s not a job for me, it’s something I like to do and it’s really fun.
Millen: I’d echo what Kim says. I think sometimes there’s a bit of a misconception as to how much time it will take up. The beauty of volunteering is that you can put as much or as little time as you want into it, but there will always be a positive impact. And within the societies, there are always people around you to help and support you if you’re busy. Also, many of the events are tailored around the ACA exam dates, so you’re not trying to organise events around your exams. Even just the little time that you can put into it can really make you feel good about making a positive impact. I think of volunteering as a hobby. It’s not something you have to do, it’s something you want to do.
What’s been the highlight of your year as Vice Chair, Kim?
My highlights are always the in-person events. We usually do one around September time in Birmingham, then we have our annual AGM in London. That’s always fantastic, coming to Chartered Accountants’ Hall and coming together. It’s always really nice seeing some familiar faces in the ICAEW Student Council. Of course, it’s important to have new people join, because you get different voices, but at the same time it’s nice to build that relationship with people who’ve been coming a bit longer – like Millen – and get to know them better. Overall it’s been a really good year.
What are your goals for the next year?
Kim: One of my goals as Chair has always been welcoming students from different backgrounds. My own route into accountancy wasn’t traditional, and I think it’s important to have people from different backgrounds and learn from each other. So that’s something I’d like to continue working on. I know Jas [Rayat, the previous Chair] had similar goals, so it’s following on from that and pushing it forward.
Millen: Social mobility, and making sure we include all people from all backgrounds, is really important for me as well. Hearing diverse perspectives will only allow us to generate better ideas to support students, so encouraging that is really important. My goals are quite similar to Kim’s: ensuring all students have a sense of belonging and inclusion within ICAEW, and really feel that they have a sense of identity.
And finally, Kim, do you have any advice for Millen as Vice Chair for the coming year?
The advice I was given is to say no sometimes, and to find a balance. You can’t give your all if you’re struggling with work, for example, so it’s important to be open, and say if something is too much for you. Also, just be yourself. It’s really important to show who you are and what goals you have, so speak up – there’s no wrong opinion.
The ICAEW Student Council and Student Societies bring together ICAEW students from around the world, providing a voice and a feedback mechanism for you and thousands of training students.