Flora Foreman of haysmacintyre hedged her bets at university, taking a degree in economics and art history. In the end, a career in finance won the day and after she passed her ACA she opted for advising on deals.
What attracted you to train as an ACA?
I studied economics and art history at University of Exeter, which is maybe an unusual combination. I knew economics would be useful and could be applied across most sectors, but I also really wanted to continue with my creative side. The mix did help to clarify my thoughts though, as I hadn’t been sure whether I wanted to enter the art world. I found economics useful in understanding how and why leaders of both companies and economies make the financially-related decisions they do. When I graduated I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but was very aware that many CFOs and CEOs are ACAs, and saw that it would be a useful qualification to get.
Why did you choose haysmacintyre?
I wanted to work in London, but in a firm where the size and culture would be somewhere I could connect to people and make an impact. I had several offers, but chose haysmacintrye for the simple reason that I liked the feel of the firm – it is a warm, inclusive environment with staff who are very down to earth, kind, chatty and friendly. We’re encouraged to challenge the status quo and suggest ideas to improve the firm at all levels. I started as a trainee chartered accountant in January 2019 and after I qualified, I became an audit supervisor in April 2022.
How challenging was the work/study balance?
I have to say, starting a full-time job and taking big exams was a challenge. Once I knew how much time I had to put in, I got my head down and learned to say no to things, which was hard when I first moved to London. Doing the exams with my intake and getting support from my peers was a big help. There was a lot of support at the firm, where everyone has been in the same boat. Getting through the exams really was worth it in the end – not just because of the credibility of being an ACA, but also because of the amount and quality of the learning, which has proved invaluable.
What is your current role?
I moved from audit to become a supervisor in the transaction advisory services (TAS) team at the start of this year, having started to get involved with transactions work from when I qualified. It is a financial due diligence and advisory role and involves a lot of data analysis, report writing and client presentation. I work on a range of deals, including M&A for both private and public companies, investors, banks and private equity houses, as well as advising and acting as a reporting accountant for IPOs. On each deal, there is typically a supervisor, assistant manager, senior manager and partner. Our team is growing and in October I was promoted to assistant manager. I am excited to take on new responsibilities in this role.
What have you learned from the deals you’ve worked on?
Deals constantly change because of the nature of the market. Many of our current deals have been ongoing for some time. Investor confidence can change, causing delays, or the terms can change if something arises from our due diligence. There is a need to be flexible and to communicate with all parties to ensure everyone is on the same page. I worked on the admission of EV technology company Equipmake to AQSE [Aquis Stock Exchange], and learned a lot about different reporting requirements. There is something new to learn from every deal, to be honest. Engagement letters can require us to look at different areas in more detail. It is always interesting to see where different parties focus attention.
What are your future plans?
I really love what I’m doing now and have learned a lot already. The firm provides an encouraging environment. I’m keen to learn more about our industry and see where my career can take me. I want to get into more advisory work, looking at the structure of SPAs and helping parties get the best outcome from a deal. As far as sectors go, I am interested in healthtech, which continues to do very well despite challenging times – I want to work on more deals in that space and, as a firm, it’s an area we want to grow. We’re encouraged to get involved in business development and make contacts early on, and I have enjoyed attending various industry events and connecting with like-minded individuals. We will also be appointing more supervisors in TAS and I will help train them, using the experience I have gained.