Clare headed on a journey to the ACA

qualification. So far its also taken her to

Germany and India.
Posted: October 27, 2016
Clares Story Deal Advisory Transaction Services
Clare never intended her future to be determined by her degree. I studied French
and Spanish at university, she explains. But I didnt want languages to be the sole
focus of my career. I had no background in business but I knew that the ACA
qualification gives you a good grounding and that people spoke highly of it, so I
headed in that direction.
The path took her to a KPMG Summer Internship in Deal Advisory. I cant
recommend the internship highly enough, she insists. Im now a second-year on
the graduate scheme in the same part of the business.
So where did Clares story begin? I come from a family of ultra-
proud Evertonians in Liverpool - a long way from the world of
Canary Wharf! My mum was astounded that I chose to train as an
accountant, even more so that in my second year Im working on
deals that are in the newspapers.
As an Analyst in Deal Advisorys Transaction Services department, Clare works with
small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): entrepreneurial, fast-growing
organisations with great futures. Her highlight so far is working on a cool business
tool. She elaborates: Ive presented it to senior members of private equity houses
and trained teams in India on how it works.
Reflecting on how far her career has taken her already - in terms of both geography
and achievement - Clare says, Im only in my second year in business and Im doing
things I never dreamed of. Its been so good for my self-esteem being a lead
presenter to senior clients. Youre never a bystander at KPMG.
She is the first to acknowledge that she has enjoyed help and support along the way
- and from some people she might not have expected. The partners Ive worked with
have been great. Theres a myth from the outside that youll find partners distant and
rarely see them. Not here. Some stop at nothing to help you and bolster your
confidence. One partner did lots of charity work and helped me get the time off to
pursue my passions in this area.
Clare has certainly wasted no time in pursuing her enthusiasm for good causes.
Outside the office, I work with a charity for disabled children. We take them to
Lourdes, in France each year. Its a fantastic week for the children and it gives their
incredible parents a break too. The fact that KPMG allows me the time to do this is
one of the reasons I joined.