Grace a Transaction Services Executive, and Amy a Manager are two dynamic colleagues in the Deal Advisory team at BDO. Both have unique backgrounds and experiences that have shaped their careers at BDO, and have rich stories to tell which bring new insight to their teams. In this Q&A, they share their journeys, insights, what makes BDO a great place to work and how being part of a supportive community helps them make a difference.
Hi both! Let's start with the simple things; what were your backgrounds before you joined BDO?
Grace: I was actually a grad fresh out of university when I joined BDO, so my background pre-BDO is just education. I was at Cardiff Uni studying Economics before joining BDO in the Audit department in November 2020; a difficult time to begin a new role but I'm so glad I did.
Amy: I started out on a university program sponsored by ICAEW which involved three placements in the audit division of a big 4 firm in London. After getting ACA qualified, I moved to another firm and worked initially in a risk management/consulting role, before doing a secondment to the Transaction Services team; this turned into a permanent move and included almost a year working for the Melbourne team! TS turned out to be a great move as it included a lot of the aspects of audit that I enjoyed - working as a team, analysing data and problem-solving – but through a more commercial lens, thinking about the value drivers of a business and focusing our work on what questions our client needs help answering. I moved up to Manchester in late 2023 and joined the BDO TS team in early 2024 so I've experienced quite a lot in my time.
Nice! So, why did you decide to choose BDO and what makes you stay?
Grace: For me, I chose BDO because of its name in the market and reputation of being one of the biggest firms in the world. I thought it would be a great place to gain experience in accounting and do my exams with. However, when I actually looked more into BDO I realised it was more than that. In my initial audit interview, the partner took me through different CSR opportunities and really embedded the culture to me which made me want to join even more. I recently transferred to the Reading Corporate Finance team and the support and extra opportunities there are even better than I’d experienced previously.
Amy: Yeah, for me it was similar. Everyone I met throughout the interview process (HR through to the TS partner) was really nice and open. It made BDO seem like a great place to work, and that's carried on as I've stayed.
Great. Tell us about your role, Grace. What do you do in that day-to-day?
Grace: I work in Transaction Services (TS) based in Reading. My role consists of being a part of a team that creates due diligence reports for our client as they take part in significant transactions over a company’s life cycle (such as acquiring new subsidiaries, refinancing or selling the business). This is made up of individual work, teamwork and client meetings usually. I will analyse certain areas of financial statements, reviewing trends and changes in the business and/or market and this analysis will help our client make key decisions around the terms of a deal.
It's a really rounded role, so I'm glad to have a variety of different elements within it.
And Amy, what other non-project related work are you involved in?
Amy: Since joining I’ve been involved in the TS Women’s Forum network – a community that focuses on attracting, retaining and empowering women throughout their careers at BDO. It’s been a great way to meet women in TS teams across the country and it’s such a supportive group to be a part of. We have regular meetings to discuss the progress of our initiatives and it’s clear that we are really making a difference!
With the aim to ensure that Transaction Services is somewhere women can thrive, feel comfortable and empowered, it’s initiatives like this that make me stay.
And Grace, you’re fairly new to Transaction Services, how has the transition from Audit to Transaction Services been?
Grace: The transition has been great which is really a credit to the TS team. Even while I was still in audit, my TS Manager made sure to have regular catch-ups and lunches with me to keep me updated on what was going on in the team. That meant I could be fully prepared and involved from the moment I joined. She made sure all my questions were answered, got me involved in the Women’s Forum and different networking opportunities even before joining. It made the transition so seamless, I felt supported and comfortable in the team from the first day. So overall, it was great!
But before you joined, you might have heard some misconceptions about accounting, right?
Grace: It's sad but I'd "learned" from films and popular culture that finance/accounting is seen as either a really high-paced male-dominated role or just really boring! I don’t find any of these to be true at BDO, especially in my new TS team. The female presence is there and growing and the team is great fun!
Grace and Amy's experiences highlight the supportive and inclusive culture at BDO. Both of their career journeys show the opportunities for growth and the importance of a positive work environment. Not only that, but the Transaction Services Women’s Forum ensures that women can thrive and feel empowered in their careers; something which Grace and Amy have felt from day one. It's these kind of opportunities which make our culture truly unifying.