Human Too Podcast

Gareth John is the Director of Policy at First Intuition, with over 20 years’ experience transforming accountancy education and training. Gareth dives into the importance of resilience, the lessons from overcoming mental health challenges, and why asking for help is a true sign of strength. You'll discover three awesome tips for those in their early careers and Gareth's stories of persever...

In this episode, Krutika Adatia shares her journey from growing up in India to becoming an accountant and educator in the UK and then Digital Delivery Lead at the ACCA. She discusses the importance of empathy in her professional life, her love for podcasting with ' Journeys with Krutika ', and challenging taboos in the South Asian community. Check out her podcast here ! Krutika also reflec...

In this episode of the Human Too Podcast, I interview Rajesh Shah, a seasoned finance professional with over 31 years of experience at Costco. We discuss Rajesh's journey from his early career in accountancy to his leadership roles, emphasising the importance of empathy in management, the impact of AI on the accounting profession, and the value of mentorship. Rajesh shares insights from his ex...

Manj is a consultant in the public sector, having had a varied career spanning 30+ years which has included senior roles at ACCA and CIPFA as well as the civil service.  She’s also a CIPFA Apprentice Coach and, as you will hear in this podcast, Manj is a brilliant supporter of trainees as a coach and mentor, drawing on her own experience of sitting exams and navigating the working world. She’s par...

In this episode of the Human Too Podcast, host Hannah Macdonald chats with Andy Fitzsimmons about his unique journey from a chemistry degree to becoming the Commercial Director at Kaplan. Andy shares insights into his career path, the challenges of balancing work and study, and the importance of being authentic and empathetic in both personal and professional life. Tune in to hear about his experi...

In this episode of the Human Too Podcast, I chat with Libby Walklett, known as The Ethical Bookkeeper. We discuss Libby's journey from her early career in various jobs to becoming a qualified accountant and business owner. We discuss many topics including the importance of community, ethics in bookkeeping, and the challenges faced in the accounting profession. Libby reflects on her achievement...

In this episode I talk to Nikki Richmond, who is a Tax Exam Coach (on the AH platform), Career coach & Accounting, Maths & VAT Tutor! She’s also a Voiceover artist and she’s hosted a radio show.  After many years’ experience working in tax advisory at PwC (and a year teaching ACA) Nikki has turned her skills and experience towards coaching and training tax professionals so that they can th...

Zoe Tanner is Founder and CEO at Sytrus, and a dabbling Angel Investor.  Zoe, decided not to go to university and instead studied AAT then went on to complete her ACCA studies.  In this episode we discuss exam fails, apprenticeships, becoming an entrepreneur, angel investing, the gender VC investment gap and more!

Matt Adamson is a Burnout and Career Coach, and features on the Accountancy Hub platform. He specialises in helping professionals achieve success sustainably in all areas of life, with his 20 years of corporate experience, most recently as an Executive Director at UBS In this episode, Matt shares his personal experience with burnout, noting symptoms can be subtle and often go unrecognised. He refl...

In this episode, Ben Wilson shares his career journey to becoming an an ACCA Expert Tutor with his own tuition business focusing on helping students pass the Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA) exam. We chat about the challenges of balancing work and study, the key to success in ACCA exams, and the significance of networking and seizing opportunities in one's career. We also explore Ben's recent AD...

In this episode, we chat to Career Coach Natasha Weller, who shares her journey from a corporate career to coaching. Natasha discusses the importance of workplace culture, how to navigate job hunting, and common themes she encounters with her coaching clients, including career confusion and setbacks. She emphasises the need for intentional career choices and the value of understanding one's ow...

In this episode, host Hannah speaks with Andrew Mower, an ACCA AFM tutor with a background in forensic accounting at PwC. Andrew shares insights on the pressures of early career life, the importance of mindset for exam success, maintaining a work-life balance, and the realities of parenting while pursuing a career in accountancy.

Dr Jim is an education and business consultant. He specialises in 'resilient' leadership development, organisational culture and performance. He is a Principal Education Advisor for Education Development Trust, a Senior Advisor for Independent Economics, Director of his consultancy services and co-founder of The Great Oracy Toolkit. Themes in this episode: learning theory, polyvagal theory...

Mary is an associate at EY, specialising in both audit and consulting within the Commodities sector. Prizewinner at the inaugural EY Foundation Enterprise Competition in 2024, and in 2025 taking on the additional role of Corporate Responsibility Lead in London, she is determined to use her position as a force for good. With an Arts background (professional oboe player!), Mary has found the world o...

In this episode we chat to Tom Clendon, ACCA SBR Online Lecturer and Podcast Host. Themes include: Top tips for passing ACCA exams His dyslexia diagnosis Treating your job like an extended job interview Burnout and saying 'no' His varied career which has taken him all over SE Asia

After finishing school at 16 years old Max started an accountancy apprenticeship with a small accountancy proactice in Altrincham. He studied AAT and then went on to become an ICAEW chartered accountant. After working as a member of their accounts team for six years he moved to UHY Hacker Young in Manchester as a senior member of their Cloud team. In the summer of 2021, Max moved to Accounts &...

Andy is an AAT & ICB qualified Accounting professional.  He has over 10 years of related experience and is currently studying towards his CIMA qualification. Andy is a huge advocate of the AAT and actively involved in supporting students and members in his spare time.  He is also on the committee for his local branch network. Andy is passionate about raising awareness for Mental Health, ED&amp...

As a single mum of two, Francesca decided 13 years ago that she wanted to create a better life for herself and her children so she went back into education to study her AAT Level 4 and trained at a top accountancy firm. Francesca is the Founder and Managing Director of Future Cloud Accounting. She is also a Director and Trustee of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).  Some of the theme...

If women have equal leadership ability, why are they so under-represented at the top in business and society? Find out in this special episode with author, consultant and NED Gill Whitty-Collins. Website https://gillwhittycollins.com/ LinkedIn  http://linkedin.com/in/gillwhittycollins Instagram  https://instagram.com/gillwhittycollins  @gillwhittycollins Twitter/X https://twitter.com/gwhittycollin...

Gary Bandy has been a chartered public finance accountant since 1990. His career was mostly in local government and included 3 years as the Chief Finance Officer of a metropolitan council. Gary has also taught public financial management at several universities in the UK as well as sharing his expertise with civil servants in places, including Rwanda, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan.  He is...

"Football's Chartered Accountant". ACCA Accountant Jeff Narweh talks to us about hitting rock bottom during his journey to qualification, how to secure a role at the Premier League and what it means to have a growth mindset.

Sunny Yang was the youngest and first ever Chinese Chair of the Chartered Accountants Student Society of London (CASSL). He's currently working in Corporate Tax Advisory at EY under an apprenticeship and studying to be an ICAEW chartered accountant and CTA! We discuss apprenticeships vs university, the importance of mental and physical health, what it means to be an accountant and how he’s fac...

In this episode I talk to Sarah Beale who is CEO of the accountancy qualification AAT (the Association of Accountancy Technicians). We discuss what it means to be a leader, workplace culture, inclusion and diversity and, as usual, the future of the accountancy industry. 

Deborah has over two decades of board level leadership, chairing audit committees for many notable organisations.  In 2016 she founded Lean In UK Network - growing from six women to over 8,000. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and became the first black person to chair the London association in its 152 year history. Sexism in the City: https://com...

Camilla Rogers is the Founder of Fifty50 Coaching which partners with organisations wanting to invest in their people and their mental health in the same way they do physical health. Fifty50 blends high-performance personal coaching with a wellbeing focus and therapeutic touch. We chat about why Camilla founded Fifty50 (in part managing a chronic illness alongside a demanding corporate role), how...