Three members of the team at independent Guernsey accountants BDO are celebrating their promotion to audit supervisors. Gillian Mutangadura, Yemi Mendahun and Jocelyn Craven-Wilkinson have all made the move up from audit seniors.
Although the three women were promoted at the same time they achieved their latest career advance through very different routes. According to company director Justin Hallett, their success shows BDO’s ability to attract and nurture both home-grown talent and highly qualified professionals from outside the island.
“This is all about the retention of quality staff to enable us to expand our client base,” he says. “BDO’s ability to promote from within enables the company to achieve continuity with its assignments, as well as a steady growth in new business as we take on more clients – especially in the funds area of financial services.”
Having proven their capability as audit seniors, BDO’s fresh-faced supervisors are eager to embrace the extra responsibility that comes with their new role. All three women will be more involved in overseeing the work of their fellow seniors and other staff members. They will also enjoy more direct contact with the company’s clients.
“It’s a very exciting time for me,” says Gillian Mutangadura, who came to Guernsey from Zimbabwe in May 2008 to work for BDO. “I’ve enjoyed auditing equity and property funds and mentoring the office juniors and reviewing their work, but now I’m looking forward to the new challenges of being a supervisor. I’m also savouring the prospect of helping to develop some of the new business we’ve taken on this year.”
Gillian gained her professional qualifications in Africa with one of the ‘big four’ accountancy firms but she has not looked back since her move to the island. “I was fortunate enough to get an interview with BDO and it struck me straight away as a friendly place where I’d be happy to work,” she says. “It’s a very different culture here but it suits me perfectly because there is a much better work/life balance, which is something I very much appreciate.”
Londoner Yemi Mendahun did not have so far to come when she decided just over a year ago to apply for a senior audit post at BDO but she found the move just as exciting. “I wanted to come to Guernsey because I’d spent three years training for my ACA exam with a medium size firm in London and I needed a different sort of challenge,” Yemi explains.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first 12 months on the island and I’m very happy with my promotion. Now I’m looking forward to the new challenges and different responsibilities that come with being a supervisor. I also want to stretch myself and hit those new challenges. I feel I’ve really grown since coming here because I was still living at home when I was at university in London. It was a daunting move to begin with but everyone at BDO has been so supportive.”
Completing the line up of newly promoted supervisors is Jocelyn Craven-Wilkinson, who joined BDO as a trainee just over four years ago. Previously employed in market research in London, Jocelyn decided on a complete career change and embarked on a three-year course for her ACCA accountancy qualification. She says it was a decision she will never regret.
“I joined as a junior so I took a massive step backwards when I decided on a new career with BDO,” Jocelyn admits. “I started right at the bottom but now, just over a year since qualifying, I’ve been promoted. “I can’t wait to get stuck into my new role and I’m absolutely delighted at the progress I’ve made thanks to the support of everyone here at the company.”