We spoke to Adam Ritchie, senior corporate business manager, about his decision to join DSG following an 18-year career in banking and accounting across a large commercial bank and regional firms. He discussed his career so far, including his move to DSG, and shared some insights into the future of the audit industry.
What motivated you to join DSG?
I relocated to the UK from the Isle of Man with my family. The North West was an obvious choice for us when looking at the UK, as we are familiar with the area while still being close enough to our family back on the Isle of Man.
DSG was a good cultural fit as it is committed to providing a healthy work life balance. Having a young family means that working at a company that can provide flexibility around my family’s needs was crucial, and DSG has been great at supporting me in balancing my professional life with my personal life.
What is your role at the firm?
My role at DSG is a senior corporate business manager within the Corporate Business department. More specifically, I will be managing a portfolio of audit clients, maintaining the high level of service they expect from DSG.
What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far, and what did you learn from this?
I would say the biggest challenge has been the shift from being managed to being the manager. It is a steep learning curve from being assigned work to then having a portfolio of clients, assigning work to your team, and dealing with all the other matters that come with being responsible for staff.
I’ve learnt over the years that there’s always more than one approach you can take to situations. You constantly need to adapt to different circumstances, applying your experience to try and achieve the best outcomes.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone at the beginning of their career in accountancy?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask as many as you can and learn from your colleagues’ experiences, as there is a lot of knowledge out there which your study books won’t teach you.
What trends do you think are shaping the future of the industry?
As external audits face more scrutiny than ever, there is an increasing amount of pressure to deliver high quality audits within the filing requirements. Technology will be instrumental for auditors by reducing time spent on manual testing via automation. This in turn could allow auditors to use that gained time to identify and report on items which the client’s management would find more valuable than just producing the audit report.