Meet the lecturers

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I joined ICAS after qualifying as a CA. I spent four years in audit for a SME in Glasgow. I have always been interested in education so ICAS was a natural progression for me post qualifying. At university I was a Peer Learning Support Leader which provided me with my first taste of lecturing and after that I was hooked!

What subjects do you teach?

I'm part of the Financial Reporting team and also teach Financial Accounting, Bookkeeping and Business Acumen.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I am a musical theatre geek. I've performed in several small productions over the years from Rocky Horror to Chicago. Sunshine on Leith is next on my list, but it looks like it is being delayed now until 2022. My ultimate dream role would be to be cast in Mamma Mia. Until then, Financial Reporting it is.

Favourite quote:

‘Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.’

Greatest achievement:

My greatest achievement was being accepted to The University of Edinburgh to study. I was the first person within my family to attend and graduate university. I’m also pretty proud to be a CA, seven years of studying really does pay off. A daily achievement is to not spill coffee or tea on my laptop!

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I started off in Johnston Carmichael as a school leaver working in the Business Solutions department. From there, I moved into commercial auditing followed by specialising in Financial Services auditing. In 2018, I moved to ICAS as a lecturer and have never looked back!

What subjects do you teach?

I am the Business Acumen Subject Controller, Risk & Technology Developer and teach Financial Accounting, Assurance & Reporting, Management Information & Technology, Assurance & Data, Public Trust & Ethics and Test of Professional Expertise.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I'm a classically trained Baritone singer so can sometimes be spotted singing in concerts/ events across Scotland. Aside from that, I wakeboard in the summer months and ski in the winter... So, you can recognise me if you ever see me on a mountain blasting out some songs on the way down!!

Favourite quote:

“Scientia potentia est - knowledge is power.”

Greatest achievement:

The obvious answer would be "becoming a CA" or in a personal life, obtaining letters after my name for vocal diplomas.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I enjoy giving back. I also enjoy the fast paced, decisive environment of changing the way our students learn and helping them to do so.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

After two years working as a legal cashier, I joined EY Edinburgh as an experienced hire in their Asset Management team. There I completed my ACCA qualification and focused on the audit of investment funds. On qualifying I transferred to the Financial Services Tax team within EY, and spent three years there working on tax compliance, offshore fund reporting and tax audits, as well as completing my CTA qualification. As might be clear, I probably enjoyed moving through qualifications more than actual work and having finally run out of ones to do myself, I felt the obvious next step in my career was to join ICAS. Now I can put my ‘love’ of exams to good use and hopefully pass on some of that enthusiasm to future students.

What subjects do you teach?  

I am the Subject Controller for Assurance and Reporting and also teach Principles of Tax, Financial Accounting, Assurance & Data and Business Tax.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I have visited all 50 states of the USA and have a particular appreciation for the Deep South and the Wild West. Give me Helena-West-Helena, Arkansas over New York any day!

Favourite quote:

"Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise." - Les Misérables

Greatest achievement:

Being part of a hockey team at school that won the Scottish Schools Championships twice in a row, and for the first time in our school's history, was pretty fun!

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I have a genuine enjoyment of learning and exams, and really appreciate getting to help students as the go through theirs.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I was admitted to ICAS while working for PwC Glasgow, within the Audit department, specifically in Consumer and Industrial Products. After being admitted to ICAS, I was involved in graduate induction to PwC and then pursued a secondment to PwC London to work within the Learning and Education department. I spent seven months working in London during the working week before joining ICAS in our Glasgow office in March 2012. I am currently the Financial Reporting Subject Controller, having taken up the position in 2016.

What subjects do you teach?  

I am the Subject Controller for Financial Reporting and also teach Financial Accounting and Test of Professional Expertise.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I have performed on stage with Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas.

Favourite quote:

“And while I’m alive, I’ll make tiny changes to Earth” - Scott Hutchison

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I have always enjoyed coaching, being involved with graduate programmes and teaching so I wanted to continue that with ICAS.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I'm a former auditor having trained in a mid-size firm before working for a number of years in the public sector audit team of one of the Big 4. Throughout my training and post qualification experience I was really interested in professional training and development. After working on secondment in the learning development team at my previous employer I decided to take the plunge and move into education full time and luckily ICAS were on the lookout for a new audit lecturer.

What subjects do you teach?

I am the Subject Controller for Assurance & Data and also teach Assurance & Reporting, Financial Accounting, Public Trust & Ethics and Test of Professional Expertise.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

My mother’s side of the family are from Stornoway which is also where I was born. If you were to look at my family tree you will come across a distant cousin who is also a former president of the United States (but I'd rather not say who, google will solve that mystery).

Favourite quote:

“Don't given me excuses, give me results.” – Skipper in Madagascar

Greatest achievement:

It has to be my wee boy Thomas. He doesn't know it yet, but I am planning early retirement based on his future success as a sports star!

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I genuinely enjoy teaching and engaging with different groups of people. It’s a brilliant feeling when you see people that you have supported and coached passing their exams, and moving on to greater things.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

It's a long story but I was a bit of an accidental accountant. Started off in the public sector then, after qualifying while I was with a Big 4 firm, I worked in education for another institute before joining the ICAS Learning team in 2016.

What subjects do you teach?

I teach Business Acumen, Assurance & Reporting, Management Information & Technology, Assurance & Data and Test of Professional Expertise.

Favourite quote:

“It's hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world” – Dolly Parton

Greatest achievement:

Bringing up my son and daughter. Especially since the elder one's efforts helped me to drag my online Rocket League ranking up to Platinum!

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

Seeing students’ confidence and abilities developing has always been really motivational for me throughout my time as a lecturer.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I initially started out studying astrophysics at university and whilst I enjoyed learning, a career in academia wasn’t for me. I started looking into what I could do that would combine learning with earning some money. I attended an open evening at one of the Big 4 accounting firms and thought pursuing a CA qualification combined with a career in accounting sounded like the perfect mix. I started working at PwC in 2012, specialising in internal and external audit in their Government and Public Sector team. Whilst on a six month secondment in the Student Recruitment team I realised how much I enjoyed the interaction with students at events. Towards the end of my secondment, a role was advertised at ICAS. I sent in my CV and three months later joined the team - and I've not looked back!

What subjects do you teach?

I am the Subject Controller for Management Information & Technology and I also teach Financial Accounting, Financial Reporting and Assurance & Reporting and Public Trust & Ethics. I am also one of the developers of TPS Risk and Technology.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

My job before starting my career in audit was as a tour guide in Edinburgh. I ran three hour long walking tours around the old town for groups of up to 40 tourists. I met so many people from across the world across the two summers that I ran tours, and for a short while I was the top-rated guide for my company who had the top-rated tours on TripAdvisor.

Favourite quote:

“Being true to yourself never goes out of style.” - Elle Woods, Legally Blonde

Greatest achievement:

I have two. The first was in May 2014 when I ran the Edinburgh Marathon, raising over £2,500 for charity. My second greatest achievement is my daughter. Parenting is tough and exhausting and she definitely didn't read the chapter in the book about sleep but having her is also so rewarding.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I really like working with my colleagues in learning - although it was strange when I first started and most of them had taught me. We are a close-knit bunch and sometimes feel like a family. I also really enjoy teaching students. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a class through from TC to TPE, and seeing them grow in knowledge, confidence and then seeing them qualify at the end of it all.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I qualified while working in audit in London with Tenon. I then moved to Edinburgh to work in corporate tax first with Deloitte and then EY. During my time at EY I become involved the National Tax Training team which led me to move into training full-time, first with BPP and then with ICAS. I have now been at ICAS for ten years.

What subjects do you teach?

I teach Principles of Tax, Financial Accounting, Business Tax and Test of Professional Expertise.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I was visiting Berlin on a school trip in December 1989 as the wall was coming down. I had my hammer confiscated by an East German Border guard while I was trying to get a bit as a souvenir. Managed to get a graffitied lump of the wall.

Favourite quote:

“To achieve great things, you need a plan and not enough time.”

Greatest achievement:

Aside from the CA qualification, having climbed all of the Munros - mountains over 3,000 feet - in Scotland.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

No two days are the same - colleagues and students make it a fun and welcoming environment.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I studied Accounting with Finance at the University of Glasgow and graduated in 2015. While I was there, I did an internship with PwC between my third and fourth year. While at university, I also set up my own business which is still running today! After graduating, I joined PwC in the Assurance department and worked on a huge variety of clients across many industries, from small companies to huge multinational company audits. In 2019, I joined Grant Thornton working on audits for central government bodies as well as health board and councils. During my time there I was selected as one of ICAS’ Top 100 Young CAs. In September 2019, I joined ICAS as a lecturer and haven't looked back.

What subjects do you teach?  

I teach Financial Accounting, Bookkeeping, Assurance & Reporting, Business Acumen and Financial Reporting.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I worked as a Disney princess. I also partake in musical theatre having done shows including Chicago, Shrek the Musical, Calamity Jane, Grease, and the Wizard of Oz. I am a world champion ballroom dancer (and have even been featured dancing in a film on Netflix).

Favourite quote:

“What's for you, won't go by you.”

Greatest achievement:

Definitely becoming a world champion ballroom dancer.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I am passionate about helping students, and really enjoy lecturing!

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

After leaving school I wasn't sure if I wanted to go into primary/secondary school teaching or follow the accounting pathway. After university, I completed my CA training with Campbell Dallas gaining experience in accounts prep, audit, tax, insolvency – a mixture of everything really. I moved to work for EY in their audit department in Glasgow and travelled around the UK working on clients. I enjoyed the training aspect of my role and got involved with core skills training. Having always had an interest in the teaching, the ICAS lecturer role was advertised in the CA magazine. I applied for the role and got it and I'm still here after 14 years.

What subjects do you teach?  

My main areas of teaching are the Test of Professional Expertise Case Study and Public Trust & Ethics.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I have been dancing since I was three years old and I have a dance school with my sister specialising in stage, tap, modern and majorettes. The stereotype mould is hopefully already broken - a dancing CA has a nice ring to it!

Favourite quote:

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.”

Greatest achievement:

Being a mum, qualifying as a dance teacher and qualifying as a CA.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I enjoy the variety in my role at ICAS. We are involved with way more than teaching which keeps the role interesting. I really enjoy supporting students through their CA journey - as tutors we are very proud when students are admitted to membership, knowing that we contributed along the way.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I worked in practice for around ten years - both small firm and Big 4 before changing things up by moving to ICAS to lecture five years ago.

What subjects do you teach?  

I teach Principles of Tax, Business Tax, Financial Accounting, Bookkeeping & Public Trust & Ethics.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I like an adventure, so I love to travel and try and do new things. Personal highlights to date have been skydiving over Lake Taupo in New Zealand, hot air ballooning in Mareeba, Australia, and black water rafting in Waitomo. I also loved sailing a 90-person dive boat in The Bahamas, hiking Franz Josef Glacier, riding a camel in the Sahara Desert and flying a plane in Florida.

Favourite quote:

“Every cloud runs out of rain.”

Greatest achievement:

Probably trying to tick off as many adventures as possible. For 2020 a personal achievement has been making a serious dent in my Munro bagging by hiking 35 Munros in a three month period.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I love the variety. No two days in ICAS are the same whether that is teaching a different class or subject or the work that goes on behind the scenes to get the courses ready - it keeps my life interesting!

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

After a panic at university about what I wanted to do and the realisation I could not be trusted in a chemistry lab, I embarked on a summer internship in the Assurance department of an accounting firm. From there, I was offered and embarked on their graduate programme, completing my training contract, and performing a short secondment into the Learning and Development department.

What subjects do you teach?  

I teach Assurance & Reporting, Financial Accounting and Assurance & Data.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I grew up on a farm with 30,000 chickens. One of my earliest memories is crying as a chicken pecked my wellies.

Greatest achievement:

Surviving four years of chemistry laboratories without any serious disasters.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I'm now grateful that I no longer have to perform stock counts on Hogmanay!

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I have had many years’ experience working in both chartered and commercial organisations in Australia. Having always had an interest in education, I participated in marking schools as part of CA ANZ and always looked for opportunities to be involved in teaching. Once my daughter was born, I actively pursued a career in education, by retraining and taking up a full-time lecturing role at New South Wales's largest vocational training organisation. This was such a new experience for me as I was involved in training health professionals in business and accounting skills. My husband then got a job in Edinburgh so together we bid farewell to our life in Sydney and headed all the way across the globe to Edinburgh. I was very excited to see an opening for a lecturer position at ICAS, as this was the perfect role for me to continue my passion for teaching.

What subjects do you teach?  

I teach Strategic Finance and Modelling as well as Financial Accounting.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

As well as being a Chartered Accountant, I am also a qualified remedial massage therapist. I have a keen interest in natural therapies, and I have trained in Swedish, sports and remedial massage.

Favourite quote:

"Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day.”

Greatest achievement:

My greatest personal achievement is being a wife and a mother.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

Working at ICAS involves helping and interacting with the students, which is something I really enjoy. I also love working with my colleagues who are collectively committed to delivering a high-level quality course. At ICAS we are always looking at best practice solutions and are constantly evolving. Being part of such change, always keeps things interesting and challenging.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

I completed my CA training in the Audit department of a mid-tier firm. After qualifying, I moved to a larger firm, where I spent time working in the L&D team while also working as an audit manager. I really enjoyed the training element, so when the opportunity arose to join ICAS as a lecturer, it was the perfect role for me.

What subjects do you teach?  

I am most closely involved with Test of Professional Expertise and Public Trust & Ethics. I also teach Assurance & Reporting and Assurance & Data.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I once had to teach in my jeans and flip flops. I had travelled to Jersey to teach but my suitcase ended up at Gatwick Airport. Luckily it was summer, and flip flops are the footwear of choice in Jersey.

Favourite quote:

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.” - Albert Einstein

Greatest achievement:

Passing my ICAS exams. I know so many people will say that, however, I was eight months pregnant when I sat my TPE exam. So, just being able to reach the table and write my answer was an achievement in itself.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I really enjoy knowing I can make a difference by helping our students to pass their exams and qualify as CAs. I love the variety in my job. No two days are ever the same and I am lucky to work with amazing colleagues who are always willing to help out when needed.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

After graduating from Edinburgh University in 2012, I went on to study at ICAS while training at EY. I worked in the Financial Services department during my training contract and then after completing my contract. I remember attending classes during my training contract and saying to my colleagues at the time "I bet it would be so much fun to teach this stuff as a job", and I was met with very blank expressions. Serendipitously a vacancy came up for a Tax and Finance lecturer just as I was starting to get itchy feet at my previous role.

What subjects do you teach?

I teach Principles of Tax, Finance, Financial Accounting, Business Tax and Strategic Finance & Modelling.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I own a copy of almost every Booker Prize winner book, and have sourced the vast majority of these from second-hand shops. I also am a keen fan of RuPaul's Drag Race; whenever you see a question in the Tax or Finance notes that has even the vaguest connection to famous drag queens, you can guarantee that I'll be the one who included it in there.

Favourite quote:

"OK a mistake was made there, how do we fix it? It's not the worst thing in the world, mistakes happen to the best of us."

Greatest achievement:

I honestly have to say passing my driving test. You can cram for technical exams but driving is a whole other activity for me that tests totally different skills. The freedom I get from being able to drive is amazing and having recently bought my first car, I feel so much less restricted than I have done previously.

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I love explaining concepts to students and watching the penny drop as they say "....Oh! I get it now!". It's a great thing to experience, to be able to bring clarity to something that has previously caused confusion. I also love receiving emails from students on results day telling me they have passed an exam. I'm extra happy when these are students who have studied really hard and deserve nothing more than to pass.

Tell us a bit about how you came to work at ICAS?

Whilst applying for university I couldn't decide whether to study accounting or primary teaching but chose to go with accounting at the University of Glasgow. I did an internship with EY in my third year at university and was lucky enough to be offered a graduate role following this. I joined EY working in both the corporate and government and public sector audit departments. I then joined Johnston Carmichael where I worked in corporate audit as well. During this time, a vacancy for a lecturer at ICAS became available and the desire to become a teacher was still strong so, I applied.

What subjects do you teach?

I teach Strategic Finance & Modelling at TPS level, and Finance as well as Financial Accounting at TC level.

Interesting fact or funny story about you:

I worked as a waitress when I was at university and have served both Paolo Nutini and Eamonn Holmes (claim to fame!). I am also a twin which is my usual go-to fun fact.

Favourite quote:

"If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." - Roald Dahl

Greatest achievement:

Qualifying as a CA. The seven years of hard work were definitely worth it!

Why do you enjoy teaching/working at ICAS?

I enjoy helping others and particularly enjoy being able to help students pass their exams and qualify as CAs!