The Cala Group is an award-winning housebuilding company founded in 1875 and has almost 50 years of experience crafting premium homes.
Kyle Ruparelia CA (pictured far left) and Scott McLennan CA (middle) from the Cala's finance team explain why recruiting ICAS students means building a pipeline of future leaders for the company.
By setting high standards and investing in young candidates, they hope to attract exceptional individuals who go on to become the future leaders, creating a strong and sustainable supply of talent for the years ahead.
The firm’s decision to train Chartered Accountants with ICAS marks a significant step in Cala’s growth and future.
Scott says: “We’re bringing in keen, young talent with fresh ideas, and we set a high bar for applicants, but the quality we’re rewarded with is excellent. These graduates are the future leaders of the business. By investing in them early, we’re building a valuable pipeline of talent.”
The challenge
Cala Group was looking for a new way to build a source of fresh talent and future leaders who would gain a deep understanding of the business.
“The finance team here is very commercially minded,” says Kyle Ruparelia CA, Regional Finance Director. “It’s not just about producing financial statements, it’s about understanding the business, working with different departments and contributing to key decisions.”
The solution
To become an ICAS Authorised Training Office (ATO), enabling them to train Chartered Accountants.
Scott says: “The way the ICAS programme is structured now is quite different to when I trained,” he says. “It’s more flexible, allowing students to spread their exams across different terms. And at Cala, we make sure there’s a clear plan in place so that graduates can dedicate time to their studies.”
First trainee
Thomas Thow (pictured far right) is the first trainee to join Cala since the finance team introduced an ICAS scheme within its overall graduate programme, making it an ICAS ATO. The two-year process combines the CA qualification with rotations within Cala’s regional businesses that bring valuable commercial experience. Thow is clearly enjoying that variety.
“Exposure to different parts of the business has been invaluable,” Thow says. “I’ve had the chance to work in both group and regional finance, and a big takeaway for me has been the contrast between the two. Group finance is more technical and aligns closely with the ICAS syllabus, while regional finance is much more commercially focused on the broader business strategy."
Ruparelia believes that this industry-based training offers an attractive alternative to the traditional Big Four route he took. “I learnt a lot about auditing other businesses, but at Cala you learn how a business really operates,” he says. “That hands-on experience is incredibly valuable.”
And as well as engaging with a broad range of experienced company personnel, Thow also works with graduate trainees from other disciplines, such as construction which adds another layer to his learning experience. He can also learn about the perspective of other trainees in terms of how they would handle different situations and resolve issues.
New chapter
“We feel like we’re starting a new chapter,” says McLennan. “We have an ambitious plan to grow the number of homes we build each year to 4,000 across the group by 2029, and the finance team plays an important role in supporting that growth. Exciting times.”
McLennan, who originally studied accountancy and finance at the University of Strathclyde and began his career at Deloitte in Glasgow, believes the ICAS element to the graduate recruitment initiative was a no-brainer. “We effectively joined the graduate programme that has been developed over the group’s wider talent business but, for any accountancy programme like this in Scotland to be effective, it’s got to be affiliated to ICAS.
"So we now have a three-year programme that dovetails with the ICAS curriculum and syllabus, and it works very well – so much so that we’re going to repeat the recruitment process in August for a finance graduate.”
Why ICAS and the CA qualification are the right foundations
- Becoming an Authorised Training Office (ATO) with ICAS is simple and professional. You’ll have guidance at every step.
- Your trainees will benefit from flexible and well-organised learning that fits around your business needs.
- You’ll embed ethical leadership into your firm, building trust with clients and confidence in your team.
- From onboarding to ongoing queries, you’ll have access to caring expert help whenever you need it.
- By offering the ICAS CA qualification you’ll attract ambitious professionals and keep them engaged, shaping the next generation of business advisors.
