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ESG Diligence: The Key To Sustainable M&A Transactions
AAB / Our Team / Caroline Bruce
LinkedIn
Meet the Joint Venture & Contract Audit team
Meet the Audit & Assurance team
Meet the International team
Oil and gas operators. Joint venture partners.
Joint venture and contract audit.
Energy.
Caroline Bruce is a Senior Manager in our Audit team. Based in Aberdeen, Caroline’s focus is on joint venture and contract audit, undertaking and supporting audits within that area.
“Having an open line of honest communication with clients is so important, to ensure that we fully understand what the client wants and that they understand what we’re going to deliver as well. Clear communication is pretty key in making sure that we both have a shared vision and both understand how and when we’re going to get there. It allows us to work as a team, towards a common goal.”
“Clients expect professionalism, openness, integrity, and I think they want us to be approachable too. Being trustworthy and knowledgeable are also important traits for us to have as well because, of course, clients are trusting us in various ways to operate on their behalf. It’s no small responsibility so it’s important that clients know that they can depend on us.”
“When you’ve helped your client reach their goal, and you know you’ve delivered over and above their expectations, it’s a great feeling. It’s satisfying to deliver on a job, and to know that because of that trust and relationship you’ve built up, clients won’t hesitate to come to you if they need anything at all.”
“It’s always a great compliment when a client rebooks us for other work. It’s also just a pleasure to be able to continue the relationships built with clients, and be there to see how their businesses grow and develop.”
“People do often get anxious and worried about the audit process, sometimes thinking that we’re there to try and catch them out. But that’s not the case at all. It can be incredibly beneficial for businesses to undergo the process, because it’s an opportunity to get an outside perspective from someone who can see both the intricate detail and the bigger picture.
An auditor can often make recommendations and observations that we can put forward to help the client to streamline and improve certain processes.”
“It’s really exciting working for a firm that’s expanding so consistently, and it isn’t scared to grow. It means there are a lot of opportunities to benefit from new colleagues’ expertise, to meet new people, and to reach a broader range of businesses.”
“It’s perhaps not the most glamorous strength, but I’m exceptionally organised, which is genuinely a huge plus in Audit. I’m also a supportive team member, and I think I’m a genuinely friendly and approachable person too, which I’m grateful for, as it means my clients know they can always come to me with any issue or query, anything they’re not sure about. I’ll always be happy to reassure them or find a solution for them.”
“We’ve been working remotely for the most part since I joined AAB, and it’s worked very well, which is really encouraging for the future because it means that it opens up the door to work anywhere in the world. I feel lucky with the tech platforms and software that we have at AAB, that information sharing and similar things have never been an issue.
Having said that, there’s definitely aspects of being back in the office and back out visiting clients that are great. It’s so nice to actually see people’s faces in real life, and get that real personal interaction.”
“One of the most challenging aspects of my work is that, of course, things aren’t always black and white. So, it’s a case of being able to understand the intent behind the contract and then seeing how it’s been applied in practice and then using our industry knowledge to basically give our opinion on whether or not it’s been applied correctly.
This can be challenging just because these things can be quite subjective, but working in a really knowledgeable team is great; it’s so helpful to have more senior, experienced people who I can ask the opinions of if I’m ever unsure. It’s that kind of collaboration and teamwork which makes the work so satisfying.”