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ESG Diligence: The Key To Sustainable M&A Transactions
AAB / People / Jim Gourlay
LinkedIn
Meet the Audit & Assurance team
Anyone who needs audit assistance.
Audit and assurance.
Not for Profit. Commercial sectors.
Jim is a Manager in the Audit department who has worked in practice for over 30 years. He has a diverse knowledge of all business types including charities both large and small, Housing Associations, Not for Profit organisations and commercial clients. He has worked for a Big Four accountancy firm although prefers the hands-on approach of local firms.
“What I enjoy about being a Manager is that it entails doing so many different jobs and wearing so many different hats – you lead the team, you maintain good client relationships, you make sure you’re clients’ first port of call, you keep up with new legislations, you support your team members in their growth, you stay up to date with new technology, you respond to any queries from clients and colleagues, generally ensure quality and consistency… it’s a challenge, sometimes, to keep it all in balance and moving in the direction you want it to, but that’s what keeps it interesting!”
“I always want my clients to regard me as a person of trust, and to know that whenever they phone me up with a query or issue, they can be confident that they’ll either get an answer immediately, or that I will find the answer for them. Whether it’s taking them through certain processes, answering or sourcing an answer regarding technical issues, or simply making sure we’re on the same page in terms of output or expectations. And with my team it’s the same – I’m always here for whatever assistance or guidance they might need.
I’m a trusted advisor, and I’m the first port of call – if they phone me, I’ll always answer; if they need to speak to me onsite, I’ll go onsite. you know I mean, so they would phone me up.”
“I like the fact that we’re all learning and teaching all the time. I’ve acquired a lot of knowledge and expertise over the years, and I get real satisfaction sharing that knowledge and seeing my team members progress as individuals. But I’m always learning from and growing with my colleagues too, and this includes the newer team members – sometimes someone will ask a question or inquire about a particular situation that maybe I’ve never seen or experienced before, and we’ll figure out the answer together. And now, thanks to the growth of the wider AAB Group, even if there’s a specific question the answer for which we aren’t certain of, there’s always someone to ask.”
“Audits can seem quite scary if you’re undergoing them, but what a lot of people don’t realise is that they can be hugely beneficial to businesses. By getting stuck in and seeing how everything’s working, we can provide assistance and help companies to be able to improve their systems or help them out with any sort of difficulties that they have, whether it’s new raising finance or sorting out cash flow for them or something else. There are often things that we can help with because we’re an external pair of eyes (or several) but we’ve delved in to understand how things function, which provides quite a unique and valuable insight that can be really advantageous for clients.”
“Audit is an ever-changing field; there are always updates. So it’s really important to keep up to date with the latest legislation, as well as the latest software. Keeping software training up to date and trying to get that balance of doing the work but also being able to take a step back and review the bigger picture. We have to constantly ensure that our processes and systems are as efficient and accurate as they can be, and that our team is feeling supported regarding their own personal growth goals.”