MA (Hons) Accountancy, 1991 From Aberdeen to Empowering Investors
Your Time at Aberdeen
Why did you choose to study at Aberdeen? It just felt right.
Why did you choose your particular course? At the time, it was a first, foundational step onto a finance career path, but in retrospect played well to my strengths. The nature of the degree allowed me to select other courses along the way to further broaden my skillset and experiences.
What did you most enjoy about your time at Aberdeen? Did you have any particularly memorable student experiences? The time flew by, but looking back I made my closest friends there and even more importantly met my wife there!
If talking to a group of prospective students, what advice would you give them to help them make the most of their time at the University of Aberdeen? The city and the university are intertwined. Use the Uni to stretch yourself academically, try new things and make new friends while indulging in the variety of that the city has to offer.
Your Time After Aberdeen
What was the title of your first job after graduating from Aberdeen? Trainee Chartered Accountant at Touche Ross in Glasgow.
What did your first role involve? All things finance... while taking the necessary CA exams.
What is your current job title? CEO at Bridgeweave.
Please briefly describe the journey from your first job after graduating to where you are now. It's been an interesting journey from a traditional path of finance and accounting through M&A to investing, before taking a sharp turn and moving into operations, turning businesses around and ultimately starting new companies first in BPO and now in AI and growing them.
Was your degree at Aberdeen essential for getting to where you are now? If so, in what way? It clearly helped me onto the start of the career ladder, but with nearly 30 years of experience since it is hard to point to a particular facet, other than the need to think and work things through independently in a logical manner and, more importantly, being able to present them to others.
