Joe Scott
Partner
Joe Scott, a new Partner in our Edinburgh office, shares his career journey within A&A working with firms in the investment management sector, and gives his advice to aspiring future leaders.
“Focus on relationships - investing in and nurturing your network is a core part of your job, and it’s the best bit! You’d be surprised at how often you cross paths with former clients and alumni over the years."
Tell us about your career to date:
My career began in audit and assurance in Edinburgh as a graduate, after deciding against a career in Law. I've spent my entire career working with financial services firms, particularly investment managers and their products. This involved working on high profile global audits, leading to opportunities to work nationally and with a variety of different types of clients, including complex listed firms and government-backed private capital firms. In recent years, my focus has shifted towards working with UK listed investment managers, leading to my current role as supporting Partner on a FTSE 250 asset manager. Beyond audit, I also have lots of experience providing controls and accounting advisory services, and broader assurance work.
What does being a Partner mean to you?
Personally, it's the culmination of years of hard work, and affirmation that I'm making a meaningful impact to the people I work with internally and externally. Professionally, it brings added responsibility and expectation. I see it as an opportunity to be part of something bigger, helping to guard the present and grow the firm, upholding our brand, acting in the public interest, and protecting market confidence. I want to be a Partner who listens, is curious to understand other people’s perspectives, invests in people, and takes them on the journey.
What will you do differently?
I'll be more strategically involved in shaping client relationships, understanding that my words will carry greater weight both internally and externally. I will dedicate even more time with our non-audit clients, building relationships across the investment management sector, playing a key role in helping to develop the skills and capability of our next generation of Directors and Partners.
What one piece of advice do you have for those aspiring to move into a more senior leadership role, particularly to those in regional offices?
Focus on relationships. Invest in and nurture your network, both internally and with clients. You'll be surprised at how frequently you’ll cross paths with alumni and former clients over the years, so treating your network as a core part of your job is really important. For those in regional offices, maintaining strong local relationships in your market, even where you work on a national basis, is core to maintaining the strength of our regions business.