And the BAFTA goes to...
Acting as the awards’ official vote scrutineer
How does an auditor get to mingle with stars of the stage and royalty?
Well, it helps if you work for Deloitte
The firm is the official 'vote scrutineer' for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). For Audit & Assurance directors Danny Sivers and Jess Taylor, it adds a touch of celebrity sparkle to a job, some might assume, is more red pen than red carpet.
Both alumni of our graduate programme, Danny and Jess are part of the Deloitte team that assures the rigorous voting process that happens before each of the annual BAFTA Awards.
From safeguarding the golden envelopes that hide the winners’ identities, to standing backstage with the stars, their work with BAFTA proves that a career in audit doesn’t always follow a script.
As TV viewers tuned into this year’s glittering event at London’s Royal Festival Hall, few could have known the scale of Deloitte’s diligence
That day – Sunday 18 February – Danny had observed as the envelopes were taken, unopened, from a safe. He accompanied them on the drive to the venue then, during the ceremony, stood backstage ensuring that the correct envelope for each category was handed to the celebrity presenter.
Jess watched from the broadcasting truck, dictating winners’ details for the graphics expert, so accurate information appeared on our screens.
But, like other years, Deloitte’s work started months earlier.
Before BAFTA members decide who wins, there are several rounds of voting to determine longlists and nominations. Large volumes of data are reviewed by our analytics and modelling specialists, and the findings are presented to BAFTA in signed reports.
“We assure the process, not the nominees or winners,” explains Danny. And Jess adds, “We do that by performing specific procedures for each round, for each award.”
Waiting for the winners of each category to be announced can be quite tense, even though we’ve made sure all the names in all the envelopes are correct.
Danny Sivers, Deloitte
Audit and assurance isn’t just about numbers and spreadsheets; it’s about people.
Jess Taylor, Deloitte
A night of stars (and much anticipation!)
Deloitte has been working with BAFTA for over a decade, and as well as the televised Film and TV extravaganza, there are separate ceremonies for Scotland and Wales as well as the BAFTA Games Awards.
For our Audit & Assurance professionals, it’s been eye-opening – in particular, learning just how many conversations and deliberations take place to make sure the voting process is rigorous, secure, diverse and fair.
Danny has been part of the BAFTA assurance team for a decade, and he still gets that ‘pinch-me’ feeling, especially as they get to join the celebrities and industry at a dinner afterwards.
“I still don’t think I’m used to it,” he explains. “It’s amazing because everyone who presents an award comes past me to collect their envelope, so I meet a lot of people. I was most starstruck with Scarlett Johansson, and you can never really prepare yourself for seeing Prince William, BAFTA’s president, up close. It was good meeting Ant and Dec and seeing Joe Lycett, who came to this year’s event dressed as Queen Elizabeth I.
“It’s exciting to see what happens behind the scenes, but it’s high pressure! Our role, amongst other factors, makes this the gold standard in the industry for awards.”
New people, new skills, new opportunities
Danny did a law degree and joined our graduate scheme in 2010 after initially working in the retail industry. Jess arrived two years later; a Big Four firm was a natural next step after studying accounting and finance at university. Both agree their work with BAFTA is an example of the kind of unexpected projects that can come along at Deloitte.
Those opportunities, plus emerging trends like Generative AI and the increasing need to assure new sustainability reporting regulations, are among the things that keep the profession evolving. And – as BAFTA proves – it isn’t just about numbers.
“It’s also about talking to people, including a lot of people outside of finance,” Jess says. “One project I work on is within the manufacturing industry, and in January I spent time in China and Singapore watching products be made, so it’s definitely more than excel spreadsheets; you learn about lots of different businesses and their strategies, which is really interesting.”
And what would Danny and Jess offer to anyone considering a career as an auditor?
“It’s a great way to build your business acumen and you learn a lot, very quickly,” continues Jess. “You can develop so many new and different skills.”
“If you put in the time and effort, there’s plenty of reward,” Danny adds. “There are great people, and you get to see behind the scenes at companies that interest you. And there’s a chance that you’ll find yourself doing something you would never have expected.”
