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Hi, I'm James.

Audit Director, World Climate Ambassador and tennis player, London

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My journey so far…

I’m from Ealing in West London, born and bred in the city. Growing up, I was always passionate about the outdoors, which kickstarted a wider interest in the environment. I love hiking around the UK and enjoyed getting my Duke of Edinburgh Gold award, which included a wild camping expedition in the Scottish Highlands.

I went to university in Southampton and chose to study geography because it’s a broad subject, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the future. I then did a Masters in Global Environmental Change, pursuing my interest in sustainability.

When I graduated, I applied for Deloitte’s graduate scheme because it offered a great opportunity to build an interesting career, whilst gaining a fully funded professional qualification. There are no requirements for a finance degree to join the Audit & Assurance team, and I knew I’d get the opportunity to learn on the job.

“Growing up, I was always passionate about the outdoors, which kickstarted a wider interest in the environment.” 

Work that matters

I’m now an Audit Director in the Portfolio London team, primarily leading audits for Japanese-owned companies. I was given the chance to work on projects with these companies when I first arrived and have always found the culture incredibly interesting. I love meeting new people, and I’m lucky that I get to do that all the time. As well as working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and ages, I’ve learnt a lot about companies across different industries and geographies. Delivering a project from start to finish is hugely satisfying, and I enjoy giving advice to others in my team, based on my experience.

I’ve also been lucky enough to visit Japan to meet with the headquarters of some of the companies we audit. We are conscious about limiting travel for environmental reasons, but occasionally, we need to have face-to-face meetings, which is especially important in Japanese business culture.

Outside of my main role, I’m the World Climate Ambassador for Audit & Assurance. I’m building a community of climate champions to deliver new ways of reducing our carbon footprint, both for our teams and the businesses we audit. We’re building a lot of awareness and enthusiasm for the work we’re doing, and it’s great to see so many people getting on board.

Linked to my love of tennis, I’ve volunteered for the Lawn Tennis Association, helping tennis coaches in the UK to use digital tools to support their businesses. I’ve also visited inner-city schools to raise awareness of careers in accounting.

Highlights from my week

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
I work in the London office to attend a team training event, followed up by a work social. I review some of my team’s work, then catch up with a junior team member over a coffee to get their view on how their career is progressing and any additional support they need. I visit a company we’re auditing, to have a meeting with management. In the evening, I get some exercise by playing tennis at my local club. I’m in the office today, delivering a world climate webinar. I meet up with the volunteers to talk about new innovations we might be able to adopt. I work from home on Friday, catching up with colleagues remotely to plan an upcoming Japanese group event. Once the working week is over, I head out for dinner with friends to unwind.

My weekend looks like

I started playing tennis when I was a teenager, after attending Wimbledon for the first time. It gave me the tennis bug and I’ve been doing it ever since. I love playing socially and I also play competitively in my local league. It’s a really challenging game, which I find incredibly rewarding. I’ve recently become a qualified coach and have previously been a kids’ volunteer coach. When I’m not playing sports, I enjoy a long walk in the countryside followed by a roast dinner.

3 things I've learned

Get involved

It’s important to meet as many people as possible, because you never know how they might inspire you. I’ve learned to grab opportunities while you can.

Be present

Hybrid working opportunities are great, but I’ve also found working with others in person is much more effective and enjoyable as I’m able to get things done to a higher quality and I learn more quickly.

Be proactive

Do not wait for things to be done for you. Be proactive, speak to people, ask if you can help with something. The best people in the firm get out of their career what they put in.

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James' TV show recommendation

Planet Earth

I love the Planet Earth series, because it teaches us so much about the natural world through storytelling. The programme also raises awareness about how fragile the Earth is and what’s at risk if we don’t protect it. As well as being inspired by Sir David Attenborough’s passion for nature, I feel we can learn a lot from the patience of the camera operators who are seeking that perfect shot, often in inhospitable environments.