In the latest edition of our Then and Now feature, we are delighted to introduce Charlotte Tarran, our Finance Manager. She discusses her proudest moments, biggest challenges and upcoming musical theatre show. Read on to find out!
- Where were you in your career when you joined Insight Associates?
I had been qualified for a few years and had started to understand the things I enjoyed most about working in finance and similarly where my talents and strengths within that lay. I was looking for new challenges and new skills and Insight Associates was the perfect place for me! - What was your job title when you started vs. now?
It was, and still is, Finance Manager. - What is the biggest thing you’ve learned at Insight Associates?
I don’t think there’s any one thing that I could pinpoint but I’ve learnt a lot about myself and how I work. I’m more confident with my abilities for sure. Insight is so great because it’s such a supportive and positive environment – you learn so much without realising! - What has been your biggest challenge?
I think the biggest challenge is making sure I help to keep the high standard of service to our clients. Everyone here is dedicated to our clients and they’re all so different. It’s a juggling act to make sure we are here for all of them in their own ways. Some days you can get whiplash from how many different scenarios you’re dealing with! - What were your career aspirations when you were younger? Have they changed?
I wanted to be a cat when I was about 6, so, they’ve changed a little bit! I didn’t have accountancy on my vision board until I had graduated university. By the time I was doing my A-Levels I wanted to be a Historian, but a cool one who helped with the accuracy of TV and Films. Then when I graduated with a History degree I wanted to work in the charity sector while doing a bit of stand-up comedy on the side. After a while I realised I was unsatisfied with where my career was going and so my Mum sat me down and we talked through my options.
“You like numbers and maths, why not finance?”
She was right. It turns out a career with numbers, logic and the chance to work with a huge range of different people was for me! - What is your biggest professional highlight of the past year?
It was a highlight in hindsight (at the time it really challenged me) but looking back at it I am proud of myself: we took on a short-term client who had some serious puzzles to unravel and it was a real challenge to get to grips with a brand-new client (a multi-group organisation) with no context and not a lot of time to do it. It was a highlight for me because it means that other people have confidence in my skills and abilities enough to let me loose (as it were) on something so complex! - What are you most looking forward to about the year ahead?
I am most looking forward to coming to work every day – don’t tell any of the guys here about that! Aside from that I am excited about learning more about iplicit and adding more strings to our bow in terms of what we can offer our clients. The potential for new clients is also always really exciting. - What has changed for you personally since joining Insight Associates?
The house I moved into the day before I joined Insight Associates is almost fully renovated! The kitchen is being installed as I speak and then it’s just the hallway still to do. The garden will be tackled this summer too. I performed another show with Saffron Walden Musical Theatre Company and have started tap lessons to prepare for our next show in 2026.
