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Meet the team: Our Senior Finance Manager, Cara Smith

It’s time we introduced you to another valued member of the team at Insight Associates. In this next instalment of our Meet the Team series, we’re putting the spotlight on our Senior Finance Manager, Cara.

Cara has really climbed the ranks at Insight, having joined the team as a Finance Assistant in 2011. She reflected: “After being with Insight for over ten years, I feel I have changed a lot within myself.” We’ve seen it, too; it has been an absolute joy to witness Cara grow and progress!

How did it start?

Cara became interested in accountancy at a young age and attributes her Year 10 work experience as a pivotal moment that set her on her current path. “I chose to work in an accountancy firm and from there, I knew it was something I wanted to progress in,” Cara recalls. After college, she worked as a trainee bookkeeping assistant for a clothing company, then in the accounts department of a private hospital. Alongside these jobs, Cara was studying for her Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification and was eager for a role where she could put what she was learning into practice. That’s where Insight came in. “The job role enabled me to use what I was studying in real scenarios, gain more experience and build confidence,” she reflects.

The sky’s the limit

Cara did not stop once she had obtained her AAT. After a lot of hard work and dedication, she then went on to pass her Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification, and has now been qualified for over five years. “For someone who does not like exams, I’m proud I put the work into getting the qualification.” We’re so proud of you too, Cara!

The highlights

Cara tells us that there are many things she loves about her job. For starters, she enjoys “being heavily involved in different client situations and understanding their businesses.” She admits that, to start with, she was not so confident in communicating regularly with clients, so it’s amazing to see how much more she believes in herself.

Cara also enjoys getting to the bottom of data and “dealing with client queries.”  The people aren’t so bad, either – in fact, she says they are “key to enjoying my job as the environment is uplifting and enjoyable.”

However, if there was one thing Cara would change, she wishes she didn’t have to spend so many hours on the phone to HMRC “as they cannot allocate PAYE payments to the correct scheme.” We feel your pain – one can only hope…

A memorable client

Cara is proud to have a positive impact on our clients by providing them with relevant and accurate information which allows them to make informed decisions about their business’s future. There’s one particular example which sticks in Cara’s mind. She recalls a business that came to Insight Associates as they “were not receiving management accounts over a specific timeframe and could not even rely on what they were being provided. We were able to take the client on and provide management accounts in a timely manner so they could make business decisions.” The firm has now grown substantially. “We also discovered that they were actually making a profit rather than the loss that was previously reported!”

What you don’t know…

Cara loves to make cakes but, unluckily for us in the office, the end result is rarely a baked good. “Instead of making cakes, I will make the cake mix so I can eat that.”

If Cara had to choose someone to be by her side whilst stranded on a desert island, it would be a toss-up between a comedian “to lighten the mood and keep us going” or “one of my best friends so we can support each other and have a laugh to make the time go by.” Either way, it sounds like there will be plenty of laughing!  

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