As a wee girl from a wee village, where not that many from my school went on to university, I grew up watching Saved by the Bell and just knew that university was exactly where I wanted to be. A one-week work experience placement during high school pointed me towards accounting, and from that moment a degree in accounting seemed the obvious path.
After graduating in 2004, I began my career at Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Alongside the day job of management accounting, I was involved in consolidating finance functions into a central head office and implementing a new finance system. It was an exciting environment to start a career and showed me very early on that finance is about far more than numbers. What I love most about management accounting is the opportunity it gives you to understand the services you support and bring life and meaning to the numbers behind them.
During my time at the airport, I studied with CIMA to gain my professional qualification before an opportunity arose to join NHS Ayrshire & Arran, where my first role was as a Management Accountant supporting Mental Health Services. It was a completely different world, with its own language, challenges and priorities. The first few months were a steep learning curve, but I quickly realised I had found my home and my passion. This role also marked my first experience managing a professional team. While my academic studies had prepared me well technically, leadership was a whole new skill set. That steep learning curve sometimes felt more like scaling a mountain, but it was one of the most valuable experiences of my career.
I progressed into a Senior Management Accountant role, focusing primarily on Primary Care, a particularly specialised area of NHS finance. My next move was into a Senior Finance Manager role, supporting Health and Social Care and several corporate areas, including Public Health and Vaccinations. This allowed me to keep one foot in Primary Care while broadening my portfolio to encompass a £625m budget across a diverse range of health services, essentially everything that isn't an acute hospital or estates.
Along the way, I have had opportunities to contribute beyond my own Board. I became Chair of the National Primary Care Technical Group, led the national contractor Payment Verification Groups, and am currently working with Scottish Government colleagues on the delivery of the Community Pharmacy Contract for Scotland. These experiences have strengthened my confidence, expanded my network, and created opportunities for growth both professionally and personally.
As I write this, another exciting chapter is about to begin as I take up the role of Interim Assistant Director of Finance for Operational Services. I am excited and nervous in equal measure, but above all I feel incredibly privileged to be given yet another opportunity to learn, grow and contribute within the NHS.
Do I feel completely ready? If I'm honest, I don't think I have ever felt fully ready for any promotion I've taken on. What has made the difference is being surrounded by exceptional leaders who have inspired, challenged and supported me throughout my career. It would have been easy to stay in easier roles, but embracing new opportunities has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. Looking back, I could never have predicted where that initial interest in accounting would lead, and I am excited to see what the next chapter brings.
For more information contact nhsscotlandacademy@nhs.scot
