Do finance professionals make the best politicians?
We know better than most that those with a grounding in finance have the capacity to go on to have interesting and varied careers. Accountants often go on to take the helm of leading companies , with their drive and attention to detail laying the foundation for vocational success in a variety of fields.
However, in the past finance professionals have been underrepresented in Parliament in comparison to other career routes. Lawyers and journalists such as Education Secretary Nicky Morgan and Justice Secretary Michael Gove are frequently represented in the upper echelons of government, while high profile accountants and financiers are few and far between.
This is changing with the emergence of a class of rising political stars with a financial background. At the 2010 election, the number of MPs with a background in the sector doubled from 1997, and rising Tory stars Sam Gyimah and Kwasi Kwarteng started out as City analysts.
The skills finance professionals can bring to politics cannot be understated. Asides from their obvious capacity for managing budgets and understanding the economy (bear in mind that our current Chancellor is a former speechwriter with a history degree) financiers often have a great mind for deal making – one of the most important aspects of modern politics.
Finance professionals who also nurture their softer side (leadership, empathy, presence) have the transferrable skills to make formidable MPs and future Cabinet stars.
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Commerce & Industry** DEFAULT postresults.contenttypelabel - en-GB **
Market Insight Reports
28/08/19
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Part Qualified & Transactional The beginning of this year was busier than usual, with consistent job flow and healthy activity - junior professionals are less worried about moving roles with Brexit on the horizon. New budgets are set at the beginning of the year, and companies were certainly hiring. Newly Qualified 2019 got off to a subdued start, it’s often a challenging period where clients are busy with month/quarter/year end, and recruitment isn’t the priority. In addition to this, the political landscape made employers much more considered about their hiring strategy and we saw 17% less permanent roles being registered. In saying this, as the year has progressed, the volume of roles has increased and the market is buoyant. Our main challenge is that the market is in short supply of candidates. Reasons for this are that Q1 is a busy season for ACAs in practice so they do not have the time to interview, and also many permanent candidates are reluctant to move due to economic uncertainty. Qualified Interim The qualified and interim market enjoyed a successful 2018, with a record Q2 for the business. Albeit a slow start to 2019, the market gained some momentum after January. These peaks and troughs perhaps mirror the political uncertainty around how we are to leave the EU. Despite the turbulent environment, our data points towards a busy recruitment market where we are seeing increases in the number of permanent and interim roles being registered. Considering the UK’s high employment rate and the demand for high calibre individuals, there is an emphasis on engaging with passive candidates in new and innovative ways. INSIGHT: Will IR35 affect your business? Employees in the United Kingdom can be categorised as full-time, part-time, casual, freelance and contract workers, with the self-employed bracket now making up 15% of the entire working population. The number of self-employed workers jumped from 3.3 million in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2017, with a corresponding fall in the unemployment rate showing the overall boost in jobs growth from the rise in self-employment. Download the full Commerce & Industry 2019 Market Insight Report » View salaries and commentaries in other UK regions and Ireland »
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Pres Pillai

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Finance & Accounting** DEFAULT postresults.contenttypelabel - en-GB **
General
22/05/19
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On Wednesday Marks Sattin collaborated with Charlotte Tilbury in Covent Garden to host a networking event for senior finance professionals within the financial services market. The night was a huge success, with emails pouring in from clients complimenting us on our event. The evening was planned around a master class which was hosted by two of Charlotte’s top make-up artists, using one of our clients as a model. They showed all ladies how to create a glam evening look while taking them through the full range of new and existing products on offer. All whist we sipped on prosecco and nibbled delicious treats. After the masterclass the ladies were treated to a personalised mini lesson where they could choose from a lip, eye or skin tutorial using the best products for their skin type. It was great to watch all of our clients get pampered whilst trying out new looks.To end the evening we gave each lady a voucher to redeem on Charlotte Tilbury products, the team took great care of them and walked them around the shop floor to find their preferred products. This event was a great opportunity for us to catch up with some of our hiring managers in a relaxed environment. We learnt about potential new business coming up, current contractor extensions as well as general market information. It was also a great opportunity to network with some future senior finance professionals that we will be working with. We would like to thank everyone that took the time out of their busy schedules to attend, the evening was a huge success and we hope to see you again at another event during the year!
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Finance & Accounting** DEFAULT postresults.contenttypelabel - en-GB **
Market Insight Reports
21/08/18
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View commerce & industry market salaries within the Thames Valley region. Download the full Thames Valley 2018 Market Insight Report here » LARGE BUSINESSES Job title Salary range Day rate Group Finance Director £175,000+ £1,250+ Divisional FD/Group FC £120,000 - £150,000 £800 - £1000 Head of Finance £100,000 - £120,000 £600 - £800 Financial/Business Controller £80,000 - £100,000 £400 - £600 Senior Finance Manager £70,000 - £90,000 £350 - £500 Senior Finance Business Partner £70,000 - £90,000 £350 - £500 Finance Manager £55,000 - £70,000 £300 - £400 Finance Business Partner £55,000 - £70,000 £300 - £400 Newly Qualified £45,000 - £50,000 £250 - £300 PQ Accountant £25,000 - £40,000 £150 - £200 Graduate £20,000 - £26,000 £10 - £15p/h School leaver £16,000 - £19,000 £10 - £15p/h SMEs Job title Salary range Day rate Group Finance Director £140,000+ £800 - £1,000 Divisional FD/Group FC £90,000 - £120,000 £500 - £700 Head of Finance £70,000 - £90,000 £400 - £500 Financial/Business Controller £60,000 - £80,000 £350 - £450 Senior Finance Manager £55,000 - £70,000 £325 - £400 Senior Finance Business Partner £55,000 - £70,000 £325 - £400 Finance Manager £50,000 - £60,000 £275 - £350 Finance Business Partner £50,000 - £60,000 £275 - £350 Newly Qualified £40,000 - £45,000 £200 - £250 PQ Accountant £20,000 - £35,000 £120 - £200 Graduate £18,000 - £24,000 £10 - £15p/h School leaver £15,000 - £18,000 £10 - £15p/h View salaries in other sectors within Thames Valley »
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