Nicola Granger
Nicola completed her BA(Hons) in Business Information Systems. After just ten years working in accountancy, she moved to the Falkland Islands and became the Government's Financial Secretary – and she's not looking back.
A head start
“My time at UWE gave me a great introduction to working as part of a team. The team based modules in the Business Information Systems programme were good at helping you to apply knowledge learnt into practice. The industrial placement at RSM Robson Rhodes, in the public sector, alongside the course, also helped give me a head start into accountancy before graduating in 2003. In fact the placement had such an impact and helped me to get accepted onto a training contract with Mazars LLP to train and qualify as a Chartered Accountant with ‘The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’ (ICAEW). UWE definitely helped me get onto the accountancy career ladder quickly.
Making a big leap
After qualifying as an accountant in 2006, I decided to move out of practice and into public sector financial management and reporting. I started work at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust as Senior Financial Accountant. I had a lot more responsibility and was able to gain invaluable experience in the public sector. I left this role in August 2007, when my husband got appointed as the Chief Internal Auditor for the Falkland Islands Government and we took the big step of moving to the Falklands.
My biggest personal achievement has been taking the risk to move to the Falklands, without a job lined up. On the flip side this risk gave me a number of opportunities, such as walking with penguins, travelling to South Georgia, off road driving, and even just learning to fish! I quickly managed to get the role of temporary Accountant within the Falkland Islands Government Treasury. Over the next five years I worked in a number of roles within the Treasury culminating in the Head of Finance post in August 2011, before being appointed as Financial Secretary in September 2012.
The best thing about living in the Falkland Islands is that I have an amazing place to explore on my doorstep. Furthermore the fantastic scenery and wildlife greatly inspires my watercolour painting and photography.
Looking forward
The next few years I’m going to concentrate on my new role of Financial Secretary. With the potential for oil development on the horizon these are exciting times for the Falklands and I am looking forward to the challenges this will bring!
I haven’t yet studied a postgraduate programme, other than my chartered accountancy exams, but have recently been accepted onto a distance learning MBA programme which I will start in January 2013. I decided to do this to help develop my career further.
Page last updated 23 January 2013