So I am responsible for the day- to- day management
of the Finance Department, so that involves
overseeing all of the subsections of Finance,
so that's the Payroll Department, that's our
Income Team, Student Finance, Tax, Procurement,
Management and Financial Accounts.
I have recently also been asked to take on the role
of University Senior Race Equality Champion
and I am really excited to be taking on that
role.
So my role as Senior Race Equality Champion
involves working with the BAME staff network,
and also working with our student, religious
and cultural groups, and actually other stakeholders,
across the University, to really push forward
our Race Equality Action Plan.
For me, the most rewarding part of my work
is the support that the Finance Department
can offer to our academic departments, and
also to our other support departments, and
obviously to our students. I love seeing the
students on the first day, I am lucky enough
to see students when they move in on moving
in Sunday, and the excitement that they have
around starting their university journey.
I like the transformational aspect that university
brings. I also have attended a few graduation
ceremonies over the time that I have been
at Roehampton, and that is an experience like
no other; it can be quite an emotional experience
as well attending graduation- because you
can see the potential in our students- they
are ending one part of their journey but they
are also then starting the next chapter in
their lives, and it is brilliant to be part
of that.
So after completing my degree in Business
Administration and Public Policy Management,
I wasn't really quite sure what to do next.
I knew I wanted to do something where I could
make a difference and by coincidence, I happened
to see a position advertised for a Trainee
Accountant at Birmingham City Council, working
in their Education Finance Department. So
I started working there back in 1999 and I
also started my professional qualification
at the same time. For various reasons, I moved
down to South East England in 2001, and that's
where I started my role at Roehampton as an
Assistant Financial Accountant. I worked as
Assistant Financial Accountant for a couple
of years, before qualifying as a chartered
public finance accountant, and then I progressed
into the role of Financial Accountant, then
as Head of Finance and then into my current
role as Deputy Director of Finance. So yes,
in total I have been at Roehampton- this is
my 19th year here.
So the term finance covers so many different
careers and I think it's really important
for anyone who's interested in a career in
Finance to find their area of interest. I'd
say my main advice would be to have faith
in yourself and your ability and go for it-
you might decide that you want to work in
management accounts, but then find that that's
not really for you- but there are so many
different areas you can try out until you
find that area that works for you.
So both our Student Finance Team and Income
Team are working hard to help our students
complete the finance section of their enrolment.
The teams are also there on hand to answer
calls and emails on all aspects of Student
Finance, and that's for all our students-
so our home, EU and international students.
So my passion is most definitely food. I love
cooking sweet and savoury dishes. I especially
love trying new foods from all around the
world. In the Finance Department, we have
over the last couple of years held a lot of
bake- off competitions, we have also had a
world food day, and so that involved all of
the Finance Department bringing in a dish
from all around the world and we all got to
taste and try that.
So I think I would pick the small chapel in
Digby Stuart College, just opposite the Convent Parlour.
It's such a peaceful, welcoming and
relaxing space, and over the years, I have
been lucky enough to attend several services
there as well. I think we are really lucky
at Roehampton that we have so many beautiful
locations across the campus, the top of Elm
Grove for example, where you are looking out
at the view of London, the amazing spaces
that we have in our new Library and of course,
our beautiful lakes across campus.
