MARIE TYRRELL
FOUNDER – R & R BESPOKE ACCOUNTANCY
Marie Tyrrell is the founder of R & R Bespoke Accountancy, specialising in hospitality and real estate. She has been in the accountancy profession for over 20 years and shares her story here.
Marie, please tell us about what you do, how you ended up doing this and why you are passionate about your work.
I run a boutique accountancy practice offering both accountancy and taxation services. I went into accountancy at the tender age of 18 and quickly became fascinated by the industry.
I am a natural problem solver and loved helping clients find tax efficient solutions to their problems. I would hear so many stories about bad advice or bad customer experiences which made me determined to be different.
After starting my career at a small local firm I gained experience at a larger firm based in central London. The firm doubled in size during my time there and I found that my customer based approach did not fit with the corporate world of fee and cash collection targets.
I decided it was the right time to launch my own practice, I wanted to back to my roots and supply great customer service at reasonable prices. It has been so liberating being able to add value to clients without having to raise a large fee and watching my clients succeed and grow knowing that I have helped them get there.
Tell us about your greatest achievement.
This is a hard one!
In life it has to be my daughter, although she may challenge me sometimes I secretly glow with pride at the fact she knows her own mind and will not blindly follow the crowd (or me!).
In terms of work, it has to be passing the Advanced Diploma in Tax, whilst working and being a single mum, it was very hard returning to exams after a such a long break from studying.
What would your advice be to someone thinking of entering finance as a profession?
I would recommend starting in a small firm, you are likely to gain exposure to all areas of accountancy, tax, payroll and company secretarial work in a smaller practice. An understanding of all these areas will be invaluable when you progress to advising clients. It may also help you decide in which area you would like to specialise.
What is your experience of the finance industry from a woman's point of view? Would you say it is a good career choice for a woman?
I think that accountancy is a good career choice, at entry level the gender split in most firms is 50:50, unfortunately this ratio is not maintained in senior positions.
I think this is partly because females need to get better at singing their own praises and making their demands known. I also believe that because most existing positions are already held by males females have to go the extra mile to show that they are worthy of a senior position.
I’ve heard male colleagues comment that childcare and maternity leave can be an issue but I'm hopeful that the changes to paternity leave will create a more level playing field.
As more women find themselves in senior positions I also hope they will use those positions to support female talent. I sense that things are changing in the industry for the better and it is a really exciting time to be entering into the profession.
I have always found my immediate superiors to be very supportive, although they have all been male!
What's your best financial advice for any woman?
Strive to be financially independent.
Faye Watts is a Strategic Business Coach and founder of London accountancy firm, FUSE Accountants. Sharing business development skills with business owners like you through planning, coaching and advisory. She is also the co-founder of Audrey an online platform for women who know there’s more to life and sits on the board of various organisations, including as a trustee for the charity Neuroblastoma UK
