The winners of this year’s ACCA Public Sector Advocacy Awards, which recognise members from around the world who have acted as advocates for ACCA and the accountancy profession, come from a wide range of organisations but are united in their commitment to making a positive difference in their workplace.
This year’s UK winner, Claire Jenkins FCCA, senior policy adviser for accounts and reporting at Companies House, who was also highly commended in the global competition, describes herself as a ‘continuous self-starter’ in both the profession and advocacy, and has worked particularly hard to spread the message of social mobility.
‘I’m incredibly proud to tell people that I am an ACCA accountant who didn’t go to university’
‘I’m incredibly proud to tell people that I am an ACCA accountant who didn’t go to university,’ says Claire, who self-funded her qualification while in her 20s. ‘I have been able to grow my career and work across a wide variety of different companies and sectors because of my qualification,’ she says. ‘It has allowed me to build a career in something I’m passionate about, and opened the door to studying and completing my master’s in forensic accounting.’
Claire had worked in companies of all sizes, from SMEs to multinationals, before joining Companies House in 2013, working in Finance, Integrity & Enforcement and now part of the Policy Team. She is a recognised expert speaker on the use of publicly available accounts data to combat fraud, running masterclasses on the topic for government departments.
Promoting ACCA
Claire’s award reflects the steps she has taken to promote ACCA and its qualification among fraud professionals during her career – including extending an invitation to ACCA to be part of the conference of the Association of Law Enforcement Forensic Accountants, of which she is chair – and her contribution to ACCA events and research.
From the outset, Claire has been keen to be involved in ACCA’s community. She attended her first Member Engagement Conference just two months after qualifying. Since then, she has supported local and national events, attended roundtables and sat on committees, including terms as vice chair and chair of ACCA’s Public Sector Network Panel.
‘Claire is a valuable advocate and respected voice for ACCA within the profession’
‘Claire is a valued member of our public sector panel,’ says Chelsea Shelley, ACCA’s head of membership engagement, who endorsed Claire’s nomination. ‘She contributes to engaging conversations, bringing her experience and expertise to offer useful insight that enables the team to develop clear understanding of challenges within the sector and how best ACCA can support members. Claire is a valuable advocate and respected voice for ACCA within the profession.’
‘I see ACCA as a member-led organisation,’ says Claire. ‘If you want it to do what the members need, you need to be involved.’
