Veer Parmar FCCA, finance business partner at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, has won this year’s ACCA Public Sector Advocate of the Year award for the UK.
Veer began advocating for ACCA in 2014 and has served as chair of ACCA’s Central London Regional Network Panel and is vice chair of the health sector panel.
His advocacy comes from a deep-rooted sense of the value he has derived from his own ACCA membership. ‘I haven’t always worked in finance,’ he says. ‘When I look back on the small window of my early career before becoming an accountant and joining ACCA, I see how my personal career was transformed. That always drives me in what I do,’ he says.
Veer has been instrumental in organising events that bring together ACCA members and thought leaders from different organisations, including private sector companies.
Recent examples include a virtual talk on collaboration within the NHS, which he delivered using case studies to illustrate cost-efficiency opportunities. ‘It’s a way of exploring an important, relevant theme, but also getting everyone together to gain insights and share knowledge, while also showing how finance professionals are really making an impact.’
Veer also brought together a panel of speakers from Palantir Technologies, the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where he works, and other technology experts, to discuss the transformative impact of AI on the NHS. This event complemented others he has participated in, including a strategic meeting with ACCA leadership to discuss NHS workforce challenges, skills transformation and the future role of technology.
‘I think events are a fantastic way of demonstrating how advocacy works with ACCA. It enables you to reach out to members and students, and bring everyone together to share insight and knowledge, and also promote ACCA as a forward-thinking global brand,’ he says.
‘We’re in a unique position to lead change responsibly’
Events also act as a two-way street. ‘It is a way to provide insights back to the ACCA team and it feeds into that pipeline of information about how we adapt and change.’
The themes of technology, change and financial governance align squarely with the ACCA’s three-year strategic plan, with its focus on moving to new ways of working and unlocking career development. ‘We’re in a unique position to lead change responsibly,’ he says.
Veer also regularly participates in strategic discussions, and seeks out opportunities to engage with the student body. This year, he contributed to a proposal for a finance graduate scheme that will work across nine NHS trusts in North West London. He has also worked on the North West London Finance Academy to support a mentorship programme, consulting with NHS hospital trusts and developing a strategy for early career development support.
Inspiring students
Working with students and others considering the ACCA qualification has been an important and particularly rewarding strand to Veer’s advocacy work, one he describes as a ‘cornerstone’ of supporting ACCA. He has attended university events and recruitment fairs to talk to students about his journey and describe how the qualification has propelled his career.
‘This is a really good way to show how doors can be opened to prospective students, but also to members as well,’ he says. ‘And it shows the wider community – basically a global community – how relevant our qualification is.’
Ultimately, giving back to the profession is its own reward, whether through organising events or informal discussions. ‘It’s satisfying being able to connect with members and students, and you don’t have to be a panel chair or a vice chair to do this. I think every conversation matters,’ he says.
