Jo on trust, stretch and high performance

I think I arrived at Grant Thornton through a stroke of serendipity. My mum was a maths teacher, so I was always destined to work with numbers. I then met someone from Grant Thornton at a university mock-interview day, and their passion for the firm’s culture, values and people stuck with me. I didn’t have a grand plan – I just knew I wanted to learn, grow, and work with people who cared about what they did. That first impression led me to apply, and I’ve never looked back.

Starting out in Audit gave me a real grounding in the basics – not just technical skills, but the importance of teamwork and meeting deadlines. I quickly realised, though, that what energised me most was the people side of the job. When I became a people manager, it changed my perspective. Supporting others to progress became just as rewarding as hitting my own commercial milestones.

Taking a secondment into CFO Solutions was a leap into the unknown, and a pivotal moment in my career. It opened up a whole new world of challenges and opportunities. I found myself working on problems I’d never encountered before, and it made me see where I wanted to grow long-term. That willingness to say yes – even when I wasn’t sure I was ready – has shaped so much of my journey.

To others looking to grow their careers, stay curious and say yes before you feel completely ready. Some of the most pivotal moves in my career started with a leap into the unknown. Find people who’ll challenge and support you to do the same. 

Working with a fast-growing fintech company was a defining chapter in my journey. It started small – a three-month finance support project – but over three years, the engagement grew into a multi-disciplinary programme with many colleagues working across different departments at the client. From start to finish it challenged me in new ways and stretched my capabilities. 

There were moments I questioned whether I was ready, especially when the client’s needs shifted overnight, but leaning on the team and staying focused helped me push through. We helped the client move from firefighting to forward planning – streamlining month-end, stabilising audit cycles, and building a permanent finance team. It was demanding but incredibly rewarding to see the impact of our work.

I entered the project as a manager and, through the experience and growth it offered, I’m proud to be leaving it in November as a director.

Trust was everything on that project. We listened, delivered consistently, and adapted quickly – even with evolving timelines and changes in senior management. By focusing on outcomes and building honest relationships, we were invited into bigger conversations and able to add real value. 

When we talk about having a high-performance culture at Grant Thornton, I could see that embodied in every one of the team. There were high levels of trust and empowerment, adaptability, and collaboration – and the outcome was an excellent result for our firm and the client.