Alex Peal, Partner, Reading Office

Alex joined James Cowper in 1998 after completing a degree at Reading University in Land Management. Alex is now a partner in Business Services.

I know it seems an unlikely move, to do a degree in Land Management yet aspire to have a career in accounting but I had always had a keen interest in business and finance and my degree helped me develop a wide range of commercial skills that I could easily transfer. James Cowper welcome trainees with non accountancy degrees as they recognise that other degrees can give you a breadth of knowledge that is complementary to your accountancy career. As James Cowper’s training is so comprehensive, not having a financial background is not a hindrance – you are taught everything you need to know.

After I qualified in 2001, I worked in the Newbury office in Business Services. I worked on a wide range of assignments and had the opportunity to work as an interim financial controller for a client which was a great way to gain industry experience and insight.

In 2003 I was promoted to manager and had my own portfolio of mixed corporate clients and charities to look after. In 2005 I was promoted to senior manager and moved to the Reading office. As both a manager and senior manager I also worked on a number of one off assignments and projects, such as due diligence and transaction support work, which was very interesting.

In 2006 I became a Director and in 2008 a Partner, nine years and 3 months from the day I started with the firm!

I’m really enjoying my career at James Cowper mainly because of the types of clients I get to look after. At James Cowper you can get very close to your clients and really get involved in helping them grow their businesses.

Also I enjoy working for a firm this size. Everyone knows everyone else and if you want to work hard and make a difference you know your efforts will be recognised – I’m living proof of that!

+44 (0)118 9590261

apeal@jamescowper.co.uk

Louise Wickens, Senior Manager, Reading Office

Louise joined James Cowper in 1998 after working as a tax trainee for Coopers & Lybrand and Ernest Francis.

After deciding that a degree in French was not really what I wanted to do, I began working as a tax trainee for Coopers & Lybrand (now part of Price Waterhouse Coopers) where I studied for my Association of Taxation Technician exams.

After transferring to a smaller firm, Ernest Francis, to gain wider experience, I studied for my Chartered Institute of Taxation exams, before joining James Cowper in 1998.

My move to James Cowper was inspired by the fact that the firm is big enough to provide specialist services and yet is still small enough to offer a personal service to clients. I deal with a wide range of clients and enjoy building up strong relationships with them. My client portfolio includes a number of professional partnerships including medical practices and I have enjoyed developing my knowledge in this specialist area. James Cowper allows me to work autonomously whilst also providing the support of a great team of specialists should I need it.

As well as training for professional exams, James Cowper employees are encouraged to keep their knowledge up to date by attending external courses. My personal development is not only important to me, but to James Cowper as well, as we each have a learning and development plan that is updated each year. This really helps focus on training needs and gives me the opportunity to request attendance on specific courses that are of interest to me.

James Cowper is a great place to work to build up a strong knowledge base. Everyone is part of a team and above all it is a very friendly office which wants everyone to succeed!

+44 (0)118 9590261

lwickens@jamescowper.co.uk

Karen Turner, Manager, Newbury Office

Karen joined James Cowper in 2005 after working for two years at another accountancy practice, where she studied for her AAT.

After leaving school I initially joined a solicitor’s practice where I worked in the accounts department whilst also studying business studies in my free time. I then moved to an accountancy firm for two years where I was involved in year end and management accounts.

In 2005, I moved to Newbury from the West Country and joined the James Cowper outsourcing team as a management accountant.

My role at James Cowper is interesting, mainly due to the size and diversity of my client portfolio, which spans many different sectors. I am also able to develop very close working relationships with each of my clients, helping them to develop their businesses.

The people at James Cowper are really friendly and the many networking and social events throughout the year give me the opportunity to meet new people, both within the firm and the business community at large.

In 2009 I was promoted to manager leading the outsourcing department. James Cowper have supported and encouraged me with the progression of my career.

+44 (0)1635 35255

kturner@jamescowper.co.uk

Mike Walsh, Assistant Manager, Oxford Office

Michael joined James Cowper in September 2007 under an ICAEW training contract.  He qualified in September 2010 and was promoted to assistant manager in January 2011.

I graduated with a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath in 2002. Despite my degree I decided that I didn’t want to be an engineer and so worked for a several years in hospitality running and managing a small a privately owned hotel just outside of Oxford.

I decided to become a chartered accountant as I felt that this offered the best opportunities for a future career and would provide me with the knowledge and training that I wanted. From engineering to hospitality to accountancy is not what I would have considered as a conventional route to becoming a Chartered Accountant but I soon discovered that there really is no conventional route. Through my training I have also learnt that any two days are rarely if ever the same and I have been fortunate to deal with business in a wide variety of industries and business sectors from the construction industry to bio-medical research and development.

Having successfully completed my training with first time passes in all my exams and being assisted by the support and encouragement of both my colleagues and the firm.  I have had the opportunity to build good relationships with clients which has helped lead to a promotion just after I qualified to assistant manager with a portfolio of my own clients to develop and manage.  I look forward to the challenges that are offered by the work that I do and whatever may be just around the corner.

+44 (0)1865 200500
mwalsh@jamescowper.co.uk