As we continue to celebrate our Business Services team here at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore, we are joined today by Karen Kirk, who joined the firm in 2010 as an Audits and Accounts Senior. Karen has progressed through the ranks at Baker Tilly Mooney Moore, having been appointed Senior Manager in Audit and Accounts in 2022.
What does your role involve, and what type of support are you providing to clients?
I split my time between auditing and business services so it’s a really interesting position within the firm. In my business services role, I prepare monthly or quarterly management accounts for clients and also prepare annual statutory accounts, ensuring they are in accordance with Financial Reporting Standards. I work with and advise clients from a wide range of sectors, varying from sole traders and partnerships to limited companies.
What made you pursue a career in accounting?
I always enjoyed maths and working with numbers in school and choose a Business, Finance and Investment degree at the University of Ulster, Coleraine. I really benefitted from the broad range of options the degree offered. Through the different modules and the work experiences I undertook I realised it was accounting element that I enjoyed the most and I haven’t looked back.
Tell us about your training and career development – what route did you take into the field?
After graduating I started a training contract with a firm in Ballymena. I qualified in 2010 and joined Baker Tilly Mooney Moore not long after that. From there, I have been lucky to gain a wide range of experience, dealing with clients from a broad spectrum of sectors.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
The most enjoyable part of my role is working with clients in various sectors as well as working with the specialist teams within the firm to deliver services. Every client is unique, they may use different accounting software programmes or depending on the sector in which they operate, may have to follow guidelines specific to that sector. Every client brings a new challenge and I really enjoy getting to know how each one operates.
How do you think your role has changed since you began with Baker Tilly Mooney Moore?
What people expect of accountants is changing. Accountants are now becoming advisors as well as accountants, and they are expected to be up to date with the latest digital tools. Technology is one of the biggest changes, accounting software has become more advanced and processes more efficient.
What are some of the biggest challenges or pressures you have supported clients with?
The regulatory environment that we operate in is everchanging. Keeping up to date with the changes takes time and resources. However, it is key to ensure our clients are compliant and that we are providing accurate advice. Just recently, new editions of UK & Ireland financial reporting standards were issued. This means we will have to be on top of that, ensuring all our clients are fully informed and preparing statutory accounts that are compliant.
How do you see the accounting industry evolving in future?
Again, technology is the answer. I think we will see more use of AI and advances in technology. Getting onboard with these changes and being able to implement them in practice will be a challenge, however there are greater benefits coming from the streamlined processes and improved accuracy that they can offer.
What advice would you give to an aspiring accountant?
Work hard and make use of the support that is available when you are training. Often trainee accountants don’t realise the resources that they have around them in terms of the experience of the people they are working with. Never be afraid to ask questions!
What’s your top piece of business advice for clients?
Pick an accountant that you can trust and that you have a good rapport with. Having that person at your service will make all the difference in the world. They have so much to offer in terms of helping your business to prosper and grow. Not only can they prepare your accounts and offer tax advice but they can advise on necessary systems and structures.
Contact Karen by Email: karenkirk@bakertillymm.co.uk or Tel: 028 9032 3466