|
|
I moved to Australia less than 7 years ago as a newly qualified Chartered Accountant. During that period, I have integrated myself within the Australian community as well as the Irish community in South Australia, recently becoming an Australian citizen.
I spent a year in audit upon arrival to understand the Australian accounting system. Within a year, I realised audit wasn’t for me. I wanted more variety in my role and as I had the opportunity to work in audit, tax & business services while I was training in Ireland, I knew that I wanted to work within a company and add value.
I took the leap and handed in my notice with no job lined up, but I knew I had to follow my heart. It was never going to be an easy task moving from practice to a commercial environment and on top of that I was only in Australia a year which made it more difficult. However, that didn’t deter me, and I temped for a number of months at different companies to build my commercial experience. This stood to me well as one of the companies approached me to be their finance manager giving truth to the point that if you are willing to help out at any level and work hard the right people will see the potential in you.
It was from here that my journey in start-ups began and it has been an exhilarating rollercoaster ever since. Within three years, I assisted in further developing products while maintaining the tight cash position of a start-up, I helped establish companies in the US and Europe and was part of a U$35M capital raise for the company. During that 3-year period I grew from Finance Manager to Financial Controller.
After being made redundant due to my role moving to the US, I decided to challenge myself again and apply for a CFO position in another start-up. Yes, I was asked in the interview was I mad joining another start-up, but the challenges and thrills are contagious. I have now been CFO with Micro X Ltd for two years and I have grown and learned so much in that time. It has given me the opportunity to learn and understand the world of a listed company; appreciate a new technology, as best as an accountant can; work with amazing people and be exposed to situations that I may not have elsewhere at such a rapid pace.
My experience in start-ups has given me the opportunity to experience every aspect of the business, exposed me to the importance of culture and for people to help out wherever it is required, no airs and graces, because we all have the same goal, for the company and new products to succeed and to be a part of something exciting and ground breaking.
