There is no single route to building a successful career in finance, and Callum Congreve’s journey is a great example of how varied experience can help shape your progression.

Now Finance Manager at CBRE, Callum began his career in cost accounting before moving through commercial finance, business partnering and management accounting roles. Along the way, he made conscious decisions to broaden his technical experience and become a more rounded finance professional.

In conversation with Leighton Thomas, Callum reflects on the moves that have shaped his career, the importance of relationships and communication, his transition into leadership, and the advice he would give to finance professionals looking to take the next step.

Talk me through your career journey to date - what were the key moves or decisions that got you here?

My first role in finance came around by chance. I had a friend working in the finance team for a food manufacturing business who told me about a cost accounting role they were recruiting for. At the time I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do so thought “why not”. I applied, was successful and that’s where it began, just over 10 years ago.

From there I progressed through analyst roles to finance business partner, working with departments across the organisation including Operations, Procurement, Commercial, HR and IT. I got some great experience in these roles; from managing 7 figure input cost inflation to modelling out a brand new convenience store roll out and standardising reporting across multiple sites.

Following that I made the move to an automative wholesaler to take on the role of Management Accountant, before moving on the role I am in now as Finance Manager in CBRE.

One of the key moves for me was moving into the Management Accountant role. At the time it might have been considered as a bit of a step back, but I recognised I needed to go and gain the technical experience and knowledge I hadn’t got from previous roles. Gaining hands on exposure to the balance sheet and cash flow management and experiencing audits. This has helped me become a lot more “rounded” as a finance leader.

What qualification did you choose and why?

I studied CIMA but being completely honest I have to admit it was again by chance really. I’d never really explored a career in finance, so at the time I took my first role I didn’t know the difference between CIMA, ACCA, AAT or any other accounting body. Study support for the qualification came as a part of my first role and that’s how that came about. Looking back now, I feel really fortunate that I got the opportunity to study CIMA, and if I had to make the choice again I would choose CIMA every single time. I’ve always had an interest in business performance and making key decisions that help drive the business forward, and that’s what CIMA is fundamentally about.

Looking back, what would you do differently in your early career?

As you can probably tell, I didn’t come from the typical accountancy background. I didn’t study accountancy at university, I didn’t come from audit and my first finance role was straight into the commercial finance world which traditionally you’d expect to come later in your finance career. This meant I had to go searching for the technical/controlling experience later on. If I was starting all over again, I’d look to start out in a transactional finance role to get early experience of the accounting fundamentals and get that solid understanding of how the P&L, balance sheet and cash all link together, which provide the foundations for everything else moving forward.

Beyond the technical side, what soft skills have made the biggest difference?

Being able to build relationships with people is absolutely key. Before you can really influence and challenge in the business you have to develop trust and respect with your stakeholders and understand what their pinch points are and what they, and the business, are trying to achieve. To be able to do this, being able to communicate well with people of all levels in the business is really important, and often means adjusting your communication style and delivery depending on the audience. I think being the first person people think of when an opportunity comes around, or when somebody needs help or guidance, is really important too, which means being approachable, helpful and just somebody people want to work with.

How did you make the transition from doing the work to owning and leading it?

I think giving up control of something is always tough, particularly when you still have overall responsibility. Being able to trust your team is important, but allowing them the freedom to make mistakes and also being there to support is just as important. If people know they can come to you for guidance they will, and if they don’t, it gives you the comfort that they have everything under control. You still need to be close enough to have visibility and ultimate control, but far enough away that people feel the ownership and responsibility for their work. I really enjoy helping people develop too, so get a lot of satisfaction from seeing people in my team kick on after being given more responsibility.

What advice would you give to someone currently part-qualified or newly qualified who wants to reach senior finance level?

Firstly, I would say get the qualification under your belt. I know it’s always a topic of debate, but whether we like it or not, many organisations make it a requirement to be fully qualified for certain roles. Then I would say get as much experience in as many different areas and roles as you can, and that doesn’t necessarily mean leaving a business to do so. Cover for people when they’re on leave, ask to go and get experience in different departments and take every opportunity to learn something that adds to your skillset. Finally, go and speak to as many people as you can in the business. Be visible, get your face out there and get a feel for how the business operates so you can really add value.