Building a successful career in finance is rarely a straight line. From developing technical expertise in practice to stepping into commercial leadership roles, every career move shapes the professional you become.

In this edition of our career journey series, Sophie Bland, Group Financial Controller at BATA Group, shares how her experience in audit, her transition into industry and her commitment to continuous development helped her progress into senior finance leadership. She discusses the decisions that accelerated her career, the realities of leading a finance function, and the advice she would offer to aspiring Financial Controllers.

What originally drew you into finance, and when did you first set your sights on becoming a Financial Controller?

I always seemed to gravitate towards accounting, probably because I grew up around friends and family members who were accountants and had built successful careers from it. That initially sparked the interest, but once I got into finance properly, I realised I genuinely enjoyed the analytical side, the structure, and understanding how businesses perform commercially.

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

My career in finance started when I studied Accounting & Finance at Durham University, which led to an internship at Deloitte and then subsequently a graduate role at RSM in audit.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant through the ACA qualification, I continued in audit working on a number of significant listed clients, including Greggs PLC and GXO Logistics PLC. That experience gave me a really strong technical foundation, exposure to large-scale businesses and an understanding of strong financial controls and reporting environments.

After several years in practice, I felt the time was right to move into industry so I could become more involved in the commercial and operational side of finance rather than purely external reporting and audit. I joined LNT Group as a Finance Manager within the care operations business, and that role was a huge learning curve in the best possible way.

I was heavily involved in monthly reporting, cashflow forecasting, private equity exposure, involved in large transactions and helping build out the finance team. It gave me far broader operational and commercial exposure and really accelerated my development.

After two very fast-paced and rewarding years at LNT Group, the opportunity then came along to take the next major step in my career as Group Financial Controller at BATA, an agricultural farmers’ co-operative. That role has allowed me to combine my technical background with leadership, process improvement and strategic finance responsibility across the wider group.

Was there a specific role or moment that accelerated your progression into an FC position?

I’d say my role at LNT Group was probably the biggest factor in accelerating my progression into a Group Financial Controller position.

It was a very fast-paced environment that exposed me to a wide variety of situations and responsibilities in a relatively short space of time. I gained experience across monthly reporting, cashflow forecasting, private equity exposure, transactions and helping to build out the finance function, which really broadened my commercial and operational understanding.

I also think it taught me an important lesson about leadership and team management. As you progress in finance, success becomes less about what you can personally deliver on your own and much more about building, supporting and relying on a strong team around you.

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

It’s difficult to say I’d change anything significantly because every decision and experience has ultimately contributed to where I am today and helped shape my career.

The one thing I do sometimes reflect on is the decision to go to university. At the time, it was the right and more traditional route into finance, and I certainly gained a lot from it both academically and personally.

However, looking at the apprenticeship pathways available now, I do think they offer some real advantages - particularly the ability to gain immediate business exposure while applying the theory in a practical environment from day one.

What qualification did you choose and why?

I chose the ACA qualification because I felt it was a globally recognised and highly respected qualification that would give me a strong technical foundation for a long-term career in finance.

Coming from an audit background, it also aligned naturally with the environment I was working in at the time and provided broad exposure across financial reporting, controls and business understanding.

It definitely wasn’t easy balancing studies alongside full-time work, but looking back it was absolutely worth it. Beyond the technical knowledge, it also helped build resilience, discipline and time management skills, which have all been important throughout my career progression.

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

The transition from doing the work yourself to owning and leading it has definitely been challenging in some respects. Earlier in my career, I was very hands-on and ultimately in control of exactly how and when things were completed.

As you move into leadership roles, the mindset has to shift. It becomes less about personally delivering every task and more about enabling the team around you to succeed. That means providing clear direction, giving people the right tools and support, and creating an environment where they can perform well and take ownership themselves.

One of the biggest adjustments for me was learning to delegate effectively and trust the team, while still maintaining accountability for the overall outcome.

I’ve realised that strong leadership in finance isn’t about trying to do everything yourself - it’s about building a capable team, developing people and ensuring the wider function operates effectively and consistently.

What does the reality of the FC role look like vs what you expected going into it?

What’s probably surprised me most about the reality of the FC role is just how varied it is - no two days are ever really the same.

Going into the role, I expected it to be heavily focused on technical finance and reporting, and while that is still an important part of the job, the reality is that there’s a much bigger strategic and commercial emphasis than I initially anticipated.

A large part of the role involves supporting decision-making, improving processes, managing stakeholders and helping shape the direction of the business. That’s actually one of the aspects I enjoy most - being involved in conversations and decisions that genuinely influence the future of the organisation rather than purely looking backwards at the numbers.

There’s also a much greater emphasis than I expected on translating financial information into a format that is clear, concise and user-friendly for the Board and other key stakeholders. A big part of the role is helping non-finance people understand the story behind the numbers and using finance to support better decision-making across the business.

It’s a role that requires you to balance detail with the bigger picture, which is both challenging and rewarding.

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

My advice to someone currently working through their qualification would first and foremost be to keep going, because it really is worth it in the long run. It can be challenging balancing work, exams and personal life, but once you qualify it opens a huge number of opportunities and gives you a very strong foundation for your career.

I’d also strongly encourage people to set themselves clear goals. I’m a big believer in having goals, even if at times they feel ambitious or slightly out of reach. Having something you’re working towards helps give your career direction and makes it easier to prioritise opportunities and make decisions that align with where you ultimately want to get to.

I think progression in finance rarely happens by accident - it usually comes from being intentional about gaining experience, taking on responsibility and putting yourself in positions that support your long-term goals.