Natalie’s Story - I didn’t realise how stressed I was at home until I moved here...

Natalie moved from South Africa to BDO in Auckland with assistance from Think Global Recruitment eight years ago and has been there ever since. She is now the National Head of Technical for BDO in New Zealand. This is her story.

I wanted to leave South Africa, there were so many armed robberies that it was just a matter of time before something happened to me. I attended Think Global Recruitment’s Accountancy World Wide event where I had the chance to explore different country options and find out where I could work. For me, the choice was fairly easy.  I didn’t want to learn a new language, limiting the scope in Europe, UK & Canada seemed too cold and Australia just wasn’t that appealing. My family had moved to New Zealand and I had already been there on holiday and fell in love with the country. After talking to a Think Global Recruitment consultant, we were able to find a Technical Associate role based in Auckland.

Working for BDO

The big difference in New Zealand was the client base. They had much smaller sized clients to KPMG in South Africa. This meant that they didn’t have as many technical staff and therefore didn’t possess the same amount of knowledge. There was lots to learn, moving from SA GAAP to IFRS, but there were a few similarities too. It took about two years to get up to speed and required a lot of self-thought and thorough training. You’re trusted with more responsibility earlier on than you would have in South Africa. I’ve gone from one of many in a technical department to running one! Our specialism is quite unique and in short supply around the world.

Many entities in New Zealand no longer need to follow IFRS. The reporting standard has changed recently so many companies fall below the requirement to file accounts.  Only around 5% of businesses are required to file. Software companies are becoming the bigger competitors for clients. We liaise very closely with BDO in Australia as we count as part of their team. The Technical Department is much bigger over there, so there’s about 20 or 30 staff we can call on when needed. I arrived in New Zealand as a Senior Manager and have progressed up to the National Head of Technical, running the department, sitting within the National Office.

The Social Side 

"In the summer you aim to finish work by 5pm and then you can go down to the beach for a few hours."

The mentality here is to work hard but also ensure you get the right work/life balance. In the summer you aim to finish work by 5pm and then you can go down to the beach for a few hours. Everyone really encourages you to have an outdoor life. I met my ‘Pommy’ husband here. I'm not sure I achieve the outdoor life as much as I should, but I am married to a computer nerd.

 

At BDO, people go out of their way to welcome you and show you the ropes. There’s a social club that hosts activities throughout the year and you always have a team meeting once a month which gives you a chance to catch up with other colleagues. You are welcomed as a Kiwi, that is until your team is playing the All Blacks, and if you lose you are sure to hear all about it!

 

"You are welcomed as a Kiwi, that is until your team is playing the All Blacks"

 

Our firm is very multicultural. The office is full of expats, and expats love to socialise. Most of the younger staff are Kiwis but when you reach the qualified level there are more international employees.

I’ve managed to visit a few of the Pacific Islands but there’s definitely more I want to see. We have international training in Kuala Lumpur every year and have been on other trips to Hong Kong as well as lots of places in Australia including Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

 

Comparing South Africa to New Zealand

 

Don’t expect it to be the same, it’s not going to be. People are different, the history is different, culture is different, but that’s good. I miss my friends of course but in terms of my family, my mum and dad emigrated over here two years ago.  I miss the food but luckily there’s a great South African butchers close to where I work. I didn’t realise how stressed I was at home until I moved here. When you are there it is the norm to worry about your security, your job, your commute etc. In contrast, so often here I have accidently left the door open and nothing happens. You can walk down the street without a care in the world. I can honestly say I’ve not ever felt homesick. I was lucky enough to have had two overseas secondments to the US and UK. This helped me get used to being away from home and being open to experiencing new things.

  

My Advice
 

Sort out your job before you arrive

The benefit of using Think Global Recruitment is that you have a job set up before you move. Others I know have moved and tried to find a job, which is extremely difficult. It also means that they have very different expectations as they haven’t been through an informative process.

 

 

Do your homework
 

  Do your homework on the country and the firm as things will undoubtedly be different. I was surprised at how things are viewed here. A large part is due to the size of the country, the company sizes and the general outlook on life. If you think it will be the same you will struggle. If you come from a big city firm you may feel that you know best, but that won’t go down well with Kiwis.  

 

 

Be prepared for a change
 

Being prepared isn't just referring to the work but also for the smaller details, like paying your bills. Try to move a field you know as there is enough life learning to do to keep you busy. If you go into a business you are expected to know about local accounting and legislations so try to come prepared with knowledge on this.

 

 

Know what you want to achieve
 

Decide for yourself if this is a long term or short term move and what it is you want to achieve. You need those goals cemented in your mind before you come over. For the first couple of years you are going to be focused on finding your feet and becoming a new person, but never lose sight of your goals. 


If this story has inspired you then share it and help those who may be considering making the move abroad. To hear more case studies and find out about job opportunities please email pmcloughlin@thinkgr.com

Dorota's Story - My role has allowed me to travel to Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, UK and New Zealand!

Think Global Recruitment assisted Dorota to move from South Africa to Macquarie Bank in Sydney where she was promoted within two years to Internal Audit Manager. Our Managing Director, Abigail Stevens, recently caught up with her to find out how her career has been since. This is her story.

Around the time I completed my training with EY there was a mass exodus of people leaving South Africa to move to London. I was going to go too but then the opportunity came up to attend Think Global Recruitment’s Accountancy Worldwide event. I had always thought that I would be living in the UK but that event encouraged me to consider other options. It was the first time I’d heard about Macquarie, so after the presentation I went home and did my research and discovered that they had a good reputation.

I naturally had the fear of moving to a new country, combined with the fact that I was doing it my own. I was worried about the cultural challenges and that I might find it hard to understand the way that people spoke. Altogether it took me a couple of years to properly settle in. Unless you know people it can be tricky but it does also depend on where you go. If you join a big institutional bank people would usually just go to work and that’s it, but if you are working for a company that’s more retail facing, they tend to have more active social circles.

Macquarie Bank

I started out as an Internal Auditor at Macquarie Bank in Sydney. Whilst I was working there I learnt a lot about Risk Management and decided that it was the area that I was most interested in. There was a very competitive and ambitious work culture, If I’d decided to stay in practice the situation would have definitely been a lot easier.

BNP Paribas

After two and a half years l decided it was time to leave Macquarie. I felt done with Audit and went searching for a job with new opportunities. I managed to find one with one of France’s biggest banks, BNP Paribas.  I was involved within the three lines of defence: Internal Audit, Operational Risk and Risk Management.  Working there allowed me to get exposure to Risk Management but from a back office prospective. I had the best of both worlds, working for a big brand but in a small office environment.

CommSec

“My role has allowed me to travel to Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, UK and New Zealand.”

 I left BNP after fifteen months when the opportunity came up to work for CommSec (Commonwealth Securities), where I have been for the last three years. CommSec is a large stockbroking firm that works with Commonwealth, Australia’s biggest bank. I work in line one Risk Management as a Risk Senior Manager. My role is all about helping businesses succeed and ensuring they do things the right way. I work with a friendly group of people, something which I now really appreciate.

My role has allowed me to travel to Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, UK and New Zealand.  With these trips you could be away for around three weeks at a time, so you’re able to get a proper feel for the countries that you visit. I’ve also taken advantage of my location, travelling around Australia, Bali, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Thailand and Indonesia. My favourite places so far have been Tonga and the Great Barrier Reef.

My Advice

Anyone thinking about making a move should do it. Don’t be put off by the idea of living away from home. Time passes so quickly and before you realise it you’ve been away for seven and a half years. I have learnt so much and have been exposed to many more opportunities. Most importantly, I found out what was available and through that was able to make a decision about what I wanted to do. In South Africa Risk Management has only just started, so I would not have been able to have gained this experience.

“Most importantly, I found out what was available and through that was able to make a decision about what I wanted to do.”

 Anyone that moves abroad will be guaranteed to have great experiences that will shape your life. It’s easier to put off idea of moving and get stuck in one way of thinking, but if you want to be a good accountant you have get out there and find out how different economies work. It’s important to remember that it’s not always about the first place you go, the experience at Macquarie was great but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. However it led to me getting the job I wanted and now I’m happy and settled.

Sydney and South Africa

To any South Africans who may be thinking the countries are identical, they’re not. The tax system and the job specifics are different.  It’s not South Africa 2.0 so it’s important to have an open mindset and then go for it. The sense of humour is certainly different, South Africans are more direct whilst Australians can be quite sarcastic. The thing I miss about home the most is my friends but there are South African expat communities all over Australia which makes it easier.

Australia and South Africa share similar climates. As a nation they have a very outdoorsy way of life, with a big focus on activities like running and swimming. This is great for encouraging a healthy lifestyle and I’ve really embraced it, swimming in the mornings and doing Zumba after work. The move has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

If this story has inspired you then share it and help those who may be considering making the move abroad. To hear more case studies and find out about job opportunities please email pmcloughlin@thinkgr.com

Sun, Sea and Jobs for Accountants - Part One

Our Managing Director, Abigail Stevens, has been away for the past month taking Think Global Recruitment on the international road, seeking out the best opportunities for our accountants. In this blog she visits London and Sydney to kick-start her global tour.

 

London’s Calling

 

On the 1st March I caught my first flight from Edinburgh to a location known famously as the City.  It was there that I met with the very knowledgeable and charismatic leader, Anne Swaine of APSCo. APSCo is the UK recruitment industries trade body of which I have just been appointed the Scottish Forum Chair. The organisation was hosting an international forum for consultancies with an interest in setting up offices overseas or recruiting internationally. These forums provide the expert advice and connections which are utilised to enhance the number of vacancies available for our accountants. After that I was off to Australia!

 

From Jetlag to Business

 

As soon as my flight touched down in Sydney, I began my busy schedule of meeting firms interested in hiring international accountants. Due to the economic downturn in the market businesses were unsurprisingly cautious, however, the market definitely is picking up in a number of areas post-recession.  

 

One of the contacts I met that is now seeking other accountants to join his firm had been helped by Think Global Recruitment, making the move from UK to Sydney, as a recently qualified accountant. Craig, who is still at the same firm today, has been a Partner there for a number years. Yet another success story for a British accountant building an international career overseas and a Life Improved!

 

Whilst in Sydney, I had the fortunate experience of meeting two more women with whom we assisted to make their first move to Australia and have done exceedingly well in their careers since! The first,  Chantal, moved over from South Africa with PKF and after just under four years with the firm, moved into the financial service sector.  She has since worked her way up to be a Senior Director with NASDAQ.  Her story can be read here. The second, Dorota, moved over from South Africa as a recently qualified auditor into an Internal Audit role with Macquarie Bank.  After just under three years she moved on to another two organisations to end up in her current role as a Senior Risk Manager. Her story will be in our next blog post so watch this space!

 

Social Networking

 

Through my contacts in the Scottish Government, I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to a charity luncheon ran by David Bocklehurst OEM of Reuters Charity. The charity arranges events for big businesses across the city to network, whilst donating the profits to a variety of Australian Charities.  The event was to present the chosen charities with cheques which amounted to a total of $1.5 million! The luncheon provided an excellent opportunity to talk with a number of high-profile individuals from some of the top global organisations.

 

My final engagement in Sydney was to go to an Australian British Chamber of Commerce's Whisky  Tasting event.  The chosen Bladnoch distillery could not have been more cross-continental, with the distillery being based in Scotland but wholly owned by an Australian company. The event was a great occasion to foster new business relationships and promote the Think Global Recruitment brand. I was also fortunate enough to win the door prize that had been donated by Whisky Live of a very special Islay Single Malt that was a one off special label and only five people in the world know which distillery it was from! It was the perfect way to end my stay in this beautiful city.

 

 

 

Three days in Berlin...

I was delighted to win Think Global Recruitment’s free flights to Europe and set about deciding where to jet off to for a break. Work had been pretty crazy for a few weeks in the lead up so I was looking for a city to relax and enjoy some time off. A lot of my friends have been to Berlin recently and all had come back with great reviews so I decided this was the city for me. The team at Think Global Recruitment arranged all my travel and even threw in some spending money. Before I knew it, I had swapped long hours of frustration at my computer screen for a truly fascinating city to explore!

The biggest piece of advice I could give about visiting Berlin would be to do your research. Some familiarity with the public transport map makes moving around very easy. The city has some amazing, yet unassuming, bars and restaurants that we would easily have walked passed had we not read about them beforehand.

Thursday

When we arrived in Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF) we both bought 72-hour Berlin WelcomeCards (ABC). These gave us unlimited free access to all public transport around the city. Berlin’s public transport is superb. The U-Bahn (underground rail), S-Bahn (over-ground rail) trams and buses connect every corner of the city. The cards also gave us some nice discounts in museums and restaurants.

We made our way to our Airbnb in Mitte using a mix of the S-Bahn and the U-Bahn and found our host waiting at the door. Mitte is a good central location to stay and isn’t far from any of the main sites.

That night we went to the Freidrichstr station and found a place to eat. When we came out we noticed some guys heading through a gate which looked like it lead to private property. However we recognised the Crackers logo beside it from our research. We went in, through a pretty dingy alleyway (and the back kitchen!) to find a really cool and swanky cocktail bar.

On the way back to our apartment we went looking for another cocktail bar, Reingold. Google maps had directed us to what looked like an apartment block, with no sign of a bar at all except a doorbell on the wall. We went for it, pressed it, and two minutes later the barman had opened the huge steel door to let us into this amazing bar.

It suddenly became very clear what my friends had mentioned about some really nice places being easy to miss!

Friday

We started our second day with the New Berlin free walking tour which started at the Brandenburg Gate Starbucks at 10:00am. This lasted 2.5 hours and was a great way to get a sense of where the city’s main attractions were located such as the Reichstag, the Holocaust memorial, Checkpoint Charlie and the Topography of Terror. After lunch we went back to do some of these museums.

That night we headed for Hackescher Markt. There were an array of restaurants to suit all tastes and prices were very reasonable. We stumbled across another bar we’d heard of, Rivabar and spent the night sampling their finest concoctions.

Saturday

On Saturday we started with the alternative walking tour which began at the TVTower at 11:00am. This was a really good tour and there was no crossover with our previous one. It covered Berlin’s street art and quirky side.

Afterwards, we went down to East Side Gallery before heading back to Hackescher Markt for lunch. We went to Yosoy Tapas Bar and loved it.

Hackescher Markt is definitely my recommendation for food, we went back there again for dinner and drinks in the bars around there.

Sunday

Our flight home was at 6:00pm so we left our apartment and went to Alexanderplatz where we left our bags in one of the many pay-per-use lockers.

We went to the DDR Museum before heading back to the Reichstag Building and Brandenburg Gate. We didn’t have time to cover the Reichstag dome but that looked pretty cool. Be prepared though, as the queue for tickets is really long.

For lunch we went back to Yosoy and were delighted to find out that Sunday is all-you-can-eat tapas for under €10! Needless to say we spent a lot of time there enjoying the great food and wine before heading to the airport.

Overall

Berlin is a great city and I’d highly recommend it to everyone. There’s a lot to see and do so if you’re time there is short, some research and planning is key. Be prepared for the cold, temperatures were similar to Dublin but it felt much colder. There’s plenty of sights, museums and activities to suit all tastes and the restaurants and bars are superb. These, along with the city’s amazing public transport and general good vibe make it a very appealing option to live and work for a time. Berlin should be definitely be considered by anyone looking for a move abroad and indeed added to everyone’s bucket list!

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John won his flights on a 'refer a friend' scheme that we ran prior to our Worldwide Presentation in Dublin earlier this year.  If you are training for your CA qualification or have recently obtained it and would be interested in attending one of our events to hear about locations all over the world or want to know more about the prizes that Think Global Recruitment has on offer, get in touch with Emma: emaloy@thinkgr.com 

Abigail's Top 10 Tips for Recruiting Internaitonally

Thinking of Recruiting Someone from Overseas?
Expert Tips for Ensuring your
International Recruitment Goes Smoothly

By Abigail Stevens, international recruiter for 20 years

Recruiting internationally is essential for so many roles now.  With the economy picking up, post the longest and deepest worldwide recession we have seen, many new jobs are coming onto a market that is exceedingly candidate short.  For those that have not recruited internationally before, and those that have, but not always successfully, it can cause concerns.  However, these concerns are easy to overcome and should not put you off.

In the 20 years that I have been moving professionals around the globe I have, as you would imagine, picked up many tips on best practice to ensure everything goes smoothly.  Here are my top 10:

1. Market Testing - Do your research, make sure you will be able to get a visa for the ideal candidate to make the move from overseas for the role you have in mind.  As a rule of thumb, if the person you need has to have a professional qualification and you can't find someone suitable within the country of the recruiting firm, it is probable that you will have an immigration case to sponsor someone to take the role.  This is likely to involve "Market Testing", which means advertising the vacancy for a certain number of days, prior to offering someone who will need sponsorship.  Don't leave this until after you have found the person because you could lose that person again during the testing time.

2. Keep Momentum Going - When someone applies for a job they are generally most excited about the prospect during the early stages of the application.  It is a big move for them to relocate overseas and they need to feel comfortable with the process and their choice.  As time goes on, they may start to have concerns about the efficiency of an organisation, doubts about making a move, a change in personal circumstances and a whole range of other issues that make them pull out of the process.  Statistics show that you are 53% more likely to get a positive answer to an offer made in writing within 21 days of the recruitment process starting, than one made 30 days plus.  Even higher odds if made within 2 weeks.

3. Help the Individual Visualise the Opportunity - Often, it is not practical to meet someone face to face or show them around your offices when recruiting from overseas.  However, individuals need to feel comfortable that they are making the right move when it is such a big one.  Providing information such as number and backgrounds of people they will be working with, what the office looks like, what people do socially, values and culture of the organisation, what it is like living and working and cost of living in the location, will go a long way towards helping the person visualise themselves working there.

4. Disclose Likely Salary Package Early - Whilst the best recruits will put career ahead of money motivations, there is no point on holding back on this information until an offer is made, it is a waste of everyone's time. 

5. Do Not Think You Can Pay Staff From Overseas Less - If you are hiring them to do the same job as others they are likely to do as good and in many cases a better job than your local staff.  They will find out if you are paying them less than others and they will become unhappy, unproductive employees, or even leave.  Or if a competitor offers them more money you will lose them.

6. Offering a Relocation Package Will Save You Money! - Research shows, if you provide an allowance for moving, initial flights and other assistance such as immigration agents, information of the area they are moving to etc., the individual is more likely to 'hit the ground running' and be far more productive from the start.  They are also more likely to be loyal to the company and stay longer.

7. Include a Clawback Clause - It is more the norm now for international employers to include a clause in contracts that allows them to reclaim back a proportion of relocation costs, in line with how long they have stayed with the company, for the first 2 years.  I.e. if someone hands their notice in after 1 year and hasn't really met expectations, then the company is able to claim back 50% of the relocation costs.  This helps towards replacing the individual.  It can be used at discretion if say someone has to leave to return home due to close family illness.

8. Keep in Touch Post-Acceptance, Pre-Start -  If someone has a long notice period, or a visa is being applied for, a lot of time can elapse between the person accepting the role and actually starting.  It is normal for that individual to be really excited when they first secure the role.  However, as time goes on, the individual can sometimes start to lose that initial enthusiasm.  After all, they are going to be surrounded by their colleagues, friends and family who will start to say things such as 'we are really going to miss you'.  Keeping in touch with the individual will really help with this.  Maybe through sharing internal communications, announcements, exciting news in the media, giving them a buddy pre-start date or introducing them to others who are about to join the company and moving from the same area.  Whichever way, it is nice for them to receive written and verbal communication from their new employer during this period.  

9. Help Them Settle In - Provide them with information on areas to live, how to set up a bank account, how to get a mobile phone, interesting places to explore in their new location and anything else that they may not be culturally aware of.

10. Catch Up Regularly Post-Start - You have spent a long time building a relationship with this person and helping them make one of the biggest moves of their life.  It's great to meet informally and sometimes formally to ensure they are settling well and help with any hiccups there may be.  It is also rewarding to hear, first hand, how you have improved someones life!

This is a topic that I have grown to know a lot about over the last 20 years.  I will be covering all areas of international recruitment on Periscope moving forward.  Please follow me on Twitter @AbigailStevens & @ThinkGlobalRec to find out more about dates and times!

Abigail

How I Made Partner

London - New York - London

Have you heard?  Think Global Recruitment will be visiting London tomorrow to deliver a presentation outlining the options open to you and amazing benefits if you take your CA qualification overseas!  We will take a tour around the globe, outlining what it is like living and working each location and the types of opportunities available for qualified accountants. 

While we have been working away, organising this fantastic evening, one of our colleagues got in touch with Nassim who Think Global Recruitment assisted in her move back in 2003.  Nassim, originally from London, moved over to New York and has now returned to the Big Smoke where she has made Partner (Head of Valuation Control Group) at PwC!  Here's what Nassim said when we caught up with her:

Can you confirm your original location and current location?

I'm originally from London, I moved to New York and now I am back in London.

Why did you originally move overseas?

I was a junior at the time, 25 years old and had just qualified with my ACCA at Deloitte in London.  I wanted to have international experience, learn as much as I could and join my sister over in New York.

Did you have any concerns with moving overseas?

Yes, I was young and naive.  I had established bonds at home, I was worried about leaving relationships - my family and friends.

When you arrived in your location, how long did it take to settle?

At first, I struggled with the clash of ideas, I had a volatile six months where there were ups and downs and I didn't really feel like I fitted in.  However, after that passed, I felt a sense of belonging.

What was the biggest benefit of moving?

I met my husband!  I loved PwC and I would not be in the position I currently hold in London without the experience.

Did your move meet your original expectations and how?

My expectations were surpassed.  I loved New York and PwC.  There was a strong internal network and once I was part of that, people believed in me, it was exciting to be trusted.

Did you feel that your move improved your standard of living?

Yes, there and subsequently.  I do not think my career would have been nearly as successful without my time in New York.

What were the highlights of your location?

I loved the city, the people, and the "work hard -play hard" attitude.  My firm was an amazing place to work.

What cultural differences did you notice?

Similar to London but they worked harder, longer and then socialised hugely.  It was a very mixed cultural team, less old school hierarchy than London.

When and why did you leave New York?

I was there for seven years and it was a very difficult decision to come back to London but I wanted to be near my elderly parents.  I had built up a strong network in New York and was concerned at the prospect of building up another one in London.

What, in your opinion, are the advantages of working overseas?

Experiencing a different culture is invaluable, makes for well-rounded people, increased business acumen, I would not be as good at my job without my time in New York.  For someone who is driven and ambitious - working abroad is now part of who I am.  I am a better Partner because of my ability to understand cultural differences which have given me insight and different views.

What advice would you offer to other accountants who are thinking about working overseas?

Absolutely no hesitation in advising anyone driven enough and with enough support from family and friends to make an international move.  An international move gives an adrenalin rush and a real buzz of learning and being challenged. 

How did Think Global Recruitment assist you in securing your job overseas?

A friend of mine recommended Think Global Recruitment to me, I knew exactly where I wanted to be and which firm I wanted to work for - Think Global Recruitment got me everything I was looking for.

What are the advantages of applying for a job through Think Global Recruitment?

They have a network of contacts with the best employers, excellent screening and interview preparation and support all the way through the process.

Do you believe the original move that you made with Think Global Recruitment has enhanced your career?

I categorically know, I would not have the role I have today and would not be as good at it without Think Global Recruitment and my time in New York.

Nassim has done an incredible job getting where she is today.  If Nassim's story has inspired you, please contact Emma: emaloy@thinkgr.com to register for our event.

Abigail’s Journey

It's our 15th birthday and in celebration we're looking at the journey of the lady who started it all – Abigail Stevens. Here we talk to her about the journey she's been on since Think Global Recruitment started in July, 2000.

How did you get into recruitment and how did you get to the point of setting up Think Global Recruitment?

I lived and worked in Australia for 3 years and when I came back, I visited Edinburgh for a few weeks. I fell in love with the city and haven’t left. After a while the agency I was temping with, while looking for a job in marketing, offered me a job in recruitment, when I asked what was involved they described it as ‘like running your own business’. I was sold.

Celebrating Think Global Recruitment's First Placement, 2000

After a year with that agency, I was headhunted into an international accountancy consultant role where I was quickly promoted upwards. At an assessment for management buy-out, I was identified as a good candidate to work my way up to Director and be involved. However, this highlighted my entrepreneurial strengths and after weighing up my options, I decided to set up by myself instead.

I had the passion for international accountancy, myself and my team were smashing targets and I realised I didn’t have the passion or much input into other business areas in the company. That’s how Think Global Recruitment started.

Have your offices always been on George Street? From the very start we’ve been in this building. We started on the second floor at the back then knocked through and doubled it, then moved upstairs where we had a view of Edinburgh Castle. Now we take up most of the top floor with views of the Castle on one side and down to the Fourth on the other side of the building.

How has the technology used in recruitment changed since you started? Right from the start we have tried to innovate and stay ahead of our competitors. When we set up we bought three computers (many of our competitors were still using card indexes) and created our own database of accountants and prospective employers.

TGR Stars Softball Team 2004

We used to fax CVs out, couldn’t send mail-shots with attachments. Sifting through manual directories was a big part of our job. Now we have video interviewing, Skype and social media making the world smaller for us and the accountants we place.

Which technological advancement has helped you the most? It probably isn’t what most people think! LinkedIn is great but that helps our competitors as much as it does us. We like to be innovative and use sources and methods others do not use.

Email with attachments, the death of faxes and affordable and improved mobile phones and flights have probably helped us most.

Chartered Accountant Ireland Wine Tasting 2007

Picnic on Think Global Recruitment's Balcony 2009

It’s an international business – where do you most enjoy visiting? Australia, New Zealand and the Far East… However, I really do love travelling almost anywhere.  Every location has something special going for it that will improve the accountants we work with lives.

Bollywood Charity Fund Raiser 2008

What’s been your favourite hotel over the years, has that changed? If I’m away for more than three nights I always prefer self-catering. When I was visiting London, Sydney, Wellington and Edinburgh regularly we used to book Ascot Apartments. The apartments were decorated in the same style throughout the world and they let me keep a suitcase of bulky or liquid essentials, in every one, that was good. It felt like home.

Christmas Market Carboot Sale Charity Fund Raiser 2008

Favourite cuisine and most unusual food tried? My favourite food would be Thai. I’ve tried the Aussie meats such as crocodile and kangaroo and emu but I have to admit, I am not keen to eat anything that looks like what it was before it died!

Think Global Recruitment Taxi 2001

How many miles do you cover in a year? I get on a plane more often that I do a car. It varies but by the end of the year it will be over 40 journeys.

What’s your favourite airline? Emirates at the moment. Their staff have been known to frequently approach as I take my seat and say “Hello Miss Stevens you are our most frequent flyer on board today”. Even on an A380.

Worst moments? The attack on 9/11 the human impact of it all and then the impact upon the business that came after that. The recent Worldwide Recession, having opened offices in Sydney, Glasgow and London and the requirement to restructure was very sad at the time, but the one thing that kept the business going and to emerge again and become the largest, longest running specialist international accountancy recruitment consultancy.

'Abigail' Herald Newspaper 2001

Think Global Recruitment famous for its parties over the years!

And best moments? There are many. Our first placement – Edgar went into the Channel Islands. Getting pictures from people in their new destinations; that's when you can really see that you’ve improved their life. Sell out conferences, my number two, Ali returning to the business six months after he left. When clients say that we're the best supplier for both quality and quantity and that they really appreciate your service. This happens very often, but still makes me feel great, it’s all worthwhile!

Recently uncovering people who we helped find jobs as juniors who are now at the most senior level in the same company we placed them in more than ten years ago is really nice.

Over the years there have been so many highs; year ends, watching people develop in their careers, everyone’s first placement, when they’ve improved their first life.

And our staff day in August will probably be one of them too! We are taking the entire company away to a surprise location to celebrate our 15th Birthday. All they know right now is to have their passport up to date!

15th Birthday Cake! 2015