Chief accountant for a London borough

I’m a chief accountant for a London borough because although my work is largely office-based, I can see the impact of our work on the borough outside, for example, through new homes and a new train station.

I lead the corporate finance function of the Council and my responsibilities include drafting the annual accounts, working with external auditors and giving technical accounting advice. I qualified as a chartered accountant after joining a graduate scheme and was an external auditor for many years, working my way up. I’m profoundly deaf and use a British Sign Language interpreter to help me do my job, funded through Access to Work.

Along the way, there’s always been the feeling that I should be grateful for where I am and shouldn’t push myself further. This isn’t true – if you’ve made it this far, there’s no reason why you can’t go further!

I can’t stress how important it is to network widely and seek out deaf role models. They’re always on hand to offer useful advice or may help review your applications and polish your interview technique. The stories I’ve exchanged to date have always been valuable and motivating.

Tom Mulloy

Spring 2023 Families magazine