In the latest of our features on Ideal Standard colleagues and their careers, we hear from Finance Business Partner Sabrina Wells-Burr, whose journey has taken her from working in a supermarket as a single mum to becoming a fully qualified management accountant.
How did your career with Ideal Standard start?
It began really as I watched my son walk into school on his first day. Having made some questionable decisions in my late teens, I found myself in my mid-twenties, a single mum living pretty much on the bread line, stacking shelves at Morrisons. I wanted to be a role model for my son and change our lives for the better so I paid my way through College doing an AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) course.
Once qualified I struggled for a year to gain any experience in the field. Knocking on doors and sending out CVs to volunteer brought no opportunities until I had an interview with Rachel Whittaker at Ideal. Just before going for the job, I had updated my CV to include my love of baking. As I would later learn, if you want anything from finance you need to bring cake! Rachel took the gamble on hiring someone with no experience and has been my main support and guidance throughout the process of developing my career.
What was your learning and development from there?
Through Ideal I was able to start the next level of education and start my university degree in accountancy, studying towards a CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) qualification that would make me a fully qualified management accountant.
As a trainee accountant, I thought to myself, ‘Right, in five years’ time I’ll be qualified’ and that was my motivation. During that time I became a data analyst while still studying. I had knowledge of the system that this role exclusively used but at the same time I was worried about pigeon-holing myself in a specialist position without opportunities for progression. What actually happened was that I really, really loved it and I learnt a lot about different parts of the business. I passed my CIMA qualification in late 2019 and became finance business partner in spring 2020, looking strategically at the trade and residential channel and offering insight to the Director, Jo Edwards. I talk to supply chain, the bid team, the sales guys, lots of different people. It’s almost like you’re the middle person for that channel.
How do you feel about the support you’ve had along the way?
From talking to others, I think I’ve probably had one of the better career development opportunities in the business. As a trainee, I was learning all about every area of finance such as accounts receivable, accounts payable, intercompany, proper accountancy things that were relevant to my studies as well as probably the most challenging part – dealing with suppliers on the phone! I was really hungry for it and I would ask Rachel if she had anything else for me to do all the time. This was my first office job so I volunteered for everything, wanting to prove to myself that I could do this, and she nurtured that. Every time a project came up I would put myself forward for it and they were great learning opportunities.
In terms of my studies, the support for that has been really good. I don’t study on my own very well and find that I can get to the end of a page and none of it has gone in! At the end of the first level of the CIMA course I was struggling so the business supported me to go to college in Leeds at the weekends and I passed every exam after that. It was quite intense for a while with next to no time off but it’s worth it. The business has been incredibly supportive at every step of my career.
What would you say to anyone looking to progress in the business?
I would be vocal about it. Mention it in your one-to-ones, volunteer for things. Try things outside of your lane. Get experience across the business and talk to lots of different people. The more you put yourself out there, the more people will think about you when opportunities arise. Oh and cake always helps!