A CIPFA Charity and Third Sector case study for Mary Agorioge, senior financial accountant at Asthma + Lung UK
Mary Agorioge was appointed senior financial accountant at the respiratory health charity Asthma + Lung UK in January 2023, having gained her CIPFA accountancy qualification in October 2022 on the City of London Corporation’s accountancy graduate trainee programme.
Mary plays a key role at the charity, managing a three-strong financial accountant team with responsibility for a wide range of activities, including overseeing accounts payable/accounts receivable (AP/AR), financial reconciliations, producing statutory accounts for the organisation’s trading entity subsidiary, and cashflow analysis.
Having graduated with an honours degree in philosophy, politics and economics from the University of Nottingham, Mary successfully applied to be a trainee accountant at the City of London Corporation via the Local Government Association graduate development programme’s Finance for the Future scheme (now rebranded as Impact). Studying for CIPFA’s professional accountancy qualification was a core part of the training programme, and one that Mary says was challenging but also immensely rewarding.
When did you first become attracted to a career in the public and/or the charity sector?
I’ve never really been particularly drawn to the private sector – my ethos is more about working towards the public good. The charity sector specifically has always appealed to me, and I've regularly been involved in charity work in my personal as well as my professional life. For example, in my second year at university when many people on my course were getting internships in various banks and private sector organisations, I spent three months in South Africa, volunteering with a charity called Tearfund, where I was placed in a remote village, teaching primary school students, assisting in local nurseries and orphanages. I just enjoy volunteering – I do so regularly at my local church – and I enjoy charity work, working for a good cause. I feel the sector attracts people who are passionate and willing to work hard at achieving their charity’s aims and ambitions. And because we're working towards a common cause, we tend to have more enthusiasm for that, and want to steward both the money and our time and effort to ensure we’re operating as effectively as possible.
What have been the highlights or biggest successes of your career to date? Are there any particular standout, pivotal moments?
There are two things that stand out for me. I’m still at quite an early point in my career, so my biggest achievement so far is becoming fully CIPFA-qualified. Combining both working and studying was quite a challenge, but also something that I am quite proud of – earning that certificate of completion. That was quite an achievement for me personally, just being able to finish it and say: ‘I’m a chartered accountant’.
The second one was in September 2023 as we were transitioning to a new financial controller while the annual audit was underway. The new financial controller who recently joined was on leave, so I had to step up and be fully involved in the audit process. It was a big success for me personally, in the sense that I rose to the challenge. It pushed me, but it gave some invaluable insights into the organisation’s operations, and I relished the opportunity to take on that responsibility. It really boosted my confidence.
What have been the greatest challenges both during your career and within the public finance and charity sectors as a whole?
One of the challenges is learning about managing people in a work capacity. Outside of work, I lead on many activities in my church such as project managing and organising events involving hundreds of people. But in a financial professional capacity, I have not had that direct experience before. Being responsible for three members of staff with varied financial experience means that the onus is on me to make sure I am able to communicate an idea or concept to them clearly, and explain it in a simple and concise way – not just using accounting jargon – so they understand.
Initially when I started, it was a challenge – as well as doing your own job and finding your way, you have to ensure that the people that you are managing are doing their job correctly. The CIPFA qualification and learning resources have certainly helped with that.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of working in the public and charity sectors?
It’s the overall ethos of a charity and the motivation behind the role. We're not just doing something to make somebody money – people's lives are actually being changed. That may sound quite far removed from finance, and you can sometimes feel at a distance from that outcome when you are just looking at the balance sheet. But then you hear somebody speak about the effect that the charity’s work has on their life, and how it enabled them to get the help they needed….Or a friend of mine who is a doctor remarking on how useful they find the resources that Asthma + Lung UK provide free of charge for patients.
Being a steward of the money on behalf of the people who donate is an important responsibility, but it makes you feel like you're doing something worthwhile.
What's the best piece of advice you've been given, and by whom?
I have been given quite a bit of advice from my late Pastor, Sunday Okenwa who I have known my whole life and dedicated me as a child. One that springs to mind is: ‘Aim for the stars, you may hit the moon. But aim for the top of the house and you will hit the top of your mouth.’
In essence, it means aim high, do your best to be the best you can and reach for highest heights in the hope of getting there. Ultimately, because you aimed so high, you may not reach those highest goals –but you will still be proud of where you have achieved.
What advice would you give to people who are beginning their career in public finance?
Shadow other colleagues as much as possible. In public finance you are in somewhat of a privileged position, as you have the opportunity to do tasks that perhaps aren’t in your job title or remit at your level. Because the public and charity sectors have limited finance resources, you can be exposed to a wide range of accounting activity – provided you put yourself out there.
What book, film or podcast would you recommend to anyone working in public finance?
It’s a funny one – the movie Identity Thief, starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy. Sandy (Bateman) is a lowly accountant who has a pretty boring life until he crosses paths with fraudster Dawn (McCarthy) and they embark on a series of adventures over the course of a pretty unusual and hilarious road trip, where he ultimately finds that there is more to life than his nine-to-five. I think that if you let there be more about you than your job, it can make you a better person at your job too.
What would you say to somebody thinking of becoming a CIPFA member?
I would just say go for it – try your best, do your best.
