Alyson
Watson

Who I help

Not-for-profit organisations and corporate entities

How I help

Audit and assurance services. Statutory accounts preparation.

“Never afraid to make the best decision”

Alyson Watson is an Audit Assistant Manager, based in our Glasgow office. Alyson’s role involves seeing the audit from planning stage, right through to completion. She is often the main point of contact for clients during the fieldwork stage and ensures effective communication throughout the audit process – keeping up to date both with the other team members conducting the audit and ensuring that the client is kept appraised of the progress. Upon completion of the fieldwork, Alyson will follow up with the client to ensure any statutory deadlines and filing requirements are met, whilst providing an efficient and high-quality service.

As an Assistant Manager part of her role involves supporting junior members of the team to continue their development by reviewing the work they submit, providing feedback and resolve any queries they may have.

Striking an important balance

“I’m so lucky that part of my role involves getting to know different people in different organisations. It’s important for them to know we understand what it is that they do, so I prioritise truly getting to know their businesses so I can ensure I deliver the best service that I possibly can. For me, I want to be professional and show that I am more than capable to carry out the work and deliver a valuable service for them. At the same time, I want to be friendly and approachable so they know they can come to me for anything that they might need help and support with.

We want to ensure that when we’re finished a job the client is happy with the service they’ve received, that the work has been carried out in an effective manner, and we have met all the agreed deadlines. We are there to carry out a service, so we need to be able to support the client with any questions they might have throughout the process. The best thing about being part of a group with so many different people that all have great knowledge and experience, is that I don’t always have to have the answer – I just need to ask the right person.”

Working with great people

“One of my favourite aspects of my role is that there’s so much variety in my client portfolio. It gives me an opportunity to visit lots of different client sites and find out about these amazing organisations from the people that work within them.

I started working here in 2019 and I have a few clients that have been with me for five years, I know them well and they know me. It’s nice to have that rapport and that relationship with them that we’ve worked to build over the last five years. That in and of itself is a compliment to me because if they didn’t think I was capable or that I delivered a good service they wouldn’t keep working with me.”

Opportunity to learn and grow

“I really enjoy my role and I love where I’m positioned within the team. I have managers above me who I can learn from and go to for guidance when I require it, and they can come to me if they have any questions. At the same time, I also have more junior members of the team that I can share my knowledge with. Having that open line of communication within our teams is so valuable for our personal development but also for delivering an amazing service for our clients.”

Acting in the interest of clients

“I believe that you can’t be afraid to make the best decision. Sometimes, others might not agree with you but it’s so important to have all the facts and make a measured decision with the most relevant information. I always aim to make the decision that will create the best outcome for the client even if at first, they don’t agree. I have their best interests at heart and want to ensure that they succeed.”