Old Mill's Katie Rice scoops top award despite setback

An accountant from Exeter accountants Old Mill is celebrating after winning an award for achieving top marks in one of her Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) exams despite missing some of the course due to illness.

Katie Rice had to miss the first week of classes when she was admitted to hospital, but this made her even more determined to catch up with her class mates.

The 25-year-old did a great deal of preparation and revision, and with the help of Old Mill and her tutors at Reed Business School, not only did she manage to pass her exams, but she achieved the highest marks in the South West ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales) area for her Case Study paper.

“Because I had missed the first week of classes due to illness, I really wanted to prove I could still pass. So, with the help of my tutors at Reed Business School - who are very supportive - and Old Mill I managed to catch up on the work I had missed.” said Katie.

“So, when I got my results and found I had passed all three exams and I was qualified, I was so happy – finding out I had achieved the award was the icing on the cake!

Katie, 25 has been working with Old Mill Accountants and Financial Planners for three and a half years and currently works in the Commercial team. She is looking forward to developing her career further with Old Mill.

“Clients trust Old Mill because it offers personal and professional service and advice which always puts clients at the centre. And people want to work at Old Mill because, as a business, they are very supportive of career development and help and support people to get the best from themselves.

“I hope to have a long and successful career with Old Mill, and now that I have my ACA qualification I am hoping to work towards promotion to a more senior position within my current team.”

Ian Carlson, managing director at Old Mill says the whole business is immensely proud of Katie’s achievements, particularly as the Case Study paper is such a tough exam:

“Of the three exams in the ACA, the Case Study paper is the one that really allows someone to demonstrate their business awareness in the broadest sense. You have no idea about what sort of questions could appear, so you can’t revise for it. It really puts the candidate’s business advisory skills to the test, which is why we are so delighted Katie has achieved this accolade.

“This is actually the second time someone from Old Mill has won this prize which is testament to the talent we have in the business. We pride ourselves on offering cutting edge business advice so our clients can achieve their goals, and this latest award is tribute to our dedication to developing our staff to be the very best.”

Katie will be presented with her award at the ICAEW presentation evening in Exeter on April 27.

To find out more about careers at Old Mill, visit https://www.oldmillcareers.com/