Young Accountant of the Year 2008

The Sharp Consultancy Young Accountant of the Year has been announced at the annual dinner of the Leeds Chartered Accountant Students’ Society (LCASS).

Financial recruiters Sharp Consultancy named Claire Butterworth from Grant Thornton as the Young Accountant of the Year. Claire, who is 24 graduated in Management Studies from Nottingham University in 2004 and joined the firm’s Audit department in July 2004, before qualifying in 2007.

Claire, who is now enjoying a secondment in the Transaction Advisory Services department, impressed the panel of judges with her natural leadership ability, exceptional exam results and a thorough understanding of how to translate her academic expertise into the workplace. Claire also demonstrated great initiative and expertise beyond her core audit role, which included her expressing an interest in a secondment to her current department.

Commenting on her win, Claire said: “I’m delighted to be acknowledged in this way. I have been presented with excellent opportunities at Grant Thornton and this award reflects as much upon the firm being a great place to work as it does me.”

As well as the coveted title of Young Accountant of the Year, Claire from Holmfirth will receive a luxury weekend for two in the historic city of Budapest

Russell Brown from PricewaterhouseCoopers gained second place and Kate Brady from Ernst & Young was placed third. There were also three additional runners-up (in no particular order); Kristina Jackson from Ernst & Young, Natasha Uttamchandani from BDO Stoy Hayward and Shaun Morton from Deloitte.

Lee Sweeney, Sharp Consultancy’s West Yorkshire director said: “All six finalist have achieved a great deal within such a short period of time and I congratulate them all on their dedication and commitment. The pool of talent emerging from West Yorkshire is phenomenal and the standard of entries is raising the bar year on year, giving Yorkshire business access to some of best people in the business.”