Blogs/Vlogs

International Women’s Day: Zoe Duffy

Introducing Zoe Duffy, partner at UHY Manchester, who has experienced immense success at UHY. 

Zoe joined the practice in 1996 as a trainee, before becoming fully qualified as a chartered accountant in 2000. Zoe is now a partner, having worked her way up through the ranks, and handles a diverse portfolio of audit and accounts clients ranging from international corporate groups, owner-managed businesses and companies in the oil and gas sector. 

As one of three partners that are women in UHY Manchester, we were excited to ask Zoe a few questions and get a deeper understanding of her experience within the firm. 

When asked what made UHY a great place to work Zoe replied: 

"First and foremost, the people, and for more than one reason! I am very proud to be part of the forward-thinking team we have in the Manchester office. I also love seeing people develop and progress through the ranks, which is one of the factors that make accountancy such a rewarding career. Aside from that, I greatly enjoy the variation I have in my role, and the willingness of my colleagues to offer support if needed."

We suppose the proof is in the pudding, with Zoe saying "I love working at UHY, which is why I have chosen to spend my whole accountancy career here!"

It was not always plane sailing though, as is the case for many people in their careers, and Zoe had to face some challenges along her path, overcoming them through determination and experience. 

Zoe said: "One challenge was finding the balance between work, doing my professional exams, and having a baby, all at the very start of my career which was challenging at times. I often felt like I was being pulled in different directions and questioning if I was doing the right thing.

I dealt with this by accepting that a good work life balance is important for all, you can have a successful career and raise a family. I also worked hard to be the best version of me and made sure to recognise the value that I bring to the workplace."

Finally, as part of the growing number of women in our leadership team, we asked Zoe for any advice she would give to other women who are aspiring to leadership positions in accountancy:

Zoe said: "Work on understanding your strengths and focus on these to help overcome your weaknesses. Be flexible in your approach and if you make a mistake, own it.

A strong leader has the ability to empathise, collaborate, and communicate, a lot of these skills may come more naturally to woman and really help you connect with the team. Make the most of this!"
 

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