CATHERINE FLETCHER NAMED YOUNG ACCOUNTANT OF THE YEAR

Catherine left McAuley in 2010. She spent a year working at Savio House retreat centre and then applied to KPMG in Leeds.

Catherine has been a regular contributor to our LAMA sessions.

Catherine Fletcher from KPMG in Leeds has been awarded the prestigious Sharp Consultancy 'Young Accountant of the Year' accolade for 2017. The award was presented to Catherine at a glittering awards ceremony held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

The competition was established in 2000 and is run by the financial recruitment specialists Sharp Consultancy in conjunction with the West Yorkshire Society of Chartered Accountants. The awards recognise the best of the region's accountants who are either training to be qualified or have been qualified for up to two years.

The judges commended Catherine for her commitment to her chosen career, and for excelling in each of the assessment areas, adding that she had a star quality ahead of her peers.

Lee Sweeney, regional director at Sharp Consultancy who was one of the panel of judges to interview each of the finalists said: "Having been involved in this competition for each of the seventeen years it has been run, I – and the other judges – were once again impressed by the high standard of entrants. Catherine is an extremely worthy winner from a hugely talented group of individuals and she clearly proved her capabilities and commitment to furthering her career. She should be very proud of her achievements."

Catherine Fletcher said: "Leeds is a vibrant and exciting place to do business and it's a privilege to receive the recognition of my peers at LCASS. I joined KPMG on the Audit School Leaver Programme when I was 19 and have always been encouraged to succeed and develop my skills further. I'm keen to pass on this support to the next generation. As part of my role, I'm now lucky enough to visit schools in and around Leeds to speak to pupils about the different routes into accountancy now available. It's fantastic to see the positive effect it has on students, with so many showing an interest in a career in our profession."

Catherine also got a write up in the national internal news bulletin as one of 6 KPMG power woman in aid of International Women's Day.