In the latest chapter of our Cultiv8 Employee Series, Jordan Holmes, Vice President of Human Resources at Continent 8 Technologies, sat down with Charlotte Barham, our Senior Manager, Group Controller located in the Isle of Man.

Throughout their conversation, Charlotte expressed her passion for numbers, her eagerness to embrace new challenges and the profound impact that Genuine Care and respect in the workplace can have in nurturing both individual and team success.

Charlotte

Hi Charlotte! Can you tell us a little but about yourself and your role as the Senior Manager, Group Controller at Continent 8?

Of course! I am a number-loving, hardworking, ambitious accountant with an extremely positive attitude (most of the time). I hate describing myself as an accountant as being labelled or ‘put in a box’ is a pet peeve of mine!

Born and raised on the Isle of Man, I have two step children, two dogs and a passion for staying active, making delicious food and taking on challenges, which you may have grasped already. I am thrilled to have joined Continent 8 last year as a Group Controller, where I am responsible for the production of financial reporting for all of our Group companies.

How did you come to choose a career as a Controller?

As a teenager, I was unsure of my career path but had a strong affinity for numbers, making accountancy a natural choice.

I loved the training aspect – the feeling when you passed exams and got a step closer to the goal was infectious. I finished second in the world in the year I qualified, which just shows you my enthusiasm for the field.

Upon graduation, I went from practice to industry, life assurance, and most recently, into a tech start-up. This is where I became captivated by this industry, and the opportunity at Continent 8 was one I couldn’t pass up.

What attracted you to the role and to joining the Continent 8 team? What do you enjoy most about your job?

It was the chance to really learn and be challenged again, both from a technical accountancy perspective and from working in a different environment/industry.

I love the intensity of the role, the variety of work and the amazingly supportive and equally talented people you get to meet and work with.

Can you describe some of the challenges you face as a Group Controller? How do you also stay up to date on the latest monitoring best practices and developments?

Reflecting on my first few months, the challenges really come down to the ability to support the growth of the business from a financial reporting perspective. We are making great progress in delivering timely reporting and working on continuous process improvement which will enable us to keep pace with the growth going forward.

Other challenges come from supporting the growing number of new jurisdictions and the complexities that they bring, such as recent experiences in Brazil and the Philippines in understanding tax legislation and how global businesses operate in those locations. Our own research and working with great third-party advisers ensure we are prepared and well-informed.

How do you align with Continent 8’s culture and values of Active Ownership, Purposeful Creativity and/or Genuine Care?

I believe I align well, which was a big consideration in my decision to join Continent 8. I am a huge believer that if you look after your people they will look after you. We are a service business in the tech sector, and we cannot be successful without having talented and hardworking people – Continent 8 is clearly full of them. Genuine Care and respect to people are important to me, and I strive to bring empathy, recognition and feedback to my team and colleagues daily.

Can you talk through some of the new initiatives you are or will be working on?

While ensuring the continuation of our current financial reporting projects and programmes, I’d like us to become more proactive. This includes automating and finding efficiencies in every aspect of finance!

And of course, I’ll be supporting the setup of all things finance-related in Brazil and the Philippines.

Any final thoughts? 

I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the warm welcome I have had at Continent 8. I am loving it so far – my head has never been so full of new information!

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