In our final Meet the Team interview of the year, we sat down with new Audit and Charities Partner Laura Masheder. Laura has two decades of experience in audit and advisory services and has specialised in charity audits for more than ten years. With a passion for walking in the great outdoors, Laura also loves to visit theme parks with her daughter and is a big fan of spicy food! Read on to find out more.
When did you join BHP?
My first day was 31 October this year…. but it wasn’t at all scary as everyone made me feel so welcome.
What attracted to you to work for the firm?
BHP has a wonderful reputation in the region for the quality of service delivered to clients and for the culture and how much it values its staff. Knowing about the strong culture was a really important factor. In my particular area of specialism, which is not for profit, BHP has always been the firm with the strongest reputation regionally and they are recognised on a national level as sector experts.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
My role is really varied, and no two days are the same. I am an Audit Partner specialising the charity sector, so my client base is very diverse, ranging from charities and academies to owner managed companies.
I enjoy being client facing and getting to know them and understand what we can do to help. But I also enjoy the technical challenge of a thorny accounting problem.
How has BHP helped you in your career so far?
I have only been with BHP for a short time, but the firm has given me a huge opportunity to further specialise in the not-for-profit sector while supporting the continued growth of our York corporate client base.
What or who inspires you at work?
I’ve been really inspired by Lisa Leighton and Hamish Morrison and how they work so well together and complement each other as joint managing partners.
But since before joining the firm, Jane Marshall and the quality of her team has inspired and encouraged me to develop my own specialism in the sector.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about applying for a role at BHP?
Do it. BHP is a firm that not only really cares about its people but also provides so many opportunities to follow your own passions as well as offering a clear progression path.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I have a nine-year-old daughter, so I use her as an excuse to visit theme parks, which we both really love – although my husband is far less keen!
As a family we enjoy spending time outdoors so do quite a lot of walking and outdoor adventuring, which is a welcome break from the business of day-to-day life.
I also love live music and comedy so, when I can, I try to get to enjoy those things too.
What do you prefer? A TV series or a film? And which genre do you prefer?
I love a good binge watch, so it has to be a TV series. If anyone finds anything brilliant on Netflix, I like to be the first to know about it. I like true crime, crime, suspense and horror, but my absolute favourite is The Crown which is actually none of those things!
If you could host a celebrity dinner, who would you invite?
This might be an eclectic mix of people…. Dave Grohl, Robert Plant, Kylie, Churchill, The Queen and Prince Phillip, Elizabeth Taylor, Oprah, John Nash, John Maynard Keynes, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Alan Turing, Russell Crowe, George Clooney and Steve Irwin!
What is your favourite type of cuisine and why?
I’m a huge fan of anything hot, so Mexican, Thai and Indian food all have to be on the list.
I also really enjoy Italian food and pizza making because making pizza in the garden in the sunshine feels like a mini holiday.
What type of holiday do you prefer? Beach, active or city break?
Definitely a busy city break. I tend to get bored pretty quickly on the beach or by the pool.
If you weren’t in your current role, what would be your dream job?
I’m lucky, from my later years at secondary school I wanted to be a Chartered Accountant, so I’m actually living the dream! But when I was much younger, I wanted to be a nurse, which is ridiculous because I’m very squeamish.
