Gemma’s six weeks US workout

July 2008

In the latest development in HURST’s international employee exchange programme, audit senior Gemma Gowrie has just spent six weeks working in the Atlanta offices of US accountants Moore Colson.

Taking her place at HURST’s Stockport office has been Yane Kim, a senior associate at Moore Colson.

Gemma, who started her training with HURST in 2005 after graduating from Manchester University, spent much of her time in Atlanta carrying out compliance and audit work for Moore Colson clients.

Said Gemma: “I had to get to grips with paperless style audit where everything is done on the computer and all documentation from the client is scanned in. This is the approach that HURST is about to take, so this experience was invaluable. I found the exchange programme was both useful and enjoyable, and I made some good friends in Atlanta.”

Yane Kim, a graduate of Georgia State university who has worked for Moore Colson for four years, was welcomed by HURST’s Stockport team. During her six week placement she was involved with several HURST projects and held meetings with a number of business clients.

Both HURST and Moore Colson are members of IGAF Worldwide, the international organisation of independent local and regional accountancy firms. They have been carrying out employee exchanges since 2005.

Said HURST managing partner Tim Potter: “Unusually for an independent firm of accountants and business advisors in the UK, we have a wide range of international expertise. Membership of IGAF allows us to give our clients with international business interests ‘on the ground’ accountancy services, tax support and business advice in the US and almost any country of the world.

“For that reason it’s important that key staff like Gemma gain specific knowledge about US accounting and auditing procedures and techniques, and bring that knowledge and experience back to the UK. This helps us broaden and expand our specialist offering to the growing number of our clients who are UK subsidiaries of US parents.