ICAS’s top Scottish accountants under 35 in profile

The global body of finance professionals said the list, which includes entries spanning six continents, recognises “the best and brightest Chartered Accountants who are making a difference to the profession and to society”.

For the next 15 days Scottish Financial News will be profiling each of the Scottish representatives.

Today we profile: Andrew Dane CA, 32, financial director, Argent Energy, Edinburgh, who is nominated in the Sustainability & CSR catagory.

More information on ICAS’s 35 Chartered Accountants (CAs) under 35.

Andrew Dane CA, 32, financial director, Argent Energy, Edinburgh.

Andrew qualified as a CA with KPMG on their advisory (Transaction Services) graduate programme. During his eight years working in Transaction Services, Andrew worked on over a hundred transactions, and worked for periods in London, Edinburgh and Toronto. He left KPMG in 2014 and joined Argent Energy, one of the UK’s leading green and sustainable businesses in the energy sector, producing biodiesel from waste fats and oils. As Finance Director, Andrew is involved in strategically growing the business’ financials, and to identify and ensure operational efficiencies for large scale contracts that Argent has won.

“During my eight years working in Transaction Services at KPMG, I worked on over a hundred transactions, including four involving Argent. This was always a business that I loved to be involved with, as it has a fantastic mix of entrepreneurial attitude and outstanding green credentials.

When I decided to leave KPMG in 2014, and the opportunity to join Argent arose, I was delighted to be able to say yes. Since joining the business, in addition to the very wide range of activities associated with being a Finance Director, I’ve enjoyed much of the hands on and commercial aspects to. Including taking a lead in the development of our strategy to grow sales direct to end customers (such as the recent Metroline contract win in London). I also help to monitor and manage the oversight of the construction of the new plant at Stanlow (near Liverpool). This will more than double Argent’s current production capacity. It will also greatly increase the range of feedstocks from which Argent can produce biodiesel, including a range of fats, oils and greases such as sewer grease, an area which Argent has pioneered and has recently been awarded a patent for this product.

There are three key areas where the CA qualification has been very helpful. Firstly, as someone who had very limited experience of this sector before starting the graduate programme and CA studies, the introduction to finance and accountancy has proved invaluable. Secondly, in terms of financial analysis. Both the actual practicalities of certain types of analysis (bridges, common ratios etc) but more importantly the thorough grounding in the analytical frame of mind and approach. And finally, developing commercial thinking has probably been the most useful area which was developed during the CA training, in particular during TPE.”