Pure and Grant Thornton have delivered the first stage of the 2018 Finance Leadership Programme, established to support finance professionals in the region to progress their career to Financial Director level.

The invite-only programme aims to introduce a balance of business insight and leadership development, delivered across three sessions held in Norwich, Ipswich and Chelmsford throughout the year.

The first of the 2018 sessions were held at Grant Thornton’s offices in March and April, bringing together aspiring finance professionals to learn and share experiences with like-minded business professionals.

Nick Culley, Senior Managing Consultant at Pure, said: “As a professional recruitment company, we are committed to supporting organisations across the eastern region to recruit and retain the best talent. The Finance Leadership Programme, run in collaboration with Grant Thornton, is one of several initiatives we have developed to support this aim. It supports the region’s future finance talent by helping them to explore the skills and experience needed to further progress, add value within their organisation and to become effective leaders. It is an excellent career development opportunity for those looking to make the step up to Financial Director level.”

Each of the two-hour sessions covers a different subject relevant to senior finance professionals, with expert guest speakers and high-profile finance leaders imparting knowledge and sharing their experiences.

Trevor Ling, Director  for Grant Thornton’s Chelmsford office, added: “Alongside our work with dynamic, forward-thinking businesses across the East of England, we have a wider purpose at Grant Thornton which is to get businesses, individuals, cities and communities working together to ensure a more vibrant, progressive and productive economy at all levels. A crucial part of this is ensuring there is sufficient local talent available with the right skills to help our region’s businesses grow. The Finance Leadership Programme provides an excellent step towards this goal by providing delegates with the chance to build their external network of advisors, learn about other business sectors and to spend time on their personal and professional development.”

The programme, first launched in 2015, is delivered free of charge in return for a small donation to charity. 

The second sessions of the programme will take place in Chelmsford on 22 May, Ipswich on 24 May and Norwich on 29 May. To discuss if the programme would be appropriate for you, contact

• Chelmsford - Andy Dowsett
• Ipswich – Amy Perks or Laura Vatter
• Norwich – Jade O’Brien