From AAT apprentice to CEO of RSM

Rob Donaldson tells us about the importance of staying curious, challenging yourself every day and presenting your work well.

Rob Donaldson is CEO of RSM UK, but he began his career as an AAT apprentice at a small company which was later acquired by RSM. He tells us how he progressed from an apprentice to a CEO, and gives us tips on how you could do it too.

My apprenticeship-to-CEO journey

I started at a small firm in 1990, which was later bought by RSM. In 1996 I moved to a Big Four firm to learn a new discipline, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). But when I got the chance to return to RSM and build something from scratch I took a risk and jumped at that opportunity.

That was in 2000. I was made an M&A partner in 2001, was asked to lead the London corporate finance business in 2008, the national team in 2013 and then adding on the restructuring team in 2018. I became CEO two years later in 2020, a few weeks into Covid.

If you could go back and give your apprentice-self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Some careers follow a straight path, some zigzag. I started mine more by accident than design, but none of that mattered in the end. What mattered was showing up, doing my best, being curious and taking opportunities when they came. Many unexpected opportunities turned out to be the most rewarding as they taught me the most – my current job included!

So, I’d tell my younger self: you don’t need to have it all figured out. The path will become clear as you go.

Do your best every day

What’s the best way for an AAT apprentice to follow in your footsteps?

My first suggestion is not to try and ‘plan to become a CEO’. My own career wasn’t planned. I failed my A levels and fell into this profession through a job advert. Nothing about my early journey was deliberate.

I’d say it’s about always learning, trying to improve what you do and trying to make a positive impact. Do your best for your clients, every day, take the opportunities that come your way and create opportunities by putting yourself forward to do more. In the end, you progress if people see that you can add value.

Don’t expect that to just happen, it’s your job to help people see [your value]. It’s your job to make it happen.

The other key bit of advice is to always be curious about the businesses you’re working with. Don’t just turn up, do your job and move on. Try to understand what’s going on in those businesses, what challenges they’re facing and how you might be able to help them, either through what you do, or by bringing in others with the right expertise or experience.

Find out “why”

What did you learn as an AAT apprentice that you still use today as a CEO?

Understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. When you’re starting out, it’s hard. You’re given tasks and you might not quite understand how they fit into the whole picture. But the more you understand the context – the client’s business, the wider purpose of your work – the better you’ll do.

That curiosity about the ‘why’ has stayed with me. Whether doing M&A deals or running the firm, I have to understand the business, what we’re trying to achieve and how I can make a difference. I ask “why” a lot… Why do we do it like that? It is often a catalyst for change.

What role did continuous professional development and learning play in your journey?

Continuous learning is important. I did my AAT, then ACA, then moved from audit into corporate finance. That meant learning new skills, understanding different parts of the business and being willing to step outside my comfort zone. These principles have been relevant for my entire career, including my role today.

Presentation matters

What’s the best way to raise your profile as a young apprentice?

Do great work and present it properly. Your work must be technically accurate, but packaging and the presentation of what you do is just as important. Don’t let yourself down at the last hurdle with sloppy formatting, errors or poor presentation.

Learning how to communicate and present what you do in an easily digestible form is a key skill that can take you a long way. I don’t have many superpowers but one of them is an ability to think carefully about what I am trying to communicate and present that in an interesting way that leaves people with a clear understanding of what I want them to do.

If you do great work for clients, people notice. It gives colleagues confidence in you; it gives clients confidence in your business.

Work well with other people

Beyond that, be someone who shares ideas. If at some point you think “Why are we doing it like this? Could we do it differently?” then share those ideas. If they don’t get taken up, don’t be discouraged. Keep thinking about how things could be done better.

And don’t be a lone wolf. Succeed together. Play as a team. In my experience, the people who progress fastest are the ones who help others, who think about the whole, not just their own patch.

What’s the best way to acquire leadership skills early in your career?

Take responsibility for helping others learn. That sounds simple, but it’s powerful. When you’ve been in the business a year and new people come in underneath you, you have a responsibility to help them learn, to pass on what you’ve been given. That’s the beginning of a leadership journey.

Lessons for apprentices

The lesson for apprentices today? Three things.

1. Don’t think you need to have it all mapped out and don’t expect it to all just happen overnight. Focus on doing excellent work, spotting opportunities to help clients and being someone who makes things happen.
2. If you can demonstrate you’re not stuck in a narrow box – that you understand the wider business – you’ll progress faster.
3. To be great at what you do takes time, persistence, self-reflection and honesty. You have to take what you did yesterday and do it a bit better. And then do it better again the next day. That’s how over time you become excellent. Challenge yourself, every day.

Christian Koch is an award-winning journalist/editor who has written for the Evening Standard, Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph, The Independent, Q, The Face and Metro. He's also written about business for Accounting Technician, 20 and Director, where he is contributing editor.