The AAT award winners making a real world difference

The first-ever AAT Impact Awards highlight how the AAT community is making a big difference.

We are proud to celebrate the contributions of our first AAT Impact Award winners. The awards show how the students, members and training organisations are working with AAT to make a real world difference. And they are a perfect illustration of what we hope to achieve with our new strategy to 2030.

AAT President Christina Earls (pictured above with prize-winners and runners-up at AAT’s head office) comments:

“We’re celebrating our community’s achievements through the first ever AAT Impact Awards. These awards exemplify how the AAT community adds value, creates impact, and delivers results. I’m delighted to celebrate the achievements of the unsung heroes in our community and congratulate everyone nominated for an award.” 

The winners were announced during the online launch of the 2030 strategy, watched in over thirty countries.

The awards show the AAT community is already making a real world difference. And the new strategy will set us on a course to stay relevant for the coming decade. It will also boost the profile of accounting technicians worldwide.

“Our winners show how AAT members are real world ready, and we are proud to show their successes. The new strategy AAT has unveiled will ensure members remain highly relevant well into the future.”

We’re grateful for their dedication and enthusiasm of all who entered. Mark Clayton travelled all the way from China, braving international travel and domestic rail strikes to share his story with us. Winners such as he and Sam Woon have a sense of purpose that will play a big role in accountants’ lives in future.

And the winners are…

Excellence Award

For an individual who’s been hugely successful in their career with a demonstrable impact on their business.

Mark Clayton FMAAT embodies many of the characteristics AAT is looking to cultivate through its relaunch, having made a major impact on his business and done so responsibly. Based in Guangdong, China, Clayton joined manufacturing and sourcing company C2W in 2007, when it was in its infancy. Since then, it has grown from a $650,000 (£542,000) to a $21m business. “I had to build the finance function from scratch.” Clayton explains. “The knowledge AAT gave me enabled me to build all that. Once that was built, we could really focus on growing the company and where we could utilise the cash we had.”

“Without people helping me, there’s no chance I’d be where I am.” In the spirit of helping others, Clayton has also established an NGO, which helps children living with autism and underprivileged children in the region. “I’ve always wanted to give back to the community I live in,” Clayton explains. “AAT underpinned the ethical side of it, and that allowed people to trust what we were doing.”  

“Get that social purpose. Find out what you want to do to help others, and that will help you to grow yourself too.”

One to Watch Award

For an early-career individual already making an outstanding contribution to their workplace and showing exceptional progress.

Adrienne Davis‘s talent for teaching was first noted by tutors within weeks of her starting AAT Level 2 at Doncaster College, when she helped her fellow students. “Whenever I saw people struggling, I’d sit next to them and give help when they needed it,” Davis remembers. Her support extended outside of the classroom too, with Davis organising study dates after college. It wasn’t long before Davis was invited to work as a teaching assistant every Wednesday. “You can see when someone clicks on a topic, it’s almost like they light up. If I can help someone decide to be an accountant, that’s incredible.”

Today, Davis is studying AAT Level 3 alongside her job handling the books for two companies in Doncaster. She’s also still on-hand to help other students, either in the classroom or on the other end of a WhatsApp or Teams call.

Social Impact Award

For an organisation that has helped drive social mobility.

RSM UK won for facilitating access to the accountancy profession. The mid-tier accounting firm has long been a champion of social mobility and inclusivity. Its in-house apprenticeship schemes are recognised as among the best in the UK, while CEO Rob Donaldson started his career as an AAT school-leaver.

In recent years, they’ve underscored this reputation by offering talented students work experience through the 10,000 Black Interns scheme, as well as unlocking the potential of their LGBTQ+ and disabled workforce via the Stonewall Diversity Champions and Disability Confident programmes. RSM also works with local schools, which spans everything from “organising careers events and skills workshops to helping with CV writing, interviews and mock assessments” according to Helen Bloodworth, RSM’s senior manager, professional qualifications. “Our apprentices mean so much to us, so it’s great to be in the position where we can hopefully get that recognition and therefore reach more apprentices in future.”

Triumph Award

For someone who has overcome challenges and obstacles to begin their AAT journey, demonstrating resilience along the way.

Joshua Wilson MAAT AATQB won for persisting in his studies despite devastating personal circumstances. Joshua lost his mother to cancer when he was 13 and his father to Covid last year, leaving him to care for himself and his younger brother. He managed to find housing for them both, take care of his father’s funeral arrangements and also become fully qualified just months after his father passed away – all while managing Borderline Personality Disorder and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder.

“Wanting to be an accountant like my father was enough to keep me going and never stop. I had to deal with the funeral, housing me and my brother as well as studying. It was the hardest challenge I’ve ever had in my life, but I’m now qualified Level 4.” Now working as an assistant management accountant for Veolia, Wilson has ambitions to become a forensic accountant. He’s doing his ACCA qualification and plans to go on to do a master’s in accounting. 

Inspiration Award

For someone who’s inspired others to level up their careers, going beyond their remit with passion and dedication, and keeping the profession relevant and high-standard.

Eve Jones FMAAT Life Member works with AAT’s Birmingham Branch and Birmingham Metropolitan College, Sutton Coldfield to support and inspire her students. Jones calls on her language skills (she speaks five in all) and business acumen, which served her so well in her career. This includes serving as company director for a subsidiary of Toyota, initially in France and later the UK. She was heavily involved in setting up and running the business, from recruitment to dealing with government and local officials, and locating premises and starting production.

“I fell in love with AAT – I found my path with AAT, and I want to help others find their own way,” explains Jones. “I have classrooms of people who left schooling 10 years ago. AAT helps them to regain that confidence and it’s so wonderful to see.” Plus, she is “very fervent about AAT because it provides a path that nowhere else does”.

Global Champion Award

For an organisation that has helped widen AAT’s impact and driven commitment to high standards within the profession across borders.

Sam Woon won this award through his incredible work for System & Skills Training Concept (SSTC), driving professional standards in Malaysia. The training provider has helped countless people pursue careers in accounting, which may not have been available to them because of their race, economic background or disability.

“In Malaysia, you have to spend a lot of money to get a good quality education, and people from poorer backgrounds or minority races can’t get much funding from the government to support their studies,” explains Woon. To help them, SSTC has lower fees than other training providers and has established a network of businesses to employ AAT graduates on wages higher than the minimum salary. Woon and his team also support autistic and deaf students entering the industry. 

Woon is also keen to promote AAT’s code of ethics in a country that ranks 61^st on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. “Malaysia has a lot of bribery and corruption,” he says. “AAT opens our students’ minds to these issues. The more accountants in Malaysia who are aware of ethics, principles and money laundering is better for the national economy.” 

Real world ready: AAT’s strategy to 2030

The award-winners were announced at our AAT Real world ready premier event where AAT CEO, Sarah Beale, introduced the exciting plans for our future and our way forward to 2030.

Our mission is to make it possible for more people to experience the opportunities a career in finance brings, through our accessible qualifications, continued professional development programme and the supportive AAT community.

Cat Hall is AAT Content Editor, members and technical .