TheBusinessDesk.com interview with – Kevin O’Connor
KEVIN O’Connor, OMP for West Yorkshire for Baker Tilly, is a self-confessed born accountant who admits that he could have been tempted onto the sports pages – but as writer not a player!
What aspects of your job/profession do you enjoy the most?
I love the people side of the business. Dealing with staff, partners, clients, and business contacts is most enjoyable. I would regard myself as a business builder and the satisfaction of creating something is very important to me.
What key challenges do you anticipate will affect your sector/profession over the next six months?
Availability of credit will clearly have an effect on the business community over the next six months. As far as our business is concerned we need to continue to demonstrate value to our clients and to ensure we get paid for that advice!
What key skills do you think every business leader should have?
The ability to listen, sort the wheat from the chaff and act on it.
Why do you think Yorkshire is a good place to start up/operate a business?
There is an entrepreneurial spirit in Yorkshire. There is great support available for start-up operations from the financial and business advisory sectors. It is also a great place to live.
If you could improve anything in the region what would it be?
Transport links. Particularly the airport and M62.
Do you think that red tape is hindering business growth in the UK?
Yes. This has been a hobby horse of mine for sometime. I am a tax specialist and when I see the regulations surrounding tax compliance now it is a wonder that business people have any time to do anything other than fill in unnecessary forms.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Be your own man. Lawrence Longe (Baker Tilly National Managing Partner 2002).
And the worst?
I am not sure I have been given any bad advice particularly. I have observed business behaviour in my career that I would definitely not want to replicate. I have seen bullying in the workplace from superiors and it is just totally unacceptable.
What is the best deal/business achievement you’ve been involved with?
This is a difficult one. One that has given me the most satisfaction is our recent merger with Horwath Clark Whitehill (Yorkshire). Not only was it a great deal to pull-off but the fact that it was generated, engineered and executed locally gives me most satisfaction. There have been lots of mergers in the accountancy world where decisions have been taken outside the region and local management just had to get on with it. Our transaction was locally generated with the parties on both sides wanting to do the deal and we executed it in double quick time.
What was your first job and what did you spend your first wage packet on?
I am a saddo. My first real job was as an accountancy trainee back in 1982 in London. I therefore have only ever been an accountant. My first wage bill was spent on one of those huge stereo cassette radio recorders that we used to have in the 80’s but needed a trailer to carry it. It is a far cry from the new Ipod technology when you can pack a thousand songs into something the size of a matchbox.
If you could choose to start your career over again would you do anything different and if so what?
I have thoroughly enjoyed my career so far. I was probably born to be an accountant although I did not realise it and wouldn’t really want to swap this for anything apart from being a professional golfer (not good enough). I would love to have been a sports journalist.
