Averil Armstrong - CIMA

My thirty year career as a management accountant was divided between the office and the classroom. I qualified as FCMA working for what was Sterling Winthrop, later to be a part of Kodak, and then Sanofi. I moved from there to Newcastle Business School to teach management accounting, and then into the Finance department of the University of Newcastle.

My staff development when working for Newcastle Business School took me through the CIMA committee hierarchy and onto Council and the Executive. I helped in the review of three syllabi changes over 15 years, and I remain on the examinations team for one of their papers. The changes and developments of management accounting over the last 20 years have made it a vibrant and challenging subject.

I am now mostly retired, trying to keep up with my Jack Russell pup. I also lecture for the Open University and Grenoble Business School. This latter takes me to a variety of exotic locations. My students in Newcastle, Grenoble, Serbia and Iran are similar in many ways, as decision support must take account of human attitudes to risk and trust, as well as the desires for success and wealth.

In a shrinking world with increasing job and human mobility, people with the self-confident integrity which I consider to be the main hallmark of my profession, should be recognised and celebrated. I am delighted to be offered the opportunity to help in that process so close to home, and so close to my heart.

Emma Johnson is a Chartered Accountant from Middlesbrough

After leaving school Emma joined the North East Chamber of Commerce to undertake the AAT course. Successfully completing this in 2002 she subsequently joined Anderson Barrowcliff in Thornaby on Tees to complete her ACA qualification.

She specialises in Solicitors’ Accounts Rules and advises owner managed businesses on their accounts and ongoing business strategy.

When qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in July 2000, Emma was also awarded the top mark for a North East Student on the advanced stage case study paper.

Emma is currently Chairman of the Northern Chartered Accountants Student Society.

Tarek Nseir, Managing Director, TH_NK

Winner of various accolades, including NorthEast Young Business Executive 2006, Tarek Nseir has built his business in five years to become the nationally acclaimed brand technology company TH_NK.

From an initial contract worth £20,000, TH_NK is set to achieve a turnover of £4M and a profit of £1M this year. With a varied client list ranging from Northern Rock and ITV to the global marketing research company TNS, the company is also involved in defining new Web standards and guidelines as a member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

The future looks exciting as Tarek continues to build the business, opening a London office this year and set to double turnover and profits by 2010.