Trinity Financial Services Division have won Finance Team of the Year at the annual British Accountancy Awards this evening.
After being shortlisted in the category of Finance Team of the Year at the British Accountancy Awards, Trinity’s Financial Services Division won the award under the leadership of Chief Financial Officer Ian Mathews.
The Financial Services Division already scooped the prize for best finance team at the Irish Accountancy Awards in April, where they beat out nominees including MBS Retail, Fexco, and TV3.
Speaking to Trinity News, Mathews says that following their success at the Irish Accountancy Awards, the team “were delighted to be invited to submit an entry for “Finance Team of the Year 2018” at the British Accountancy Awards”.
“We were honoured to be announced as a finalist alongside such well-regarded organisations from all sectors,” Mathews continued.
Six other finance team made it onto the shortlist along with Trinity, among them agricultural investor AgDevCo; bookmakers Paddy Power Betfair; data communication company Smart DCC Limited; agriculture and farming group Woldmarsh Producers Ltd; and the University of Edinburgh.
Mathews outlined his pride in every member of Trinity’s finance team. According to Mathews, over the last ten years the team “moved from a compliance basis to one of strategic vision and insight during a planned period of transformation, including the implementation of a state of the art IT system, organisational change and a sustained focus on our mission, vision and values”.
The winners of all 23 categories were announced in an awards ceremony hosted by comedian Josh Widdicombe this evening at the Marriott in London. Winners in the remaining categories include PKF Cooper Perry for Audit Team of the Year, Phil McNaull from the University of Edinburgh for CFO / Finance Director of the Year and PKF-FPM Accountants Limited who managed to win both Tax Team of the Year as well as Mid-Tier Firm of the Year £3-10, amongst others. Last year’s winner of best in-house finance team was Pladis Global, who were not shortlisted for the award this year.
After more than two decades in Trinity, Mathews is leaving before Christmas to take on the position of Vice-Chancellor of Administrative and Financial Affairs at Abu Dhabi University. Provost Patrick Prendergast offered his congratulations to Mathews on his new role, stating: “Ian has had a tremendously successful 24 years in Trinity and we wish him well.”
Trinity’s Financial Services Division received criticism earlier this summer after College increased fees for continuing international and postgraduate students, which it quickly reversed following a meeting with Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) and the Graduate Students’ Union (GSU). The initial fee increase appeared to breach the fee-certainty agreement that was drawn between College and students in March following Take Back Trinity protests.
