James Blondel

Senior Manager

BSc (Hons), BFP, ACA

My experience

After graduating with a First-Class Honours degree in Astrophysics, I turned my attention to accountancy; the profession is perfect for my numerical and analytical skills. I joined Whitley Stimpson in the autumn of 2017 as a trainee accountant and have since passed all my exams first time and qualified as a chartered accountant in January 2021.

Describe what you do at Whitley Stimpson

As well as looking after a portfolio of clients – working closely with the business owners and their in-house finance departments – I head up the technical development of our excellent team of trainees in Witney. I have a wealth of experience in accounting, tax, auditing, business planning and ad hoc projects, so it’s nice to be able to pass on my knowledge and experience to our trainees.

Why Whitley Stimpson?

As well as being a great company to work for, Whitley Stimpson provides the perfect environment for both new and experienced accountants. The firm puts a great deal of emphasis on quality training and continual professional development.  I know that I have a top-class team of specialists within Whitley Stimpson that I can call on if needed.  All of this enables the firm to deliver the highest level of support and advice to its clients. In my opinion Whitley Stimpson are the perfect sized firm, small enough to deliver a bespoke personalised service, but big enough to be able to offer our clients the comprehensive expertise and specialisms they sometimes need.

What matters to you?

Although I’ve now qualified as a chartered accountant I still want to progress and develop, so being with a firm that encourages this is important to me. It’s not just the occasions where I can enhance my professional expertise, but also the opportunities to be trusted to take on more responsibility in the firm and have exposure to a wide of jobs and clients. The reputation of the firm I work for also matters to me so the fact that I’m part of Whitley Stimpson makes me proud.