As a business adviser with a passion for agriculture and a commitment to client success, Aimee’s role goes beyond numbers. As the National Finance Chair for the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Club (SAYFC), Aimee’s knowledge and understanding of the industry provides her with a unique perspective to help her clients in the Rural sector. In addition to her busy work and SAYFC schedule, Aimee also found the time to train for and run the Paris Marathon this year in aid of Cancer Research UK!

Tell us about your role at Johnston Carmichael and what you do for businesses.

Within my Business Advisory role, I ensure clients’ necessary compliance work is completed, allowing them to fully focus on their own businesses. I also assist with advisory services which add value and help clients grow or indeed exit their businesses.

My day can range from reviewing year end accounts, a tax computation and submitting a VAT return to having a client meeting where succession or tax planning are on the agenda. Whatever the conversation or advice required we are committed to ensuring that timely, proactive business advice is provided.

Furthermore, a highlight of my role is attending various Agricultural Shows in Scotland, such as the Royal Highland Show, which takes place every at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, This is always a great way to catch up with clients, and it is always a fun weekend. I am looking forward to attending again this year, in our Johnston Carmichael marquee! 

What attracted you to the firm, and to working within the Rural sector particularly?

A combination of my own background in farming and the firm having significant expertise in the rural sector meant I was keen join the team. With a past dairyman as a father, and as a student myself, undertaking multiple seasonal jobs including lambing, tattie rouging, being a grain store assistant and wool rolling; I am delighted that my day-to-day work now, as a qualified Chartered Accountant, is connected to the sector I am so passionate about.

This, coupled with the firm’s commitment to people development, made JC the perfect fit. I am keen to increase my knowledge, in particular my exposure in tax, and over the next year I will be sitting my ATT exams, which is an area JC has really supported me in.

What do you enjoy most about working at JC?

A definite highlight of the job is interacting with clients and getting to know their business. Recently I have been working with a new client, and seeing the compliance cycle through from the onboarding process to final account discussions and tax return submission has been very rewarding. The client visit gave me a further insight into their business, their future plans and tax planning matters – which was fantastic to hear about, but also great to see what we can do to help their growth plans! And as we approached their year end we were also able to perform pre year end planning work.

One other great aspect about working at JC is the people. My colleagues are highly skilled, welcoming and always ready to offer assistance. 

Can you tell us more about your involvement with the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Club (SAYFC)?

I am currently the National Finance Chair for SAYFC, however having been a member for over a decade, I have held various positions from Club and District Treasurers to District & Anniversary Secretaries.  During my time in SAYFC, I've thoroughly enjoyed participating in a wide range of competitions; the Highland Show Stockmanship programme, Speechmaking, Tug of war and Talentspot, to name a few - I've given most things a go! 

Now in my current year as Finance Chair, the remit and focus is safeguarding SAYFC's finances, and I have several objectives to ensure this. One was to organise new fundraising initiatives, which took the form of ‘SAYFC Cycling A to B’. This involved members cycling over 165 miles from Aviemore to Biggar Show over three days, to raise funds for SAYFC & RSABI. I was delighted that we raised over £6,000 in total, and we were recognised for our efforts, being presented with the Inaugural Richard Huxtable Award from RSABI.

How does your personal involvement in both SAYFC, and the wider rural sector, benefit you within your role at JC?

Being involved in SAYFC and the wider farming sector personally, greatly benefits me in my role. It allows me to connect with my clients who are primarily farmers and landowners. Engaging with the next generation of farmers helps me relate to their daily challenges and successes, but also improves my knowledge which undoubtedly benefits me in my role.

Being a member of SAYFC offers experiences that further extend my understanding of farming too. Last year I represented SAYFC at the RYE European Rally in Austria. The theme of the week was ‘The Circular Economy of Food’ and involved different farm visits including a dairy farm, vineyard and piggery. This allowed me to see different farming practices and expand my knowledge further.

What else keeps you busy outside of work?

Outside of work, I recently completed the Paris Marathon in aid of Cancer Research UK, so my training runs had been keeping me very busy! In addition to running, my young farmer commitments have been keeping me well occupied. I have participated in Carluke YFC’s Annual Variety Concert and coached the club’s three Junior speechmaking teams. I’m a big advocate for speechmaking - the competition allows members to fine-tune their public speaking skills, which is a hugely beneficial life skill to learn and being a coach has been very rewarding! 

For more information on life at JC and opportunities in our Rural team, visit our Careers page here.