The Professional Guidance Department is delighted host a virtual Careers Speed Networking evening focussing on careers in the Law, Finance and Government sectors. 

Come along to learn from the experiences of our professionals and ask them questions you may have about studying and working in these industries.  We will be welcoming representatives from:

Accountancy

Consultancy

Commercial Law

Immigration and Employment Law

Trading/Investment

Biographies:

Constance Freer-Smith ACA

Constance (CG 2013) joined KPMG, one of the “Big Four” professional services firms, as a member of their School Leaver Programme. 

Having completed her A-levels and a gap year, she commenced a five year apprenticeship-style scheme which incorporated a full-time client facing role, an undergraduate degree from Durham University and qualification as a Chartered Account.   During this time she worked in the Financial Services audit practice, specialising in Investment Banking clients.

Upon qualification in 2019 she moved to a new role at KPMG, working as a Strategy Consultant within the Aerospace & Defence practice.  This role has so far focussed on working with public sector Defence clients, helping them to determine and realise their long term strategic ambitions.  It has been a steep learning curve, but has demonstrated the value of a traditional financial background in allowing exposure to really exciting and diverse opportunities.  

Lizzie Frost

Lizzie (HH 2005) is a director at London Law Collective, a law firm focused on start-ups, small businesses and entrepreneurs. 

After doing a degree in History at Durham University, Lizzie trained at Slaughter and May before spending four years in one of their corporate groups.

She took a short break to raise her young family (Lizzie has three boys: 5, 3 and 1) before picking up her career as a lawyer in the dynamic and fast-moving start-up environment. 

Lizzie now primarily advises small businesses and entrepreneurs, with a focus on corporate and commercial issues. 

Jo Fiddian

Jo (ED 1999) left St Swithun’s to go to Christ’s College, Cambridge to study Social and Political Science.

After graduating, she taught in India before doing a Masters degree in comparative politics at LSE.

Then after more teaching and a stint at a foreign affairs think tank, she got onto the Civil Service Fast Stream - a development programme for graduates to enter government.

She has been a civil servant for 15 years now, mainly working in the justice sector.  She is a Senior Civil Servant and currently Head of Transformation at the Legal Aid Agency, which is part of the Ministry of Justice.

Victoria Balchin

Victoria (D 1992) studied Business Economics at Durham University after doing Maths, Economics and German A levels.

She joined PwC in Audit (Entertainment and Media/Oil and Gas division) and qualified as Chartered Accountant ACA in 1999.

She first worked as a Finance Accountant and Finance Controller for BskyB plc (a FTSE-100 Media company) which coincided with the launch of digital set-top boxes for Sky. 

She then worked in various roles for SABMiller plc (FTSE-100 Beverages), the second largest Global brewer in the world until its takeover in 2016 by ABInBev, the largest brewer in the world.

Following this, she went on to a role as Group Financial Controller for Spectris plc (FTSE-250 Electronics) a high tech-instrumentation and test equipment company with software.

Currently Victoria is CFO for Brüel & Kjær Vibro, a company headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany.  She works from the UK and her Finance team is based in Germany and the US. 

Harvey Bowyer (former parent)

Harvey currently works as a Business Manager, in the Africa Directorate, which is part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).  He advises two Directors for Africa on areas such as resource management, staffing and risk, as well as liaising with the Estates Directorate on major projects.

Harvey's job has taken him to many countries including Serbia, Nigeri, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Israel and Afghanistan.

He has also held other roles, such as Deputy Head of the HR Unit, Resource Manager and Deputy Head of the Anti-Fraud and Corruption Unit.

Coco Hands

After leaving St Swithun's, Coco (HC 2016) studied economics at Kings College London, during which time she completed two internships in finance, one of which resulted in an offer to join the company full time after her graduation.

After completing her course in 2019, she joined BNP Paribas global markets in London on a rotational programme - spending time in all parts of markets at an investment bank including research, sales and trading.  Following the graduate programme she secured a permanent role in Emerging Markets Rates Trading and this remains her role at the bank currently.

This summer she will begin a 2 year assignment in Paris.