Roberta Woodcock FICB became a Fellow of ICB in 1998 and has used her ICB qualification to find gainful employment in a number of mostly bookkeeping-related jobs.
"My ICB qualification is still so important to me. Bookkeeping is what has allowed me to be in the wrong place at the right time and to take advantage of the opportunities presented to me; I am deeply proud of those four letters, FICB, after my name.
Roberta's fascinating career spanning both the public and private sector has seen her working at the Treasury, editing a quarterly journal for government accountants, implementing financial systems for the Prison Service, working in accountancy firms, managing international accounts departments, and entering the 'strange and exciting world of corporate treasury'.
"If it was out of the ordinary, or a one off piece of work, it was mine. I faced the usual question- why hadn't I qualified as an accountant? - my standard reply;
Because I'm a bookkeeper!"
Somehow Roberta found time to complete a postgraduate course in Training and Development at Cambridge University, and set up her own training company, Serrena Services Ltd in 2004.
"I had not taken into account that my reputation was already walking down the road in front of me and despite efforts to train in a different field, I kept coming back to finance.
"Several years later I have established myself lecturing in such delights as Public Finance, governance, budgeting, strategic business management, public policy and leadership and management."
Roberta also works as the Chief Examiner for CiPFA in Governance and Public Policy and is a valuable member of the ICB's Advisory Council.
In her role within the Advisory Council, Roberta has special responsibility for promoting and representing ICB members who are employed within companies or whose careers have gone down another path away from traditional bookkeeping work.
You can download Roberta's full job profile here:
Roberta Woodcock Profile
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