A Baines Jewitt employee, who gained worldwide recognition for outstanding academic achievement, has scooped a top prize for excelling in his accountancy exams, as well as completing the final steps in his professional training programme.

Jamie McNicholas was crowned one of the winners of the prestigious ‘Charles Urie Peat Prize.’ The award – named after former Darlington MP Charles Urie Peat – recognises students’ success in the Institute of Chartered Accountants qualifying exams.

He was presented with his prize at the Northern Chartered Accountant Students’ Society (NCASS) Teesside Annual Dinner at Acklam Hall recently.  As well as a certificate, Jamie received an inscribed pen.

Jamie has also recently completed a three year training programme and is well on his way to qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (ACA) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

The highly-respected ACA professional qualification requires students to undertake in-depth hands-on training; pass a series of rigorous examinations and commit to continuing professional development to keep their skills up to date.

Before joining Baines Jewitt, Jamie worked in industry as a management accountant for a nationwide retailer.  During this time, Jamie completed the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification and began further studies towards becoming a Chartered Management Accountant with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).

In 2023 Jamie was placed ‘first in the world’ by the CIMA for an area of assessment which challenged students to apply their knowledge to a given scenario relevant to the business world.

Talking of his success, Jamie said: “Being able to apply the technical knowledge gained whilst studying has given additional meaning to my learning.  I have also been able to continue to utilise the practical skills and knowledge developed through my prior experience as an in-house accountant to assist Baines Jewitt’s clients with bespoke management reporting and other internal requirements.”   

“I feel lucky to have secured a job with a company which rewards dedication and promotes from within.  I enjoy improving my knowledge which also ensures I keep on top of new legislation, changes in policy and its interpretation.”

Talking of Jamie’s achievements Don Adams, director at Baines Jewitt, said: “As testament to his hard work, Jamie has combined study towards his professional accountancy qualifications, alongside his full-time job and looking after his young family.  He is a very valuable member of our team and deserves every success.”