Women in the City Winner: Kathryn Britten of BDO Stoy Hayward LLP

by Elizabeth Harrin (London)

What does a forensic accountant do all day? It’s a specialised – and largely male dominated – field, but Kathryn Britten has risen to the top of her profession as National Head of Forensic Accounting at BDO Stoy Hayward LLP. Kathryn won the Accountancy Category of the 2008 Women in the City Awards which recognizes her achievement in her field.

So, what is her field again? “A forensic accountant is an investigator who is trained to look beyond the numbers to interpret financial issues and assess their impact,” Kathryn explains. “We analyze, distill and present complex information in a way that is accessible and understandable, often in court.” Kathryn has acted as an accounting expert witness in over 200 commercial disputes, giving evidence under oath. In this role she is often aggressively cross-examined. She also works on cases that don’t go to court. “I favor meeting other experts to narrow the issues in disputes and to advise on settlement negotiations including mediation, which often leads to the successful settlement of disputes outside the courts,” she says. “The types of work that I have been involved with include allegations of accountant’s negligence, loss of profits calculations, contractual disputes and complex accounting investigations.”

Kathryn trained with Deloitte Haskins & Sells (now PricewaterhouseCoopers) and joined BDO Stoy Hayward in 1990, becoming a partner five years later. She now leads a team across seven offices, comprising over 150 partners and staff. She is involved with several industry and professional bodies, and has been active within her company in setting up ‘The Work Life Balance Challenge Fund’ project which has led to the implementation of major initiatives to give employees, especially women, greater flexibility in their working lives. It’s this commitment to improving standards and conditions across the board that contributed to Kathryn receiving the award.

Kathryn says that winning was “absolutely brilliant.” She had a lot to celebrate the weekend that she heard, as it coincided with her wedding anniversary. “It is a great, great honor to have won the award and to have been nominated alongside such brilliant women,” she says. “It is also a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on what we at BDO Stoy Hayward have done to help women reach their full potential.”

Outside the office Kathryn has some hobbies that don’t fit the stereotype of an accountant. She’s interested in sports cars and also very keen on ballet. “I’m constantly told that what I’m passionate about is unusual – I knew I was passionate about maths at school and wanted to be an accountant at 15,” she says. “I prioritized my family, which I was warned would ruin my career, and I also have hobbies that don’t seem to match each other or my career. For me sports cars and ballet represent the peak of their categories and both give me opportunity to spend valuable time on myself.”

In the time that Kathryn has been working in accounting, she has noticed rapid change. “The women who are coming into the profession are being brave and determined in their choices and what they prioritize,” she says. Her national team comprises almost 50% women, and four of the senior women are currently on maternity leave. Flexible working policies at BDO and other accountancy firms mean it is easier for women to prioritize family and a successful career.

Forensic accounting is still a specialised field, although Kathryn believes the best forensic accountants have a general practice background with broad experience. “To go into this line of work you need a mix of strong analytical skills and people skills,” she says. “It is very much about building relationships and trust as well as being able to analyze information. You cannot be a good forensic accountant without a balance of good interpretative skills and good interpersonal skills, which is a bit like enjoying sports cars and ballet!”