Grant Thornton’s Stephen McGlynn talks about the shifting skillsets within the industry and the growing importance of AI and automation.
While working in audit and assurance doesn’t bring technology immediately to mind, the importance of data analytics and DevOps cannot be ignored in this sector.
Stephen McGlynn is a DevOps lead and associate director in audit and assurance in Grant Thornton, having started out as a trainee in 2015 working on various aspects of audit work.
“Over time, I gained more experience and progressed to handling more challenging tasks, including financial statement preparation and compliance reviews,” he said.
“The independence I was given early on, coupled with the immense support from audit managers and partners, helped build my confidence and set a strong foundation for my career.”
After completing his training contract in 2018, McGlynn became an audit assistant manager and later an audit manager. “In 2021, I transitioned into an operations role, moving away from client-facing work. This shift involved leading our internal accounts production team and driving efficiencies through innovation,” he said.
“The experience encouraged me to develop skills in low-code, no-code platforms and automation software. In 2022, I was promoted to associate director and now serve as the DevOps lead within the data analytics team.”
McGlynn is now undertaking a postgraduate diploma in data science, focusing on coding languages such as React and Python.
How did your interest in tech blossom?
I’ve always had a keen interest in technology, starting with building e-commerce websites several years ago. Throughout my audit career, I’ve continuously sought out more efficient ways to manage routine or repetitive tasks, whether that involved using advanced Excel functions or creating VBA scripts to automate processes.
In recent years, my passion for coding was reignited as I saw first-hand how technology, particularly coding, could address complex challenges within audit. This realisation motivated me to explore further and learning languages like React and Python has since opened up new avenues for innovation.
These skills have not only allowed me to streamline workflows but also positioned me to take on a leadership role in driving technological advancements within the data analytics team.
Tell us about your role as associate director within data analytics.
As the DevOps lead within the data analytics team, my role involves leading the development team in designing, building and maintaining our audit tools and platform. I collaborate closely with the innovation and enablement leads to gain a clear understanding of the challenges faced by audit teams and develop solutions that drive efficiencies and streamline workflows.
My focus is on fostering continuous innovation, ensuring the platform not only delivers a seamless user experience but also optimises back-end performance. This balance is essential to ensure the platform evolves in line with the changing needs of the audit teams while remaining reliable and scalable.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face?
One of the biggest challenges in data analytics is managing messy and incomplete datasets. The accuracy and effectiveness of our analytics are directly tied to the quality of the underlying data and ensuring that data is clean, well-structured and meaningful can be a daunting and time-consuming task. This often involves significant effort in data wrangling, validation and cleansing before any meaningful analysis can take place.
Another ongoing challenge is staying up to date with the ever-evolving tools and technologies in the field. As new platforms, techniques and programming languages emerge, it’s essential to continuously learn and adapt to leverage these advancements effectively. Balancing the need to maintain existing systems while adopting new technologies can be a delicate and sometimes difficult process.
How are tech trends changing the audit and tax industry?
Tech trends are transforming the way we approach audit and tax. Automation and AI certainly weren’t the buzzwords when I started my audit career, but each now holds the potential to bring greater efficiency and accuracy to audits.
AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini are becoming more mainstream, offering the possibility for auditors to quickly analyse large volumes of data, automate repetitive tasks and focus on higher-value, complex issues. However, it’s important to acknowledge that while AI has the potential to enhance efficiency, understanding its limitations – such as hallucinations and false pattern recognition – is essential.
These advancements are also shifting the skillsets required in the industry. Audit teams will increasingly need a blend of traditional audit skills and tech expertise to navigate this new landscape, and these trends are poised to fundamentally impact how we work and engage with clients.
Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out?
I wish I had understood the importance of questioning the status quo much earlier in my career. I’ve come to realise that you shouldn’t be afraid to challenge established processes, especially when there’s potential for a more efficient or effective way of doing things.
Often, the most meaningful innovation comes from stepping outside of traditional methods and rethinking what’s possible. By encouraging curiosity and a willingness to explore alternative approaches, you open the door to significant improvements and more impactful solutions.
What advice would you give to someone looking to upskill in the area of data analytics?
My advice is simple: don’t shy away from new challenges. The field of data analytics is rapidly evolving and the ability to adapt and continually learn is essential.
Whether it’s getting to grips with new programming languages, exploring the latest tools or working through complex and messy datasets, each challenge will help to sharpen your skills and broaden your understanding.
Embrace every opportunity to push your boundaries, as each experience will not only enhance your technical abilities but also open up new career opportunities and pathways you may not have considered before.
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