Pilotlight People: Julia Mortimer

3 February 2010

Julia Mortimer, an associate at Watts Gregory LLP, has recently started working as a Pilotlighter with Arts Factory in Wales

PL:  Have you always been interested in the charity sector? 
JM:  I started working with charities and other not-for-profit organisations about 10 years ago, initially preparing accounts and carrying out audits. Since coming to Watts Gregory, I have become more involved in working with the sector, offering far more advice and support.

PL:  What causes do you feel most passionately about? 
JM:  The charities I have tended to become most involved in are those run and staffed by people with vision, who are enthusiastic about their work and dedicated to what they do for me it is all about supporting these people to help them achieve their goals. I have supported a number of cancer charities for as long as I can remember mainly because it has touched the lives of so many people close to me.

PL:  What motivated you to get involved with Pilotlight?
JM:  Watts Gregory is committed to the voluntary sector and working with Pilotlight gives us a chance to give something back to worthwhile causes, within a structured framework. We provide a comprehensive service for our clients and I hope, working with Pilotlight will broaden my perspective in terms of the strategic planning they need, enabling me to provide an even better service to my clients. I am also very excited about working with other senior professionals and keen to learn from them.

PL:  How do you think you will be able to help the charity you are working with?
JM:  I hope to be able to use my experience of other similar organisations and my commercial/financial background to develop the skills of the team we are working with so they are better placed to make the organisation a long-term success.


PL:  What have you learned from the experience so far?
JM:  I have worked with two charities with the first one I helped the director to think about the financial side of the organisation and we assisted with a variety of operational issues. I think the team worked well bouncing ideas off each other and giving good feedback to the director of the charity. The director seemed to want a sounding board to help her reach decisions, which was both interesting and constructive. We also helped structure the strategic plan. The second project is in the early stages.

PL:  What have you learned from the experience? 
JM:  It is still early days but I am already caught up in the enthusiasm of everyone involved.

For more information about the Arts Factory, click here

Watts Gregory LLP is an established independent firm of chartered accountants, business advisers and tax consultants, with eight partners and around 35 staff.