10 March 2023
James Hodgson, chief financial officer, Opencast
Who was your hero when you were growing up?
As a York City fan and music-geek teenager of the mid-nineties, they were Jon McCarthy (one to Google!) and Noel Gallagher. I spent many an hour at City matches and playing in bands as a teenager and I’m incredibly grateful and proud of the friendship circles I’ve grown up with from this time. They shaped my world and for that I’ll always have fond memories of that period in my life.
What was your big career break?
Two breaks come to mind, and they have bookended my career to date. The first being my acceptance on to an ACA training programme fresh out of university; I had the choice between a Big 4 route or smaller local audit firm with an intake of two students a year. I took the latter due to the breadth of work I would be exposed to and close mentorship of a fantastic team whilst studying. I still hold that experience dear to this day as I believe it shaped my outlook on the type of business I enjoy working for and the people I surround myself with. The second would be my current appointment as CFO at Opencast. Since meeting the founders, Mike and Charlie, and CEO Tom, I instantly felt at home in the organisation they have created and their vision for the future. I could not ask for a more inspirational and challenging environment in which to ply my trade.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A guitarist in a 70s rock band or an RAF fighter pilot! Given that I was a child of the 80s (and of limited musical talent) I quickly discounted the former and my eyesight was probably never going to allow me to be the next Top Gun. Since I embarked on a career in finance though I have never looked back, the ACA qualification opens so many doors and is an incredible platform from which to develop a career in finance.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Early in my career I remember being advised to surround myself with people whose company I enjoy and that I respect both professionally and privately. This was a key factor in me taking the role I have today as we look to build a differentiated organisation with a strong collective purpose.
If you had to work in a different industry, which would you choose?
Unsurprisingly, probably music or sport! It’s a difficult one as once your hobbies become your job then it can take away from the enjoyment. Having said that, I could see myself enjoying a role where I followed my favourite musicians and sports people around the globe!
The Rolling Stones or the Beatles?
Both! I’m a music nerd and so can’t imagine a world without either. There was a short-lived supergroup containing John Lennon and Keith Richards called The Dirty Mac who did a great version of ‘Yer Blues’ – proof that there is a world where you don’t have to choose!
What would you do with £1m?
Beyond helping a couple of causes which are very close to my heart, I have two young boys, so I’d probably put it into a holiday fund where we’d use our spare time to venture across the globe and buy a kitted-out campervan for travels closer to home! I’m really looking forward to them encountering a lot of the cultures I’ve been fortunate enough to experience and embarking on lots of the trips on my ‘to do’ list for the first time together.
Where would you live if money was no object?
I’d probably speed up the renovations on my own house and be happy there for a good few years first! Beyond that, it would have to be somewhere near a spectacular coast with hot and dry summers, but close enough to some mountains for long walks and winter sports. Northumberland with better summers wouldn’t be far off!
Which law would you most like to change?
Not so much a law, but I’d like to see a change in government policy around childcare provision and support for new parents returning to work. It is an area in which we trail more forward-thinking nations, with current policy counterproductive to individual career development and economic productivity. Under the current system, it can be financially unviable for many parents with young children to return to the workplace so I would like to see this changed to the benefit of parents and employers alike.
What is the greatest technology advancement in your lifetime?
Given the industry I work in, I would have to say the internet. It’s incredible to think how quickly the world has changed because of the advance in digital technology; we’ve come a long way since my school days of there being one school computer! After a long week I often crave the simplicity of a life without connectivity, but I’m always in awe of the technology and grateful for how it has shaped my professional life.
