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Tony McNeill
Financial Controller at GoFibre
Tony McNeill is a seasoned finance professional currently working as a Financial Controller at GoFibre, a leading independent Scottish broadband provider.23 He has a strong educational background, having studied at ACCA and St. Maurice's. Tony's experience includes roles in accounting and finance, with a previous position as a Senior Commercial Finance Manager at SMS Plc.5
Tony is based in the Greater Glasgow Area and has over 500 connections on LinkedIn.3 He is known for his expertise in financial management, particularly in areas such as month-end processes.4 Tony values work-life balance and has shared insights about the challenges accountants face in their personal lives.4
Outside of his professional life, Tony is deeply rooted in family and community. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, and has a passion for sports, particularly baseball (supporting the St. Louis Cardinals) and soccer. Tony also has an adventurous side, enjoying amusement parks and travel.1
Highlights
I was recently asked by a fellow accountant if we have the same challenges and conversations in our household as they have in theirs when it comes to month end. It got me thinking...
As many accountants the world over are aware, we live our lives broken into one month chunks.
Chunks where the first couple of working days (ha!) are a complete write off, emails stack up in inboxes, annual leave is a thing that other departments have and all other BAU work grinds to a halt as we merrily skip on our way to the Month End Carnival for some more fun on the big wheel and no one is getting off until we close.
This recurring block of time is also the one where our family and friends ask us simple questions, like the proposed timings of family holidays, day trips, even life events - like weddings (sorry darling!) answered by us through the month end prism.
“I can’t - that’s working day three” or “yep - half year should be done by then” or “are you kidding me? We’re in the middle of audit!”
Despite us answering these questions with increased frustration, shorter tempers and higher pitched voices, it seems that no matter how many times we have this same conversation over and over, somehow, the same theme of question still gets asked again, AND AGAIN!
Some of us have even tried to evade this problem entirely by co-habiting or being in a relationship with the same breed in the hope that they will obtain understanding of this repeated conundrum. The result - two month ends, competing, in the same house at the same time. Disaster.
In our house, we even had a month end calendar attached to our fridge at one point with specific colour coding - which I thought was helpful (I was wrong!) - green for good days and red for bad days.
I quickly realised that having said calendar removed from the fridge was probably wise as there was a high probability that that calendar would end where no calendar or other spiral spined stationery should ever, ever be.
I remember having this conversation with a colleague back in 2016 where she comforted me with the knowledge that her husband now knows not to ask. Finally. Salvation. This comment from her was like the glimmer of hope I had long searched for, the grain of sand in the desert, the very faint light at the end of the tunnel, the needle in the haystack…you get the picture:
“Really??? How long did it take for him to stop asking?”
“About 27 years!”
Thud. Reality.
So, to all my fellow, long suffering, spreadsheet wielding month end victims, as we approach the end of the shortest month of the year, and therefore shortest period between month ends, please feel free to use the comments box below as a form of therapy, cathartic if you will to share the conversations that happen in your house. Go…
#accountant #finance #monthend
I’ve long believed that the most effective teams are the ones that get on well, not only as professionals, but as people first and foremost and knowing one another socially massively helps that.
If you know a better way of vibing with your team mates than a Friday lunchtime, indoor, winter barbecue ❄️ with pulled pork 🍖 rainbow slaw 🌈 and a mountain of Five Guys fries 🍟, then write it in the comments section below 👇🏼
I’ll wait…
