Established in 1989, FDS DIRECTOR SERVICES is a Wakefield-based, award-winning, leading corporate finance boutique offering a wide range of corporate finance services for ownermanaged and privately-owned businesses across the UK and internationally. In 2020, the esteemed organization went through its succession planning, transferring ownership to Poonam Kaur and Team. An award-winning corporate financier, accountant, business consultant, and mother of four, Poonam started her career as an Accountant before finding her calling in corporate finance. As the CEO of FDS, Poonam uses her over two decades of extensive experience and expertise to steer the firm to accelerate growth and be the leading corporate finance service provider, with a strong focus on service quality.

In an exclusive interview with The Global Women Leader, Poonam sheds light on her prior industry experience and early influences on life, the major business challenges she faces and how she mitigates them, and much more.

What were some key early influences in life that shaped you as an individual?

My mother has been predominantly the biggest influence in my life. We lost our father when I was just eight. She continued to run the family business after we lost my dad, and took care of me, our elderly grandparents, and my two brothers. She showed me that difficult times can teach us so much and how resilient you have to be in those tough situations. Even my grandparents were farmers and were hardworking individuals throughout their lives. Coming from a background of such hardworking individuals, the values of sheer hard work and dedication were instilled in me from a very young age.

“In an overcrowded, male-dominated industry, my message to other ambitious businesswomen is to dream big, keep strong & hold onto your resilience”

Tell us about the prior industry experience that you bring to the table. What are your key areas of expertise in accounting and corporate finance?

After college, I trained to become an accountant via an apprenticeship. The exposure and experience I received from working with various clients at the firm built solid foundations for my career and gave me valuable insight into various business and industry types, working as a team, and much more.

Over the years, I worked my way up through this organization to become a senior auditor. However, once I had passed my exams and finished my core training, I found myself wanting another challenge and setting my next goal. Having tried a few different areas in the accounting profession, I entered the corporate finance industry and found my calling in it. I found corporate finance to be strategically focused and that's where I excelled in my skillset, understanding issues, evaluating the options, and offering solutions to organizations to strive further. For me, it’s all about adding value.

Introduce us to FDS DIRECTOR SERVICES. What are your focus areas in terms of driving growth for the company?

FDS was founded by Jo Haigh, our Chairman, 34 years ago and went through its own succession in 2020, where we are now an employee-owned business. In terms of key growth areas, we have completed more than 400 transactions and aim to continue to grow the business further as one of the leading corporate finance firms. We focus on investing in our team, ensuring we have the skills, and continue to develop our service offering and high quality.

What are the major business challenges you encounter in your current role and how do you mitigate them?

One of the more pressing challenges has been finding and recruiting the right people. Instead of just filling a vacant position, we always ensure that we employ individuals with the skills required and have the same values and cultural fit. As this can take some time, managing any shortfall can definitely be a challenge. However, we have built a team that comes together in those testing times to help each other. So, for me, it is all about creating an open space based on teamwork and transparency for everyone to understand the potential challenges so we can focus on finding solutions together.

In your opinion, what have been the biggest ‘wins’ that you have achieved so far in your professional journey?

I started my apprenticeship when I was 18 and had my first child at 20. There are so many young women nowadays who put a family life on hold as they think, or are told, that this could affect their career progression. Today, as a mother of four, I want to share my journey, which may give a different perspective, as I genuinely believe that you can have it all but need to work hard and be dedicated. Some of my biggest achievements include becoming a qualified accountant while having a family, and becoming the Managing Director of a company at the age of 32. My children have been my strength.

The largest transaction I have done till now is a staggering $72 million, which is a huge achievement for me. However, one of the most fulfilling achievements has been receiving positive client feedback. As I give my full attention to them throughout the journey while trying to do my best for them, receiving such amazing feedback is truly overwhelming and makes it all worthwhile.

Poonam Kaur, CEO, FDS Director Services

A multi-award-winning corporate financier, accountant, business consultant, and mother of four with more than two decades of extensive experience in accounting and corporate finance. Poonam Kaur started her career as an Accountant before finding her calling in corporate finance. She is now the CEO of Wakefield-based, awardwinning, leading corporate finance firm, FDS DIRECTOR SERVICES.

• Educational Qualification: BSc (Hons), FCCA, Certificate in Company Direction

• A business leader you admire: My mother