I’m Jessica Milligan. I’m a director in our group finance team responsible for accounting policy and reporting strategy.
I started training as an accountant with Anderson, moved to Deloitte, then moved to ICG in 2006 as the corporate tax function. And since then I’ve done a number of different roles within ICG, moving into finance last year.
Career progression at ICG
Roles I’ve held within ICG:
- I was firstly in corporate tax
- I then looked after the group Treasury function
- A corporate strategy role came next – it was very much around the governance of the organisation
- I was the head of internal audit
- And then moved to my current role as Director, Accounting Policy & Reporting Strategy
Career background
My first job was on Saturdays at newsagent John Menzies. I probably wanted to become a doctor, but rather a gory TV series put me off.
My career path has been completely ad hoc. I had no idea what I wanted to do, and trained as an accountant to give myself some options. And since then, I’ve taken on roles that have looked interesting.
ICG has really supported empowered me through my career, supporting me to take on new things, to try new challenges and then given me the opportunity to learn along the way.
I’m really most proud of the fact that I was brave enough to take those opportunities and to try new things. I think that’s really opened up so many more doors than if I had stuck with what would have been a fairly narrow plan of what comes next.
Lessons for others
Looking back, the key thing I’d change is I’d like to have learned how to let go of things earlier and give myself a bit more space to breath.
I think the best advice I’d like to share, which particularly for women with children, is always to make sure
that you build a good support network around you and this can take many forms. It’s not all on you. That was really key in giving myself space, and brain space.
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