News
Paul Brown
28.02.2019
Over the past year, clients have been nominating and providing feedback on their FDM consultants each month in recognition of their outstanding efforts on-site. The Consultant of the Year Award selects one consultant from each FDM region who has truly risen above expectations and shone in their role. Congratulations to our Consultants of the Year from 2018. Let’s hear from the winners:
Zain Abbas (UK and EMEA)
Software Developer at Companies House
Queen Mary, University of London: Computer Science
“To be awarded Consultant of the Year from the UK and EMEA is an unbelievable achievement considering how many consultants FDM have in this region. Starting with relative inexperience and moving to a new part of the UK was daunting for me, but without the belief and support from FDM I would never have had the courage to perform to the level I have been working at. I always strive to outperform myself in every way and I see this award as momentum; an opportunity to work towards the next level. Since joining FDM, I have met some great people all of whom have had a role in developing myself as an IT consultant, from the fantastic recruiter who helped to launch my career to the many awesome trainers I had. I’d like to say a special thanks to my Scrum Master – Patrick Kearse. It was his belief in my ability and the freedom he afforded me, where we were judged on merit and not by experience, which encouraged me to be the best version of myself on-site. The emphasis that FDM places in celebrating diversity and inclusion has helped give me the confidence to be who I truly am, while enjoying what I do. These are the same values I found at Companies House, where there is no ‘one size fits all ‘ approach, allowing me to have a real sense of individuality and be myself while working. My goal for 2019 is to increase my involvement with FDM and continue to be an ambassador for them.”
Orchita Rahman (CA)
IT Analyst for CPPIB
University of Toronto: Economics and Statistics
“At university I realised I had an aptitude for technology, and while my degree did allow me to delve into that strand of study, it didn’t offer me enough opportunity to develop my technical skillset. I started my training in the ITSM stream in July 2017, where FDM offered me a platform to further my interest in technology and utilise the knowledge I’d gained from school. If it hadn’t been for FDM, I may not have had access to these technologies. At CPPIB, I am a member of the Murex and Abacus support team, which is part of the greater department of Operational Services and Improvements. We are responsible for supporting business users in production environments for their trading and risk analysis needs. Murex is a very niche and versatile technology, and CPPIB has many other technologies in employ that I’m training myself to learn. I’m honoured that my work is regarded favourably, especially in such a stacked playing field. I’ve learned a lot in my time at CPPIB and FDM and hope to continue to learn as my role develops. FDM has given me training that I wouldn’t have obtained otherwise and a foot in the door with a rapidly growing fund. The culture at FDM is inclusive and very welcoming. The time I spent in the Academy was a very ideal transition from university to the workforce.”
Athena Chung (APAC)
Consultant at KPMG
Monash University: Microbiology and Mathematics
“Through FDM, I made the big move to Sydney, Australia to build a career in IT, and I am really glad I decided to do so. I have learnt so much and have had the chance to work with many wonderful people. The most rewarding thing about my on-site experience is getting to work directly with clients to identify and solve their business problems. My favourite memory at FDM so far is when I had my first taste of coding and I began learning technical processes which I had not done before. I want to thank FDM for giving me the opportunity to completely change directions in my career and everyone that I have encountered throughout my career journey. In 2019, I hope to continue learning new things and hopefully pick up python coding.”
Amir Sofer (US)
Business Analyst at National Grid
Rutgers University: Business Analytics and IT
“I joined FDM after graduating in 2017 and shortly after joining, I was placed at National Grid on their Finance Process Engineering team. Working for the Process Engineering team has allowed me to assist with various projects, assignments and trainings through which I offer support to several areas of the Finance Department. From the day I began, the team at National Grid has welcomed me with open arms and made me feel more as a valued member of the team rather than as a contractor. I am truly honored to have received such a highly regarded recognition and wish to thank my manager, team members and project leads without whom my success would not have been possible. My whole experience working for National Grid has been rewarding because I was able to not only gain valuable skills, but also give back and teach others and see the positive impact that my work has had on the Finance Department. Looking ahead to 2019, my goal is to keep offering valuable support to the Finance Department at National Grid.”
Could you be the next consultant of the year? Apply to our programme today.
Meet some of our previous winners: