Having moved to Guernsey in 2014 to work with a mid-tier assurance team, George Rinu left the commercial accounting setting after three years to move into the public sector.

‘My focus while working in practice was predominantly with the captive insurance sector, an area of the financial services industry for which Guernsey is renowned,' George recalls. 'While this was a great opportunity to specialise in a market sector, I missed the variety of client work I experienced with my previous employer in the UK.  So, when the opportunity presented itself to try something new by moving into the public sector, I welcomed the change.'

George enjoyed and settled into island life in Guernsey, becoming an active heritage volunteer but, with his five-year housing license coming to an end in 2018, he was presented with a natural opportunity to seek different challenges elsewhere. 

‘Jersey appealed as I loved island life and had visited Jersey on a number of occasions, so this seemed the best place to start looking for a new role,’ he says.

‘One of the attractions of working in Jersey is the ability for me to build on the financial services experience I developed in Guernsey.  Having specialised in the captive insurance sector, I was looking for the opportunity to broaden my focus and experience by working with a wider range of financial services structures.’

‘I was also keen to recapture the variety of work and client base I had enjoyed prior to my move to Guernsey so I decided my first priority was to move back into an assurance-focussed firm to provide me with these opportunities.  Having undertaken research and spoken to colleagues and friends in Guernsey, they suggested I speak to, amongst others, RSM.’

 ‘I was particularly attracted to RSM as it is a pan-island firm which would allow me to work in Jersey but retain exposure to Guernsey-based clients.’

Commenting on his move to RSM, George says ‘The firm has provided me with the opportunity to obtain experience across both islands and in a variety of financial services sectors, including the trust, investment, fund services, and insurance business areas.  I have also worked on several non- financial services clients and have already enjoyed considerable variety of work as I near the end of my first year with the firm.’

‘While part of my motivation was to regain an element of variety in my client portfolio, I had originally been content for this to be in an assurance-focused role.  However, I have also enjoyed a diversity of technical accounting and forensic projects which have built on my assurance knowledge and allowed me to expand my experience.  This has provided me with a more rounded accountancy experience which is something I would recommend to anyone deciding to start a career in accounting or looking to make a similar move after qualifying.’

George Rinu

Originally from Essex, George Rinu moved to Jersey just under a year ago to work as a chartered accountant at RSM Channel Islands.  He trained as a chartered accountant in the UK before moving to Guernsey where he was based for almost five years working in both the private and public sectors.

RSM Channel Islands is an Approved Employer with both The Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.  Candidates wishing to apply for training positions with us should submit a covering letter and full CV by email to [email protected].

RSM Channel Islands is an independent member firm of RSM, the world’s sixth largest provider of audit, tax and consultancy services, encompassing 116 countries, 750 offices and more than 41,000 people. 

This article was published in the Spring 2019 Jersey Evening Post Careers and Employment Review supplement.