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PRsonal: ‘I didn’t care that I was the black sheep’: Meet Carl Swansbury from Rycroft Glenton

In this series of podcasts, Charlotte Nichols, managing director of PR agency Harvey & Hugo, gets up close and PRsonal with a variety of well-known business faces. Nothing is off limits as she digs deep to get to know the person behind the professional…

In this episode…

Carl Swansbury didn’t take the traditional route to the top.

He tells PRsonal host Charlotte Nichols how he became one of the UK’s youngest ever chartered accountants – and didn’t go to university.

Having turned down the chance to study law at Durham University, he instead joined PwC on-route to his current role as head of corporate finance at Rycroft Glenton

In this episode, the pair discuss everything from the challenges of the covid pandemic, jumping out of an airplane, the value of hard work and raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.

Oh – and which other podcast includes a question about playing golf in the nude?!

Key moments:

• 00:00:07 - Introduction and setting the rules for the conversation.
• 00:00:35 - The reality of the ‘challenges’ people face day-to-day
• 00:01:34 - Family heartbreak of losing his uncle suddenly
• 00:06:12 - Carl’s biggest charity challenge to date that wasn’t his ‘greatest moment’.
• 00:07:10 - ‘What was your final thought before jumping out the airplane?’
• 00:12:10 - The good and bad things about living through a pandemic
• 00:16:51 - ‘Have you ever played golf naked?’
• 00:21:59 - Carl’s secret work he hid from his mates to do well at school
• 00:25:40 - How Carl’s parents ‘tag teamed’ to help him as a child
• 00:29:06 - Shunning a law degree at Durham University to join PwC
• 00:30:38 - Becoming the youngest qualified chartered accountant in the UK.
• 00:32:40 - Why university may not have been a perfect fit Carl’s personality
• 00:35:43 - Being treat like a ‘black sheep’ for not having a degree
• 00:41:10 - ‘We shouldn’t be box ticking’: Discussing boardroom equality
• 00:44:30 - Carl Swansbury’s personal values – and the one that drives his wife mad.
• 00:47:14 - Working a 65 hour week
• 00:48:56 - Why time is now more ‘precious’ as a dad
• 00:56:28 - ‘On a regular burnout I’m close to burnout’
• 01:00:40 - How to avoid burnout
• 01:01:09 - Difficulty in committing to a career or employer
• 01:01:36 - ‘5:30am, porridge and a jog’: The morning routine
• 01:02:31 - Supportive team effort in managing routines
• 01:03:02 - Carl rates himself in the key categories
• 01:08:43 - How good is Carl at sex?

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