Altenar has positioned itself within the Isle of Man as it drives to grow the business and deliver outstanding service to its customers. Speaking with Isle of Man based CFO, John Quaye, he explains how the work ethic, education and his personal experience influences this environment and aligns with Altenar’s core beliefs.
The Isle of Man is not only a landscape conducive to the sports betting industry but an important location for cultivating leaders, and developing talented colleagues which Altenar has sought to reinforce by recently becoming an ICAEW accredited training employer.
With the Isle of Man, John and Altenar completing the overall ‘jigsaw’ it was fitting to interview Altenar’s CFO to gain further insight into the global success of Altenar, a sportsbook software provider.
As Altenars CFO what do you believe are the personal attributes that lead to your daily success in this role?
Altenar is a rapidly growing organisation with many moving parts and the challenges that come with growth. Being forward looking with the ability to identify potential pressure points and proactively dealing with them before they become an issue is critical, whilst also having an eye for detail and an understanding of how all the pieces of the Altenar jigsaw fit together.
With a foothold in the IOM, what are the benefits of working from this office/location and how does it aid your productivity?
The Isle of Man offers a very safe and stable environment with a talented and well trained workforce and a minimal commute! It’s a location that understands and has embraced the e-gaming sector and is a great place for anyone with an active lifestyle who enjoys the outdoors.
What do you think has contributed to your success within your profession and within Altenar?
Being an active listener is probably the most important skill of all. Trying to make best use of the skills of my talented colleagues at Altenar and putting ideas into practical solutions is very rewarding. I’ve always sought to recruit good people and encourage them to develop and take responsibility as it benefits the organisation overall.
How do you determine what a company needs and how best to place funds?
The process will be driven by our growth and what is required as we look at strategic plans for the business. We are regularly looking at our internal processes and infrastructure to identify what we can improve or if more capacity is needed. It’s important that we are proactive in our outlook so that we can continue to provide a first class service to our customers from a highly regarded jurisdiction.
With great leadership, interpersonal and communication skills, what are you looking for in trainee accountants now that you/Altenar has attained its ICAEW Authorisation to train in-house?
We are looking for bright and talented individuals who want to be part of a strong team in an interesting industry. They need to be team players but also strong enough to voice their opinions and drive continuous improvement in the business.
How do you foster ethical behaviour in your team?
The team will be influenced by the practices and actions of its management team and the policy and procedures that are put in place. It's important that ethical behaviour is encouraged, approached consistently and regularly monitored. In practice this is done through developing proper governance procedures and encouraging all staff, regardless of seniority, to be professionally sceptical and not to feel uncomfortable querying a process or action. As an organisation, our leadership is accessible and visible which is important to create an inclusive and open environment.
What advice would you give to someone starting their journey in accountancy?
Accountancy will give a great base to understand all aspects of a business and offers the potential to work in almost any sector. Gain as much exposure to all the different elements as possible and find out what you enjoy.
You can discover more about Altenar, its employees, technologies and sportsbook solutions by contacting the team today.
