A day in the life of Client Bank Reconciliation Manager, Claire Grivot 

When I start work, I check the overnight routines ensuring systems have been updated as expected. If any issues are identified, I resolve them myself or liaise with our IT team who carry out morning checks from 6am. We work together to fix any problems to ensure all systems are fully operative before our colleagues start work at 8.30am.  

I am responsible for leading and supporting the Bank Reconciliation Team and overseeing the day-to-day running of related workloads to ensure accurate and timely bank reconciliation and associated reporting in accordance with internal, regulatory, and legislative requirements.  

My main objectives for the day are supporting my team in looking after 6,500 client bank accounts, which are linked to the properties managed by our property management company client. We ensure accurate and timely delivery of daily, monthly, and yearly bank reconciliations and also accurate and timely delivery of tax returns for tax liability relating to interest received in the accounts. 

My daily routine always includes usually splitting my day working on projects (analysing data in preparation for the integration of acquisitions into our systems). I liaise with our data project team to discuss findings and how the data could be mapped to fit our set up. 

I also assist in resolving any bank reconciliation discrepancies and explore opportunities for continuous improvement.  On top of this I provide additional training/understanding to various areas of the business explaining processes to deepen knowledge and demonstrate how they can correct various issues.  

I normally prefer to speak to people either in person or via Teams rather than using emails. I find that it helps avoid misunderstanding or different interpretations of the messaging. It is also a great way to build rapport with colleagues/internal customers. 

I encountered a challenge as we are continually reviewing and updating our systems, and this led to us adjusting processes to suit.  

I solved these challenges by instilling a focus on continuous improvement in the team, so we are constantly brainstorming better approaches to our work and sharing best practice throughout the finance function 

I am proud of being able to help my team develop their skills, who when opportunities arose, were able to progress within the business – and some to senior, team leader and manager roles. 

I am also really proud to be one of the finalists at this year’s annual company employee awards, where I was nominated for the Outstanding Performance Award!  

The best part of my working day is that at times, my work can be a little like puzzle solving. Understanding why problems arise and resolving them is very satisfying. Helping others understand processes and what to do when things go wrong is also really rewarding.