DECLAN FLOOD: CAPTAIN, ROYAL ENGINEERS
Declan joined Capco in 2016 having been a Captain in the Royal Engineers for six years, during which time he undertook operational tours in the UK and Afghanistan.
Military service imbues a range of skills that are eminently transferable to the business of financial services consulting.
The UK Armed Forces 2 Capco (AF2C) programme continues to go from strength to strength. Having received a Silver award under the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Employer Recognition Scheme in 2017, Capco now offers employees two weeks’ paid leave to serve as reservists, the key criteria to qualify for the Scheme’s top-tier Gold award.
Earlier this year Capco Senior Consultant Bobby Stewart, a Major in the Army Reserves, was mobilised in support of Operation RESCRIPT as part of the government response to COVID-19. Read more about Bobby’s experiences via the link below.
“Financial services is a complex and fast-evolving environment and we are always looking for new sources of talent. The AF2C programme enables us to bring seasoned, high-calibre leaders into our business and provides the opportunity to draw upon their many years of training and the experience and skills these individuals have built up during their time in the services.”
James Arnett, Capco’s AF2C sponsoring Partner
Here are five key benefits we’ve found in hiring ex-military and reservists:
1. Consultants often must identify a problem and then provide the solution, and servicemen and women are well-equipped to deal with situations that are evolving rapidly.
2. Fear of making a decision is also not uncommon in the consulting world, and service personnel are more willing to take a decisive step with a view to course correcting as necessary in the future.
3. We also believe there is a clear parallel between the military and financial services consulting, in terms of working alongside colleagues drawn from different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds. In both professions, you must learn how to assimilate, make connections and build a rapport with everyone.
4. Like Capco, the military invests a lot of time and money inculcating leadership qualities in everyone from the start.
5. Ownership and accountability often comes as second nature to army officers. That trait is highly valued both at Capco and in the wider consulting world.