Jay Pancholi Senior Manager

What has been your career path so far?

I remember weighing up whether to study maths or languages at university. In the end I opted for French and Linguistics as the ‘fun’ option, but it proved to be a brief departure from the world of numbers, rather than a permanent rupture.

The technical side of accountancy drew me back in to a numerical discipline: there are no right or wrong answers when analysing Sartre and it is comforting to have a bit of rigour.

What attracted you to Sayer Vincent?

I am a bit of a human rights warrior, having campaigned with rights charities since the age of sixteen, so it seemed like a natural fit! I chose to train at Sayer Vincent as I liked the idea of working with organisations with a social purpose.

What do you enjoy about the charity sector?

Since joining the firm in January 2013 I have learned a great deal about the sector, the massive diversity in how different charities operate, and the numerous challenges they face. It is hugely rewarding to feel I am helping clients face those challenges and strengthening the sector.

Tell us something people may not know

I do still think of myself as a linguist and work with a lot of international clients: so far at Sayer Vincent I have managed to exercise my French, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian and Nepali skills (it’s not all numbers!).

What do you get up to outside of work?

I keep active in the week by training in capoeira, a Brazilian art form which involves a lot of cartwheels and headstands. More conventionally, my favourite way to spend time off is wandering through mountains, especially Norwegian ones.