While some fell down internet rabbit holes, Lewis Drummond used lockdowns to expand his knowledge and explore creative ideas – before opting to commence CA training straight from school. To mark International Men’s Day, he talks about his hopes for deeper ICAS engagement and his determination to make an impact

Words: Ryan Herman

The advent of lockdowns meant a lot of extra time spent indoors, online and – for many – socially isolated. This has had plenty of negative consequences, among them the rising influence of so-called “toxic masculinity”, especially among young men. So the theme for this year’s International Men’s Day – positive male role models – couldn’t be more timely.

One young man who was ahead of that particular curve is Lewis Drummond. He used his extra time during the pandemic wisely, actively seeking out positive influences in books, podcasts and blogs.

Inspired by a husband-and-wife pair of schoolteachers to pursue accountancy, he had already attended a careers evening held by Deloitte, after which he was offered an apprentice placement on its BrightStart scheme. Despite being a straight-A student who could easily have gone to university, Drummond was keen instead to embark on his professional journey as soon as possible.

“I thought it through and decided I really want to go for this,” he recalls. “It felt like an opportunity I simply didn’t want to miss. And I’m thankful I took it because it’s the best thing I’ve done.” So in September 2020, he started training to become a CA.

Living and learning

At that time, the UK was still in lockdown – something that perhaps hit teenagers the hardest. “To be 17–18 years old, which is meant to be your prime, when you’re developing as a person and to spend all that time indoors?” says Drummond. “It was an interesting start, and many would say it was an unfavourable one. But I’m a curious person by nature and thought to myself I should use that time to try to self-develop.”

Among the inspirational new reading matter he discovered online was Atomic Habits, the bestseller by James Clear, who also writes the hugely popular 3-2-1 newsletter, which has three million subscribers.

“There’s a fantastic quote from Clear: ‘People can help you in many ways throughout life. But there are two things nobody can give you – curiosity and drive. They must be self-supplied.’ I love that!” says Drummond.

Through the newsletter, Drummond sought out similar writers: “There’s another guy called Derek Sivers. He is a philosopher and entrepreneur. He’s done TED talks that have been viewed millions of times.

“But I reached out to him by email randomly, saying, ‘I’d love to join your newsletter’, thinking ‘will I get response?’ He came back to me a week later. We have this stream of conversation. And I’m thinking this guy has taken the time to listen to me, a 19-year-old trainee CA. This is epic!

“These positive influences really helped me to grow more confident but also develop resilience.”

“I would encourage anyone to be bold, to send a message – you never know where it can lead”

By the time the last lockdown restrictions had been lifted, Drummond was well equipped to adjust to the new normal. He was keen to start interacting with ICAS members and to see what he could learn from other CAs. So he reached out to Lucas Alexander-Crichton CA, a Senior Audit Manager at EY, and the Grampian representative on the ICAS Members Board.

“I messaged Lucas on LinkedIn,” says Drummond, “and then I learned more about the Grampian committee. I thought, ‘Here’s a network of individuals who come together to discuss issues or interests which are totally aligned with mine. How can I be a bigger part of that?’

“Lucas had also been an apprenticeship school leaver, and we instantly connected. He said, ‘I think you’d be fantastic for the committee with your views and your insight.’”

So Drummond joined the committee for the Grampian area network, where he remains today. “Having these conversations, expanding your knowledge, is an incredible thing to do,” he says. “I would encourage anyone to be bold, to send a message – you never know where it can lead.”

Drummond comes across as a person with an extraordinarily wise head on young shoulders, so it’s little surprise he sees the bigger picture of deeper engagement. “This network of ICAS members has people from all types of backgrounds,” he says. “It’s multi-diverse, and it is full of people wanting to better equip themselves and help each other on whatever topic that is. As a consequence, it becomes a force for good.

“The work I then create is better as a result. It’s more informed because I’ve got all these opinions and views I can rely on. There’s so much that ICAS has to offer to its members.

“I’m also now an ally for the Black Members’ Network. That’s a result of being on the committee for the Grampian network. I thought ‘Can I become a Black member ally if I’m not directly aligned with the membership itself? Well, actually yes, because the purpose of an ally is to help break down barriers, and I think the greatest asset to a cause, whatever that cause may be, is people from different backgrounds coming together to support it.”

Braced for impact

Drummond moved from Deloitte to PwC last year while remaining in his Aberdeenshire home, recently took up a new role as an audit advisor at AAB and is on course to qualify early next year. He aspires to become a positive role model to other young CAs, much like Alexander-Crichton. And he’s keen to make an impact on the world around him.

“When somebody becomes a qualified CA they often drift away from ICAS and focus on their career,” he says. “I’d love to become an ICAS board member and have a bigger input, to help shape where the institute is going with its strategy, training, exams and how it stays connected with its members.

“There are also areas such as ethics and sustainability. AI is obviously another very important topic. AI, climate and sustainability actually go together, when you think about the tools AI is giving us that have the potential to advance our sustainability and climate efforts.

“Hopefully, [if I become] a board member in future, I could provide a young perspective on how we implement AI and climate in the ICAS strategy. Ultimately, I think about how to stay expert in an ever-changing world.”

To emphasise his point, Drummond closes on another quote, this one from computer programmer and investor, Paul Graham: “He said, ‘When experts are wrong, it’s often because they’re experts on an earlier version of the world… The first step is to have an explicit belief in change. If you consciously remind yourself the world isn’t static, you start to look for change. Good, new ideas come from earnest, energetic, independent-minded people. Betting on people over ideas will save you countless times. Surround yourself with the sort of people new ideas come from.’”

pwc.co.uk

Learn more about getting involved with your area network. To learn more about joining the Black Members’ Network, email members@icas.com