A group accountant manages the financial reporting and consolidation for a group of companies or business units. They prepare consolidated financial statements, ensure compliance with accounting standards, manage intercompany transactions, and provide insights to support senior management decisions.
What is a group accountant?
Group accountants oversee the finances of the world’s largest and most complex organisations. Often working at the head office of a group of companies, you will be ensuring that all subsidiaries follow the correct accounting standards. You may also be involved in overseeing various departments such as corporate accounting and payroll accounting to produce management accounting reports to steer leadership decisions of the board.
Due to a group accountant's broad responsibilities and the central requirement to work with and across various teams, this role is best suited to those with heightened soft skills and cognitive flexibility.
How do I achieve it?
To be a group accountant, you will need to be a qualified accountant and a member of a professional body such as ACCA. Some employers will take on candidates who are completing their professional accountancy exams, and who have gained some relevant experience in finance.
The following ACCA Strategic Professional Options exams will help those interested in this career:
- Advanced Financial Management (AFM)
- Advanced Performance Management (APM)
- Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA)
Frequently asked questions
A degree in accounting, finance, or a related field is typically required. Professional qualifications like ACCA, CIMA, or ACA are highly valued and often essential for career progression in group accounting.
Salaries vary depending on experience, industry, company size, and location. In the UK, typical salaries range from £40,000 to £65,000, with senior or multinational roles paying higher. Bonuses and benefits can also significantly affect total compensation.
Technical skills include financial reporting, consolidation, budgeting, forecasting, and proficiency with accounting software. Soft skills such as attention to detail, communication, problem-solving, and the ability to work across multiple teams are equally important.
It usually takes 3–7 years of experience in accounting roles. Common stepping stones include financial accountant, management accountant, or senior accountant positions, often within the same organisation or group structure.
Challenges include managing intercompany balances, ensuring consistent accounting policies across entities, dealing with multiple currencies or jurisdictions, and meeting tight reporting deadlines.
Experienced group accountants can progress to roles such as finance manager, group financial controller, or even finance director/CFO positions. The role provides strong exposure to strategic finance and corporate reporting.
As noted, UK salaries generally range from £40,000 to £65,000, with higher earnings possible in larger organisations, international groups, or with significant experience and qualifications.
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