Career coach | AAT Journeys
“AAT changed my life – and helped changed the lives of others”
Mark Clayton turned his life around as a teenager – thanks to his AAT studies and the generosity of a mentor who gave him his first job. He describes how his AAT training set his career on an exciting trajectory and given him valuable skills for life
The power of mentorship
Last year, Mark won the AAT Excellence Award, highlighting his strong leadership skills and social purpose, recognising his career success and his impact on others. Based in China, he is still closely connected with AAT and recently spoke at an AAT member event.
He lives in Guangdong, China, where he moved to in 2005 after completing his AAT Level 4 at just 20. He joined manufacturing and sourcing company C2W in 2007 and helped develop the company from a small foundation to one which now has a $15m (£11.8m) turnover, building the finance function from scratch. He is now group CFO and also runs a highly successful charity he founded – but when he was 17 it looked as though his life chances were limited.
“I was attacked in an attempted robbery at age 17, just before taking my A-Levels,” he says. “I was away on my first holiday with friends, and I was targeted by a criminal gang that stole passports, cameras and valuables from holidaymakers. It was a traumatic experience and as a result, I completely flunked my A-Levels. My head was in the wrong space and after I got my results, I had no plan going forward.”
Mark acknowledges that this was a real low point, and that he felt his plans for future study had been thwarted. Then he decided to apply for a job as an accountant with a local firm. He didn’t have any expectations, but he had always liked numbers, so he applied on the off-chance that he might get an interview.
Accountant Brian Cordiner, who ran his own practice in Hexham, Northumberland, took Mark on, recognising his potential, and mentored him through his AAT study.
“I think he interviewed me out of curiosity,” Mark says. “I wasn’t expecting much, but an hour later he called me, and offered me the job as a junior accountant.”
It was the lucky break that Mark needed in order to turn his life around. “Brian paid for my AAT training and mentored me on the job,” Mark says. “I will always be so grateful to him for giving me a life-changing opportunity. Thanks to his generosity and the skills that AAT gave me, it opened the door to an amazing career.”
Career success and life in China
Once he had completed his AAT studies, Mark decided to go to China for a gap year, in pursuit of personal and professional growth, to have his eyes opened to different cultures, and to visit his father who was living and working there. He learned Mandarin and began looking for job opportunities.
Since his arrival in China, Mark has gained a wide range of experiences and management expertise, and a deep understanding of Chinese culture. In his first two years in south China, he worked in a medical centre and the British consulate, managed a cocktail bar, and sold real estate for Savills, but none of it was satisfying the desire for entrepreneurship and for using his AAT skills, so in 2007 he joined C2W.
His AAT skills, leadership ability and foresight with business development have allowed the C2W Group to expand and grow into the family of companies it is today. Thanks to his AAT training, his high level of ethics and integrity have ensured good governance throughout the group.
Mark is advanced in speaking Mandarin, a fellow member of accounting bodies the AAT and AICPA & CIMA, and in 2019 he was elected to the executive committee of the British Chamber of Commerce South China, where in 2020 he was then elected as vice-chairman and in 2024 chairman.
In February 2019 he became an international Peace Award laureate for his charity work and was awarded the United Nations’ China 2019 Social Impact Award in the field of community and culture.
Charity work and giving back to the community
Mark says that the professional and ethical standards that AAT instilled in him have guided him in the 19 years since he qualified.
In 2011 Mark set up an NGO that helps children living with autism and underprivileged children to learn social and transferable work skills to be able to join the workforce when they leave formal education.
Thanks to his AAT training, the charity that he runs is fully financially transparent, which has created a high level of trust among donors and supporters.
“We are trusted to raise the money and spend it transparently. Thanks to Brian’s mentorship all those years ago, I now feel a strong drive to give back to the community here,” he explains.
Over the past 12 months, as a result of winning AAT award, Mark decided to finish his CIMA qualification using the fast-track route and has successfully been nominated as chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in South China.
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Mark’s study tips
Mark also has advice for AAT students who are looking for the encouragement to keep going when their studies get tough.
“Qualifying with AAT is about having a purpose in life and keeping in mind the final goal,” he says. “For me, it was a case of thinking what could have happened if Brian had not given me that opportunity in my teens. I could have wasted my life. During the hard times of my study, I just thought back to what potentially could have been, and that would have been much worse than the stress I'm going through trying to pass these exams. That helped me focus on passing the exams, pushing through to finish my qualification.”
- Think about your goals and end result – that will keep you motivated
- Everyone has tough times during study – just focus on passing one exam at a time so you don’t feel overwhelmed
- Make the most of your AAT skills and ethics – they will serve you well in the whole of your professional life
- Give back where you can – you can share your skills and learning to help others
“What Brian did for me set me on my path to help others,” Mark says. “He is a key inspiration for me to give back to the community, knowing how I benefited from his generosity all those years ago.”
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