Niall Stirling CA

PRS for Music

Niall graduated from the University of St Andrews with a degree in maths. He trained with Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst & Young) and stayed with the firm for eight years before joining Coca-Cola Schweppes. In 2003 Niall joined Red Bull as finance and operations director, a role which led to him working in California. Niall is now the executive director of operations for the collection society PRS for Music, working with sources such as Apple, BBC, Spotify and Universal.

What has being ICAS trained meant for you?

Originally the plan had been to convert myself from a wet behind the ears student into a business savvy accountant.  The opportunity of learning in a professional practice appealed to my intellectual snobbery.  However the opportunity of learning my trade with some smart people and experiencing different business cultures along the way was a draw. 

The support from my firm was excellent and whilst combining work with study can be a challenge, you have every opportunity to succeed.  Working alongside other CA students is also a plus, providing moral support and insight at those times when the ideas don't stick first time.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

Whenever music is performed or recorded we ensure that it is properly licensed and that the creators of music, our writer and publisher members, are properly rewarded. It’s high volume business where transparency is important and we have a duty of care to our members.  The industry is changing out of all recognition right now. The most interesting projects we are involved with are a number of international joint ventures with other societies, where we are building shared operations to ensure that we can continue to deliver the highest efficiency to our members.