Episode 17: Meet the people shaping a kinder, bolder profession

This week’s Chartered Accountants Global Update is packed with two things every modern professional needs: forward-looking climate for talent and leadership (we’re heading to Munich for One Young World 2025) — and a deeply human, practical conversation about neurodiversity at work from Difference Makers Discuss with Mark Scully.

One Young World Summit — Munich, 3–6 November 2025

Chartered Accountants Worldwide is once again sending a stellar delegation to One Young World — where more than 2,000 young leaders from 190+ countries convene to exchange ideas, build networks and spark action.

Munich — a global hub for innovation, technology and research — is the perfect stage for those conversations. CAW’s delegates this year bring real-world projects and fresh perspectives, including:

• Laura Mason (UK) — public-service innovation
• Sophie Sweeney (Ireland) — integrating sustainable development into professional education
• Saad Bin Asim Zubairi (Bahrain) — ethical applications of AI
• Jaspreet Rayat (UK) — social mobility and inclusion
• Rebecca Casey — governance and diverse leadership
• Christiaan Coetzee (South Africa) — transforming audit workflows globally
• Sitali Chiuyu (Zambia) — entrepreneurship and inclusion
• Khethiwe Sibanyoni (South Africa) — gender-based violence activist and Deloitte audit trainee

Follow the delegation and live updates via #CharteredStar on social — we’ll be sharing reflections, insights and moments from Munich as the summit unfolds.

Difference Makers Discuss — Episode 3: Mark Scully on neurodiversity, courage and compassion

If you only listen to one episode this month, make it this one. Shinayd Donovan’s conversation with Mark Scully is an honest, practical, and hopeful guide to building workplaces where neurodivergent people — and everyone — can thrive.

Mark’s story in brief

Mark’s CV reads like success: qualified at KPMG, rose to tax director. But behind the outward success was repeated struggle: excellent academic performance, yet an inability to decode the unwritten social rules of the workplace. He masked, over-worked, said “yes” to everything — until burnout forced him to pause and seek support.

A counsellor later asked the life-changing question: “Has anyone ever mentioned autism to you?” After assessment, Mark was diagnosed autistic in 2021. That diagnosis gave him a framework to understand his experience and to start changing how he worked — compassionately and deliberately.

What changed — and the important lesson

Through coaching, Mark learned to:

• Say no constructively instead of overcommitting
• Communicate real expectations, rather than assuming others share them
• Use strategies that played to his strengths

The result was tangible: performance ratings improved (from repeated middling results to top ratings). Mark made many of these changes before disclosing his diagnosis — and when he finally told his boss, the response was simple and powerful: “What adjustments do you need?” Mark replied, “You’ve already put them in place. I just asked for what I needed.”

This underlines a vital point: adjustments that enable neurodivergent people to thrive often benefit everyone.

Practical takeaways for leaders and managers

Mark’s conversation is full of hands-on advice. Key actions for firms and leaders:

• Shift from process-focused to person-centered, outcome-focused management. Ask: Is there a different way of working that suits how this person thinks and still achieves the outcome?

Transcript

HELLO... and welcome to the Chartered Accountants Global Update! This week, we've got some really exciting news to share with you! We'll be checking in on the One Young World Summit in Munich AND catching up on the latest Difference Makers Discuss episode where Mark Scully shares a story about self-awareness, compassion, and courage... Embracing neurodiversity and making every workplace stronger, more human, and more successful.

Picture this: Munich in early November. Over 2,000 young leaders from more than 190 countries gather for the One Young World Summit 2025, and Chartered Accountants Worldwide is sending a delegation once again!

Munich is a global hub for innovation and technology, with stunning architecture, world-class universities, and thriving business research centres – the perfect backdrop for meaningful conversations and connections.

CAW has been partnering with One Young World for over a decade, empowering chartered accountants to lead with purpose and inspire the next generation. This year's delegates are absolutely stellar.

We've got Laura Mason from the UK, working on public-service innovation. Sophie Sweeney from Ireland, integrating sustainable development into professional education. Saad Bin Asim Zubairi from Bahrain, passionate about ethical AI applications. Jaspreet Rayat from the UK, advocating for social mobility and inclusion.

Rebecca Casey, embedding governance and diverse leadership. Christiaan Coetzee from South Africa, transforming audit workflows globally. Sitali Chiuyu from Zambia, championing entrepreneurship and inclusion. And Khethiwe Sibanyoni from South Africa, a gender-based violence activism leader and Deloitte audit trainee.

The summit runs November 3rd to 6th. Follow along using #CharteredStar on social media for live updates and delegate reflections.

Now, let's talk about Episode 3 of "Difference Makers Discuss," This is a conversation every person in our profession needs to hear.

Shinayd Donovan sits down with Mark Scully to discuss neurodiversity, mental health, and thriving in professional services when your brain works differently.

Mark's story is powerful. He qualified as a chartered accountant at KPMG, progressed to tax director – LinkedIn perfect, right? But behind that smooth progression was a very different reality. Mark was really struggling.

He excelled academically but couldn't figure out the unwritten rules of the workplace. Social relationships with managers and clients felt impossible to navigate. So he compensated – said yes to everything, worked longer hours, never let anyone know he was struggling.

Eventually, this caught up with him. He sought mental health support, and later, during another burnout as a manager, a counselor asked him a life-changing question: "Has anyone ever mentioned autism to you?"

After research and assessment, Mark was diagnosed as autistic in 2021. The diagnosis gave him a framework to understand himself – he could finally reframe his experiences with compassion instead of self-criticism.

Through coaching, Mark learned to change those negative coping strategies. He learned to say no constructively. He learned to communicate about real expectations instead of assumptions. And here's the kicker – his performance ratings actually improved. He'd been getting twos throughout his career, and after these changes, he got a one.

In the episode, Mark explains that many challenges he faced aren't unique to neurodivergent people – but neurodivergent people are statistically more likely to experience mental health challenges, often from the exhausting work of masking their traits to appear "normal."

His message to workplaces? Move from process-focused management – "this is how we've always done things" – to person-centered, outcome-focused management. Ask: "Is there a different way of working that suits how you think and still achieves the outcome we need?"

Mark talks about three categories of neurodivergent people in every workplace: those who don't know they're neurodivergent, those who know but are afraid to ask for help, and those confident enough to speak up. His advice? Normalize the conversation. Train managers to be adaptable and approach differences with curiosity, not judgment.

There's a powerful moment about disclosure. Mark made all his positive changes before telling anyone he was autistic. When he finally disclosed, his boss asked what adjustments he needed. Mark's answer? "You've already put them in place. I just asked for what I needed."

That's the thing – adjustments that help neurodivergent people thrive often help everyone thrive.

Mark also addresses senior leadership visibility. We estimate 15 to 20 percent of the population is neurodivergent, yet senior leaders who are openly neurodivergent are incredibly hard to find.

His message to senior leaders: if you're neurodivergent and wondering whether sharing your story would make a difference – it absolutely would. He shares how hearing from a senior lawyer who came out as autistic completely validated his experience and helped him found Braver, his coaching and consulting firm.

Mark's final message is one we should all take to heart: whatever helps you understand yourself better, understand your strengths and challenges, and feel okay asking for help – pursue that. Whether through exploring neurodiversity, coaching, counseling, or other paths to self-awareness and self-compassion.

This conversation is honest, practical, and deeply human. If you're a manager, you'll get practical tools. If you've struggled at work without understanding why, you'll find new frameworks. And if you're a senior leader, you might be inspired to share your own story.

Make time for this one – check the Chartered Accountants Worldwide website for details.

That's it for this week's Global Update! We're looking forward to the inspiration from One Young World 2025, and we can't wait to hear your feedback on Mark's Difference Makers episode.

Until next time, take care!