Head of Education and Implementation at Syft Analytics
Jodilee Manuel is a chartered accountant with experience working at a Big Four audit firm as well as a local fintech start-up. She completed her articles at PwC in 2016 in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) division and later rejoined as an audit manager involved in client listings on the JSE and Euronext exchanges. She received her MCom in Accounting in 2014. Jodilee is now the Head of Education and Implementation at Syft Analytics, an award-winning financial reporting and analytics software company used by more than 10 000 accountants globally.
Jodilee built Syft Campus, an online education platform that helps accountants make better data-driven decisions and grow their businesses. Syft Campus also bridges the gap between what accounting students learn at university and what they need in the industry, especially in terms of a practical understanding of accounting and digital skills. Jodilee has collaborated with universities and schools across the country, providing practical lectures and projects for free. Through these collaborations, students are empowered to apply the theory they have learned, while digitally up-skilling.
Syft Campus is just over a year old, yet it already features more than 30 courses and 12 certifications which accountants can use for CPD or CPE points, depending on the region. There are over 3 000 users enrolled in Syft Campus and more than 100 000 lectures have been completed since its launch. Syft Certified Pro Advisor is the most popular certification, taking ±13 hours to complete.
Jodilee also leads Implementation at Syft, helping businesses find technological solutions to grow their businesses and improve efficiency. She recently helped an internationally listed games company, Atari, prepare their multi-currency consolidation using Syft in preparation for an audit, updating their system, and automating processes to improve the efficiency and accuracy of their consolidated reporting.
While working in accounting globally, Jodilee noticed a problem – a shortage of new accountants entering the field. She wants to change this by showing how exciting and impactful accounting can be and how critical accountants are to the economy. Jodilee leads by example, sharing her unconventional story of leaving the tried and trusted path of working in a Big Four firm to join a South African start-up focused on serving SMEs.
