Mark Clayton FMAAT has been named the winner of the inaugural AAT Excellence Award at the first-ever AAT Impact Awards, held in Birmingham on 3 February 2023 — the same day AAT launched its ambitious Strategy to 2030, watched by audiences in over thirty countries.

The AAT Excellence Award recognises an individual who has been hugely successful in their career with a demonstrable impact on their business. Mark was selected for supercharging his career and making a major, lasting impact on the organisations he has been part of.

Based in Guangdong, China, Mark joined manufacturing and sourcing company C2W Group in 2007 — when it was still in its infancy — having completed his AAT Level 4 qualification at just 20 years old. He built the finance function from scratch and has grown with the business to become Group CFO, overseeing a company with a $15 million turnover and over 130 staff across multiple countries. Throughout his career, the professional and ethical standards instilled by AAT have remained his guiding principles.

Beyond his business career, Mark founded Come Together Community (CTC) in 2011 — a charity based in Zhuhai that supports children living with autism and underprivileged children, helping them develop social and work skills. The charity has now raised over $450,000 USD with full financial transparency.

Mark travelled from China to attend the ceremony in person, navigating both international travel and domestic rail strikes to be there — a commitment that did not go unnoticed by AAT.

AAT President Christina Earls commented: “These awards exemplify how the AAT community adds value, creates impact, and delivers results.” Of Mark specifically, AAT noted that he “embodies many of the characteristics AAT is looking to cultivate” — a finance professional who has built an exceptional career and done so responsibly.

Read the official AAT announcement here: The AAT award winners making a real world difference – AAT Comment