Meet the Magnopians: Mira Murphy
Mira Murphy is a management accountant at Magnopus UK. Originally from Sweden, Mira moved to the UK as a teenager and later earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Hertfordshire. Her path to accounting was unconventional –while on maternity leave, she discovered a passion for finance through an entry-level accounting course. What started as a way to stay engaged quickly turned into a full qualification and a career!
Tell us more about your role at Magnopus
I’m a management accountant on Magnopus's UK side. Most of my time is spent in Excel, handling bills, preparing financial statements, creating reports, and making sure everyone gets paid at the end of the month!
What made you decide to pursue a career in this field?
It’s a bit of a funny story. Growing up, my passions were literature and creative writing, so a career in numbers never really crossed my mind. When my son was about four months old, I was bored and started looking for online courses. I found a basic accounting course, thinking it might help with admin jobs. I completed most of it while holding a sleeping baby, and by the end, I realized I wanted to go further and pursue a full qualification.
What three skills are essential for anyone in your role?
You don’t need to be a maths genius, but you should be comfortable with numbers and understand the basics behind Excel formulas. Confidentiality is also crucial because you handle sensitive information. Lastly, strong organizational skills are essential – there are many processes to follow, some of which are time-sensitive, and people tend to get upset if they don’t get paid!
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt in your career?
If you are like me and have a tendency to tell yourself to keep quiet most of the time, don’t! If you have ideas or opinions, speak up. Even if others are more senior or experienced, your perspective is valuable, and you might be surprised by how receptive are.
What’s your favourite thing to do when you’re not working?
There are so many! I love spending time outside for a bit of "tree therapy," hanging out with my son, knitting, going to the gym (especially Zumba, even with two left feet), and occasionally diving into video games.
If you had unlimited resources and funding, what project or initiative would you launch?
If it were truly unlimited, I’d aim to solve global poverty. On a more practical level, I’m very conscious of how difficult it is for people with mental health problems to navigate systems like healthcare, work, benefits, and housing. I’d love to create an advocacy and advice service to help those people.
What song always puts you in a good mood?
I really love Leonard Cohen. It’s not exactly cheerful, but it’s so beautiful that I get completely lost in it.
How do you approach challenges and setbacks?
By panicking, generally! No, but seriously, I often find I overestimate the impact or severity of a challenge or setback, so I find it helpful to talk it through with someone, like a friend, who is not directly involved, to give me an outside perspective.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
My first instinct is healing powers, but the pressure of not being able to help everyone would be overwhelming. A more selfish choice? Teleportation – I hate the hassle of travelling, and public transport takes up way too much time.
Where is one place you want to travel to in the world?
I really want to go to Iceland. I’d like to go on a long excursion, riding Icelandic horses and bathing in the hot springs.
