Karan Darroch

Partner (Finance)

Karan graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University with a BA (Hons) degree in Accountancy. She began her career with KPMG, where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Karan spent 11 years in KPMG’s financial services audit division in both Edinburgh and Melbourne, focusing on the asset management sector. Karan joined Dunedin as finance and operations manager in 2012 where she was responsible for all aspects of financial and investor reporting, HR, IT and property management, before joining MML.

Connect with Karan on LinkedIn

In conversation

What most attracted you to joining the MML team?

The people and the culture. The energy and ambition of the team is evident in everything they do. I felt a good connection from the early conversations I had and this only strengthened as I met more people within the team. There is a real sense of hard-work and determination throughout the business, delivered in a low-ego way.

How did your career path bring you to work for a private equity firm?

As an auditor, I worked with a few private equity clients. I was always intrigued by the stories of amazing entrepreneurs who had taken an idea and turned it into a successful business. The private equity teams were so committed and involved in the investee companies; it felt like a genuine partnership. I wanted to work in a sector where I could develop that deeper knowledge and build relationships with the assets we managed. The opportunity arose at Dunedin, and it provided me with exactly the experience that I hoped it would. The next stage of my journey at MML will offer greater exposure to a wider range of clients and businesses and I am excited about that.

What does life look like when you leave the office?

I spend a lot of my free time ferrying my children to their various hobbies and sports. When I am not on Mum duties, I do like to sing. I have been a member of a choir for a number of years and enjoy rehearsing and performing.