It seems the curse of Accountancy Age strikes again. Just weeks after she helped judge this year's Accountancy Age Awards, Standard Life confirmed today that finance director Alison Reed would be leaving. Now it seems BAA's Margaret Ewing, whom we interviewed last year, is on her way out too. If these things come in three which female finance director featured in Accountancy Age might we expect to depart next? Well, it would be unfair to name names and we wouldn't want to wish misfortune on anyone. But with Helen Kilpatrick recently the subject of one of our profiles - and the Home Office officially and famously 'not fit for purpose - can any senior official count their job as safe in that branch of Whitehall?