My parents run an ice-cream van business, so I had a colourful childhood. At primary school I sometimes did a shift after classes and sold sweets in school; the entrepreneurial side of me never left and I was always trying to find a way to be in business.
I grew up in a pretty deprived area of South Wales where there wasn’t an emphasis on education. But I took an AAT course and did an apprenticeship in industry, and it all came naturally to me. I wanted to improve my technical skills so moved to a larger company, but I knew I wanted to work with business owners like my parents, so I took a pay decrease to move into practice, joining Green & Co as a trainee. Seven years later I made partner, just before I turned 30.
The transition from employee to partner can be bumpy
Green & Co is mostly a general practice, but we do have an agricultural specialism; our founder is an active farmer. Nearly a third of our clients have been with us since we started over 30 years ago. We’ve grown organically and staff numbers have increased to nearly 50, which is a reflection of our shift to more mid-sized businesses that are above the audit threshold.
My stresses in practice I’m sure are shared among all practitioners. We work hard on our culture and really listen to our staff, giving them market-led salaries, flexible and hybrid working, 31 days’ leave plus statutory holidays and so on. But the transition from employee to partner can be bumpy – not least because people you once reported to now report to you, and the dynamic shifts. We’ve introduced mid-level managers and put smaller rungs in place, as well as a partner development programme, so that it isn’t such a leap to partnership.
We want to keep the family feel
Remaining independent while growing is another challenge. We have been approached repeatedly for silly payouts but we want to keep the family feel, keep control over the culture that we’ve worked extremely hard to create, and ensure there’s an environment for accountants to come into, to grow and enjoy the work they do. It’s nice to set an example that you can run a successful practice of a certain size and make it an environment that people really want to work in.
We’ve actually grown as a result of the widespread consolidation that is taking place in the profession. We've gained staff and also clients unhappy with the corporate culture and different service level. It’s a genuine pleasure to be part of that journey.
I try and play golf. I’m part of a society with some friends and we play at least once a month. Generally, my downtime is peaceful; the tranquillity of not doing anything is positive and productive for me, given how busy it is being a partner in a mid-sized practice. Just walking the dog or relaxing on the settee can be a good way for me to recharge.
