Meet SARAH ASHTON, the payroll partner at Garbutt + Elliott

PAYROLL partner at Garbutt + Elliott Sarah Ashton has always had the spirit of a business woman.

From the age of 13, she was already part-time managing one of her family’s independent convenience stores, in Leeds.

She says of the Saturdays spent working in the family shop: “It taught me a lot about business, especially as I was looking after staff older than myself.

“It gave me self-confidence and the belief that I could do anything I put my mind to. I was managing the fresh food order for the following Monday and responsible for all the cashing up.

“That my family trusted me to do this, at such a young age, was a great lesson in itself.”

As many do, Sarah left home to study at university, where she got a 2:1 in accounting and finance.

Also, like many, after graduation she set off on her own personal adventure, teaching scuba diving for three months in Jamaica.

She almost didn’t come home, but her sensible side got the better of her and she returned to a training contract with Harold Sharps in Sale, Manchester.

After qualifying as a chartered accountant with Harold Sharps, she moved closer to home, to York, where she started her career at Garbutt + Elliott.

Sarah has now been with the firm for 20 years and throughout her time has forged an incredible career path, culminating in being made partner in July 2017.

“I am incredibly proud of my promotion to partner at Garbutt + Elliott,” said Sarah. “As a firm, we have a strong belief in our staff and a commitment to their training programmes.

“Development opportunities are excellent and never, in the last 20 years, have I considered leaving to move up the ladder elsewhere.

“It has always been paramount to me to work within a firm where values as well as service are highly regarded and Garbutt + Elliott’s belief in values is at the forefront of everything we do.”

As part of her career progression Sarah took over the payroll department in September 2015.

Since doing so, turnover has increased by 120 per cent and she has played a strong part in developing the department’s systems and procedures to improve their service offering.

Her excellent managerial skills have helped to build an exceptional team of payroll professionals who believe in delivering the very best in everything that they do.