Berta Dodds

What were you doing prior to working at the Change Organisation?

I started my career in accounting later than usual, as I originally explored a completely different career path. I completed an A Level in Art & Design and achieved a second-year placement at the Kent Institute of Art & Design, but ultimately realised it was not the right path for me. In hindsight, I chose the wrong medium to explore. While raising a family, I worked part-time in a pre-school. This was always intended as a temporary role while I studied AAT at college. Funnily enough, I initially declined the first opportunity to work there.

How has your role changed or evolved since joining?

My role has changed and evolved significantly over the years. I started at the bottom, carrying out filing duties and handling supplier statements, before progressing to processing purchase ledger invoices. From there, I became responsible for all TCO banking activities, including purchase ledger payments, currency purchasing, cash book payments, receipts, and expenses. My responsibilities also expanded to include credit control, such as chasing outstanding debt and credit card receipts, as well as Barclays Sales Financing bank reconciliations. I then progressed into Management Accounts, which is now my main area of responsibility, although my role involves much more than this alone. After nearly 19 years within the department, I was promoted to Financial Controller, a position that brings increased responsibility and new challenges.

What elements about your role in particular and the company in general do you enjoy most?

If I had to choose, Management Accounts has always been my favourite area. However, this is something we often joke about in the office because I'm fortunate enough not to dislike any aspect of my role, which is quite unusual. Historically, I would say credit control was the most enjoyable part of the job. When the company was much smaller, my colleague Vicki and I managed the entire sales side ourselves. Due to the size of the business now, that would no longer be possible, and we now have a much larger team in place. With regards to the company in general, I would say one of the best aspects is how we all try to get along and support one another. It makes a real difference to the way we interact with each other, both in terms of wellbeing and overall productivity.

What factors do you feel differentiate the company from other businesses?

We are fortunate to have a Chairman who knows the vast majority of employees personally and genuinely looks after us. We are given many opportunities and incentives to strengthen relationships with colleagues across different departments, helping to bridge gaps in understanding and encouraging stronger working relationships. This is reflected in the way we communicate and collaborate successfully throughout the company. We have proven this time and again during unprecedented, difficult, and challenging periods. Our ability to overcome these situations and continue to grow has only been possible because every department has pulled together and worked as one team. This would not be achievable without a collective effort. People genuinely care here, and this is partly due to the appreciation shown to employees. Communication is key, and I believe this is one of the reasons why our company stands out.

What's been the most significant change or development in the business since your time here?

This could be a very broad answer, as so much has changed over the years. Our size, turnover, premises, and overall operations have all grown and developed significantly. The company's growth, particularly during uncertain times, has been remarkable. One of the biggest changes has been the increased use of technology within our day-to-day finance roles. This has been especially significant for the finance department because, due to our low staff turnover, many of our processes had traditionally been paper- and pen-driven simply because they had always worked effectively. Adapting to the modern “tech world” was a challenge for us, not because we were unwilling to change, but because our long-established methods had been successful for so many years. However, we have evolved and embraced these changes to support the continued growth and development of the business.

What do you see for the future?

For me personally, I feel I will be here until I retire. I am, and always will be, passionate about and protective of this company. From the company's perspective, I see us continuing to strive to stand out, do more, be more, and grow further. We already have proven systems and tools in place to support becoming an even larger organisation, without compromising our products, services, or ethos.