Senior promotion at Hampshire accountants

Growing Hampshire accountancy firm HWB has appointed an experienced new Payroll Manager.

Amanda Cooley has been promoted from her previous position as payroll technical manager at the Southampton-based firm.

She joined HWB in 2021 after 10 years as systems manager at the head office of international textile hygiene and facility services business Elis in Basingstoke, bridging payroll, IT and HR.

Amanda leads a payroll team including Ben Buckler and Matthew Stephens (Payroll Administrators), Tom Munn (Trainee Payroll Administrator), plus trainee George Vass and is also responsible for training.

She said: “I am grateful and excited to have been given the chance to manage this hard-working department and it is very much my intention that our second-to-none reputation for great service will continue.

“It is good to be able to put my stamp on things and make improvements where I can. It’s all about creating best company practices, streamlining work and providing top quality work for our clients.

“When you handle such a crucial aspect of a business as payroll you have to put great customer service first to give clients peace of mind – that is very much my ethos.

“I have more than 15 years’ experience working in the HR, finance and IT sectors and I am a determined and proactive professional who is methodological, highly analytical and has a passion to help others achieve.”

Amanda is responsible for managing the whole of the payroll team to ensure all aspects of clients’ end to end payroll are dealt with in an accurate and timely manner, including PAYE, tax, liabilities, pensions, employment allowance, compliance and often changing regulations.

She added: “ “When we were coming out of furlough it was a very intense time so now we are very much at a ‘business as usual’ stage. However, we are now waiting to see what changes may occur under the new Prime Minister.

“One of my favourite parts of the job is liaising and talking with the clients and getting to know them really well. It is all about building that rapport and business relationship – and that won’t change.”

HWB Director James Alesbury said: “We very much like to grow our own talent at HWB and promote from within wherever possible. In Amanda’s case this promotion is richly deserved.

“She is an experienced and professional all-rounder and has quickly become the go-to person with regard to tricky technical questions. She is already thriving in this new role.”

Outside work Amanda enjoys travelling and has been to six continents and 38 countries and also has a love of eating out.