South West accountancy firm Old Mill has welcomed 10 new starters this week as part of its plan to double its workforce to 600 by 2026.
The move follows the introduction of an extra graduate intake in March to run alongside its long-established one in September.
The firm, which has offices in Chippenham, Wells, Yeovil and Exeter, is also undergoing a restructuring under new CEO Kevin Whitmarsh to meet its ambitious growth strategy and make it the fastest-growing practice in the region.
The arrival of the 10 latest recruits comes after 16 new starters joined at the end of last year – meaning Old Mill has welcomed 26 new staff members in under six months.
The latest intake is across all four offices and includes a number of graduates as well as some more experienced appointments.
Aaron James, Alex Stansfield and Regan Killington will also join as trainee accountants in the commercial team, all working from Old Mill’s Chippenham office, which was opened last October to replace its former Melksham base.
Aaron joins from Bristol University, where he recently completed a Master’s in Economics, Alex arrives from Southampton following his degree in business management, while Regan is a Music and Sound production graduate from the University of Bournemouth.
Other Chippenham arrivals are client manager Adam Rudd, who joins the rural team from Swindon accountancy firm Dennis & Turnbull, and new client service coordinator Fay Gulwell.
Josh Murray and Jordan Lake are starting as trainee accountants in Old Mill’s Wells office having both been students at Exeter University, where Josh, pictured above, studied economics and Jordan, pictured right, completed a Master’s in Maths.
Joe Gibbs, pictured below, who joins from Albert Goodman and is a Nottingham University graduate, will be starting as a trainee accountant in the commercial team based in the Exeter Office, while Kathleen Cox, who previously worked for the NHS, is joining as a bookkeeper in the Yeovil office. New rural team client manager Deb Williams will work remotely.
Old Mill CEO Kevin Whitmarsh said: “Our growth plans – which we announced in November – target 15% growth a year with the aim of becoming the fastest-growing practice in the region.
To reach that goal, we need to recruit heavily and we are therefore delighted to welcome 10 fantastic new recruits to the team.
“However, while the twice-yearly graduate intakes are a hugely important part of our growth strategy, to meet our ambitious goals, we also operate an open-door recruitment policy, meaning that if we see someone good, we get them in.”
The restructuring has already included a change in the legal status of the firm from an LLP to a limited company, which makes it easier to create new shareholders.
It has also introduced a new incentive programme for employees who help drive its growth.
Old Mill head of recruitment Emma Coleman added: “Our new structure and growth strategy has opened up greater opportunities for our people, enabling them to progress quickly and feel well rewarded for the part they play.
“This, combined with our people-centric culture and flexible working policy which enables to create the right work-life balance, means our people also feel happy and valued – all of which is helping us to continue to attract great people and stay on target to reach 600 employees by 2026.”
Old Mill originated in Shepton Mallet in the 1920s but as it stands today was formed following a buyout in 2006. Its services span digital accounting, financial planning and tax advisory in a wide range of personal and business areas.
