Wayne Penlington FCCA
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Wayne Penlington has worked for Alexander Accountancy since 2013, now holding the position of Managing Director.
What drew you to accountancy?
At school I loved numbers. I excelled at maths and I loved problem solving. When I did my maths O-level I did it in just a year rather than two years so I wanted to work with numbers for a living.
What do you enjoy most about your role at the firm?
I like being involved with clients in their journey and adding value to their businesses.
When you see a client be successful and you have been part of that success it makes you feel good.
Is there a professional achievement or qualification you are particularly proud of?
I am proudest of achieving the level of Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. I qualified when I was just 23 which was relatively young so I am proud of achieving that.
Outside of work, what hobbies or interests keep you busy?
I am very busy with my two boys who play cricket and football, so I enjoy taking them around to play both sports. I like playing golf and watching a lot of sport.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting their career with Alexander Accountancy, what would it be?
You need to get stuck in and do the job properly. You need to get into the detail and understand what you can do to solve the problem. We encourage staff to go to see clients’ businesses in action to really understand what they are about. We are encouraging people to get out and speak to people so you get to know them and understand what makes them tick.
What’s your vision for Alexander Accountancy’s growth?
We are aiming for continual organic growth but sticking to our morals and the way we work in treating all our clients the same. We want to remain on the path of caring about our customers and spending time with them.
How do you see the business adapting to meet our clients’ evolving needs?
Tech is a big part of what we do and we embrace it but we will not let it change the business as we will always make the time to spend with clients. We will not let tech run the business. It will be part of our approach to ensure we give people good advice.
How do you ensure your team delivers exceptional client service?
We have been selective about which staff we bring into the business. We understand how they care about the clients and instil that ethic into the team. We spend time with the team to ensure they maintain the level of client support which people expect from us.
What sets Alexander Accountancy’s approach apart from other accountancy firms?
We always find the time for clients and get stuck in. We work alongside them rather than being just an outside adviser. We are very responsive and recognise that a lot of people feel they cannot speak to their account so we make sure we are available and get things done. It may seem obvious but a lot of businesses do not do the basics. We make sure we do.