Today we are celebrating Dave Dodd’s 25-year work anniversary with The Recruitment Co. Dave started with us as a Junior Finance Assistant in 1998 and quickly progressed to our management team, and is now our trusted Financial Controller. His dedication, keen analytical mind, and commitment is inspiring.

Hear from Claire Gourley, Northern Ireland Operations Manager, who perfectly describes the influence of Dave’s support over the last 25 years.

“Daves’s support to the business has been pivotal to our success. He is highly regarded as a safe pair of hands by our internal stakeholders and clients alike. We all feel confident when Dave is on a project that it’s going to be delivered on time, right first time! Thank you for all you do for us and for all the laughs!”
– Claire Gourley, Northern Ireland Operations Manager

To celebrate Dave’s anniversary, we did a special Q&A session to learn all about his journey. Dave delves into the remarkable milestones, challenges, and moments that have defined his incredible 25-year career at The Recruitment Co.

Can you share some highlights from your journey over the past 25 years?

Having completed my Accountancy degree in Sheffield I moved to Manchester in need of immediate work. I started at Premiere as a Finance Assistant on a two-week assignment with no expectation it would lead to anything further! Having completed my assignment I was out for drinks with the finance team on a Friday night. After a few beers, there was talk of whether I would return if they could find a role for me. A couple of days later I returned for the start of the next 25 years!

The company has obviously gone through many changes since I joined Premiere in 1998, not just in terms of the Finance team itself but ownership, branding, systems and locations have all changed on numerous occasions as you would expect as the business responded to the opportunities and challenges it’s faced over time.

Were there any significant mentors or colleagues who played a crucial role in your career?

One of the key reasons for the long length of service is the people I’ve worked with. I’ve been fortunate that the finance teams have always had great people working in them and the incredibly low staff turnover demonstrates this. I’ve also always managed to build strong relationships with other back office functions, the branch networks and senior management teams, which is crucial within finance due to the interaction with all areas of the business.

I have continued to learn and expand my knowledge under the direction of each Finance Director / Financial Controller I have worked with. All have had their own different styles and skills which has helped me to continue to develop in different ways.  One of the first Finance Directors I worked for – Craig Hendry – helped my development significantly in the early years. His approach to working and style of management, the additional responsibility he continued to give me and the support and guidance he offered gave me massive confidence in my ability and the expanding role I was carrying out.

Are there any particular achievements or milestones that stand out to you?

When I started at Premiere I was a junior member of the finance team. Staff turnover was very low so by the time I was first given the opportunity to move into a management role I wasn’t sure how my long term colleagues would respond to the change. Their response was fantastic and made the transition into early management a successful one. It was great to know I’d earned their respect and they fully supported me in the new role.

What advice would you give to someone just starting their career in your field?

If you are starting out in Finance and Accountancy there are great opportunities for progress if you are prepared to work hard and learn from those around you. There will be long hours and you will need to be able to work well on your own, but teamwork is just as important. Expect change and embrace it. Nothing stays the same for long in finance!

Can you share any funny or interesting anecdotes from your years of work?

25 years is definitely a long time and things have certainly changed! When I first started you could smoke at your desk and I remember the outrage when that stopped. If you wanted to make a same day payment you had to send a fax to the bank and if workers hadn’t been paid that normally meant standing in a queue at the bank with cash and lots of paying in slips!

Our marketing approach has changed a bit too. A previous owner was friends with Bobby Ball so whenever we opened a new location or branch he was our celeb to cut the ribbon and finance always got an invite to the opening. I remember he was a great success at the Blackpool opening, maybe less so when we originally opened in Lisburn!

Congratulations Dave from all of us at The Recruitment Co. We are incredibly lucky to have you.

Want to work with us? We’re hiring… check out our careers page or get in touch with your local team to discuss our latest opportunities!