‘Working hard, staying loyal and never taking advantage’ is the secret to a long and happy career with Champion Accountants, according to Jan Litherland in our Manchester Head Office, who joined the company in January 1977 and very sadly leaves us this month.
Hanging up her Champion hats to embark on a series of exciting travelling plans with her husband and family, Jan spoke to us about what the last 42 years at Champion Accountants has meant to her, the very best bits of the her time with us and the memories she’ll leave behind.
“My very first day is a bit of a blur, but as an Office Junior I was tasked with sorting out the post, the filing, and of course brewing up for everyone,” Jan said, explaining that she came to work for the practice after she stumbled across a job advertisement in a local newspaper for JF Champion – our original brand name.
“I remember everything about the office back then – the layout, who was here and what everybody did; there were 15 team members, which is very different to today’s set up of four practices and 50 staff in Manchester alone,” she adds.
A desire to learn and a passion for the business has seen Jan try her hand at several different roles, including tax and accounts. A goal-getter, Jan would set herself private targets when it came to
inputting accounts, aiming to undertake each task in her fastest time yet, with no room for errors.
The company has supported her through two stints of maternity leave, with us eager to have her back on both occasions for the personality and vibrancy she brings to the office (which we’re really going to miss).
As well as frequenting the family’s Spanish villa, travelling the length of France and visiting her daughter who has just moved to Barcelona, Jan is also planning on undertaking some volunteering roles with her free time once she leaves Champion Accountants.
She said: “I never say no to anyone, I will do my absolute best to help – no matter what the problem – and that means always being able to look back on the day and know you made a difference. In 42 years, I could count on one hand the number of ‘bad days’ I’ve had, and I put them down
to things going wrong that are out of my control.”
As one of our longest standing employees, we’re incredibly sad to see Jan leave, but wish her all the very best for the future.
Jan said: “It’s hard to find the words to sum up my time here or what I want to say to everyone. All I can say is thank you for the opportunity to work here, to have had the chance to have a career I can look back on with pride, and that I wish everyone the very best of luck.”
It’s us who are thankful, Jan, and we look forward to hearing all about your next chapter.
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