Kelly's Success in Growth and Leadership

With a remarkable journey spanning various roles within Greene King, Kelly’s story began at the age of 17 when she eagerly joined the company right after school, enticed by its reputation as one of Bury’s leading enterprises.

From her initial role as a Finance Clerk, where she meticulously managed pub finances, to embarking on an adventurous hiatus in Australia and New Zealand, only to return to Greene King with open arms.

Kelly’s career at Greene King symbolises a fusion of commitment, growth and adaptability, a journey that has not only enriched her professional life but also kindled lasting friendships and a profound understanding of the business landscape. Her story stands as an embodiment of Greene King’s supportive culture and its enduring promise of opportunities for those willing to seize them.

I joined Greene King straight out of school at 17 as I had a friend at a recruitment company who regularly worked with GK supplying candidates. It was exciting at that age to come to work for one of the biggest companies in Bury.

I started as a Finance Clerk for Greene King in 2004 reconciling pub takings and expenses. In 2007 I left and travelled Australia & NZ for 18 months. When I returned I popped in for lunch with some old friends and was offered my job back!

After another stint as a Finance Clerk, I left again to try the London scene but hated it. I returned to Greene King again, becoming a management accountant in the newly formed Finance Shared Services.
I then went on to become an Analyst in the Pub Partners function for a few months, and then back to the Retail business unit in the Audit team as an Analyst preparing reporting on performance and non-compliance across the sites. After developing this role I was offered the opportunity to train as a field-based Auditor in the team so then spent 18 months covering the East Anglia region, conducting financial audits in pubs.

After getting married in 2014, I applied for a position as an Assistant Financial Accountant in the Corporate Finance team, supporting major operations including IT, HR, and Property. Over the following eight years, I qualified and worked my way up in the team, preparing year-end technical accounts and external audit, budgeting and owning, consolidating group accounting, and modelling group personnel restructures. I ended my time in the team as Senior Finance Business Partner.

In March 2022, I became the IT Asset & Compliance Manager after returning from maternity leave and Covid lockdowns. I currently study and implement IT policies, examine our software licencing situation, and participate in multiple projects.

Working across different teams over the length of time I have has given me great exposure to a variety of people across the business, forming some really great relationships which has helped with applying for the next steps in my career. It has also given me a great understanding of how different parts of the business work and operate which helps in a huge variety of scenarios.

Greene King funded and supported me through my CIMA accountancy qualifications, as well as other smaller training and development along the way. Various line managers and contacts have also been very supportive of internal moves along the way, not holding people back which is great in a company this size, there is always another role to move onto and develop into if that is what you want.

No two days are the same - the company is always evolving to keep up with industry trends and customer needs, which keeps things interesting and opens up new opportunities!

Go for it! If you are prepared to work hard, develop and put yourself out there, there could be some great opportunities in your future. You will also make some lifelong friends with some brilliant people working here. There are also some fantastic groups and events to get involved in outside of the day to day, such as fundraising for Macmillan, or the Employee Inclusion Groups helping to shape the future of the company being better for employees.