One of Susie Osborne’s first tasks on joining Charter Tax back in 2011 was to help the team to find its first office building.
“Charter Tax was growing and it was obvious we needed some dedicated office space, as we were working from Janet’s home,” Susie explains. “As it turns out, our office in Goudhurst has been ideal. We only occupied part of the building initially and, as Charter Tax has grown, we’ve been able to expand both downstairs and sideways.”
At that time, the Charter Tax team also included founder and Principal Janet Pierce, Chris Page and David Page, all of whom Susie had worked with previously.
“It had become clear that they needed some admin help and Dave gave me a call asking if I’d like to come in for a chat,” says Susie. “I already knew that I’d enjoy working with the team and I liked the plans they had for Charter Tax, so I didn’t hesitate in coming onboard.”
Susie’s role today sees her spending a large proportion of her time focusing on new client take on.
“Over the years, the paperwork surrounding taking on a new client has increased,” says Susie. “I complete a full KYC [know your customer] check and create any letters of engagement, as well as making sure all clients are compliant with regulatory AML (anti money laundering) policies. In addition, I deal with company secretarial admin for our corporate clients.”
At the beginning of her career, Susie initially worked for Cornhill Insurance and then more or less ‘fell into’ company secretarial work.
“A recruitment agency sent me to a role at a local accountancy firm which I was told was secretarial,” she explains. “When I turned up though, it was clear that they were looking for somebody with company secretarial experience, which is quite different. However, I got the job and I was drawn to the role as it was local and part-time, which worked around my children who were quite small at the time. I found out about company secretarial work ‘on the job’ and discovered I enjoyed it.”
After nearly ten years with Charter Tax, Susie has seen the firm grow and expand.
“It’s been lovely to have been part of the team from the early days, to see the firm build and change and to become successful” she says. “I’ve enjoyed seeing some of the team who have joined us straight from school go on to qualify.”
She adds: “I think what sets Charter Tax apart is the personal service we provide our clients with and our friendly approach.”
When she’s not at work, Susie’s time is taken up in the main by her children, but she also enjoys her daily dog walks and regular visits to the gym.
Charter Tax is a dog friendly environment and Susie’s one-year-old puppy is a popular addition to the team when he comes in for a day.
“So many of us have dogs, so we do try to co-ordinate when they are in the office, as it can get a bit hectic,” she says.
