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The team at Shorts, especially Liam, have been an invaluable external team for us. His prompt responses to our frequent questions, incredible patience and extensive knowledge are a winning combination. FC, Co-CEO - Cygenta
The team at Shorts, especially Liam, have been an invaluable external team for us. His prompt responses to our frequent questions, incredible patience and extensive knowledge are a winning combination.
I began my career in accountancy at the age of 17, undertaking an apprentice role within an independent firm in Rotherham, where I was given direct partner training from day one. This proved to be invaluable and gave me the best possible start to my career. It was here that I completed my AAT qualification, gaining vast experience in all areas of accountancy, which has enabled me to understand the full spectrum of services. I moved to another independent firm in Sheffield – where I completed my ACCA qualification at the age of 26, continuing my development and experience working with owner-managed businesses – both locally and nationally.
Appreciating the need to make the move to a medium-sized firm to further my career, I accepted my first managerial role at the age of 27, with a medium-sized firm in Sheffield – gaining vital experience in managing a team, whilst continuing to work with owner-managed businesses of all sizes.
In 2019 I accepted a managerial role at Shorts – overseeing owner-managed business clients, whilst revamping and implementing a specialised owner-managed business department within the firm. In April 2022, I was promoted to Senior Manager of the owner-managed business team – becoming the engagement leader of a large portfolio of clients, with a vision to continue developing and growing the department. My priority focus is on providing quality guidance and service to each client, from a dedicated and experienced team.
Liam’s areas of specialism;
I initially joined Shorts, with the aim of progressing my career with a larger, regional firm. I met with Andy and Malc in interviews and both emphasised the culture at Shorts – this was a huge factor in my decision to join. I felt my personality would fit really well, meaning I could thrive personally, and have the reassurance that the partner group would support me both in my personal life, and my professional career. I was promoted to the position of Owner Manged Business Director in April 2024.
I was pleasantly surprised that the reality of working at Shorts, by far surpassed my already high expectations. The nature of the whole team enabled me to settle immediately, and I hit the ground running. The general culture, and the support I received from the partners on a day-to-day basis, is something I had not experienced before, and I have found it to be very unique. This has had a huge positive impact on my career and enabled me to really push on. As someone who tends to lack self-belief – the partners quickly identified this – and have been instrumental in working with me on it, which has had a really positive impact on both my professional career and my personal life too.
From a purely personal level, for someone who has always “worked that extra hour” – or “I know I’m on holiday but just need to check my emails quickly” – the difference has been night and day since joining Shorts. Again, the whole culture has been very much focused on work-life balance, which is led from the top and sets a great example. I have been forced to teach myself how to ‘switch off’ once the working day ends, to focus on myself, my family, and my hobbies, and to simply recharge. I initially found this difficult, but now fully appreciate the effects this has on me personally. It has also, somewhat surprisingly, impacted my work life too, and increased efficiency, meaning the same level of work is still being completed, but inside the normal working hours.
The core hours policy and hybrid working have both been instrumental in my quality of work-life balance. Shorts understand and advocate that people have personal lives, and this policy is a huge factor in that. For me – playing a sport in England that isn’t a typical British sport, Ice Hockey, means we play/train at incredibly unsociable hours – specifically training at 11 pm on a Sunday night, until the early hours of Monday morning. Being able to work from home on a Monday, and also utilising the later start of the core hours policy (where my diary allows), means I can still get sufficient rest before starting the working week. This has always been a huge issue for me at previous firms, so the impact these policies have had on my personal life is monumental.
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