Helen Clayton: Making it all add up

Helen Clayton doesn’t baulk when it comes to making life-changing decisions. They have helped her recover from professional burnout, take her career in a new direction and embrace motherhood.

She also values independence. And there is no doubt that’s where she sees the future of the accountancy firm she heads. “We want to be masters of our own destiny,” she proclaims.

“There’s a reason why partners have joined us, they don’t want to be part of a bigger business. They’ve found their home here.”

Helen made Blackburn headquartered PM+M her home in 2015 when she took her own leave from the corporate world.

She had been a director in the Manchester office of one of the ‘big four’ accountancy firms, where she had continued to develop her career over 10 years, focusing on the legal profession and larger privately owned businesses, including some large retail brands.

Arriving at PM+M, she very quickly took on the lead audit partner role and was instrumental in opening and growing the firm’s office in Bury, north Manchester.

Helen went on to take over as managing partner in October last year, taking over the role from Jane Parry, who was in the post for more than eight years and who retired in April 2024.

The accountancy, business advisory and financial planning group, which can trace its history back to 1919, has been on an impressive growth journey in recent years.

It saw its consolidated turnover increase by 15 per cent to £10.75m in its last financial year, which ended in March.

The firm also increased its total headcount to 164, after making 37 appointments, including introducing 29 new roles, since April last year. It’s a figure that includes 10 apprentices at school and college leaver age.

People development has remained a central pillar of the business as it looks to ‘grow its own’ - with a 25 per cent jump in its dedicated training budget. There have also been two waves of promotions across the group at all levels.

PM+M was also named as a UK top 100 firm in the Accountancy Age 50+50 2023 listing for the sixth year running.

Helen says: “I’m really proud of the growth we’ve seen and we can do more. We’re looking to invest more in people and into IT and processes.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in our people over the last five or six years. We’ve needed different roles and skills as the business has changed.”

However, she sounds a note of caution. “When I joined nine years ago there were 80 people in the business, by Christmas it will be 180,” she says.

“If we continue on that growth over the next five years, we’d turn into something we don’t want to be – too big and too corporate. It is a challenge, looking to grow but not destroy the fantastic culture we have worked hard to build.”

She smiles in agreement when it is suggested that PM+M aims to be a ‘Goldilocks business – not too big, not too small, but just right.’

The 52-year-old says that despite weekly expressions of interest, including private equity enquiries, there will be no sale, whatever offer may be put on the table. “We value our independence and credibility,” she declares.

Opening and growing the firm’s north Manchester office led Helen to recognise her “passion for people, their development and their success.”

She says the work of accountants has changed to a more advisory role, enabled by the continued introduction of technology. There is a need to train and recruit people who can interpret the numbers and the trends.

She says: “We are investing heavily in our infrastructure and technology and we are excited for what this will enable.”

However, she adds: “The client relationship is still absolutely critical to what we do. We don’t want to be sitting behind machines when it comes to giving advice.

“Being on the ground, talking to people is very  much where we want to be. Clients of all generations also want that. Ultimately, they want to sit around the table and have conversations about their business and their ambitions.

“The broad range of clients that we act for in the privately owned space are the backbone of the practice and that will remain the case.”

Helen is also laser focused on her team’s wellbeing. She knows only too well where the dangers lie. She recounts how she suffered burnout in her mid-30s as 12-hour days and six day working weeks took their toll.

Trying to burn the candle at both ends, she found herself unable to function and even opening an email was beyond her. It is something she is very open about, explaining: “When it gets to that stage it is quite debilitating.” Again, life-changing choices had to be made.

She says: “I don’t think you see it coming because you’re engrossed in what you are doing, throwing everything into things. It is about recognising when you need to take your foot off the pedal.

“Learning to say ‘no’ can be very powerful, though it is difficult to do sometimes. But change has to come through you.

“It has to come from individuals saying ‘that happened to me and I’m not going to let it happen again’. You also have to give yourself permission to have off days.”

She goes on: “If we built this business into 300 people, we wouldn’t be able to keep a handle on everybody. It is hard enough with hybrid working. When people are struggling, they are the hardest people to see.”

Helen also made a life-changing choice in her personal life when, as she explains, the “maternal instinct kicked in at the ripe old age of 39.”

She wasn’t in a relationship and so sought out a specialist clinic. Three years later, with the help of an anonymous sperm donor, her daughter Emma, now aged nine, was born.

Turning her attention back to her key role in the business, Helen says: “We really are a true partnership. It is important to stress that I’m not standing here on my own.

“PM+M’s success is simply down to the talents of our people - they are what make us stand apart.

“We all share the same core aims, working together towards mutual success and growth. As a result, this is a great place to be.”