Jane Parry: Taking account of authenticity

By Ged Henderson

12 Dec 2023

Jane Parry

Jane Parry’s approach to leadership is simple. “Be authentic,” she advises.

Authenticity has certainly been at the heart of her approach as managing partner at Blackburn-based chartered accountancy firm PM+M.

It is a role she stepped down from in September after eight years in the hot-seat, ahead of her eventual retirement next April.

During that time she has overseen PM+M’s continued growth and has placed the importance of creating the right culture centre-stage in the firm’s development.

She says: “It is about creating that virtuous circle so that the people who are here feel respected and do a good job and we have happy clients.

“When I joined here in 2009 we were at the start of that journey. It was about explaining our values as individual partners, what we wanted the firm’s values to be.

“People have bought into that from day one and they have blossomed from there.”

Jane has a geography degree from Lancaster and began her accountancy career in Manchester in the 1980s in what was very much a male-orientated environment at the time.

She recalls: “It was particularly challenging when I had two young children. After my first child, with my husband working in London, I went down to three days a week temporarily.

“It wasn’t exactly said by my then firm, but it was made clear that I was parked and while working part-time my career was on hold. I wasn’t prepared to accept that so moved elsewhere.”

Handing over the reins to Helen Clayton, PM+M partner in the audit, accounting and advisory team, who has assumed the managing partner role, does she have any leadership advice?

“Leadership it is about finding what works for you,” she says. “It’s not trying to be anyone else.

It is also about building the right team around you and building the culture with those people.”

In her time at the helm PM+M has seen turnover more than double and today it has a team numbering almost 160 and is on track for a £12m turnover. Jane joined 14 years ago as tax partner.

Her career has taken her from her native Manchester to Preston before she arrived in east Lancashire.

Her departure from PM+M has, she explains, been carefully planned for some time. She says: “This is a partnership that has been going since 1919 and we do have regular discussions over succession.”

Looking at the firm’s development, she says: “You have to try and make sure it is the right sort of growth. We are not trying to be everything for everybody.

“We work with lots of owner-managed businesses and that means we can build relationships. It’s something we do across the firm.”

She adds: “We’ve got all the skills, great people and international links and can service these businesses really well.

“When it comes to family businesses it is about the passion they have for the business. For those family members coming through it is not just a job, it is a way of life. You have to remember that.”

During her career she has also seen the accountant’s role and focus changing from working with numbers to becoming a valuable business advisor. And she feels that’s important to keep in mind as the firm grows its apprenticeship scheme and looks to develop its own talent.

She says: “We are looking to grow people so they are no longer just working with computers but can sit with clients, listen to their issues and help them get through them.”

Looking back at her career and what brought her into the profession, she says: “I like helping people and solving problems and the fact you don’t know what you are going to do on any given day.”

Jane remains a strong ambassador for Lancashire. She says: “We have a massive manufacturing heritage in this area which has spun out into some really great innovations in tech and R&D.

“We are home to world-leading businesses. The key is making sure those businesses can continue to thrive and we keep upskilling young people to go into these success stories and become entrepreneurs in the future. Those links between business and education are really important.”

What of her own future? “I’m taking what I call my gap year,” she says. “I’ll be doing some travelling and then I’ll decide what to do next.

“I will definitely do something, I’m not very good at doing nothing, but it won’t be anything to do with tax. I’m still driven by making a difference.”

Enjoyed this? Read more from Ged Henderson

Latest news

1

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University Keir Starmer meets Indian PM and included Prof Simon Guy Lancaster University. Pic Simon Dawson

New India branch campus on the horizon for Lancaster University

09 Oct 2025

2

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026 Best Events and Talented students on Lancashire Tourism Awards finalist list

Best events and talented students complete finalists list for Lancashire Tourism Awards 2026

09 Oct 2025

3

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards Andrew Dewhurst with the award win

East Lancashire Learning Group named UK digital transformation leader in CIO 100 Awards

09 Oct 2025

4

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool Jason Davenport PHX Training

PHX Training appoints new business leader in Blackpool

09 Oct 2025

5

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m Velocity Composites Has Announced Its Entry Into The Us Market

Velocity seals Airbus extension worth up to $54m

08 Oct 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Help to grow management course
Help to grow - barriers to growth.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
26 Sep 2025 - 16 Dec 2025

Help to grow management course

Preston Campus , Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 15:00

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th
Ai 10.10.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
10 Oct 2025 - 10 Oct 2025

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – Oct 10th

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 12:00

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials
EventBrite NORi - 15th Oct 2025 Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

The New Employee Rights Landscape: Day One Compliance Essentials

Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Teams, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West
Lancs-cham-logo.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
15 Oct 2025 - 15 Oct 2025

Unlocking major project opportunities in the North West

Strathmore Hotel, Morecambe, LA4 5AP

08:00 - 10:00

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine
LBV Advert_Autumn Reset 1200 x 630px.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Autumn Re set - pour me a wine

The Artistry House , Preston , PR1 3JJ

17:30 - 19:30

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Header (26).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

October Freelancer Meet-Up
LBV Hub Networking
16 Oct 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

October Freelancer Meet-Up

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues
EventBrite NORi - 22nd Oct Webinar.png.png
LBV Hub Webinar
22 Oct 2025 - 22 Oct 2025

HR Essentials for pubs, bars and licensed venues

Online - Teams, Leyland, PR253XH

13:30 - 15:00

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women
thumbnail_Emma Weston Illustration WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 18 Mar 2026

RISE - Lancashire's unique leadership programme for women

East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Clayton le Moors, BB5 5JR

09:30 - 15:30

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre
LBV Hub Seminars
22 Oct 2025 - 09 Jan 2026

Women scaling up Blackpool Fylde and Wyre

The Small Business Academy, Blackpool, FY4 5JX

09:30 - 15:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV124 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin