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

Construction begins on new Civil Service office building in Talbot Gateway Alan McBride Muse Will Town Defence Infrastructure Organisation Jennifer Chard Defence Business Services Cllr Lynn Williams Blackpool Council Garry Bowker Vinci

Construction begins on new Civil Service office building in Talbot Gateway

20 May 2025

2

Skiddle raises over £750,000 for charities Skiddle cheque presentation to Alder Hey Hospital

Skiddle raises over £750,000 for charities

20 May 2025

3

Former Victorian Hotel approved for residential conversion The site

Former Victorian Hotel approved for residential conversion

19 May 2025

4

REVOLUTION PARK: Work starts on Darwen’s new home of advanced manufacturing Oliver Webber, Tracy Clavell-Bate and Tim Webber from Barnfield Group with Cllr Phil Riley, second from right, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council

REVOLUTION PARK: Work starts on Darwen’s new home of advanced manufacturing

19 May 2025

5

Two Cuckoo Gins named winners in The Gin Guide Awards 2025 Mark Long

Two Cuckoo Gins named winners in The Gin Guide Awards 2025

19 May 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
LBV122 May/June Launch Event
121 Lancashire Business View Magazine Launch
Networking
21 May 2025

LBV122 May/June Launch Event

Lancaster and Morecambe College, Lancaster, LA1 2TY

08:30 - 10:30

Sub36 Networking
Networking
11 Jun 2025

Sub36 Networking

British Jewellery School, Scorton, PR3 1BA

15:00 - 17:00

Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference
Net Zero Carbon Social 1200pxtrident 2
Networking
18 Jun 2025

Lancashire Net Zero Carbon Conference

Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort, Burnley, BB12 0RT

08:30 - 13:00

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025
BEC 315 X 315 Px
Networking
25 Sep 2025

Lancashire Built Environment Conference 2025

Blackpool Football Club, Blackpool, FY1 6HX

08:30 - 13:00

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

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers
WENDY BOWERS RISE Illustrstion copy.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
02 Apr 2025 - 08 Oct 2025

RISE - The Academy for Female Leaders and Managers

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

09:00 - 15:30

Amber River True Bearing quarterly investment seminar
LBV Hub Seminars
22 May 2025 - 22 May 2025

Amber River True Bearing quarterly investment seminar

Cottons Hotel & Spa , Knutsford, WA16 0SU

16:00 - 18:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
22 May 2025 - 22 May 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Mytton Fold, Langho, BB6 8AB

11:30 - 14:15

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: May
Freelancer Meet-Up May.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
22 May 2025 - 22 May 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: May

society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Liverpool Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-881365363-4862066883-1-original.20241023-085714.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Awards
23 May 2025 - 23 May 2025

Liverpool Business Expo 2025

Aintree Racecourse , Liverpool , L9 5AS

09:00 - 15:00

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – May 29
Artboard 15.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
29 May 2025 - 29 May 2025

Advantage: AI – A Workshop for Business Leaders – May 29

Door4 Office, Burnley Wharf, Manchester Road, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 11:00

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 LBV122 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin