PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
# Be Payroll Jeremy Montgomery BA (Hons) FCIPP, bureau manager at MP Payroll Solutions, explains how being a CIPP member has enhanced his career
How has membership helped you in your career? Following a job change to Pricewaterhouse (PWC) back in 1989, the professional environment meant I was surrounded by accountants, auditors and tax professionals. Subsequently, being able to join a professional body for payroll was a must, and the CIPP was the one to join. Study was actively encouraged by PWC, and the CIPP provided the perfect courses for me – the Foundation Degree and then the BA Hons. Being able to study and get my degree put me in pole position for promotions and also helped me to become a CIPP tutor, which I went on to do for over 15 years. The tutor experience has been one of the most valuable and rewarding aspects of my career. I met and taught so many great people. Their professionalism and drive to improve themselves and further the payroll profession was incredible, and I learned so much from fellow tutors and my students. What membership benefits have you used or enjoyed the most, and can you provide some examples? The Advisory Service is worth its weight in gold. The team is extremely knowledgeable and either provide an answer or engage in discussion to reach a conclusion. I also enjoy the various forums, and don’t use these enough. They’re a great way of keeping in touch with fellow payroll professionals and learning about changes to legislation and practices. National Payroll Week and the Annual Conference are always the highlights of the year. Can you describe your payroll journey to us so far? I’ve been incredibly lucky in my career, which started in local government, with the London borough of Bexley. This provided such a solid foundation in payroll. Then, I worked with PWC, which gave me the opportunity to develop my career and work on international payroll. I travelled and met payroll professionals from all over Europe. In my 17 years here, my career really developed in the direction it did. International payroll will always be the area that provides the greatest challenges, but also the biggest rewards. Since PWC, I’ve had a few roles, not all great, but that’s part of the learning experience. I’m now enjoying the twilight years of my career with MP Payroll Solutions and I continue to learn every day. The bureau is going from strength to strength, we have gone through two payroll assessment scheme (PAS) assessments (an eye-opening, but very necessary step), a BACS audit and the minor blip called covid! The team has coped so well during the past few years with
everything that’s been thrown at them, and I firmly believe those who are working in the payroll industry are the consummate professionals. My years spent tutoring were very special. I met so many great people, learned so much and had the best time. Tutoring also gave me the confidence to provide training abroad, in both Southern Ireland and India. This confidence also enabled me to present at various events over the years. The ‘icing on the cake’ was being elected to the CIPP board, something I’m very proud of – thanks to everyone for making that happen. Being a board member has showed me what goes on in the background that enables the CIPP to provide the training courses and events we all need so much to develop. What are your hopes for your future career? I want to continue serving as a CIPP board member and would like to focus my efforts on getting more retired members to contribute their vast knowledge to the CIPP. This could be by: ● mentoring in some form ● assisting with CIPP webinars and training sessions ● providing insights into how they’ve tackled difficult issues.
Do you have any plans to study any CIPP qualifications or training courses?
I don’t intend to study further, but still attend forums and updates from the CIPP and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. I encourage my team to study – two are taking the CIPP Foundation Degree and a third attends an international payroll course. What advice would you give to those new to the payroll profession, just starting out in their careers? Stick with it! Payroll is fast-paced and ever-changing, but the rewards are enormous. Ensure you study. The courses provided by the CIPP aid development and enhance your career, and employers take great comfort knowing someone is formally qualified. It shows the individual has taken ownership of their personal development. Get on LinkedIn, and develop your network. There are lots of fantastic groups – the CIPP, the Global Payroll Association and many, many more. Most of all, enjoy the ride. Get out and meet fellow professionals, learn from them and make use of their experiences. n
If you are interested in being featured in the BePayroll series, please email marketing@cipp.org.uk .
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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |
Issue 80 | May 2022
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