24 Aug 2023
Meet the payroll team – Mandy Gardiner
Our team has decades of experience and the inside track on how to make payroll really work for your company. We took the opportunity to get to know Mandy Gardiner the Head of Payroll for the East Region.
I started running payroll for my father’s building company, over 20 years ago. This was all manual and the payments made were cash in small brown envelopes. No sign of any technology apart from a calculator. I then moved across to a large property management company and assisted within a team of 3 to produce the payrolls. This was my first introduction to a payroll software and looking back it was very ‘clunky!’ After several years and passing a diploma in payroll management I applied and got the payroll managers job with PW Payroll Solutions. In 2016 we merged with Francis Clark and I am now Head of Payroll for the East region. And the rest they say is history!
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Like most payrollers I fell into payroll by accident and found that I enjoyed the satisfaction of a start to end process and being able to help employees with any questions they had. I do enjoy a challenge and payroll has certainly given me plenty of those over the years.
I particularly liked the bureau aspect where you never know what is going to turn up next, it’s not a job that you can say you have a repetitive month. Working for multiple clients also gives me a chance to meet people and build up that client relationship that is so important. A Bureau within a Financial Practise also makes you think outside the box and having multiple caps on!
Tell us a bit about your role at PKF Francis Clark
I currently look after my team of 15, we process over 550 payrolls and pay approximately 18,000 payslips a month across all frequencies and types of work force.
Although Bureau life can be full on, I enjoy the challenge and helping clients with difficult situations. Building up relationships is so rewarding and we have clients who have been with us for over 20 years.
We work with most types of clients apart from Public Sector payrolls. We have care homes, property management, retail, hospitality, dental, financial, churches, sole traders, directors and many more.
What do you like doing outside of work?
Outside of work I love to spend time in the garden and with family and friends. I also enjoy walking our dog either on the beach or in the forest.
