Ellie: helping all to prosper
Eleanor Driver is an audit manager in our Manchester office. Managing her own portfolio of clients whilst also focusing on employee wellbeing and development, Ellie plays a pivotal role within our Manchester office. Her infectious passion and commitment to UHY has seen Ellie quickly rise through the ranks, as well as being recognised as ‘Manager of the Year’ at the 2023 Made in Manchester Awards (MiMA).
Having graduated with a first-class honours degree in Mathematics with Finance, Ellie began her career in accountancy in 2014. In 2017, she joined our Manchester office as an Audit Executive, qualifying as a chartered accountant in early 2018. Quickly advancing in her career, Ellie was promoted to Assistant Manager in 2019 and Audit Manager in 2022.
Her leadership potential was obvious early on, as Ellie demonstrated an ability to support senior management while ensuring the successful completion of challenging projects. As Audit Manager, Ellie undertakes complex and high-risk audit assignments, often managing multiple teams of audit executives and assistants.
Her contributions extend far beyond her technical role. Recognising the importance of nurturing a strong and knowledgeable team, instilling a passion for work and a broader perspective on the profession, recently Ellie took on a dual role which saw her become responsible for internal training across the audit department, in addition to managing her own portfolio of clients.
Ellie recognises that having a vast expanse of technical knowledge and enthusiasm for what you do and why is key to seeing the bigger picture; and this is an ideology she is instilling in our future accountants at UHY. In her dual audit and training role, she creates and delivers audit training programs that empower junior teams, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to excel as they progress to qualified accountants.
Ellie also manages all new starter inductions, cementing our purpose of helping you prosper from the start, and ensuring juniors partake in a three year programme of audit workshops, as well as organising sector specific sector training and soft skills training sessions for all. In addition, she is involved in recruitment for our March and September graduate and school leaver training positions in Manchester, creating and managing structured inductions, workshops and training.
Ellie’s approach to management is rooted in her recognition that each individual has their unique learning and growth journey. This insight has made her a go-to resource for tailored technical guidance, a role she fulfils for colleagues throughout our Manchester office, including those in more senior positions.
However, Ellie’s true brilliance lies in her ability to cultivate a sense of camaraderie within the team. She understands that fostering a positive work environment is the key to enhancing motivation and collaboration. Whether it’s the warmth of her daily greetings, the pizzas during intense deadlines, or the organisation of a monthly lunch club to Manchester’s finest eateries, Ellie’s philosophy is crystal clear: a smile on her face has a contagious effect, putting smiles on the faces of her colleagues.
Ellie’s contributions have not gone unnoticed. At the Made in Manchester Awards 2023 she won the prestigious Manager of the Year Award. This event celebrates Manchester’s young business talent aged up to 35, emphasising innovation, excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, development and leadership skills.
On winning the award, Manchester’s Chief Executive, David Kendrick (pictured with Ellie) commented: “Absolutely delighted for Ellie on winning this award, thoroughly deserved and couldn’t be more happy for her. She has been a huge part of the UHY growth and development and will be a star of the future.”
Ellie says: “It was a really proud moment when I won the Made in Manchester Award. I strongly believe that development of the business is through good development of its people and seeing others progress through the technical knowledge I have championed is what I thrive off and, ultimately, what delivers quality client service.”
In an industry often characterised by time pressures and strict budgets, Ellie’s approach is a breath of fresh air. She not only empowers her colleagues to prosper by developing more confident and technically adept audit teams, but also champions the prosperity of our clients by ensuring the highest standards in our audit services.
Ellie says “I have always been someone not afraid to ask what feels like the silly question first or present in a room full of strangers – very much a people person. It is only since joining UHY however that I have felt encouraged to carve out a career that compliments these strengths in the form of my unique dual role as Training Manager. UHY understood my passion for helping others prosper and let me take the reins to develop the role into what it has become. Although I heavily enjoy developing close relationships with a vast range of clients, it has been nothing more than a pleasure being involved in a trainee’s first induction and then development through to qualification. This is especially as over my almost seven years here I can now witness them passing their own knowledge down to current trainees in the same manner that I did them”.
Ellie’s dedication to quality client services is affirmed by the fact that audit clients specifically request her return year after year. So much so that as Ellie progresses in her journey at UHY, she is now building her own portfolio of clients who wouldn’t want their audit led by anyone else.
Ellie’s achievements serve as testament to her leadership, dedication to development and the pivotal role she is playing in shaping the future of our Manchester office. A true asset and an inspiration to us all.
