Harriet: a UHY homegrown hero
Harriet Hodgson-Grove joined UHY in 2011 as a trainee accountant and is now a partner in our 60 strong London audit department. In just over 10 years, Harriet’s journey has seen her grow from someone who was unsure where to start their career after university to being one of the key members of our senior leadership team in London. She was promoted to Audit director in 2022 and then, in November 2023, made a partner of the firm.
Having finished a degree in English Language and Literature, Harriet knew she had a promising future ahead of her, but had no idea what direction she should head in. One of her friends was studying for their chartered accountancy exams and recommended Harriet also looked at a professional qualification, giving her time to work out what she wanted to do, whilst also providing a good fall back.
Harriet applied to numerous graduate schemes and, after some work experience in a small accountancy practice in Baker Street, she was introduced to a partner from our London office. This led to her first interview. Not knowing what to expect, Harriet remembers researching ‘what is an audit’ before the interview. Her research paid off, with Harriet passing through the interview stages with flying colours and joining the November 2011 London office graduate intake.
When asked about what keeps Harriet at UHY, she says “UHY is a great place to work. One of the key differences at UHY to many of the larger firms is how much responsibility I was given from the outset. I had no knowledge of accounting or auditing before starting here and the training and support I have had over the years has meant I have been able to progress to the position I am in today.
UHY’s purpose is ‘helping you prosper’ and that was genuinely evident from the start. I was trained to be a business adviser, not just an auditor, attending meetings and working directly with clients early on. The partners are all very supportive and encouraged my career progression throughout. I have progressed quite quickly after qualifying, from an audit trainee to partner with a couple of career breaks for maternity leave thrown in.”
Delivering above and beyond
Harriet’s favourite part of her job is working with people. She really enjoys working with clients, building a relationship with them founded on UHY’s goal of helping them prosper, as well as working with our trainees and helping them develop their careers at the firm.
She is a fantastic champion of our values, embodying them in her day-to-day work at UHY. Since becoming part of UHY's senior leadership team, Harriet has become heavily involved in the running of our 60 strong audit department, managing the diary and mentoring teams. Harriet also plays a leading role in our London & Nottingham Wellbeing Group, holding wellbeing events and activities during Mental Health Awareness week and throughout the year. She also finds time to participate in our London and international ESG groups. Quite the homegrown hero!
Harriet says: “UHY values encourage a focus on quality whilst living empathy, which I feel have been key to my progression. I take pride in my work and our team, and encourage others to commit fully to enable us to deliver above and beyond.
If I was going to provide any advice to my younger self, it would be not to be afraid to move out of your comfort zone, take a risk and push yourself to try new things. I’ve been supported to challenge myself throughout my career at UHY and would say there is never a ‘wrong decision’, just a learning curve.”
At UHY, we know our teams are the heart of our future and we are passionate about developing our people and supporting their career progression. Our purpose of helping you prosper forms the basis of our talent pledge and our commitment to professional development is absolute – as highlighted by Harriet’s career journey to date.
We have a national talent group and dedicated learning, development and training teams who are committed to ensuring that team members grow and prosper at UHY, with continuous training and development opportunities and clear career pathways. This has contributed to our fantastic records of staff retention, with many having been with UHY upwards of 10 years (and a couple more than 40 years!).
