SME accountancy service welcomes senior HR hires, Gill Peden and Louise Welby.
Today, Sumer, the UK’s leading mid-market accountancy practice for SMEs, announces the appointment of two HR specialists, creating its People & Culture team.
Gill Peden has joined as People & Culture Transformation Director. She will lead the development and implementation of the Group HR and talent strategy, focusing on employee experience, enhancing organisational design, and ensuring Sumer’s ‘people-first’ culture, remains a priority as the business scales.
Peden is an accomplished HR professional with a background in technology start-ups, SMEs, and global high-value-tech companies.
At the same time, Louise Welby joins Sumer as Group Talent Acquisition Lead, supporting Sumer Hubs with recruitment, ensuring processes are optimised and standardised.
While Welby takes a strategic, data-driven approach to talent acquisition, she is also highly attuned to inclusivity, possessing particularly neuro-inclusion. Welby’s career to date includes stints at Deloitte and Apple.
Gareth Libbey, Chief Operating Officer and Sumer Co-Founder, said: “A supportive, engaging, and inclusive workplace is the cornerstone of any successful organisation. High quality HR is integral to creating a positive, sustainable culture and exceptional employee experience. At the same time, skilled people are in short supply and we need to attract and retain the best candidates. That’s why Gill and Louise are such important hires for Sumer, they’re going to be fundamental for our further growth.”
Commenting on her new role, Gill Peden, People & Culture Transformation Director said, “This is an incredible professional opportunity, Sumer has an incredibly well articulated mission, to champion SMEs, and its people are known as champions internally. The organisational culture is already inclusive, supportive and engaging here. My mission is to ensure that our champions have a world-class employee experience, and clients receive best in class service.”
Since its inception, Sumer has grown rapidly through acquisition. It now employs over 1,300 champions, with more than 40 offices, and generates an annual turnover of over £130 million, emerging as a key accountancy player.
Sumer’s Hub network includes Carpenter Box, Cowgills, EQ Chartered Accountants, Jerroms, Monahans, RMT Accountants & Business Advisors, R.T. Marke & Co Ltd, Scrutton Bland, Simmons Gainsford Group and Sumer Law.
