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Tell us about your background and how you came to be the Accounts Manager for Clearhill.
Before I worked as the Accounts Manager Clearhill, I worked in the office of a local supermarket and the service & MOT centre owned by my manager’s husband in an admin role. During this time, I studied for and achieved my GNVQ in advanced Business & Finance, which opened several doors for job opportunities. When I applied to Clearhill, I had just moved to Banbridge and had my eldest daughter, Lauren, so I wanted to work closer to home to manage my work-life balance. Brendan, the founder, and our then accountant interviewed me for the admin role, which I got.
In the last 22 years, my job has shifted significantly from an admin to a finance-based role to meet the company’s needs. To keep me up to speed, Brendan and the team put me through the necessary courses I needed, including Sage Payroll and the Institute of Accounting Technicians Ireland exams. Working for Clearhill has helped me to develop personally and professionally whilst growing into my Accounts Manager role.
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What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
It seems farfetched, but if I could not fail, I would like to push the boundaries of science and medical technology to find cures for many diseases, especially cancer. My brother-in-law works in oncology and has done it for many years, and my grandparents suffered from this horrible disease, so I know all too well how it impacts families.
Without sounding too much like Miss Congeniality, I would also like to promote democracy and human rights to create a world where we can celebrate our differences and foster a culture of empathy.
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What is the best piece of feedback you have ever received?
Naturally, I am an overthinker – most people will not be surprised by this statement. My dad and several others have told me I should not stress about what I cannot control. This is something I practice and keep at the forefront of my mind daily, as it helps me to keep everything in perspective for both my working and personal life. It allows me to focus on the task or problem rather than stressing myself out, making a mountain out of a molehill.
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Has there been any significant changes in the leisure vending industry over the last few years?
Yes, there have been massive changes in how our end users can pay when using our FunHub machines or purchasing a gift card. Not only has this changed how our users pay for our services, but it has also massively changed how I do my job. The new portals and reports are helping us to improve our business practices by giving us access to data on trends, who is spending (i.e. parents and grandparents) and how much they are spending. Information like this drove the development of our FunHub app, which has gone from strength to strength since launching last year.
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What are the benefits of working for Clearhill?
The main benefit of working for Clearhill is the collaborative work culture that encourages us to look for ways to grow personally and professionally. As part of our lean journey, we introduced a social team to organise internal events to help the team gel, which has been very enjoyable. Another benefit to working with Clearhill is the opportunity to work with a company launching cutting-edge developments to move with the times and excite us, like the FunHub app. I also like that we are trusted to get on with our jobs. There is no culture of micromanagement allowing us to take ownership of our role and direction.
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Why should a Centre Manager or Management Agent choose to work with Clearhill?
We have vast experience in the leisure vending industry with 30 years in business. There has been a lot of growth in the last 22 years but ultimately, Clearhill is still a family business. The directors are passionate about delivering the best experience for our customers and are heavily involved in the day-to-day running of the business. This has passed to our colleagues who have bought in and taken ownership of their roles to work towards our common goals. We all care about what we are doing, and this benefits our customers by ensuring we deliver the best customer experience possible.
