Case Study - Roz Hartley and Geoff Syme
Investment bankers Roz Hartley and Geoff Syme decided to join forces in July 2011 and operate an Auditel Cost and Purchase Management Franchise. Prior to joining Auditel, Roz qualified as an ACA with Deloitte in their London Audit Office before moving to a leading Swiss investment bank to work in the Equities division. There she monitored and reported the profits and losses of individual equity traders for a year before managing a team of controllers. She then moved into projects, working as a business analyst exploring, testing and implementing changes in several of the bank’s key accounting systems both in London and Zurich. Roz recalls: “Known for my attention to detail and tenacity, my latest project at the bank was as a consultant investigating historical errors and tracing lost funds totalling millions of pounds. I now bring these qualities to my Auditel clients, with an enthusiasm not often associated with cost management!”
Business partner Geoff is a Chartered Accountant and prior to arriving in the UK, worked for 6 years in Public Practice in New Zealand and in the USA specialising in audit and forensic accounting. He worked with a wide range of clients from small rural schools to international engineering companies and across many sectors including retail, manufacturing and education. Since moving here, Geoff has spent several years consulting on financial system change projects in investment banks, covering the full spectrum from selection through to implementation. The key to success was to gain a clear understanding of business needs and to ensure that expectations were met. Geoff says: “I now bring my professional expertise, project management and analytical skills to Auditel to ensure quality cost management solutions are delivered to my clients.”
Asked why they decided to join Auditel, they recall: “It just felt right! We trusted and felt comfortable with the whole ethos of Auditel, the length of time the franchise has been operating and its reputation amongst its clients and franchisees.”
Roz and Geoff were really enthusiastic about the training: “We thought it was very good, thorough and relevant. It has taken us a step closer to realising our dream of working for ourselves from rural Somerset yet using the experience from our previous careers to make money!
The franchise model is becoming an increasingly attractive option for those looking to run a business for the first time. As Brian Smart, Director General of the British Franchise Association said recently: “Yet again, franchising has demonstrated its inherent tenacity and stability, despite a tough climate last year.”
