We have welcomed a new management accountant to our nine-strong Accounts team. He's Oldham-born Matt Wilson, who describes his new role as 'interesting, refreshing and exciting' after several years working for American-based multinational corporation Emerson in Financial Planning and Analysis.
Matt, who hails from Shaw but now lives in Royton, says: "Coming to HPP has been everything I was hoping it would be. It's interesting, exciting and refreshing, to say the least, after working in a super-corporate environment where there is politics and red tape everywhere that limit what you can actually achieve.
"My ultimate goal is to use my past working experience, and the experience I've got from the people I've worked with, to help and develop the business - to make a positive impact for all to see."
As well as his 'day job' of producing financial reports and accounts for internal and external use, Matt will be working on streamlining and automating our financial processes with the aim of making them more efficient, before looking at other areas of the business.
He says: "Once we've got the accounts streamlined, there is a lot to look at outside of the finance department. I've only been here a short while but the list of things to do is getting longer all the time. It's a very positive experience to be left to your own devices, and to see the benefits of what you do straight away."
A graduate in Business and Finance from Salford University, 31-year-old Matt is combining work with studying to become a fully qualified chartered accountant, having just discovered he's passed the ninth of the requisite fifteen examinations. He is a former pupil at Our Lady's RC High School in Royton and Hopwood Hall Sixth Form College in Middleton.
He adds: "I joined HPP because I got a gut feeling it was right for me. The progression opportunities because the business is growing were a big factor, but another reason was the people. The atmosphere is really different from where I worked before."
His new role is also giving him the opportunity to mentor another of our new finance recruits, Adnan Khan, who has joined us as a finance assistant - a completely new role for HPP.
Matt says: "Adnan is where I was when I started out seven years ago. He is going down exactly the same route and is asking exactly the same questions I did. He is keen to get stuck in and he's a real sponge for soaking up all the information."
In his spare time, Matt is a keen Manchester City fan and describes himself as a 'keen but not-so-good golfer'. He also plays badminton when he can find a worthy opponent.
He is also a motorbike fanatic following in the footsteps of his bike-riding dad: "I started riding off-road with my dad and then I got a moped when I was 16, and then a small motorbike when I was 17. I have two bikes now - one of them gifted from my dad when my bike was stolen. I have a Suzuki GSXR 750 and the Suzuki 650 V Strom my dad gave me."