Karen Dyer, qualified Accountant and Audit specialist has been appointed Director at Foxley Kingham’s sister firm, GKP Ampthill. Her appointment comes at a pivotal point in the company’s journey, as it looks to further expand its team and client base. We’ve featured Karen in this article – offering a glance into her career from Foxley Kingham trainee to GKP director.
After joining Foxley Kingham in 2005 as a trainee, Karen began her formal training with the firm. She went on to specialise in Audit, but from an early stage in her career, expressed an interest in being more involved in managing both client relationships and the overall direction of her team and the wider business.
“In my initial years, I really enjoyed attending networking events, meeting new people and ultimately attracting new clients to the business, even as a relatively junior, unqualified accountant. I knew at that stage that being a Director was my ultimate goal. After speaking to Tara about it, she gently reminded me that I still had quite a lot to learn, and still had quite a long way to go through my formal accountancy qualifications, but if I was willing to work hard, there was no reason that we couldn’t consider it in the future. Tara, Stephen and some wonderful managers throughout my career, have helped me to develop into the accountant that I am today and prepare me for my new role. I really appreciate the help and support that I have received over the last 18 years!
During her time at Foxley Kingham, Karen got married and raised her family, experiencing first-hand a flexible and supportive workplace that prioritises the wellbeing of its team – a key reason why Karen spent the majority of her career, climbing the ladder within the firm.
“Throughout my time here, Foxley Kingham has been an exceptionally supportive environment. Management is truly there to listen, support, and enable each of us to achieve.”
Shortly after Foxley Kingham acquired GKP, a Manager role became vacant and Tara and Stephen felt Karen was and ideal fit for the firm. In recent years, Karen has been key in developing the firm’s five-year plan with the support of Stephen and Tara. To date, they have achieved many of the goals set out in the plan. This includes the acquisition of the Bedford branch of Keens Shay Keens, a successful local practice run by the late and much-respected Charles Little in August 2022.
“It wasn’t easy for the Keens Shay Keens team to lose Charles, and then to amalgamate with GKP – but we’ve all worked hard to make the transition as seamless as possible and we’re now a tight team providing an exceptional service. In April we moved to a new, larger office which is a lovely base for us all to come together.”
GKP operates as a separate entity from Foxley Kingham, but the synergies between the two allow both teams to offer the best service to customers.
“Although we’re experiencing a period of growth, we’re not a big corporate. At GKP we can offer an individual service tailored to the needs of our clients. We are really proud of the good, longstanding relationships that we have with many of our clients which is evidenced by the number of client referrals we receive each year. We are also extremely proud of our internal training and progression program which follows the same principles as at Foxley Kingham, something that many smaller firms do not have the time nor resources to provide. This training allows us to deliver a quality service by knowledgeable, professional team members.
Moving forward, Karen is set to continue the successes of the last few years and consolidate growth with new clients whilst maintaining a happy and healthy team. There are exciting projects afoot too, including recruitment and new marketing campaigns in the not-so-distant future.
For more information and to keep up with the latest news from GKP Ampthill, visit gkp.co.uk.
Join the team
You can find out information about current recruitment here. You can also contact the accountants at Foxley Kingham for a free consultation call where you can discuss your requirements and options in confidence.
