Shorts are celebrating the success of Paul Beeson, who was confirmed as winner of the 2017 Lifetime achievement award at last night’s Derbyshire Times annual Business Awards ceremony.
The award was looking for an individual who stood out as having made a major impact on their business and the area over many years. Paul held the position of senior partner at Shorts until his recent retirement earlier this year following a highly successful career.
Paul first qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1977 whilst working for a large independent firm of Chartered Accountants in Sheffield. He then went on to work within the motor industry for three years before finally deciding to return to the Accountancy profession when he joined Shorts in 1988. Paul was appointed as partner in 1990 and took the position of Senior Partner in 2012 upon the retirement of Peter Freeman. Paul’s retirement from the firm in March 2017 marked almost 30 years’ service with the firm.
Friendly and approachable, Paul has always been popular with both colleagues and clients alike and throughout his career built an extensive network of professional contacts within the local business community. Throughout his career, his strengths allowed him to advise businesses in all sectors, large and small. His specialism was principally in advising owner-managed businesses, drawing on his significant experience to provide commercial advice, overseeing accounting, audit and tax services for business and companies of all sizes.
There is no doubt that Paul Beeson played an instrumental part in the continued development of Shorts. When Paul first joined Shorts back in 1988, the firm employed just 30 members of staff; a number which rose during his time with the firm to over 100. His involvement and ambition was a driving force behind the expansion of the Chesterfield-based firm into Sheffield, with the opening of offices on Ecclesall Road in 2002, introducing Shorts to the South Yorkshire business community.
During his time, as Senior Partner Paul oversaw the redevelopment of both the Sheffield and Chesterfield offices into appealing, modern premises enjoyed by staff and clients alike. As “Chairman” of the partner group he also oversaw the implementation in 2012 of a growth strategy which has realised organic growth of over 62% for the firm over the last 5 years.
The results of Shorts’ achievements under Paul Beeson’s leadership have also been recognised in recent awards, when the firm was a finalist at the British Accountancy Awards prestigious awards ceremony in London and won the Mid-Market Deal of the year at the Insider Dealmakers awards.
Now one of the largest Independent firms in North Derbyshire with strong presence in South Yorkshire, the partners consider this continued success has been greatly influenced under the leadership and strength of judgement of Paul Beeson.
Paul was always keen to be involved in the wider development of the Accounting profession and in 2000 he had the honour of being elected by his peers to be President of the Sheffield and District Society of Chartered Accountants. This ultimately led to Paul taking up a prestigious and important position as a member of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, at Moorgate Place in London, a position which he held for several years.
A thoughtful and caring individual, Paul has always been one of the first to put his name forward for fundraising and charitable events, personally organising an annual charity staff quiz and always putting his name forward for whatever fundraising events Shorts have taken part in. Even in the years running up to his retirement, Paul’s energy and enthusiasm to help others came through, as (at the age of 63) he and 14 fellow partners and staff took part in a 170-mile charity coast to coast cycle challenge, raising over £8k for Lymphoma Research in memory of a long-standing colleague.
Paul was elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chesterfield and North-East Derbyshire Credit Union. The Union provides an ethical place in which to invest money, whilst providing support to the local community; a not for profit organisation providing a range of financial services to anyone who lives or works within Derbyshire.
And even into his retirement, Paul continues to give his free time as trustee and treasurer of the Derbyshire Alcohol Advice Service, an organisation providing a single point of contact for drug and alcohol support for individuals and their families throughout Derbyshire.
A well-known, sociable fellow, keen golfer and cyclist, whose family life is as important to him as his working life has been. In our opinion, the legacy that Paul leaves with Shorts and his impact on and continued support to the local community makes Paul highly deserving of the lifetime achievement award in 2017 and we celebrate this achievement.
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