EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT – THE INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS

Celebrating International Women's Day with Louise Shute

In celebration of International Women's Day, we continue our series by highlighting the inspiring journey of female leaders in finance who are making a significant impact throughout their career.In this installation we are thrilled to feature an interview with Louise Shute, the Chief Financial Officer of Hollybank Trust, a not-for-profit care provider dedicated to supporting individuals with complex needs. Since joining Hollybank Trust in 2019, Louise has been instrumental in driving financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and strategic growth. Her leadership goes beyond numbers, focusing on ensuring that every financial decision aligns with the organisation's mission to provide outstanding care. Join us as we dive into her career-defining moments, the traits that have contributed to her success, and her invaluable advice for the next generation of female finance leaders. 1.Please can you provide a summary of who you work for and your current role?I am the Chief Financial Officer of Hollybank Trust, a large not-for-profit care provider that delivers specialist care and education to individuals with complex needs. Since joining in 2019, I have been responsible for overseeing finance, IT, estates, and HR, ensuring financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and a strong, well-supported workforce. My role is not just about numbers—it’s about making sure every financial decision supports the organisation’s mission. I work closely with the executive team and trustees to strategically plan for the future, secure funding, and drive initiatives that enhance the care we provide. This includes leading acquisitions, driving digital transformation, and optimising resources to ensure we remain sustainable and continue to deliver outstanding care in an increasingly challenging financial landscape.2.What have been the one or two most defining moments in your career to date?A few pivotal moments have shaped my career and leadership style: Building a finance function from the ground up – One of my most challenging and rewarding experiences was setting up an entire finance team from scratch for a large care group. Bringing the finance function in-house, creating new systems, and ensuring financial stability in a complex organisation gave me invaluable leadership experience. Leading an acquisition – More recently, I successfully led the acquisition of a care business, ensuring financial due diligence, securing funding, and integrating the new business into our operations. This was a defining moment in navigating the complexities of growth while maintaining financial security. Driving digital transformation – Overseeing our transition to a nearly paperless organisation has been a major milestone. Introducing new financial, HR, and operational systems has made us more efficient and forward-thinking, ensuring we are well-equipped for the future. Beyond these, every year brings new challenges in the not-for-profit and care sector, where funding is tight, costs are rising, and financial sustainability is an ongoing battle. Navigating these challenges while keeping the organisation strong and adaptable is something I take pride in.3.What are the most important personal traits, values or characteristics that, being a female finance leader, has really helped to contribute to your success?Leadership isn’t just about making decisions—it’s about bringing people with you. The qualities that have shaped my success as a finance leader include: Compassion and genuine interest in people – I care about my colleagues and take the time to listen, understand their perspectives, and create a supportive environment. Decisiveness and resilience – In finance, tough decisions need to be made. I can balance strategy with reality, ensuring we remain financially stable while protecting the organisation’s core values. Strong communication – Finance can sometimes feel like a separate world, but I ensure complex financial insights are communicated clearly to teams, trustees, and stakeholders so they can make informed decisions. Positivity, even in difficult times – The financial landscape for care providers is constantly evolving, and it’s easy to focus on the challenges. I believe in staying solution-focused and adaptable, ensuring we embrace change rather than fear it. A positive outlook helps to motivate teams, find creative solutions, and maintain momentum even during difficult periods. I wouldn’t say I’ve faced direct challenges as a woman in finance, but finance leadership remains a male-dominated space, especially at board level. Many women struggle with imposter syndrome, and I think it’s crucial to own your expertise, trust your ability, and bring your unique strengths to the table.4.What is the one piece of advice that you would share with the next generation of female finance leaders as they look to build their careers?My biggest piece of advice is: do what makes you happy. You spend so much of your life at work—it’s essential to enjoy it. If you don’t, don’t be afraid to seek out something that challenges, excites, and fulfils you. Beyond that, a few key lessons I’ve learned: Be true to yourself. Work for organisations that align with your beliefs, morals, and values. Build a strong team. Surround yourself with capable, driven people—it will make all the difference. Keep learning. I haven’t had an official mentor, but I invest in seminars, courses, and networking to continuously grow. Finding a mentor or widening your professional network can be invaluable. Stay adaptable. Finance, technology, and the business landscape are evolving rapidly. Staying open to change and embracing new ways of working will set you apart. Above all, believe in yourself. Women often doubt their abilities more than men, but confidence comes from experience. Keep learning, keep leading, and don’t be afraid to step up and take your seat at the table.Louise’s journey is a testament to her power of resilience, compassion, and strategic vision in leadership. Her dedication to Hollybank Trust's mission and her ability to navigate the complexities of the not-for-profit sector have set a remarkable example for aspiring female finance leaders. Her advice to stay true to oneself, build strong teams, and continuously learn resonates deeply, reminding us all of the importance of passion and adaptability in our careers. We hope her story inspires and empowers the next generation of women to pursue their ambitions with confidence and determination. While women are making strides in leadership roles, a significant gender gap still exists. In 2024, 36% of new CFO hires in FTSE 100 companies were female, a notable increase from 2023 when only 14% of new hires were female [1]. Despite this progress, women hold only 25% of CFO positions in the FTSE 100 [2]. These statistics highlight the ongoing need for greater gender diversity and support for women in finance. Looking for your next career move in finance or accountancy? At Sharp Consultancy, our expertise lies in matching your potential with the perfect temporary, interim, or permanent position. With a well-established presence in Leeds and Sheffield, our seasoned team of consultants extends their services across Yorkshire and beyond. Don't wait for opportunity to knock, reach out to us TODAY and let's chart your career path together.

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What should an organisation consider if it wants to improve its engagement with its employees?

Happy and productive people make a significant contribution towards the success of a business and the achievement of its goals. Every organisation requires the best from its employees and the more motivated and productive their workforce is, the more likely a business is to grow.

It is important to remember that employee engagement is not something that you can decide to introduce or impose from senior management downwards. Employee engagement is very much about creating a cultural shirt and potentially changing or improving the way in which an organisation behaves.

There are several essential ingredients that companies will need to consider if they are to improve employee engagement within their organisations:

Creating exceptional leaders.

Whilst engagement cannot be dictated from above, it is the responsibility of the business leaders to set out the framework for the future of the company and communicate this on an on-going basis to the teams in a way which is motivational, inspirational and relevant to ensure that they understand and buy into the vision they are looking to create.

Two-way communication.

As well as sharing the management’s vision and objectives for the company, it is vital that employees have a means by which they can provide feedback to their line manager. Involving staff in certain decision making is a useful motivational tool and giving staff a voice to share their views and suggestions can help identify where improvements can be made to processes, procedures or productivity.

Effective line management.

Being able to motivate a team to ensure that objectives are met is an essential skill for any manager, but the method and means by which they approach this is fundamental. People respond in very different ways and it is the responsibility of the manager to recognise, understand and adapt their behaviour accordingly. It is important that a business also places importance on skills such as listening and the ability to empower individuals if it is to achieve longer term success.

Trust.

It is imperative that senior managers only make promises to their employees that they can or intend to keep. Staff will quickly become dissatisfied if they feel their boss is not being genuine or is unlikely to keep to their word. Rewards must be clarified at the outset by what must be achieved for them to be received and the goals need to be attainable with the right training and support put in place.

Sharp Consultancy specialises in the recruitment of temporary, interim and permanent finance and accountancy professionals. With offices in Leeds and Sheffield our highly experienced team of consultants recruit for positions throughout Yorkshire and beyond. CONTACT US today to find out more.