Sharon is a chartered certified Accountant with 13 years of experience – get to know her better in this month’s “Meet the Celtic Crew” feature!
How did you begin working at Celtic Renewables?
SF: I was looking for a new position with a recruitment company and was at the final interview stage for another role when the one with Celtic Renewables came up. My first interview was a virtual call as this was during covid times, so this was a very different process as to what I was used to. After a second virtual call, I then got to see the plant in person, have a look around and got to know some more team members. This gave me a proper feel for the business and what they were doing and when I got the offer for the position it was a no-brainer – I definitely wanted to work for Celtic Renewables and get engaged in the great work they were doing.
What made you want to work at Celtic Renewables?
SF: I previously worked in distillery and I liked that there was a link to what Celtic Renewables was doing. To me, it was really fascinating that Celtic Renewables were recycling pot ale and draff from the whisky industry – this made it seem like a good fit for me. Knowing also that going forward Celtic Renewables would be using a lot of by-products from other industries, again, was fascinating to me. I didn’t know much about the ABE process when I started but when I found out more about it and what could be achieved working in this new company, it made the role seem very interesting.
You’re a Financial Controller at Celtic Renewables. What does this position entail?
SF: In our team, we are responsible for several things: producing monthly management accounts, making sure all our suppliers are paid and raising invoices for customers. We also compile the budget and forecasting to monitor company performance, we work with all the other departments to help provide meaningful information for them. Processing payroll and VAT returns are also part of my responsibilities.
What’s your favourite part of working at Celtic Renewables?
SF: The people. It’s a really diverse group of people in the company – from working with scientists, engineers, management and the rest of the team, it’s great getting to know so many people with different backgrounds.
What are you looking forward to seeing in the future of the industry?
SF: First of all, getting our products out and everything around that being set up. Then, watching how the company grows and I am really excited to be involved in future projects – this will be huge. I can’t wait to see how my role will change with this, there will be more plants to look at and it’s just exciting to be involved in something like this from an early stage.
What is one thing you do in your day-to-day life to be more sustainable?
SF: For me, it’s all about recycling and reducing waste. I recycle everything I can and donate clothing and other goods to charities. I have reduced our food waste by managing our food shop weekly rather than monthly as when I was doing a monthly shop we were throwing out a lot of food.