What is your name?
Erin Smith
What is your job title?
Commercial Lead
What do you do?
I manage and support our Proposal Team, based in Aberdeen, UK. We look after all commercial proposals and RFP responses for both potential and existing customers.
What key skills do you bring to activpayroll?
I’ve worked for activpayroll for almost seven years now so I think the main skill I bring to the team is the knowledge that I’ve accumulated over that time. I started out with no payroll knowledge so it has definitely been a real learning curve over the years.
What gives you the most satisfaction about your job?
That every day is different and you never know what you’re going to come into when you open your emails. It keeps me on my toes and means that as a team, we always have different challenges to try and accomplish.
How did you get into the payroll/tax industry and why?
It’s probably fair to say I fell into payroll by accident. I studied law at university but managed to graduate at the wrong moment and couldn’t get a legal traineeship. It was the contracts side of the job that drew me to apply for my role initially but it was the commercial side that I ended up enjoying more.
What has been the most challenging project you’ve worked on at activpayroll? Why?
The most challenging project has definitely been implementing NAV as our contract and commercial database. Moving from a pricing model run from spreadsheets to an automated system has been both incredibly challenging and rewarding at the same time. We started the project four years ago and it’s still on-going today. We’re constantly adding new features and functionality and trying to automate as much of the process as possible.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement outside of activpayroll?
I’m probably most proud of my fitness journey. It has taken five years, but to date, I’ve lost almost 90kg. I’ve gone from a couch potato to taking the plunge and entering a Strongwoman competition. I was training for my first competition before COVID so hopefully I’ll get a chance to get back to training shortly.
What company value means the most to you and why?
Flexible – you have to be to adapt to whatever comes into the inbox each morning.
Do you have any hobbies/ what do you like to do in your free time?
I’m a G&T addict – not in the traditional sense, but in the Gym and Tea sense. I spend a ridiculous amount of time in the gym normally. With everything else going on right now, I’ve had to turn my living room into a mini gym so I can keep training! If I’m not in the gym, you’ll probably find me with a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.
Who is your professional role model and why?
It’s impossible to pick just one because I’ve met and worked with some amazing people over the years.
If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why?
Carrying on the with strongman theme, it would have to be Luke and Tom Stoltman. I would love to pick their brains about the sport and how they’ve achieved all that they have already. Plus any tips and tricks would be very welcome!