How Chloë Ellis of Mazars is helping Yorkshire's economy recover from the pandemic

Patterns of behaviour which seemed set in stone have been shattered. For many people, their home has become a workspace and retaining strong digital connections has become almost as important as keeping the water supply turned on.

As restrictions linked to the pandemic have been stripped away, some characteristics of lockdown have endured. Hybrid or remote working is here to stay.

Two years ago, as the world was about to tumble into the abyss, Chloë Ellis made a life-changing decision.

She decided to leave her role as a partner at RSM UK and join Mazars, the international audit, tax and advisory firm, as a tax partner in its fast-growing Leeds office.

A month later, Britain went into lockdown. Ms Ellis, who is used to smashing glass ceilings, took this in her stride.

She recalled: “Prior to being made partner at RSM, there were no other female partners in the Leeds office; out of a group of more than 20 partners.

“I’m quite a practical person so I just got on with things. I got to know the team through Zoom calls.”

Earlier this month, Ms Ellis was appointed as office managing partner in Leeds, succeeding Oliver Hoffman, who has transformed the office into one of the largest outside London, which is a reflection of the city’s role as a powerhouse in the financial services world. Mazars has nearly trebled the size of its Leeds-based team in less than 10 years, and now employs 240 people.

University of East Anglia graduate Ms Ellis trained as a chartered accountant in London, before moving up to Leeds, which has been her base for the last 15 years. At the time, her decision to move North must have seemed a bold one. All roads to professional advancement appeared to lead to London.

“When I moved to Yorkshire from London, I was told it was grim in the North and would soon be back,’’ she said. “But due to the rise of remote working, your location has become less of an issue.”

During the pandemic, many workers had time to reflect on what really mattered to them. In order to attract the best staff, companies must create a culture that welcomes everyone. Staff must feel valued.

Ms Ellis said: “Today, many people are choosing where they want to work based on culture. Our culture is really special, we do put people first and treat them as individuals. We know that everybody has different strengths and insights.”

She added: “We’ve created a workplace where everybody can be themselves. By having as diverse a workforce as possible will also make us a stronger business.

“I hope my story shows to others that it is possible to achieve their aspirations too. The other important focus for me is around sustainability and the impact on the environment. I would like to see a real step change in the way we do things.

“We have green champions in the office, and when it comes to sustainability, I really want to make sure we are leading the charge.”

She has more than 20 years’ experience in providing advice to owner-managed businesses and large corporate groups with international tax issues.

“It’s hugely exciting to build on the fantastic work that Oliver has done in building the team in Leeds,” she said. “Our move into the heart of Leeds city centre helped us to attract new clients and team members. There is a great platform to take that even further. It’s a really lovely working environment and we have won a number of clients in recent months.”

Her role provides her with an insight into the inner workings of a vast range of businesses.

She said: “One of the best parts of the job is going out and meeting clients. You could be visiting a sofa manufacturer one day and a crisp maker the next.

“It is a privilege to get the chance to see all these different kinds of businesses.

“I really enjoy the people side of the business and having the opportunity to have an impact on the client’s future strategy.

“Apart from tax, people want to talk about their business and what they want to it to achieve.”

She expects Mazars’ Leeds-based team to grow over the next few years, but the firm won’t pursue expansion for the sake of it.

She said: “The strong culture must be maintained. During the pandemic, our team adapted quickly to home working, rolled their sleeves up and just got on with it.”

After a turbulent couple of years, Ms Ellis believes her clients are hoping for a little normality and stability during 2022.

She added: “With so much uncertainty over the past two years, having some stability will be important for continued success.

“Clients have had so many moving goalposts to contend with over the past two years including Brexit, Covid and global mobility changes.

“They have spent time fire fighting as opposed to having time to consider long-term strategic planning.

“That said, much work has been done over the years, with many businesses getting the foundations right for future growth, so I look forward to seeing that come to fruition for my clients.”

Although the pandemic has caused upheavals, the need for counsel from advisers based at the heart of the region’s business community remains as strong as ever.