LADbible Group

Company profile

LADbible Group is one of the largest publishers in the world – sharing news, entertainment, original content and real-life stories with its global audiences across websites and social channels. Operating with almost 500 employees across the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, there are five core brands with an audience reach over 1 billion.

Choosing the ACA

At LADbible Group, the majority of the Finance Senior Management team have trained in practice before moving across into business. Therefore, the company recognises that it’s a great opportunity for the team to have the option to train the ACA within a business environment. Luke Greasley, Financial Reporting Manager, has previously been a training manager at a large practice firm, therefore understood the process of becoming an authorised training employer and level of support required for trainees.

Trainees

"We believe the ACA qualification provides the technical background for trainees who want to establish themselves as a successful financial accountant." There are currently three ACA trainees in the finance team, all of whom are part-qualified having joined from audit firms. Two trainees are based in the financial reporting team, and one works in the Business Partnering team, all situated within the HQ office in Manchester.

Luke, and Craig Ormesher, Financial Controller, provide support to ensure the development and progression of the trainees throughout their journey on the ACA qualification. This includes the six-monthly reviews incorporating the ethics reviews, as well as technical support where required. Going forward, LADbible Group hope to support and encourage additional junior staff to complete their ACA qualification.

Benefits of Training

LADbible Group have found that by offering the ACA qualification, it has enabled the business to recruit the best candidates for the finance function roles and has ultimately made their finance team stronger. In turn, this has motivated and engaged other members of the finance team who are considering becoming a chartered accountant.

Luke comments that ACA trainees bring the drive and desire to want to learn more about why they are doing something. The ACA supports a structured team with constant development and trainees who challenge the status quo.

Manchester Young Chartered Accountants Group

Since 2020, Luke has chaired the Manchester Young Chartered Accountants Group, and since 2021 also sits on the Manchester ICAEW committee. This role involves supporting ICAEW within the Manchester area, promoting the latest insights that the community have to offer and encouraging the development of individuals’ professional networks.

Developing the next generation

LADbible Group have been a partner of The Princes Trust for several years and have participated in the Kickstart Programme. This has enabled LADbible Group to invest in young people to help reach new audiences, whilst also helping to tackle youth unemployment.

LADbible Group took on two Kick-starters within their finance team, supporting the accounts receivable and accounts payable teams. The aim was to help develop their knowledge within the relevant fields and support their career within finance, with a view that they will follow the ACA pathway in the future and become a permanent LADbible Group employee.