Two Midgley Snelling LLP employees are celebrating a total of 60 years of long-service with the firm. Judith Foster celebrates 35 years and Janice Chessman looks back at 25 years of service.

Judith joined Midgley Snelling in 1979 as an audit senior, taking on two overseas secondments to Guernsey and the Cayman Islands during this time. After 15 years of auditing, Judith moved into practice management where she remains today.

Throughout her career with Midgley Snelling, Judith has frequently travelled to varied locations. “Once, I was fortunate to accompany a senior Partner of the firm to Austria,” said Judith. “An Austrian client was negotiating the acquisition of a chipboard factory based in Northumberland. At the time, I didn’t really take much notice of the scenery but little did I know that it would become a significant meeting and location for me. I now ski on a regular basis in Austria, near to that place and I get to see the chipboard factory too when visiting a rugby club as an away supporter of my home team of Esher.”

Reflecting on her time at the Surrey firm, Judith said: “The last 35 years have seen many changes take place. Fortunately, new challenges appear to keep me on my toes!”

Janice has seen her role as change significantly in the last quarter of a century.

“I started in 1989 as a receptionist having been offered the job in my interview. Back then it was just the switchboard and a telex machine, but after about a year I was given a computer to use,” said the mother of two. “Everything has changed now though and we’ve gone from typewriters to modern day computers, iPads and smart phones. The switchboard has evolved from analogue to digital, and document management has moved from paper files to the cloud.”

Thinking of how she has grown within the firm, Janice commented: “When a secretary left, I took over the role of typing all the accounts and schedules. I was responsible for putting all timesheets, invoices and disbursements on to a DOS computer every month for both the Weybridge and London offices. I continued to provide cover to reception, whilst doing odd bits of typing, and I have remained in this position to this day, albeit in a slightly varied way.

When asked about words of advice that she could give a new starter today, Janice said: “It is all about give and take. Midgley Snelling LLP has always been very understanding and flexible. I think that you get out of a job what you put in to it.”

Janice Chessman

Judith Foster