Meet the team
Meet the team who will help you to:
- Get clarity on your business numbers
- Put your finances to work for you
- Build the business you’ve been dreaming of.
Paul Meades FCPA
Director
Joanne McDonald FCCA
Director
Natasha Goss FCCA
Senior Client Manager
Clare Brown
Senior Client Manager
Elena Meades
Senior Bookkeeper
Beccy McClymont
Office Manager
Natalie Kadir
Admin Coordinator
Brooke Hayter
Assistant Client Manager
Jessica Allen
Management accountant
Kate Higgs
Senior Bookkeeper
Zyra Layug
Accountant
Paul Meades FCPA
Director
Contacts
01923800444
LinkedIn
Q. What is the main area of expertise you offer clients?
A. Tax planning, business growth and business development.
Q. What are you rubbish at but keep doing anyway?
A. I’m fortunate to have a great team behind me that I can ask to help me with what I am rubbish at, so nothing really. 🙂
Q. When you grow up, you want to be …?
A. I don’t and won’t ever grow up!
About Paul
Paul joined his father in the Meades & Company (as it was known back then) business after he finished university with an accountancy degree in 1993. Paul invested in the company’s first computer system in 1996, which had to be ready for the new Self-Assessment legislation.
The company moved to new premises at The Metro Centre in 2007, along with seven employees.
In 2008, Paul’s father retired and it was at this point Paul realised that the business needed to change from the traditional accountancy model if it was going to survive and thrive in the long term. This realisation was bought about by recognising that if HMRC and Companies House didn’t exist then the firm would have no clients!
Since then, Paul has steadily developed the company’s services to be able to provide effective business strategy, personal wealth and tax planning advice.
Joanne McDonald FCCA
Director
Contacts
01923800444
LinkedIn
Q. What are you rubbish at but keep doing anyway?
A. Dancing.
Q. If you were a superhero, what would your power be?
A. The power to stop time.
About Joanne
In July 2013, Joanne joined Meades Group as a client manager with her own portfolio of limited company clients. Joanne deals with all aspects of accounts, from bookkeeping, personal tax returns, P11Ds, VAT returns, management accounts and year-end accounts.
Joanne is married to Neil and they have two children, Chase and Phoebe.
Joanne’s claim to fame is casting extras at Shepherd’s Bush for Sean of The Dead!
Natasha Goss FCCA
Senior Client Manager
Contacts
01923800444
LinkedIn
Q. What is the main area of expertise you offer clients?
Having worked in both general and specialised accountancy practice I have different areas of expertise, but my main area would be tax planning.
Q. What are you rubbish at but keep doing anyway?
Parenting! But I can’t really not do it!
Q. When you grow up, you want to be …?
Contented, having achieved what I wanted to achieve.
About Natasha
Prior to joining Meades in November 2019, Natasha worked in general practice and for contractor accountants, dealing with both practice clients and her own portfolio of clients. These were mainly limited companies, but there were also some sole traders and partnerships.
She can help you with tax planning to make sure you never pay more than you need to. With over twenty years’ experience working in accountancy practice, Natasha can help in a number of areas – give her a call to discuss what you need in your business.
Clare Brown
Senior Client Manager
Contacts
01923800444
LinkedIn
Q. When you grow up, you want to be …?
A knife thrower, I used to practice as a child throwing cricket stumps into the lawn.
Q. If you had a superpower, what would it be?
To be able to fly, unaided by wings or a jetpack.
Q. If you were an animal, you would be a …?
Cat – they have a lovely life, lying around or wandering through gardens.
About Clare
Clare qualified thirty years ago with a mid-sized practice in London. She subsequently moved to a smaller practice, where she stayed for fifteen years – five of which were as a director. Clare’s passion for embracing the latest technology and processes to deliver higher levels of service and support were not met in this traditional setting, and she ventured to pastures new. Having spent a year as a practice manager she has now found her home at Meades Group.
As a fully qualified accountant with extensive small business experience, Clare can guide you through the jungle of HMRC administration, bookkeeping and best practice for your finance function. In her own words:
“I know I can take away an aspect of worry. For many business owners, administration and the backroom aspect of running a business is confusing, and knowing it is being managed correctly eliminates any concerns a business owner may have. It means they can run their business well and concentrate on what they do best. I find that hugely rewarding.”
Clare can help you to align your personal and professional aspirations, always looking at the bigger picture of where you are in your journey and what needs to happen in your business to support you. Knowing you, your personal situation, and your professional goals helps her to give this comprehensive service.
Elena Meades
Senior Bookkeeper
Contacts
01923800444
LinkedIn
Q. What is the main area of expertise you offer clients?
I help clients to make better business decisions by ensuring their records are always up to date and accurate.
Q. Tell us something about you that not many people would know?
I was the second-best gymnast in Bashkortostan when I was twelve.
Q. If you were a superhero, what would your power be?
If I was a superhero, I would like to be able to fly like Superman so that I can visit all of the fascinating countries around the world.
About Elena
Having managed reconciliations for Russia’s largest banks and insurance companies, Elena knows how critical it is to have accurate records. Her experience extends from developing procedures to accurately collating and processing data to training and managing the teams who use the systems daily.
As a team, Meades already uses industry-leading software such as Hubdoc to make data collection fast and secure for clients, as well as analysis through Xavier Analytics for an overview of the accuracy of records. Elena is applying her experience to further elevate the standard and speed at which Meades provide information to their clients.
Her role at Meades is to continually improve the way they collect, process and manage transaction records for clients. As a senior bookkeeper she is responsible for ensuring clients’ records are accurate and available to them for decision-making.
Beccy McClymont
Office Manager
Contacts
01923800444
LinkedIn
Q. What is the main area of expertise you offer clients?
A. I look after all our contractor clients and answer any queries they may have on any number of topics.
Q. What are you rubbish at but keep doing anyway?
A. Making plans!
Q. If you were an animal, you would be a …?
A. Bird, having the freedom to go anywhere.
About Beccy
Beccy started her career at a debt collection company as a commercial collections negotiator. After a year, she moved on to work at the David Lloyd leisure centre in Bushey. In 2008, Beccy moved to Southampton with her family where she became a finance assistant for an insurance company.
Beccy joined Meades Group in July 2010 as a receptionist. She has since grown with the company and become the PA to the director – and so much more. She deals with all tax-planning correspondence for clients and HMRC queries, as well as personal tax, company insurance policies and the setting up of limited companies. Beccy is also a qualified first-aider and a Xero-certified advisor.
Natalie Kadir
Admin Coordinator
Contacts
01923800444
LinkedIn
Q. What are you rubbish at but keep doing anyway?
A. Planning events.
Q. If you were an animal, what would you be?
A. A lynx cat – they are beautiful and have the cutest ears.
Q. When you grow up, what do you want to be?
A. A very important woman, with people working for me.
About Natalie
Natalie deals with administrative and company secretarial tasks, such as the filing of forms with Companies House and the submission of tax returns to HMRC. Natalie also works alongside the client managers in the process of taking on new clients.
Natalie is responsible for setting up new clients on Meades’ systems and applying for relevant information to ensure their records are complete. She will also arrange for client records to be collected and post them back on completion.
Brooke Hayter
Assistant Client Manager
Contacts
01923800444
LinkedIn
Q. What are you rubbish at but keep doing anyway?
A. Stopping snacking!!
Q. If you were an animal, what would you be?
A. I would be a dog with a loving family.
Q. When you grow up, what do you want to be?
A. I don’t think I will ever grow up but if it does happen I would like to be a neuroscientist.
About Brooke
Brooke joined the Meades team as Bookkeeping and Payroll Manager in January 2023. Her primary responsibilities include bookkeeping and payroll for our clients.
Brooke grew up in Turkey, where her father was a tax inspector, she believes this is where her love of numbers started. While living in Turkey, she studied Business Administration and Accountancy at the Open University.
Her first role was at an accountancy practice before she moved into industry. In 1990, Brooke met her future husband, was married two years later, and settled in the UK. Having raised 2 daughters and a son, she returned to work as part of a large accountancy team in a private company responsible for bank receipt allocations. After several years working in industry, she transitioned to bookkeeping for an accountancy practice, where she stayed for over five years.
With a career that has spanned roles across practice and industry, Brooke’s understanding of the nuances of different company systems and ways of working will be invaluable to the team and our clients.
Jessica Allen
Management accountant
Contacts
01923800444
LinkedIn
Q: If you were a superhero, what would your power be?
A: If I was a superhero my superpower would be to be able to stop time so I could fit everything in to a day that I need to, then I might be able to catch up on lost sleep 😊
Q: If you were an animal, you would be a?
A: I think I would chose a whale so I could go an explore the ocean.
Q: When you grow up, you want to be…
A: Happy and healthy, with my family around me.
Q: Tell us something about you that few people would know?
A: Before training to me an accountant I worked for an Olympic dressage rider.
How I can help you
Having worked in industry for many years, I have a strong understanding of the day to day running of a company. I can assist you with implementing systems and controls to ensure an efficient finance process. With experience of both sides of the fence I can offer clients practical support.
About Jess
Jess is married with 2 boys and has been riding from a young age. Her horse joined the family when Jess was 15, she’s retired now and not ridable, but still a big part of family life.
Her accountancy career started at an auditing firm, but she then switched into industry working at an ad tech company in London. She witnessed the rapid growth of the company as they expanded in both size and reach – opening offices across the world. Her role grew too, starting as a Financial Controller and moving up to EMEA Controller with responsibilities for the day to day running of the finance function for the UK, Netherlands and Australia, completing management accounts, VAT returns, R&D claims, year-end accounts and audits.
Zyra Layug
Accountant
Q: When you grow up, you want to be?
A: I always dreamed of becoming an NBI agent (like NCA Agent in UK/ FBI Agent) – it’s cool solving crimes and I wanted to become a detective.
Q: If you were an animal, you would be a?
A: A dog – they are just at home, eating, sleeping, playing and waiting for their furparents.
Q: If you were a superhero, what would your power be?
A: I want to become invisible, I want to know what people around me talk about.
How I can help you
As a accountant that handles bookkeeping and payroll, I can help you by maintaining accurate financial records, reconciling bank statements and ensuring compliance with regards to you taxes.
Additionally, I can assists you by accurately calculating and processing your employees salaries, wages and deductions.
About Zyra
Zyra graduated in 2017 and passed her CPA exams in the same year. After passing the boards, she worked for a small private company for a year, doing all the accounting and auditing-related tasks. She then moved on to work as an accountant for one of the biggest retail companies in the Philippines. She was then hired by the government as an accountant. She worked there for almost 4 years.
For 5 years, while doing all these full-time jobs, she did a part-time job as a college instructor. Teaching accounting, auditing, management accounting, and taxation subjects from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily and on the weekends.
She joined Meades in September 2023, doing bookkeeping and payroll-related work.