Dealer Accountant Sandra Celebrates 25 years!

We’re celebrating our fantastic Dealer Accountant, Sandra, for achieving an incredible 25 years of working for Lloyd Motor Group. 

At Lloyd Motor Group, we have always taken pride in our employees, who are the beating heart of our business. Their hard work and devotion contribute to our successes, and we are always delighted to see them reach these incredible milestones with us.

Read on to meet Sandra, find out about her career highlights and with advice for a career in the industry.

Hello Sandra, Can you tell us about your career journey with us, from where you started to how you got to where you are today?  

I started with Lloyd Motor Group after leaving University and working various part time retail jobs. My friend worked for Lloyd Volvo Carlisle in the parts department and saw the job on the internal list. He knew I was looking for a full time position so suggested it to me. I had an interview with Stuart Collins and was offered the job shortly after….I became the purchase ledger clerk for Lloyd Motor Group on the 10th January 2000. 

I fulfilled this role for around 6 months before a position on the Sales Ledger opened up and I moved over. While being a similar position, it was deemed to be a promotion and from there I continued, moving on around 18 months later to being the Sales Ledger Controller. I was now directing a very small team and being responsible for the company debtors.

Fast forward another 18 months/2 years and a position was available as a Dealer Accountant. I had been studying for my AAT qualification and needed the more involved role to make use of the new skills and qualification. I was delighted to become the Dealer Accountant for what was then Lloyd Land Rover, Volvo Carlisle and Honda Cars.



Over the coming years, the company changed and evolved rapidly and new departments were created to cope with the increasing size of the company. Our own department, as a central accounts team had both physically and in practical terms outgrown the head office and so the decision was taken to send us out to the dealerships to work on site alongside the management team of the franchises we represented. 

Over the coming years I saw the move of the Honda Bikes franchise to a dedicated site, and the creation of BMW Motorrrad to sit alongside the Honda Motorcycle site. The creation of a new Used Car Centre, making the most out of the opportunities we had in self-supply of quality used stock, previously lost out of the group, and completely unique to the group at the time. Saying goodbye to franchises as we closed the doors on Honda Cars but opened the doors on a new-to-group franchise in Kia, was a big change of pace.  A totally new franchise to market in the Grenadier brand, along with a new approach to new vehicle supply using the Agency model. Not to mention... a few refurbishments along the way!

Today, I’m Dealer Accountant for 3 sites and I am proud of all of them... Lloyd Kia Carlisle, Lloyd Used Car Centre and Lloyd AllRoad.

What has been your standout career highlight from the past 25 years?  

"Over the last 25 years, there are many times that I have been proud of what I, and the team around me, have achieved but personally two things stand out: Surviving 25 years in a male orientated industry is one but the real one is training several colleagues to becoming Dealer Accountants, now known as Retailer Accountants, and seeing them flourish in their own dealerships. I very proud of being involved in their development."

What do you enjoy most about working at Lloyd Kia Carlisle?  

"Being part of a dynamic, enthusiastic and successful team. It sounds very cringeworthy but the team at Lloyd Kia Carlisle really does feel like a family, with all the dynamics of a family, annoying little brothers, helpful sisters and supportive parents. I’m not going to name names on those, people can choose who they like! We all work hard but have a laugh along the way and support each other in and out of work."

What advice would you give someone looking to start their career within the industry?  

"Be prepared to work hard. To want to be the best and over achieve. If you come with that attitude, we will give you the skills and knowledge you need to succeed and we will support to you be the best version of yourself."

What’s your favourite way to spend an evening after work?  

"I cook for my family and then hit the couch in my comfies watching quizzes or murder dramas or history programmes. I do try to run and dream of a half marathon one day but my family comes first and if they need me I’m there so I’ll often be found clapping too loud at a concert or dance performance."

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?  

"I have a very long list of places I need to visit before it’s too late, too long to list here, but my retirement plan is Italy. Food, history and of course the people."

On behalf of everyone at Lloyd Motor Group, we would like to congratulate Sandra on reaching this incredible milestone and thank her for her continued passion, committed and expertise over the past 25 years.

Do you want to see where a career at Lloyd Motor Group could take you? Browse our current vacancies today.

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