Natalie Todd: From accidental apprentice to Butterworth Barlow Director

We are delighted to celebrate the success of Natalie Todd, who has been made a Director at Butterworth Barlow after 14 years at the firm.

Born and raised in Prescot, Natalie attended an apprentice event in Knowsley, where business owners had gone to hold interviews for a variety of roles.

Natalie sat down for an interview with Gavin, who asked her why she wanted to be an accountant. At this moment, she realised she had been sent there by accident and was at the wrong interview!

However, Natalie was honest about the mistake – after a good laugh, Gavin carried on the interview anyway. He was so impressed by her enthusiasm that he offered her the apprentice role at GKB Chartered Accountants.

Within a few months of her role, heavy snowfall made it unsafe to drive. Undeterred, Natalie put her wellies on and walked to the office instead, demonstrating her work ethic and commitment. For Gavin, this confirmed how much of a good asset she was to the team!

Gavin and Natalie worked together for one and a half years before Barry got on board and they founded Butterworth Barlow in 2009. As Gavin’s apprentice and the firm’s first member of staff, Natalie played a crucial role in the early days of Butterworth Barlow and has witnessed the firm grow from strength to strength.

“I was the first employee [when Butterworth Barlow was founded] and the company was much smaller then,” she explained. “I’ve therefore been able to grow and develop alongside the business and it’s been amazing to see the changes over the years.”

As an apprentice, Natalie studied for her AAT qualification. She went on to complete her ACCA qualification and soon became a manager to the growing team.

Natalie’s hard work, organisational skills, and good client relationship management led to Gavin and Barry promoting her to Director in November last year.

Reflecting on her journey with Butterworth Barlow, Natalie said: “It’s a pleasure to be part of such a fantastic team who support each other. I’m also very grateful to Gavin and Barry for their continued support and for providing opportunities.”

During her time at Butterworth Barlow, Natalie has built fantastic relationships with clients, guiding them through the ups and downs of their businesses.

She manages a varied portfolio, providing tax advice, handling accounts and personal tax returns – plus, she keeps the Butterworth Barlow ship running smoothly with HR, payroll and credit control duties. As Director, Natalie also signs off on client work, making sure everything’s in perfect order.

However, Natalie doesn’t let her responsibilities and strong work ethic get in the way of having fun – indeed, her office nickname is “Popper” because she loves popping balloons!

When asked about her proudest moment at Butterworth Barlow, she said: “Definitely heading our trainee programme overseeing a range of people who are studying AAT or ACCA. I know how it feels to be in that position and hence I feel I can give them the best support in their studies.”

Unsurprisingly, Natalie’s favourite memory from her time at Butterworth Barlow involves her loyal colleagues.

“Everyone surprised me for my 10-year anniversary! I thought I was going to a networking event with just two of the team. Then we got out of the taxi and the rest of the team were waiting inside a restaurant – where we had breakfast – and they had planned a full day of activities. I still don’t know how they managed to keep it all a secret!”

We are immensely proud of Natalie’s remarkable career journey, and we cannot wait to see what our beloved “Popper” does next!