First Payroll Professional as New Partner

Armstrong Watson LLP, Accountants, Business and Financial Advisers have announced that Karen Thomson, Director of Group Payroll Services, has been promoted to the role of Partner and becomes only the second known Payroll Partner of an accountancy firm in the whole of the UK.

Karen has headed up Armstrong Watson’s Payroll and Employee Services for the past 4 years and has led the team to multiple award wins and national recognition.

In January 2018, Karen was one of the first ten people in the UK to be awarded Individual Chartered Status of the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP). She has also held the accolade of inclusion within ‘The Reward 300 Index’ of the Payroll profession’s most influential leaders for 2 years running.

Karen is a significant driver for positive and proactive change across the Payroll industry and sits on a number of government consultation forums, representing employer and client views. Karen also shares her 20 years of experience within the industry as a lecturer for the CIPP’s Masters Programme, tutor for the CIPP Foundation Degree, and is a regular contributor to UK accountancy and payroll publications.

Armstrong Watson’s payroll service was established in 1974 and serves more than 1,500 customers, issuing 28,000 payslips every month.

As part of the firm’s continuing dedication to using new technology to enhance and improve client services, Karen worked alongside Armstrong Watson’s Solutions Architect, Toby Woodhead, to create ‘Bostik’ – an automated payroll process – and the project (and team) were acknowledged for their contribution, winning the title of ‘Project of the Year’ at the CIPP Annual Excellence Awards in October 2018.