“I would have been stupid not to stay here!”

Never a truer word spoken by Simone Heppell Hardy after the Vehicle Damage Team Leader reflected on her Winns career to date, a journey that moved past the 10-year marker recently.

Starting back in 2013, Simone’s path started as a member of the Post Team before progressing to Legal Assistant, then Fee Earner, and more recently Team Leader.

Seeking to become a qualified Solicitor in the future, she is certainly a shining example of career progression for the right candidate here at Winn Group.

Chris Cullingworth, Associate Director and Head of Vehicle Damage, said: “Simone has been a pleasure to work with since I joined the Vehicle Damage team.

“She has shown fantastic dedication, loyalty and hard work which has seen her achieve promotion to her current role as a Team Leader.

“Congratulations to Simone on achieving her 10-year anniversary. I am sure there will be plenty more milestones to come in her career at Winns.”

Choosing her own career path and using the plentiful progression opportunities available here at Winn Group, Simone is targeting becoming a qualified solicitor.

She said: “I initially started my journey with Winns on the Post Team, then progressed to Legal Assistant, Fee Earner, and now Team Leader.

“I am very proud of how I have progressed, especially considering the fact I started in the Admin Team and I am now a Team Leader looking to qualify as a Solicitor. Chris (Cullingworth, Head of Vehicle Damage) and Rebecca (Colby, Deputy Head of Vehicle Damage) have put a lot of effort into me getting where I am today by allowing me to do my degree through Winns and now the SQE.

“I cannot thank them enough for giving me the opportunities that they have.

“I would also not have been where I am today if I didn’t have the help and guidance that I received from Keelie Parkinson and Natalie Hall.

“They were the best team leaders that I could have asked for when it came to helping me out with aspects of the job and also helping out with how I could better myself so I could progress here.

“With the opportunities that Winns has provided me with, i.e., my degree and progression, I would have been stupid not to stay here!

“I hope to complete my Solicitor’s exam through the SQE and qualify as a Solicitor. This would be a great personal achievement for me.”