Imelda Wilks

I work for a company that looks after their staff in good times and bad. They will help you out, they will support you. Navitas has been there through all those major life points. 

So, my name is Imelda Wilks and I am the Payroll Manager for UPE.  

When and how did you come to be working with Navitas? 

I joined Navitas on the 11th of July 2005. So, I’ve just recently had my 19th anniversary with Navitas. It was an advertisement in the local newspaper for a finance officer. I was looking for a new job at the time so I just applied. Didn’t really know much about the company at all. And I got the job and here I am 19 years later in a different role, but still with the company. 

What is one of your favourite memories working at Navitas? 

It was really tough to think of, you know, over 19 years. What’s your most memorable moment of working at Navitas? And I, I probably have so many little, little memories. I mean, obviously working with the people that I’ve worked with has been, you know, I’ve had some amazingly wonderful, supportive managers who’ve helped me in good times and bad in my life, you know, that have kept me going. Some great team members. 

Trying to think of one memorable moment. And I suppose the one that I remember most is my interview, which you think 19 years on you wouldn’t remember being interviewed for a job, but I do. But I remember absolutely clearly being interviewed for my role at Navitas. I can remember the room at Hatfield and at HIC. I can remember who interviewed me, the questions that I was asked. That’s the only one I could come up with that really stands out. And I think, you know, if you can still remember that moment, then it’s got to be memorable. 

How has working at Navitas made an impact on your life?  

I think it’s made an impact working for Navitas on my life, you know, because I have been here for 19 years. Personally, you have some really big highs. I’ve had a child, I’ve got married, and all the time Navitas has been alongside me. And then I’ve had some sad times losing both my parents over the last 19 years. But Navitas has always been there holding me up, supporting me. 

So I suppose in that respect, it’s knowing that, you know, I work for a company that looks after their staff in good times and bad. They will help you out, they will support you. Navitas has been there through all those major life points. I’ve had some incredibly wonderful managers who’ve supported me, who’ve given me the time and the space to deal with what I need to deal with. 

What are your key professional achievements during your time at Navitas? 

When I joined Navitas, I was a finance officer. I then moved up to Finance Manager and it was a time when we had individual finance people in each college. You literally looked after your one college. And then in 2012, it was decided to centralise all the finance functions and I was asked to be the payroll manager because I had experience of payroll, running the payroll. So that was a major one for me to move into one specific area of finance. 

Since then I have taken my AAT qualifications, so that’s the Association of Accounting Technicians. I’ve passed all of those. I’m part way through my ACCA, which is chartered accounting. Maybe one day I’ll get back to finishing, but really taking on the role of the payroll manager, you know, setting up all the new colleges in the UK as they’ve come along. Now we’ve moved into Europe, which is a whole new ball game, working with outsourced payroll in companies to deal with the European payrolls. 

They’re my achievements of being at Navitas.