Double celebration as Elinor marks 20-year anniversary – and a national award

As Elinor Perry raises a glass to her 20 years at the helm of Pentlands Accountants and Advisors, it will give her cause for both celebration and reflection.

Fittingly, the anniversary coincides with her receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ladies First Inspirational Awards, held recently at the IXL Centre in Southam.

Elinor’s journey began as a trainee at Marks and Spencer’s at the age of 16 after leaving school with a clutch of O-levels to her name. Only two years later, a speculative job application resulted in a role as Tesco’s youngest ever Personnel Manager, heading up a 250-strong team.

New-found ambitions were tested, however, when, at the age of just 19, Elinor fell pregnant with her son Joel and, eight years later, became a single mum of two following the birth of her daughter Lucy and subsequent marriage breakdown.

But it was a period of entrepreneurship, running her own retail fashion business at 23, that opened her eyes to what finally became her successful career path.

She recalls: “When I moved from Gloucestershire to Warwickshire in 1997 as a single mum, I thought, I can't go back into this retail world. It's long hours and it just doesn't work with two young children.”

Elinor began a qualification at Warwickshire College hoping to secure a part-time job in accountancy. But, she added: “Recruiters basically laughed at me and said I had to be prepared to work full time, and at 30 I was too old! But I was not deterred.”

Her tenacity led Elinor to Edwards and Pentlands in Warwick, where she wasted no time, studying until the early hours around her parenting responsibilities to acquire her ACCA accreditation.

In 2005, Elinor completed a management buyout from the existing owners, only six months after completing her final exams, initially with a business partner who she later bought out.

“It was a bit hair-raising for the first 10 years,” she said. “It's fair to say it’s been an unusual journey with some highs and lows.” said: “A real achievement for me is building a business that is all about the people. We genuinely care and are very proud of the client relationships we’ve built over the years. It just feels like a great opportunity to mark the 20 years and to say thank you.”

Now the focus for Elinor and her 12-strong team is on celebrating success, which they did with a garden party, joined by friends, associates and long-standing clients.

“I think what I’m most proud of though is always having that belief in myself that I can do it and trusting my gut, even in the testing times.”

Of her recent award, she added: “This was a real ‘pinch me’ moment and completely unexpected. It makes 2025 an even more special year, and I was so pleased that friends, clients, and members of the Pentlands team were there to share in the moment with me.” real achievement for me is building a business that is all about the people. We genuinely care and are very proud of the client relationships we’ve built over the years. It just feels like a great opportunity to mark the 20 years and to say thank you.”