That'll be Joanne Stronach of Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors then.
With almost 130 staff and seven offices located in Carlisle (two of them), Penrith, Cockermouth, Brampton, Haltwhistle and Hexham, the award winning Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors are big by any stretch of the imagination.
The company has over 200 years’ experience providing legal services, advising businesses and individuals both locally and nationally. They offer a wide range of services delivered by specialists in several practice areas to a diverse client base.
If you need any sort of personal, business or property advice, Cartmell Shepherd can help.
Fronting the Employment Law and HR side of the company is Joanne Stronach…but her job title is about to change.
She is to become Cartmell Shepherd’s managing director, taking over from Peter Stafford who will retire at the end of September.
“I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this new position…and how proud I am, ” said Joanne who will become the first woman to assume the MD role at the company. “It’s a massive honour to have a dynamic and innovative board of directors supporting me who understand that the legal industry is evolving rapidly. We are committed to embracing new technology to help us move with it. Having the confidence of the whole board and the wider Cartmell Shepherd team that I’m the right person for the job is hugely important to me.”
Joanne has spent a career of 30 years advising businesses across the North East and Cumbria and plans to continue advising employers, with the support of the employment law team. She’s been with Cartmell Shepherd since 2018, lives in the Tyne Valley and is one of the North’s leading employment lawyers.
“I’ve been involved with employment law since I first qualified as a solicitor,” added Joanne. “It’s an area of law which I’ve always enjoyed because it involves working with people and communicating with them. In fact, communication was something which led me into the legal profession in the first place.
“As a child I used to have debates about all sorts of things with my father. It was huge fun, and I can still clearly remember the day when he said that I should become a lawyer because I could talk the hind legs off a donkey. Fate then intervened. I studied maths and sciences for my A’ levels and was considering accountancy as a profession, but after a work experience placement at a solicitor’s office, I was hooked. I loved the discussions about legal matters and how the law helped and protected individuals and businesses.”
Which of course is precisely what she and the rest of the team at Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors are up to. Their pile of awards is testimony to how good they are.
And if you think being the MD of a large legal firm means that you’re going to be a bit stuffy, think again. Joanne is a petrolhead and avid reader of crime novels.
“One of my favourite cars was my BMW Z3. You can’t beat some wind in the hair, flies in the teeth motoring. I also loved my Alfa Romeo Spider and, bearing in mind that road conditions can sometime be a bit tricky in this part of the world at wintertime, I always feel secure in my Land Rover.
“As for holidays…give me my motorhome every time and the chance to read a murder mystery book. I particularly like crime novels about places where I’ve been.”
The future for Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors is in good hands.
Cartmell Shepherd Solicitors…always at your side.
If you’d like more information about what Cartmell Shepherd can do for you, the best idea is to visit their website, www.cartmells.co.uk or email enquiries@cartmells.co.uk or call 01228 516 666