Jo Holden

Purchase Ledger Manager (Purchase Ledger is a system in accountancy by which a business records and monitors its creditors.)

I've been working for CPW since 1999, the longest job I've ever had, so far!
Previous life experiences I was an art student and worked in the textile industry, did lots of travelling and living abroad. I lived in the Swiss Alps for 3 years, doing chalet work and then worked for the tourist board. Then I decided to train as a pre-school teacher and worked in schools for six years, made redundant, got married and decided to relocate to the West Country from Surrey, where I found CPW.

It was then that I discovered the difference between Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as my wine knowledge was zero!

As I look back, I went for an interview in this funny little office in Ottery St Mary, it was a bit squashed back then and in the dark ages of no central heating! Well, they bravely recruited me and as I knew nothing about wine it must have been my administrative efficiency that got me the job! Got stuck in, and learnt very quickly and soon I began to feel part of the wine world! Really appreciate a good wine now and to know where it has come from, how it has been grown and how it got here makes it even more special.

After a couple of years I began to take on some of John Earle's financial duties, I no longer deal with the customers, now I deal with our suppliers so lots of number crunching.
I decided to further my knowledge in the Finance world and take an OCR diploma in level 1 & 2 in Book Keeping and Level 1 in Accountancy.
I manage all incoming paperwork, invoices, Duty on wine, payments and all the discrepancies that go with it in the wine world. Shipping our own wines involves a lot of logistic coordination and a lot of administration to get it in the country, so a lot of work is done to get your wine on site at CPW ready for you to purchase!

Have had two boys during this time and now work on a part time basis.
Been here 10 years now !

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