End of an era at pro.manchester

pro.manchester's longest serving member of staff will be leaving the organisation on a high this May as she rises a final glass at the annual dinner.

Senior partners' programme manager Val Jones joined the region's profession and financial services networking organisation in 1998 as PA to then chief executive John Barnacle.

Having risen through the ranks – and worked with three chief executives - Val has been at the forefront of many changes in her 12-year career.

She said: “pro.manchester has certainly changed, especially over the past five years. In my early days here, I was not only PA but also kept the accounts, looked after invoicing and organised events.

 “We had 80 member firms when I joined and now we have more than 250. We host more events and have a larger team to support our programme. I’ve had the opportunity to take on a lot of ownership over the years and looked after key dates like our annual dinner and AGM. It’s been a great experience.
“It will be a wrench for me to go. It’s an exciting time at pro.manchester. Every day is different and I’ve learnt to expect the unexpected.”

Val, who lives in Worsley, is looking forward to spending time with her grandchildren as well as travelling. She will also be working more closely with charity Wood Street Mission, where she is a board member.

pro.manchester chief executive John Ashcroft said: “Val has been instrumental in the growth of the organisation and has forged lasting professional relationships with members as well as helping build our relationship with Mansion House. “Our annual dinner, with Hugh Dennis, will be an apt time for us to all raise a glass and thank Val for her hard work and dedication to pro-manchester throughout the years. “Her shoes will definitely be hard to fill.”