Old Mill announces youngest ever head of office

Lucy Bennett, an adviser at Exeter financial experts Old Mill has become the firm’s youngest ever head of office.

The 24-year-old has been announced as Old Mill’s new head of office for the sister office in Yeovil where her role is to encourage collaboration and engagement amongst the teams and support Old Mill’s work within the local community, alongside her role as client adviser.

Lucy has worked at Old Mill for six years, and during that time has built up strong relationships with clients and colleagues alike, meaning she is perfectly placed to take on the role of office head. However, she knows it will not be plain sailing as we return to the new normal and plans to learn from what the pandemic has taught us.

Lucy said: “Bringing everyone together and providing another level of support has always been important, but now it feels more important than ever. Whether people are working from home, the office, or both - they will require different levels of support to make them feel comfortable with the transition, which I hope I can help provide.”

Lucy says the pandemic has really pushed mental health to the forefront in all walks of life, and that Old Mill’s response from a wellbeing perspective has been on point, but it is important not to forget what we’ve learnt from the pandemic and grow from it.

She said: “Being open minded during times of change not only links to Old Mill’s values, but also seems the most sensible plan of action and I hope to be as inclusive as possible.”

Speaking about the fact she is the youngest person to have taken on one of the four office role positions; Lucy said: “I see my appointment as a perfect illustration of how forward-looking Old Mill is when it comes to offering exciting opportunities for career development. We are most definitely not ‘old school’ in this respect, and hopefully me being slightly more junior will be beneficial in encouraging others to take a ‘leap of faith’ and put themselves out there”

Lucy has always been heavily involved in the Yeovil Social Committee and was also instrumental in the launch of The Old Mill Fund - the home of Old Mill’s charitable giving - so feels her new role is a natural next step up.

“I hope to invigorate the committee to bring new ideas and help new people socialise, encouraging those who are comfortable getting together while being supportive to those who aren’t. I’m also really excited to get all our new joiners involved and link up with the local community more than we ever have before, perhaps getting some local businesses to become a part of our social calendar.

“Some of the things I’d like to do early on include a charity skydive for Mind, a sponsored walk or run for the Old Mill Fund, office yoga followed by a breakfast party and filling the office freezer with ice cream!”

Speaking about Lucy’s appointment, Ian Carlson, Managing Director at Old Mill said: “Lucy will make an excellent office head. She is a people person with a friendly approach that brings out the best in people, and I am confident that she will bring her energy and passion to the role. Lucy is also a hard worker, a natural collaborator and a great representative of our values so I know she will a fantastic ambassador for Old Mill both internally and within the local community.”