It was a chance conversation that Victoria’s mother had in 1996, which saw her land a role at CooperBurnett.
“My mum was singing my praises (as only a mother does!) to the estate agent who was selling the family home in Chelsfield,” says Victoria. “Very kindly, and completely unsolicited, he mentioned me to his contacts at CooperBurnett. The next thing I knew, I had a meeting with the partners and was offered the chance to join the firm as a trainee, once I’d returned from travelling in Australia.”
Victoria discovered early on in her career that she really enjoyed working within Corporate and Commercial Services – the department that she now heads up.
“I love working with business owners and entrepreneurs, supporting businesses as they grow, buy or sell,” Victoria explains. “We’re lucky that Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding area has such a healthy business community and it’s great to have been part of that for 25 years.”
Victoria says she is really happy to have been given the opportunity to join CooperBurnett.
“If I was a stick of rock, you’d see the words ‘CooperBurnett’ written down the middle of me,” she explains. “This firm is pretty much all I’ve known and I love it. CooperBurnett is a firm which people join and stay with, so I have worked alongside some of my colleagues for as long as I’ve been here, which is wonderful.”
She adds: “I didn’t think I could be any prouder to be part of #TeamCB but lockdown proved that it was possible! Under challenging circumstances, we have all continued to work together as a team, even though we’ve been stuck at home and many of us have been juggling home schooling responsibilities too.”
During her time at CooperBurnett, Victoria has been keen to ‘give something back’ to both the local business market and the wider community. She has been President of Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge & District Law Society, and President of West Kent Chamber of Commerce and Industry on two occasions.
Victoria is an ambassador for the hospice charity ellenor and has also supported fundraising initiatives for the firm’s chosen charities over the years. Two years ago, she joined colleagues to cycle from London to Paris in just 24 hours, raising more than £25,000 for Brain Tumour Research.
“It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for 25 years now and I am excited to be celebrating my anniversary in the same month as CooperBurnett marks its 40th year,” says Victoria. “I am confident that our firm has a brilliant future ahead of it and I am looking forward to being part of that for many more years to come.”
