Meet the team - Donna Beevers, head of personnel

We don’t have many soap stars in our midst at First4Lawyers, but one notable exception is Head of Personnel, Donna Beevers, who is also one of our longest-standing team members.

Growing-up it was a family hobby to go and watch Emmerdale being filmed, so when the producers asked my parents if I would like to appear in a scene, I jumped at the chance. Aged nine, I was filmed pushing a smaller boy on a swing, sadly not my brother who held no such ambitions for stardom.

However, despite my childhood ambitions to be an actress, sometime late into my teens, and much to my parents’ relief, I changed tack and decided I wanted to be a lawyer.

A first-class honours LLB at Sheffield Hallam University was followed by the Legal Practice Course at Leeds Beckett University, which I passed with a commendation. I loved the law.

Anyone who knows a solicitor will tell you how hard training contracts are to find, even with the strong educational qualifications that I had, but that’s all ancient history now as I found out about First4Lawyers, was hooked and have been ever since.  

I began work as a claims advisor assessing new enquiries, advising clients and offering support. I worked in this role for almost five years as we saw the team and business grow and start to receive recognition through various industry awards.

I was then promoted to a team leader role, still handling new enquiries but also using my knowledge and experience to coach and manage others within the team, maintaining a focus on our strong vision and values to help develop those around me to meet the same exacting quality standards that our team was built upon.  

At the beginning of this year, I returned to First4Lawyers after a year away from the business on maternity leave. Having spent four years as a team leader and using this time to hone my people and management skills, I moved to a senior management position as the Head of Personnel, a newly created role reflecting the growth in the business.

My job now is to focus on my colleagues and in particular, providing a fantastic team with the very best support, training and working culture possible. We’re a growing business and, as I settle in to my new role, I am really looking forward to building on all of the hard work to date and continuing to create the very best environment for all my existing, and new colleagues, alike. Success for me would be for everyone here to enjoy being part of First4Lawyers as much I have for the past nine years.

When I’m not at work, leisure time is a little restricted given I have two sons under four, but as a National Trust member you’re most likely to find me and my family out walking or if we’re feeling really brave, zip wiring across the country.