A Director’s story: Hayley Leech, Indigo Swan

A Director’s Story: Hayley Leech, Indigo Swan

But what makes Hayley’s story worth paying attention to isn’t just the title.

Hayley started her career at 16. She didn’t attend university and qualified through hard work alone, building her way up in a business that has been recognised for its culture as much as its results. She’s also a mum and she became Co-Owner through a Management Buyout just weeks after returning from maternity leave.

In 2025, she won the ‘Rising Star SME Award’ at the Great British Businesswomen Awards. She’ll probably tell you the day-to-day matters more.

We asked her about her journey…

You’re an FD, an HR Director and a Co-Owner. Most people pick one. How do you hold all three?

I’m not the stereotypical Finance Director, and I don’t mean any offence by that. I am different, and that’s okay. It’s what makes me, me. Finance is very factual, there’s usually a right answer, but I’ve always been a people person. I genuinely care about the humans behind the numbers as much as the numbers themselves. So, the two sitting together have always made sense to me.

In practice, a lot of my focus is on looking ahead: what’s coming in, when and what that means for what we do next. And I’ve learnt to be the conscience of the business – the voice that challenges decisions when it matters. But not as the FD who just says no. I’d much rather ask: “How do we make this work?” That’s a more interesting question.

What gave you the courage to become a business owner?

By the time the Management Buyout came around in 2022, I’d already been heavily involved in running the business, managing the finances through the energy crisis, forecasting through the pandemic and making decisions that really mattered. So, on paper, it made sense.

But the reality felt very different.

I’d just come back from maternity leave in November, and we completed the MBO in December. So, I wasn’t just stepping into ownership, I was doing it at the same time as becoming a mum for the first time. That’s a lot to take on all at once!

There was definitely a moment of thinking: this is a big step. It’s not just a job anymore; you’re committing personally as well as professionally. But I believed in the business, I trusted the people around me and I knew I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines and wonder ‘what if’.

The biggest shift for me was in mindset. I went from reporting on the financial performance of the business to protecting it. That’s not subtle – it changes how you think about every decision. You’re responsible for 24 people, their jobs and their futures. That sits on your shoulders. All the time.

How did you get to where you are today?

I started at 16 as a school leaver, joining a local accountancy practice with no real idea where it would go. I worked across different sectors and learnt a lot along the way. But honestly, I was also just figuring out what kind of environment I actually wanted to be in.

I found that environment at Indigo Swan; somewhere my values could do as much work as my skills. I grew into the role, took on more and eventually became a Co-Owner.

It still feels like something worth saying out loud, if I’m honest.

What is most challenging about your role?

Professionally, holding your position as the conscience of the business, while also being part of the team making the decisions. You have to ask the difficult questions, push back when it matters and still keep everyone moving forward. That takes a kind of courage you don’t really see coming when you start out in finance.

Being in an unregulated industry brings its own challenges too. The standards you operate by are entirely your own choice. We pride ourselves on running Indigo Swan as if the TPI sector was regulated, because we believe it should be. I know our business model inside out, how our supplier terms work, and how commission flows. If something wasn’t right, it would show up. You can’t hide it in the numbers.

And personally, there’s always that feeling of never having enough time in the office and never having enough time at home. The mental load is the hardest part. It is really tough. But it can also be really rewarding.

What do you love most about what you do?

I love that I’m genuinely encouraged to be the best version of myself here. Making a difference matters to me, and Finance and HR both do that, just in different ways. I know that sounds like something off a poster, but I really mean it.

And I love what Indigo Swan is doing more widely. We look after our people in a way that goes beyond the basics. And for our customers, we’re honest with them and will only provide advice that’s genuinely right for their business, not what’s right for our revenue.

Changing energy together. It’s not a tagline. It’s just how we operate.

What advice would you give to someone facing a similar opportunity?

1. Don’t lose who you are. Before my daughter, Ruby, was born, I was Hayley. Then for a while I was Mum. Then I worked out how to be Hayley and Mum, and I wasn’t prepared to give up either of those. I’d worked too hard for that. Being able to show Ruby she can have both a career and be a mum is extremely important to me.
2. If the opportunity feels right, believe in it and in the people around you; back yourself.
3. Much like energy, it’s a partnership, not a transaction. Trust is everything.
4. Find people who’ll challenge you and support you in equal measure. Ours do. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.
5. For me, leadership (and parenthood) comes down to character: having the courage to make the right decisions and the enthusiasm to keep going even when it’s difficult.

That’s what I’d say to anyone sitting on the fence.

Hayley Leech (far right) co-owns Indigo Swan with James Groves, Aimee Konieczny and Andy Kindleysides.