Tees Business Issue 43 | Page 147

TEES TECH AWARDS 2025

SPONSORED BY MOONRISE 24HR RECRUITMENT

AbacusBean’ s Beverley Goodall received the Janice Webster Unsung Hero award from Keith Gwaringa of category sponsor Moonrise 24he Recruitment.

WINNER

The Unsung Hero category winner had a typically modest reaction to her win, saying:“ This one’ s for the team.”

Since launching in 2018, Beverley Goodall’ s company, AbacusBean, has become a trusted expert in the tech and gaming sectors, supporting businesses in Teesside and beyond, and helping them achieve their goals through specialist accounting advice tailored to their industries.

Indeed, many of the people in the audience at Kirkleatham Walled Garden will have entrusted AbacusBean with their accounting needs.

But for Beverley – widely known as Bev – receiving the Janice Webster Unsung Hero prize, which is named after a digital pioneer who won the category posthumously in 2023, it was all about“ Team Bean”.

She said:“ This isn’ t just for me, this is for Team Bean – I couldn’ t do it on my own.

“ We have an amazing collection of people who want to do their best for everyone and will go above and beyond for every tech business on Teesside.” And with experience of working with firms nationwide, Bev calls the tech scene on Teesside“ brilliant”. She said:“ We work with tech firms in London and across the country but

Teesside definitely holds its own.” And as for the award, she admits it was humbling to get such recognition. She said:“ I left a very big national firm six and a half years ago to set up on own. It was scary but once you’ ve jumped, you’ ve got to make it work – you don’ t want to go back with your tail between your legs.

“ But we’ ve built a great team and I’ ve the view that if they look after the clients, I will look after them. We’ ve got a beautiful office( at Level Q in Stockton) and we’ ve tried to make ourselves look more like a tech firm than an accountancy firm. For example, everyone gets six weeks holidays and the bank holidays – and that includes the junior team members who’ ve just come through the door, they get the same holidays I get.

“ We also have monthly prize draws, give everyone a nice birthday present and we’ re probably one of the first accountancy firms locally to switch to a four-and-a-half-day week.

“ Basically, we try and do all the things the tech firms do, but in accountancy.”

SPONSOR’ S MESSAGE

Keith Gwaringa, Moonrise 24hr Recruitment: At Moonrise, we’ re looking at technology to uplift tech within our industry because it will help our clients. We want to support other businesses within the technology sector and raise that bar – and it’ s great to support an award that recognises people whose work deserves to be highlighted.

FINALISTS

LEE GATLEY-HALL( HOME HUB)

Passionate about ending fuel poverty, former teacher Lee secures funding, develops innovative energy solutions and ensures vulnerable communities get the support they need.

From delivering novel projects focusing on upgrading energy efficiency in usually forgotten areas to acting as a link between residents and contractors to deliver highimpact outcomes in terms of carbon, energy and health and wellbeing, Lee makes real change happen without ever seeking recognition.

Despite juggling a young family and a PhD, he keeps pushing boundaries, developing a ground-breaking digital platform for people living in fuel poverty. He also works tirelessly to bridge gaps, unite stakeholders and ensure people receive the upgrades and advice they need.

TIM LOUGHLIN( SALESFIRE)

Teesside born and bred, Tim has helped put Middlesbrough on the map as a leading UK technology hub. He holds an impressive CV, having held financial and accounting positions at renowned businesses such as La Redoute and Bupa, but his passion lay in the local tech sector.

In 2022, he took a chance on the Teesside e-commerce tech startup Salesfire and was hired as their CFO. Drawing on his experience and extensive financial knowledge, he secured £ 6m in venture capital funding, resulting in the development of the revolutionary Salesfire AI technology.

Highly regarded by his colleagues but preferring to remain out of the spotlight, he has selflessly gone above and beyond to ensure all Salesfire’ s employees feel respected and supported.

The voice of business in the Tees region | 147