TOP Hampshire businesswoman Sara Bertin believes her strong work ethic has been instrumental in her success – something instilled in her at an early age by her father, Dr Robert Pollock.

Dr Pollock founded holiday park company Shorefield Holidays in Milford on Sea in 1958, and this year, the business – which is still run by the family – celebrates its 60th anniversary with eight parks across Hampshire and Dorset.

Sara trained as a chartered accountant, and was the first female articled clerk at Grant Thornton in Oxford.

She worked as an audit manager in the firm’s Bedford and Bury St Edmunds offices before leaving to join the family business in 1980.

Now Shorefield Holiday’s Finance Director, Sara was named Board Level and Senior Executive of the Year at The Business Magazine’s Women in Business Awards 2017.

The award recognises women for their personal achievements in business, and for their efforts to mentor and promote other women both inside and outside the organisation.

Sara has been instrumental in creating a new senior management team at Shorefield Holidays and introducing an achievement culture that has resulted in trebling the company’s profitability over the last three years. The team were voted Solent 250 Management Team of the Year in March of this year.

She has also been a key member of the team implementing the park’s programme of strategic expansion through acquisition. In the last year, Shorefield Holidays has added a further two parks to its portfolio in Hampshire and Dorset and now has four parks in and around the New Forest, and four in Dorset.

“Winning the Women in Business Award has been my proudest achievement, followed by being asked to be on the Bank of England’s Decision Maker Panel” says Sara.

“I feel very honoured to be chosen, and invigorated to continue my work.

“I’m a self confessed workafrolic – I work hard, but I put just as much energy into the things I enjoy outside of work. But most important is to maintain my sense of humour.”

“I believe every day’s a school day as there are always new things to learn.

“It’s something instilled in me by my father, who told us as children that we must always do our homework – by which he meant that we should always check the facts and never take anything for granted.

“It has turned out to be the best piece of business advice I have ever been given.”

Sara has been inspired by many other people over the years, including her business mentor Ruth Badger, who rose to fame when she appeared as a candidate on The Apprentice.

When not at her desk, Sara enjoys working in her garden, reading, keeping fit, music and travelling. “I love living in Hampshire,” she says.

“My ideal day would begin with a family walk in the New Forest with our dogs, followed by some gardening and then lunch in any one of the incredible pubs or restaurants in the county.

“Then I’d take a boat ride to Cowes while listening to Elton John and Coldplay, and watch the sun set over the Solent followed by fireworks.”

Shorefield Holidays is a major local employer in Hampshire and Dorset, with just under 250- full-time staff across all parks, which include Shorefield Country Park and Lytton Lawn camping and touring park in Milford on Sea, Oakdene Forest Park, Merley Court Holiday Park, Forest Edge Holiday Park and Wilksworth Caravan Park in Dorset, Swanage Coastal Park, and New Forest Lodge Retreat.

Senior employees in the business are experts in the hospitality industry; many have worked for several decades in the sector and held positions in key industry associations and governing bodies. A number of the senior management team have been with the business for more than 20 years, progressing from general roles in the business up through to senior management and Director level to maintain the values of this family business.