SCOTTISH-BASED firm Excellent Colleges, which teaches bookkeeping, payroll and taxation by way of residence research programs, is celebrating 40 years in enterprise.
Founder Elias van den Akke, who established the agency in 1983, introduced his retirement from his lively position within the firm.
The place of managing director has been taken by his long-term colleague and director Brian McVean, efficient from September 1.
Mr van den Akker, generally known as Al, additionally introduced that his son Scot would turn into chairman of the coaching supplier.
The household enterprise hosted an occasion at Voco Resort in Glasgow to mark their 40th anniversary, attended by administrators, enterprise associates, tutors and college students.
Accolades got to Al, whose agency earlier this 12 months was named the Massive Coaching Supplier of the Yr on the Institute of Licensed Bookkeepers (ICB) Luca Awards.
He stated: “It has been an extended journey, however over time now we have had some triumphs in not solely guiding college students to examination success, but in addition to bettering their abilities and job prospects.
“We have now additionally taken on the problem of facilitating accreditation, which is now a requirement for bookkeepers underneath money-laundering laws.”
Scot talked about Al’s lifetime of accomplishment, from Holland to the US, together with an honours diploma in Economics and a return to his late spouse’s residence in Scotland to ascertain Excellent Colleges, and an MBA.
He stated: “When Al began out, there was no web, no Fb, X or Instagram, no electrical automobiles.
“These days there’s a lot chatter that it’s laborious to make an impression, however I feel the interpersonal relationships between employees and college students have helped immeasurably.
“Excellent Colleges has at all times been student-centred.
“From the early days now we have taken our lead from Al, who takes a real curiosity in each particular person and encourages communication.
“This enables us to get to know our college students and to attain not solely examination passes but in addition to achieve our shared objectives.”
Brian McVean stated: “Like Scot, I began out serving to within the workplace on weekends and within the holidays and the 40 years have passed by in a short time.
“I’ve at all times had an excellent working relationship with Al, who gave me an perception into what an excellent enterprise needs to be like.
“After I was getting {qualifications} in administration and accountancy, I did distance studying programs and that’s simply what they had been – distant and uncommunicative.
“In distinction, Excellent Colleges has at all times tried to make sure that college students are handled correctly and given the help they deserve.
“We now have an excellent administration system for college students and our social media helps maintain them engaged with one another in addition to instructing them to work as a workforce.
“I’ve been very privileged to work with our superb lecturers on this implausible neighborhood.”
