Accountant Spotlight: Ashley Allred at Squire

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In our latest Accountant Spotlight Series, we're thrilled to introduce Ashley Allred, Advisory Manager at Squire. Her story is one defined by curiosity, partnership, and ambition.

From textbooks to bookkeeping

Growing up in a family of educators, Ashley Allred’s career path felt predestined from the start. Jumping feet first into elementary education, she spent her first few years postgraduate as a teacher in the city of Bellevue, Washington. Along the way, driven more by necessity than interest, she began working as a bookkeeper for a local bicycle company, a job initially intended to help pay the bills. “I went in a few days a week to help with basic bookkeeping,” she reflects. “I soon realized that I enjoyed doing that a whole lot more than I enjoyed going to school to teach.” It wasn’t until a move to Utah, however, that Ashley would be faced with the possibility of changing more than her area code.

Upon learning that her out-of-state teaching degree wasn’t transferable, Ashley was forced to consider her next step. “I had zero desire to retest for something that I wasn’t thoroughly enjoying,” she shares. “So, I applied for a job at Squire and within a few months I decided that this is what I wanted.” Fully committing herself to starting fresh in a new field, Ashley immediately enrolled in classes, eventually obtaining her Master of Accounting degree. Joining Squire in 2017, Ashley’s dedication to the profession has been unwavering, working full time while completing her coursework. Today, as she approaches her eight year work anniversary, she attributes much of her success to the support of the Squire team, forever grateful for the belief that they instilled in her.

A people-first culture powering impact

Founded in 1973, Squire has been delivering financial expertise for more than 50 years across a wide range of industries. Now recognized as the fastest-growing accounting firm in Utah, the company has evolved significantly while staying true to its roots. “We started as a small firm and have really tried to hold onto that as we scaled,” Ashley explains. “It’s not just coming to work and putting your head down; we really know each other.” Having experienced the culture firsthand during her graduate program, Ashley views Squire’s investment in its people as a reflection of its investment in its clients. “Our core values have always centered on putting clients and employees first,” she shares. “We’re in a healthy environment, and that’s mirrored in the services we provide.”

Today, Squire offers a full suite of accounting and advisory services, delivering intelligent solutions to clients around the world. Through strategic consulting, its advisory team brings deep, specialized expertise, with dedicated groups focused on wealth management, NetSuite and QuickBooks integrations, software development, and more. As an Advisory Manager, Ashley leads the Client Advisory Services (CAS) team, which provides everything from bookkeeping to controller-level support — always with an added layer of industry-specific insight. “Specifically, I lead the consumer products and manufacturing team,” she explains. “So when I’m keeping up with the latest in accounting, I’m laser-focused on what’s happening in these industries, and what tools or services can best support our clients.”

Guiding businesses with strategic insights

With deep expertise in the consumer products and manufacturing industries, Ashley has developed an intimate understanding of the challenges her clients face — particularly around inventory tracking and cost management. Increasingly, businesses are turning to Squire for cash flow forecasting and financial projections, in order to gain clarity in a rapidly evolving landscape. Ashley and her team deliver not only the hard data, but also tailored analysis and benchmarking against industry norms. “We want clients to truly understand where they stand, no matter what their product may be,” she explains.

But understanding current performance is only part of the equation. Many clients come to Squire with three-to-five-year plans, seeking assurance that they’re prepared for both growth and unforeseen challenges. For Ashley, timely communication is key. “The biggest and simplest way to alleviate stress is by providing data when clients need it,” she says. “Weekly or monthly cash flow reports can be game-changing; it’s impossible to make confident business decisions without accurate, up-to-date information.”

Partnering on smarter, more efficient accounting

When it comes to maintaining a competitive edge, advanced technology and strategic insight go hand in hand. At Squire, the innovation committee keeps a constant pulse on the market, identifying tools that address clients’ most pressing challenges. “Our philosophy at Squire is that if we fall behind on technology, then we’re doing our clients a disservice,” Ashley explains. “We’re committed to staying ahead at all times.”

Making such a commitment to delivering the latest and greatest requires a spirit of curiosity. By immersing themselves in the field and researching emerging products, the team ensures each solution aligns with a client’s unique needs. “Not all technologies are right for every client,” Ashley notes. “If we don’t know what’s out there, we can’t provide the best guidance.” Central to this approach is the thoughtful use of AI and automation, powerful efficiency drivers that streamline time-consuming, costly tasks. “When coding or data entry is automated, our people can focus on higher-level work,” Ashley says. “That shift allows us to have increasingly meaningful conversations with clients.”

Integral to Squire’s future-focused approach to technology is its partnership with Ramp. Supporting the firm’s accounting philosophy, the all-in-one financial platform brings clarity to key processes. “It’s important that in accounting you have a separation of duties,” explains Ashley. “Ramp allows us to implement checks and balances while making bill pay really smooth.”

Providing a seamless user experience, Ramp’s Bill Pay product automates many of the tasks in the approval workflow. “We’ve had clients previously who would want to approve bills over email,” Ashley says. “Do you know how much time is wasted on this? With Ramp, it’s easy and hassle free.” Dedicated to continuous improvement, Ashley and the team communicate regularly with Ramp in order to optimize processes even further. Valuing user feedback, product development has been directly influenced by Squire’s insight, exploring integration solutions that address the firm’s needs. “The team jumped on our ideas right away,” she shares. “Ramp said, ‘You guys have this pain point, and we want to work with you to understand and alleviate that pain point.’ I love that we have that partnership.”

Driving innovation through curiosity

As evidenced by her early educator career, Ashley is a life-long learner, always staying curious and asking the right questions. In the world of accounting, this quality sets her apart, keeping her at the fore-front of the industry, from software to strategy. “As crazy as it sounds, accounting is still always changing,” she says. “There’s always new businesses, new laws, and new technology; it’s exciting to be able to work through this with our clients.”

Extending this same mindset to her personal life, Ashley has a hunger for exploring new places and experiences. Originally from Montana, Ashley’s move to Utah ten years ago has introduced her to a beautifully diverse landscape, a perfect backdrop for hiking. While Utah is home, she finds joy in trips back home, taking time to travel and visit family. A lover of all things sport-related, she also enjoys both playing and watching volleyball, amongst other spots. “If there’s a sport on TV, typically my husband and I are watching it,” she shares. Whether it’s advising clients or cheering on a team, Ashley brings powerful energy and drive to all that she does. We’re proud to have her featured in this spotlight and as a Ramp Accounting Partner.

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