Katy Doucette, PCP
Payroll Administrator, Centennial Auto Group, Summerside, PEI
Katy Doucette lives in Summerside, PEI with her husband and her two children. She’s lived on the Island her whole life – as an avid camper and lover of the outdoors, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
A few years ago, they moved to the city for what they planned to be a short stay – but life happens – and they’ve never left. But Katy insists she has no regrets – it gives them a great excuse for regular camping trips which allows them to have the best of both worlds.
For the past three years Katy’s worked as a Payroll Administrator for Centennial Auto Group. In her role, she covers the payroll for five dealerships and two recreational powersport locations. It’s a busy job that keeps her on her toes, but she’s enjoying it.
“I had been at my previous role for over 10 years, and I felt like I could do my job with my eyes closed,” she jokes. “So I was definitely ready for a change.”
Her previous role was as an Administrative Assistant for a real estate company. While payroll was a portion of her position, she was also responsible for many other administrative duties so the move to Centennial Auto Group came with a lot of learning.
“I had some knowledge, but this company is much bigger,” she explains. “And it also came with health benefits, pension plans; stuff like that I had never had to manage before.” To help, she decided to get her PCP designation.
Fortunately for Katy, payroll came quite easily to her. She’s always been good with numbers and enjoyed accounting – so as she moved through her payroll education, it all just seemed to click. However, Katy likes that there’s so much more to payroll than just the numbers. She works very closely with HR, especially when it comes to onboarding new employees.
“I like to be able to interact with our team members,” she says. “In our company, we’re on a first name basis – everybody knows your name. It’s a very friendly place.”
Throughout her career, Katy has seen the evolution of payroll. She’s watched as things have moved from paper paystubs and physical cheques to everything being moved to a digital setting. Embracing change while staying true to the company’s needs is a philosophy that she firmly believes in. She recognizes that it is not necessary to jump onto every new trend right away.
“Change isn’t always what’s needed,” she says. “You just have to look and see what works best for your company.”
For anyone considering payroll as a career, she would encourage them to make the jump and go for it.
“It’s something that won’t ever go away,” she says. “And I believe that a career in payroll will mean that you’ll constantly be learning. If you’re not learning, you’re doing something wrong. You have to be ready to keep evolving, because everything around you is evolving.”
