Mother’s Day celebrations all the more special for mother-daughter duo who work at Walker’s Shortbread
Mother-daughter relationships are a special, but not every daughter can say they have worked with their mum.
This Mother’s Day, we are looking at the special bond that Linda Ewen and Leanne Marshall, a mother and daughter duo from Moray, share at work.
Both are employed by Walker’s Shortbread where they have learned that they are more alike than they knew.
While their job roles are very different, Linda is a training and compliance manager and Leanne is a commercial projects and process supervisor, they have found they have lots in common.
Daughter Leanne, from Rothes, said: “Growing up I always thought we were quite different but now that I’m older, I realise that we’re more similar than I thought - especially when it comes to work ethic.
“My mum always leads by example and has the company’s best interests at heart, and this is something that I always strive to do too.”
Linda said: “You can’t achieve anything without hard work, and this is something I’ve instilled in my children.
“I’m happy to say that it’s worked. Leanne has worked incredibly hard to get to the position she’s in, though she has been stubborn with accepting any help from me along the way.”
Linda joined Walker’s Shortbread for a short stint in 1972, before leaving to go into the hospitality trade.
“After having children, I decided to return to Walker’s for a Christmas temp job to save some money for the kids’ Christmas presents,” she said.
“The temp job turned into a full-time role and here I am with the company 41 years later.”
After spending 16 years away from home, Leanne and her husband debated making the move from Glasgow to Speyside.
While Glasgow offered more job opportunities, they both felt drawn to the idea of returning to the area where Leanne had grown up.
She initially moved to Aberdeen for work, but when a position at Walker's became available, she knew it was the perfect opportunity to work nearer to home.
Leanne said: “I’ve always wanted to return home or be closer to Speyside, family, and friends.
“When the opportunity came up, everything just felt like the perfect fit.”
Although Leanne's mum and other family members work at Walker’s, Leanne was set on keeping their connection a secret to ensure she landed the job on her own merit.
“When I first applied to Walker’s, I didn’t want anyone to know my mum and I were related,” she said. “She’s quite well-known at the company, and I was determined to get the role based on my own abilities, so I kept it under wraps until the very end.
“Working at the same company as my mum means a lot to me.
“It’s not just about sharing a workplace, having her here provides a sense of comfort and support.
“Her dedication and hard work are truly inspiring, and they motivate me to give my best every day.
“It feels like we’re contributing together, and when I reflect on it, I feel proud to be working at Walker’s, the same as her.”
Linda added: “I’ll never forgot when Leanne started her role in HR, and she had to do training with my team.
“We kept it professional, but it was great to see a different side of Leanne in action, which I hadn’t seen before.
“It made me extremely proud that Leanne was following in the family footsteps.”
