Ambitious Accountants Podcast

What do camel riding in Jordan and running an accounting practice have in common? More than you'd think, according to Alison Blanchett-Sax from Smart Business Centre in Nelson. In this chat with Sumith Dissanayake, Alison reveals how her adventurous spirit – from standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon to navigating desert landscapes – mirrors her approach to helping small business owners ta...

In this episode of the Ambitious Accountants Podcast , host Sumith Dissanayake sits down with Tim Doyle , Director of Doyle Accountants in Cambridge, New Zealand. Tim shares his unconventional path from leaving school at 17 to join the Navy, through to building a successful accounting practice.  He talks about the discipline and life lessons the Navy taught him, his realisation about business and...

Matt Hipp's story isn't your typical accountant origin tale. The Director at Hipp Accounting in Hastings went from 4am cow milking in Taranaki to telling potential clients " if you just want your tax return done and forgotten about for 12 months, we're probably not the right fit. " In this episode, Matt gets real about how he negotiated partnership with his mum (instead of...

Host Sumith talks with Lisa Gotlieb , Director at Jam Accounting in Auckland, about her path from EY to running her own firm. Lisa covers her time in France and Hong Kong, leaving stable employment at EY for contract work, and finding her niche with expat accounting. She talks about taking calculated risks, working with clients who want proper advisory services, and using tech to get more done. Th...

This week, Sumith sits down with Patrick Leong , director of Mondo Advisory in New Plymouth, who's got one of the most unusual origin stories we've heard – he knew he wanted to be an accountant when he was just five years old! Patrick takes us through his career journey from Audit New Zealand to Deloitte, then into senior corporate roles before making the leap to practice ownership.  Wha...

In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, host Sumith Dissanayake chats with Tommy Liu , Managing Director of Tommy & Co in Auckland . Tommy's story is mental - son of a Taiwanese army general who ended up in accounting because his grades weren't good enough for medicine, English was his second language for law, and engineering didn't work out. Classic Asian family expectations!...

In this episode of the Ambitious Accountants Podcast , Sumith Dissanayake chats with Jason Lougher , director of Calc Business Advisory and co-founder of Numera AI . Jason shares his journey from small-town baker to accounting firm owner and AI innovator after a wrist injury changed his career path. The conversation explores how process automation differs from AI and can transform accounting pract...

In this episode of the Ambitious Accountants Podcast , host Sumith speaks with David Tzimenakis , a specialist US tax consultant and Director at the US Tax Team in New Zealand. David shares his journey from working at a UK bank during the introduction of FATCA legislation to establishing his own tax consultancy firm in New Zealand. The discussion covers various aspects of US tax consultancy, inclu...

What happens when a sales and marketing expert who "couldn't even do a GST return" becomes CEO of a 60-person accounting firm? Sumith chats with Ric Thorpe , Group CEO of Sidekick Chartered Accountants, about scaling an accounting practice from a completely different angle. Key insights: Why "success isn't just being the best - success is just doing it" (lessons from...

In this episode of the Ambitious Accountant Podcast, host Sumith Dissanayake sits down with Ian Black , Founding Director of Direct Advisory in Hamilton, New Zealand.  They discuss the busy periods in accounting, the influence of Ian's sports background on his professional career, his initial aspiration to become a lawyer, and the roots of his shift to accounting. Ian elaborates on the motiva...

Redefining the Role: Modernizing the Accountant's Image with Jared Le Roy In this episode of the Ambitious Accountants Podcast, host Sumith Dissanayake sits down with Jared Le Roy , Director of Embark Accounting Limited in Dunedin, New Zealand.  Jared discusses his mission to redefine the stereotypical image of accountants as boring number crunchers. He emphasises the importance of client rel...

In this episode, Jay Wijesekare has a heartfelt chat with Nikhil Khatri, Principal of Worrells Queensland, about his fascinating journey into the world of insolvency accounting. Nikhil opens up about how his early experiences around family businesses sparked a passion for numbers, eventually leading him into accounting, banking, and finance. He shares the pivotal moment when he stepped into the wo...

In this episode of Ambitious Accountants , host Jay Wijesekare sits down with Willie Eyles, Director of FreeUp, a firm based in Auckland that specializes in accounting for non-profits. Willie shares his unique journey into the accounting world, starting from a career choice driven by the promise of financial freedom, to discovering his true passion for helping non-profits succeed. Willie takes us...

In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, Jay Wijesekare sits down with Wayne Buck, Principal of Wayne Buck Consulting, to explore Wayne’s unique journey from city life to a peaceful rural setting while running his accounting consultancy. Wayne shares his rich experiences in the accounting world, from the traditional manual processes of the 70s to navigating today’s cloud-based accounting. Listene...

In this episode, Jay Wijesekare chats with Stephen Hill, Finance Director at Opportuna CA, about his inspiring journey in the world of accounting. Stephen shares his experiences working at big firms like EY and PwC, how he became CFO of a global company, and the importance of constantly learning and upskilling along the way. We also dive into his work where he’s helping startups thrive in New Zeal...

Join us as we chat with Adam Coleman, Managing Director of Neovia, in this special 25th episode. Adam shares his journey from leading a thriving accounting firm to overcoming challenges and the importance of going beyond just tax compliance. We dive into how building long-term relationships and fostering a strong company culture have been key to Neovia’s success. Adam also speaks about his involve...

In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, our host Jay Wijesekare sits down with Nathan Watt, the Director of Watson and Watt. Nathan’s journey to a top-notch accountant is nothing short of inspiring. From the challenges he faced to the lessons he learned, Nathan shares his unique perspective on the accounting profession. He emphasies the importance of being practical and understanding the real-li...

In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, Jay Wijesekare chats with Stephanie Crawford, an amazing bookkeeper and business coach from New Zealand. Stephanie’s switch from banking in the US to bookkeeping and coaching in New Zealand is truly inspiring. She shares her experiences of starting and growing her business, balancing family life, and tackling the challenges bookkeepers face today.  Stephan...

Join us on this episode as we sit down with Sam Harith, Director of SH Advisory from New Zealand. Sam shares his unconventional journey into the world of accounting, starting from practicality and evolving into a thriving business. Listen in as he talks about launching SH Advisory during the COVID-19 lockdown, his unique management style, and the growth of his firm. Sam also dives into his creativ...

Numbers whiz by day, changemaker by night? Felicity Hill, Director Frank Accounting joins us to discuss her life's journey in accounting and her passion for diversity & inclusion in the field.  Who else is ready to break the mold?  #AmbitiousAccountants #WomenInAccounting Got something to say about the future of accounting in NZ? Let’s chat — you could be our next guest.  Email - Sumith@b...

 In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Nickie Sheehan, Chief Encouragement Officer of Trio Accounting, to discuss her journey so far and her initiatives addressing a crisis plaguing small-time accounting firm owners.  Nickie sheds light on the disturbing increase in suicides within the profession and underscores the importance of building a strong support circle. Listen in as she shares he...

 Join us on this episode as we sit down with Shaye Thyer, Founder of Pallas. Shaye shares her heartfelt story of starting from scratch, growing her business, and her dedication to helping other women do the same. Listen in as she talks about her mission to bring equality to the workplace and support women-led businesses.  It’s a conversation filled with genuine insights and inspiring stories into...

Simplify, Automate, Eradicate and Deligate, with Tyler Caskey, Partner at TheBeanCounters! Jay Wijesekare chats with Tyler, who has a real knack for taking the risk out of business changes and making life easier for finance, HR, payroll, and IT professionals. He's all about cutting down time costs by automating those pesky manual processes and installing better systems. Tyler's goal? To...

Explore the intricacies of insolvency accounting with our distinguished guest, Declan Lane, of Cathro and Partners. In this insightful episode, Declan delves into his path to becoming an insolvency accountant and the complex challenges faced by businesses nationwide.  Declan’s expertise offers a profound look into the adversities and victories within the insolvency sector, emphasizing how Cathro a...

Step into the world of insolvency accounting with our latest guest, Mark Pearce, Partner at Pearce and Heers Insolvency Accountants. In this engaging episode, Mark shares his journey to becoming an insolvency accountant, along with the myriad challenges faced by businesses across the country. Listen as he discusses how his firm assists these businesses, offering crucial support in times of financi...