Where were you raised and what influenced your career?

I grew up in Whitebridge and was always interested in a business career. As a child I was fascinated by buying and selling, growing vegetables and selling them to neighbours.

Economics also interested me at school and Woolworths offered me a traineeship.

Why did you choose to do a Bachelor of Commerce and Accountancy at UoN?

I started a Bachelor of Economics and switched to Commerce after a hiccup in the Woolworths traineeship. I wondered what to do next and decided to work in accountancy to learn the language of business. I always knew I would recommence my business career at a later stage. It was to my surprise, however, the business of professional services and not retail.

Why did you then do a Master of Tax, Income Tax?

I actually commenced my Masters remotely after my career had taken me to Europe. I used it as a way to return to Australia up to date in my chosen field of tax.

You were at Deloitte Tax for 13 years - what was your main remit there as far as how you assisted businesses?

Deloitte was a corporate tax role assisting listed and large private companies with their tax affairs. At listed companies the client was the tax manager, managing risk on tax matters. With private companies, it was the owner or the CFO who wanted advice on decision making.

What did you learn from that time?

1. Purpose is key. In my case that was assisting clients navigate areas that were complex and to do things they hadn't done before.

2. It was less about the transactions I completed and more the people I worked with.

3. Professional services is about relationships and trust.

What led you to move to KPMG in 2014?

The opportunity to open a new office for KPMG in Western Sydney. The role centred around growing a team who wanted to work in a fast-growing market, building a business that was relevant to market needs that would contribute to the local community.

You are now heading up KPMG's Hunter office, which opened in March. Why did the company decide to open in Newcastle?

Newcastle is a growing region facing change; growth and change always creates new opportunities. Population, income levels and infrastructure are all growing above the national averages. Sydney is trying to establish 30 minute cities where people can live work and play within 30 minutes of home. Newcastle already has this advantage.

What is its bread and butter work, and what is its client mix in the Hunter?

We are offering a broad-based advisory, tech, tax and audit business in Newcastle. We are also creating a technology hub to provide software as a service to national clients. It is a local team with the knowledge and experience of the national and international firm, serving both listed and private companies. From an industry perspective, the focus is on manufacturing, health, construction and technology.

It's been a tough 18 months economically, what feedback are you receiving from Hunter businesses?

Many are grappling with diversification and their future. The hospitality and arts sectors have been hard hit needing to rehire and re-establish. Other sectors are looking to global markets or in demand new technologies. In this regard, Newcastle is well placed being home to interesting ecosystems in renewables and health.

What plans are there to scale KPMG in the region?

KPMG has bold plans for growth, aiming to add 200 people in the next five years. Most will be local, although we expect to attract talent from elsewhere as people realise what the Newcastle lifestyle offers.

You were raised in the Hunter before leaving. What major changes have you noticed since your return?

Newcastle is a much more diverse place than it once was. With the infrastructure spend at the airport, rail, port, and health it will be more connected nationally and internationally bringing more opportunity.

What opportunities do you think Newcastle offers to university leavers compared to when you left university?

When I left university, the choice was to stay in Newcastle and work on local projects or to leave Newcastle and gain experience in other markets. Now there is a greater opportunity to stay and work on projects in a greater variety of roles. With the move to remote working there is also the opportunity to stay and work on national projects. KPMG is recruiting in Newcastle for both types of opportunity. We have Newcastle-based teams working on very exciting projects in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Our people can also benefit from working with subject matter experts from around the country while continuing to live and raise their family in Newcastle. Newcastle always has offered a great lifestyle. Now people can benefit from that lifestyle while accelerating their careers on national projects.

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