Where you want to be. Bentleys NSW Insider newsletter. September 2023.
Bentleys NSW // INSIDER NEWSLETTER Bentleys NSW new starters. Welcome. We’re delighted to welcome new additions to the Bentleys NSW team. We’re excited to welcome a mix of youth and experience across the various accounting disciplines – Advisory, Tax and Audit. Simon Chhoeu, Client Director, Business Services (if the name sounds familiar - Simon is a past president of the CPA’s NSW Division. Phil Thai Tax Manager Lai Andrea Bagsic Audit Senior Cherish Apolinar Supervisor Hamish Carson Undergraduate Robert Zappacosta Intermediate Accountant We’re always looking for new talent. If you know anyone interested in a career in accounting please connect them with Caroline Kane, Human Resources Manager, caroline.kane@bentleysnsw. com.au for a confidential discussion. Growth of Bentleys Sydney Audit. We’re pleased to report that Bentleys Sydney Audit is experiencing strong growth and success in terms of winning new clients and expanding. Having three registered auditors, Kevin Cranfield, Michael Payne and Donovan Odendaal, leading the team provides a solid foundation of expertise and knowledge to assist businesses and not-for-profit organisations with their corporate compliance needs. New team members include Adam Leeding, Lai Andrea Bagsic, and Sophie Cowling who is on secondment from the United Kingdom (more from Sophie soon). With a team of registered auditors in charge, clients can have confidence that they will receive high-quality care through auditing services. This commitment to excellence in service is where Bentleys Sydney Audit stands out. Not to be outdone...Bentleys NSW Tax team grows too! Supporting Colin Chirgwin, Darren Lee, and Michael Senchenko, the Bentleys tax team has a appointed Phillip Thai, Tax Manager. Phillip specialises in corporate taxation including consolidation work and cross border issues. He brings a wealth of experience and is a very welcome member of the always busy tax team.
Bentleys Directors attend Allinial Global International Conference. The importance of meeting and reconnecting with international colleagues cannot be underestimated. Our international Allinial Global network provides invaluable support for many of our clients seeking opportunities offshore, and they also refer international investors looking for business opportunities in Australia. Kevin Cranfield, Managing Director, Bentleys NSW recently attended the Allinal Global international conference which was held in the beautiful city of Vienna, Austria; and Darren Lee, Tax Director, attended the Asia Pacific Regional Allinial Global conference in Bali. Some common international themes that businesses in Australia can relate to emerged: • Shortages of qualified and skilled staff remain a key issue across many industries, especially so in the professional services • Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting requirements continue to grow from being a loose framework of business guidelines to a mainstream ‘must-have’ reporting framework for all businesses • Outsourcing is regarded as a key solution to staff shortages and a means to enable growth • Regulatory and compliance hurdles are increasing around the world for individuals and businesses • AI will become both an opportunity and a challenge for many industry sectors. Bentleys Wealth Advisors update The Bentleys Wealth Advisors team had a very big finish to the year, helping many clients to execute tax effective strategies pre-June 30. Some fantastic client outcomes were created through advice, and the BWA team has continued to go from strength to strength each year. As we continue to grow, we are very pleased to welcome a new face to the team, with Celine Zhao joining us as an Associate, supporting Eileen and Ryan. Ryan has also recently ticked off a major career milestone, completing his formal Professional Year study program, as well as becoming a married man recently. Please join us in congratulating Ryan on both fronts, and the team are all looking forward to another big year ahead. Staff training Quality Control Recently all staff attended the compulsory Annual Quality Control review. Bentleys is committed to maintaining high standards and our training and development initiatives play a crucial role in ensuring that all employees stay up to date with best practice, new regulations, and standards in their respective fields. This not only benefits the organization but also helps protect Bentleys clients and staff by ensuring that everyone is well-equipped to handle their responsibilities effectively and ethically. Our investment in staff training and development reflects a strong commitment to professionalism, accountability, and which is a key benefit for Bentleys clients and staff. Well trained and knowledgeable employees are more likely to provide exceptional service, which leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Bentleys NSW // INSIDER NEWSLETTER An interview with International Audit Secondee Sophie Cowling Welcome, Sophie! It’s great to have you here. To start off, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Sophie: Thank you for having me! I come from Reading, west of London in the UK. I’ve recently qualified as a Chartered Accountant in England. I’ve lived in the UK since 2015 and I was brought up in Cyprus and Hong Kong. One of the benefits of working in the accounting industry is the chance to work in and experience a completely new place, and I’m very lucky to be able to take this up. That’s wonderful, Sophie. Given your background, in what areas do you specialise in? Sophie: I have been in audit since the start of my accounting career. I’ve worked with a wide variety of clients from small startups to larger groups in several industries. Mainly in areas such as manufacturing, not-forprofits, Science and Health, and hospitality. Fascinating! Now, why did you choose Sydney, Australia as your destination? Sophie: Sydney has always intrigued me with its blend of urban sophistication and natural beauty, and I have never been before. I’ve been enjoying exploring places such as the Blue Mountains, and the stunning beaches. Not to mention all the fantastic food locations! I was also drawn to the rich indigenous culture of Australia and the opportunity to learn about their traditions and way of life. So, Sydney seemed like the perfect place for a new adventure. It sounds like you have an exciting journey ahead. How long do you plan on staying in Sydney? Sophie: I’ll be in Sydney until the end of the year. I hope to fully immerse myself in the local culture, explore the country and establish meaningful relationships. That sounds like a well-thoughtout plan. Lastly, what’s on your bucket list while you’re in Australia? Sophie: There’s so much I want to experience while I’m here. I’m excited to learn about the Aboriginal heritage connected to the region. My goal is to visit as many diverse places as possible and take every opportunity that comes my way over the next few months! Your plans sound absolutely amazing. Thank you Sophie for sharing your insights and aspirations with us today. Sophie: Thank you for having me! I’m thrilled to embark on this adventure and make the most of my time in this beautiful country. Bentleys NSW record entry in the Sydney City2Surf Bentleys NSW had a record number of participants in the 2023 Sydney City2Surf, with a team of 9 taking on the 14km course. Congratulations to the following Bentleys NSW team members on your fantastic results: Andrew Gibietis, Tom Vandermeer; Harrison Mathias; Alex Vasic; Ryan Halliday; Sophie Cowling; Celine Zhao; Shakell Seymour; Jeremy Bernacer. Special mention goes to Andrew Gibietis and Tom Vandermeer who ran the course in under 60 minutes. For some it was their first City to Surf. Congratulations on getting out of bed early and having a go!!
Estate and Succession Planning for the “Modern Family” At a recent event Renee Ross represented Bentleys on a panel discussion on Building a Team of Professional Practitioners to support Estate and Succession Planning for High Net Worth Clients. This event was organised by the Financial Advice Association of Australia (FAAA) and hosted by Cowell Clarke. The panel discussion centred around the American Sitcom “Modern Family” with the head of the family Jay, who dies suddenly, and his second wife Gloria as central characters. It was such a meaty case study with a blended family, adult and minor children, a family business, selfemployed in-laws, same sex adult children, grandchildren and great grandchildren all at different stages of dependence. Also causing some tension was the appointment of Alex Dumphy, Jay’s second oldest Grandchild as Executor, because he believed she is the “the smartest one” in the family. In an informative and entertaining discussion the panelists had a lot of relevant tax and legal advice for the “Modern Family” and answered plenty of questions from the audience. Bentleys NSW suport R U OK? DAY 2023 On Thursday 14 September we hosted R U OK? Day and launched our new Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider as the wellbeing of our employees is top of mind. We have partnered with Associated Employee Assistance Providers. This is a confidential service and allows our employees to discuss any work-related or personal issues that may be affecting their emotional wellbeing. To make the event even more meaningful we organised our catering through a Social Enterprise/Ethical Caterer called The Freedom Hub. The Freedom Hub’s mission is to address slavery in Australia, past and present. They also help survivors and partner in the fight to end global slavery. Some of the recent statistics released identified there are 41,000 people in slavery in Australia. A figure which has rison from 15,000 since the last global slavery index was released 3 years prior. The food was incredible and we will be using The Freedom Hub again. Our hosts spoke about this years R U OK? Day message which was ‘I’m here to hear’. We want our staff to know how important having meaningful conversations are, and that it can change a life. Mental health in Australia is an important topic with the statistics being quite daunting. • 8.6 people take their lives every day in Australia. • 1 in 2 Australians have experienced a mental health condition in their lifetime. • 65,000 Australians are estimated to make a suicide attempt every year, and • Over 10 million Australian adults know someone who has died by suicide. Life’s ups and downs happen to all of us and we also emplore our clients to stay connected and have conversations that could help people you care about through difficult times.
Level 14, 60 Margaret Street Sydney 2000 Telephone +61 2 9220 0700 | Facsimile +61 2 9220 0777 [email protected] | bentleys.com.au Where you want to be. If you’re passionate about your enterprise and ambitious about growth, then talk to Bentleys. Contact Bentleys. A member of Bentleys, a network of independent advisory and accounting firms located throughout Australia, New Zealand and China that trade as Bentleys. All members of the Bentleys Network are affiliated only and are separate legal entities and not in partnership. Limited liability by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation. Bentleys is a member of Allinial Global – an association of independent accounting and consulting firms.