Recently, someone asked me what sparked my interest in becoming an accountant, and it gave me a moment to pause and reflect. Accounting isn’t always the career that people dream about as kids, but once you’re in it, you begin to see just how impactful and rewarding it can be. It wasn’t the career I […]

As my summer internship at Gilligan Sheppard draws to a close and I ready myself for the bittersweet journey back to the jungle that is the University of Otago, I find myself reflecting on the invaluable lessons, the memorable experiences, and the incredible people who shaped my time here. I started at Gilligan Sheppard just […]

To be fair, I think none of us have lived through a year such as 2024. It wasn’t like the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), a banking crisis that tipped through into asset prices, confidence and transactional business activity. It was not like 1987, when asset prices collapsed, which destroyed confidence and liquidity, causing bank defaults, […]

In business, having the right financial expertise can make the difference between surviving and thriving. Whether you’re dealing with international investments, managing cash flow challenges, or planning for growth, a qualified accountant’s technical knowledge and strategic insight can be invaluable. And that’s where Chartered Accountants (CAs) and Certified Practicing Accountants (CPAs) stand apart. What makes […]

I think I speak for most Kiwis when I say money, money, money is most definitely not funny when you’re not living in the rich man’s world. It’s the complete opposite. It’s chaotic, and it’s stressful. Never in my life have I ever been so keen to keep my wallet shut and my belt tight, […]

In the 1960s and ’70s, hitting 65 was often seen as life’s finish line, with the average New Zealander expecting to live just a few years beyond retirement. Today, the landscape has changed considerably. We’ve significantly extended our longevity expectations, pushing the boundaries of what we consider ‘old age’ much further. Life expectancy has soared […]

When I was first approached about doing a work exchange in New Zealand, I didn’t hesitate for a second. As soon as our office administrator mentioned the opportunity, I instantly said yes. I love travelling, and this was a huge chance to explore a country I’d never been to before. In fact, I’d never even […]

At the beginning of the year, I had the chance to join a Canadian work exchange programme with Adams and Miles (A&M), an accounting firm in Toronto. I was both excited and nervous about what lay ahead. Participating in the programme provided a unique mix of professional development, cultural exposure, and personal growth. Working at […]

Tick, tick, tick, tick…does this remind you anything? Time. It continually ticks, running eternally without pause. It is the most precious and finite resource. It accompanies us throughout our journey from the moment of birth to the golden years of retirement. Each different life stage presents its own challenges, opportunities, and demands on our time, […]

KPIs are short for key performance indicator’s used to measure your employee’s performance. They can be financial, customer, or process-focused. The thing is, generationally, I believe we’ve moved away from using them, and for some businesses, they haven’t even noticed. The catchphrase used to be “work hard, play hard”; nowadays, it’s “work-life balance”. My career […]