HLB Mann Judd appoints Steve Grivas as Sydney managing partner
Accounting and consulting firm HLB Mann Judd has appointed Steve Grivas as its new managing director for Sydney, with Grivas taking over from Tony Fittler after more than two decades.
An assurance and advisory partner since 2009, Grivas first joined HLB Mann Judd back in 1998 as a graduate on completing a business degree in accounting and finance with the University of Technology Sydney.
Meanwhile, Fittler has been overseeing HLB’s Sydney practice since 2006, and will extend his more than three decades at the firm by continuing on as a senior tax partner and Australasian Association chairman, a role he has held since the start of 2010.
“Steve is stepping into the leadership position at a time of major change and innovation in the accounting profession,” Fittler said. “He has a deep understanding of our business and our industry and will bring new ideas and approaches to how we do things, while at the same time maintaining our philosophy and culture of client service.”
HLB said Grivas would continue to work with a number of clients at the firm, where he specialises in areas such as financial services, funds management, customs broking, real estate, and building and construction. In addition, he will now be responsible for driving continued growth, managing business operations, setting the firm’s strategic direction.
“As a firm, and as a profession, we need to keep innovating in a world that is continually changing,” Grivas commented. “New developments, such as in technology and AI, present both opportunities and threats that we need to respond to in order to thrive, and there are a number of initiatives that we will be working on to build our capabilities.”
Among recent initiatives, HLB last year established a sustainability advisory committee to better support clients on their ESG journeys, and along with partnering with carbon accounting technology provider Sumday has since teamed up with Adelaide-based sustainability consultancy 2XE as Australia's new mandatory climate reporting standards kick in.
HLB’s Australasian association includes coverage in every Australian state capital together with outlets in Newcastle, Wollongong and recent additions in Robina and Lismore, as well as overseas branches in New Zealand and Fiji. The firm has approximately 20 partners based out of Sydney, including at least five added last year.
“Our people remain central to our approach and we will continue to focus on how to attract the right talent and enhance our expertise and knowledge, so that we can best serve our clients,” Grivas concluded. “I’d like to thank Tony for expertly guiding the firm over the last 20 years. His leadership and vision have been instrumental to our success.”
