Grant Thornton boosts leadership team in Cairns with new partners and directors
Accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton has expanded its leadership team in Cairns through the promotion of Stephen Borgna as a private enterprise partner alongside three new directors.
A specialist in self-managed superannuation funds and advisory to the construction and agribusiness sectors among others, Borgna has been with Grant Thornton up in the tropics since graduating a commerce degree with James Cook in 2005.
Borgna’s private enterprise colleague and tax expert Thea Lazarus-Kelly has meanwhile been elevated to director, alongside restructuring & turnaround specialist Wesley Eccles and Kelly Graham within the firm’s audit & assurance division.
“These new promotions strengthen our offering in the Cairns office, allowing us to further serve the Far North region across a wide variety of sectors,” said local office chair Andrew Cornes. “The team in Cairns are proud Far North Queenslanders and are truly invested in helping this city and the greater region succeed through successful business and a booming economy.”
Stephen Borgna
In addition to expertise in SMSFs including investment structures and retirement planning, Borgna also supports small- to medium-sized businesses across various sectors with accounting, tax, and advisory services, and has specialised knowledge as to the evolving regulatory and compliance requirements under the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.
“From day one, Grant Thornton has supported me on my journey to partner and helped shape my goals along the way,” Borgna commented. “I’m proud to be part of a team that’s bold, diverse, and outcome-driven. All of our people in the Cairns office each bring something distinct, and together we’re focused on making a real impact for our clients in the region.”
Thea Lazarus-Kelly
Likewise focused on the construction sector, along with clients in the agribusiness and healthcare space and other small family businesses, Lazarus-Kelly has been with Grant Thornton for more than a decade after earlier spending seven years at the local branch of KPMG. She provides a range of business advisory, taxation, and financial and management accounting services.
Wesley Eccles
Another James Cook graduate and former senior accountant at KPMG, Eccles joined Grant Thornton’s office in Cairns in 2014 upon its acquisition of the former’s local independent business. He specialises in restructuring & insolvency and financial advisory services to clients in the hospitality & tourism, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and retail sectors among others.
Kelly Graham
Continuing with the familiar theme, Graham steps up as a director in Grant Thornton’s audit & assurance practice in Cairns after crossing with the firm from KPMG, albeit after graduating a commerce degree with the University of Auckland rather than James Cook. He leads statutory financial audits for a diverse range of public and private clients across various sectors.
