Findex issues annual staff awards for Australia and New Zealand
With more than 3,000 employees spread across 110 locations in Australia and New Zealand, the annual Thrive staff awards granted by accounting and advisory network Findex are a significant honour.
Australian accounting and advisory network Findex has issued its internal 2023 Thrive Awards, which celebrate individuals who have gone above and beyond to embody the firm’s core values.
The nation’s six largest network of its kind behind BDO and the Big Four, Findex has a headcount in excess of 3,000 partners and employees spread across more than 100 locations nationwide and in New Zealand.
Of those offices, Albury – a former KPMG branch which is led by managing partners Stehpen Bowler and David Morris a – was named as the highest performing in Australia, while Dunedin got the gong in New Zealand, the latter led by managing partner Jarod Chisholm. Meanwhile, the manager group of Perth’s audit team and the Hawkes Bay outlet received the ‘Better Together’ award for teamwork.
Of those offices, Albury – a former KPMG branch which is led by managing partners Stehpen Bowler and David Morris and this year added a swag of associate partners – was named as the highest performing in Australia, while Dunedin got the gong in New Zealand. Meanwhile, the manager group of Perth’s audit team and the Hawkes Bay outlet received the ‘Better Together’ award for teamwork.
As for the individual honours, Colac-based SMSF manager Jessica Buckle was named ‘employee of the year,’ with the corresponding award in New Zealand going to accounting & tax senior manager Melissa Francis of Dunedin. Theodore Rosenthal – recently promoted to digital product lead out of Melbourne – has meanwhile been recognised with this year’s firm-wide Corporate Excellence award.
The ‘Big and Bold’ award for those creating meaningful change was shared in Australia and NZ by Sally Innis and Maryann Broderick, respectively a recently promoted associate partner in Albury and regional client services manager out of Auckland. Innis has been with Findex as a tax and business advisor for more than a decade and a half, while Broderick joined from Tonkin + Taylor in mid-2022.
Eliza Banson (AU) and Brenda Stevenson (NZ) have meanwhile claimed the ‘Get it Done’ award for delivering quality work. Banson is a Virtual Team and Operations Manager with Findex affiliate Crowe, rejoining the firm in 2022 after an auditing stint with Pitcher Partners, while Stevenson has served as a Talent Acquisition Business Partner out of Auckland since joining the firm in mid-2021.
Lastly, this year’s ‘Client First Award’ – for guiding clients towards their aspirations – has gone to Townsville-based associate partner and wealth advisory veteran Kerry Corrigan, and Rachel Fraser, an associate partner and agribusiness specialist from Nelson close to New Zealand’s celebrated wine growing region of Marlborough who joined Findex in 2015 after gaining experience at Grant Thornton.
