About us and our People
The corporate world gets blamed for a lot these days, but there’s no doubt that the systems and processes they use can have a really big impact on small businesses.
After all, big businesses got that way because they were once really successful small companies. Most accountants focus on compliance – that’s preparing annual accounts & tax returns – that tell you what happened last year.
Yet most small and medium business owners we spoke to wanted to know what should happen this year. And next year. And the year after that.
So we figured that we should work with our clients throughout the year and help them position their business for success. Whether it’s growing revenue with sales & marketing, planning for tax, employing staff or regular mentoring and coaching, we can help.
“We’re a dedicated team
of business specialists
who have a vision of
transforming businesses”
So, if you are committed to growing your business and would like to work with accountants that have your back and understand more than numbers, we’d love to meet you and listen to your plans for the future so we can get your business running at full throttle.
Xero Small Practice of the Year Award winners – 2019 & 2022
Deidre Vollenhoven
Deidre spent a large part of her career in South Africa, working for large manufacturers in accounting roles. Deidre is passionate about accounting and loves building client relationships to help businesses succeed.
She enjoys working with numbers with responsibilities for bookkeeping, GST & taxation returns, Companies Office returns and monthly management reports.
Deidre is a Xero certified advisor and is also a Xero certified payroll expert. She loves to help clients learn how to use Xero and solve complex payroll problems for them.
Meet our team
Angus Ogilvie
Managing Director MBS (Hons), MA (Hons), BBS, GradDipBus, FCPA (Aust), ACMA (UK), FGNZ, MInstD.Angus Ogilvie
I wasn’t going to be an accountant. I spent the first fifteen years of my career in the corporate world specialising in sales and marketing. I always knew that I didn’t want to be part of the corporate machine for the rest of my life but what to do? Leather doesn’t suit me, so buying a Hog was out of the question. So I retrained as an accountant. Which is not as much less “zoom-zoom” as you might think.
I wanted to help small and medium businesses grow into bigger businesses like the ones I’d been running and accountancy allows me to do that.
That means we offer regular meetings to discuss anything from tax planning to goal setting. We help our clients select the best technology to really drive efficiency. We act as a coach and mentor, helping clients to avoid some of the pitfalls in business. To make sure that we are meeting the needs of a smaller firm we would offer monthly fees so there would be no nasty surprises.
Chessie Chen
Senior Accountant BBus, BBE, GradDipBusChessie Chen
Chessie joined us after a highly successful career in commercial businesses, both in New Zealand and China. She has worked in the recruitment, aviation and information technology sectors. Chessie has a deep knowledge of budgeting, cost/benefit analysis, forecasting and capital raising. She is an expert in stock control and inventory systems. These skills are vital for growing businesses.
Chessie loves to help clients really understand the reasons for their business performance and helps then drive growth in their business.
In her spare time, Chessie likes singing, swimming and travelling to new destinations.
Chessie holds a Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) degree and a Graduate Diploma of Business from Auckland University of Technology. She has a Bachelor of Business English from the prestigious Fudan University in Shanghai.
Deidre Vollenhoven
Assistant Accountant ND (Accounting)Ashreen Lochan
Ashreen has over eight years’ experience in public practice with a passion for assisting a wide range of small to medium businesses. Areas of expertise include financial accounting, budgeting and forecasting, management accounting, not-for-profit reporting and efficient workflow management.
She can get into finer details to maintain accuracy as well as a broader perspective for improved practice management. Always open to new challenges including software testing, staff training plus innovative ideas for efficient processing.
Ashreen has a Bachelor of Business in Accounting and Finance plus Graduate Diploma in Business and a member of CPA Australia. She is a Xero Certified Advisor with expertise in professional services and retail clients.
Her professional qualifications combined with volunteer experiences as a mentor, CPA Women in Business Committee member, and treasurer for a not-for-profit organisation ensures that Ashreen has the expertise and practical skills to understand business needs.
In her down time, Ashreen likes to travel with a passion for photography. She is also a keen hiker with Mt Everest Base Camp being her highest climb!