Ambitious Accountants Podcast
Welcome to Ambitious Accountants — the podcast for forward-thinking accountants shaping the future of the profession in Aotearoa.
Each episode dives into the real stories of New Zealand accountants who’ve carved their own path, tackled challenges head-on, and built practices that reflect their values and ambition.
Join us as we explore the work they’re doing, the lessons they’ve learned, and the trends they’re watching — from advisory growth to tech adoption and everything in between.
Episodes
33 episodes
An Interview with Ric Thorpe:Sidekick Chartered Accountants
What happens when a sales and marketing expert who "couldn't even do a GST return" becomes CEO of a 60-person accounting firm?Sumith chats with Ric Thorpe, Group CEO of
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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33:10
Harnessing Athletics and Entrepreneurship in Accounting with Ian Black
In this episode of the Ambitious Accountant Podcast, host Sumith Dissanayake sits down with Ian Black, Founding
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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39:18
Redefining the Accountant's Job | Jared Le Roy, Director of Embark Accounting
Redefining the Role: Modernizing the Accountant's Image with Jared Le RoyIn this episode of the Ambitious Accountants Podcast, host Sumith Dissanayake sits down with Ja...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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25:06
From Numbers to Navigators with Wayne Buck, Principal of Wayne Buck Consulting
In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, Jay Wijesekare sits down with Wayne Buck, Principal of Wayne Buck Consulting, to explore Wayne’s unique journey from city life to a peaceful rural setting while running his accounting consultancy. Wayne...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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44:47
Building a Purpose-Driven Business with Willie Eyels, Director of FreeUp Chartered Accountants
In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, host Jay Wijesekare sits down with Willie Eyles, Director of FreeUp, a firm based in Auckland that specializes in accounting for non-profits. Willie shares his unique journey into the accountin...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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45:45
Building Relationships and Finding Success in Insolvency with Nik Khatri, Principal Worrells QLD
In this episode, Jay Wijesekare has a heartfelt chat with Nikhil Khatri, Principal of Worrells Queensland, about his fascinating journey into the world of insolvency accounting. Nikhil opens up about how his early experiences around family busi...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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44:11
From Big Firms to Startups with Stephen Hill, Finance Director at Opportuna CA
In this episode, Jay Wijesekare chats with Stephen Hill, Finance Director at Opportuna CA, about his inspiring journey in the world of accounting. Stephen shares his experiences working at big firms like EY and PwC, how he became CFO of a globa...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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43:15
Beyond the Numbers, Celebrating 25 Episodes with Adam Coleman, Director of Neovia Advisory on Building a Thriving Accounting Firm
Join us as we chat with Adam Coleman, Managing Director of Neovia, in this special 25th episode. Adam shares his journey from leading a thriving accounting firm to overcoming challenges and the importance of going beyond just tax compliance.
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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35:34
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The Power Of Being Yourself with Nathan Watt, Director of Watson and Watt
In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, our host Jay Wijesekare sits down with Nathan Watt, the Director of Watson and Watt. Nathan’s journey to a top-notch accountant is nothing short of inspiring.From the challenges he faced to the l...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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48:18
Balancing Books, Business and Coaching with Bookkeeping Business Coach Stephanie Crawford
In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, Jay Wijesekare chats with Stephanie Crawford, an amazing bookkeeper and business coach from New Zealand. Stephanie’s switch from banking in the US to bookkeeping and coaching in New Zealand is truly ins...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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37:58
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Growing Your Firm with Sam Harith, Leveraging “The Comic Accountant” for Business Success
Join us on this episode as we sit down with Sam Harith, Director of SH Advisory from New Zealand. Sam shares his unconventional journey into the world of accounting, starting from practicality and evolving into a thriving business.Liste...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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48:00
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Leading The Way For More Inclusivity And Affinity with Numbers with Felicity Hill, Director Frank Accounting
Numbers whiz by day, changemaker by night? Felicity Hill, Director Frank Accounting joins us to discuss her life's journey in accounting and her passion for diversity & inclusion in the field. Who else is ready to break the mol...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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31:27
Creating Your Support System With Nickie Sheehan, Chief Encouragement Officer, Trio Accounting
In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Nickie Sheehan, Chief Encouragement Officer of Trio Accounting, to discuss her journey so far and her initiatives addressing a crisis plaguing small-time accounting firm owners. N...
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36:03
Building Your Palace with Shaye Thyer, Founder of Pallas
Join us on this episode as we sit down with Shaye Thyer, Founder of Pallas. Shaye shares her heartfelt story of starting from scratch, growing her business, and her dedication to helping other women do the same. Listen in as she talks abo...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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45:21
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Simplify, Automate, Eradicate and Deligate, with Tyler Caskey, Partner at TheBeanCounters
Simplify, Automate, Eradicate and Deligate, with Tyler Caskey, Partner at TheBeanCounters!Jay Wijesekare chats with Tyler, who has a real knack for taking the risk out of business changes and making life easier for finance, HR, payroll,...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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40:46
Cracking the Insolvency World, Declan Lane of Cathro and Partners
Explore the intricacies of insolvency accounting with our distinguished guest, Declan Lane, of Cathro and Partners. In this insightful episode, Declan delves into his path to becoming an insolvency accountant and the complex challenges faced by...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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43:48
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Insolvency Insights with Mark Pearce, Partner of Pearce & Heers Insolvency Accountants
Step into the world of insolvency accounting with our latest guest, Mark Pearce, Partner at Pearce and Heers Insolvency Accountants. In this engaging episode, Mark shares his journey to becoming an insolvency accountant, along with the myriad c...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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45:03
Knowing Your Accounting Firm's True Worth, Lynda Steffens, Business Improvement Coach and Founder of The Small Business Project
Step into the world of accounting transformation with our latest guest, Lynda Steffens, Founder of The Small Business Project. In this dynamic episode, Lynda takes us on a journey through her extensive two-decade career in public practice, high...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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37:23
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Telling the Story Behind the Numbers with Murray Phillips, Managing Director of Insight CA
In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, we're thrilled to welcome Murray Phillips, Managing Director of Insight CA, to the show.Murray's career in accounting is driven by a mission to simplify the numbers and empower businesses. Throug...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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46:52
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Innovative Accounting for Business Growth with Sean Healy, President of Accounted4
In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, we're excited to welcome our first guest from the United States, Sean Healy, President of Accounted4 LLC.<...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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39:28
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The Friendly Millennial Accountant with Michelle Knight, Founder and Director of Little Miss Bookkeeping
Happy New Year Listeners! and welcome back to "Ambitious Accountants".In today's episode, we're chatting with the amazing Michelle Knight from Little Miss Bookkeeping. Michel...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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33:34
Starting Out on Your Own, Marco Douglas, Director of Accountants4u
Join us in our latest episode of Ambitious Accountants, where we sit down with Marco Douglas, the dynamic Director of Accountants4u. In this episode, Marco shares his fascinating journey from starting solo to progressively growing his accountin...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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42:18
The Journey to Becoming an SMSF Expert with Alex Abey, Director at Peregrine Accountants & Business Services
Welcome to a captivating episode of "Ambitious Accountants" with our special guest, Alex Abey, the Director of Peregrine Accountants. In this episode, Alex shares his inspiring journey to becoming an expert in Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSF) an...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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30:43
The Journey of Becoming a Master Problem Solver with Di Crawford-Errington, Managing Director and Master Problem Solver at Ontrack Bookkeeping
Join us for another enlightening episode of "Ambitious Accountants" where we have the pleasure of welcoming Di Crawford-Errington, Managing Director and Master Problem Solver of Ontrack Bookkeeping Limited. Di, who also serves as the President ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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42:29
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