We welcome four new regional directors

New Zealand-owned accounting and business advisory firm Baker Tilly Staples Rodway has appointed four new directors to its leadership team, continuing to boost its senior bench strength across the national network.

Matt Bonner has worked as a tax and business advisory specialist in the Wellington firm since 2014. As well as running the hills of his home city with the Wellington Scottish Athletics Club, Matt’s passion is for supporting clients through what is an increasingly complex regulatory and tax environment. "It’s becoming more challenging for business owners and managers to keep on top of all the changes and regulatory requirements, which is why they’re increasingly in need of good external advice, he said.

In Auckland, Jackie Edhouse has nearly two decades’ experience in taxation, and is also an enrolled barrister. Her special interest is in assisting and advising multinationals to establish themselves in New Zealand.

Dorian Crighton recently joined the Christchurch firm, bringing decades of experience supporting local businesses across multiple sectors with tax and business advice. Highly approachable and passionate about the accounting industry, Dorian brings his own coaching strategies and acumen to the business, enhancing the development of other team members while ensuring the office has a balance of education and enjoyment.

Based in Wellington, Nicola Hankinson is Baker Tilly Staples Rodway’s National Technical Director, providing accounting technical support and overseeing the network’s compliance frameworks in areas such as anti-money laundering and interpreting and implementing professional standards. She is a strong believer in looking beyond the basic financial information required for compliance purposes, focusing instead on how well businesses are managing risk for a truer picture of their performance. Nicola will also be joining the national board of Baker Tilly Staples Rodway as a result of her promotion.

Baker Tilly Staples Rodway also recently welcomed two directors to sit on the 11-person national board as successors to retiring members, being Carolyn Jackson representing the national audit practice and Libby O’Sullivan representing the Hawke’s Bay office. Given the rapid evolution of the New Zealand business landscape, especially over the past two years, investing in our people to grow their skills and bring new perspectives to the table is key to our success and the businesses we work with. The latest appointments not only recognise the achievements of our outstanding team members, but we are also ensuring our clients have even better access to senior-level advice and expertise said David Searle, National Chair of Baker Tilly Staples Rodway. I congratulate Matt, Nicola and Jackie on their promotion, and warmly welcome Dorian to our team. With skills and passion like theirs on our leadership team, our future is in very good hands. I am also pleased that more women are being appointed to senior positions, particularly on the Baker Tilly Staples Rodway national board.