WK STRAWBRIDGE - Key Persons
Ainslie Baird is the first person you'll see when you come into WK Strawbridge, as she is our receptionist. Born and bred in Wakefield, she has lived in various corners of the world, including Ireland, Sydney, Dunedin, Invercargill, England, and Christchurch, before returning home.
Ainslie's love for her hometown shines through when she talks about being around her family who have all returned home, enjoying the beautiful weather, and exploring the fantastic outdoors that her surroundings offer.
Ainslie has a number of interests that keep her busy. She has a deep love for travelling and has been to countries such as Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Singapore, Thailand, and India. However, her travel lust doesn't stop there; she has a long list of places she still wishes to explore! Apart from embarking on global adventures, she enjoys swimming in local rivers, going on family road trips, walking her family dog, reading, and spending time with friends.
An interesting fact about Ainslie? She once participated in a 10-day silent meditation course in India, showcasing her commitment to personal development and mindfulness.
Amy joined WK in 2018, bringing with her a passion for helping clients reach their business goals.
Amy has vast experience in tax accounting, compliance and structuring and enjoys general advisory work as well as budgeting, forecasting, strategic planning and finance function reviews.
After studying at Victoria University of Wellington, Amy gained her Chartered Accountancy qualification while working in the city at PWC before moving to Marlborough in 2015 and working as an associate director at a Nelson accounting firm until 2018.
Amy lived in Rai Valley for eight years before deciding to trade her gumboots for city life. Together with her young son, they relocated to Nelson to benefit from the closeness to Abel Tasman and everything else Nelson has to offer.
With a rare knack for explaining the complex ins and outs of business tax rules in layman terms, Dawn is a valued member of the WK Strawbridge team.
With more than 30 years in the industry, Dawn has substantial experience in general financial reporting and taxation.
She specialises in working with investors, preparing their tax returns under the many complex taxation rules in this area and imparting her expertise around these issues to clients.
Outside the office, Dawn enjoys family gatherings, cooking up a storm and getting outdoors exploring the Tasman region. Reading is also a favourite pastime.
Emma joined the WK Strawbridge team as an Advisor in January of 2022. She graduated from NMIT with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting, after being highly awarded throughout her studies. She received both the NMIT Undergraduate Award in Applied Business in 2020, followed by the New Zealand King Salmon Business Scholarship for 2021!
Having lived in Nelson since she was two years old, Emma is a big fan of our great weather, places to walk with her dog, and local restaurants. She also loves being close to family and the beach! Despite her love for the Nelson region, Emma is also a keen traveller; ticking France, Hong Kong and Canada off the list. And once she's able to, her top three spots to venture are Greece, Scotland and Iceland, noting her "love for the different cultures and food". In the meantime, while the borders are shut, she enjoys the culture of Nelson and having a crack at her own renditions of baking and cooking recipes.
WK Strawbridge is excited to welcome Emma on board and support her in achieving goals, with her sights set on achieving her Chartered Accountants Qualification.
With more than 10 years experience at WK Strawbridge, Erin has seen a lot of change, and quickly, in the world of accounting.
She started out as an office junior in 2010, before completing a Bachelor of Commerce from NMIT in 2015. As the industry progressed so did Erin, who is now a freshly minted Chartered Accountant graduate through CAANZ.
In her role as a client manager, Erin prepares GST and annual account reporting and business tax compliance, ensuring clients stay ahead of the curve and have the best, most current information at their fingertips.
Jane joined the team at WK Strawbridge after completing a Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting from NMIT here in Nelson. She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Viticulture & Oenology (with Distinction) from Lincoln University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Otago.
Jane grew up in the winterless North but moved to the South Island to study and has lived in the South Island since other than a 4 year OE. She spent nine years making wine in Central Otago but moved to Nelson in 2012 with her husband Todd and their two boys.
She loves the climate, national parks, and beaches here in Nelson and is still involved in the Wine Industry as a board member of the Nelson Winegrowers Association. Her love of the local National Parks extends to Jane checking and clearing rodent traps for the Abel Tasman Birdsong Trust in her spare time.
Jane's goal is to become a Chartered Accountant and she is currently working towards this whilst working at WK Strawbridge.
Lisa's role is designed to provide experienced and dedicated financial advice to clients who are ready to take the next step in their business.
Having a staff member dedicated to supporting our clients in their workplace ensures they are getting the timely and accurate advice they need to reach their goals.
Before joining WK Strawbridge, Lisa worked in the United Kingdom, and New Zealand in a variety of project and financial management roles. She now spends her days on-site with clients, helping them reach their financial goals - in fact, she's never at her desk!
Lisa lives with her partner, a keen rugby coach, and her two boys. She can often be found supporting them from the sidelines in Marlborough or being a taxi for her two active boys.
Liz's role with WK Strawbridge is varied and busy. She is experienced in general financial reporting and taxation and has a strong farm accounting background.
During the past 30 years working in chartered accounting, she has seen the emphasis of the industry shift from general accounting advice and tax compliance to strategy and business advisory.
The importance of fostering trusted business partnerships is not lost on Liz, who enjoys working closely with clients to achieve excellent outcomes within their business and personal lives.
In her spare time, Liz loves getting out and about around the region with her adorable dog.
The call of the wild, the beach, the tramping and the people were too much for Manon, who relocated to Nelson from Auckland to take up a Senior Advisor position with WK Strawbridge.
Manon has worked her way up in the accounting profession; having started as a receptionist, she studied extramurally for her accounting degree from Massey University as a working mum. She has a variety of experience in accounting roles, having developed expertise working with clients in the agriculture and trade sectors, as well as trust accounting.
Outside of work, she has a keen interest in genealogy, and languages and is excited to take advantage of the outdoor lifestyle by exploring the tramping and walking trails within the Tasman region.
Matt provides efficient, accurate and timely administrative services for our clients and enjoys helping them streamline their operations with confidence.
The born and bred Nelsonian completed a Bachelor in Commerce - Accounting and Management at NMIT in 2008 and plans to continue building his experience and knowledge and progress to joining the accounting team.
Outside office hours, Matt enjoys spectating at live sporting events particularly rugby league and motorsport. As a keen outdoorsman, he loves living in Tasman and enjoys camping, tramping and spending time with his brother and their dog Lola at the beach.
Ross has been involved in the accounting profession since the early 1980's and over the past forty years has developed a wealth of experience in business management, strategy, general accounting and tax compliance.
While Ross has worked with small and medium businesses in a wide variety of industries, his particular area of expertise is in the farming and agricultural sectors.
WK Strawbridge welcomed Saad Khan to the team in July 2022. Saad moved to Nelson and New Zealand in 2019; since moving here, he has been working towards his B.Com in Accounting at NMIT.
Saad is a man with many talents, including being able to speak five languages and write in four! As well as this, he loves sport, especially Football and cricket. Saad also loves the lifestyle in Nelson and has become particularly fond of the local fish n chips.
Not much into Rugby (we won't hold that against him), Saad prefers to play and watch football and supports Manchester City in the Premier League.
Scott Mayer has lived in Nelson since he was 11 years old, and loves it here. He graduated from NMIT in 2013 with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting and is currently working towards his membership as a Certified Practicing Accountant with CPA Australia. He's been with the WK Strawbridge team since October 2020
He's appreciative of the awesome and accessible environment in the area, especially the local walks around the city, which he spends a lot of time walking with his active labrador! He also enjoys spending time checking out the local cafes and culture of Nelson with his wife.
Job Titles:
- Administration Manager
- Accountant With a BBus
Shannon Laing is an accountant with a BBus in Accountancy from Unitec. She grew up in Taupo but moved to Auckland for work and to pursue her studies. Her first job was as a receptionist in a CA firm where she worked her way up to an accountant after completing her Diploma and BBus in Accounting.
After working in various industries in accounting roles, Shannon decided to make a change and move into administration. She has been living in Nelson for four years, having moved south from Auckland for the lifestyle. She loves the number of sunshine hours and beautiful scenery in Nelson.
When she's not in the office, Shannon enjoys running, snowboarding (although very average), gardening, playing netball, and spending time with her family.
As the Administration Manager at WK Strawbridge, Shannon brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the team. She is passionate about providing exceptional customer service and ensuring that the office runs smoothly and efficiently. If you are looking for professional and reliable administration support, look no further than Shannon Laing and the team at WK Strawbridge.
Job Titles:
- Client Services Administrator
Sharon's life journey is a testament to her adaptability and resilience. Sixteen years ago, she took the bold step of emigrating from South Wales, UK, to New Zealand - a challenge she considers one of her greatest achievements. On top of this, she successfully transitioned from a hospital background to an accounting role.
Over the past 16 years, Sharon has made herself at home in New Zealand, living in Nelson for six years after a decade in Hawkes Bay. Her love for her new home shines through when she talks about the local weather, scenery, and access to beautiful beaches.
Taylor joined WK Strawbridge as a Senior Advisor at the start of June 2022 after four years of working for other local accounting practices in Nelson.
Originally from Christchurch, Taylor studied in her home city at the University of Canterbury, where she received a Bcom and has since graduated to being a CPA (Aus). She has a wide and varied knowledge base in accounting and business planning and a broad knowledge of the agricultural sector.
Outside work, she likes to make the most of the Nelson region. A recipient of the Queen Scout and the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Taylor is a keen tramper and hiker. When she isn't halfway up a mountain, she likes to relax at home and bake and decorate cakes.
WK Strawbridge is excited to welcome Casey on board as our newest Senior Advisor. With a Bachelor of Commerce double-majoring in Accounting and Finance from Lincoln University under her belt, she joins the team with a broad range of knowledge across a range of industries and areas.
She enjoys the fact she has yet to hone in on a particular area of expertise as it means that she's been able to explore where she finds passion within the industry. She's found that passion in supporting clients to achieve business success by being able to spend more time actually with their business. With Casey there to set up and support them with new efficiencies within their accounting practices and software, it means that her clients can spend more time doing what they love.
WK Strawbridge is excited to welcome Casey back to the Nelson region and to the team, we look forward to seeing her flourish with us.