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PODCAST

Ambitious Accountants Podcast

Sumith Dissanayake

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.

business

All Episodes

22:10

Taking Leaps of Faith: Adventures in Business with...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/08/29

What do camel riding in Jordan and running an accounting practice have in common? More than you'd think, according to Alison Blanchett-Sax from Smart Business Centre in Nelson. In this chat with Sumith Dissanayake, Alison reveals how her adventurous spirit – from standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon to navigating desert landscapes – mirrors her approach to helping small business owners take those crucial leaps of faith. "If you don't try, you don't know," she says, and it's this philosoph...

en-au

30:05

From Navy Diver to Crypto Tax Specialist: Tim Doyle's...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/08/23

In this episode of the Ambitious Accountants Podcast, host Sumith Dissanayake sits down with Tim Doyle, Director of Doyle Accountants in Cambridge, New Zealand. Tim shares his unconventional path from leaving school at 17 to join the Navy, through to building a successful accounting practice. He talks about the discipline and life lessons the Navy taught him, his realisation about business and money while working in a shoe shop, and his adventures scuba diving in Thailand and working in...

en-au

28:01

From Dairy Farming to Accounting: Matt Hipp's...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/07/26

Matt Hipp's story isn't your typical accountant origin tale. The Director at Hipp Accounting in Hastings went from 4am cow milking in Taranaki to telling potential clients "if you just want your tax return done and forgotten about for 12 months, we're probably not the right fit." In this episode, Matt gets real about how he negotiated partnership with his mum (instead of just working for her), why he reckons work-life balance is complete rubbish, and his take on advisory work: "It's not about...

en-au

23:38

Embracing Risks and Building a Lifestyle Accountancy...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/07/25

Host Sumith talks with Lisa Gotlieb, Director at Jam Accounting in Auckland, about her path from EY to running her own firm. Lisa covers her time in France and Hong Kong, leaving stable employment at EY for contract work, and finding her niche with expat accounting. She talks about taking calculated risks, working with clients who want proper advisory services, and using tech to get more done. The conversation touches on collaborative partnerships, building a business around your lifestyle, a...

en-au

30:35

From Five-Year-Old's Dream to Practice Owner: Patrick...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/07/18

This week, Sumith sits down with Patrick Leong, director of Mondo Advisory in New Plymouth, who's got one of the most unusual origin stories we've heard – he knew he wanted to be an accountant when he was just five years old! Patrick takes us through his career journey from Audit New Zealand to Deloitte, then into senior corporate roles before making the leap to practice ownership. What drove him? The classic accountant's dilemma: wanting that elusive work-life balance while building so...

en-au

32:50

Navigating a Non-Traditional Path: From Army Dreams...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/07/12

In this episode of Ambitious Accountants, host Sumith Dissanayake chats with Tommy Liu, Managing Director of Tommy & Co in Auckland. Tommy's story is mental - son of a Taiwanese army general who ended up in accounting because his grades weren't good enough for medicine, English was his second language for law, and engineering didn't work out. Classic Asian family expectations! Tommy talks about growing up barely seeing his dad (army camps and tanks as a kid though), how Māori values shape...

en-au

27:58

From Baker to AI Pioneer: How Jason Lougher is...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/07/04

In this episode of the Ambitious Accountants Podcast, Sumith Dissanayake chats with Jason Lougher, director of Calc Business Advisory and co-founder of Numera AI. Jason shares his journey from small-town baker to accounting firm owner and AI innovator after a wrist injury changed his career path. The conversation explores how process automation differs from AI and can transform accounting practices right now. They discuss Jason's approach to genuine work-life balance in his firm, tackling the...

en-au

27:43

Navigating the US Tax Landscape from New Zealand:...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/06/27

In this episode of the Ambitious Accountants Podcast, host Sumith speaks with David Tzimenakis, a specialist US tax consultant and Director at the US Tax Team in New Zealand. David shares his journey from working at a UK bank during the introduction of FATCA legislation to establishing his own tax consultancy firm in New Zealand. The discussion covers various aspects of US tax consultancy, including pre-migration advice, challenges in recruitment, importance of automation, and strategies for ...

en-au

33:10

An Interview with Ric Thorpe:Sidekick Chartered...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/06/13

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 Sidekick Chartered Accountants, about scaling an accounting practice from a completely different angle. Key insights: Why "success isn't just being the best - success is just doing it" (lessons from ultramarathons)Using RPA to save 30-90 minutes per tax return across thousands of clientsThe "SWAN" hiring philosophy: Smart, Wo...

en-au

39:18

Harnessing Athletics and Entrepreneurship in...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/06/07

In this episode of the Ambitious Accountant Podcast, host Sumith Dissanayake sits down with Ian Black, Founding Director of Direct Advisory in Hamilton, New Zealand. They discuss the busy periods in accounting, the influence of Ian's sports background on his professional career, his initial aspiration to become a lawyer, and the roots of his shift to accounting. Ian elaborates on the motivations and challenges behind starting Direct Advisory, the importance of clear communication with c...

en-au

25:06

Redefining the Accountant's Job | Jared Le Roy,...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2025/06/05

Redefining the Role: Modernizing the Accountant's Image with Jared Le Roy In this episode of the Ambitious Accountants Podcast, host Sumith Dissanayake sits down with Jared Le Roy, Director of Embark Accounting Limited in Dunedin, New Zealand. Jared discusses his mission to redefine the stereotypical image of accountants as boring number crunchers. He emphasises the importance of client relationships, innovative services, and leveraging technology to enhance the role of accountants.&nbs...

en-au

44:11

Building Relationships and Finding Success in...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2024/10/24

Send us a textIn 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 businesses sparked a passion for numbers, eventually leading him into accounting, banking, and finance.He shares the pivotal moment when he stepped into the world of insolvency during the global financial crisis of 2008, and how that defining ...

en-au

45:45

Building a Purpose-Driven Business with Willie Eyels,...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2024/10/24

Send us a textIn 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 accounting world, starting from a career choice driven by the promise of financial freedom, to discovering his true passion for helping non-profits succeed.Willie takes us through his diverse career, from working with big firms like PwC to becoming a busine...

en-au

44:47

From Numbers to Navigators with Wayne Buck, Principal...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2024/10/24

Send us a textIn 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 shares his rich experiences in the accounting world, from the traditional manual processes of the 70s to navigating today’s cloud-based accounting.Listeners will gain valuable insights as Wayne reflects on the importance of caring for cli...

en-au

43:15

From Big Firms to Startups with Stephen Hill, Finance...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2024/10/24

Send us a textIn 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 global company, and the importance of constantly learning and upskilling along the way.We also dive into his work where he’s helping startups thrive in New Zealand’s Taranaki region. Stephen highlights how building genuine connections and embra...

en-au

35:34

Beyond the Numbers, Celebrating 25 Episodes with Adam...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2024/08/30

Send us a textJoin 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.We dive into how building long-term relationships and fostering a strong company culture have been key to Neovia’s success. Adam also speaks about his involvement as an active member of Russell Bedford International and how the organization h...

en-au

48:18

The Power Of Being Yourself with Nathan Watt,...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2024/08/20

Send us a Text Message.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 lessons he learned, Nathan shares his unique perspective on the accounting profession. He emphasies the importance of being practical and understanding the real-life implications of numbers.Whether you’re an aspiring accountant, a busines...

en-au

37:58

Balancing Books, Business and Coaching with...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2024/08/08

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 inspiring. She shares her experiences of starting and growing her business, balancing family life, and tackling the challenges bookkeepers face today. Stephanie also talks about the importance of community support, treating your business as your best ...

en-au

48:00

Growing Your Firm with Sam Harith, Leveraging “The...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2024/07/25

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.Listen in as he talks about launching SH Advisory during the COVID-19 lockdown, his unique management style, and the growth of his firm. Sam also dives into his creative project, “The Comic Accountant,” where he combines his expertise in accounting with his love for...

en-au

31:27

Leading The Way For More Inclusivity And Affinity...

Ambitious Accountants Podcast ·

2024/07/12

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 mold? #AmbitiousAccountants #WomenInAccounting

en-au

41 results

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