Alumni Profiles
Victoria University alumni from accounting and commercial law programmes dating back to the early 1910s. It is unsurprising that SACL alumni are spread throughout the world and are involved in all walks of life. A number of alumni are involved in the University and School; serving on Advisory Committees, taking guest lectures and also assisting with, and presenting at, conferences and Business Links seminars.
Alumni work in business, are public practitioners, work in the public sector, the not-for-profit sector, and the tertiary sector. We also like to know about our alumni’s successes and invite you to provide us with a profile of your work and interest.
Feature Alumni Profiles
Awards for Alumni
Last year three alumni of Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Accounting and Commercial Law were awarded Fellowships of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) and Professor Kevin Simpkins was awarded “Outstanding Contribution to the Profession” and Adjunct Professor David MacDonald awarded a Life Membership of the NZICA.
2011 Public Sector CFO of the Year Scott Scoullar, Inland Revenue Department, was acknowledged as the Public Sector CFO of the Year at the Annual Awards of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Gary Swift, CEO of Auckland Council Investments has also been responsible for success in the Annual Report Awards with Watercare Services’ Annual Report.
Brian Roche and Rhys Barlow expect to receive their awards at the Wellington Presidential and Fellowship Dinner in 2012.
Business
Tim Watts – Finalist for New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants “Outstanding New Member of the Year”
Tim is the co-founder and director of GradConnection New Zealand (NZ). An online business which is helping students & graduates evaluate and compare potential career choices - www.gradconnection.co.nz.
In less than 18 months he and his business partner have made GradConnection NZ market leaders in this space.
Before starting this successful New Zealand business he worked as a senior tax consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Wellington. Tim is a Victoria University graduate with a LLB/BCA (Accounting), he has been admitted to the bar and is a Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute. Outside of work Tim is a member of Outward Bound Member Council and avid multisport-outdoor nut!
Brian Blake
Brian Blake is the managing director of DB Breweries Ltd, a position he has held since 1993. Brian is the current chief of the Board of Trustees of the Excelerator New Zealand Leadership Institute at Auckland University and chair of the Brewers Association of Australasia.
He was deputy chair and a member of the Board of Governors of the Diocesan School for Girls from 2000 to 2008. Brian was awarded a Fellowship of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2009.
John Loughlin
John Loughlin graduated from Victoria in 1984 with a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration and in 1988 with a Master of Business Administration. Both degrees were completed on a part-time basis as he worked in the Insurance and Investment industries.
In 1988 John became General Manager Investments at Westpac Financial Services NZ Limited. In 1993 he moved to Hawke’s Bay and took up the position of Finance Manager at Richmond Limited a major meat processing and marketing company. In 1997 he became Chief Executive Officer of Richmond.
In 2002 John became a professional company director. He is currently chairman of ZESPRI Group Ltd, Allied Farmers Ltd, Allied Nationwide Finance Ltd and Tru-Test Corporation Ltd. He is a director of Metlifecare Ltd, Port of Napier Ltd, AgResearch Ltd, Kermadec Property Fund Ltd, Taupo Motorsport Park Ltd and Centralines Ltd. He also chairs Fonterra’s Candidate Assessment Panel.
His past governance roles include chairman’s roles at Prism Group Holdings Ltd and Hawke’s Bay Winemakers, a directorship of Toll NZ Limited, a member of the NZ Markets Disciplinary Tribunal and as a Ministerial Appointee to the Representatives’ Committee of the Animal Health Board.
Since 1993 John and his wife Kathryn have developed the multi-award winning Askerne Estate Winery.
Geoff Sewell
Geoff Sewell is chief executive officer and owner of Incognito Artists Ltd, a global entertainment company he started in 2000. He is also one of the creators of the international classical sensation Amici Forever.
He is an internationally-renowned singer with multi-platinum selling number one albums and DVDs, owns his own record label Sewell Music and is a trustee of The Sewell Foundation which was set up to help families with autism. He is also extensively involved with various charities in New Zealand and overseas.
Public Practice
Mark Hucklesby
National Technical Director, Grant Thornton New Zealand
Education:
Bachelor of Commerce and Administration with Honours (First Class in Accountancy) – 1979
Mark was awarded a Fellowship by the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2004 for his contribution to creating, interpreting and commenting on internationally recognized standards in three financial reporting domains: IFRS, XBRL and audit.
Currently with Grant Thornton, his chartered accounting experience includes seven years overseas working in the US and the UK. Mark has helped many New Zealand organizations efficiently and effectively resolve complex business reporting issues and, to support a wide range of publications and articles that he has authored, Mark has given many presentations on financial reporting to a wide range of audiences.
John Shewan
John Shewan is the Chairman at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, NZ. After a period lecturing in accounting at Victoria, and at Mitchell College of Advanced Education in Bathurst, in New South Wales, John joined what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1978.
After a two year secondment to PwC's San Francisco Office John returned to PwC in Wellington in 1983. He became a partner in 1984, and has held a number of leadership positions in the Firm. He was elected Chairman in 2003. John is a specialist tax consulting partner, with a particular interest in tax policy. He has served on a number of tax policy committees, and was a member of the Tax Working Group established by Victoria University in association with the Government to advise on tax reform options. John is a regular media commentator on tax policy and broader commercial issues.
Public Sector
Scott Scoullar is Chief Financial Officer, Inland Revenue
Scott holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University, and comes from an extensive financial management background.
He has been a member of NZICA since 1997 and CPA Australia since 2010, and is Deputy Chair and Chair respectively on a Public Sector Advisory Group for each institute.
Scott has been with Inland Revenue for 5 years, and brings a balanced mix of public and private sector experience to his role.
As Chief Financial Officer, Scott leads a team of approximately 240 staff who undertake a wide range of activities including accounting for over $45 billion in annual crown revenue.
Prior to joining Inland Revenue, Scott had 12 years extensive experience in the banking industry.
Cassandra Crowley
Cassandra Crowley (picture centre) was the NZICA Telecom Outstanding New Member of the Year 2010. Cassandra began her studies in 1998 and graduated from Victoria University with a LLB/ BCA/GradDipProfAccy – majoring in Accounting and Information Systems.
Cassandra Crowley is currently the Chief Executive of Local Government Online in Wellington. Brought in to revitalise the organisation, Cassandra has succeeded in increasing the company’s bottom line in an environment that faced revenue contraction.
Prior to this she was Head of Compliance and Markets Policy for the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX) and also several years working at the Ministry of Economic Development as both a Senior Analyst and Management Accountant.
She also created Essity, a company which provides natural New Zealand skincare and cosmetics with a focus on personal service. Essity was named a 2010 Retail Association Top Shop Finalist.
Cassandra currently sits on the executive boards for two not-for-profit organisations, Literacy Aotearoa Wellington and Birthright Wellington where she holds the roles of Treasurer and President respectively.
Lyn Provost
Accounting graduate Lyn Provost was appointed Controller and Auditor-General in October 2009. She joined the Audit Office as an Assistant Auditor in 1978 before a stint in the United Kingdom and South Africa. Lyn returned in 1985 as the Director of Professional Services, and became an Assistant Auditor-General in 1990.
Lyn's career has included senior roles within the State Services Commission and Archives New Zealand and eight successful years as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Resource Management).
Lyn is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand (NZICA).
Stephen Walker
Stephen Walker, Executive Director of Audit New Zealand (the operational business unit of the Controller and Auditor-General), was previously director of operations for the International Federation of Accountants and has held various roles at the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) including project manager for development of the NZICA's Strategic Plan and review of the governance structure in 2002. He was appointed to the NZICA Council in late 2009.
Qualifying as a New Zealand Chartered Accountant in 1993, and holding a Bachelor's degree (with First Class Honours) in Commerce and Administration from Victoria University of Wellington, Stephen's career has seen him based in London, Wellington, and New York. He has performed roles in external and internal audit, financial reporting standard setting, policy development, strategic planning, governance, public sector management, training development and delivery, and executive operational management.
Tertiary Sector
Tim Fairhall
After graduating in 1973, Tim joined Barr, Burgess & Stewart audit in Wellington. Just over 29 years later in March 2002 he retired as a senior audit partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers; and, after contributing ten years to the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants culminating as President in 1997/8.
Tim then started another professional career with the School of Accounting and Commercial Law at Victoria, teaching (part-time) mainly auditing, to undergraduate and post-graduate students. He has been financial adviser to the Royal NZ Ballet since 2002, consultant to various government agencies and honorary auditor of the NZ Academy of Fine Arts.
He manages and works in his family vineyard in Marlborough, contract-growing Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Riesling grapes. He has just completed building a model over 15 years of the German Black Forest based around railways of the steam era up to 1950; and, has maintained a single-figure golf handicap during most of this time.