Focus Chartered Accountants Limited - Whakatane New Zealand  

Directors

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Click on the links below to view personal profiles of the Directors at Focus Chartered Accountants:

Colin Leonard Toni Owen  Martin Pipe

	Colin Leonard BCom BSc CA I should introduce myself and give you a little understanding into my background and experience. With my family having been in the farming industry for five generations along with my upbringing in the Waikato, I have a strong farming & forestry background.  I also have personal interests in property investments and in my wife’s hairdressing salon.  Plus I have a keen interest in the sciences and like to read as much as I can. I studied at the University of Auckland, gaining both a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Science degree.  And then I was back to the South Waikato, where I worked in the District Council as a project accountant, assisting in the preparation of the inaugural strategic plan.  In 1996 I joined an accountancy practice in Putaruru, where I moved up to a position of a senior manager.  But it was my love of windsurfing that meant I found my way to the eastern Bay of Plenty.  First purchasing a house in Ohope to use at the weekends and holidays, and then deciding to move over here permanently in 2002. I am a current executive board member of the East Bay Chamber of Commerce and also a trustee of the Eastern Bay of Plenty Life Education Trust. I thank you for your time and I look forward to working together to give you the very best for your future.
	Toni Owen BBS CA Prof Trustee Hi, my name is Toni Owen.  I enjoy working with people to help them achieve their dreams and goals. Background I was born in Palmerston North, and spent the first 12 years of my life in the small Manawatu town of Ashurst.   In 1970 my family moved to the Eastern Bay of Plenty, initially farming in Edgecumbe, before moving to Whakatane. I joined the Chartered Accountancy practice of Campbell and Pascoe as the Office Junior in 1973.   My interest in Accountancy was such that I embarked on a 9-year journey of part-time study, mostly through Massey University, to gain my accountancy qualifications.   I became a partner in Bird and Gray in 1990 and in 1998 merged my practice with that of Greg Robison and Paul Wills to form Focus. Community Interests I am actively involved in the Eastern Bay community, and have in the past held positions as Chairman of the KEA Board in Kawerau, Trustee/Treasurer of Allandale School Board and was a founding executive member of both the EBOP Chamber of Commerce and EBOP Life Education Trust.   I am currently Chairman of the Eastern Bay Energy Trust.   I have also been actively involved in junior hockey, gymnastics, Plunket and Kindergarten committees.   They always say that if you want to get something done you ask a busy person. Family My husband Darrel and I live at Coastlands and have two adult children: Catherine, and Philip.   We participate in a wide variety of sports, and enjoy family camping holidays.   I particularly enjoy a good novel and play a little squash. Professional Specialties My client base is very diverse, having been developed by various partners over a period of 50 years.   Through this diverse group runs a common thread of skills which I have developed and created specialties in: Strategic Planning Facilitating the development of ideas and transforming those ideas into workable solutions, and eventually great businesses.   Succession Planning Creating a pathway, which will meet the long-term requirements of all stakeholders, whether they are family members, employees or business associates.   Tax Planning Structuring business affairs in such a way as to ensure that clients pay only the tax that is legally required.   To be effective requires long-term planning.   Flexible Business Structures Structuring businesses to meet the needs of succession and tax planning.   Retirement Facilitation Working with clients to plan their retirement years and to maintain their desired lifestyle choices throughout their life. Personal Statement I believe that the Chartered Accountant of today is judged by the way in which they work with their clients to provide creative and creditable solutions to their business needs.   To do this successfully they must be a proactive member of their clients business teams, and be prepared to dissolve the boundaries and limitations of traditional accounting work and thinking.
Martin Pipe CA, BMS Background I grew up on a dairy farm in the small farming community of Reporoa before I moved to Hamilton to attend the University of Waikato.  After completing my Bachelor of Management Studies I started my Chartered Accounting career at Staples Rodway Hamilton, where I gained entry to the Chartered Accountants (CA) College. Following that I headed to London, UK in 2003 and spent 3 years working in Accountancy and Business Analyst roles for a wide range of Industries.  I also travelled at every opportunity around the Northern Hemisphere with my partner, now wife, Nicole. Upon our return to New Zealand we were seeking an opportunity to balance career with lifestyle and ultimately start a family.  We have been in Whakatane since 2007, living at Ohope Beach and certainly love the Eastern Bay of Plenty and all it has to offer. Specialist Areas My main areas of interest are assisting clients to develop and grow their business through improved strategies and systems. I also have an interest in Management Reporting for clients where regular consultation with them fosters growth and profitability within their business. Personal Interests I enjoy listening to music, sharing good food and wine, playing squash and getting to the mountain with my snow board.