Hi, I am Amali
You are telling me your story with your numbers. In exchange I am telling you mine!
My passion:
Help others to reach their goals
Life deals our cards, but we choose how to play the hand. But who said that we need to play our business cards all by ourselves? Especially if these cards contain only numbers.
People sometimes need someone to help them be successful, so that they can focus on making our world a brighter place.
There are many ways in helping others. I strongly feel that education is the key to a better and more successful life. Whether lecturing at university, teaching my sons to become independent thinkers, or helping business owners appreciate their most valuable assets – it is knowledge, that has the power to make a difference in our lives.
If I can be the source to give others the power of knowledge, safety and the means to do what they are passionate about, then we all will achieve our goals.
My way of helping others achieving their goals and giving back to the community, is acting as a Volunteer Budget Advisor and Governance Board member of the North Harbour Budget Services Inc. And because I love to share my experience and knowledge, I mentor newly qualified Chartered Accountants for the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.
My journey:
From corporate to personal
I am a self-confessed chocolate lover and have always loved numbers just the same way I enjoy a large piece of chocolate. Working in corporate accounting gave me big chunks of numbers to savour.
But with time we refine our taste – and our preferences change. I began to crave different experiences like: personal interaction, exciting stories and advising small businesses with potential. Corporate could not give that to me. So I started advising friends – and friends of friends – until these friends told me that helping small and medium businesses with my advice was what I was really good at.
That’s what I do now. I work with sole traders, partnerships, trusts and companies. Every business is unique and requires a different blend of advice.
I still love chocolate, but now, like in business, I prefer the handcrafted variety.
My obstacles:
Challenges make you climb pyramids
There are times, when life (and business) can get messy. However, it is my belief that we emerge stronger at the other end. Being a mother and a successful business woman does not always go smoothly. But managing both has taught me, that our personal challenges let us grow to cope with our business challenges.
Building my accountancy business in a market where you can find an accountant at every corner has been a challenge. I see challenges as opportunities. Competing with other businesses has inspired me to be different and focus on what really matters.
Our needs matter to us. Maslow has found a whole hierarchy (or pyramid) of needs. It is my personal challenge to navigate my customers (and their accounts) to the top of this pyramid.
But there is more than business, when it comes to things that really matter to us. We should never forget those others, who have very real and sometimes desperate needs. That’s why I support the Hospice by volunteering for fundraising activities through Business Network International. It is wonderful to make someone’s life just a little brighter.
My confession:
I am a quantum physics loving accountant
It might strike you as odd, but you can actually apply quantum physics to accounting. Just like Schroedinger’s cat, your accounts can exist in two different states:
- Your accounts can be a bit of a black hole, where you can lose many benefits that you were not aware of – or:
- Your accounts are optimised for maximum success with all business particles under control
There is a whole universe of accounting principles out there and I don’t tire to find the right constellation of benefits for every customer I work with.
My biography:
More numbers and letters
If you would like to learn some hard facts about me, then by all means, have a look at my biography; but better still, get to know me as a person over a cup of coffee!
BIOGRAPHY
PROFILE SUMMARY
An experienced, pragmatic, client friendly, accounting professional currently working in chartered accounting practice in the area of taxation and business advisory services with strengths in taxation, financial and management accounting and related business advice, developed through working in chartered accounting practice, commercial environments and academia.
PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
- CA CPP – Chartered Accountant of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants holding a Public Practice Certificate
- ACMA – Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants of London
- MMS – Accounting (with Distinction) – University of Waikato
- BCom (Honours) – University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Sri Lanka
- CTT – Certificate in Tertiary Teaching – Waikato Polytechnic
EXPERIENCE
Chartered Accounting – Business Advisory Services
- Coopers & Lybrand (now known as PWC) – Initial training in accounting and auditing
- New Zealand Chartered Accounting firms – Withers Tsang, Brian Anderson Accounting Services, Neesham Pike Thomas, JMV Chartered Accountants prior to starting my own practice Accounting Focus Ltd.
Corporate and Academic Experience
- Financial Controller – Senok Trade Combine Ltd (Sri Lanka), De Vere Textiles (NZ)
- Lecturer – Auckland University of Technology – Lecturer in the Masters in Professional Accounting programme, Moderator for a MBA accounting paper, Academic Supervisor for students undertaking practical experience in the workplace. Past Senior Lecturer in accounting at Wintec Hamilton.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Board member – Governance Committee of the North Harbour Budgeting Services Inc.
- Volunteer Budget advisor for North Harbour Budgeting Services Inc.
- Vice President (current) and Treasurer / Secretary (past) – Business Network International, BNI Mega Glenfield chapter
- Volunteer / supporter of Hospice through BNI supported fund raising activities
- Mentor for newly qualified Chartered Accountants with the New Zealand institute of Chartered Accountants
“We are very happy with the service we receive from Amali of Accounting Focus Limited. It is a pleasant surprise to have an email sent late in the evening replied to promptly which enables us to carry on with the book keeping work.
Fees agreed up front is great because we do not get surprise bills and also we can chat about issues without the fear of racking up costs.”
Jos Kennings – Ink Limited
