Meet an ATAINZ
Member

Lisa has a history of belonging to professional member organisations that aim to boost the quality of the financial industry. Prior to being an ATAINZ Member, she was helping to enhance the reputation of the bookkeeping community. She was on the NZ Bookkeeper’s Association board for eight years, and worked hard to make sure that the value professional bookkeepers bring was recognised.

Lisa went back to university, achieved a degree in business majoring in accounting, and was then accepted to the CPA programme. Lisa’s vision was that her business, GoFi8ure, would be regarded as a transformational accounting business and Tax Agent.

To achieve that vision, she needed to belong to a credible accounting and Tax Agent organisation, and chose to join ATAINZ. Lisa explained: “ATAINZ helps me and my business stay on top of the game, by always improving and evolving. It has brought a new level of learning and upskilling to my professional development and helped me improve and grow my business. I really like having regular face-to-face workshops where you can engage with high-calibre speakers, as well as share feedback on systems and legislation with important regulators. I also really enjoy building relationships with other accounting professionals from across the country, who care about our industry and our SME clients. Our regular workshops and lively Members’ forum also make it feel a bit like family when we come together at events!”

Being “mildly competitive”, as soon as she was able to, Lisa achieved the highest membership tier possible, becoming a Professional Tax & Business Advisor (PTBA). Being a PTBA means she has been invited to be part of advisory cohorts, providing a practical perspective on government initiatives and proposed changes. It also means Lisa’s business receives a practice review every five years, to demonstrate the high standard of GoFi8ure’s work and continually reach for even higher achievement. Lisa said, “Being a PTBA has helped me evolve so much more than I would have otherwise. A big factor in that has been being able to tap into the wealth of knowledge ATAINZ Members hold, whenever I need it. It’s also really refreshing knowing that you can get help from other ATAINZ Members without any sense of ego or competition.”

Two years ago, Lisa joined the ATAINZ Board. Since then, she has really championed the education, regional events, and promotion aspects. She participates in everything she can, and is also a mentor in our internal mentoring programme. 

“I definitely feel like I’m getting out much more than what I’m putting in,” Lisa said. “The number one word that comes to my mind when describing ATAINZ membership is ‘transformational’. It’s about transforming the pains that come with running a business into some form of success. Being part of ATAINZ has helped me make my business stronger and smarter, and I feel really good about the quality of support we provide our clients.”