Findex names 41 senior partners across Australia & NZ

Findex has made 41 senior partner and leadership appointments across 24 locations in Australia and New Zealand.

The changes span four divisions and six service lines. Of the 2,500-strong workforce, 37 advisers in Australia and four in New Zealand were promoted to Senior Partner, Partner and Associate Partner roles.

Most of the appointments are outside capital cities, with 60 per cent of appointees based in regional centres. The firm said this reflects its focus on building leadership in local markets as advice and accounting firms compete for talent beyond major metropolitan areas.

The Senior Partner appointments are: Simon McGuirk in Melbourne in Wealth Management; Daniel Ellis in Perth in Business Advisory; Nick Park in Sydney in Business Advisory; Robert Carius in Brisbane in Business Advisory; and Neil McLennan in Brisbane in Business Advisory.

The Partner cohort includes Gabby Howlett in Ballarat in Business Advisory, Tafadzwa Mudarikwa in Brisbane in External Audit, Mark Jackson in Colac in Business Advisory, Deb Ball in Dubbo in Wealth Management, Luke Thornton in Geelong in Business Advisory, Rachel Fraser in Richmond in Business Advisory, Andrew Reid in Melbourne in External Audit, Philip Rofe in Sydney in Wealth Management, Heather Logue in Brisbane in Wealth Management, Perry Crockett in Wanaka in Business Advisory, Jia Tan in Sydney in External Audit, Simon Warner in Adelaide in Business Advisory and Toby Oakley in Adelaide in Business Advisory.

At the Associate Partner level, the appointments span regional and metropolitan offices, including Albury, Bathurst, Devonport, Dubbo, Geelong, Hastings, Mildura, Stawell, Toowoomba, Armidale, Gympie, Orange, Cairns, Colac, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Queenstown.

Regional focus

The concentration of promotions in regional centres points to a broader hiring pattern across professional services, as firms deepen local relationships while offering career paths outside the largest cities. Findex has more than 90 offices across Australia and New Zealand, according to Co-Chief Executive Officer Tony Roussos.

Roussos said the appointments were linked to internal development as the business grows across the region "

"We are pleased to welcome our newest Partners, whose outstanding expertise, local insights and commitment to client success remain central to our growth strategy," he said.

He said the latest cohort also showed how the group was building its leadership bench across the business.

"These appointments demonstrate the depth and diversity of talent we are cultivating across the business. As we continue to expand our footprint across the ANZ region, we remain focused on developing future leaders who serve both the professionalism of our industry and the needs of the communities in which they live and work," Roussos said.

Many of those promoted built their careers in regional communities rather than moving to capital cities. Among them are Ballarat-based Partner Gabby Howlett, who has spent more than 15 years building her practice there, and Dubbo-based Partner Deb Ball, who brings nine years of local experience.

Associate Partner Amir Mousa in Albury was highlighted as strengthening the firm's presence across regional Victoria and New South Wales. Findex also pointed to flexible working arrangements and internal development pathways as supporting career progression in regional markets.

Cross-border talent

Several appointments also reflect international and cross-market mobility within the group. Partner Tafadzwa Mudarikwa, who works across Brisbane and Toowoomba, brings more than 15 years of experience across Africa, the Middle East, the United States and Australia.

In New Zealand, Associate Partner JennAnderson's's move from Canada to Queenstown was presented as part of the firm's effort to attract staff to regional growth centres. Her appointment adds to the New Zealand promotions of Rachel Fraser in Richmond, Perry Crockett in Wanaka and Matt Edmondson in Hastings.

The spread of service lines shows where Findex is adding senior depth. Business Advisory accounts for a large share of the list, alongside Wealth Management, External Audit, Internal Audit & Risk and SMSF Advisory.

Roussos said the size of the office network allowed the firm to combine local presence with broader reach across both countries.

"Our scale, with more than 90 offices across Australia and New Zealand, allows us to combine deep local knowledge with national capability. Our clients, wherever they are located, benefit from tailored advice backed by the expertise and resources of a trans-Tasman organisation," he said.