Partner
Strategy, Commercial Transactions, Tax Advisory
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Economics
- Chartered Accountant, Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
- Chartered Tax Adviser, The Taxation Institute of Australia
- Registered Company Auditor under the Corporations Act
- Registered Tax Agent
Memberships:
- Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
- Member of the Taxation Institute of Australia
- Forensic Accounting Special Interest Group
- Business Valuation Special Interest Group
- Accredited Member of the Western Sydney Collaborative Family Law
- Member of the Institute of Internal Auditors Australia
- Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
- Member of the National Tax Agents Association
As an experienced chartered accountant with over 32 years of experience, Sandra is a confidante to some of Australia’s wealthiest families, as an advisory member of their family offices and businesses.
Sandra offers a mix of in-depth financial, commercial, taxation, valuation and assurance expertise focusing on private businesses, their owners and high net worth family groups. Her depth of involvement in commercial transactional experience includes advising on mergers, acquisitions, valuations and due diligence and as an independent expert utilising her tax, commercial and risk advisory skills. Sandra has a natural ability to quickly identify and understand key transactional, taxation, financial and business issues, enabling her to deliver value-add services on a continuous basis.
Sandra most enjoys analytically working through complex taxation and business issues, corporate strategy and structure issues, business systems and processes to provide clients with commercial and expert solutions. Her areas of expertise include strategy development, corporate governance, business restructuring, financial management, mediation and negotiation skills.
Sandra’s professional clients span across multiple industries, including construction and development, health, professional services, consumer products, wholesale distribution, education and childcare, finance, insurance, manufacturing, strata and not-for-profit.
Prior to Connect Partners, Sandra’s professional experience has included :
DELOITTE
Partner: Deloitte Private 2014 to Nov 2020
As a Partner at Deloitte Australia, Sandra provided business advice to clients in the areas of strategy, taxation transaction advice, tax audit resolution, governance and business restructuring. She works closely with private enterprise clients with turnovers from $10m to greater than $100m to identify transactional financial risks, opportunities, focus on business performance value drivers and address the ultimate succession of businesses. Key roles include driving growth agenda across Western Sydney, leading the real estate team, leading specific client accounts, participant and lead assistant on Western Sydney Aerotropolis and leading on Property Council of Australia Tax Committee & Diversity Committee. Key achievements include assisting with the merger of Moore Stephens into Deloitte, including transitioning the whole 90 employees and the client base across to Deloitte and working on the Property Council of Australia Diversity Committee Education for Girls Program, 200 Women in Property Program, Western Sydney Aerotropolis Invest in Sydney Program and the NAB Collaboration Program.
MOORE STEPHENS
Partner. Tax & Business Advisory Partner Jan 2005 – Apr 2014
As a Tax & Business Advisory Partner at Moore Stephens, Sandra is responsible for key strategic accounts and the development of the Forensic Business Unit and Strata Audit Business Unit. In this role, Sandra was responsible for key strategic accounts, continuing development of Forensic Business Unit, Development of Strata Audit Business Unit, co-ordinated strategic planning development of training education programs for the firm. Achievements include the successful growth of the firm to a merger in 2014 with over ninety employees to Deloitte, the development of Forensic Valuation Business Unit, the development and establishment of a strata audit business unit.
TRUST COMPANY LIMITED (now Perpetual Ltd)
Director: Permanent Business Advisors . Jan 2000 – Dec 2004
Sandra served as Executive Leader of Permanent Trustee, Accounting Practice “PBA” in Parramatta while also assisting in the leadership of the Permanent Trustee Sydney Office, Tax division. During her time at Trust Company, Sandra was responsible for identification, strategy and management of the merger & acquisition of three additional accounting practices & businesses into Permanent Trustee, as part of the company’s objective to grow the provision of accounting services. During this time Sandra continued to maintain a portfolio of strategic clients delivering business advisory services along with a dedicated client team.
WILLOUGHBY & DUNNE CHARTERED
Partner. Audit & Business Advisory Jul 1989 – Jun 2000
An integral Partner in a firm of 5 partners with over thirty employees. Sandra’s desire to grow the practice in the developing geography of Parramatta led to the opportunity and successful merger of the firm with Trust Company in 2000.
ARTHUR ANDERSEN
Manager. 1982 – 1989 Audit Division
Sandra’s career started at Arthur Anderson, one of the “big 4” as an auditor of varied listed and large private organisations. Sandra credits the firm Arthur Andersen for its outstanding training platforms and leadership in the industry nationally and globally for the time.
Among Sandra’s achievements, she has established an award-winning childcare facility to support working parents, with a focus on understanding the needs of working mothers.
Over the years, Sandra has undertaken many speaking engagements, including Speaker, Expert Witness Support Program CL; Speaker on Business Valuations CL; Education Committee of Strata Association; Speaker on Growing Your Business for Small Business Association; Speaker on Building a Successful Culture supporting Female Career Success; Ark Group Australia. She has participated in several Careers Guide Publications Interviews for Universities and more.
Highly motivated and results-oriented, Sandra is driven to approach business issues and commercial transactions from multiple perspectives and identify practical and innovative solutions.
Recognised by her colleagues as a thinker and leader with excellent attention to detail, Sandra is committed to providing her clients with effective ongoing solutions. For Sandra, her client’s journey is her journey.
She is proud of her active role in the community and is passionate about developing people through leadership, training and education.
If you would like to learn about Sandra’s Board Director service, you can read about it here, or get in touch.
