It may be one of the most widely recognised names in professional services, but Deloitte draws on local people to ensure it meets the specific needs of Bay of Plenty businesses.
As in many centres throughout New Zealand, people and businesses in Tauranga prefer to buy local, which provided the impetus for Deloitte to open an office in this vibrant city late last year.
From this base, new Directors, Alexis Tapsell and Brad Garner, share their deep understanding of the area and the wider capability the company has to offer.
With strong family ties to the Bay, Alexis returned to Tauranga from Auckland with her husband and three children.
She says being closer to whanau and able to enjoy the amazing lifestyle advantages the region has to offer were strong drawcards for the move, but it also offered her the benefit of providing her clients with one-to-one service.
“People want to know who they’re dealing with,” confirms Alexis, a Director in Deloitte’s Tax and Business Advisory team.
“Being able to see clients at events or on the sports field and then in the office is great for building relationships and trust, which will be further enhanced when we move into our permanent Deloitte premises in July.”
A fellow Director in the Tax and Business Advisory team, Brad Garner is Tauranga born and bred.
We’re competitive in every space and often it’s about educating clients, and future clients, that our services are accessible. This is particularly helpful for people who are growing their businesses and need to draw on additional expertise such as strategy, business valuations, research and development incentives, advanced financial reporting for IFRS requirements, technology and AI advice and implementation as well as offshore expansion.
He began his career with Deloitte in Hamilton as a summer intern and then worked as an analyst before heading to London on his OE. He re-joined the firm in May, bringing a wealth of new experience to share along with a personal desire to see his home town flourish.
“Tauranga is one of the fastest growing economies in New Zealand, so it’s important that we are on the ground to support our local businesses and play a part in helping the region grow. Deloitte is all about making an impact that matters, and having a personal connection to the community we’re working in means we are deeply invested in its success,” Brad says.
“We can also bring all of Deloitte to the region by leveraging our expertise across the firm. While Alexis and I are predominantly focused on tax and advisory, we can bring in other specialists when needed who also deal directly with our clients.”
Solutions are scaled to suit the size of each client’s business, Alexis adds.
“We’re competitive in every space and often it’s about educating clients, and future clients, that our services are accessible. This is particularly helpful for people who are growing their businesses and need to draw on additional expertise such as strategy, business valuations, research and development incentives, advanced financial reporting for IFRS requirements, technology and AI advice and implementation as well as offshore expansion.”
Brad and Alexis both attended the recent Deloitte Fast 50 event in Auckland where the local area was represented by teams from Rice Rice Baby and Hiko Electrical.
This annual celebration showcases the innovators and entrepreneurs behind New Zealand’s fastest growing businesses.
The Fast 50 Index ranks businesses experiencing rapid revenue growth over three years, while the Master of Growth Index ranks those starting from a larger revenue base of over five years of revenue growth.
Feedback from this year’s Deloitte Fast 50 entrants revealed government regulation, domestic competition and interest rates were the top economic issues for this year’s winners. General growth in sales, increased marketing and expansion into new regions and markets were identified as the main factors for growth.
“We’d love for more local businesses to get in touch with Alexis or myself, whether you’re having challenges or are keen to explore new opportunities,” Brad says. “Together we can flesh out how we and the broader Deloitte team can be of help.”
More information about the Deloitte Fast 50 programme and winners, as well as the company’s wider expertise, is accessible via www.deliotte.com.
However, there’s no better way to see how a local Bay of Plenty team can assist than in person, Alexis adds.
“Over a great cup of coffee, we can also share other insights from the Deloitte Fast 50 programme, including how other businesses are responding to the current climate.”
