The people who make the Canny Group team are specialists across the Accounting, Advisory and Legal industries. We attribute our success to our clients but also to our team. They are committed to delivering exceptional quality while forming close partnerships with our clients.
Every week of every year since 1960 you can expect Canny Group to be a friendly team of professionals. Eager to use their expertise to help you succeed!
Stan commenced the practice in 1960 and in 2010 was awarded a medal from CPA Australia celebrating 50 years as a qualified CPA. Stan is also a well-known member of the Geelong community.
In 2017, Stan received Queen’s Birthday Honours. Stan was awarded with a Medal of the Order (OAM), for his service to the community through a range of roles.
Amanda joined the firm in 1980 as a bookkeeper and became Director in 2011. Amanda has a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University and is a qualified CPA. Amanda has a keen interest in helping women in business. Whether in their role as director, owner or bookkeeper Amanda will be able to help women grow and manage their businesses. She has extensive experience working with small to medium business owners and specialises in cash flow management, business advisory, GST and tax planning.
In 2014 Amanda took part in the Leaders for Geelong program. At the beginning of 2019, Amanda was asked to join the Board of Encompass as the Chief Financial Officer. Encompass Community Services started out as one of the only nine funded Disability Employment services in Australia in 1985 and are proud to be customer services leaders in delivering NDIS supports.
When she’s away from the office, Amanda loves spending time in the garden at home. Amanda is often socialising with family and friends and playing Ninny to her young grandchildren.
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Krystine has a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and has been an accountant since 1998. She is a qualified CPA and also made the Dean’s List at Deakin University.
Krys became a Director of Canny Group in 2011.
Like Amanda, she has a keen interest in small to medium business. Krys enjoys working with small to medium business owners to help them maximise cash flow, manage the compliance burden and complete taxation planning. She also has significant experience with the Not-for-Profit sector, GST and management accounting.
Krys has a personal affinity for Geelong’s northern suburbs and the Not-for-Profit sector. This is evident in her community contribution as Treasurer on the Board of the Norlane Community Centre, which she has been involved with since 2013. In 2016, Krys received a Commonwealth Bank Not-for-Profit Treasurers’ Award which recognised her valued contributions and highlighted the appreciation of the entire Norlane Community Centre Board.
Additionally, Krys was on the Board of Bethany from 2014 right through until the start of 2020 and was also asked to join the ATO Lodgement Advisory Committee in 2016.
In her down time, Krys enjoys hanging out with her husband and three divine children, going to the movies, keeping fit at the gym and dining out at a great restaurant.
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Kim joined our team at the beginning of 2018 as our Business Manager.
Kim has a background in administration, specifically within the finance industry. Previous experiences working one-on-one with financial advisers has given Kim the opportunity to bring an amazing wealth of knowledge across all of our services arms and how get them to work the best way for each other. Kim places a high importance on unifying processes and creating procedures to maximise efficiency, she also makes no attempt to hide her love of a good spreadsheet.
Insightful and highly organised, Kim is a firm believer in maintaining client contact and delivering a holistic service that exceeds client expectation.
After spending 14 years in the UK, Kim moved back to Australia in late 2016 with her family in tow. Her husband, Paul loved the Aussie lifestyle and their son, Ged wasted no time in learning to ride a bike and loves to go snorkelling.
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Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law from Deakin University. In 2004, Richard was admitted to practice as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia. He is also a member of the Law of Institute of Victoria.
Richard has an extensive knowledge of commercial law, particularly in the areas of advising on business structures and preparation of all commercial, property and business documentation, such as drawing commercial agreements, contracts of sale, leases and the formation of trusts. Richard practices extensively in commercial litigation across all jurisdictions and is capable of managing a client’s needs from start to finish. He can direct clients in the management and strategy of their litigation in a bid to achieve the best case outcome.
Emphasising the importance of developing trusting relationships with clients, you will often find Richard with a smile from ear to ear from being rewarded by achieving our client's legal objectives.
When Richard isn't fighting our client's battles, you will definitely find him fighting with his garden or just simply spending time being outdoors in the fresh air with his daughter and his wife.
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Helen holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Helen specialises in Self-Managed Super Funds and has extensive knowledge in all facets of Self Managed Super Funds (SMSF).
Helen started her career in audit, however realised her desire was to work in taxation advice and consulting. In 2001, Helen started working in accounting and taxation for both individuals and businesses and SMSF. Due to her love of working with SMSF and due to the regulation of SMSF advice, Helen completed her Diploma of Financial Planning and became a financial adviser in 2013. Helen turned to financial advising so that she could continue to provide SMSF advice and to help clients build their wealth for retirement. Helen admits being an Accountant as well as a Financial Adviser is certainly challenging but she feels that the knowledge and experience she has gained from wearing two hats means she has a holistic view when providing advice and it puts her in the best position to help clients on their journey to achieving their financial goals.
Helen has been specialising in Self-Managed Super Funds for 18 years and has 20 years in experience in professional practice. Helen works alongside Samantha Butcher and also has a love for getting to know our clients both professional and personally. Being able to see the positive impact to our clients lives when they succeed in their life goals from the her advice has a feeling like no other.
Out of the office, Helen loves to spend time with her family; two beautiful girls and her husband, including their beautiful Kelpie - Roxie! Helen enjoys watching movies, travelling and spending time in nature (and yes, that includes camping).
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Samantha joined our team in 2019, having been in the finance industry for 18 years and advising for the last 13. Sam has a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Financial Planning as well as a Diploma of Financial Services. but that's not all she has under her help however. Sam is also a qualified primary school teacher and taught around Australia as well as overseas for six years before changing careers.
Sam is not only an invaluable member of our team but also of our community which definitely shows with the various boards and committees she is part of. For the past three years, Sam has been on the Sacred Heart College Scholarship Committee, 10 years as the Clairvaux Family Support Network Co-ordinator as well as the past two years as a Deakin University Tutorial Workshop Presenter in her specialised areas.
Sam loves meeting clients, listening to their stories and helping them achieve their goals. The human element of her job more than anything and it's why she strives to provide outstanding services to all clients while working alongside Helen Yau.
The other humans in her life, her husband and three healthy and happy daughters is where you will find her spending her time out of the office, As well as regularly exercising, reading a book or just relaxing by listening to some music.
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Adam has been working in the accounting industry since 1992 when he started working in a small accounting firm in Brunswick before becoming part owner in 1999, then sole owner in 2007 before selling the business in 2014. Adam is a Chartered Accountant, Registered Tax Agent and completed his Bachelor of Business in accounting at Victoria University.
After leaving school, Adam fell into the agricultural business with careers in grain harvesting, sharefarmer, tractor driver, roustabout and farmhand before leaving Violet Town for Melbourne and not looking back. Since moving on from his Brunswick accounting firm Adam worked in two larger multi-disciplined Melbourne firms, more recently with a heavy systems, advisory and technology focus and he loves the way [the right] technology can help clients run their business more efficiently. Adam is constantly in awe of the different ways business owners find success, deal with challenges, and solve their customers problems. In his role, Adam is first on site to visit a clients business as he finds this immensely helpful and useful to fully understand not just the numbers but how their world operates. As well, helping clients develop goals and then setting strategies to achieve them is also a favourite part.
Excited to have the opportunity to work deeply in our business advisory and accounting service arms alongside our clients is definitely on top of Adam’s goal list, as well as being a contributor to our client’s success all while enjoying life in Ocean Grove. Outside of the office, you will find Adam dancing up a storm on his way to have a ride on his new motorbike, a walk along the beach or simply enjoying the greatest game of all – Cricket with a crisp pale ale in hand!
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Danny has been part of our team since early 2013! Danny hold a Bachelor of Commerce and is a qualified Chartered Accountant.
Danny has a passion for small businesses, GST, companies and trusts and loves the opportunity to work closely with clients to help them with their needs, not only in tax situations, but also helping them in making the correct business decisions. Danny also has a passion for forensic accounting and is looking forward to Canny Group being able to add this to the services we offer to our clients.
In his spare time, Danny favours the outdoors riding motorbikes, spending time at the beach, camping and socialising with friends. He also loves being with his family, watching his talented kids play sport. Danny is a footy fanatic and devoted Richmond supporter who is often found dressed in the yellow and gold around our office.
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Gab has been part of our team since 2013! Graduating from Deakin University with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2009, she became a qualified Chartered Accountant in 2012. Gab has a back ground in all areas of taxation and accounting, self managed super funds and audits.
Since returning to our team from maternity leave, Gab is working alongside Helen Yau with the Self-Managed Super Funds. Gab is passionate in assisting our clients with their taxation affairs and places great importance on building trusting relationships to continue to work closely with them in the future.
In her time away from the office, Gab enjoys going out for good food and coffee, keeping fit and active all with her partner Dan and new bub Rex by her side.
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Kim moved to Australia in 2006 and completed her Masters Degree in Accounting in 2008. Starting work as a Graduate Accountant in 2011, she then went on to complete her CPA in 2013.
Kim is passionate about building trusting relationships and working hard to getting the best results for our clients. Kim has worked hard since joining our team in early 2019 and it's no surprise that she has become and integral part of Canny Group and is keen to learn more about Self-Managed Super Funds with Helen Yau by her side.
Kim loves to travel with her family, especially down to the beach with her three year old son. She takes every opportunity she can to disconnect from technology and go camping with her family and friends.
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Lin holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting and recently completed her CPA. Did we mention that she finished the last part of her CPA all while being newly married, getting stuck into renovating their first family home AND becoming a new mum?
Lin has been part of our team since 2015 and we are so happy to have her back from maternity leave. Lin has a lot of prior experience in the tax field and greatly enjoys expanding her knowledge in different areas of accounting. She loves the personal interaction she has with our clients and has achieved some phenomenal tax result for many of them. She also enjoys the diversity and challenges her role presents.
While Lin has been working hard on building on her outstanding tax results tally, her overall goal is to help as many of our clients as possible.
When she isn't at work, she has her hands full with her beautiful son Caden and you will find her and her husband Joe working on their home renovations or taking a break to enjoy going out for amazing feasts with friends and family.
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Ryan completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University in Warrnambool, majoring in Accounting and Finance earlier this year. Ryan has been part of our team since mid-2018 and has previously worked as a junior accountant in a small accounting firm specialising in local businesses which has definitely worked in his favour since starting with us.
Ryan's goals are to work hard to gain his CPA within the next few years which he is already on track to do. As well, Ryan is focusing on developing his accounting skills to aid our clients and work on building trusting relationships, eventually becoming an expert in taxation for small to medium businesses.
When Ryan isn't travelling back to Warrnambool to visit his family and friends, you can find him travelling the world, hiking in and around Australia as well as heading down to the beach!
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Michelle joined our team as in 2019 and is taking charge of our Bookkeeping team!
Prior to joining our team, Michelle had her own bookkeeping business for 10 years. Being a Mum, she was able to do it on a part-time basis which allowed her to spend extra time watching her son Baden grow; never missing any milestones and never missing one of his basketball games.
Michelle has brought a wealth of knowledge to our team and her past experiences working within the accounting world has enabled our clients to be empowered to make the correct bookkeeping decisions with Michelle by their side.
Away from the office you'll find Michelle watching the footy or sneaking in watching the basketball along with catching up with friends and walking her dog. The one thing Michelle has on her bucket list and hasn't ticked off yet is going to the Cat Cafe in Melbourne.
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Edwina has been with our team since before she could walk, however, she officially joined our team in 2013 to head up the administration team for the tax time season and has been with us ever since.
Edwina has a length background in the fashion industry and a great passion for design and creativity which is why it's no surprise that she brings a natural "thinking outside the box" flare to our team and in the work that she delivers.
Edwina has a great willingness to go the extra mile to help with getting tasks completed is just one of her many strengths. Edwina's main goals is to make sure everyone knows that accountants, lawyers and financial advisers aren't boring and the way in which she delivers her work, she hits the nail on the head!
Out of the office, you can find her going on new adventures and spending long summer days at the beach with her family and friends.
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Kayla joined our team at the beginning on 2018 from Hill Perkins with a Bachelor of Laws and was admitted as a Lawyer in June 2019.
Kayla's interests lay well within the areas of Wills and Estates as well as taking charge in the Workplace Law area amongst out team. Currently practicing in Wills, Estates and Debt Recovery, Kayla works alongside Richard Pinkstone and together they bring a great source of strength and understanding to our clients.
Kayla sees herself and her career firmly in Geelong. She enjoys the culture that comes with working in smaller firms as well as the personable relationships that she has established not only with clients but also her colleagues.
Newly married to her high school sweetheart Rhys, they are currently in the process of building their first home. Outside of the office, Kayla loves keeping fit with 5am Pilates classes, eating out and catching up with family and friends.
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Katherine joined our team at the beginning of 2018 from Hill Perkins with a Bachelor of Laws as well as a Bachelor of Criminology, majoring in History.
For Katherine, her passion lies within property, which is why it's no secret that she goes over and above for our clients with anything relating to their property needs. Taking charge of Conveyancing, she also thoroughly enjoys all aspects of business law. You can also find Katherine assisting Richard Pinkstone with any of our clients business and commercial needs.
Katherine always strives to go over and above for our clients, she is well known for bringing a personal approach to her work. Katherine is looking forward to establishing herself in the legal industry while creating a reputation that reflects the successes she has achieved for all our client.
During her downtime, you can find Katherine by the seaside or at the local park with her dog, Dusty and her friends and family in tow.
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Kristal has completed Certificates III and IV in Financial Services (Accounting) as well as a Diploma and Advanced Diploma all in Accounting and has been part of our team since 2011.
Kristal works alongside Helen Yau in her role within the Self-Managed Super Fund area. Prioritising her clients needs is always at the forefront of Kristal's day which is why she has been able to build long lasting and trusting relationships with all of our clients.
When it's time to relax, you will find Kristal spending time with her young daughter riding horses or if she gets the chance she is more than happy to curl up with a good book or sew a new creation.
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Chris is the newest member to join our growing Advisory team, starting with us towards the end of 2019.
Chris works alongside Samantha Butcher and Helen Yau, and he is already making great waves with our clients, admitting it's his favourite part of his role. Much the same as Sam and Helen, Chris loves the human element of Financial Planning and is passionate about getting to know our clients and help them achieve their goals.
Chris started in the fitness industry in health club management, it wasn't until he enrolled at RMIT to study Finance that he found his true passion. Previously working for the National Australia Bank and MLC, he is excited to develop his financial planning knowledge.
When he isn't working on helping our clients achieve their financial dreams, you can find Chris playing basketball or enjoying the occasional British comedy. He can also be found reading, watching documentaries or simply relaxing with a cup of coffee, going over the finance news with Jack Johnson playing in the background.
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Erin has been part of our team since 2015 and joined us with a substantial background in the legal industry.
Erin specalised in areas of the conveyancing and the running of the trust account, the skills that Erin has developed over her career makes her extremely efficient and organised which flows nicely right through all areas of our legal team.
Erin takes the lead on all finance matters when is comes to our clients as well as our team. Debt collecting is more than Erin's strong point and there isn't a challenge that she hasn't accepted as she is always going above and beyond to get the best results for our clients.
At home, Erin and her partner love nothing more than to spend time with their to cheeky children.
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Jenny has been a long standing member of our team, coming up to 20 years of flawless services in just a couple of years.
It's easy to see that Jenny enjoys talking to clients just as much as they love talking to her. Jenny is the first one to take on any client issues and ensures that they are resolved quickly and efficiently by getting to the bottom of it and appreciates the positive feedback that she gets for a job well done.
Jenny is really a Jill of all trades around the office and her organisational skills have been the backbone in our ongoing efforts to become a paperless office. In fact her ultimate goal is to finish scanning all of our old files into our computer system, some of which date back to 2000.
Out of the office, Jenny enjoys travelling, cooking and reading.
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Lynne's favourite part of her role with the Canny Group is meeting and talking to our clients, half of which she knows. Lynne always goes the extra mile to ensure our clients needs are being met and revels in the moments we have been able to make a difference in a client’s life.
Lynne looks forward to the future with Canny Group, in particular as we develop and grow Canny Legal. Lynne has a natural willingness to assist clients, paired with her experience and we can assure our clients have a friendly face are well looked after from.
Out of the office, Lynne enjoys spending quality time with her family, camping and going on holidays.
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