Gaz Saman – Business Services Manager

Business services manager Gaz Saman quips that he feels like he has embraced a rejuvenating professional sea change.

Having joined Joondalup based McKinley Plowman in April 2010, Gaz, who once worked in a near-city accounting practice, basks in a professional role that allows him to achieve the work-life balance that once eluded him.

No longer hampered by two hours of commuting to get to and from work each day, he now finds plenty of time for his family life and personal interests.

I live just five minutes away from the office, so life is very different these days,” Gaz says.

I was driving an hour each way to work everyday and by the end of each week I’d be exhausted.”

Married with four children, Gaz brings more than 20 years experience as an accountant and business services manager in Australia and overseas to his position at McKinley Plowman.

Born in Iraq, Gaz was sent to Britain to live and study at the age of 19 and moved to Australia with his wife and two of his younger daughters in 2007.

We fell in love with the place when we came here on a holiday in 2006, Gaz says.

My adult children remain in the United Kingdom, however my younger daughters are finding plenty of opportunities to pursue their passion for athletics.

We loved the lifestyle and with Western Australia's booming economy we saw it as a place offering great opportunities for our family.

Gaz says his role at McKinley Plowman is professionally challenging and satisfying with staff enjoying a supportive and inclusive team, first class facilities and rewards such as overseas trips, staff functions and use of a gymnasium.

It's been an eye-opener with regards to the culture of this place, Gaz says.

I have never really found a workplace culture that is as flexible and inclusive as this before.

While we work hard there are systems in place to help us work effectively and this makes for a far less stressful working life.

Gaz lists his passions as his family, achieving excellence for his clients, taking his daughters to athletics, weight training, rugby and soccer.

Ross Puglisi – Business Services Manager

Nurturing success for business.

Working closely with business owners to add value and nurture their success represents a consistent professional reward for business services manager, Ross Puglisi.

Hailing from a long line of accountants in his family, Ross, who joined McKinley Plowman in April 2010, says he is imbued with an awareness of how good professional advice can make an enormous difference to a business owner’s success.

Ross says while professional advice is always shaped by the core goals of asset protection, tax planning and accommodating future growth, his role as business services manager also allows him to partner clients to fast track them towards their goals.

It's very rewarding to do work that goes beyond the traditional accounting practices of looking at what has happened in the business and just preparing the financials,” Ross says.

These aspects of accounting are extremely important, but it’s great to be in a role that allows you to add value and analyse this financial knowledge to identify which areas of the business need improving.

Ross says in acting as a business coach he shows clients which areas of their business can be improved and how they can introduce systems to generate efficiencies and gain more personal freedom.

He says after working closely with clients he often finds they reflect on how much they are unaware of and how making changes in some areas of their business can make a positive difference to their bottom line.

For example, he has just shown a new client how utilising a different business structure will deliver a tax saving of almost $75,000.

This capital can now be put back into the business which in turn will help the client reach their goals a lot faster,” Ross says.

I find it enormously satisfying to play a part in a business owner’s success and I look forward to doing this for a lot more business owners.

Ross, who has over a decade’s experience in the profession, holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Curtin University of Technology and is an Associate member of CPA Australia.

Married with one child, his interests include Australian Football League, soccer, boxing and travelling.

Paul Tate – Finance Broker 

MPM Finance broker Paul Tate brings extensive experience as a business owner as well as qualifications in finance broking and financial planning to his role.

Having worked in a variety of government and private sector roles, as well as at the coal face of his own firewood and soil supplies business, Paul is well aware of the many practical and financial challenges his clients face.

Paul says he now enjoys a professionally and personally rewarding position of helping clients with their challenges by devising innovative financial solutions to suit their individual circumstances.

He says with access to over 20 lenders the team at MPM Finance is in a strong position to source the most  beneficial solution for business, equipment finance, investment, housing and personal loans.

Testimony to MPM Finance’s innovative approach to lending is a competitive tendering process which enables business clients to invite lenders to bid for their business.

He says this process puts the client in a strong position to get the most suitable lending solution for their circumstances – something which is increasingly important in the current restrictive lending environment.

Paul says working within the MPM Finance team allows him to fulfil a personal ethos of ensuring that lending solutions are compatible with a client’s wider personal and investment goals.

It's great to be part of MPM Finance, a practice which has an accounting, financial planning and finance division,” Paul says.

This provides an excellent opportunity to ensure that lending solutions are tailored to fit in with any other financial goals or commercial objectives that a client may have.

Paul who holds a Certificate 1V in financial services and a Diploma in Financial Planning is an accredited member of the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) and also Senior Australians Equity Release Association (SEQUAL).

Married with two children, Paul lists his interests as his family, football, golf and travel.

He says he looks forward to building on his existing client base, pointing out that McKinley Plowman is well located to service the rapidly growing northern corridor that is now stretching out to Alkimos.