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Associate Profiles
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Rodney completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Auckland and was a staff member of what is now KPMG prior to joining his father's Morrinsville practice in 1978. He became a partner the following year. In 1997 he took into partnership Imran Raza, the firm being known as R.M. Aitken & Associates.
Rodney's use of the word "we" when talking with clients is a liberty he considers a privilege. He takes a genuine interest in his clients and is never happier than when he sees them making a success of their business.
"I'm lucky to be working in a profession I enjoy", says Rodney, who identifies his registration as a chartered accountant as the highlight of his working life. The merging of the R.M. Aitken & Associates with Bannin Cooper & Partners has provided Rodney with added stimulus in regard to his occupation and direction to achieving new goals, in particular the emergence of the combined firm, Cooper Aitken and Partners Limited, as a major force in rural accounting.
In 1996 Rodney was made a Fellow of the Institute of Accountants of New Zealand for his services to the accounting profession over a 20 year period. Currently Rodney is a councillor for the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Rodney is married to Robyn and has two adult children. Locally born, he has been involved in various community activities (particularly sporting) and is currently heavily involved in the 'Piako Underwater Club' but also enjoys golf, swimming and tramping. He has a particular interest in viticulture, particularly with the shape of the bottle (full to empty). This interest takes him throughout New Zealand and Australia.
Email: rodney@cooperaitken.co.nz
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 Coming from a strong commercial background with a power supply authority and then Inland Revenue, Trevor took over John Doube's practice in 1984 and three years later joined forces with Barnett, Cave, Bannin and Sexton. With the retirement of Garry Barnett and later Gary Cave and Bruce Sexton, the firm was renamed Bannin Cooper & Partners.
Trevor's keen interest in the Agricultural Services area sees a continuing improvement of services offered to our farming clients and helps ensure they get the best information and value. Trevor is also very involved with the internal administration of Cooper, Aitken & Partners Limited.
Becoming a JP in 1987 is just one of the many ways Trevor returns value to the community he enjoys having been a part of for so long. He is also a member of Rotary and can be found most weekends (in the season) refereeing rugby.
Any spare time he may find is spent running around after three children to a variety of activities and sporting fixtures. Between his own refereeing and the family sports, Trevor has been a regular customer of the very conveniently placed physiotherapist!
Trevor is married to Anne, a teacher at the delightful Springdale Primary School. They and their children enjoy living on a lifestyle block combining the benefits of town services with special qualities offered by country living, including the chance for his children to find out those little extras only country kids know … such as the snippet of knowledge that smoking out rabbits in the hayshed is inclined to lead to it burning to the ground!
Email: trevor@cooperaitken.co.nz
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 Grant joined Cave, Bannin, Sexton & Cooper in 1992 while still completing his Masters Degree in Management at the University of Waikato. He became a partner in 1997.
Grant is responsible for information technology - ensuring Cooper Aitken & Partners remains at the forefront of the rapidly changing electronic environment. He oversees staff training and develops systems to assist clients take full advantage of computer technology. Like his colleagues, Grant takes pleasure in assisting his clients to reach their personal goals. He sees accountancy work not so much as tax compliance, but an opportunity to work with clients to ensure they realize all opportunities.
Grant pursues interests in travel, having been to many different places including China, Alaska, Canada and Hong Kong. When spare time is available Grant enjoys photography. He often gets roped in as the 'official' company photographer.
One of several car fanatics in the company, Ford and Mitsubishi time needs to be juggled with Grants love of technology and continuing time spent learning about anything new as early as possible. A workaholic, partners have suggested setting a bed up in his office at times.
Grant, wife Judith, son and two daughters enjoy developing their home. Grant and Judith are currently looking forward to their new home that is currently being built.
Email: grant@cooperaitken.co.nz
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Gavin became a partner of Cave Bannin Sexton Cooper after working for the partnership for 10 years while obtaining his formal qualification at Waikato Polytechnic.
Gavin sees Cooper Aitken & Partners as an exciting, growing practice. He has a strong interest in succession planning and restructuring of businesses to give his clients maximum protection and options. He is involved in the marketing of the practice and increasing the public profile. Gavin's aim is to provide more information of value to clients through the use of seminars, newsletters and the website and to provide quality service in a timely manner.
A self confessed nail biter, Gavin has a passion for anything with an engine in it (but admits to a preference for V8's). While he says that he is not good at sport, he has recently attempted and enjoyed water skiing. Gavin is also a keen fisherman although he calculates that the average price he pays for a fish is around $1,000.
While progressive and outgoing in almost all areas of his life, Gavin admits to often finding the computers that dominate our modern business world frustrating and describes himself as not particularly computer literate. However in an office that prides itself on up to date technology, Gavin has the all the backup and support he needs (I am sure if we could find a way to put a motor inside .. he would be much more enthused).
Gavin is a member of the Morrinsville Lions club and his wife Maree runs her own business as a quality systems and management specialist.
Email: gavin@cooperaitken.co.nz
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Graduating in 1991 after juggling studying with work, Imran Raza has been involved in the accountancy profession since 1985, initially with large International practices and since 1997 as a partner of R M Aitken & Associates, merging in 2000 to Cooper, Aitken & Partners Limited.
Imran's enjoyment of analyzing information gives him special interest in areas such as financial modeling, cash forecasting and business planning. He enjoys analysing business structures to work out the most beneficial results for his clients. Imran does not want to be simply an historical compliance accountant; he endeavours to see that his clients get full benefit from his services in all management areas including business asset protection and generation of wealth.
Imran describes himself as a people person; able to relate to anyone, he is in his element when interacting with and talking to other people. However he also likes to spend some quiet time with a book and reads a wide range of literature.
Imran joins with the other partners in his love of travel. He is also the joke teller of the practice and manages to bring a brilliant merging of multi-cultural boundaries with his occasional Santa role he takes on for the firm at Christmas! He also smilingly remonstrates with himself for his dislike of wearing glasses that has seen him mistakenly try to greet the wrong person on occasion!
A fan of most types of sports, Imran admits to a competitive streak that likes to win. However a busy life leads to many sports being spectator rather than participant. While he still finds time to play a mean game of squash and to work out at the Gym, golf sadly seems to have been relegated to the 'not sure where all the spare time goes' basket.
Email: imran@cooperaitken.co.nz
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 Peter started working for Bannin Cooper and Partners in April 1998 and three years later became an Associate of the new firm Cooper Aitken and Partners Ltd. On January 1 2005 Peter became a partner in the firm.
A 1992 graduate of Massey University, Peter qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1996 and gained his public practice certificate in May 2002.
He has had a wide range of experience, completing his Public Practice requirements over 4 years with a local Chartered Accountancy Practice in Hawera, Taranaki. From there he acted as a Company accountant for a heavily diversified firm in Hawera. Then he travelled overseas and worked in various roles for Chief Financial officers in the UK.
Peter has a strong relationship with the farming community given his background that he was raised on a dairy farm in Taranaki and now owns (in partnership with the bank) a small grazing block on the outskirts of Morrinsville. His parents and brother are now farming near Morrinsville.
He is also very keen on his water sports and in particular surfing especially during the middle of winter. Enjoys wake boarding and training in the gym and the odd game of volley ball.
Understanding his clients and their future goals is important to Peter. Peter prides himself on timely reports and adding value to the relationship that he has with his clients
Email: peter@cooperaitken.co.nz
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 Anna grew up locally and attended Morrinsville Schools. She studied at WINTEC in Hamilton part time while working full time at Cooper Aitken from 1999 to 2003, graduating in 2004. She took time off in 2008 to travel to UK and Europe.
She became an Associate May 2008.
Email: anna@cooperaitken.co.nz
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Coral Phillips CA
 Coral has been working at Cooper Aitken & Partners since 1998 and has been Trevor’s PA for a large part of that time. She particularly enjoys the variety and client contact her job entails. Outside of work she keeps busy running her small grazing block and finds any excuse for a good day out tramping in the bush.
She became an Associate February 2009.
Email: coral@cooperaitken.co.nz
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off to travel around the 
