Rory Noorland

“Every client has different needs or issues to solve. My job is to provide them with more than just a template solution to their problems.”

Having studied both law and accounting, Rory discovered he had an interest in tax-related issues early in his career with a Big Four accounting firm before he joined CooperAitken in February 2010. In recent years, he has developed his tax speciality, sitting on a Chartered Accountants Committee (the National Tax Liaison Committee), which meets with Inland Revenue to advocate for changes in the tax system, raise concerns, and act as a sounding board for new initiatives. 

The combination of his law and accounting degrees gives Rory the skills to analyse his clients’ issues from a number of outcomes. He works with clients to achieve positive outcomes, help them prosper, and obtain positive results.

He believes his role is first to provide services so clients can focus on what they’re passionate about, rather than carrying out core compliance activities. He also aims to give them knowledge about where their business is going, what they want to achieve, and how to get there. He is particularly proud of his work with Milktech, a startup company that he provided guidance to. 

When he isn’t helping clients with tax issues or working with the National Tax Liaison Committee, Rory can be found enjoying football and golf. He is the treasurer of Melville United, where he is a third-generation club member. He also coaches his sons’ football teams. 

Sheena Urita

Joanne Burmester

Lushan Joshi

Charlene Stringer

MORRINSVILLE OFFICE

Charne Nieuwoudt

Maree Sattler

Kirsten Winter White

Bec Morris

Rachael Hindman

Eddie Maber

Sharon Nickalls

Petina Bullas

Karen Arnold

Kylie Acraman

Rebecca Pritchard

Vanessa Hexter

Carissa Cressy

Carissa is passionate about being part of a rural community and helping her clients to solve problems and to succeed.

Carissa is a Chartered Accountant. She started her career at CooperAitken in 2008, became an Associate in 2014 and a Partner in 2018 based in Matamata. She has a strong rural background and gained much of her accounting experience working alongside fellow partners in Morrinsville.

Since 2011 Carissa has been working closely with fellow partner, Anna Bennett, helping her grow the business in Matamata.

Carissa’s accounting experience, and friendly and vibrant personality, has enabled her to develop genuine, long-term business relationships with clients, and she can help support your business.

Lindsay Baine

Gemma Woodham

Gerrie Jacobs

“My priority is establishing what keeps people up at night in terms of their business, then working with them to come up with the best possible solution for their issues.” 

Since he started with CooperAitken in 2017, Gerrie has become a key team member, relied on to help clients with sometimes complex issues. His extensive experience in accountancy has given him valuable insights into helping SME’s in New Zealand, particularly in Waikato. 

His role as an accountant seems natural given that he was always drawn to numbers and his father wanted him to be an accountant. He loves to help clients solve their problems and create freedom in their business by guiding them through difficult decisions, advising them on their options, and getting to know them both as business owners and as people. 

When he’s not guiding clients through business ownership, he’s spending time with his partner Alexis and two stepchildren, Ben and Ella, supporting the All Blacks, and working on or riding his motorcycle.  He also treasures his time with his dogs, Gracie and Thomas. 

Babs Bright

Gavin Haddon

Gavin says the best part of his job is helping the people he meets and building lasting and true friendships with them.

Gavin is a Partner based in our Thames office. You would describe Gavin as down to earth, genuine and friendly, absolutely full of energy and he will deliver 100% on the promises he makes. He will push the boundaries to get the very best results and solutions for his clients, helping them achieve their goals and aspirations.

Gavin has a wealth of experience, becoming a partner of the firm in 1997. He is also a great mentor at CooperAitken. Many careers have advanced under his watchful eye, including that of Anna Bennett, Partner of our Matamata office.

Gavin had become a partner of Cave, Bannin, Sexton, Cooper in 1997, after working for the partnership for 10 years. 

If you are looking for someone who is focused on success, growth and profit, then Gavin is the perfect fit for you. 

As the owner of a dairy farm, running a 50/50 sharemilker, Gavin understands the dairy industry and in particular, he has a strong interest in succession planning and trusts. 

On a personal note, Gavin is a devoted family man, married to Maree, a business woman in her own right, and they have two children, Boston and Carter. Having a home in Pauanui for the last 25 years, Gavin and his family have enjoyed many family holidays there. His kids have been lifesavers at Pauanui since they were young and continue to participate whenever possible. 

Gavin enjoys giving back to our community and is seen out and about collecting slink calves for the Lions Club, is heavily involved with Morrinsville Rugby & Sports Club, supporting our local community through scholarships and sponsorships.

Amy Watson

“Partnering with clients goes beyond what their tax return looks like, and involves understanding their life and business goals and working with them to make that happen.”

Amy is based in both our Morrinsville and Hamilton offices.
She is a Chartered Accountant with over 15 years accountancy experience (10 of those years with CooperAitken) in a variety of roles across Agri Sector, Business Advisory, Management Accounting, Tax Investigation and Governance.

While the majority of Amys career has been spent in Accountancy Public Practice, what sets her apart from other Accountants is her drive and determination to work with her clients on looking beyond their numbers and the story they tell.

Amy has a large Agri client base and previously has had many years’ experience in running her own 650 cow dairy farm in Taupiri.

Working with her clients on growing their business often starts with a 2-4 hour planning session where we work on an Annual Plan and from there the business can grow. Often business owners are reluctant to take the time out to work ON there business but when they do the feedback is always positive and we start a journey of working towards time, mind and financial freedom.  

As a member of the Institute of Directors Amy has an appreciation and understanding of what outstanding governance looks like which is essential to any business no matter the size and becoming more and more important in an ever changing fast paced world.

Kathy Banaag

Peter Hexter

Peter has been a long standing member of the firm, joining the team in 1998 and going on to becoming a Partner in 2004.

Peter is extremely committed and has real passion for helping his clients achieve their financial goals and aspirations. He takes pride in guiding you through your financials and ensuring you understand them, so together you can make better business decisions that will benefit your business and the family. He works diligently with you during the stages of your business career, and seeing success for his clients is the motivation that drives him each day.

Seeking to build long term relationships with his clients Peter enjoys working with a wide range of clients from the commercial sector to the rural scene.

Peter is a strong forward thinking leader of the firm. He is extremely supportive and level headed and enjoys mentoring our team members, always pushing them to seek out the best solution.

Seeing success for his clients is the motivation that drives Peter each day.

Megan Shannon

Linda Malone

Kelly Kidd

Lisa Peacock

Louise Maxwell-Granich

Talia Fox

Leah Watkins

Marie Billings

Patrice Adamson

Kate Wade

Megan Potter

“I love working with the firms Directors and their clients, building strong relationships, and getting great results with a collaborative approach”  

As the only lawyer among the accountants at CooperAitken, Megan provides a vital and unique point of difference for the firm. Her focus is on using her specialist skills to assist the Directors with specialist services for our clients, ensuring they feel supported, respected, and fulfilled with the value-add services they receive. She achieves this by providing efficient, reliable, and trustworthy guidance to our Directors to utilise a collaborative team approach to assisting clients. 

Having a farming background, Megan has a strong passion for the agricultural sector and as a result she loves working with our rural based clients with a keen passion for Rural Succession and Estate Planning.

When she’s not leading the Trust, Governance and Companies team at CooperAitken, Megan, her husband, and their two golden retrievers can be found working on household and garden projects, heading to the beach, and spending time with family.  

MEGAN’S ARTICLES

A Blue Sky Day

Helen Stevens

Leah Clark

Maree Dobson

Nick Jeffcoat

Sue Collier

Chris Salmon

Barbs Jenkins

Corryn Sigley

Rachel Robb

Introducing our newest Partner, Rachel Robb, who is predominately based in our Thames office.

Rachel holds a BCom degree with a major in Accounting from Otago University, graduating in 2004. Relocating to Waikato in 2005 from North Otago, she has been an integral part of the CooperAitken family ever since, earning her Chartered designation in 2008.

Her journey at CooperAitken has been marked by diverse roles, starting as a Client Manager for Grant until 2010, when she took a brief career break to focus on raising her young children. Upon her return, Rachel transitioned into roles such as Review Team Lead and Client Manager for Rory. Alongside her role as Partner, she continues to wear the reviewer hat and plays a pivotal role in the annual Waikato Dairy Farming Benchmarking project.

For Rachel, the allure of accounting lies in her innate understanding of numbers, their mechanics, and their application in real-world problem-solving. It serves as the vehicle that allows her to indulge in her passion on a daily basis.

What sets Rachel apart is her genuine affinity for people. Her favourite aspect of the job is the opportunity to partner with individuals through the highs and lows of business, assisting clients in comprehending how they can leverage their numbers for optimal outcomes. Rachel takes pride in mapping solutions tailored to each client’s desired goals.

Acknowledging the uniqueness of each client’s needs, Rachel emphasizes the importance of time and trust that clients place in her to identify avenues to value-add, irrespective of their nature.

Outside of the professional realm, Rachel enjoys photography, boating, camping, and exploring the world through travel. Described in three words as curious, empathetic, and approachable, Rachel embodies qualities that contribute not only to her professional success but also to the positive and collaborative atmosphere within the CooperAitken team.

Lisa Berejoni

Sandra Fouhy

Tracey Visser

Sharyn Walsh

Sarah Harrison

Colleen Gee

Emma Noonan

Saqib Islam

Vanessa Ward

MORRINSVILLE OFFICE

Alex Sun

Sarah Hall

Aimee Turley

Lena Roskam

Kasey Van Lierop

Grant Eddy

Grant is one of our Morrinsville based Partners and is passionate and committed to not only his clients, but also to the development of our client services, team and community.

In 2022 Grant celebrated his 30th year with the firm, including 25 years as a Partner.  Grant holds a Masters degree in Business Management and Systems.  He can support you and your business with Trust Management, Business Governance & Structure, IT solutions and Team Development.

Grant likes to help obtain the best solutions for clients, team members and overall management of the firm. He plays a large role in re-focusing the firm on customer service, team development and efficient use of new systems.

Grant is active in community organisations and a member of the Waikato Chartered Accountants Leadership team.

Troy Hallett

Anna Bennett

“I love working together with my clients to achieve great outcomes that make a real difference to their lives, and seeing them enjoy the results of their hard work.” 

Since she joined CooperAitken in 1999, Anna has become a CooperAitken partner based in Matamata. She first became interested in accounting when she saw how vital accounting was to business success, and it’s her focus on helping business owners achieve great things that’s helped her build long-term relationships with her clients. Her priority is to help clients achieve success, however that looks to them. 

Anna focuses on being honest and approachable with her clients, to ensure they feel comfortable and heard. As the owner of a motel in Matamata, Anna understands their perspective as a business owner, and can relate to the challenges they face. She values her role as a problem solver and sounding board for her clients, putting plans into action, working with other professionals for the client, and completing and advising on compliance tasks so clients have the peace of mind of knowing it’s taken care of. 

Particularly meaningful are situations where she helps with family succession, enabling the next generation to succeed in their own right while the older generation is looked after and sees their children succeed. 

When she isn’t helping our clients, Anna enjoys helping the CooperAitken team grow in their careers. She also spends most of her free time in family activities with her husband and two children, involved in beach time, snow and water skiing, and being outdoors. 

Coral Phillips

Coral is really passionate about helping her clients understand and identify the best opportunities for their business.

Coral is a Chartered Accountant based in our Morrinsville office. She became an Associate at CooperAitken in 2009, and went on to become a Partner in 2018. She has a genuine desire to help others and build an excellent rapport with clients, having been with CooperAitken since 1998.

Coral will help you understand the financial aspects of your business better. Initially a dairy farmer for many years before becoming a Chartered Accountant, Coral has great insight into the dairy industry and a strong focus on supporting rural clients.

Her skills include business planning and helping you understand what is involved in running a successful business. She is also passionate about assisting with training our team.

Coral has a very genuine desire to help others, and builds an excellent rapport with clients. She also plays an important role with CooperAitken helping train and mentor younger aspiring accountants.

Corals long established accounting experience and strong background in the dairy industry coupled with her genuine desire to help means she is someone you will want on your team.

Callum Johnstone

Olivia Matthews

Deborah Hollands

Deborah is always looking for smart ways to provide the best possible service for our clients and help CooperAitken improve the quality, timeliness and flow of accounting work for both our clients and our team.

Deborah is a Chartered Accountant and our CEO. She has been working for CooperAitken since 2001, becoming an Associate in 2008.  Deborah has worked closely with our directors for many years, enabling her to gain a broad knowledge base over a variety of industries, and now applies this experience to all of our clients.

Deborah can help you with quality control, and has instigated many new procedures and developed systems to ensure the highest standards are maintained for our clients.

Sophie Vosper

Claude Stoner

Linda Walton

Joan Coffey