HLB Mann Judd is proudly celebrating its 40 year anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, we asked some of our incredible leaders to share how they are helping HLB’s clients prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.
Jessica Giramondo’s story
There was certainly family influence at play, but halfway through my commerce degree, I realised that accounting was the way forward.
When I was considering my options, I knew a large corporate firm wasn’t for me; I didn’t want to be a number. I wanted something more tailored and smaller that could offer opportunity for growth. I started with HLB Mann Judd Melbourne as a graduate in 2009 and 13 years later, I’ve recently been appointed as a director.
I’ve been fortunate to have worked in a number of positions during my time with the firm, but the way I’ve been mentored in each of those positions has been a constant.
Various partners within the business advisory division have helped to accelerate my career quicker than anticipated. I’ve had opportunities to work on large clients within the division with a number of partners, and it’s that diversity and coaching that has allowed me to excel.
The partners at HLB Mann Judd Melbourne are in sync with their clients, and the relationship is driven by not just the partner but also the supporting director, manager or both. There’s always a strong level of support and advice provided at a high level and we operate as a team to the benefit of the client.
Despite the challenges faced by Melbournians over the past couple of years, our clients’ understood circumstances were changing – sometimes daily – but the foundation of our client relationships is strong and trust is well-established.
More recently, our conversations with clients have focused on issues such as cash flow, particularly given business trading has increased and things are getting back to ‘normal’. Many clients are also seeking to establish loans and financing and getting their affairs back on track. Given many of our clients are family offices and high net worth individuals, we’re also having conversations with them about the need for estate planning.
At a profession-level, accounting is moving in the right direction in terms of parental leave and it’s regarded as being quite progressive. I’m a mum to two young children and have had maternity leave for both with the firm, and they not only allowed me the time off but also the ability to get back into the swing of things without any pressure.
Like most young accountants in public practice, partnership has been my number one goal, and to be able to be a partner while having a family is important. It’s a practical demonstration that loyalty and longevity is recognised.
Another goal would be to assist more ASX-listed companies. I had the opportunity to work on one in the early years of my career as one of the partners from our audit division was the company secretary at the time.
The experience opened my eyes to a lot of challenges and complexity and took me out of my comfort zone. I was producing reports and information that had to align with ASX rules and regulations, and while it presented a number of challenges, it was incredibly rewarding. It gave me a lot of confidence in my own ability, and I’d welcome the opportunity again should it arise.
About Jessica
Jessica Giramondo is a Chartered Accountant with over 13 years’ experience who is dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for clients. Jessica has a broad knowledge of accounting, taxation and business advisory services. She works closely with small to medium sized businesses, predominately private family owned and operated. Her aim is to provide commercial business advice, to enable clients to manage their business and personal affairs, to create long term growth.
She is committed to providing excellent client service which is consistent and efficient whilst trying to add value to obtain the best outcomes for clients.