Advisory and accounting firm HLB Mann Judd has made a number of director appointments in its Adelaide and Sydney offices, including the signing of former big four accounting director, Peter Wirtz, as tax director of the South Australian firm.

HLB Mann Judd Australasian Association chair, Tony Fittler, said the appointments reflect increased client demand and the strength of the firm’s personnel.

“Peter Wirtz comes to HLB Mann Judd Adelaide with considerable experience and is widely considered a leading specialist in R&D tax credits and incentives. South Australian clients will benefit from his advice and experience in the field,” he said.

Mr Wirtz has 20 years’ experience in professional services throughout Australia, South Africa, Brazil, China and Japan. His remit will be the provision of tax consulting services to Australian-based companies, ranging from start up to multinational in size.

In Sydney, the firm has announced several promotions within its tax consulting and business advisory divisions, effective from 1 January 2021.

Mr Fittler said: “It’s undoubtedly been a challenging year for businesses but this also presents an opportunity for future leaders to step up and take on added responsibility. Most of the new directors in Sydney have been with HLB Mann Judd for a number of years and have continued to excel in their areas of expertise by guiding clients through this time of uncertainty.”

The new appointments include:

Lauren Whelan has been appointed director – tax consulting. Having joined as a graduate in 2012, Ms Whelan practices in tax compliance and consulting for corporates. Ms Whelan specialises in transfer pricing and other international taxation matters and advises across a range of industries including manufacturing, property, waste management and freight forwarding.

Peter Bardos has been appointed director – tax consulting. Mr Bardos is a tax compliance and consulting director, having joined HLB Mann Judd in 2009. He is highly regarded for his ability to advise on complex tax matters, combining his knowledge of tax legislation with an understanding of commercial and industry-specific issues.

Andrew Ash has been appointed director – business advisory. Mr Ash specialises in assisting business owners and their families with achieving strategic objectives. He has strong expertise across a range of industries including construction, hire and rental, IT, retail, manufacturing, cleaning services, design, hospitality, and marketing.

Georgina Ridhalgh has been appointed director – business advisory. Ms Ridhalgh works primarily with family businesses and large high net worth family groups. Her focus is to preserve and protect the wealth of family groups together with aligning differing family interests and goals. Ms Ridhalgh is also involved in several large charitable foundations.

Tom Roberts has been appointed director – business advisory. Mr Roberts commenced his career with HLB Mann Judd’s corporate tax division in 2008, and spent the early part of his career advising large corporate entities including ASX listed and multinational businesses. Bringing this experience to the business advisory division, he now focuses predominantly on advising family-owned businesses looking to grow and transition to the next level.

The new appointments in Adelaide and Sydney follow the appointment of three new partners and four new directors in the Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Wollongong offices in the past year.

“These appointments are a reflection of the strong growth across the member firms in the HLB Mann Judd Australasian Association. They join 90 partners and directors and 550 staff members in providing advice and services to a wide range of business organisations and private clients,” said Mr Fittler.

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HLB Mann Judd is an Australasian association of independent advisory and accounting firms, with member firms in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. For further information please visit www.hlb.com.au.

For more information please contact:

Tony Fittler
02 9020 4000
tfittler@hlbnsw.com.au