Humphries Associates : Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors

He heard something when he was only thirteen years old.  And, yes, that's longer ago than he cares to admit.  In fact, he'd never even heard of accounting until then.  However at roughly the same time he heard that both his uncle and his father had started training to be accountants, but never actually completed the qualifications.

So, being a teenager, and therefore invincible (aren't they all?), he decided he would be the first one in the family to qualify as an accountant.

Fortunately…

He found he was reasonably good with numbers.  And he was able to do all the other subjects necessary at secondary school.  Although some others were tempting!

So he ended up…

Then he went to the University of Auckland and completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in accounting.  (There weren't as many other options in those days.)  His course also included all the requisite papers to get him into, what was then called, the New Zealand Society of Accountants.

Funnily enough, he wasn't the only one in the family to go down this track.  His brother, a cousin, and a second cousin have all since become accountants.  Even his sister was "infected", although not so badly, as she spent some time working for Chartered Accountants also.

Next steps…

The tax man had been kind while he was at Uni, and given him a bursary, as well as holiday work.  So that's where he started work.  But, unlike some, he could only take so much tax.  A position as Assistant Accountant with a printing company came next.  It was during this time he developed his lifelong concern for the mental well-being of people who want to be auditors.  (The Financial Controller had taken leave – so he managed the audit himself.)  Somehow Steve purchased his first house at this time.

Chartered Accounting beckons…

While evaluating where his position would take him he was approached by one of the partners of Smith Humphries to see if he was interested in a change of employer.  He was, and this began four years of accounting and tax work, along with preparation of fixed asset spreadsheets and financial report programs.  It was during this time Steve married.

Was there more?

The nature of the firm at the time was such that he had limited client contact, and Steve was beginning to realise that he liked dealing with people and helping them (with their business), not just crunching numbers. 

He came across, and was hired into, a role as Financial Accountant for the Air New Zealand Catering business unit (since sold).  Here his focus was helping improve processes, and supporting the group-wide software system upgrade.  And there was instigating / managing cross-functional re-engineering of a process (and form) for add-ons required to the standard food orders for flights.

Food is important, but what about health? 

While Steve liked being able to see the whole picture of the business unit's results, there was only so far he could go within the company without losing this view.  So he moved to a Financial & Management Accountant position with North Health, the Northern Region Health Authority.  Once again he was involved (as instigator / co-ordinator) in a major systems upgrade. 

For good measure child number one was born soon after the upgrade – just before the new house was completed!  Steve then spent lots of his spare time trying to tame the wilderness around it.

As a part of the government's mechanism for co-ordinating delivery of public health services, North Health was an interesting organisation to work for.  Needless to say it has been disbanded since.

More challenge, please…

Few industries are more challenging than Retail.  So that's where Steve headed next, and ladies fashion, at that.  Paulls Fashions was not doing too well.  As Company Accountant he worked with the management team to help the transition to the Hero label, and assist the new team members with the transition and with understanding the market.

Unfortunately a sister company hit the wall, taking the group with it.  So, with baby number two newly arrived, Steve moved on.

Onwards and upwards…

His next role was as Financial Controller of the Switchgear division of ABB in New Zealand.  As part of the management team, and later Operations Manager (as well) Steve helped strengthen and grow the results of the (fifty-pus staff) division, the star performer in the company.  This included implementing constraint management within the operation, and helping ensure the dreaded Y2K was a non-event.

International groups being what they are, restructures and politics are par for the course, and with baby three on the way, Steve found his role disestablished.

There's a reason for everything…

Given the recruitment market at the time Steve became a contractor, this lead to him assisting Humphries Associates Ltd for a few months during their peak season.  After that, and the birth of number three, he contracted to Manukau City Council to assist a team of fifty who had been somewhat let down by the process of change.  This included becoming the champion for the team to have the systems failures impacting on their work corrected.

He's back…

As Steve's contract came to a close, he was to be offered the permanent role.  However before that happened Michael Humphries asked him to join Humphries Associates Ltd full-time to assist with clients needing his breadth of experience. 

Since then, as well as assisting with the accounting and taxation work, Steve has consulted to a national charity, and a number of larger SME's, to provide the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) type of support they needed.  He has also assisted many clients with restructuring the ownership of their business and, sometimes through regular meetings, offering whatever kind of support or knowledge clients need to plan, grow and develop towards the business they are aiming for.

And then…

When not helping clients, Steve is taming yet another wilderness or trying to maintain his house – which is older than he is (yes, it's still standing).  Unfortunately, someone planted triffids (aka wisteria, and a number of other deciduous plants) on the section, and his wife likes them.  So he's never short of things to do.  And then there's transporting the children to…

When he can sneak away from the maintenance list, chauffeuring, or just enjoying spending time with his wife and the children (who are all still speaking to him), he can be found either indulging his passion for reading (pretty much anything) or doing genealogical research.  So far he hasn't found any monkeys in the family tree, nor any pots of gold needing a home.  But he has uncovered some interesting secrets.  Having a grandmother who has an amazing memory and, although born in 1910, is still going has been a great help.

Steve and his family are also actively involved in his local church.