Meet Us

Leanne Lewis

Customer Relations Manager

Leanne is a Director of ABN and ABN BAS. She is an invaluable touch point for ABN members and is widely recognised and respected in the Bookkeeping community, having been a part of launching ABN as Australia’s first network for bookkeepers back in 2001.

With over a decade of industry experience and expertise, Leanne plays a vital role in supporting members with exceptional customer service.  As the mastermind behind Australia’s first Bookkeepers Coffee Club, she prides herself on listening to members and putting them first. Leanne is intimately involved in ABN’s strategic planning and operations to make sure members receive the most out of their membership.

Darren Hagarty

Director

Darren is one of the founding principals of ABN as well as a Director of ABN BAS.  As a practising Chartered Accountant of over 20 years, he has extensive experience in the fields of income tax, capital gains tax, and GST. Darren’s tertiary qualifications include a Bachelor of Business and Master of e-Business. 

With his unique skill set, Darren takes a leading role in ABN’s various technology platforms. He brings a rare combination of both technical expertise and innovative, strategic thinking to the ABN Team. Delivering the very best in technical and I.T. resources to ABN members is Darren’s passion. 

Kellie Powell

Director

Kellie is a Director of ABN and ABN BAS. As a CPA with over 25 years experience, Kellie has been a part of the many changes that have shaped bookkeeping into the professional industry it is today. Kellie is also a director of PT Partners, an accounting firm in Brisbane and an authorised representative with Securitor.

Kellie is passionate about all things ABN, being involved in ABN operations, ABN events and working with software companies and suppliers to bring exclusive offerings to ABN members. Kellie is instrumental in organising the biennial ABN national conference.

Kathy Crew

Accounts & BAS Manager

Kathy is our own in-house bookkeeper and Accounts Manager, and therefore can identify with her fellow bookkeepers in this ever-changing industry. 

Kathy gained her experience and knowledge by working with both our organisation and our associated accounting firm, PT Partners. We are very happy that Kathy has rejoined ABN and once again has taken up the main supporting role for bookkeepers, in particular, assisting non-BAS agents who utilise our BAS Wizard program.

Peter Thorp

Director

Peter is one of the founding principals of ABN. He is also a director of ABN BAS and has been a Chartered Accountant for well over 25 years. In addition, Peter is the founding director of PT Partners, a respected Brisbane-based accounting firm. 

Peter is ABN's representative in various industry arenas, including those convened by the Australian Tax Office and Treasury where he is an active advocate for bookkeepers across Australia. Peter is the driving force behind ABN’s comprehensive PI Policy and ABN's strategic partner relationships. He is also the architect behind ABN Payroll, another offering which makes your membership with ABN unique.

Kelvin Deer

Director

Kelvin is one of the founding principals of ABN and ABN BAS. He is also a Director of a respected Brisbane based accounting firm. Kelvin is a CPA with industry experience and expertise spanning in excess of 20 years.

Kelvin is passionate about business development and providing innovative learning and training to the bookkeeping industry. He plays an active role in ABN research, events and the provision of technical resources. Kelvin is also the architect behind ABN’s acclaimed Pillars of Public Practice and the Bookkeepers Business Benchmarking Survey. He enjoys seeing bookkeepers develop their businesses into profitable enterprises.

Andrew Bradley

Marketing Manager

Andrew is ABN’s Marketing Manager. He has over 10 years marketing experience, starting in 2004 with a traineeship with an international brand in the tourism and leisure industry. Since 2004, Andrew has developed a passion for social media, web and digital marketing. He holds a Diploma in Marketing.

Having spent the majority of his working career within small businesses and growing up around a family business, Andrew has a strong understanding of small business operations and the challenges small business owners face. Andrew's main responsibilities include the ABN website, email campaigns, social media, webinars and ABN publications.

Josh McMullen

Tax Writer and Advisor

Josh is ABN’s chief technical editor and researcher. Josh holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) as well as a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in print journalism). Josh came to ABN in 2006 having worked previously at the Tax Office for more than five years, where he gained vast experience in all areas of income tax, FBT and GST law.

Working with ABN’s directors, Josh helps to author the Bookkeepers Knowledge Base and Bookies Bulletin publications and fields the technical questions received from our members on most matters of tax law. Josh is a tremendous asset to the ABN team and provides a wealth of expertise and knowledge.

Sandra Cox

ABN BAS

As a qualified BAS Agent and a compliance specialist, Sandra is an instrumental part of ABN BAS where she offers her technical expertise and knowledge to members. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Accounting, and as a former financial controller and bookkeeper, has extensive experience in the wholesale and manufacturing industries. 

Amongst her ABN BAS responsibilities, Sandra completes detailed Quality Assurance Reviews for members who utilise our BAS Wizard program. She also provides guidance through the ABN BAS Helpline on problems that members are experiencing when preparing and lodging their clients' Activity Statements.