Leanne Lewis

Member Services

Leanne 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 works with ABN members to make sure they are receiving 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 Australian Bookkeepers Network (ABN) and has been a Chartered Accountant for over 30 years. As a foundation principal of ABN Peter was integral to setting its strategic direction as well as the formation of consultative lines with government. Government consultative lines were firstly set with the ATO and then the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) during the inception of the Tax Agent Services Act (TASA) and were vital to the recognition of the bookkeeping profession and the provision of the government services it enjoys today. Peter also works in the areas of strategic partner relationships, events, webinars and technical publications. Peter was also the founding director of PT Partners, a respected Brisbane-based accounting firm.

Kelvin Deer

Director

Kelvin is one of the founding principals of Australian Bookkeepers Network (ABN) and has been a Certified Practicing Accountant for over 25 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, the Bookkeepers Business Benchmarking Survey and Bookkeeper Radio videocasts. 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.

Nicholas Clark

Marketing Coordinator

Nick is ABN’s Marketing Coordinator. He has been working in the marketing space since 2012 gaining marketing experience in brand development, digital marketing, product management and social media. Nick has developed a passion for digital marketing and product development, holding a Marketing Degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in Digital Marketing.

The majority of Nicks working career has focused on the creation of products to suit the needs of specific segments of the market. He has a strong understanding of the small business sector and many of the challenges business owners face. Nicks main responsibilities include the ABN website, email campaigns, social media, Bookkeeper Radio and ABN publications.

Brian Taylor

Helpline

Brian is a BAS Agent and bookkeeper who mans the inquiry helpline and assists with content writing. He runs his own practice in Brisbane with over 7 years' experience as well as loving his role with the ABN and the broader bookkeeping community. With experience across diverse industries and qualifications in Accounting and Law, Brian has a holistic understanding of the needs of modern small businesses and professional bookkeepers trying to navigate a landscape which is constantly changing and increasingly competitive. His major passion is rural Australia and helping farmers and rural small entrepreneurs be successful and get the most out of their businesses.