Leanne R. Smith Email & Phone Number

Banksia Beach, Qld, Au

Girl Guides Australia is the peak body for Guiding in Australia supporting member organisations across the country. As an independent Finance and Risk Committee member, I offer an informed external perspective on accounting practices, management accounting, and statutory and management reporting. I also play a role in identifying improvements and am proactive in recommending decisions and actions that contribute to strong governance frameworks.

Bathurst

I co-founded Intentus, an audit-only chartered accounting firm, in 2013. The business name means thorough, attentive and earnest in Latin, and that was what we stood for. As a partner, I built strong and trusted relationships with clients, for whom I acted as an impartial strategic advisor, helping them see their business from an external perspective. I offered options to clients, empowering them to make informed decisions that aligned with their long-term strategy. I engaged in complex conversations to ensure issues were dealt with before they escalated.Always pragmatic in my approach, in addition to my client-related responsibilities, I managed IT, statutory reporting, administration, and human resources – with a focus on skills uplift and succession planning. It’s important to me to upskill my clients and share knowledge with staff and peers, so I maintained a long-standing relationship with the University Workplace Learning program, offering accounting students hands-on experience.

As Chair (Nov 2015 - Dec 2018), I rallied the 𝗡𝗦𝗪 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲 to focus on ensuring members were engaged and that the pathway to participation was made easier and accessible for all. I identified and resolved access issues caused by remote or regional location challenges, helping secure speakers who would travel to various towns for multiple events instead of the age-old expectation that members would travel 3-4 hours for a single event. I enjoyed working with the Committee in giving back and sharing with members the knowledge I’ve developed over the years, as well as communicating the many career opportunities available, and advocating on behalf of the association. I also oversaw the awarding of the annual scholarship – a highly visible offering which promoted the organisation and secured new members.

Bathurst

Morse Group is a multi-disciplinary accounting practice with (at the time) offices across six locations. As a Partner, I oversaw people leadership, ensuring I was approachable and accessible and uplifting staff with knowledge sharing, whilst proactively managing client-related responsibilities

Paid by CA ANZ to facilitate in-region tutorials and focus sessions; I also travelled to Sydney to mark exams which enabled me to understand and see the assessment process first-hand.

As financial and administration manager at Miranda Wines, Griffith (since purchased by McGuigan Simeon Wines Ltd and more recently part of the Australian Vintage Ltd group), I gained extensive manufacturing accounting experience and enjoyed contributing to the production of a tangible end product. GST and the wine equalisation tax were introduced during my time with Miranda Wines, and I collaborated with the CFO to adapt financial and reporting systems.In addition, I uplifted and trained staff about the new taxes and explained the consequences of the taxes in a way that made sense to managers

As the property accountant, I managed expenditures and revenue related to the operation of a premium grade office and retail centre. I navigated the many different costs associated with running a multi-storey building and collaborated with engineers and maintenance teams to optimise processes and reduce expenses. My approach was highly strategic, ensuring every financial decision aligned with long-term expenditure needs. I also developed a 10-year budget, which was a significant achievement.

I began my role in the Audit division of Deloitte as an undergraduate, working full-time in this dynamic environment while attending university part-time. I learnt a lot navigating the fiercely competitive environment, politics, and long hours. I performed external auditing from day one and was exposed to a cross-section of industries and personalities.

Graduate Australian Institute Of Company Directors

Chartered Accountant

Bachelor Of Business, Accounting

Hsc