Welcome Greg… tell us a bit about yourself…
I was born in Perth and spent the first seven years of my childhood in sunny (and windy) Geraldton. My family moved back to the northern suburbs of Perth in the early 90s. I went to Newman College in Churchlands as the only kid from my primary school and somehow managed to become College Captain by year 12.
Along the way I played a lot of sport – cricket and footy mainly – and represented WA in athletics and football.
After high school I completed a Bachelor of Science (of all things!) at ECU and worked in my field for a few years travelling around WA administering health and OHS assessments.
I continued to play footy – colts at Subiaco and senior footy at Wembley for several years.
I am married to a Police Detective and we have two little girls (18 months and 2 weeks!), so sleep comes at a premium at the moment.
I love cycling, camping, fishing and golf (not very often at the moment) and of course the mighty West Coast Eagles
How did you come to work in insolvency?
Like most people, I fell into insolvency. I have known our Principal, Kim Wallman, for a long time and what only some people know is that I am actually Kim’s son-in-law. Kim offered me a job in 2009 at the height of the GFC when, as you can imagine, he was quite busy.
It was only meant to be a short term thing to get him through a busy period.
The rest is history… I really enjoyed the role, went back to Uni and completed a Graduate Diploma in Accounting, then completed the Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand course followed by the Australian Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association Advanced Certificate in Insolvency.
Ten years later, I now oversee the day-to-day operations of the practice and work with Kim on growing the business.
And what is it about the insolvency and turnaround industry that you enjoy the most?
Apart from the diversity of work and challenges that comes with our trade, I enjoy helping people make a fresh start from a financial perspective. People from all walks of life need our assistance and we treat people with empathy and respect during the process.
What is some advice you would give to small business owners about dealing with financial distress?
It’s a pretty standard line, but get advice early! Too often we meet people who would have benefited from our guidance months earlier. But it is hard for the accountants and lawyers out there to remain vigilant and in contact with their clients to catch the early warning signs. We understand that.
Quick-fire round:
What are you best known for?
- Pulling friends and family alike together for holidays, catch ups and gatherings
What is the last thing you watched on TV?
- Season seven of Game of Thrones in preparation for the final season – winter is coming…
What’s your favourite movie?
- The Legend of Bagger Vance
- A classic rags to riches story about a golfer / war veteran during the Great Depression
- Matt Damon and Will Smith are great together
What’s your favourite music era and favourite song?
- Anything with lots of guitars in it
- Everlong – Foo Fighters
What is your most unusual talent?
- Being able to hear a song on the radio and then play it on the guitar without any music
And lastly, what do you work towards in your free time?
- Keeping fit so I can keep up with my 18 month old
- Spending time with my family doing the things we love
