A New face at Xero Australia

I’ve recently joined the Australian team as National Sales Manager for the accountancy channel. It feels like I’ve jumped into some kind of time machine and been transported into the future, leaving behind the world of legacy desktop accounting software solutions and arriving well and truly in the cloud.

Where I’ve come from

I’ve worked in the accounting and accounting software industries for the last 20 years. I started as an auditor and management consultant for KPMG and after three years I joined Attaché Software Australia where I was National Sales Manager for six years, then General Manager for six years after that. More recently I was General Manager for Micronet Systems Australia before being lured by the enthusiasm of everyone I’d spoken to at Xero, as well as many in and around the industry.

I’ve been around long enough to have witnessed some of the more significant disruptions in our industry, including the shift from DOS to Windows, the Y2K scare and the introduction of GST in Australia. However all of these changes and advancements tend to fade into insignificance when you look at the enormous value proposition on offer with the shift to cloud computing. Having worked closely with accounting firms of all sizes over many years, I can see enormous value in what Xero and the cloud now bring to the table for them.

Seeing is believing

In the short time I’ve been with Xero, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with a number of partners and I’ve been blown away by the advantage they now have. By breaking away from the traditional compliance relationship they’ve had with their clients for many years, they are now forming relationships that are far more proactive and value based.

Having accountants, clients, client business data and an ever-growing range of productivity tools all connected via the Internet is making an impact I’ve never seen before from both a business efficiency and profitability perspective.

So if it isn’t already obvious enough, I’m more than ready for what should be one hell of a ride!