Peter Whelan

peter whelanPartner
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

Peter has over 25 years experience as a Chartered Accountant and prior to his appointment as a Partner with the Blaze Acumen team, Peter was a Director in PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Enterprise Group.

Peter is a member of the Blaze Acumen Corporate Tax Team.

Peter specialises in providing advice to business owners and managers especially in relation to:

  • Structuring their business and personal tax;
  • Income tax planning and compliance
  • GST / BAS reporting and compliance;
  • Fringe Benefits Tax,
  • Salary packaging,
  • Management accounting,
  • Asset protection and
  • Business growth.

Peter has extensive experience with owner operated businesses, their owners and families and also Australian subsidiaries of multinationals. Throughout his career, Peter has gained expertise in areas such as property, entertainment, technology and printing. Peter has experience with companies, family trusts, unit trusts, individuals and self managed superannuation funds.

Peter holds a Masters of Taxation, is a registered tax agent and is a Fellow member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Frank Spillane

frank spillaneSenior Partner
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

In a career spanning more than 30 years Frank has established himself as a trusted adviser in the private client market. Prior to co-founding Blaze Acumen Frank had a 19 year career at PricewaterhouseCoopers – the last eight years as a Partner in the Personal Financial Services division.

Frank has been delighted to see Blaze Acumen evolve into a leading Chartered Accounting firm since its inception in 2004 and he is proud to be part of a dynamic team of 8 Partners and more than 50 staff.

Frank has a diverse client base consisting of corporate executives, high net wealth families, business owners, semi retired and self funded retirees.

Areas of speciality:

  • Australian taxation issues;
  • Establishment and management of structures including private companies, family trusts and self managed superannuation funds;
  • Asset protection;
  • Estate planning;
  • Taxation planning;
  • Retirement planning; and
  • Private ancillary funds (private foundations).

Frank is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a Registered Tax Agent with a Diploma of Financial Planning; and CA SMSF Specialist.

Michelle McKenzie

michelle mckenziePartner
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

Michelle has worked in the Private Client Market for in excess of 25 years. Prior to joining Blaze Acumen, she was a Director of PricewaterhouseCoopers and looked after a number of corporate executives, high net worth families, business owners, semi-retired and self-funded retirees.

More recently, Michelle’s work has focused on developing extensive knowledge and experience in providing advice in the area of administration and strategies for Self-Managed Superannuation Funds.

Areas of specialty include:

  • Self-managed superannuation fund administration and strategies;
  • Retirement planning and strategies;
  • Australian taxation issues;
  • Establishment and management of structures, including private companies, family trusts and self-managed superannuation funds;
  • Asset protection;
  • Estate planning;
  • Taxation planning;
  • Chartered Accountant;
  • Chartered Tax Advisor;
  • Registered Tax Agent; and
  • CA SMSF Specialist.

Michelle is a fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and a fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia.

Brett Jackson

brett jacksonPartner
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

Prior to establishing the Blaze Acumen team in 2004 as one of the founding members of the business, Brett was an integral member of the Personal Financial Services area of one of the Big 4 firms, specialising in providing innovative solutions for high net wealth clients.

Brett has over 28 years’ experience in the chartered accounting industry and has gained a reputation for adding significant value to clients through the application of proactive strategies and ideas.

Consistent with the Blaze Acumen philosophy, Brett has also helped clients with risk management by actively seeking private binding rulings with the Australian Taxation Office. While it is important to provide clients with advice that we stand by, clients also appreciate the “sleep at night factor” and knowing that large dollar transactions or restructures will not be later challenged by the ATO taking an alternate view.

Areas of specialty include:

  • Personal and corporate tax;
  • Family Trusts;
  • Capital Gains Tax including Small Business CGT concessions;
  • Structuring advice;
  • Asset protection;
  • ATO Private Binding Ruling applications;
  • Taxation planning;
  • Tax disputes and resolution;
  • Taxation of financial derivatives; and
  • Estate Planning.

Brett is also a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, holds a certificate of Public Practice and also sits on the Board of a number of charitable Private Ancillary Funds.

Erica Harper

erica harperPartner
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

Erica is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years experience. Prior to joining the Blaze Acumen team in 2004, Erica was with PricewaterhouseCoopers, in both the Enterprise group and the Personal Financial Services group, working in the firm’s Melbourne and Brisbane offices.

Erica’s areas of specialty are:

  • Personal and corporate tax;
  • Family Trusts;
  • Self-managed superannuation funds;
  • Capital Gains Tax;
  • Structuring advice;
  • Asset protection;
  • Taxation planning;
  • Estate Planning;
  • Fringe Benefits Tax; and
  • GST.

Erica has extensive experience with owner operated businesses and personal taxes and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Erica is also a fellow member of Taxation Institute of Australian and a SMSF Specialist with Chartered Accountants Australian and New Zealand with qualifications: B. Comm, CA, PGradDip Psych.

Paul O’Brien

paul o brienPartner
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

Paul joined the Blaze Acumen team in 2015 from PwC Private Clients where he was a Partner for over 17 years.

Paul has over 28 years of experience in the chartered accounting industry working in Australia and also overseas. Paul principally advises entrepreneurs, private businesses, high net wealth individuals, senior executives and their families. He focuses on wealth maximisation strategies through appropriate structuring advice and advising on how to minimise risk.

Paul also provides a range of taxation, accounting and advisory services, including succession planning advice to private and growing businesses and owners.

Paul’s areas of specialty include:

  • Personal and Corporate tax,
  • Family Trusts,
  • Capital Gains Tax (including Small Business CGT concessions) structuring advice,
  • Taxation planning,
  • Remuneration advice and employee shares,
  • Estate Planning,
  • GST/BAS reporting and compliance,
  • Management accounting,
  • Asset protection: and
  • Business growth strategies.

Paul is also a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Damien Gaffney

damien gaffneyPartner
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

Damien has more than 23 years of experience in the chartered accounting industry. Prior to joining Blaze Acumen in 2011, Damien was a Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Business Services area. Damien works closely with his clients to provide high levels of service and has spent his career providing a full suite of business services to a diverse range of privately owned groups and multi-national companies.

Damien is a member of the Blaze Acumen Corporate Tax Team.

His specialties include:

  • Taxation of companies, trusts, partnerships and individuals including compliance and advice;
  • Assisting with Australian start-up businesses of international groups including structuring, tax planning and management of statutory obligations;
  • Ongoing business services support for new and established multi-national and privately owned businesses including payroll services, Payroll Tax, Fringe Benefits Tax, and GST/BAS reporting and advice;
  • Structuring advice including Capital Gains Tax and Small Business CGT concessions;
  • Management reporting tailored to clients’ needs;
  • Outsourced CFO / Financial Controller roles and other accounting services including agreed upon procedures, year-end assistance and audit liaison; and
  • Company secretarial matters.

His experience includes working with large multi-national companies, privately owned businesses, family groups and high net worth individuals on all facets of tax and accounting matters, management reporting, sale of business transactions, finance function reviews and implementation, outsourced accounting roles, Board meeting co-ordination and facilitation and a very broad range of business advice.

Industry experience includes property development, construction, engineering, automotive, professional services, insurance, retail, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing and distribution.

Damien is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and is a Registered Tax Agent.

Matthew Edwards

Matthew EdwardsPartner
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

Matthew has over 20 years experience delivering taxation and advisory services to corporate and privately owned enterprises. Prior to joining the Blaze Acumen team, Matthew was with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Enterprise Group.

Matthew is a member of the Blaze Acumen Corporate Tax Team.

Matthew has a thorough knowledge of tax and accounting issues, including experience in the areas of:

  • Corporate and personal tax;
  • Taxation planning;
  • Income tax reporting / compliance;
  • Family Trusts;
  • Structuring advice and group reorganisations;
  • Asset protection;
  • Fringe Benefits Tax; and
  • Accounting advisory.
  • Matthew has experience with clients across a range of industries including:
  • Consumer products and services;
  • Property development;
  • Automotive;
  • Entertainment;
  • Financial services;
  • Technology and software; and
  • Professional services.

Matthew is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a Registered Tax Agent with a Bachelor of Commerce.

Sam Lew

Sam LewDirector
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

In a career spanning more than 35 years Sam has established himself as a valued adviser to private clients. Many have been clients for three decades and in a number of cases the next generation have entrusted Sam for advice and he has established a strong ongoing client relationship with them as well.

Sam has a diverse client base consisting of corporate executives, high net wealth families, business owners, property owners, property developers and legal and medical practitioners.

Areas of speciality:

  • Australian taxation issues;
  • Establishment and management of structures including private companies, family trusts and self managed superannuation funds;
  • Asset protection;
  • Estate planning;
  • Taxation planning;
  • Retirement planning; and
  • Property development.

Sam is also a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and a Registered Tax Agent.

Brenda Ramsdale

Brenda RamsdaleDirector
Blaze Acumen Chartered Accountants

Brenda is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ experience in the private client services area and joined Blaze Acumen in April 2004.

Brenda’s many years of experience working closely with high net wealth family groups and corporate executives has enabled her to specialise in a number of areas including:

  • Taxation and accounting services for individuals, private companies and family trusts;
  • Self-managed superannuation funds;
  • Personal services income and businesses;
  • Taxation planning including establishment and management of family trusts and private companies;
  • Estate planning and compliance; and
  • Establishing and managing charitable trusts and Private Ancillary Funds (PAFs).

Brenda has had extensive experience in helping clients establish and run their Private Ancillary Funds (“PAF”), negotiating with the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Charities & Not-for- profits Commission and working closely with our clients’ legal and financial advisors.

Brenda is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, a Chartered Tax Adviser of the Tax Institute of Australia and a Registered Tax Agent.