About Viv
Co-founder & Director of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships (she/her) AKA The Vivacious Visionary
Viv created a thriving 18 person accounting firm. Sought after for her procedure-based growth model, she then founded Business Fitness NZ, providing systemised compliance content to 400 NZ firms. Her focus is driving the change required for accountants to step up and take their rightful place as trusted coach and advisor to the small business community.
A straight shooter with a big heart; Viv is a respected thought-leader, speaker, and business coach, with specialist skills in business execution, succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, and governance. Whilst on the Board of several companies, her number one business passion remains the accounting industry.
At the end of a long day Viv likes to sit still - for five minutes. Then she'll be found playing handball or dress ups with her granddaughters. She also enjoys extreme word puzzles, paddle boarding, and yoga (not together - that's harder than it looks). One day she'd like a miniature Schnauzer; in the meantime she's happy with her shoe collection in a non-chewed state. Viv also likes the 'occasional' (*cough*) Chardonnay.
About Mark
Co-founder & Director of Sales (he/him) AKA The Mindset Maestro
Mark established Quay Accountants, where he generated revenues in excess of $2m per annum, of which over 50% was from systemised Business Development work. He co-founded The Gap with Viv and is CEO of 2020 Business Dynamics. He works with New Zealand and Australian firms to deliver the three freedoms to their own clients, and achieve recurring BD revenue and ultimate client stickiness in the process.
All about the leverage, Mark’s success stems from the design of BD services to create recurring income and a business model that didn't rely on his presence. Also a sales force, his mission is to blow apart the used car salesman stigma around selling, kick product pushers into touch, and help our Gap members to sell valuable services to help their SMB clients get the business and life they’re after!
He's come a long way since his days as the long-haired hippie from KPMG. He's an avid business reader and writer who loves nothing more than a punishing morning row. BTW his rowing is a vain attempt to keep up with his three sons - who are all semi-professional. Mark and his wife Mia love a long walk on Ohope Beach followed by a glass of Red.
About Natalie
General Manager (she/her) AKA The Creative Curator
Nat is a creative with a passion for numbers. Despite studying Interior Architecture, she's enjoyed working closely with accountants since '08. As GM, she utilises her product design and content development experience to help the team produce amazing outcomes based on client suggestions and Gap strategy.
Working in dynamic environments has allowed Nat to refine a broad skill set; she dabbles in public speaking, enjoys flexing her graphic design muscles, loves finding a culture cure, and pretty much has her fingers in all the work pies. Nothing gets her more pumped than crystallising an epic idea or realising it by utilising everyone’s unique input.
When Nat isn't directing traffic in the office, she can be found propping up the NZ economy with her online shopping addiction. She’s also currently learning German, loves disciplining her children (and husband), and renovating houses… balancing a loaded paint brush with a glass of Central Otago Pinot Noir from the top rung of a ladder is a skill that Nat has artfully mastered.
About Zoe
Member Success Specialist AKA The Solution Seeker
Our queen of queries, Zoe, will most likely be found helping somebody - be that one of the Gap crew or a member of our community. ‘Efficiencising’ stuff is what she does best. She loves going home at the end of the day feeling like she’s achieved something, so reach out with your questions, she’ll gladly help!
A people pleaser and morale booster, Zoe is your bubbly go-to-lady for portal, training, and event queries. Originally hailing from sunny Whangamata, Zoe has a strong retail background, with previous management and customer-focused roles. Sinking her teeth into a new industry, she brings sharp admin skills and a shop floor perspective; understanding many of the daily challenges that SMEs face.
Between exercising her doggies, Roxy and Daisy, hitting the gym, part time studying, and full time wife-ing, Zoe asks, "Does binge watching Netflix count as a hobby?". This busy lady was recently married, where her dogs stole the show during her beach wedding ceremony… harassing guests to throw their beach toys the entire time. When she’s not throwing soggy dog toys on a white sandy beach, she can probably be found sharing a crisp Gin with friends.
About Amy
Member Success Team Leader (APAC) AKA The Sassy Soundboard
Amy thrives on supporting Gap firms as they track their unique Business Development journey. She plays a key role in working out what firms biggest pain points are and helping dissolve roadblocks to success. A change specialist and efficiency guru, Amy gets her kicks from empowering people and taking the ‘hard’ out of business processes and systems.
As Member Success Team Leader (APAC), Amy is dedicated to helping firms maximise their ROI from The Gap. She is also extremely passionate about supporting Gappies to help their clients run a better business and achieve financial, time and mind freedom – while also gaining these themselves. Amy brings a diverse skill set to the Gap team; with so many strings to her bow, she’s practically a harp.
Amy is an advocate for balance, be that time spent toddler wrangling, walking her two mini-schnauzers Pepper and Floyd, or enjoying a glass of anything in the spa. When she’s not helping Gappies leverage their team to deliver BD, she can be found chasing adventures, and partaking in mischievous water fights on the back of fire trucks - all in the name of The Kiwi Kids Charity.
About Sarah
Product Manager (she/her) AKA The Code Conductor
Sarah is our digital go-to-girl. She is typically the one reigning in our creative / crazy ideas based on practical feasibility. A qualified teacher with design flair, she also has extensive software support experience and is your lady if you have portal queries or suggestions. Sarah has a rare ability; explaining complicated stuff in simple terms - without making you feel stupid.
Sarah spends her day planning and developing portal enhancements to improve your experience. She finely balances functionality with flexibility, carefully logging and stress testing client suggestions as part of the wider development process. Sarah also leads Luna - our Morale Manager (and in-house doggy).
Tending to her veggie patch and converting her yield into amazing creations is her favourite pastime. She also enjoys keeping active, having recently discovered a love for boxing and swimming (provided she has her own non-smelly boxing gloves and the coach’s swimming set is easy!). Sarah is into craft beers; growing her own hops(!) which she and husband Mitch experiment with… her local bevvy of choice is however a drop of Growers Gate Shiraz.
About Florian
Operations Manager AKA The Data Dude
Florian loves being part of building great businesses and teams. As Operations Manager, he delves deep into member experiences and data to drive improvement and adoption to help firms accelerate small business success.
In 2010, Florian worked for an accountant called Mark Jenkins who had him mapping MYOB account codes to standardise across all clients. He still occasionally dreams about these. During high school in Opotiki, he was also a ‘boxer’… not the cool kind, but the kind where you put together cardboard boxes to fill with kiwifruit. After a decade in financial services in Melbourne, the German-born Kiwi returned home, bringing his wicked balance of efficiency and ingenuity to the team. Unfortunately, his name is often misrepresented. Floriana has given up on this. If Florain is asked for a name at a café he gives a false one… sometimes he tells people Florian is German for Steve.
His off-site endeavours also reflect his commitment to balance; he’s pretty exceptional at painting pictures and pretty terrible at catching fish. On the weekend, he looks forward to drinking coffee in bed before the kids invade and if he can squeeze a nap in, it’s a successful weekend.
About Aline
Digital Coordinator (they/them) AKA Digital Overlord
Aline works hard behind the scenes, running our Virtual Masterclasses, editing videos and training sprints, wireframing and testing new platform features, documenting Knowledge Base articles, and much, much more. Chances are you’ve encountered some of their handy work. They oil the Gap machine daily.
Aline hails from Brazil and is one of our more technical team members. They have an exciting work history, including having produced political jingles, tried their hand at journalism, taught themself coding, and several other things they can’t tell us without breaching NDAs. When they're not feverishly troubleshooting technical stuff, they enjoy gaming; balancing their time spent in a dark room with biking, hiking, and cooking with their delightful partner.
Aline learned to ride a bike at age 30 and once had musical ambitions of the flute variety. Their many other talents include crochet, archery, and folding fitted bedsheets while blindfolded. Apparently, they're pretty good at paddleboarding too – stay tuned for our next Christmas party to see if they can fold a fitted sheet blindfolded on one of those. When it comes to a hard-earned bevvy with the team, Aline will always go for a Mojito.
About Jade
Events Manager AKA The Industrious Instigator
Our ‘Jade’ of all trades came to us following a five-year stint in Australia, where she honed a range of high-level administration and client support skills. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty; having worked in an Iron Ore mine… she likens this role to the four years prior that she endured at IRD. Jade much prefers working with our tribe of progressive Gap members!
As Events Manager, she'll likely penetrate your inbox, or hand you an impromptu mic at one of our masterclasses. She’s always ready to help or provide banter, be that via the phone, email, or member masterclasses (effortlessly organised by hers truly). Jade is pragmatic and creative, but always keen to discuss what's trending on Twitter or in Vogue magazine.
When she's not nagging people to complete their pre-work, she can be found wrangling her husband and daughter, vacuuming the mountains of hair shed by her Newfoundland Minnie and cat Brian, or keeping up with the Kardashians (don't judge). Jade’s evolved since joining the team and now enjoys the odd wine - though she’s extremely picky and it needs to come from Matawhero.
About Debbie
Member Success Team Leader (UK) (she/her) AKA The Gratitude Grenade
As a skilled business coach, Debbie has an appetite for helping Gap firms on their path to Business Development success. Enthusiastic and process-driven, she loves resolving issues and removing barriers to achieving the common goal. From leveraging Gap resources, to empowering teams with soft skills for life, Debbie is committed to helping firms maximise their ROI from The Gap.
Debbie is culture-focused and a true believer in businesses valuing their people as strongly as they value their brand. As UK Member Success Specialist, she’s on the ground helping UK Gap firms deliver enduring value to their business clients. All about living one’s best life, she particularly enjoys helping firms do more of what they love by structuring goals to achieve freedom (time, mind and financial).
With the life motto ‘believe and achieve’, Debs is a qualified Yogi, reflexologist, and food enthusiast. An adaptable and challenge hungry gal, who’s equally eager to laugh and learn, Debs can sometimes be found mid yoga headstand with a Rosé in hand.
About Phil
Director of Sales (UK) AKA The Passionate Pedler
Phil is a master of sales and enjoys working with accountants to transform the way they position and sell their services. With years of industry experience, and as founder of Proten Sales Development, he firmly believes accountants are beautifully positioned to deliver Business Development services to help their business clients achieve their lifestyle goals.
Also referred to as ‘The Man with the Plan’, Phil has owned and run SMBs, and understands the daily pressures and mindset required to achieve success. He strongly believes that no two businesses are the same, however recognises there are common themes, barriers, and techniques that can be deployed to reach a unique solution. Drawing on his vast sales experience, Phil is all about helping accountants to help their clients run a better business.
Author of “It’s All About The Value”, Phil is a compassionate and capable mentor who’s committed to improving sales effectiveness for accounting firms and their clients. When he isn’t showcasing The Gap, he can be found pounding the pavement or playing a range of musical instruments (although his ability to collect instruments outweighs his ability to play them). He is also a long-time supporter of the London Irish Rugby Club, where he's been known to enjoy the occasional Guinness.
About Jen
Content Specialist AKA The Error Eradicator
Jen is a fountain of knowledge with double degrees in Accounting and Law. Look up attentiontodetail in the dictionary and you’ll find Jen’s name… #FakeWord but you get our drift. As chief content creator, her acute proofreading eye and ability to decipher technical jargon are crucial in developing and publishing our prized content.
Also hailing from a previous role at IRD, Jen thrives on working with our clever clients to continually enhance our content offering. Jen loves a crackin’ content suggestion so shout out via our Gap Community Facebook Group, email, or Twitter!
Jen enjoys live rugby and music, as well as smashing herself at the gym before the sun comes up. She’s also a self-confessed Netflix addict and skate park mum - happily accompanying her son to defy gravity on a regular basis. Typically, this is followed by a refreshing glass of Pinot Gris (for her) afterwards.
About Brad
Business Development Manager AU AKA The Bearded Beacon
Brad loves showing accountants the untapped potential in their firm and within themselves. A third-generation accountant, Brad took a hiatus from public practice in his 20’s, working as a management accountant at a big insurance company on the basis that working in commerce looked like fun. He was wrong. He quickly moved back to public practice.
Not the average accountant (understatement), Brad created, built up, and sold a successful practice - BJT Financial Services - in eight years. He’s also a prolific blogger and content creator who specialises in coaching accountants to create capacity and pull their growth levers with Business Development.
When Brad’s not playing guitar, trail running, reading a book (one per week!), or entertaining Daphne his sausage dog, he enjoys a Great Northern Lager. HQ maintains that New Zealand beer sh*ts on Aussie beer. *Brad has not consented to us using this sentence in his bio. **We’ll hand it to them for their Shiraz though.
About Kirsteen
Member Success Specialist (she/her) AKA The Improvement Illuminator
As a Member Success Specialist, Kirsteen helps new Gap members connect their key people and processes to improve efficiency and team engagement. A driver of culture, communication and collaboration; she loves advocating for members… in particular, uniting them to overcome mutual roadblocks and gauge ways to improve our offering.
Kirsteen enjoys changing out of mum mode to work with great people who are prioritising their clients’ mind, time and financial freedom through the delivery of sustainable advisory services. A seasoned project manager and process mapper, she jumps at supporting gappies to tighten their processes for improved fulfilment and greater client outcomes.
Holding the majority of the singing talent at The Gap (as an ex acapella choir member), once upon a time Kirsteen also had a great golf handicap. While she’s retired from professional sport, she’s still a keen runner and uses it to counteract her love of baking. Being British (and mother of three boys), Kirsteen loves a strong brewed tea, and is quite partial to a G&T and the occasional celebratory whisky to keep up with her Scottish roots.
About João
Technical Lead AKA The MVP Master
João (also known as JP) leads the technical side of developing The Gap Application. With vast experience in solution design and web application development, he can do lots of things most of us don’t understand but all of us greatly appreciate. He loves the prospect of building new things that will make a difference to whoever uses it.
From inception to architecture and full stack development - Joao can be found diligently braining away behind the Gap scenes. A meeting with JP and the product team can sound a bit like a children’s story… An array of Wizards and bugs eating stacks of cookies while enjoying java (script), then comes along a token Git who reacts by deploying wire frames from his golden bucket *Head Implodes. Thankfully, we can confidently leave it to him to continue driving the technical improvement of our application for the Gap community.
When off duty, JP enjoys nothing more than being with the people he loves… including supporting his three delightful children to create digital masterpieces, like this. Also musically gifted, when the children are asleep, he can be found writing orchestral arrangements, with either a cold Heineken or a hot Lady Grey tea nearby.
About Jason
Senior Developer AKA The Code Creator
Jason is a cool cucumber who brings extensive product and development skills, working alongside JP to enhance the front and back-end of our application. On any given day, you’ll find him directing sprint traffic in DevOps, implementing design plans, and connecting dots between our product’s engine and the user experience.
Jason loves solving complex problems. Reading the development team’s internal chat channel will provide insight as to how complex. The technical jargon at play is confronting... To quote a member of the leadership team “I sharded a bit just reading it”.
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Jason enjoyed 8 years in Cape Town before some extensive travel and settling with his family in NZ. He’s also an enthusiastic weekend carpenter; a skill that ties in nicely with his innate desire to create things that have not been created before. Always up for something new, Jason’s favourite weekend activities include exploring, hiking, beaching or lake-ing, and enjoying a good braai with mates! He also has a love / hate relationship with craft beer.
About Zoe
Member Success Advocate AKA The Go-Getter
As Member Success Advocate, Zoe is our own little pot of Gap glue between the Member Success Team and the wider Gap team. Not to be confused with Zoe Beaver; new members will first cross paths with Zoe 2.0 during onboarding and then regularly, as she coordinates Member support and success activities for all our Gappies.
Previously a travel agent, Zoe’s well accustomed to problem-solving, she also thrives on being busy and is always available if you need a pep talk, a plan of attack, or questions answered. She’s all ears and smiles, which is exactly what our Members appreciate when providing feedback that she later delivers to the rest of the team. Now, Zoe has immersed herself into the world of numbers and is studying to become an accountant herself!
Zoe has been working her way through a travel bucket list – having already knocked off forty countries and planning more! Her travels have had her acquire a few notable skills, including the ever-necessary skill of walking on her hands. A lover of routine, she’s generally up early packing in a punishing gym session, ocean swim and / or a run. Zoe changes her beverage of choice just like the seasons; keeping warm with a pinot noir in winter or a gin and soda to keep her cool in the summer!
About Lenny
Sustainability Coordinator (he/him) AKA The Sustainability Synergist
A kiwi at heart and having graduated with a Political Science degree from Yale, Lenny now splits his work time between professional rowing and supporting our Gap team on the ground in the UK. He brings an unrivalled energy and fresh perspective to all projects he supports... check out this video for evidence of how much energy he can pour into something he cares about.
For Lenny, supporting current and future members to go forward in their businesses is a welcome reprieve from focusing singularly on how to go backwards really fast. He is truly passionate about sustainable business, placing purpose before profit, and expanding his knowledge of the business world.
When off duty, Lenny can be found indulging in London’s newest and most interesting restaurants. He’s a huge food fan - to be fair, at 6’7, he needs more than the average dude! He also loves cooking for friends and family and experimenting with nutrition to hone health, wellness and energy. After a punishing row, Lenny enjoys a Manhattan when state side, a Gin Gimlet when in the UK, or a cold Steinlager when on home soil.
About Kyla
Digital Marketing Coordinator AKA The Engagement Empress
Kyla is our Digital Marketing Coordinator, and she is here for the people! A celebrated extrovert, she loves nothing more than being around people of all walks of life. With a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Communications and Political Science, Kyla also loves a yarn, and is surprisingly knowledgeable in the realm of terrorism and takeovers....
At The Gap, Kyla is typically the brains and wordsmith behind our latest marketing campaigns, website landing pages, and lead magnets. She loves creating new content pathways to resonate with people and their pain points and thrives on the fact that no two days in the role are the same!
When Kyla’s not conceiving her next communication strategy, she’ll be found cooking for the masses (she really needs to work on portion sizing!) or avoiding marathons and hikes like the plague (two of her fave friends love them)! Kyla has an array of unique beverage preferences - from oat matcha to spicy margaritas; hence… she’s on cocktail duty at our next team event!
About Rosangela
Finance & Admin Support AKA The Go-To Gal
Rosangela – or Rose – is our Finance & Admin Support person; she wears the pants for all things billing and keeps The Gap’s admin wheels turning. She has laser-focused attention to detail and loves getting amongst the numbers as well as connecting with people.
Rose is our go-to gal for regular reviewing, reconciling, and reporting – and is only a shoulder tap away if the Finance Manager or other team member needs a hand with a project. She has a talent for making sure the team has everything they need to be productive (including the necessary Whittaker’s and wine!).
When Rose isn’t being office momager, you can find her enjoying time outdoors with her family, meeting with friends for BBQs (vegetarian) or walking up the Mount thinking of the ice cream waiting for her at the bottom! When it’s been a hot walk to the top, she’ll treat herself to a Kombucha (with a solid 1% alcohol) - maybe if she is feeling wild, she’ll dip into a beer.
About Sue
Content Coordinator AKA The Content Chameleon
Sue is our content jill of all trades. Her diverse background in graphic design, marketing and content makes her our Gap content chameleon! Sue supports Jen with producing and proofing Gap content and thrives with words and imagery. Chances are, if you’ve read one of our advisory articles in the BOMA Digital Marketing Platform, or run a recently published Gap webinar, she’s touched it.
Seeing how her skills translate to Gap content supporting Advisors to deliver powerful education marketing and impactful advisory services to their business clients is what drives Sue. Being an extroverted-introvert, she loves being around the Gap team – who wouldn’t?! – and is always there to offer support when it’s needed.
Sue is an active water gal, spending her free time boating with her husband and family. An occasional volunteer on the Spirit of New Zealand, she loves to exit her comfort zone whenever possible. Sue isn’t usually the life of the party, preferring to be behind the camera than in front of it (you may be familiar with her work in the 2022 Gap Bloopers reel). Infamous for her extensively brandy-laced Christmas Booze Cake, Sue pairs a small sliver (wisely) with tonic and lemon… while she waits for the fallout.
About Jeremy
Product Manager AKA Attorney at Product
Jeremy discovered his passion for product development following a successful career in law. Seeking a more diverse ‘job’ where he could better use his problem-solving superpowers, he’s found his creative calling in product. As a critical part of Triple J (Jason, Jeremy, JP), he’s across all ‘Gapplication’ enhancements, from day-to-day planning to coordinating the development and testing of features. With 10 years working in a professional services firm, he brings valuable insights and experiences to improving the user experience.
According to The Gap Law, Product Managers must bring emotional support, so in line with eating our feelings with Whittaker’s chocolate, we also get to pat Jeremy’s handsome dog, Whittaker. He brings a unique gift of the gab and has emceed five weddings (to date) despite his propensity for bad dad jokes. This skill also came in handy at his university job, managing a high-end homewares store in Remuera… while he may have enjoyed the flirty interactions with local housewives, his gift wrapping skills were somewhat lacking.
Outside of The Gap, Jeremy enjoys adventure time with his wife and kids. He loves anything water sports, from wakeboarding at Lake Okareka to “non-competitive” sailing with his old man in the prestigious Katikati Boating Club Trailer Sailer series. He also claims he can do a back flip off the ground; we’ll test that next time he’s a couple of hazy IPAs deep.
About Mia
Marketing Associate AKA The Trend Tracker
Mia is a fresh addition to the Marketing & Events team, bringing unique experiences, ideas, and perspectives. On any given Gap day, Mia will be researching original opportunities, crunching marketing data, cleansing our database, tracking marketing trends, and providing general support. She is driven by a sense of contributing to a shared mission and accomplishing something beyond herself.
Pits and peaks in Mia’s career include losing her eyelashes in a burger bar gas explosion and tutoring many different ākonga (students), giving and gaining something unique from all of them. Mia loves encountering the countless stories of how our purpose-driven Gappies are enriching the lives of their clients.
When she’s not helping our marketing wheels spin, you’ll likely find Mia planning her next travel adventure, sashaying her way through a Ceroc class, or scaling a cliff face – she’s an avid rock climber. When it comes to cooking, Mia relies on Google… “how much baking soda should I add to cancel out the vinegar taste?”. She enjoys masking her cooking with a turmeric or chai latte, a delicious mocktail, or bubble tea.
About Atim
Member Success Advocate (UK) AKA The Empathetic Engager
Atim loves working with (and within) inspiring global teams. She’s our second quick-witted yogi (working alongside Debs) supporting our UK Gappies to improve their business disciplines and kick their goals. She has a unique way of engaging people of all walks and ensuring they feel heard and valued.
A lover of acronyms, a BFO (Blinding Flashes of the Obvious) always makes Atim smile, and she wholeheartedly leans into OARBED. She’s thankful for having experienced many cultures and banked many fantastic memories of living, working, and growing up in the UK, Australia, and East Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Uganda). You may have mistaken Atim for an Olympic track athlete, running beside the great Cathy Freeman, in her professional acting days. She was also in a Wools of New Zealand ad.
Outside Gap life, Atim loves nurturing her extensive collection of indoor plants, teasing her niece and nephew, and walking the English countryside with her partner, Mark. Having conquered stretches (it’s 142km long!) of The Jurassic Way… she can confirm no dinosaur sightings yet. As an advocate of practice and balance in both work and life, you can catch Atim for 20 minutes every day practicing a challenging yoga pose. She enjoys an occasional glass of dry red wine sitting in an easy cross-legged pose.
About Romy
Junior Dog AKA Stationery Stealer
Romy loves nothing more than entertaining the Gap team. This friendly, pint-sized pup is a confident high-jumper who often engages in zoomies around our open plan HQ.
If there’s paper to be shredded, Romy’s your gal - she’s a great reminder of why paperless is best! When not in the office, she is particularly proficient at decimating socks and undies, and has mastered the art of cat-antagonising.
This social little terrier loves utilising her big brown eyes and the one ear up, one ear down ‘look’ she’s perfected, to extract extra cuddles and lunch time tidbits… if you can resist, you’re stronger than us!
About Luna
Office Top Dog AKA The Morale Manager
A quiet and diligent team member, friendly to the revolving couriers and considerate with her requests for attention; Luna is probably the world’s best behaved dog.
Although Luna is not keen on long meetings, or particularly productive in general, her contributions to the office include Lunch Quality Control and occupying the rare sunny spot in the office, while secretly pining for the dog next door (another spaniel) - they totally have a thang going on.
She is officially everyone’s favourite colleague; a title she shamelessly flaunts and exploits.
