555-555-5555mymail@mailservice.com
Our Team
We are committed to forming close partnerships with our clients. This way we can understand your unique situation and customise the assistance we provide to suit your needs. Our commitment to excellence is evident in the hardworking nature of our staff, and the exceptional service we offer.
Our enthusiasm for our work means you are provided with a friendly team of professionals who are eager to use their expertise to help you succeed.
Craig Gunson
DIRECTOR | CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
Craig’s chartered accountancy experience includes 9 years as a partner in the international firm Coopers & Lybrand and from 1996 a partner / director of Gunson McLean Ltd
He has specialist experience in maximising business performance , business valuation, Trust formation and administration and succession planning.
While many issues are complicated and serious, Craig endeavours to approach them in an objective and informal manner believing that commonsense and drawing on real life experience will often provide the most effective long term solutions”.
Shiralee McLean
DIRECTOR | CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
m: 027 292 0491
Shiralee started Gunson McLean with Craig Gunson in 1996. They worked together at Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC) for 16 years, but after a career in the corporate world, she has taken what she learnt and has been serving the community of Northland ever since.
Shiralee specialises in tax planning and structures, farm accounting, trusts, personal financial planning and wealth management. She enjoys the challenge of building long-lasting relationships with clients to grow their business and future success wealth.
Shiralee loves being part of our client’s businesses – their Advisory partner – and is proud of the strong partnerships she has with them. Some have been with Shiralee for over 30 years. Her Why in life is the Advisory part of being a Chartered Accountant. She has built and mentored her team throughout the years and loves the banter and camaraderie in the office each day.
When Shiralee is not in the office adding value to her clients’ businesses, she is out on her bike. Shiralee is a passionate cyclist, and her greatest personal achievement is the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge in 2019 – only a cheeky 155 km. She is always on the lookout for the next trail ride, so if you have been on one recently, she’d love to hear all about it. With speed in her blood, she is also an avid V8 Supercar Holden follower and has been to the famous Bathurst 9 times – she can’t wait to make it 10!
Born and bred in Northland, she loves everything her region has to offer, the beautiful beaches, the local sports clubs, and the restaurants. Shiralee’s business and sporting achievements are admired by her granddaughters, whom she loves and adore. They think that Nana Shiralee is pretty cool.
Bertus Botha
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
Kate Lenssen
ACCOUNTANT
Kate qualified with a Bachelor in Business, majoring in Accounting and Finance in 2018. She supports Shiralee and Craig with one of the most important roles in practice - ensuring that data going into jobs is 100% accurate and compliant.
Born on a farm in Whangarei, her parents decided to buy a dairy farm in Victoria, Australia when Kate was ten. However, she left the snakes and crocodiles behind and moved back to Aotearoa to work on her university degree.
Kate is like a sponge when it comes to absorbing new learnings and what technology is best for what industry and client. She learns something new every day.
Kate is in the process of completing her studies towards becoming a chartered accountant (CA)…we are so excited for her. She has another 3 papers to go and then can complete the CA final papers. She has a lot of hard work and long hours ahead of her to achieve her qualification but knows it will be worth it in the end.
A dab hand in the kitchen, Kate loves to entertain and her dog Speights (yes, like the beer) is the lucky recipient of any food that drops on the floor. One of her passions which she couldn’t do in Victoria was snowboarding, so Kate is down at the mountains whenever she gets a chance.
Fialupe Lotoala
ACCOUNTANT
Born and bred in her home island of Tuvalu. Fialupe first came to New Zealand in 2004, for 6th and 7th form studies at New Plymouth Girls High School. Fialupe then returned back to New Zealand so she could attend Massey University in Palmerston North for her tertiary studies. Fialupe moved to Whangarei from Palmerston North with her husband and children in 2014 and loved the region and all it has to offer so much, she hasn’t looked back and now is proud to call Whangarei her home.
Fialupe is currently an Associate CPA working towards her full membership. She is passionate about the profession and enjoys helping clients from all industries.
Outside of office hours, she loves spending time with her husband and three girls and enjoys travelling and sightseeing. Fialupe and her family have managed to explore most of the North Island and some of the South. As a natural relationship maker, she enjoys meeting new people, catching up with her friends and whanau at one of our local cafes. Fialupe also enjoys getting out on the water for a spot of fishing.
Lex McAulay
ACCOUNTANT
Lexis has been with Gunson McLean for close to 18 years. Lexis life experience has given her the
skills and expertise to work with a variety of our clients. She feels at home when she is supporting clients so that they have all the paperwork required Anything from coding receipts, to managing wages for clients for GST, PAYE and IR obligations.
Growing up on a Dairy farm in Waipu and where she continues to help her family on their Dairy/Avocado Farm, Lexis works alongside Shiralee and Craig to support our Agri farming clients. Her first-hand knowledge of working on a farm is instrumental in the success of our Agribusinesses. Her daily mantra is, “I don’t love work, I love helping our clients become successful”.
Marie Thomas
ACCOUNTANT
marie.thomas@gunsonmclean.co.nz
Marie joined the team in 2022 with a background in accountancy and finance administration. She has a Bachelor of Applied Management with an accounting major and has a passion for helping clients make their businesses succeed. She understands the balancing act that comes when you own your own business - working IN the business versus working ON the business.
Outside of the office, Marie is kept busy with her three teenagers and loves Northland’s beautiful beaches.
Kym Gibson
ACCOUNTANT
Kym is part of the furniture at Gunson McLean and has been with us since we opened 23 years ago. She specialised in preparing tax and annual accounts, sending out tax notices, maintaining systems and preparing GST returns and annual accounts.
Kym is most satisfied when she is preparing financial accounts and helping clients.
When not at work, Kym enjoys spending time with her family and relaxing with a good book.
Elle Hacker
ACCOUNTANT
Elle joined the team in 2022 and qualified with a Bachelor of Applied Management with Accounting in 2021. She has experience in the accounting industry having worked in an accounting firm whilst studying.
When Elle isn’t working, she’s a keen soccer player and loves to snowboard every opportunity that she gets. In the warmer months you can find her at the beach or playing watersports.
Cheryl Harmse
ACCOUNTANT
cheryl@gunsonmclean.co.nz
Cheryl is our newest team member and joined the team in 2023. She has a background in accountancy and a Bachelor of Accounting degree. She enjoys the variety that farming clients provide and her passion is creating systems that enable the client to easily understand and use the information.
Outside of the office, Cheryl loves the rural life in Northland and enjoys getting out and about with her husband and two daughters whenever she gets the chance.
Trish Ferguson
ADMINISTRATOR
Trish is one of our Administration staff at Gunson McLean. Her role is varied and challenging, which keeps her on her toes.
Trish ensures that she is always up-to-date with new technology programmes so that our clients
have the best advice on technology for their businesses.
Outside of the office Trish spends time with her beloved dog Ginny and enjoys her Saturday mornings out in the garden. Or if the tide is right, out on the water fishing.
Paula McLean
ADMINISTRATOR
Paula is the backbone of Gunson McLean and ensures that our accountants are supported.
She started working with Gunson McLean 12 years ago and manages the IT support for our clients and trains them on MYOB Essentials products. She is also our client’s payroll support and assists Craig and Shiralee in their day-to-day work.
Born and bred in Whangarei, Paula is a proud Northlander. She loves supporting our clients, helping them understand how our systems work. Paula has a particular interest in teaching our clients new technology, so they can better manage their time and do more of what their business requires, rather than being stuck in paperwork mode.
When Paula isn’t in the office, you can find her out on the water in her family boat or, you might
bump into her on one of our region’s coastal walkways. She adores spending time with her family and grandchildren.
With Agribusiness and Bloodstock in her blood, she attends to her cattle which she and her husband bred. And come Melbourne Cup time, you are welcome to ask for her advice on who will win – Paula’s a safe bet!
Ruby Chandler
RECEPTIONIST
reception@gunsonmclean.co.nz
Ruby is our receptionist and the first person you’ll see when you visit us. She joined the team in late 2022 and has a background in office administration and customer service.
Outside of the office, Ruby loves cooking, art & drawing and spending time with her friends and family.
Our Mission
Every day our Mission here at Gunson McLean is to:
- Provide our clients with high quality Business Advisory and Compliance Services.
- Legally minimise our client's taxation commitments.
- Help business owners achieve their business and personal goals.
- Deliver our services in a friendly, approachable, and caring manner.
- Provide an excellent workplace where quality team members can experience an enjoyable, flexible, and challenging environment.
- Provide all team members with the opportunity to develop new skills and responsibilities, along with career advancement within our organisation.
- To allow owners and team members the ability to maintain a lifestyle that balances work with recreation and family.
- To give owners and team members the opportunity to work with clients who highly value our skills and culture.
- To create a business which is sustainable beyond its present team.
To discuss all your account matters please call us on 09 438 1001
