Community Involvement
Gillespie Advisory

Tom is the Chief Operating Officer of the Gillespie Group. He oversees the day -to-day management, administration and operation of the organisation. Tom is responsible for the design and implementation of business strategies, plans and procedures. Together with the organisations directors he sets comprehensive goals for performance and business growth. He is also responsible for evaluating organisational performance by analysing data and reporting on key business metrics. Prior to joining the Gillespie Group, Tom’s career encompassed senior executive management positions with Australian and international capital management firms. Tom is committed to developing adaptive, sustainable businesses that deliver high quality solutions for clients, create business value for equity owners and is a great place for employees to work. He enjoys football, tennis, golf and spending time with family and friends.

Tom is the Chief Operating Officer of the Gillespie Group. He oversees the day -to-day management, administration and operation of the organisation. Tom is responsible for the design and implementation of business strategies, plans and procedures. Together with the organisations directors he sets comprehensive goals for performance and business growth. He is also responsible for evaluating organisational performance by analysing data and reporting on key business metrics. Prior to joining the Gillespie Group, Tom’s career encompassed senior executive management positions with Australian and international capital management firms. Tom is committed to developing adaptive, sustainable businesses that deliver high quality solutions for clients, create business value for equity owners and is a great place for employees to work. He enjoys football, tennis, golf and spending time with family and friends.

Tom is the Chief Operating Officer of the Gillespie Group. He oversees the day -to-day management, administration and operation of the organisation. Tom is responsible for the design and implementation of business strategies, plans and procedures. Together with the organisations directors he sets comprehensive goals for performance and business growth. He is also responsible for evaluating organisational performance by analysing data and reporting on key business metrics. Prior to joining the Gillespie Group, Tom’s career encompassed senior executive management positions with Australian and international capital management firms. Tom is committed to developing adaptive, sustainable businesses that deliver high quality solutions for clients, create business value for equity owners and is a great place for employees to work. He enjoys football, tennis, golf and spending time with family and friends.

Ignatius Rozario is a Senior Accountant at Gillespie Group.

Ignatius has over 15 years’ experience in the accounting industry. He has a Diploma in Commerce and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and is also a Provisional Member of Chartered Accountant in Australia and New Zealand and MYOB Certified Consultant.

Ignatius has good understanding and knowledge of taxation and accounting. He has helped hundreds of clients with their taxation and accounting needs.Ignatius has assisted many of his clients for Jobkeeper and cash flow boost claimed. He has successfully applied tax law to achieve tax effective outcome for clients.

 Ignatius serves his clients with respect. He wants to build long-term and respectful relationships. Honesty, integrity, accountability and diligence are the core values of his service.

Ignatius came to Canberra as a student in 2001. It was Canberra’s quiet and family friendly environment that attracted him. He decided to stay here after graduating from University of Canberra. 

Ignatius is married to Scholastica and has one daughter Ileana and a son Aidan. Ignatius is a member of Community Advisory Council, Calvary Hospital, Bruce, ACT. He likes playing cricket and soccer.

Tom is the Chief Operating Officer of the Gillespie Group. He oversees the day -to-day management, administration and operation of the organisation. Tom is responsible for the design and implementation of business strategies, plans and procedures. Together with the organisations directors he sets comprehensive goals for performance and business growth. He is also responsible for evaluating organisational performance by analysing data and reporting on key business metrics. Prior to joining the Gillespie Group, Tom’s career encompassed senior executive management positions with Australian and international capital management firms. Tom is committed to developing adaptive, sustainable businesses that deliver high quality solutions for clients, create business value for equity owners and is a great place for employees to work. He enjoys football, tennis, golf and spending time with family and friends.

Qualifications:   Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand; Bachelor of Commerce (ANU)

Areas of Expertise: Taxation, Business Advisory and Self- Managed Superannuation.

Ken Johnston is a senior account manager at the Gillespie Group.

Ken handles the day to day management of a group of accountants in the accounting division working on a range of activities for numerous clients including high level income tax advice, GST and FBT advice, financial statement and income tax return preparation and review. Ken is known for his pragmatic advice and making the most complex ideas seem simple.

Nothing gives Ken greater pleasure than helping to solve the day to day issues clients have in respect of their business affairs.  A recent example is co-ordinating the preparation and lodgement of over 20 years of financial statements and returns for self-managed super fund and in turn relieving the stress and pressure the client was under. Not to mention obtaining many thousands of dollars in tax refunds the client was due.

Ken prides himself on his good relationship with clients, some of which he has acted for over 30 years, and being available both during and after business hours. Nothing is more annoying than stories of other professionals not returning phone calls or answering emails. 

Outside of work Ken enjoys spending time with his wife Bronwyn and his three high achieving children, Isabelle, Zachary & William.  In summer at the coast or at home working on various home renovation projects. During the colder months Ken is a team manager for the Woden Weston Rams juniors rugby league and treasurer for the club. 

Favourite saying: Don’t let tax drive your business decisions. Why spend $2 to save $1 in tax, you’re still a dollar out of pocket.

Guy Richardson is an undergraduate accountant at Gillespie Group. Guy assists managers with individual and company taxation where his goal is to minimise tax through his taxation law knowledge and maximise client experience. He also directly deals with clients on payroll and bookkeeping operations where he is proficient in the use of accounting software such as Xero, KeyPay and QuickBooks.

Guy has a passion for the business world and is interested in further study in the accounting and finance landscape. He is born and bred in Canberra and currently plays senior Australian football for Ainslie. Guy has a love for American sport and culture and often proclaims he is from there.

John Gillespie is the Managing Director of Gillespie Advisory, he brings nearly four decades of experience in business advisory and financial management services, providing high quality advice for a broad range of business and individuals.

At Gillespie Advisory, John provides leadership and guidance to a team of over 20 advisors and consultants in a number of professional disciplines. He ensures the quality and culture of our service delivery is of the highest standard, and always in the best interest of our clients.

As a Chartered Accountant, Certified Financial Planner and Accredited Mortgage Consultant, John understands the support and guidance required at various stages of your business and personal financial journey. He has deep knowledge and practical experience working with small and medium enterprises and bringing unparalleled understanding of the challenges and complexities of business ownership and operations.

John and his wife Anita, have three adult children Rebecca, Robert and Ben, and are looking forward to the next chapter in welcoming their first grandchild later this year. John and Anita’s families have a long history of supporting Marist College Canberra and involvement in local sporting communities and charities throughout Canberra and Queanbeyan. John is also a keen rugby enthusiastic, and always up for a passionate chat about the latest footy game.

Yvonne Varela is a Senior Account Manager at the Gillespie Group providing more than just traditional accounting services.

Yvonne works closely with a variety of businesses, including not-for-profits, to assist them in ensuring the smooth running of their business, cash flows, strategic growth and compliance with the various levels of government legislation, including as their outsourced financial controller.

Yvonne also has great IT skills and provides advice, deployment and training on the latest software used by businesses.

Sharing of professional knowledge and skills is important to Yvonne - she is a board member on various not-for-profit organisations servicing community-focused activities.

Outside the busy office Yvonne enjoys spending time with her family and friends either at the beach or the farm where the kids (and adults) can run free.