Summary

Geoff is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, Chartered Institute of Company Secretaries in Australia. He studied Commerce (Accountancy) at the University of New South Wales in Australia, and subsequently Economics/Mathematics/Operations Research at the University of Lancaster in England. He has over 30 years' experience, covering companies operating in Australia, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Venezuela.

In 1986 he established a small practice specialising in accounting and company secretarial services, based in Melbourne city business district.
In 1988 he received the Member in Commerce Award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, and Solution 6.

 

 

Publications, in reverse chronological order:

“The Information Conduit”: Keeping Good Companies – Chartered Institute of Company Secretaries. March 2012.
A company calendar of significant activities, and follow-up discipline on the company minutes, are promulgated as part of the company secretary’s role to act as an information conduit to the directors.

“Internal Management Reports”:
Paper given at conference of Australian Society of CPAs, 2000. pp1-5
Copy slides of presentation tracing history of reporting and arguing for a strategic approach, KPI, forecasting, and formulation of internal management reporting standards.

“Deception Lies in Deceit”:
Australian CPA, July 2000. pp 76-77.
Review of book by Professor Charles Ford describing deception in human society, leading to Groupthink, and highlighting the danger of mutually reinforced self-deception.

“Towards Better Management Reporting”
: Charter May 2000 pp 62-63
Argument that Directors’ decision-making is aided by internal management reports that include operational data as well as financial data, and updated forecasts of year-end results. The significance of GST is high-lighted.

“Strengthen the Company Secretary”: Chartered Secretaries Year Book 1998/99 pp 49, 69.
Argument for a company secretary to contribute to clarity in Board communications, express an opinion on the adequacy of information, and seek advice on governance problems. Non-executive directors cannot function if they are kept in the dark.

“Value Adding in the Accounts Department”
: Charter, Feb 1998 pp60-62.
This article argues that trends in management reports to include both non-financial data and forecasts, and to change key data of interest, make spread sheets a natural choice in preparing reports over programmer-written packages.

“Financial Control on a Large Construction Project”
: Cost Engineering – American Association of Cost Engineers, April 1982 pp71-76.
Role of financial controller on a major construction site is described to include the development of management reports that compare actual and forecast costs by physical percentage completion of the project to provide an early warning of cost increases.