CountPlus appoints director, completes acquisition

In a statement, CountPlus announced it had appointed Carolyn Colley, a former head of retail banking and head of strategy for adviser services at Macquarie Bank, as its newest director.

The group said Ms Colley had a deep background in financial services, having also previously worked in banking and wealth management roles for KPMG and BT Financial Group and St George, prior to its acquisition by Westpac.

Ms Colley is also a current non-executive director of a number of large financial services organisations including the ASX and OnePath.

“Carolyn’s resume clearly speaks for itself and I’m delighted that she has joined our board of directors,” CountPlus chief executive Matthew Rowe said. 

“Her experience in financial services and technology will be key as we continue to drive new, smarter ways of doing business within our accounting and advice member firms.”

In addition, the dealer group announced that member firm Mogg Osborne had completed a tuck-in acquisition of Albury-based accounting practice Freedom Accounting Group.

The transaction was worth $700,000 and would see the regional Victoria and NSW-based Mogg Osborne expand its suite of services to towns on the border of the two states.

“CountPlus is pleased to see the expansion for Mogg Osborne because we’re true believers in the value that quality accounting and financial planning can provide to Australians, especially family and small businesses in rural communities who have faced unique challenges in recent times,” Mr Rowe said.

“This acquisition speaks to the quality tuck-in opportunities that are available to the CountPlus network due to our strong balance sheet and strategic growth focus.”