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SELLAR & SELLAR
JENNIAN HOMES
From left: Claudia, Susan, Natasha, Clare and Barbara
WOMEN
BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS AT SELLAR & SELLAR Established in 1884, Sellar & Sellar is the Wairarapa’s longest established chartered accountancy firm.
Community Partner.
While women were not a part of the workforce in the firm’s early days, they definitely play a large role today – 11 of the 16 staff are women. Included amongst them are five of Sellar & Sellar’s seven accounting staff. What is notable is that they are all long serving employees. Barbara Hollings has been with Sellar & Sellar for 25 years, Sue Eagle, 24, Natasha Alloway, 12, Clare Jacobson, 10, and Claudia Morgan, 6 years.
Barbara reviews financial statements of a community based organisation, assists with the Masterton Food Bank collection and enjoys playing tennis and twilight golf.
This is matched by the long term relationships they have with many of their clients, which is encouraged by Sellar & Sellar’s three partners - Dominic Stewart, Graeme Bayliss and Craig Clouston - with all five women enjoying this aspect of their work. “We’ve got a lot of loyal clients,” Barbara says. “Most of our clients have been with us a long time and that builds strong relationships. I think our clients really appreciate dealing with the same accountant year after year.” The partners also encourage the staff to follow their passions and interests. This is something everyone appreciates, says Susan, the gypsy amongst the team who relishes the opportunity to travel to exotic parts of the world. With over 130 years of close relationships with clients in the Wairarapa’s towns as well as farming community, Sellar & Sellar places great importance on being part of the community. Just last year the firm closed its doors for the day and the entire staff went to Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre for a volunteer day.
Individually, each of the five women are involved in their own communities.
Susan has been very involved with Wairarapa netball communities and the Carterton Netball Club as a player, coach and administrator, and is a member of the Local Leadership Team for Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand. Natasha is the glue in her big family, with a passion for researching her family history and who has achieved a double degree in Law and Accounting. She is often supporting her nieces and nephews through various hobbies and adventures. Clare is an avid sports person who volunteers with Netball Wairarapa. Sellar & Sellar supported her three week adventure at Outward Bound where “she learnt how to toughen up.” Originally from Leipzig in Germany, Claudia is the treasurer of the Wairarapa Branch of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society and helps in various other community committee roles. She has recently begun to learn the trombone with the Masterton District Brass Band. It is their passion for what they do and their close client relationships, along with a mutual respect and camaraderie with each other, that keep these women enjoying their roles at Sellar & Sellar.
The firm also acknowledges its community obligations by continuing to be a Life Flight
HERE
WHEN YOU NEED US WITH PROFESSIONAL AND RELIABLE FINANCIAL SERVICE
• Complete business support • Up to date advice in all things financial • Established 1884. • Talk to us, we are approachable and invaluable to your business
Rural, commercial and urban accountants
06 377 3199 | www.seller.co.nz | 0800 Seller | 81 Queen Street, Masterton
From left Diane Norris and Stella Lennox
PERSONALISING YOUR DREAM HOME WITH
STELLA LENNOX AND DIANE NORRIS AT JENNIAN HOMES When you build your own home, you want it to be as close to what you imagined. That’s all the more possible using the talents of Architect Designer Diane Norris and Project Liaison and Interior Designer Stella Lennox. Stella has recently joined Diane at the Jennian Homes Wairarapa office and show home in Chapel Street. Stella is well-known for running her own interior design business Lennox Design Studio in Masterton. Diane has been with Jennian Homes for eight years winning a raft of awards at the prestigious Master Builders House of the Year since then. Over 70 percent of the homes constructed by Jennian in the Wairarapa are Design & Build. Diane says many of her clients are surprised to find that the Design & Build service is much more affordable than they expected. “People believe a Design & Build is more expensive than a standard plan from a book but this is not the case. We can Design & Build for all sizes and all budgets.”
Stella’s role includes liaising with clients throughout the project and she also offers each client a complimentary interior/exterior design consultation at the start of their project. “This is always a particularly upbeat moment in the process,” Stella says. “I’ve never met a client yet who wasn’t excited – whether they are building their first home or are an experienced property developer.” She starts with the artist’s impression and plans of the new home as created by Diane. Stella has the unusual gift of being able to get a three dimensional vision of a home from the plans without the aid of a computer. This gives her a rough guide as to where to head with the consultation which she then fine tunes with the client. This includes everything from the external and internal colour schemes, to the floor coverings, fittings and even furniture. “There are a huge variety of options available, in just the paint colours alone. We can even incorporate features they already own - an old clawfoot bath for instance – into the overall aesthetic!”