The people who make everything happen
Our management team consists of an elected committee who are all volunteers and two employed office staff. The committee is responsible for governance and strategic direction while Nadia and Melanie in the office handle all day-to-day activities such as answering membership enquiries and attending to the endless details involved in organising and publicising our events.
Jamie Duff
Qbit
I joined in 2007 and became a committee member soon afterwards. I’m extremely proud to have been involved in our transformation from the Subiaco Business Association into the force we are today. The journey has been personally rewarding and serving on the committee is a great way to give something back to the community while networking with other professionals. As a strong believer in the importance of long-term business relationships, I gain great satisfaction from the way WSBA attracts and holds so many members and helps them connect with each other.
Email:jamied@qbit.com.au
Stuart Gale
Quest on Rheola
I have on behalf of Quest on Rheola been a member of WSBA since 2018, Since joining I immediately found a business community that I wanted to be a part of. Members are welcoming, and shared the same challenges we all endure.
As a Business Development Executive, I enjoy the ability to connect with a variety of businesses. I am a solutions focused individual, and enjoy the ability to combine both attributes in a social setting amongst likeminded business owners and members.
The local connection and how we can all collaborate and assist each other is the driving force that I chose to become a committee member. I wanted to share my experience and ideas further with a greater audience, and help grow this amazing Business Association.
Michelle Yates
Xe
Having had the pleasure of being associated with the WSBA as a corporate member within financial companies, dating back to 2001, I’m now a proud management committee member. This has been fulfilling to see how the wheels & cogs function behind the scenes & the work put into events & running such a valued and longstanding business association. Our committee is focused on aligning needs & in helping members to add value to all business sectors. As well as, to give the most that we can by way of WSBA’s membership benefits. I am very proud to see how the membership is growing from strength to strength.
As the WA BDM at Xe, I am part of Xe’s integral growth in Perth. Working alongside a likeminded team of experiences FX Specialists, to lead the way in putting client’s needs first. Whether your business has cross-border payments, FX hedging & risk management needs, or payment solutions required for your ERP, Xe has it covered.
I look forward to chatting at functions with you new and existing members alike & seeing how we can welcome fresh and innovative ideas to the wonderful community that is, the WSBA!
Email:michelle.yates@xe.com
Stephen Spry
CBSW Tax & Business
My accounting firm joined in 2013 with the aim of finding new clients. It was a smart decision that has paid commercial dividends. What has especially appealed is that we meet high-calibre people who come from diverse industries and represent everything from start-ups to established companies. We’re also very impressed with the quality and frequency of events and WSBA’s community feeling. The way members relate to each other fits perfectly with my philosophy of creating real working partnerships with clients, something I know other members also aspire to achieve.
Email:stephen@cbswtax.com.au
Gareth Lane
Concise Digital
I like socialising. I always have, I always will. I love interacting with people and getting to know their stories. I am a ‘tell you how it is’ kinda guy who likes to get straight to the point without all the fluff! I enjoy problem solving & growing businesses with digital marketing. I run regular talks, workshops and meetups on Google, Social Media and all things Digital Marketing. I live in Perth, Western Australia, enjoy wine, food and the sun.I’m the founder and director of Concise Digital a 35 strong team of digital marketers. The WSBA has a passionate group of people behind it, all of whom are small business owners themselves, and with them, I look forward to helping other small businesses in the Perth Western Suburbs grow their businesses and networks.
Email:gareth@concise.digital
Malcolm Stewart
Equinox Accounting and Equinox Financial Planning.
Having been a member of WSBA for a number of years I felt it was time I gave back to the Association by joining the Committee. The fellow members of the committee are all passionate small business owners and their stories are quite inspiring. But they are not alone. They are just a small sample of the many wonderful members of the WSBA.
Connecting, collaborating and supporting other business owners in the WSBA is why I have joined the committee. I hope we continue that work and to grow the WSBA into an even bigger network and provide further opportunities to support small business in the Western Suburbs.
Blake Lieschke
There’s something very special about WSBA. For me personally, I absolutely love meeting new people and learning something new. I enjoy building relationships and a massive believer in that we can achieve more as a collective group, than we can individually. That’s why the WSBA and its high calibre member membership has been an excellent fit and complements our business exceptionally well.
I’m excited to be a member of the WSBA management committee and look forward to assisting the WSBA, its members and their business build stronger relationships and have some fun along the way.
As a Certified Practising Valuer, Licensed Valuer and Associate of the Australian Property Institute, I have extensive experience across a wide variety of asset classes and specialise in prestige / high worth residential through the Western Suburbs. As a veteran Expert Witness, I regularly give evidence at trial in the Supreme Court and Family Court of Western Australia and have been engaged in a number of landmark cases which revolve around complex property matters in recent years. When I’m not under intense cross examination, you’ll find me enjoying time with my young family, usually on the water with the other love of my life, a vintage rescue boat that I’m slowly bringing back to life.
Ruth Livingstone
Lynn & Brown Lawyers
I am so pleased to have joined the WSBA management committee team who work hard to deliver stand out events and opportunities to the business community. Before I joined the WSBA, I had attended several of their events and always found them to be relaxed and a good way of meeting like-minded people across a broad range of businesses. I love working as part of a team and meeting new people as I am firmly of the view that there is always more to experience and learn.
Outside of the committee, I work as a lawyer in the wills and estates space. I have had much legal and practical experience in this area and really enjoy the opportunity to be able to help people in a very real and practical way, at what is often a difficult time in their life. When I am not working, I enjoy bike riding, am a member of a book club and enjoy spending time with my husband, and my two young children.
Sarah Maconachie
PGY consultants
At my first event with WSBA over a year ago, I left feeling inspired, motivated and eager to get out there to meet more people. I had recently returned to work after having children and was new to the Perth working world after moving from Sydney. I found WSBA so welcoming and exactly the type of group that I belonged in- I am thrilled to now be on the committee!
I work at PGY Consultants as the Sales Director with Perth’s number 1 Mindset Consultant- Fiona Yue. Together we help individuals and organisations completely transform. If you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve we will give you the tools to achieve it, usually in one big quantum leap. As well as helping to change the lives of many, I write a blog called “Work Hard Parent Hard”. My blog covers all things parenting, working, mindset- and gender equality!
Outside of my working world I do all things parenting, my 4 year old and 2 year old twins keep me very busy. WSBA events are the perfect place for me to have interesting conversations with small- medium business owners and enjoy some time for myself- usually with a well-deserved glass of wine in my hand.
Nadia Leopardi
𝙈𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙉𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙇𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞, 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙝-𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙬𝙞𝙙𝙚.
𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮, 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙒𝙎𝘽𝘼.
Melanie Cronin
I joined the WSBA in 2013, following the re brand from the Subiaco Business Association, in this time I have seen amazing changes take place and have loved the opportunity to make a difference, it has been a privilege to contribute to and witness the continued growth and success of the WSBA’s friendly and informative networking functions that are regularly sold out.
Email :melanie.cronin@wsba.net.au
Sean Hocking
Boutique Advisors
Being part of a community of professionals that get along and build trust in one another is a powerful thing, and the WSBA does well to deliver this for its members. Alongside a busy work and home life, new and varied conversations out at great venues is something I look forward to and provides a great platform for building longstanding relationships. WSBA is a great facilitator of this and continues to provide me with valuable connections which I can make us of professionally through my role at Boutique Advisers.
Being of service to people from all walks of life as a financial planner is my passion and I truly believe in helping others lead a lifestyle of their choosing. Confidence and digestible knowledge of your options over the journey is front of mind when it comes to making financial and ultimately life decisions. When not helping others professionally, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, travelling and experiencing different ways of life, camping throughout WA and enjoying the great outdoors.
YWSBA
The YWSBA is a collaborative and community-driven group of young professionals who are committed to helping other young professionals achieve personal and professional growth. We create engaging, interactive and positive environments that facilitate networking with like-minded individuals across many disciplines. Our mission is to empower the next generation of professionals with the confidence and connections they need to succeed in both their careers and personal lives, whilst also enjoying the journey
Sean Hocking
Being part of a community of young professionals that get along and build trust in one another is a powerful thing, and the YWSBA does well to connect people in this way. Alongside a busy work and home life, new and varied conversations out at great venues is something I look forward to and provides a great platform for building longstanding relationships. YWSBA is a great facilitator of this and continues to provide me with valuable connections for the future which I can make use of professionally through my role at Boutique Advisers.
Being of service to people from all walks of life as a financial planner is my passion and I truly believe in helping others lead a lifestyle of their choosing. Confidence and digestible knowledge of your options over the journey is front of mind when it comes to making financial and ultimately life decisions. When not helping others professionally, professionally, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, travelling and experiencing different ways of life, camping throughout WA and enjoying the great outdoors.
Imogen Blow
“I’m thrilled to have found such a supportive and warm community at WSBA. It’s not often ambition meets support, but at WSBA, everyone is intent on building each other up for the benefit of the community.
My work is in the content creation space, helping brands bring more authenticity to their online presence. I do this as a drone pilot, creating beautiful content for the mining industry’s professional documentation. In addition, I partner with luxury hotels around the world to uplift their content and online presence.
With my background in marketing and psychology, I also work as the Marketing and Community Manager at Bloom, the Centre of Youth Innovation. By instilling young people with innovation and entrepreneurial skills, we can help them prepare for the ever changing demands of today’s job market.”
Ben Rockman (CBSW Tax)
After moving from over East during the pandemic, the YWSBA has been a fantastic opportunity for me to integrate into the local community. I’ve really enjoyed meeting lots of like-minded people and learning about their different professions and businesses through the numerous networking events. I am looking forward to being a part of the YWSBA committee and continuing to build strong relationships with all current and future members.
In my role as a tax accountant, I work closely with a wide variety of different clients mainly specialising in Small Business Tax and Advisory. My passion is assisting individuals and small businesses take better control of their finances to grow their business and improve their wealth. I am always happy to expand my network or even just to have a chat, whether it’s about work, life or sports.
Gemma Couldwell (Couldwell Legal)
Gemma is the Principal of Couldwell Legal and prides herself on making legal services accessible to her clients and delivering advice with clarity and compassion. Gemma practices predominantly in wills and estates, guardianship and administration, commercial litigation, debt recovery and defamation.
Originally from England, Gemma is a former backpacker who never left! In her downtime, you can often find Gemma somewhere along WA’s stunning coastline.
As a YWSBA member, Gemma looks forward to developing new professional connections and friendships.”
Tim Ponnusamy (Emploi Recruitment)
As a specialist recruiter within the professional practice accounting space in Perth, a large part of my day-to-day role is to network within the professional services industry in Perth and build connections with like minded people that share my set of values.
I have been attending WSBA events for the best part of 5 years and believe that the WSBA has the right blend of professional style networking mixed with a personable approach. As a good friend of mine (and WSBA) Ron Gibson always says, a good networker is someone who understands how to walk the line between the personal and professional.
I have decided to join the Young Professionals committee of the WSBA as I have a particular passion for helping young professionals (like myself) grow their networks and make connections that will help them grow both in their careers and as people.