Our Tax Trainers

Kaplan Professional's tax training, formerly offered by Webb Martin Training and Tribeca Learning, is delivered by highly skilled professionals with real-life experience in all aspects of taxation law.

Our trainers have been in public practice and understand the challenges and demands faced by practitioners, so they can deliver exactly what you and your staff need to know.


This page contains profiles of:


Heidi Rodgers

Head of Tax
0419 415 923
heidi.rodgers@kaplan.edu.au

Combining formal qualifications in commerce and law with extensive tax consulting experience in a CA environment, Heidi is able to explain the practical implications of new legislation, cases and rulings. Heidi's engaging style of delivery makes her one of our most sought-after presenters.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Commerce
  • Bachelor of Laws

Professional affiliations:

  • Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia

Previous experience:

  • Tax Manager at a Melbourne-based large second-tier practice
  • Tax Adviser at a Big 4 CA practice

Other activities:

  • National Presenter CPA Tax Reform Series (Small Business CGT Concessions and PAYG Reform)
  • Keynote Speaker at CPA State Congresses

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Fred Schenck

Senior Tax Trainer
0439 047 647
fred.schenck@kaplan.edu.au

Having been responsible for training and development in his role as partner in a public accounting firm, Fred brings to Kaplan Professional a practical approach to delivering training sessions. He uses worked examples to explain tax principles in an easy-to-understand manner.

Qualifications:

  • Master of Taxation
  • Bachelor of Business (Accounting)

Previous experience:

  • Partner in a Melbourne-based public accounting practice that provides extensive tax consulting and compliance services to corporate and high-net-worth individual clients
  • Senior management roles in commerce and industry, including responsibility for financial control and training and development

Other activities:

  • University lecturer of taxation

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Lynne Gibson

Lynne's background in advising a diverse range of clients in various industries means she has the ideal experience and expertise for a career in the tax training field. She has managed clients’ affairs and delivered tax advice as a partner in a public accounting practice; as a practitioner has been responsible for the development of staff; and has professional affiliations at a senior level.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Arts (Accounting and Economics)

Professional affiliations:

  • Fellow of Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
  • Fellow of Taxation Insitute of Australia

Previous experience:

  • Partner in a Sydney public accounting practice
  • Tax Adviser – public accounting practices including a Big 4 CA practice, advising a diverse range of clients in various industries

Other activities:

  • Leading the provision of professional development and training activities for staff whilst in practice
  • Presenting tax update sessions to other professional practices 

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Garry Payne

Garry has extensive experience in the writing and presentation of taxation material. He honed his skills and built up his practical experience while working at a senior level in the Big 4 CA environment. Garry has also worked for government and various professional bodies, giving him a clear insight into the underlying policy that shapes tax legislation.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Commerce (with Merit)
  • Bachelor of Laws

Professional affiliations:

  • Solicitor of Supreme Court of NSW
  • Fellow of Taxation Institute of Australia
  • Australian Tax Teachers' Association

Previous experience:

  • Senior Lecturer, Australian School of Taxation (Atax) (UNSW)
  • Senior Tax Writer, Butterworths/ATP
  • Tax Manager at a Big 4 CA practice

Other activities:

  • Creator and co-author of eight publications, including Australian Tax Handbook
  • Author of materials developed by the GST Start-Up Assistance Office
  • Presenter of more than 170 tax seminars for accountants, lawyers and government bodies
  • Lead role in preparation of reports commissioned by the Board of Taxation and Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia

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Debbie Ghuliani

Debbie joined Kaplan Professional after 13 years in Corporate tax at a Big 4 CA practice. Debbie's high level of tax consulting experience and lively personality have combined at Kaplan Professional to ensure that client's receive an informative yet entertaining training session. Debbie has practical experience in dealing with tax issues affecting many industries, particularly manufacturing, telecommunications and resources. Debbie also has significant experience in relation to international tax matters resulting from her 3 year secondment to the M&A division of the London office of the Big 4 CA firm where she worked.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Commerce (University of Melbourne)
  • Chartered Accountant - Professional Year Programme, Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia

Professional Affiliations:

  • Member of Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
  • Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia

Previous Experience:

  • Tax Director (Corporate tax) - Big 4 CA practice (based in both Melbourne and London)
  • Secondment (1 year) as Tax Manager to an Australian subsidiary of a global listed client of Big 4 practice

Other Activities:

  • Contributing writer to Taxpayers Australia Inc.

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Peter Adams

Peter has over 20 year experience as a tax practitioner. He has worked in both the profession for KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers, and in commerce in the investment banking and technology sectors. Peter is also a highly sought after tax presenter and regularly presents for professional bodies throughout Australia. As a Kaplan trainer Peter brings a wealth of technical expertise and a practical training style that resonates well with his audiences.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Jurisprudence - UWC
  • Master of Taxation – University of Melbourne

Professional Affiliations:

  • Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
  • Fellow of the TIA

Previous Experience:

  • Senior tax manager / Director roles in Big 4 firms
  • Head of Tax roles in financial services and manufacturing sectors

Other Activities:

  • University Lecturer (Taxation)

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Karen Vella

Karen is well known for her ability to translate complex tax issues into practical, every day language. Her extensive experience in the accounting profession ensures that she is well aware of the many issues and pressures facing tax practitioners. She puts much energy into her presentations and receives strong feedback from training clients.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Economics (University of Sydney, awarded 1994)

Professional Affiliations:

  • Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants
  • Member of the Taxation Institute of Australia

Previous Experience:

  • Partner at a Sydney-based second-tier practice
  • Tax adviser with several Chartered Accounting firms in Sydney
  • Tax advisor and trainer to the Accounting Profession via a network of 400+ accounting firms

Other Activities:

  • Presenting technical training sessions to the Accounting
  • Profession and Government, including the Australian Taxation Office
  • Authoring and co-authoring various tax training materials and publications

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Leanne Saunders

Leanne’s diverse background as a specialist tax consultant with the Big 4 in Sydney and Senior Tax Manager in the Gold Coast gives her an understanding of a broad range of client issues and an ability to communicate complex technical concepts in an easy to understand manner.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Science (Psychology)
  • Diploma of Financial Services (Financial Planning) 
  • Masters of Tax (completion November 2010)

Professional Affiliations:

  • Fellow of Taxation Institute Australia

Previous Experience:

  • Senior Tax Manager at a Gold Coast second-tier accounting practice, including Training and Development Manager for Tax Consulting division for 5 years
  • Manager at a Sydney Big 4 accounting practice specialising in international tax issues for over 10 years

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Philip Bender

Philip has extensive experience in taxation, superannuation and commercial law that enable him to provide a practical approach to tax training.  Philip is also a practising Victorian barrister in commercial law, taxation and superannuation, enabling him to provide different perspectives on the application of taxation law in a commercial environment.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
  • Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice
  • PhD in Law
  • Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Courts of NSW and Tasmania 

Professional Affiliations:

  • Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
  • Member of the Victoria Bar

Previous Experience:

  • Currently a practising Victorian barrister
  • Management role in a Big 4 Chartered Accounting Firm

Other Activities:

  • Contributing author of numerous professional and academic journals and the following books:
    • 'Australian Business Tax Reform in Prospect and Retrospect'; and
    • 'Guide to the Taxation of Financial Arrangements'
  • Presented several CPD seminars for the Tax Institute of Australia, the Law Institute of Victoria, the NSW Law Society and the Victorian Bar
  • Presented on cross border insolvency to the litigation department of the Australian Taxation Office in Melbourne

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Positions Available

Are you passionate about tax? Interested in being considered for a Tax Trainer role? If you have a strong background in Australian taxation combined with excellent communication and presentation skills, please visit our Jobs at Kaplan Professional page for available contract positions .

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