Meet the humans behind the Complete HQ brand!
After a busy year of growth and expansion, and a whirlwind year supporting businesses throughout the pandemic, it's time to take a step back and focus on delivering a great experience for Complete HQ clients.
Our business wouldn't be where it is today without the amazing members of the Complete team. Every day they show up to help the businesses we work with move forward with passion, kindness, and plenty of laughs along the way.
We're shining a spotlight on our team to celebrate their stories and share the journeys that have brought each of them to where they are today.
We recently caught up with our accountant, Leila, to pick her brains and find out what makes her tick.
What do you do at Complete HQ?
I look after clients' end of year accounts and tax filing and I help the Complete team in any way possible, including training our apprentice and training clients on Xero software. I'm also branching into providing management accounts and helping clients to grow and monitor their business so they can make better strategic decisions.
What or who inspired you to pursue the role you have today?
Instead of going to uni at 18, I decided to go travelling, which led me to meet a South African woman a few years later in Auckland NZ. She was the financial controller of a manufacturing company where I was the receptionist. She saw potential in me and they offered to pay for a diploma with ACCA, then I carried on to do the full ACCA course! She was very encouraging and amazing at her job and inspired me to be successful in my role.
Also my Grandad, he is the master of mental arithmetic and we used to play sudoku a lot when I was a kid. Maths was one of my best subjects at school so when the opportunity arose to study accounting it all made sense really.
What’s your favourite place you’ve ever visited?
Ahh it’s hard to choose, maybe Sao Miguel, Azores Islands or Great Barrier Island, New Zealand.
What is the one thing you look forward to doing when you wake up in the morning?
Depends on which day of the week it is and what the surf forecast looks like, but I look forward to being productive and getting my work and study done, so I can feel good, relax with friends, either going surfing or having dinner together.
How many cities have you lived in during your life and which is your favourite?
Seven! Essex, England, Melbourne/Perth/Brisbane, Australia, Christchurch/Auckland New Zealand and now Ericeira, Portugal. Not all of them are technically cities but places that I have lived and worked.
My favourite is where I am right now, Ericeira, Portugal, although it’s not really a city, more of a seaside village (that’s why it’s my favourite!). It enables me to have a nice lifestyle, it's close to lots of surf sports and without too many people or traffic.
You have a time machine. When (and where) would you like to visit first?
Hmmm it would be super interesting to travel forward in time, maybe around 100 years or so! As long as I could travel back when/if I wanted.
What was your favourite band 10 years ago?
Gorillaz.
What could you give a 30-minute presentation about with no preparation?
Excel or Xero accounting software!
What's the thing you love most about your work?
I love having a variety of clients and keeping my day interesting with a mixture of tasks. My role at Complete HQ is perfect because I have a variety of jobs to do as well as a fair amount of client contact where I can utilise my communication skills. I like the fact that to be good at my job you need to be organised and structured and this flows into my personal life too.
