Colin Walker*

Assistant Commissioner Practitioner Risk and Consultation Australian Taxation Office

Colin joined the Australian Taxation Office in 1975 from University. From then until the early nineties he worked in many areas of the Tax Office but mainly focussed on indirect taxes particularly sales tax. After a short stint with Ernst and Young as a Senior Manager consulting in Sales Tax he worked for the International Monetary Fund providing in country technical assistance in Tax and Customs Policy and Administration in many overseas developing countries including 3 years in Kyrgyzstan, part of the former Soviet Union, and most of the Pacific Island Countries from 1994 to 2002.

In 2002 Colin returned to the Tax Office and as an Assistant Commissioner has worked on the development and implementation of significant business and individual new legislation projects including Consolidation, the Review of International Tax, the Childcare Rebate and the more recent Minerals Resource Rent Tax and the extension to the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax. He has also led the development of the use of design in the ATO, led tax legislation interpretation areas and is currently responsible for the relationship with tax practitioners and other intermediaries in the tax and superannuation system.

Colin has extensive experience in public administration and the leading and managing of major projects.

*Sydney and Melbourne only

Kerry Agiasotis

Managing Director, Sage Software Asia Pacific & Australia

Kerry has more than 20 years of business management, sales and consulting experience gained primarily in the Financial Services and IT industries. Australian-born Kerry was previously President of Western Union’s global Business Solutions division, and has held leadership positions at Oracle and Siebel Systems. He holds an Executive MBA degree from the Australian Graduate School of Management and is based in Sydney, Australia, where he is responsible for ensuring Sage’s continued growth and success in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region and Sage’s Australian business.

Michael Farrell

Director, Accountants, Sage Software Australia

Michael began his career working as a Graduate Accountant with Coopers & Lybrand before branching into the logistics, technology and telecommunications industry at companies such a Toll, Hutchison Telecoms, OzEmail and Hostway. Before joining Sage Michael was General Manager Sales and Marketing at Engagis where he helped deliver innovative solutions to customers that facilitated a digital transformation of the physical space.

A graduate of the University of Technology Sydney (Business, Accounting and Finance), he has worked in finance, sales, business management and consulting roles.

Gary Weisz

National Sales Manager, Sage Software Australia

Gary has held the position of National Manager responsible for sales and marketing at Sage HandiSoft for 14 years. A management accountant with a post graduate certificate in Taxation, Gary has spent the last 20 years providing accounting firms with software solutions, ranging from financial analysis and forecasting to practice management systems.

Having worked with Accountants Office, APS, Xlon and Solution 6 results in Gary having unsurpassed industry knowledge and insight into the most effective solutions for Australian accounting firms.