TEAM PROFILE

Meet our experienced, dedicated and diverse accounting and advisory professionals

Lachlan Grant

Lachlan Grant is Vital Addition’s co-founder and CEO.

As a qualified Chartered Accountant who started his career in business services and corporate finance, Lachlan’s entrepreneurial spirit saw him move into start up CFO roles early in his career. Combining experience and passion for start-ups, he co-founded his own coffee business, creating a multi-site success, while continuing as a financial consultant to other start-ups.

With a strong understanding of business operations, including the value of a trusted advisor, Lachlan established Vital Addition as a way to support other entrepreneurs in the financial aspects of their business.

Lachlan is committed to building a team culture based on honesty and integrity, with a strong focus on delivering value to their clients. He leads a dedicated team who share passion for business, excellence in their craft and supporting in whatever way we can to see their clients succeed.

Richard Lorge

Richard Lorge is a Partner at Vital Addition.

Richard’s wealth of financial expertise led him through various roles, including CFO positions. Joining VA in 2017, he now helps businesses grow using his financial acumen, while valuing the comprehensive 360° expertise the company offers. His daily tasks include managing cash flows, preparing Board reports, conducting financial reviews, and creating business models for client finance.

Richard’s proudest accomplishment was ensuring a client’s business continuity before the pandemic. Identifying issues and taking decisive actions saved the company, allowing it to thrive. For stress relief, his happy place is in the kitchen, cooking and baking for loved ones.

He describes Vital Addition as a flexible environment with a supportive and cohesive team, and says, “I really get a kick out of watching clients achieve their goals we have identified. It’s always good to see a plan come to fruition.”

Paul Pham

Paul joined us at VA when seeking a firm with a proactive approach to helping clients and a strong focus on technology.

In his time with us Paul has successfully managed a client through a 3 year audit with the ATO Private Groups. Paul also introduced and supported a team of 40 accountants through the transition to Cloud Accounting as the Xero Champion, achieving Platinum Xero Partner status for the firm.

Now Paul is on his way to becoming the lead partner for a group of ASX listed mining and exploration companies.Paul’s favourite thing about VA is that it’s “a modern and young accounting firm that allows us to be agile and adapt to the continually changing business and tax environment”.

Darryl de Jesus

Darryl brings to Vital Addition a broad accounting skill set from his experience with big business. Starting out as an auditor set him up to understand the complexities of accounting across a broad range of industries and businesses. His experience across sales and marketing, manufacturing and supply chain operations affords him a keen eye when identifying opportunities and troubleshooting for businesses at every stage of their growth.

He is passionate about employing software and systems to provide efficiencies, and enable top level analysis and reporting to get results.

Darryl says, “I was really interested in working with SMEs and using my experience to bring big business ideas to small businesses. Once I met the team at VA, I knew it was the culture, agility and people I wanted to work with. I partner closely with my clients and their business is as important to me as it is to them, that drives me to help them succeed.”

Merilyn Pidgeon

Merilyn came to Vital Addition with a wealth of experience, formally in education, not-for-profit, and most recently in the accounting landscape. Her BA in Education equipped her with unmatched communication skills that enabled her to transition across industries to a management role in an accounting firm.

Merilyn joined the Vital Addition team because she was looking for a firm that had a proactive approach to helping clients, a focus on technology, and shared values and vision:

“I like that we offer more than a ‘traditional’ accounting firm. We are focused on helping our creative clients to run and grow their businesses as they embark on all sorts of interesting and forward-thinking enterprises.”

Anh Truong

Anh’s passion for finance, international tax laws, publicly listed company finances, and the business of Vital Addition has seen her rise through the ranks to her current position of Business Services Accountant. She holds a double degree; Bachelor of Applied Finance and a Bachelor of Commerce – Professional Accounting, and is a Chartered Accountant.

Through the pandemic, Anh also sharpened her skills assisting our clients access grants and funding critical to their ongoing operations.

Anh adds, “I love the company culture that’s friendly and supportive, including the knowledge that my co-workers are happy to share. Vital Addition also offers us every resource we need to get the job done, including training and seminar attendance for critical professional development.”

Marian Guilas

Marian has been with the Vital Addition team since 2017, and is our resident Management Accountant in Manila. A qualified CPA that heads our Philippines team, she is an advocate for women in the industry through opportunities, and training and development.

Marian is passionate about new technology and innovations that provide efficiencies for her workflow processes, and client growth and development.

A wife and mum, who’s a big fan of podcasts and family streaming sessions in her downtime, she believes that being an expert in the industry can make you shine; but having the right character will make you marvellous.

About Vital Addition Marian says: “It’s an ideal workplace that’s transparent, generous and innovative that actively offers opportunity for growth. We share knowledge and support one another.”

Dories Antonio

Dories gained her experience in Accounting and Finance Management in the travel and tourism industry, and came to VA in March 2022, managing our payroll, and AR/AP processes. She’s a people person who also prides herself on her customer service and communication skills, and she is proud she’s leading the cause to break the bias for working women in her country.

She loves working with the VA team, as it allows her some autonomy and flexibility in her work, and she says, “I enjoy everything, and the knowledge I get from each of them. The VA team is really a big part of my growth in terms of my career.”

In her personal time, she is proud that she can support her own travel adventures, and loves swimming.

James Keane

James is a finance professional with diverse experience in chartered audit and commercial finance. He’s passionate about understanding different businesses, which has led him to explore roles with companies at various growth stages.

He efficiently oversees a team of Vital Addition accountants, ensuring their work consistently exceeds expectations. Thriving in Vital Addition’s collaborative environment, his management of client relations excels and delivers insightful solutions. With a keen focus on fostering client success, he drives business planning, offering valuable expertise backed by strategic partnerships. James takes pride in promoting an inclusive industry and breaking biases.

As a dedicated family man with three children, he brings a wealth of hard and soft skills to the team, fostering mentorship, and supporting growth.

Ferdinand Scavo

Ferdinand began his journey in public practice accounting straight out of high school. After 16 years with a boutique firm and a stint at one of the ‘Big 4’ banks, his skills and passion for direct client interactions became prominent. Serving as Manager at Vital Addition, Ferdinand oversees client compliance, drawing from his rich expertise in tax law and financial reporting. Beyond his professional commitments, he indulges in photography, enjoys walks, and follows Formula 1 and diverse football genres. Ferdinand explains his passion for the financial landscape, stating, “I enjoy my ability to help clients understand complex concepts.”

Nika Gumba

Nika Gumba, with a BA In Accounting, brings a rich background to our team, including experiences at a Top 1000 Corporation. Since joining Vital Addition in May 2021 as a Management Account, she has been promoted to Senior Management Accountant and has become a key player in preparing and reviewing payroll, accounts payable, financial reports and supporting client concerns. Nika is passionate about continuous learning and leveraging technology in accounting.

Outside work, Nika is a devoted mother of three who enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, watching movies, and soaking up sunsets by the beach.

Nika says, “Joining the VA team felt like joining an extended family. The collaborative and supportive environment here is exactly what I was looking for.”

Joshua Hinds

Joshua began his career in payroll of substantial numbers while completing his CPA. This led him to a financial accountant role and eventually to management at another firm before joining Vital Addition in June 2023.

At VA, Joshua thrives in a modern, team-oriented culture, where he enjoys client-facing responsibilities and providing insightful financial solutions. He is detail-oriented, relishing the opportunity to delve into clients’ financial data to uncover strategic insights. Outside of work, Joshua enjoys swimming at the beach with his wife all year round and playing football.

He finds fulfillment in his role stating, “Upon joining VA, I was assigned a new client with overdue accounts and payments. Building trust and using my skills to efficiently bring their finances up to date has been a rewarding experience, resulting in a positive customer relationship I’m proud of.”

May Camense

May Camense transitioned from a career in Sales and Operations after becoming a mom, leveraging her college degree to embrace a new path. At VA she enjoys working with smart individuals which she believes brings out the best in her. May joined the Manila Team in April 2022, finding VA to be a stable and happy workplace and values the company’s focus on work-life balance and the collaborative, goal-oriented environment. May’s daily tasks include customer service, bank reconciliations, vendor payments, payroll, and compliance reports.

Outside of work, she is a devoted mom and an avid reader, and believes in the power of a smile to attract good things.

She takes pride in her ability to build rapport with clients and is always eager to learn. May advises newcomers to the industry to “maintain integrity and find the right crowd.”

Quiven Esquivel

Quiven is a Management Accountant at Vital Addition, with a diverse background in accounting across various industries. Starting his career in a manufacturing company, he progressed through roles in logistics and business process outsourcing before joining Vital Addition in January 2019. At VA, Quiven appreciates working with knowledgeable and passionate colleagues who challenge him to excel.

He takes pride in improving and sharing his impressive spreadsheet techniques and contributing to efficient reporting processes. Outside of work, enjoys video games, staying informed on current events, and caring for his cats.

He believes in striving through challenges, stating, “It may be difficult from the start, but at a certain point in time when you look back you will realise how far you’ve come, things are difficult, but not impossible.”

Sydney Malinao

Sydney joined Vital Addition as a Finance Administrator in February 2023, bringing a unique blend of HR and finance expertise. Previously an HR Manager, Sydney transitioned to finance, driven by a passion for numbers and team dynamics. At Vital Addition, he supports the Outsourced Finance Team, handling a mix of financial and administrative duties that contribute to the team’s efficiency. Sydney’s background in HR enhances his ability to manage talent acquisition, onboarding, and offboarding effectively.

Outside of work, Sydney is a dedicated father of three. Running on caffeine and creativity, he also indulges in his passion for graphic design and digital arts, keeping his artistic skills sharp.

Sydney values the learning opportunities at Vital Addition, which allow him to grow both professionally and personally in a supportive environment.

Angelica Diamante

Angelica Diamante brings over a decade of accounting experience to VA, where her passion for numbers and problem-solving drives her success. With a strong foundation in management accounting, Angelica excels at analysing financial data and preparing detailed reports.

Since joining in 2024, Angelica has quickly established herself as a valuable team member, where she contributes to refining processes and ensuring accurate financial records, and is appreciated for her clear communication and ability to build strong relationships with both clients and colleagues. She enjoys the dynamic nature of her role, particularly the constant opportunities to learn and grow.

Outside of work, Angelica enjoys hiking, exploring new restaurants, and spending time with family. A foodie and avid reader, she loves winding down with good books and catching up with friends over coffee.

Emily Yan

Emily Yan has over 15 years of experience in accounting, having started in commercial accounting before transitioning to public practice nine years ago. She is passionate about taxation law and tax planning, enjoying the challenge of maximising tax benefits for her clients.

Joining VA in July 2024, Emily was drawn to the firm’s culture and its forward-thinking approach to client service. In her role as a senior tax accountant, she handles everything from preparing financial reports and reconciling taxes to providing strategic tax planning for businesses and individuals.

With qualifications in both Law and Accounting, Emily is a fully qualified CPA and registered Tax Agent, her expertise spans small businesses and SMSFs. Outside of work, Emily enjoys quiet retreats to the beach or mountains, along with staying active through swimming, yoga, and walking.

WE’RE HIRING

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Interested in joining our team

People are our most valuable asset. To us, the workplace environment is a place for personal growth as well as dedication to developing our knowledge, expertise and skills.

We encourage and support enquiring minds, applaud openness, honesty and diligence. We are passionate about our industry and the services we offer.

Get in touch with us if you:

Can demonstrate a sound knowledge within your field of expertise
Enjoy the challenge of personal growth and skill development
Are an innovative thinker with strong attention to detail
Value maintaining client relationships

Apply now

02 8239 8200