As seems to have become somewhat of a Christmas tradition, it is with great pleasure that I announce a new addition to our leadership team. Melissa Foster has been appointed Director of Giles & Liew, joining Lorren Kilgour, Kylie Liew and myself as we lead our business and that of our clients through unprecedented times.

Giles & Liew has successfully navigated and pivoted through COVID-19 and while it meant a delay to some of our plans, we have continued to grow. The appointment of Melissa further strengthens the breadth of expertise we have to offer our clients. Melissa Foster brings with her a wealth of commercial expertise, with her specialities including helping business owners to expand into and operate in international markets, managing complex reporting requirements, consolidation of business units, and reporting for management purposes. Melissa is excited to be part of the continued growth of Giles & Liew and to help lead our BAS team through an ever-changing landscape.

Reflecting on the year, I want to take the time to applaud the success of our team, who have worked tirelessly to help our clients survive and thrive through COVID-19. This year has highlighted the need for businesses to have robust risk management strategies in place. As a business owner myself, I can tell you that this has been paramount to our success, this year more than ever before. Over my career, I thought I had seen it all. Helping clients to navigate and pivot through a multitude of business and personal circumstances is what I have lived and breathed over the last 40 years. However, a pandemic, mandated business shutdowns and a plethora of new government legislations and schemes has challenged us like never before. As advisors, you look to us for expertise, expertise that takes years to perfect. COVID-19 meant our team had to get on top of new legislation seemingly overnight and I am enormously proud of the resilience of our team who rose to the occasion and performed when it mattered most, when the livelihoods of our clients were on the line.

I would also like to thank you for your continued support throughout 2020. Often times of hardship cement strong relationships and while hard conversations have had to be had by many this year, we have all come out stronger in one way or another. I look forward to working with you as we welcome in 2021, a much-anticipated clean slate after the year that was COVID-19.