CrestClean’s Financial Controller Sharon Churchill has held finance and accounting roles for more than 20 years — and now she has the initials after her name to prove it.
Sharon is officially an ‘Accounting Technician’ after receiving the internationally recognised qualification from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).
“It’s absolutely amazing to finally feel like I’ve got an official qualification behind me to back up all the work that I’ve been doing for all these years,” says Sharon.
“I finally did it!”
Sharon has been with CrestClean for 17 years, but her association with Managing Director Grant McLauchlan goes back even further — to 1994 when she started as an office junior at chartered accountancy firm G. S. McLauchlan & Co., which was established by Grant’s father, and which Grant ran with his two brothers.
Two years later, when Grant established CrestClean, Sharon was brought on board to set up a computer system to manage payments and invoicing.
Apart from a two-year stint with another company as an office manager, she has remained with CrestClean ever since.
Over the years Sharon has gained a wealth of practical experience, but this is the first time her accounting skills have been acknowledged ‘on paper’.
“I can officially have the initials ‘AT’ beside my name now,” says Sharon.
Sharon achieved the qualification based largely on her experience and is now working towards completing a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting which she hopes to complete by the end of next year. Her long-term goal is to become a chartered accountant.
“This is the first step in the process,” says Sharon.
“It was Grant who prompted me to pick it back up. I’ve already passed six papers towards my degree, but it’s really hard to study when you’re working full time. With Grant’s support I have been able to get back into my studies.”
Sharon says her framed Accounting Technician certificate, which is displayed in her office, will provide plenty of motivation.
“I’ve got it up on the wall in front of me. I’m really proud of it.”
Grants says Sharon has been a “champion team member” over the years, consistently embracing innovation and the latest technologies, to ensure the finance function at CrestClean delivers the essential information needed to manage a fast-growing business.
“I have always joked that Sharon is the most qualified, unqualified person I know! She now manages a team of three qualified accountants who, together with Sharon, make up our finance team here at CrestClean. Well done Sharon.”
