Huon and Kathryn Hoogesteger

Speaker: Huon and Kathryn Hoogesteger, Managing Director and Head of Accounts, Smart Commercial Solar

1. What would you like to say to your CFO?

Huon and Kathryn Hoogesteger: To The CFO Centre and particularly John Paterson. You’ve been really great to us, really great to work with as well. We probably should have got you in maybe six months to a year earlier. But what you’ve been able to achieve for us in such a short period of time is really monumental. It has been life changing – not just for us, but for our four kids and also 25 staff who probably won’t know how much you’ve done for them.

2. What one or two big issues/untapped opportunities were you facing before we started working with you?

Huon and Kathryn Hoogesteger: John has been a great help in us recalibrating and presenting our financials to better show our businesses value. And secondly, he’s really given us that support, and helped us understand in detail what we’re doing well, what we’re not doing so well and where we can improve, as well as highlight the opportunities that we’re not aware of. I think that assurance and guidance has really helped us in making some smarter decisions.

3. What have been the benefits to the business specifically?

Huon and Kathryn Hoogesteger: John has really helped us in three key areas. His contacts, his network, the service providers that he has access to have been really great. We know that when we’ve got an issue, John is able to take it back and collaborate with the rest of The CFO Centre –  and obviously get more minds thinking about the same problem. And the third one is just their guidance through difficult, complex situations.

4. What have the benefits been to you personally?

Huon and Kathryn Hoogesteger: John is giving me great confidence in the accounts department. He’s been a great sounding board who actually cares. A good example of how much he does care not only for the business but for the people is when John jumped in his old four wheel drive, drove out and worked with us when we were isolated by a major flood recently.