Meet the locals bringing ‘all of Deloitte’ to Tauranga

In late 2023, Deloitte expanded its presence in the central North Island with the opening of an office in the heart of Tauranga. While we’ve had people in Tauranga for a while now, having boots on the ground in our own office in the region ensures we can help our local clients by bringing them the best of the Deloitte network and connections across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty area.

We spoke to two of our Tauranga locals and leaders, Tax Partner Andrea Scatchard, and Brad Garner, Deloitte Private director, about how Deloitte is leveraging expertise from across the country to support clients in the Bay of Plenty, and what they each bring to their roles in the region.

Why Tauranga?

Andrea: From talking extensively to our clients in the region, and from living here ourselves, we knew that people and businesses in Tauranga prefer to ‘shop local’ and want to embrace what the community has to offer.

As a proudly locally owned firm and with offices in eight other centres in New Zealand, we wanted to be closer to our clients in Tauranga and ensure we were playing a part in helping the region grow. Being based here also complements our offices in Hamilton and Rotorua where we have busy, thriving teams that are well connected in each of these centres.

Is it important that the team is made up of Tauranga locals?

Brad: Yes, I think so. Andrea has lived in the Bay for almost 20 years while I’m a proud Tauranga local too, as is our wider team. We’re deeply invested in the success of our community and our clients. It’s also an advantage that we know the local area, know the local businesses, and are well across the issues that are going on locally.

What has the response to the new office been from the community?

Andrea: I’ve had a lot of really positive feedback that people like the fact we are able to bring ‘all of Deloitte’ to the region by leveraging our expertise from across the firm. We can bring other specialists, not based in Tauranga, in to support our clients where we need them to, which is a very seamless exercise for all involved.

Brad: This approach can be particularly helpful for Deloitte Private clients who are often growing their businesses quickly and need to draw on additional expertise in areas such as research & development, tax and offshore expansion.

What other areas of expertise does your team in Tauranga bring to the region?

Andrea: While Brad and I sit primarily across tax and Deloitte Private clients, we have a real breadth of expertise which is continuing to grow. Some of our leaders who are based here support our clients in strategy and consulting work, and we also have iwi specialists helping local Māori entities create long-term value and sustainable outcomes for their communities.

Tell us a bit about what you enjoy most about your work…

Brad: Deloitte is all about making an impact that matters. Our clients trust us with their business stories, and this puts us in a unique position to affect their lives in significant and positive ways. I enjoy partnering with business owners to help them achieve their goals. And while Deloitte is often recognised as one of the ‘Big Four’, our services are accessible and we work with clients on solutions that are appropriate to their needs, which always keeps the work diverse and interesting. No two days are the same around here!

Andrea: Tax can be complicated and daunting, so I take pride in providing practical advice to my clients in a way that is easy for them to understand and implement. I enjoy working with businesses to ensure they have the right systems and processes in place to manage their obligations while minimising any risks they might face.

What’s next for the Tauranga team?

Andrea: We’re moving to a purpose-built office next year at the Northern Quarter on the Strand, which will be the first privately funded six-star Green Star rated building in the region, setting a new globally relevant benchmark for sustainability. We’re really excited about sharing this new space with our clients and community in 2025.

Is your business based in Tauranga? Reach out to Andrea or Brad for support in growing your business in the region.