People, processes and practice management
Clare Busch has the trifecta in her sights
Collins Hume Practice Manager Clare Busch wasn’t planning a career change, but when she caught up with the Partners in 2022 they agreed that taking over the reins from retired Business Manager, David Keith, would be the perfect role for her.
Clare’s first job out of uni back in 1996 was as the firm's “Girl Friday” during tax season, where she learnt how a busy public practice accounting firm functioned and gradually worked her way up to becoming John Collins’ PA before moving to Sydney.
“Hopefully this’ll be a nice bookend to my career, returning to Collins Hume,” says Clare. “I’m a believer in things happening for a reason and sliding door moments.”
Clare is adamant that she’s here to grease the wheels, not reinvent them. Since returning to Tamar Street, she has been impressed by Collins Hume.
“The Collins Hume of 2023 is a great fit for me — we work in similar ways and share a similar outlook on life and business.”
“I’ve come a long way from checking the backup tape every morning and popping it in the safe 25 years ago, to being part of a team that has the capacity for remote work and the ability to pivot.”
“Accounting has changed, and Collins Hume has kept up with the pace. The firm has grown with leading-edge upgrades to digital practices and by offering high-quality business advice services.”
“I’m doing everything David did with more of a focus on streamlining processes and procedures, so a holistic view of operations and approaching the business with a different lens.”
Clare is such an adept Jill-of-all-trades that a previous boss dubbed her “the Swiss army knife”. She’s looking forward to using her experience and insight to take a step back and pinpoint any areas that need tweaking. She’s also relishing the opportunity to reconnect with Collins Hume clients and the team.
“I like to think that being able to break things down and relaying them simply to people using decent communication can avoid a lot of problems and help create balance.”
These days Clare has stepped back from competitive sport but remains active by swimming, cycling and golfing as well as chipping away on home renovations. She is also a self-confessed aficionado of useless and obscure trivia and 80’s music!
Clare has held roles in public practice accounting in and around the Northern Rivers region, as well as having worked in a variety of financial and legal environments. Clare re-joined the Collins Hume team in November 2022 with a Diploma of Accounting, an Associate Degree in Law (Paralegal) and a Diploma of Finance and Mortgage Broking Management. She is also a Xero Certified Advisor, JP and is working on her Bachelor of Accounting.
Below: Clare, Chris and Peter attended the Accountants Boot Camp and pose with presenters Mark Holton (AUS), Aynsley Damery (UK) and Paul Dunn (Singapore)