Wanaka

Peter Humphrey

Peter is a Director at Sidekick Wānaka, helping business owners work through complex decisions with clarity, confidence and someone firmly in their corner.

A Chartered Accountant with 24 years’ experience, Peter joined Sidekick in April 2021. He works with a broad mix of owner-operated businesses across Wānaka, Central Otago and South Westland, including property developers, health professionals, hospitality businesses, retailers, trades, orchards and vineyards. Having lived and worked in the region for more than 23 years, Peter brings a strong understanding of the local business environment and the challenges and opportunities that come with it. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Honours, is a Certified Public Practitioner and has also completed a Graduate Diploma in Arts with a Spanish major.

Clients often come to Peter when they need a sounding board. He helps them think through new ventures, growth, succession, forecasting, feasibility, financial modelling and business structures, making sure they understand the pros, cons and consequences before committing to a path. Calm, practical and detail-oriented, Peter has a knack for taking complex concepts and breaking them down into clear, manageable steps.

For Peter, good advice often starts with an early conversation. He encourages clients to bring him the problems, even when they do not feel like accounting problems, because chances are he has seen something similar before or knows the right person to help. He values trusted, long-term relationships and adapts his approach to suit the person in front of him, whether they want the quick factual version or need time to talk things through.

Outside work, Peter enjoys hiking, travel and language learning. He is a regular member of the Upper Clutha Tramping Club and currently serves as treasurer, and has also been involved with Wānaka Toastmasters for more than 15 years. Peter is a member of BNI Wānaka and previously spent nine years as treasurer of the Alpine Community Development Trust.

Mat Prichard 

Mat is a Director at Sidekick Wānaka, helping small business owners find practical solutions to the challenges that come with running a business.

A Chartered Accountant with 20 years’ experience, Mat joined Sidekick in June 2024. He works mainly with small to medium business clients and has a background in the not-for-profit and sports sector, bringing a practical, relationship-focused approach to the advice he gives.

Clients often come to Mat because they trust him to listen, understand what matters and put their needs first. He helps business owners work through all sorts of decisions and challenges, with a focus on finding practical solutions to real business pain points. Mat is especially good at helping clients understand pricing, margins and profit, giving them advice they can use to make better decisions in their business.

His style is genuine, practical and grounded. Mat enjoys conversations that get to the heart of what a client is trying to achieve, whether that’s in business or life outside of work. For him, a strong advisor relationship is built on honesty, trust and the willingness to have real conversations, even when that means being open and vulnerable ourselves.

Outside work, Mat enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys, snowboarding and playing disc golf. He is involved with NZ Disc Golf Inc, Disc Golf Wānaka Inc and Wānaka Snowsports Club Inc.

Peter Millar

Peter Millar is a Chartered Accountant, who joined the Sidekick Wānaka team following a period in the UK. The time abroad saw him work for a number of high growth companies focusing on management reporting, financial control and cash flow. With these skills Peter is well equipped to help your business kick on and achieve its full potential.

The opportunity to live and work in Wānaka is something that Peter feels immensely privileged to be able to do. It is his vision to share this passion with his clients.

Anna Jopp

Anna brings worldly Corporate Accounting experience to the team. She worked a stint in the UK and also has gained Chartered Accounting experience a little bit closer to home in her most recent role in Dunedin.

Anna has migrated to Wanaka to join the Sidekick Wanaka team and also to enjoy the lifestyle the town offers. She is fond of Central Otago as a chunk of her childhood was spent growing up on a farm outside of Alexandra. She is looking forward to enjoying running, biking and skiing here and becoming part of the Wanaka community.

Anna says the best part about being a Chartered Accountant is talking to clients from different backgrounds and learning about a variety of businesses and industries.

Anna’s specialty areas include: Medical & Health Clients and Bars & Cafes

Stu Wilson

Stu Wilson brings a wealth of experience to the Sidekick Wanaka team.  Beginning his career auditing in London, Stu then went on to work in the UK and later New Zealand as a Financial Controller.  Moving to Wanaka 15 years ago, Stu also made the move from working for large corporates to supporting the accountancy needs of small businesses, combining his experience with his passion to support local small businesses accountancy needs, so that they can focus on what they do best.

When he is not working Stu enjoys everything getting out on his bikes, mountain biking and sometimes some road cycling.  Now that his boys have left the family home, he is looking forward to spending some time travelling.

Andrea Bono

Andrea comes with a strong administration background with over 25 years’ experience ranging from Receptionist, Personal Assistant and Office Manager. She is qualified as a Microsoft Office Specialist and has also worked as a child-care worker for some years gaining important people skills that come in handy within a Personal Assistant role.

She has enjoyed living in beautiful Wanaka for over 15 years – a true South Islander having grown up in South Canterbury. When she’s not at work, Andrea enjoys all things food-related including cooking for friends. With family ties in Italy, she enjoys travelling to Europe or reliving the Italian experience by cooking Italian food.

With a friendly, happy disposition, she is the first contact when dealing with Findlay Sidekick.

Kirsty Tapper

Kirsty is a qualified Accounting Technician with a Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting. She specialises in small businesses and GST returns.

She relocated to Wanaka to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle and escape Auckland traffic! Kirsty loves the outdoors and living near the mountains where she can snowboard on the weekends in the winter and relax by the lake in the summer.

Prior to moving to Wanaka, Kirsty has spent time living in the French Alps as well as working on superyachts.

Kirsty also has a strong administration background, but perhaps what stands out the most about Kirsty, and a common thread amongst all of this, is her strength in building relationships. Which is exactly why she is a great fit in the Sidekick team.

Keighley Redshaw

Keighley is a well-known local that manages the workflow of our busy practice with enthusiasm, efficiency and fantastic problem-solving skills. Her warm, friendly personality makes her the perfect person for the job, and with a background of working in the hospitality industry, her top priority is maintaining great client and workplace relationships.

Sarah Veasey

Sarah has been with Sidekick Wanaka for several years now in a Client Service role and has now taken the opportunity to step into an accounting career.

She grew up right here in Wanaka from age 10 and now lives here with her two kids, Jacob and Alandria.  Sarah loves to play sport, mainly play netball and futsal. She’s also a bit of a gym and CrossFit bunny.

Previously, Sarah worked for Kiwibank in Wanaka, for 4 years and even before that she worked as a barista with Keighley from Sidekick Wanaka office!

Phillippa Findlay

Phillippa is a Chartered Accountant and senior member of team. Her strengths uphold the Sidekick philosophy to ‘Keep it Simple’. She is responsible for preparing compliance and management reports. She is able to set up smart systems to help clients manage their accounting easily. Phillippa has long-term clients in her portfolio that she has worked with for many years; she has knowledge of their businesses and has built strong client relationships. Phillippa is known for her friendly yet meticulous nature when it comes to accounting.

Phillippa is a driven woman who attacks accounting and outdoor pursuits with passion.  Phillippa is a straight shooter and a logical smart thinker. Phillippa is a smart cookie and an amazing goal achiever.

Phillippa’s specially areas include:  Family Trusts and Trades/Construction.

Florencia Santillan 

Florencia is our client manager with a knack for diving into different industries. With a degree in Public Accounting from Argentina, she’s worked everywhere from Queenstown Resort College to Volvo Car Corp and construction companies in Spain. She’s also spent time in hospitality while on a working holiday in New Zealand and has done accounting and auditing back in Argentina.

Outside of work, you’ll find her snowboarding, paddleboarding, running, or snapping photos of her adventures!

Madi Smith

Madi was raised in Melbourne, Australia and moved to Wanaka for the life-style. She plays netball, loves the gym, hanging out at the lake with friends, travelling, food and the odd cocktail.  She is an avid snowboarder and has spent some time living in Canada before settling in Wanaka. She has a strong financial background and is the perfect fit for us. 

Seth Peters

Seth joined Sidekick Wanaka in 2026 after graduating from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Finance and minoring in Accounting. He brings a fresh, youthful perspective to the office and is keen to continuing his learning journey.

Outside of work, Seth loves making the most of the outdoors. In winter you’ll usually find him on his snowboard, and in summer he’s often out wakeboarding, surfing, on top of a mountain, or at a festival. He enjoys staying active and getting outside whenever he can.

Ewan Little 

Ewan is a long-term Wanaka local and an important part of our admin team.  Sidekick Wanaka is a proud supporter of the local Mint Trust and we were excited to work with them to recruit Ewan as our Chief Office Assistant.  When you visit our office, you will find a very well-stocked lolly jar – the favourite of Ewan’s many tasks. When he’s not at work, you’ll find Ewan horse-riding or supporting the Highlanders – He is their number-one fan!

James Swaney

James is a fully qualified Chartered Accountant and studied at Lincoln University to gain a BCom, majoring in Accounting, Finance and Information Technology.

James spent over four years working in the motor vehicle industry in Timaru, before becoming a Chartered Accountant.
Looking at the big picture, setting goals and helping clients plan to achieve those goals are what James enjoys most about his job.

When James is not in the office he is usually spending time with his family, and sometimes out on the squash court or race track. James is also a big rugby, cricket and motor sport fan.

Ric Thorpe

Ric is CEO of Sidekick Holdings, helping grow the Sidekick group while supporting our offices, people and clients to be more successful.

Ric has been involved with Sidekick since 2010 and became CEO in early 2025. His background sits across business growth, marketing, sales, strategy, technology and client experience rather than traditional accounting. This gives Ric a different lens within the accounting world, with a focus on helping business owners make better decisions, understand where they are heading and connect the right advice, people and systems around them.

Ric works closely with ambitious business owners, growing SMEs, regional businesses and people who are trying to build something bigger or better. He also spends a lot of time with accounting firm owners, partners and leaders who are thinking about growth, succession, joining Sidekick or building a stronger future for their team and clients.

Clients often come to Ric for clarity, growth ideas, a fresh perspective and honest conversations about what needs to change. He helps people work through growth decisions, marketing and sales opportunities, technology, AI and automation, leadership, succession and turning loose ideas into practical plans. Ric is especially good at joining the dots between marketing, sales, systems, people and numbers, helping business owners focus on the things that will really move the dial.

His style is straight-talking, energetic and practical. Ric likes big-picture thinking, but he is always focused on turning ideas into action. For him, good advice should make business feel clearer, less lonely and more manageable. He believes business owners do not need more noise – they need clarity, confidence and practical help from people who genuinely want them to win.

Outside work, Ric enjoys spending time with family, cars and motorbikes, travel, good food, coffee and finding interesting places. He is naturally curious and enjoys learning about new ideas, technology, business models and people. Ric has also been involved in community and charity activities, including running 50km for Life Education Trust Canterbury, and is interested in supporting young people, business owners and regional communities where Sidekick can make a positive difference.

Steph Holt

Steph is the creative mind behind Sidekick’s brand – making sure everything from marketing campaigns to internal events reflects who we are and what we stand for. With over 15 years of experience in design and strategy, she loves finding fresh, meaningful ways to bring the Sidekick story to life. From shaping how our brand looks and feels to creating moments that connect our team and clients, Steph brings a mix of curiosity, energy, and heart to everything she does.

Outside of work, Steph enjoys spending time with her teenage son, road-tripping in her self-converted campervan and tending to her ever-growing veggie patch – a creative outlet that balances her busy, design-filled days.

Helen Pauley

Helen is a Marlburian who has travelled the world and landed back here. Having a varied work life from managing a regional office for a multi-national advertising firm, owning a hospitality business to practice management of a medical practice, Helen brings a bucket load of skills. Communication is her flag ship skill and she enjoys problem solving. Resourceful and fun, pretty much sums her up.

She is married to Gary, who is a Business Advisor and in their spare time they love to travel to family & friends, experience the great outdoors and discovering new recipes and flavours, accompanied by a glass of fine wine.

Manoli De Silva

Manoli keeps the team running smoothly, making sure all the day-to-day details are taken care of. She has a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of London and a master’s in international relations from the University of Colombo, she has worked across law firms, UN agencies, and the government sector. Her experience in different environments gives her a strong eye for detail and a knack for keeping things organised and on track.

A massive foodie, Manoli loves cooking and trying out new restaurants. She also enjoys running and staying active, and likes to unwind with a good book and a glass of wine. Most of all, she treasures spending time with her husband and their two young daughters.