About us

We deliver training to accountants, auditors and governance on standards and legislation to reduce business risks. Our training programs are presented by acknowledged and passionate experts from GAAP Consulting (www.gaap.com.au) and like-minded individuals. We offer web-based GAAPinars, conferences and masterclasses, as well as tailored courses to meet your training needs.

The best specialist training can be described in an equation:

EXPERTISE plus PASSION equals EFFECTIVE TRAINING

Well-instructed people leave training sessions with renewed confidence and vigour to apply what they’ve learned.

GAAP Training provides some of Australia’s best financial instruction. The team has vast experience across private, public and not-for-profit sectors. We have a unique blend of skills in financial reporting, auditing, superannuation and corporate practice, among other things.
Our know-how comes from being at the leading edge of financial developments. Advising and talking with our numerous clients also keeps us on the ball.
YOU decide how you want your training needs met. Every single one of our in-house-sessions, refresher courses, and GAAPinars, a word we’ve coined for our online seminars, is designed with our clients’ needs in mind.
We explain the most timely and relevant topics. We offer value for-money, and we’re passionate about what we do.
You deal direct with us, the experts – we have the presenters, the topics and the means to provide your training needs.

And if you deal with us, we’re confident you’ll want to make it a long-term commitment. We have a vested interest, of course, in ensuring that your needs are truly met. And if we do that, we’re confident that you choose and stick with us.

Our Team

Colin Parker

Principal | GAAP Consulting | Financial Reporting Expert

Colin, Principal of GAAP Consulting, is an expert in financial reporting, auditing and related governance issues, and was previously a member of the Australian Accounting Standards Board. He has conducted many independent expert and consulting experts reports on professional negligence, and accounting and auditing standards. He is the team leader advisory and litigation services and adviser to GAAP Training and Reportfraud.

Carmen Ridley

Principal | Australian Financial Reporting Solutions

Carmen has an excellent knowledge of financial reporting through significant experience with a number of major accounting firms in both the external audit and technical divisions and spending significant time analysing and interpreting accounting standards for clients. Carmen is the co-author of ‘Understanding and Implementing the Reduced Disclosure Regime’. Carmen is serving her third three-year term as a member of the AASB.

Sonya Sinclair

Audit and risk management expert

Sonya is a registered company auditor, registered superannuation auditor and quality-control reviewer, CAANZ. Sonya specialises in risk management, implementation of audit quality through development of audit systems and processes, and interpretation and advice on generally accepted accounting and auditing principles. Sonya has over 15 years’ experience in auditing and financial reporting, bringing a collaborative style and balancing technical aspects with practical recommenations to clients.

Stephen Newman

Executive Counsel

Stephen is a corporate and commercial lawyer who also has considerable litigation experience in all major Courts and Tribunals. Stephen is a team member of ReportFraud. Stephen advises a range of clients and in particular, Accountants and Auditors on issues that relate to corporate and trust entities, businesses and private clients operating in many different industries, both domestic and international. Stephen also has considerable experience in dealing with regulators and conducting the defence of investigative and enforcement action.

Shelley Banton

Head of Education │ ASF Audits

Shelley is an experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the superannuation industry. Skilled in Systems Development, Business Planning, Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF), People and Business Development, Governance, Compliance and Risk.

Chanelle Pienaar

Principal | Audit Assist

Chanelle is an accomplished Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years’ experience as an auditor in a wide variety of Financial Audit and Audit Quality Control projects. Chanelle has abroad range of experience covering Financial Statement Audits, Audit Quality Control Reviews, Trust Account Audits and AASB implementation Advice & Assistance. Chanelle has strong technical knowledge and enthusiastic training style ensures that all participants, from the graduate to the partner, receive maximum value from each training session.

Andrew Parker

Business development

Andrew works with the GAAP Consulting team and like-minded people to deliver relevant and quality training to accountants, auditors, and governance. Andrew has had several years of experience working in both the not-for-profit industry and the private sector.

Liz Giust

Quality assurance Expert

Liz is a consultant who has had over 30 years’ experience in accounting public practice with PwC, Grant Thornton and William Buck. Liz works with GAAP Consulting in the audit space, from both a technical and quality assurance perspective. She also specialises in Risk Management and has established and managed risk management frameworks. Liz has also led accounting firms through regulator and professional body reviews in Australia and New Zealand and has worked on a number of regulatory taskforces.