About Us

Christopher Sykes CPA FIPA B.Com C.dec

Christopher grew up in Inverell NSW, he has a Bachelor of Commerce, with a major in Accounting and a minor in Finance. Before moving to Toowoomba in February 2004, Christopher worked in Dalby as an accountant and financial planner looking after a portfolio of small business clients. Since moving to Toowoomba he has been involved in providing accounting and business development advice to small and medium sized businesses.

In June 2006 Christopher along with his partners opened Acumen Accounting & Business Services with the purpose of providing small and medium sized businesses specialist business development and management advice. Christopher specialises in business development, taxation and entity structuring advice. Christopher also has a particular interest in the area of self managed super funds.

Lorraine Harman B.Bus CPA

Lorraine Harman is a Certified Practicing Accountant and has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from the University of Southern Queensland. She has several years experience in public practice and prior to this as a Commercial Accountant in the Toowoomba region.

While employed as a company accountant and during her time in public practice, Lorraine has seen the need for small to medium sized business to have an accountant that demonstrates an interest in their business. An accountant who assists them in providing successful solutions to achieve their business goals. Lorraine is experienced in system improvement, budgeting and cashflow as well as the analysis and monitoring of small business performance.

This experience as well as the experience of her partners, provides clients with a full compliment of services to enhance their business and lifestyle.

Cameron Stevenson B.Com(Dist) CPA

Cameron was born and raised in Chinchilla, where he attended both primary and secondary schooling, graduating from Chinchilla State High School in 1998 as the dux of his grade.

Cameron then moved to Toowoomba in 1999 to commence his tertiary studies at the University of Southern Queensland. In 2001 he graduated with distinction from his bachelor of Commerce degree, with a major in Accounting, and an advanced accounting minor.

Cameron’s experience to date has largely been working with clients in the manufacturing, building, and professional services industries, he particularly enjoys working with young, entrepreneurial businesses and their owners.

Katelyn Fox JP (Qual)

Office administrator: Katelyn is studing for a Diploma in office administration.

Shawn Ding CPA B.Bus

Accountant: Shawn has been with Acumen since February 2010. Shawn is 29 years old and comes from what he calls a small city in the north east of China (the population is around 4 million). Shawn has been in Australia for 6.5 years. Having a strong interest and passion for accounting, he moved to Brisbane for further study at Griffith University and in December 2006 he graduated with a bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Accounting. He is now well on his way to becoming a CPA, with only the mentoring program to complete.

Shawn enjoys traveling and would like to explore more of Australia. He would also like to own a Husky, his hometown in China would have been the perfect place to have one, as it is normally minus 15 degrees in Winter.

Ben Cook-Watkins ASA B.Bus

Accountant: Ben was raised in Goondwindi & Millmerran before his family moved to Toowoomba in 2000 since then he has been a Toowoomba boy. He attended Downlands College before studying a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Southern Queensland, graduating at the end of 2010.

Ben loves to travel and to celebrate the end of university he went a month long trip to Cambodia & Vietnam. In Cambodia he volunteered as an English teacher at a Kindergarten and Secondary school. He found this a very rewarding experience and a great way to help the under-privileged children of Cambodia. Ben realises while he love to travel his new responsibilities and work life will have to make his trips a little smaller and a bit more local, but this will not effect his passion to see the world.

He is looking to complete his CPA within the next few years and possibly progress onto a Masters degree in the future.

Scott Butler Edge (Aust) Financial Services

Scott is our in-house financial planner; we are very excited in having Scott working in conjunction with our office, and know that this will add more depth and dimension to the services we have to offer our valued clients.

Scott has lived in Toowoomba for more than 30 years, and enjoys going to the gym, a glass of red wine and politics.

He has a long history in property investment, finance strategy, asset protection and adult investment education. One of his many passions is helping people reach their financial goals in a safe & secure manner. He believes that financial independence is within reach of most people with the correct guidance and support.

His personal experience of being a business owner since 2006, has given him a greater understanding and appreciation of the “highs and lows” of owning this type of asset, and the realisation of the need for continuing planning and strategic advice.

Currently the owner of two Mortgage Advising businesses (one local and one National), means that Scott is always well informed about the ever changing, and challenging financing system both nationally and globally.

We look forward to Scott assisting our clients in the following areas:

Business insurances and succession planning
Wealth accumulation
Superannuation investment
Self Managed Superannuation investment strategies
Personal risk insurances including income protection and family critical illness covers
Estate planning
Portfolio management
Cashflow and Growth strategies
Debt management