Enrich Group Management Services finance manager Tanya Geldenhuys (right) with Active+ accounts officer Jenny Towers. Photo / Supplied
Enrich Group Management Services finance manager and Hamiltonian Tanya Geldenhuys, 48, has made the long journey from South Africa to New Zealand.
Originally from Johannesburg, Tanya and her family arrived in New Zealand in November 2019.
In South Africa, she worked in a variety of industries, including retail and manufacturing, but the job with Enrich Group is her first for a non-profit trust.
Being an accountant, Tanya always has an Excel spreadsheet open.
"I love Excel. I can do anything in there, complicated fancy formulas, party invitations, write letters, you name it, I can do it," she says.
Her favourite part about accounting is the structure and the rules.
"That old type of accountant is changing and the new type of accountant is more about providing valuable expertise."
At Enrich Group, the family of organisations that support people living with disabilities, autism and neurodiversities, Tanya provides financial advice to Enrich+, McKenzie Centre, Active+ Waikato and Enrich Group.
"I'm here to support each organisation to offer more capacity in order to meet the increased demand for disability services in the community," she says.
"By doing what I do, it allows the organisations to add value and provide greater workplace efficiencies. I also feel like I am making a difference in people's lives."
Enrich Group Management Services provide corporate functions, like human resources, information technology, marketing and communications.
"The best part of my job is the budgeting process and being completely hands-on with it," Tanya says.
One of her strengths is the ability to focus and concentrate even in a shared office environment which can sometimes be "loud and crazy".
"I am a very approachable leader and love to keep my team up to date and always stay in the loop."
Tanya and her family are now New Zealand residents. In time they want to become citizens and cannot wait to call themselves Kiwis.