Vanessa Sheppard

B.Bus. (Acc & Man) CPA
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT

Vanessa has been in the Accounting Industry for over 30 years and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Practice.  She started in the Commercial Arena in Law Practices and progressed to Public Practice in 1998 where she worked full-time and studied part-time at night to obtain her qualifications, so she’s not scared of hard work.  Vanessa has operated her own Public Practice since 2008 which she built from the ground up through word of mouth which continues to grow in the same way.

Vanessa loves helping people get a better result from all aspects of their business including business processes, accounting software, bookkeeping processes, the preparation of tax compliance obligations and any other way she can help.  She is a problem solver and enjoys working out a better way for process improvement within a business. She loves collaborating and working with her team to get the best possible outcome for our clients.

Vanessa loves training with her PT, taking her puppy for a walk, especially to the beach. She enjoys gardening, catching up with friends whether it be at home or at a nice restaurant, watching a good movie or Netflix/Stan series.  She likes reading when she finds a good book and enjoys just sitting and watching the world go by.

Stephanie Rachele

B.Com (Acc.) CPA
ACCOUNTANT

Steph has worked with Vanessa since 2008 and for Sheppard Accountants since 1 July 2011 when we opened our doors.  Steph is the backbone of the Practice as Vanessa’s 2IC. Steph and Vanessa are like two peas in a pod in that they both care about their clients, enjoy helping them and love being Accountants. Steph enjoys getting to know her clients and brainstorming ways they can become more efficient and successful in achieving their business and accounting goals. 

Steph is an amazing teacher and she loves supporting and mentoring her colleagues to see them achieve their own personal goals in the Accounting realm which is why she is nicknamed the Nana of our Practice.  Steph is amazing technically and gets a lot of pleasure from reading up on tax law changes and technical issues. She is well loved in the Practice by staff and clients alike.

Steph loves taking her dog to the park and enjoys playing social sports like touch football and netball. On weekends, she enjoys the great things living in Melbourne has to offer including visiting the Victoria Markets, going to the MCG Stadium to watch the AFL and eating out. She also likes to relax and care for her indoor plants and watch a good movie or Stan/Netflix series.

Emily Skews

B.Com (Acc.) ASA
ACCOUNTANT

Emily has worked with Vanessa and Steph for over 10 years. She started out doing work experience and showed great potential, so Vanessa offered her a job when she finished her University degree.  Emily started in administration and has worked her way up into the accounting role she now thrives in. She loves the satisfaction of helping her clients and getting the best result she can for them.  Emily loves her job, is the most efficient person you’ll ever meet, and no one is more organised than Emily. Someone who is affectionately known as our Giraffe (Emily is tall) and someone our clients certainly appreciate having in their team.

 In her spare time, which is not very often, she loves camping and adventuring with friends and family at various remote spots.

Laura Achatz

B.Biomed.Sci. GradDip Clin.Phys. CPA ASA
ACCOUNTANT

Laura is our little pocket rocket, she will turnaround a tax return in no time. She really enjoys the diversity of each day and the opportunity to make a difference in a client’s business financial management. Laura started out in the Bioscience world and decided that the Accountant realm was a more exciting place to be. We welcomed Laura into the Practice with open arms to give her a go at Accounting where she has absolutely exceled. She is a dedicated learner and loves knowledge which makes her a very fast learner and an excellent Accountant.

 Most weekends you will find Laura with her nose in a book, or outside enjoying the sunshine with her puppy. She loves running and has a goal to one day complete the GC Marathon!

Kate Tattersall

B.Bus CPA ASA
ACCOUNTANT

Kate joined the team in October 2020 because she has always wanted to be an Accountant and loves being intellectually challenged in this role. She enjoys being able to apply the theoretical learning from her studies to practical situations.  Kate loves talking to clients and making sure they get the best solution for their accounting, business and personal goals.

Kate loves playing netball, is an avid snow skier and loves spending time with her family.She is always the life of the party and makes our office culture even more fun!

Karen Jones

PRACTICE MANAGER

Karen brings a wealth of admin knowledge to the practice and the best part of her job is being able to create an efficiently run office for both clients and staff. She enjoys getting to know the clients and being able to give them the best possible experience she can.

 Karen loves going for long walks with her puppy, camping in the great outdoors, doing yoga and spending time with her family.

Nicole Matthews

ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Nicole is the newest member of our team and brings over 10 years’ experience in Accounting Practice Administration. She loves the variety of her role and being able to have a personable rapport with the clients. Nicole brings a wealth of knowledge to our Practice and has been a welcomed breath of fresh air. 

 Nicole has a passion for Taekwondo which she has practiced for 18 years which she now enjoys doing with her 10-year-old son every week.