Selwyn

Ben Wright

Ben is a Director at Sidekick Selwyn, helping growth-focused business owners understand their numbers, make confident decisions and build stronger businesses.

Ben started his accounting career in audit in 2012 before moving into advisory in 2019, the same year he joined Sidekick. He works mainly with SME companies looking to grow, typically with revenue of $500k and above, and with business owners who want a trusted advisor, not just a tax return. Ben has particular strengths across trades, manufacturing, professional services and wealth protection, along with specialist experience in public benefit entities and more technical IFRS and IPSAS accounting. He holds an LLB, a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, is a Chartered Accountant and a Certified Public Practitioner.

Clients often come to Ben when they want to better understand their numbers, identify pain points and make smart decisions about growth, cashflow, structure and wealth protection. He has a practical way of breaking down technical tax and accounting concepts into everyday language, then turning big strategic goals into clear, actionable steps.

Ben’s style is calm, practical and strategic, with a refreshingly down-to-earth approach. He enjoys growth-focused conversations that help clients make more money, have more fun and feel empowered to make key decisions with clarity. For Ben, Sidekick’s strength is its success-first mindset – combining local relationships and accountability with the technology, credentials and resources of a national group.

Outside work, Ben enjoys running, mountain biking, the occasional adventure race, family adventures and watching sport, especially rugby, league and basketball. He also supports several local charities and sports groups through sponsorship, pro-bono and discounted accounting services, and is currently on the Board of Trustees at Rolleston College, where he chairs the Finance Committee.

Alison Hogg

Alison is passionate about helping businesses unlock their full potential through systems and technology. With a knack for discovering “A-Ha” moments, she loves guiding clients to innovative solutions that streamline their operations and drive success.

Before entering accountancy, Alison worked in the construction, transport, and design industries before picking up the calculator and becoming a fully qualified Chartered Accountant. She gained a Bachelor of Applied Management, majoring in Accounting, from Manukau Institute of Technology and then Ara Canterbury. Alison relocated from South Auckland to Canterbury in 2016 and has recently gained a Graduate Certificate in Professional Coaching, specialising in working with Small Enterprises. She has worked for accountancy firms both large and small before joining Sidekick in 2025.

When she’s not optimising workflows, you’ll find Alison testing new technology, indulging in craft beer, or building her next dream home in The Sims.

Anastasia Chapman

With experience in accounts, administration & customer service, Anastasia enjoys helping clients and keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. She’s organised, approachable and always happy to lend a hand where needed.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find Anastasia spending time with family, going out for a meal, or in the passenger seat out at the track.

Cameron Robertson

Cameron is a Director at Sidekick Christchurch, helping business owners make smart decisions around structure, tax, property and long-term wealth.

A Chartered Accountant and member of CA ANZ, Cameron has 16 years’ experience in accounting and business advisory and holds a Certificate of Public Practice. He started his accounting career in Nelson in 2010 before moving to Christchurch in 2013, the same year he joined Sidekick. Two years later, he and Ric Thorpe started Sidekick Christchurch.

Cameron works with New Zealand SMEs and owner-operated businesses, from sole traders through to multi-entity groups. Many of his clients are property investors, developers and trades businesses, along with the trusts and holding structures behind them. His key areas of focus include property and development, investment and wealth structuring, trades and construction, business restructuring, tax advisory and planning.

Clients often come to Cameron before a purchase, property deal, restructure or growth step, when getting the right advice early can make a real difference. He helps business owners work through how to structure a deal, where to hold assets, how to fund growth, how to extract profit efficiently and what tax changes mean for their wider position. Cameron is especially good at turning complex structure and tax advice into clear, plain-English decisions, showing the reasoning so clients understand not just the answer, but how it was reached.

His style is direct, analytical and practical. Cameron enjoys strategic conversations where the numbers help shape the decision, whether that means buying a business, planning the next three years, restructuring a group or identifying where profit is really being made or lost. For him, the best advice happens before the decision, not after it. It is about being genuinely in it with the owner – the sidekick, not the scorekeeper.

Outside work, Cameron’s spare time is largely split between family, golf and sport. He is a big Warriors and Black Caps supporter, and with both of his girls involved in gymnastics, he has also found himself taking on the role of treasurer at their club.

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.

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.

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.

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.