Meet the Team

John Garis | Director

BCom – University of Newcastle
MIPA AFA
Registered Tax Agent
Certified Xero Adviser

John Garis joined The Garis Group in 2004 as a trainee accountant under the guidance of then principal and founder Jim Garis and has progressively increased his experience and knowledge at the firm over the past 16 years and now holds the role of Managing Director at The Garis Group.

John during this time completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in Accounting at the University of Newcastle. John is a registered tax agent and also holds membership with the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) & with the Tax Institute of Australia.

John is a born and bred Novocastrian having lived in the great city of Newcastle all his life and has a great passion for helping individuals and small businesses thrive in our community so they can achieve all their financial goals!

“Our purpose here at The Garis Group is to help our clients create a beautiful financial future for themselves, their families & the people around them so that together we create a huge & lasting impact in our world”

John & his lovely wife Aylin were married at the Burwood Rotunda in Whitebridge overlooking Dudley beach in Oct 2011 and are also very proud parents to their son Charlie and two cavoodle fur babies Quinnie and Benji.

John is inspired by author & motivational speaker Simon Sinek, “his visionary thinking and rare intellect inspires business owners worldwide to think differently and challenge the status quo”

“We seem to, in business & life sometimes follow the same pattern over and over again expecting things to be different or magically change to something better than the day before. Simon is able to clearly analyse these patterns and succinctly diagnosis them with very simple solutions & strategies to make you think differently about business and life in general which inspires you to make the changes you need to make to feel fulfilled and ultimately a better version of yourself which inspires others around you.”

Jim Garis | Consulting Accountant
BCom – University of Newcastle
Associated Member Chartered Accountants

Jim Garis , founded Garis Accountants in 1993 and says “After being in the industry, coming up to 50 years now, I have come to understand what keeps our clients awake at night from a financial perspective. We care about our clients and we want to help them create a beautiful financial future. This is who we are, and what we do.”

When asked what values have helped drive Jim for the past 50 years he answered with, “help when you can. I have always wanted to help, assist and solve problems for other people, in the appropriate way so that we are always maintaining our integrity when it comes to the work that we do and how we interact with people”

Jim’s areas of expertise are effective growth and strategic planning for you and your business as well as Self-Managed Superfund advice & strategy.

“We are not the traditional accounting business, we reach beyond just doing your tax. We can look at all the areas of your financial life to create and sustain wealth.”

Jim is a keen rugby enthusiast, and played against the All Blacks back in 1974. When not at TGG HQ, Jim enjoys catching up with friends and spending time with his grandson, Charlie.

Daniel Hart | Senior Accountant

BCom CA

Grad Dip CA – CAANZ

Member Chartered Accountants

Daniel Hart joined The Garis Group in April 2018 as a Senior Accountant.

Daniel started his career as a trainee accountant in 2008 after obtaining a Certificate IV in Financial Services at TAFE. While working as an accountant Daniel has completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Accounting at the University of Newcastle, continued studying to receive a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand.

Daniel focuses on taxation and advisory services for small and medium sized businesses and has experience with many different industries. Daniel loves to find solutions to your accounting problems.

Daniel proposed to his wife Nerina while ice skating in a park in Boston and were married at Noah’s on the Beach in 2014. Dan and Nerina are now proud parents to Patrick.

Daniel’s other interests include American football and Medieval Re- Creation. Re-creating a medieval experience in modern times.

Heather Moore
Practice Manager

Heather comes to the world of accounting after a long career in hospitality.

As Owner/Operator of ‘County Dining’, Owner/Operator of Hospitality Consultancy Firm ‘H for Hospitality’, Restaurant Manager of SMH Hatted Newcastle restaurants such as ‘Subo Contemporary Bistro’ and ‘Bacchus Restaurant’, along with experience in event management, Heather now implements her honed customer service skills as Practice Manager for The Garis Group.

Heather has a very unique role in the accounting industry.

“What motivates me is the passion our team has for beautiful customer service. As we grow, our commitment to a high level of care has remained, which I think is a testament to the values of the Garis family.”

Proud step-mum to Samuel and mum to Oscar and Dorothy, Heather and her hospitality focused partner Nigel are a busy family unit striving to do it all (including following their passion for all things food and wine related).

Australian Accounting Awards 2021

WINNER 

Accounting Support Staff of the Year.

Jordon Greenwood
Bookkeeping / Client Services Co-ordinator

Jordi joined The Garis Group team back in December 2014 as receptionist.

After a three-year stint in Townsville, where she joined another accounting firm and took a keenness to bookkeeping, Jordi moved back to Newcastle and came home to The Garis Group team as Bookkeeping / Client Services Co-Ordinator.

Jordi has completed a Certificate 4 in Accounting/Bookkeeping.

“I love that The Garis Group has a relationship with each client. It inspires me to continue to provide excellent customer service and ongoing support. Our constant communication and encouragement to each client is something I am proud to be a part of.”

Jordi and her partner Ben became parents to Harry in May 2022 and are so in love with their little boy. They are also owners of a miniature dachshund, Scout.

Katie Russell
Reception

Katie joined The Garis Group team in November 2018 as Receptionist.

Katie has over 20 years customer service experience and enjoys creating a welcoming environment for both staff and clients alike.

Katie and her husband Luke are proud parents of Ivy, Levi and their fur baby Nacho.

When not at the office, Katie enjoys going to the beach, road trips and spending time with friends.

Di Garis | Property Investment Advisor
B.A (Hons) Dip Ed
PIAA Accredited Property Advisor
Licensed Buyers Agent (NSW)

As a long term property investor herself, Di has assisted clients for more than 10 years to develop the skills and knowledge to build their portfolio and create their own beautiful financial future. As a lifetime partner of Business for Good (B1G1), all the work Di undertakes with her clients will benefit those less fortunate to build a better future.

Di specialises in property advice to investors within Self Managed Superannuation funds and holds PI Insurance for Property Investment Advice.

Areas of expertise:

• Supporting and advising both new and experienced property investors.
• Developing a clear investment strategy for her clients based on their goals and financial needs.
• Assisting other professional organisations deliver a property solution to their clients.

Something you may not know about Di – “My passion is family and traveling, good food, even better wine! Merewether baths holds a special place of significance for me. This is where I learnt to swim and spent most summers with my dad growing up. I still have that image of him swimming his 1000 metres every day well into his later years.”

Jordyn Jeffery | Admin Support

Jordyn’s Garis Group journey began in early 2022 when her interest in entrepreneurship and business led to the realm of accounting. Her customer support background, methodical mind and cheerful demeanour allows Jordyn to assist The Garis Group in delivering a quality service to our clients in her role as Administration Support.

Jordyn’s spare time is consumed by her love for holistic health, with 3 years completed and 1 to go in her Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) degree. She has a German Shorthaired Pointer named Bueno with her partner Cal, and enjoys embracing the sunshine and restaurant-hopping on her weekends.

Deanna Farrell | SMSF Admin

Deanna joined the Garis Group team in April 2022 as SMSF Administrator.

Deanna has over 20 years admin/customer service experience, specialising in SMSF Compliance since 2017 and enjoys the structured side of compliance while having an easy-going attitude for both colleagues and clients.

Deanna also has a background in Counselling with a passion for Women’s Emotional Wellness.

Deanna and her husband Arron are proud parents to their son Jake and daughter Aubree as well as their four legged children, their two dogs Sonny and Arnie and Bearded Dragon Freddy. As a family they enjoy being outdoors, camping trips and catching up with friends and their number one priority being family.