ABA Board of Directors

Australian Bookkeepers Association (ABA) is governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of:

Peter Thorp, Chairperson/Director
Kelvin Deer, Director
Darren Hagarty, Director
Kerrie Jarius, Director
Kellie Powell, Director
Jo Crumpton, Director
Larisa Hailey, Director

Kelvin Deer, Director

Kelvin is one of the founding principals of ABN as well as a Director of ABN BAS. He is also a Director of a respected Brisbane based accounting firm. Kelvin is a Certified Practising Accountant with industry experience and expertise spanning in excess of 20 years.

Kelvin is passionate about business development and providing innovative learning and training to the bookkeeping industry. He plays an active role in ABN research, events and the provision of technical resources. Kelvin is also the architect behind ABN’s acclaimed Pillars of Public Practice and the Bookkeepers Business Benchmarking Survey. He enjoys seeing bookkeepers develop their businesses into profitable enterprises.

Darren Hagarty, Director

Darren is one of the founding principals of ABN.  As a practising Chartered Accountant of over 20 years, he has extensive experience in the fields of income tax, capital gains tax, and GST. Darren’s tertiary qualifications include a Bachelor of Business and Master of e-Business. 

With his unique skill set, Darren takes a leading role in ABN’s various technology platforms. He brings a rare combination of both technical expertise and innovative, strategic thinking to the ABN Team. Delivering the very best in technical and I.T. resources to ABN members is Darren’s passion. 

Kerrie Jarius, Director

Kerrie Jarius is a passionate advocate of the bookkeeping industry. Kerrie is the director of Brilliant Admin Solutions with over 20 years’ experience in the bookkeeping Industry. She is a registered practicing BAS Agent. Kerrie is involved in representation of BAS Agents to the Australian Taxation Office including the BAS Agents Association Group.

Kerrie received the Canberra Business Woman of the Year award and has also been a state finalist in both the Telstra Business Awards and the Telstra Business Women’s awards. With a team of bookkeepers over 3 locations Kerrie is all about empowering women and bookkeepers to be the best they can be

Kellie Powell, Director

Kellie is a Director of ABN and ABA. With a background as a CPA and a registered Tax Agent, Kellie has dedicated over 30 years to the numbers game, gaining valuable insights and expertise in financial matters. For 15 years, she operated a well-respected Brisbane based accounting practice, which assists her to understand the many challenges that comes with running a small business.

Kellie is passionate about all things ABN and ABA. She is a founding Director of ABA and and is also the company secretary which tasks her with the responsibilities relating to corporate governance. She enjoys being involved in ABN and ABA operations, ABN events and hosting ABN’s technical webinar ‘’Online Coffee Club’’. Kellie is also Instrumental in organizing the biennial national conference – The Bookkeeper Event.

Peter Thorp, Chairperson/Director

Peter is one of the founding principals of Australian Bookkeepers Network (ABN) and has been a Chartered Accountant for over 30 years. As a foundation principal of ABN Peter was integral to setting its strategic direction as well as the formation of consultative lines with government. Government consultative lines were firstly set with the ATO and then the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) during the inception of the Tax Agent Services Act (TASA) and were vital to the recognition of the bookkeeping profession and the provision of the government services it enjoys today. Peter also works in the areas of strategic partner relationships, events, webinars and technical publications. Peter was also the founding director of PT Partners, a respected Brisbane-based accounting firm.

Jo Crumpton, Director

Jo Crumpton came to bookkeeping after a careers as a social worker and then business compliance. She sold her bookkeeping business after 16 years. She is currently a director of ECJ Online, a cloud-based bookkeeping company she started in 2016 and which now has teams in Brisbane and Sydney. She is a registered practicing BAS Agent.

Jo loves the bookkeeping industry and admires the dedication and care that bookkeepers commonly bring to their work – whether they are sole traders or also employ other bookkeepers. She joined ABN in the early days of her business journey. She credits ABN with providing the support and network which enabled her to build successful businesses and get through the challenging periods which inevitably occur from time to time in business. She believes that the roles of advocacy, education and support are critical and is thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute through ABA.

Larisa Hailey, Director

Larisa is a CPA and BAS Agent with 30 years of experience across various bookkeeping roles including an Accountant in industry, solo bookkeeper and now has a growing team of bookkeepers. She understands the unique challenges faced by bookkeepers at each stage of business. Known for her tech-savvy approach, she continually seeks out innovative solutions to streamline bookkeeping processes. Larisa's experience teaching the Cert IV in Bookkeeping for several years highlights her commitment to sharing knowledge and empowering others in the profession. With a firm belief in continuous improvement, she tirelessly pursues professional growth and stays updated on industry advancements.